Page:Arthur Stringer - Gun Runner.djvu/134

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THE CONVERGING TRAILS

"There again I'm afraid I must both disappoint you and disagree with you. And at the same time I'd like to call your attention to the fact that this is a wireless station, and that it stands under the protection of the Berlin International Concordat!"

"To hell with you and your Concordats! This is my ship——"

"Precisely; and I, unfortunately, have been put here to do my work, and I'm——"

"Yes, by Heaven!" broke in the irate captain, "you're here to do your work! You were stuck in here under my nose, for reasons I don't understand; but when you're here you're goin' to do your work as I say! And what's more, I want you to bear in mind that I intend to stay master o' this ship! And while I'm master o' this ship I want no insolence from upstart wire-stretchers! So you do your despatchin' in regular hours, and when I say so, or I'll ship you back to your company in irons!"