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"I won't say a word; but ask him to come to the pilot-house, for I want to see him, Flix," said Scott, as he had had no opportunity since the catastrophe to speak to the one he regarded as the most important personage on board of the Maud. In fact, but a very few minutes had elapsed since the event occurred.
"Don't shoot him, Flix!" protested Louis vigorously. "Where is he?" "Jist forninst the bow of the boat. Sure, Oi'm the schnake-killer of the party, and he's moi game." "I don't want him killed yet," replied Louis, as he moved forward from the waist with the forked stick in his hand. "He is handsome, as you say, Flix."
"Three whistles from the Guardian-Mother," said Felix, the lookoutman, walking up to the forward windows of the pilot-house, and speaking with a low voice. "Three whistles, and I heard them, Flix," returned Captain Scott, as he put the helm to starboard. "Where is Morris?"
"Sure, it's tin minutes afther foive in the marnin'. These beds are altogidther too foine, Captain." "How's that, Flix?" asked Scott, as he opened the netting and leaped out of bed. "They're too comfor-ta-ble, bad 'cess to 'em, and a b'y cud slape till sundown in 'em till the broke o' noight." "Dry up, Flix, or else speak English," called Louis, as he left his bed.
Do you know, Captain Scott, I believe it was the ball from his rifle that struck Mazagan!" said Felix, with an impressive expression on his face. "Nonsense, Flix!" exclaimed Scott. "How under the canopy can you tell who fired the shot, when five of you were firing at the same time?"
Morris led the way; for he seemed to be impatient to ascertain whether or not he was right in relation to the course of the steamer. "There you are!" he exclaimed as he looked at the face of the compass. "The Maud is headed to the north north-east half east; and that is not the course Captain Scott gave out when Flix took the helm." "But it is not a great change," added Louis.
I have studied up the navigation in this region," continued Captain Scott, as he took from a drawer in the case on which the binnacle stood a small plan of the port in question. "Look at that, Flix, and tell me what the diæresis over the i in Saïd is for." "It means that the two vowels in the word are to be pronounced separately, and I stand corrected," answered Felix promptly.
"You remember that when Mrs. Blossom asked Flix where under the sun he had been, he replied that he had not been anywhere, as it happened to be in the evening, when the sun was not overhead." "A quibble!" exclaimed Louis, laughing. "Granted; but one which was intended to test your information in regard to a nautical problem.
"Not a cobra; and I didn't want to meet any," replied Scott, disappointed at his luck. "You's air afeered of the schnakes," rallied the Milesian. "So are you, Flix. If you saw one you wouldn't stop running till you got back to Baroda," returned the third officer of the ship. "But I have seen four of them in my little walk, and I'm not doing any running just now," said Felix triumphantly.
"You remember that at Gallipoli, Flix and I went ashore in one of the two harbors, taking Don with us to talk Turkish, though His Highness and Captain Mazagan did their business in French, which they supposed no one near them could speak or understand; and I happened to be the only one of our party who took in all that was said.
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