Page:The Days Work (1899).djvu/334

 "'Fair an' soft again,' I said. 'She 's signallin' to the south of us. Bannister knows as well as I that one rocket would bring the Breslau. He 'll no be wastin’ fireworks for nothin'. Hear her ca'!'

"The Grotkau whustled an' whustled for five minutes, an' then there were more fireworks—a regular exhibeetion.

"'That 's no for men in the regular trade,' says Bell. 'Ye 're right, Mac. That 's for a cuddy full o' passengers.' He blinked through the night-glasses when it lay a bit thick to southward.

"'What d' ye make of it?' I said.

"'Liner,' he says. 'Yon 's her rocket. Ou, ay; they 've waukened the gold-strapped skipper, an'—noo they 've waukened the passengers. They 're turnin' on the electrics, cabin by cabin. Yon 's anither rocket! They 're comin' up to help the perishin' in deep watters.'

"'Gie me the glass,' I said. But Bell danced on the bridge, clean dementit. 'Mails— mails—mails!' said he. 'Under contract wi' the Government for the due conveyance o' the mails; an' as such, Mac, ye 'll note, she may rescue life at sea, but she canna tow!—she canna tow! Yon 's her night-signal. She 'll be up in half an hour!'

"'Gowk!' I said, 'an' we blazin' here wi' all oor lights. Oh, Bell, ye 're a fool!'

"He tumbled off the bridge forward, an' I tumbled aft, an' before ye could wink our lights were oot, the engine-room hatch was covered, an' we lay pitch-dark, watchin' the lights o' the liner come up that the Grotkau 'd been signallin' to. Twenty knot an hour she