Presently his search was rewarded. Opposite the opening he had
discovered before, was another slit in the overhanging wall of this
bottle-shaped prison, and this also he attacked in the hope of wrenching
free some of the bricks. He strained and panted, till it seemed as
though the tendons of his body must break, but the wall remained whole
and the slit unpassable; and then he gave way, almost childishly, to his
passion of rage, and shouted insults and threats at Rad el Moussa in the
vain hope that some one would hear and carry them. And some one did
hear, though not the persons he expected.
A voice, muffled and foggy, as though it came from a long distance, said
in surprise: "Why, Captain, have they got you here, too?"
Under cover of the darkness, Kettle blushed for shame at his outcry.
"That you, Murray? I didn't know you were here. How did you guess it
was me?"
The distant voice chuckled foggily. "I've heard you giving your blessing
to the hands on board, sir, once or twice, and I recognized some of the
words. What have they collared you for? You don't photograph. Have you
been messing round with some girl?"
"Curse your impudence; just you remember your position and mine.
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