ungs were half burst already in
the effort to get breath, and his head was singing like a tea-urn. The
gold boxes were there, and if they were not brought to the surface, and
carried honestly to Suez, the matter would have to be fought out above
in God's open air, and not in that horrible choking quagmire of slime
and cruel water. And so, still guarding himself cannily, he got back
again to the boat, and almost had it in him to shake hands with the men
who eased him of that intolerable helmet.

Now far be it from me to raise even a suspicion that Captain Owen Kettle
resented the fact that he had been robbed of a scuffle when the little
salvage steamer actually did bring up in Suez harbor with the specie
honestly locked in one of her staterooms. But that he was violently
angry he admits himself without qualification. He says he kicked himself
for being such a bad judge of men.

The _Parakeet_ was in when they arrived, rebunkering for the run home,
and Murray came off as fast as a crew could drive his boat to
inquire the news.

He saw Tazzuchi on the deck and accosted him with a vigorous handshake,
and a "Hullo, Fizz-hookey, old man, how goes it? Who'd have thought of
seeing you here? Howdy, Captain Kettle. Had good fishing?"

"Do you know Captain Tazzuchi?"

"Somewhat. Why, we were both boys on the _Conway_ together."

"You're making some mistake. Captain Tazzuchi is an Italian."

"Oh, am I?" said Tazzuchi. "Not much of the Dago about me except the
name."

"Well, you never told me that before."

"You never asked me, that I know of. I speak about enough of the lingo
to carry on duty with, and I serve on an Italian ship because I couldn't
get a skipper's billet on anything else. But I'm as English as either
of you, and as English as Birds--or more English than Birds, seeing that
they come from somewhere near Jerusalem. Great Scot, Captain Kettle,
can't you tell a Dago yet for sure? Where have you been all your days?"

Murray laughed. "Well, come across and discuss it in the _Parakeet_.
I've got a case of champagne on board to wet my new ticket."

"Stay half a minute," said Tazzuchi, "we'll just get those boxes of gold
down into your boat, Murray, and ferry them across. I sha'n't be sorry
to have them out of my responsibility. They're too big a temptation to
leave handy for the crew there is on board here."

"Phew!" said Kettle, "it's hot here in Suez. Great James! to think of
the way I've been sweating about