Cargo of Coffins Read Online Free PDF

he knew nothing was going to happen. He wanted to tell her that one Paco Corvino would one night be missing from the afterdeck of the Valiant, never to be seen again.
    But you can’t talk to a beautiful woman about coldblooded murder, no matter how certainly it concerns her.
    He wanted to talk to her more, was glad of this chance, but he heard voices coming up the ladder. With a twinge of annoyance he watched two young women and the supercilious young man come out of the companionway.
    “Oh, Kenneth,” giggled a brunette named Alice, “you say the wittiest things.”
    “Oh, I don’t know,” said Kenneth, proudly.
    “You do so!” challenged the other girl, a fluttery child called Rosey.
    Alice came straight to Miss Norton. “Oh, Terry, you know what Kenneth just said?”
    Terry, to Lars’ disgust, seemed interested.
    “He said . . . What did you say, Kenneth?”
    “I said, ‘If you were Sugar Loaf, I wish I was Pico.’ Get it, Terry?”
    Terry made a wry face. “That was awful, Kenneth.”
    “I thought it was pretty good,” defended Kenneth.
    Rosey took Kenneth’s arm. “So did I.”
    “Aunt Agatha,” said Alice, giggling, “refused to make a fourth at bridge after Kenneth redoubled six spades and set her last night. She says she has a headache. Won’t you come down, Terry?”
    “If our doughty mariner can run this ship without you,” said Kenneth, “you’d save us all from dying of ennui .”
    Terry did not want to leave very badly. “Where’s Ralph?”
    “He’s reading a book on big game hunting,” said Alice, giggling. “He says he’s going to Africa, just as though anybody ever goes to Africa. He says he’s going to shoot a . . . What was it, Kenneth?”
    “A wamphohitadile,” said Kenneth.
    Rosey laughed and looked adoringly at Kenneth. Alice shrieked. Terry suddenly looked sideways at Lars and saw that he was not smiling. He did not notice. He was watching Kenneth with amazement.
    A quiet, unobtrusive laugh was heard behind them and Paco edged through.
    “How was that one?” demanded Kenneth of Paco.
    “A rare animal,” said Paco, smiling. “Is it the one which drinks oysters and eats beer?”
    Everyone laughed except Lars and the helmsman, who concentrated upon his job. Lars noted carefully that Paco’s air took all the freshness out of his remark. He was being flattering to Kenneth. Paco shot Lars a triumphant glance which clearly said, “See, they think me most amusing. I can wrap them around my finger without half trying.”
    Paco touched his cap to Terry. “Miss Norton, I have set up the table and made ready the cards. In Rio I picked up a new kind of sandwich which I would like you to try.”
    “Did you remember the champagne?” demanded Kenneth.
    “Vat ’79, wasn’t it, sir?” said Paco.
    “That’s right!” cried Kenneth. “Paco, you’re a mastermind. You remember everything!”
    “I try to please, sir,” said Paco, smiling.
    The group moved toward the companionway and Paco carefully and politely aided Terry to descend the steep steps. But Paco did not follow them below. He came back to Lars, glanced at the helmsman to make certain the man was far enough away, and then relaxed into his easy, confident grin.
    “We’re on our way,” said Paco, waving his hand gracefully back toward the sleeping giant. “By this time you’ve probably changed your opinion of me. It’s not everybody who could keep the center of the stage around here. They don’t brush their teeth without asking me first. Aunt Agatha makes me choose her books for her and Ralph makes me tell him about strange ports where I’ve never been and . . .”
    “I’m not interested,” said Lars.
    “No?” smiled Paco. “But you will be. Next time you’re around Miss Norton, get her started on the subject of titles.”
    “What titles?”
    “Dukes and princes and earls. Alice and Rosey both have peerages in their cabins—or did until yesterday. They’ve got money but they haven’t social