West Wind Drift by McCutcheon, George Barr, 1866-1928

"I hear there is a detective from Chicago on board, with a prisoner," ventured Mr. Fitts. "Why doesn't the Captain ask him to have a look at this stowaway fellow?"

"What would be the good of that?" demanded Mr. Landover. "I never saw a detective in my life that knew what to do in an emergency. Soon as you get one of them where he can't telephone in to headquarters for instructions he's as helpless as a baby. Don't talk to me about detectives. Why, this fellow would simply laugh in his face."

"Just, as he is laughing in yours at this moment, Mr. Landover," pursued Mr. Fitts pleasantly.

"The damned rascal," said Mr. Landover, and stalked away.

"There goes one of the biggest figures in the United States," said Mr. Nicklestick, looking after the banker. His remark was addressed to Mr. Fitts. "I wish I had his brains."

"Dey vouldn't do you any good, Nicklestick," said Mr. Block, "unless you had his money too also."

"If I had his brains," said Mr. Nicklestick, "he wouldn't have his money, so what's the difference?"

CHAPTER III

Mr. Block looked uneasily out over the tumbling ocean, focusing his gaze on a section of the horizon that for want of something more definite than mere hope lay in a direct line with the City of New York.

"And ven you stop to think," said he wistfully, "that we are still something like six thousand miles from home,--oh, veil! Vat's the use? I bet you I never go so far avay from my business again. Vat a fool I vas to make this trip ven the whole ocean is full of submarines and German agents and plotters and--Yes, vat a fool ven I had so many high-priced men vorking for me who vas crazy to come. But my vife she vould do it. Paris and London every year it used to be, so she must haf a little holiday or she vill die, she say. Veil, here we are. And ven I think vat a long holiday it is going to be maybe,--by gracious, I could kick myself for not giving in to my brother-in-law ven he begged so hard to be allowed to make the trip because he needed the change from not being avay from the office for five years, and his vife and children too. His vife she needed a change as much as he, vat with not being able to get into any good hotels in the summer time and not being able to keep out of them in the vinter time, she vas nearly distracted. No, I vas selfish. My vife she vas selfish too,--and him her own brother. Vy shouldn't he haf a vacation vonce in awhile?"

He turned abruptly to the sailor who lounged near the perspiring Percival.

"How far is it to land, my frient?" he inquired.

The sailor touched his cap. "Which way, sir?" he asked solemnly. "Fore or aft?"

(Percival said to himself: "By golly, I'll bet that man is an American.")

"Vat? Land,--you know vat I mean,--the end of the ocean. How far avay is it?"

The sailor calculated. "Well, the nearest land, sir, I should say, is about three hundred miles away, to port."

"How deep is it here?" asked Mr. Nicklestick, moving away from the rail suddenly.