United States or Tokelau ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Mind your step." But you couldn't discourage Captain Killam that way. Next time it would be the same old story. "Of all the gutta-percha ears!" says I to Vee. "He must think we're plottin' something deep." "Let's pretend we are," says Vee. "Or give him a steer that'll keep him busy, eh?" says I. So you see it started innocent enough.
And he leaves it in the weirdest places under the piano, in a vase, or back of the fire screen. We always have a grand hunt for the Professor's hat when he starts to go. But it's no wonder he forgets such trifles, when he knows so much about fishes. He writes books about 'em." "He looks it," says I. "And, last but not least, we have arriving Captain Rupert Killam, who started all this trouble.
"Auntie!" comes from Vee husky, as she drops back on a window seat. But Auntie takes no notice. "I say," goes on Old Hickory, "has Killam shown you the jewelry he dug from the mound?" Auntie nods. "It is genuine antique," says she, "the Louis Treize period, one piece. If there is much like that, no collection in the world can match it." "Hm-m-m-m!" says Old Hickory.
"Well?" says he, snappin' it out crisp. "You'd never guess," says I, smotherin' a chuckle. "Eh?" says he, shootin' a puzzled glance at me from under them overhangin' eyebrows of his. "Who wants to guess? What about Captain Killam?" "That's just it," says I. "He's flitted." "Wha-a-at!" snorts Old Hickory. "You don't mean he has gone?" "Uh-huh!" says I. "Been lured away.
I decides that I'm some grand little sailor myself, and I looks around for a willin' ear that I can whisper the news into. The only person on deck, though, is Captain Rupert Killam, who's pacin' up and down, lookin' mysterious, as usual. "Well, Cap," says I. "Looked like it was goin' to be a little rough for a spell there last night, eh?" "Rough?" says he.
"That tallies with Captain Killam's description," says he. "Why?" "Well," I goes on, "a little while before we located you we passed one like that. Don't you remember, Vee?" "That's so," says Vee; "we did. I know right where it is, too." "We might take a glance at it," says Old Hickory. "Killam, give Miss Verona the wheel."
We was on Nunca Secos Key, with the Gulf of Mexico murmurin' gentle behind us, and out in front a big red sun was blazin' through the black pines that edge the west coast of Florida. Five of us, includin' Vee and Captain Rupert Killam and me; and each in our own peculiar way was registerin' the Pollyanna-Mrs. Wiggs stuff. Why not?
"Why er ah " stutters Rupert, "perhaps I have. But when you see two persons getting off by themselves and talking so much together, you naturally " "Bah!" explodes Old Hickory. "Can't you remember back to nineteen, Killam?" Then he turns to me. "So you concocted this plot story for Captain Killam's benefit, did you?" I nods.
"I got a few words to say to them early-bird sailors that's house-cleanin' the decks," says I. "I'm goin' to ask you to stay in the boat, Mr. Ellins, and look worried. The rest can go aboard. Captain Killam might rout out the chef and get action on an early breakfast." "Ay, ay, Captain Torchy," says Old Hickory. "Here we are, with a smiling reception committee to greet us, as usual."
Captain Killam is demandin' of Meyers. "Wait," says the operator, fittin' on his tin ear. "He's just calling." Then, after listenin' a while, he announces: "He wants to know who we are." "Don't answer," orders Killam. "Oh, all right," says Meyers, and goes on listenin'. Pretty soon, though, he gives out another bulletin. "It's the United States gunboat Petrel, and he's demanding who and what.
Word Of The Day