rded. Opposite the opening he had
discovered before, was another slit in the overhanging wall of this
bottle-shaped prison, and this also he attacked in the hope of wrenching
free some of the bricks. He strained and panted, till it seemed as
though the tendons of his body must break, but the wall remained whole
and the slit unpassable; and then he gave way, almost childishly, to his
passion of rage, and shouted insults and threats at Rad el Moussa in the
vain hope that some one would hear and carry them. And some one did
hear, though not the persons he expected.

A voice, muffled and foggy, as though it came from a long distance, said
in surprise: "Why, Captain, have they got you here, too?"

Under cover of the darkness, Kettle blushed for shame at his outcry.
"That you, Murray? I didn't know you were here. How did you guess it
was me?"

The distant voice chuckled foggily. "I've heard you giving your blessing
to the hands on board, sir, once or twice, and I recognized some of the
words. What have they collared you for? You don't photograph. Have you
been messing round with some girl?"

"Curse your impudence; just you remember your position and mine. I'll
have respect from my officers, even if I am in a bit of a fix."

"Beg pardon, sir. Sorry I forgot myself. It sha'n't occur again."

"You'll go to your room for three days when we get back on board."

"Ay, ay, sir."

"I decided that before I left the ship. I can't have my officers staying
away from duty without leave on any excuse. And if they have such low
tastes as to bring themselves on the level of common mop-headed portrait
painters and photographers, they must pay for it."

"Ay, ay, sir."

"What were you run in for?"

"Oh, photographing."

"There you are, then! And did they bring you straight along here?"

"Yes, sir. And lowered me in a bowline to this cellar."

"Ah," said Kettle, "then you don't want so much change out of them. They
dropped me, and some one will have a heavy bill to square up for, over
that. Do you know whose house this is?"

"Haven't a notion. After I'd been here an hour or so, some heathen
sneaked round to a peep-hole in the wall and offered to take off a
message to the ship, on payment. I hadn't any money, so I had to give up
my watch, and before I'd written half the letter he got interrupted and
had to clear off with what there was. Did he bring off the
message, sir?"

"He did. And I came ashore at once. You remember Rad el