Brandon of the Engineers

Two men were folding up the bags, but, by contrast with the glitter

outside, the shed was dark, and Dick's eyes were not accustomed to the

gloom. Still he thought one of the men was Oliva, the contractor whom

Stuyvesant had dismissed. Next moment the fellow turned and threw a

folded bag aside, after which he walked towards the other end of the

shed. His movements were leisurely, but he kept his back to Dick and the

latter thought this significant, although he was not sure the man had

seen him.

As he did not want to be seen loitering about the sheds, he walked on,

feeling puzzled. Since he did not know what stock the company had held,

it was difficult to tell if coal had recently been shipped, but he

imagined that some must have left the wharf after the collier had

unloaded. He was used to calculating weights and cubic quantities, and

the sheds were not large. Taking it for granted that the vessel had

landed one thousand five hundred tons, he thought there ought to be more

about than he could see. Still, if some had been shipped, he could not

understand why it had been taken, at a greater cost for labor, from the

last shed, where one would expect the company to keep their reserve

supply. He might, perhaps, find out something from the manager, but this

would need tact.

Entering the small, hot office, he found a suave Spanish gentleman whom

he had already met. The latter greeted him politely and gave him a cigar.

"It is not often you leave the works, but a change is good," he said.

"We're not quite so busy and I promised to pay Allen at the sugar mill a

visit," Dick replied. "Besides, I had an excuse for the trip. We're short

of some engine stores that I dare say you can let us have."

He gave the manager a list, and the Spaniard nodded as he marked the

items.

"We can send you most of the things. It pays us to stock goods that the

engineers of the ships we coal often want; but there are some we have not

got."

"Very well," said Dick. "I'll fill up our form for what you have and you

can put the things on board the tug the first time she goes to Santa

Brigida."

"She will go in three or four days."

Dick decided that as the launch had probably been seen, he had better

mention his voyage.

"That will be soon enough. If our storekeeper had told me earlier, I

would have called here yesterday. I passed close by on my way to Orava."

"One of the peons saw your boat. It is some distance to Orava."

"The sea was very smooth," said Dick. "I went to engage a contractor who

had been at work upon the mole."