Page:Stringer - Lonely O'Malley.djvu/343

 and forth while he spoke, "men, we 've got to have a engine for this ship!"

Eight oar-wielding galley-slaves sat up and gazed at one another in open-mouthed amazement. Of course; an engine was just the thing! Why had n't some one thought of it before? But doubts began to suggest themselves.

"Then we can have an awning put up," continued the Captain, airily, "and just sit there in the shade and go steamin' around and capture whatever we like. Then I guess we won't be hearin' so much about water-blisters and sore hands and all that stuff!"

Lonely had tried in vain, weeks before, to instill Spartan views into his crew. He had eloquently advised that they all harden themselves, first by sleeping on broken bricks, then by drinking only muddy water, and by eating things uncooked as often as possible.

"An' we could have a whistle, too, could n't we?" piped up little Binney Pennyfather, the youngest of the crew.

"Cert!" said the Captain.

"And could make a swell after us, like the Lone Star!"

"Course!" said the Captain.