But at this point they were interrupted.  “That wobbly boat was making me sea-sick,” said a voice, “so I came on board here.  Hullo, you fellows!”

Kettle looked up.  “Mr. Philipps,” he said, “I wish you’d go and get the rest of our crew on deck out of the boat.”

“But what are you two doing down there?”

“We disagreed over a question of judgment.  He said this ship isn’t safe, and I shouldn’t have the chance to take her home.  I say there’s nothing wrong with her that can’t be remedied, and home I’m going to take her, anyway.  It might be the one chance in my life, sir, of getting a balance at the bank, and I’m not going to miss it.”

“Ho!” said Dayton-Philipps.

“If you don’t like to come, you needn’t,” said Kettle.  “But I’m going to have the stonemason and the Dago, and those two coal-heavers.  Perhaps you’d better go back.  It will be wet, hard work here; no way the sort of job to suit a soldier.”

Dayton-Philipps flushed slightly, and then he laughed.  “I suppose that’s intended to be nasty,” he said.  “Well, Captain, I shall have to prove to you that we soldiers are equal to a bit of manual labor sometimes.  By the way, I don’t want to interfere in a personal matter, but I’d take it as a favor if you wouldn’t kill Strake quite.  I rather like him.”

“Anything to oblige,” said Kettle, and took his thumb out of the third mate’s windpipe.  “And now, sir, as you’ve so to speak signed on for duty here, away with you on deck and get those four other beauties up out of the boat.”

Dayton-Philipps touched his hat and grinned.  “Ay, ay, sir,” he said, and went back up the companion.

Shortly afterward he came to report the men on board, and Kettle addressed his late opponent.  “Now, look here, young man, I don’t want to have more trouble on deck before the hands.  Have you had enough?”

“For the present, yes,” said the third mate huskily.  “But I hope we’ll meet again some other day to have a bit of further talk.”

“I am sure I shall be quite ready.  No man ever accused me of refusing a scrap.  But, me lad, just take one tip from me:  don’t you go and make Captain Image anxious by saying this ship isn’t seaworthy, or he’ll begin to ask questions, and he may get you to tell more than you’re proud about.”

“You can go and get drowned your own way.  As far as I am concerned, no one will guess it’s coming off till they see it in the papers.”

“Thanks,” said Kettle.  “I knew you’d be nice about it.”

The third mate went down to his boat, and the three rowers took her across to the M’poso, where she was hauled up to davits again.  The steamer’s siren boomed out farewells, as she got under way again, and Kettle with his own hands unbent the reversed ensign from the ship’s main rigging, and ran it up to the peak and dipped it three times in salute.

He breathed more freely now.  One chance and a host of unknown dangers lay ahead of him.  But the dangers he disregarded.  Dangers were nothing new to him.  It was the chance which lured him on.  Chances so seldom came in his way, that he intended to make this one into a certainty if the efforts of desperation could do it.