Dorothy had told him the story of the
Nihilist, saying she intended to purchase the yacht, and outlining
what she proposed to do with it when it was her own. Now she sat
silent opposite the genial Captain, while Katherine stood by the
window, and talked enough for two, sometimes waxing indignant, and
occasionally giving, in terse language, an opinion of her father, as
is the blessed privilege of every girl born in the land of the free,
while the father took the censure with the unprotesting mildness of
his nature.
"My dear girls, you really must listen to reason. What you propose to
do is so absurd that it doesn't even admit of argument. Why, it's a
filibustering expedition, that's what it is. You girls are as crazy as
Walker of Nicaragua. Do you imagine that a retired Captain of the
United States Navy is going to take command of a pirate craft of far
less legal standing than the 'Alabama,' for then we were at war, but
now we are at peace. Do you actually propose to attack the domain of a
friendly country! Oh!" cried the Captain, with a mighty explosion of
breath, for at this point his supply of language entirely gave out.
"No one would know anything about it," persisted Katherine.
"Not know about it? With a crew of men picked up here in New York, and
coming back to New York? Not know about it? Bless my soul, the papers
would be full of it before your men were an hour on shore.
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