for all they're worth. I keep 'em well
employed, by thunder." He laughed. "If it's not fight, it's pump, and
if it weren't pump, by the blazes it would be fight. So you owe me one,
doctor, you and those fine friends of yours who wouldn't pick you out
of a gutter."

"Supposing we get to the point," I suggested curtly.

"That's all right. There's a point about here, sure enough. Well, we're
piled up on blessed Hurricane Island, doctor, as you see. We struck her
at a proper angle. See? Here lies the _Sea Queen_, with a bulge in her
and her nose for the water. She'd like to crawl off, and could."

He waved his hand as he spoke, and for the first time my gaze took in
the scene. We lay crooked up upon a ridge of rock and sand; beyond, to
the right, the cliffs rose in a cloud of gulls, and nearer and
leftwards the long rollers broke upon a little beach which sloped up to
the verdure of a tiny valley. It was a solitary but a not unhandsome
prospect, and my eyes devoured it with inward satisfaction, even with
longing. Far away a little hill was crowned with trees, and the sun was
shining warmly on the gray sand and blue water.

I turned, and Holgate's eye was on me.

"She's piled up for certain, but I guess she could get up and waddle if
we urged her," he said slowly.

"Come, Holgate, I have no idea what this means," said I. "I only know
that a few hours ago you would have annihilated us, and that we must
look for the same attempt again. I confess there's nothing else plain
to me."

"I'll make it plain, lad," said he with his Lancashire accent
uppermost. "I'm not denying what you say. I told you long ago that I
was going through with this, and that holds. I'm not going to let go
now, no, by thunder, not when I'm within an ace of it. But there's been
a bit of manoeuvring, doctor, and I think we can help each other."

"You want a compromise," I said.

"You can call it that if you will," he said. "But the terms I offered
yesterday I repeat to-day."

"Why do you take this method of offering them?" I inquired. "Why not
approach the Prince officially?"

"Well, you see, doctor, I don't hanker after seeing the Prince, as you
might say; and then, between you and me, you're more reasonable, and
know when the butter's on the bread."

"And there's another reason," said I.

He slapped his thigh and laughed. "Ah! Ah! doctor, there's no getting
behind you. You're a fair daisy," he said good-humouredly. "Yes,
there's another r