the hold is the officer's mess, anyway."
Dripping with perspiration, Marvin did as he was told, only to find himself wedged tightly between Slade and a hulk of a man whose outthrustshoulder, arm and hip had the feel of a seaweedcovered ledge. He groaned and heaved as Marvin pressed against him; but when Slade, leaning over Marvin, softly said "Argandeau," the hulk of a man was gone as quickly as though he had silently exploded. A moment later he spoke softly from above them: "Some
body call me?"
"I did," Slade said. "You'd sleep through hell, if you had to go there."
"Ah," the soft voice said, "you don't wake me to tell me about hell, I hoper"
"Why, no," Slade said. "I woke you so you'd give our guest some room."
"Hoi" Argandeau said. "So the Griffons took another! Soon we begin to be crowded, I think."
Against the dim light that filtered through the hole in the hatch Marvin saw Argandeau mount two steps up the ladder. "Mr. Griffonl" he called mildly. "Ho, Mr. Griffonl Rig the wind saill I feel we are under wayl"
A sentry's face appeared at the hatch. "Oo the 'elf you calling Mr.
CAPTAIN CAUTION 301
Griffin?" truculently. "We bloody well had enough of your Grifflningl"
"Yes, well, you rig the wind sail," Argandeau said. "We choke to death here in this black sewer."
He came down the ladder, crouched beside Marvin and felt for his shoulder. "They are all Griffons, the English," he declared mildly, "with ugly, hairy faces like the hunting griffons of the Vendee. Similar as to whiskers, but less dependable and less aristocratic parentage. This ship of yours, what was she?"
"Barque Olive Branch," Marvin told him. "Three hundred and thirty tons, twenty-five men, ten six-pounders, of and for Arundel, from Canton."
"Six-pounders!" Argandeau exclaimed. "Good for nothing but shooting flying fish! Why you run from this cruiser? Don't you know she can knock you into fireplace wood?"
"I thought you were asleep during the chase, Argandeau," Slade interrupted.
"Ho," Argandeau said carelessly, "I hear in my sleep. I hear, even, that although you decide to fight and run, you do neither. Pfool Bangl And in one minute you are here, eh?"
Marvin cleared his throat. "Yes," he admitted uncomfortably, "yes. The only gun we fired blew up, and there was - " He checked himself. "There were important lives aboard. I don't mean my own particularly I mean I think if there had been more time I mean, I could have rigged a pendulum in the gangway. Even through the smoke I could have cleared her decks if I could have rigged a pen- dulum. With a pendulum we could have fired from an even keel, always. It was too late when it occurred to me a pendulum - "
His voice died away. The silence that followed was broken by a faint, hoarse laugh from Slade. Marvin felt Argandeau's hand on his shoulder. "Yes, yes," the Frenchman said soothingly. "You have had an experience! I understand quite well! You rest now, and I speak to you of my Formidable. You say in English Formidibi1bble, I think, eh?"
"Formidable!" Marvin said wearily. "How did you come to call her Formidable when she wasn't?"
"No, not" Argandeau murmured. "You be quiet. Do not speak of pendulums, or of anything, even. When word arrives in any port that Lucien Argandeau approaches in his Formidahle, the ladies of that port, they flame with feeling! In every place even in Martinico and Hispaniola the girls cheer for the Formidable when she come, and weep for her when she gol For me they flame; for my Formidable
30z CAPTAIN CAUTION
they scream in exultation. She is gallant swift like the frigate bird swifter! Swooping on her enemies like the hawk, piffl In her I would fight any vessel, sailing in circles about those too large to take; laughing at them, ha-hal"
"Yes, and here you arel" Marvin told him wearily. He buried his head in his arms and thought again of the words Corunna Dorman had spoken to him.
Argandeau was silent for a time. "I know what you feel, young man," he said at length.
Dripping with perspiration, Marvin did as he was told, only to find himself wedged tightly between Slade and a hulk of a man whose outthrustshoulder, arm and hip had the feel of a seaweedcovered ledge. He groaned and heaved as Marvin pressed against him; but when Slade, leaning over Marvin, softly said "Argandeau," the hulk of a man was gone as quickly as though he had silently exploded. A moment later he spoke softly from above them: "Some
body call me?"
"I did," Slade said. "You'd sleep through hell, if you had to go there."
"Ah," the soft voice said, "you don't wake me to tell me about hell, I hoper"
"Why, no," Slade said. "I woke you so you'd give our guest some room."
"Hoi" Argandeau said. "So the Griffons took another! Soon we begin to be crowded, I think."
Against the dim light that filtered through the hole in the hatch Marvin saw Argandeau mount two steps up the ladder. "Mr. Griffonl" he called mildly. "Ho, Mr. Griffonl Rig the wind saill I feel we are under wayl"
A sentry's face appeared at the hatch. "Oo the 'elf you calling Mr.
CAPTAIN CAUTION 301
Griffin?" truculently. "We bloody well had enough of your Grifflningl"
"Yes, well, you rig the wind sail," Argandeau said. "We choke to death here in this black sewer."
He came down the ladder, crouched beside Marvin and felt for his shoulder. "They are all Griffons, the English," he declared mildly, "with ugly, hairy faces like the hunting griffons of the Vendee. Similar as to whiskers, but less dependable and less aristocratic parentage. This ship of yours, what was she?"
"Barque Olive Branch," Marvin told him. "Three hundred and thirty tons, twenty-five men, ten six-pounders, of and for Arundel, from Canton."
"Six-pounders!" Argandeau exclaimed. "Good for nothing but shooting flying fish! Why you run from this cruiser? Don't you know she can knock you into fireplace wood?"
"I thought you were asleep during the chase, Argandeau," Slade interrupted.
"Ho," Argandeau said carelessly, "I hear in my sleep. I hear, even, that although you decide to fight and run, you do neither. Pfool Bangl And in one minute you are here, eh?"
Marvin cleared his throat. "Yes," he admitted uncomfortably, "yes. The only gun we fired blew up, and there was - " He checked himself. "There were important lives aboard. I don't mean my own particularly I mean I think if there had been more time I mean, I could have rigged a pendulum in the gangway. Even through the smoke I could have cleared her decks if I could have rigged a pen- dulum. With a pendulum we could have fired from an even keel, always. It was too late when it occurred to me a pendulum - "
His voice died away. The silence that followed was broken by a faint, hoarse laugh from Slade. Marvin felt Argandeau's hand on his shoulder. "Yes, yes," the Frenchman said soothingly. "You have had an experience! I understand quite well! You rest now, and I speak to you of my Formidable. You say in English Formidibi1bble, I think, eh?"
"Formidable!" Marvin said wearily. "How did you come to call her Formidable when she wasn't?"
"No, not" Argandeau murmured. "You be quiet. Do not speak of pendulums, or of anything, even. When word arrives in any port that Lucien Argandeau approaches in his Formidahle, the ladies of that port, they flame with feeling! In every place even in Martinico and Hispaniola the girls cheer for the Formidable when she come, and weep for her when she gol For me they flame; for my Formidable
30z CAPTAIN CAUTION
they scream in exultation. She is gallant swift like the frigate bird swifter! Swooping on her enemies like the hawk, piffl In her I would fight any vessel, sailing in circles about those too large to take; laughing at them, ha-hal"
"Yes, and here you arel" Marvin told him wearily. He buried his head in his arms and thought again of the words Corunna Dorman had spoken to him.
Argandeau was silent for a time. "I know what you feel, young man," he said at length.
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