So far, conversation had been easy, and he had satisfactorily accounted
for his passing the wharf, without, he hoped, appearing anxious to do so;
but he had learned nothing yet, although he thought the Spaniard was more
interested in his doings than he looked.
"The collier was leaving as we went by," he resumed. "Trade must be good,
because she seemed to have unloaded a large quantity of coal."
"Sixteen hundred tons," said the manager. "In war time, when freights
advance, it is wise to keep a good stock."
As this was very nearly the quantity Dick had guessed, he noted the man's
frankness, but somehow imagined it was meant to hide something.
"So long as you can sell the stock," he agreed. "War, however, interferes
with trade, and the French line have reduced their sailings, while I
expect the small British tramps won't be so numerous."
"They have nothing to fear in these waters."
"I suppose they haven't, and vessels belonging to neutral countries ought
to be safe," said Dick. "Still, the Spanish company seem to have changed
their sailings, because I thought I saw one of their boats yesterday; but
she was a long way off on the horizon."
He thought the other gave him a keen glance, but as the shutters were
partly closed the light was not good, and the man answered carelessly: "They do not deal with us. Adexe is off their course and no boats so
large can come up to the wharf."
"Well," said Dick, who believed he had admitted enough to disarm any
suspicion the other might have entertained, "doesn't coal that's kept
exposed to the air lose some of its heating properties?"
"It does not suffer much damage. But we will drink a glass of wine, and
then I will show you how we keep our coal."
"Thanks. These things interest me, but I looked into the sheds as I
passed," Dick answered as he drank his wine.
They went out and when they entered the first shed the Spaniard called a
peon and gave him an order Dick did not catch. Then he showed Dick the
cranes, and the trucks that ran along the wharf on rails, and how they
weighed the bags of coal. After a time they went into a shed that was
nearly empty and Dick carefully looked about. Several peons were at work
upon the bags, but Oliva was not there. Dick wondered whether he had been
warned to keep out of sight.
As they went back to the office, his companion looked over the edge of
the wharf and spoke to a seaman on the tug below. Her fires were out and
the hammering that came up through the open skylights indicated that work
was being done in her engine-room. Then one of the workmen seemed to
object to something another said, for Dick heard "No; it must be
tightened. It knocked last night."