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It was impossible to prevent the lad from going to Kenwardine's when Clare was there to hear his objections, and he had no doubt that Jake enjoyed his embarrassment. Turning away, he tried to forget the matter by thinking about the coal. Since Kenwardine was at home, it was improbable that he had been at Adexe during the night.
"To Santa Brigida; but, as you can see, not direct. I expect her skipper wants to take a bearing from the Adexe lights. You are going there and her course is the same as ours." "No," said Dick; "I'm edging in towards the land rather short of Adexe. As we have the current on our bow, I want to get hold of the beach as soon as I can, for the sake of slacker water.
In the fertile district of Adexe only, where the plantations of the sugar-cane are most considerable, camels have sometimes been known to breed. These beasts of burden, as well as horses, were brought into the Canary Islands in the fifteenth century by the Norman conquerors.
The moon had not yet risen, thin mist drifted out of the jungle, and it was very dark. There was some brush in front of the building and a belt of tall grass and reeds grew farther back. Without moving the upper part of his body, he put his foot under the table at which they sat and kicked Jake's leg. "What was that about Adexe?" he asked in a clear voice, and listened hard.
Adexe is off their course and no boats so large can come up to the wharf." "Well," said Dick, who believed he had admitted enough to disarm any suspicion the other might have entertained, "doesn't coal that's kept exposed to the air lose some of its heating properties?" "It does not suffer much damage. But we will drink a glass of wine, and then I will show you how we keep our coal." "Thanks.
"No, señor," was the answer, and Dick asked for the coal wharf at Adexe. "Why didn't you call them first?" Jake inquired. "I had a reason. The tug was standing to leeward when she left us, but if her skipper meant to come back to Santa Brigida, he'd have to put into Arenas, where he'd find shelter." "Then you're not sure he meant to come back?"
"I told Kenwardine you left me to deal with the matter, and the plan was mine," said Dick. Jake signified by a gesture that the subject must be dropped. "As I did agree to leave it to you, I can't object. After all, I expect you meant well." The breeze had fallen and the shining sea was smooth as glass when the launch passed Adexe. Dick, who lounged at the helm, was not going there.
"I've some doubts," Dick answered dryly, and was told that he was connected with the Adexe wharf. "What about the coal for the Fuller irrigation works?" he asked. "The tug and four lighters left last night," somebody answered in Castilian, and Dick imagined from the harshness of the voice that one of the wharf-hands was speaking. "That is so," he said. "Has she returned yet?"
You can pry into the coaling company's affairs and, if you are caught, it would be looked upon as an individual impertinence. If I did anything of the kind, it would reflect upon the Foreign Office and compromise our relations with a friendly state. The Adexe wharf is registered according to the laws of this country as being owned by a native company."
Though the heat was intense and the glare from the white dam dazzling, Dick found work something of a relief. It was his habit to fix his mind upon the task in which he was engaged; but of late his thoughts had been occupied by Clare and conjectures about the Adexe coaling station and the strange black-funnel boat.
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