That old rascal did play me a dirty trick. When we got back to Newcastle he nailed me to the ship and ran up to London for a change of air. I must tell you that on returning from Scotland we ran into one of those little spring gales which put two boilers out of business and loosened the collars of our broken shaft, which we have trundled about ever since August. Then, as the _Pamir_ ha’n’t been out of commission since Alexandria, Fourgues said he wouldn’t go another step till they put the ship in the dock, examined her hull, retubed the boilers, and changed the shaft. The Bulls wanted to send him up there again with three thousand tons of coal for the Fleet, but Fourgues answered that an old fox like him knew when a boat has had its bellyful, and that he didn’t intend that the _Pamir_ should break down like a silly, when he was the one to catch it and not the rest of them. In order to get things his own way in peace, he took the train that very evening. While he was packing his bag he called me into his cabin: “Look, my boy, here is a paper. I hand over to you command of the _Pamir_ and of the whole show. Have her put into the dock and thoroughly repaired. I shall see if you can cope with an emergency. They played the same trick on me in Melbourne on my boat when I knew less than you. When the hull is repainted, the boilers retubed, and the shaft replaced, telegraph me at the Charing Cross Hotel, London. I give you ten days. Put it through!” “But, captain, to whom shall I address myself?” “You’re in charge and you have a tongue. As for me, I’m going up to London to raise hell to get the wireless, and if the owner won’t put it in, I’ll go to Paris. But I don’t want to hear a word from the _Pamir_ until you wire me ‘Ready!’ Do you understand?” “Certainly, captain, but----” “Rubbish! Here are the keys, the papers, the cheques, and everything. If you are ready in ten days I shall see that you get your skipper’s ticket for foreign trade, because then they can give you a ship all to yourself. Otherwise, you’ll whistle for it.”