"  I'm  not  sorry  you  are  boss,"  he  said.  "  The  Old
Man  is  coming!  "


26o     LISTER'S  GREAT  ADVENTURE

A  few  minutes  afterwards  Cartwright  got  over  the
tug's  rail.  His  face  was  red,  and  he  looked  very
stern.
"  Why  have  you  left  the  wreck?  "  he  asked  Lister.
"  I  came  for  some  castings  I  couldn't  get  at
Sierra  Leone.  The  pump  and  engine  needed
mending."

"  Then  where's  Brown  ?  "

"  He's  busy  at  the  lagoon,  sir.  There's  enough  to
keep  him  occupied,  unless  the  pump  plays  out  before
I  get  back."

Cartwright  looked  relieved,  but  asked  meaningly:
"  Did  you  know  Mrs.  Cartwright  and  Miss  Hyslop
were  at  Las  Palmas?  "

"  I  did  not  know  until  yesterday  evening,  twenty-
four  hours  after  I  arrived;  but  we'll  talk  about  this
again.  I  expect  you  want  to  know  how  we  are  get-
ting on  at  the  wreck?"

Cartwright  nodded.  "  I  think  my  curiosity  is
natural!  Let's  get  out  of  the  sun,  and  if  you  have
liquor  on  board,  order  me  a  drink.  When  the  mail-
boat  steamed  round  the  mole  and  I  saw  Terrier,  I
got  a  nasty  jolt."

Lister  took  him  to  the  captain's  room  and  gave
him  some  sour  red  Canary  wine.  Cartwright  drained
his  glass  and  looked  up  with  an  ironical  smile.
"If  you  use  stuff  like  this,  Brown  ought  not  to  be
tempted  much!  However,  you  can  tell  me  what  you
have  done  at  the  lagoon,  and  the  difficulties  you  have
met.  You  needn't  bother  to  smooth  down  Brown's
extravagances.  I  knew  the  captain  before  I  knew
you."

Lister  told  his  story,  and  when  he  stopped  Cart-


BARBARA'S  REFUSAL  261

wright  filled  his  glass,  raised  it  to  his  lips  and  put  it
back  with  a  frown.
