The engineer took the paper and read it with extreme care. It was to the effect that, during her command of the _Hawk_, Dora Fletcher agreed that Phineas McPhulach, chief engineer of that vessel, should receive a pound a month extra pay.
"Aye," he murmured, handing it back to her, "ye'll be guid enough tae sign it, please."
The girl did so, and McPhulach waved it gently to and fro to dry the ink.
"So ye've made ye'r intentions known tae the crew," he remarked.
"Not very well at first. I shouldn't be surprised if some of them tried to make trouble, especially as they know we have treasure aboard."
"Aye, I shouldna be sairprised. Sic an ungodly lot o' heathen I've never sailed wi' before. But ye're a michty plucky lassie. Mind, ye're no me ideal of a woman, but gin it wasna that I'm a wee bit confused in me matrimonial obligations I dinna say that I wouldna marry ye mesel'."
"Nae, nae, dinna thank me," answered McPhulach hastily, "I wasna meanin' to propose tae ye. It jest crossed me mind like that ye'd mak' a guid wife gin ye was properly trained." He rose to his feet and yawned. "I'm for turnin' in," he said, "so I'll be wishin' ye guid nicht, Miss Fletcher."
"Good-night," she answered, and the engineer left the chart-room. When he had gone the girl took from a drawer a chart, pencil, and parallel rulers, and, sitting down, marked out the ship's course. This done, she wrote up the log and then stepped out on to the bridge, just as two relief quartermasters came up to take the wheel over.
"I shall only want one man at the wheel now," she said. "The storm, I think, has passed over."
A little later on, when she was taking off her sea-boots in the chart-room preparatory to lying down, there was a knock at the door.
It was McPhulach, who, with an oilskin over his pyjamas, stood at the door.
"I jest wanted to mak' sairtain, Miss Fletcher, that ye didna misunderstand me a whiles back," he said anxiously.
"Misunderstand what?" she asked in surprise.
"Weel, I'd like tae mak' it clear that I didna propose tae ye. I wouldna like ye tae attach any false hope to what I said aboot marryin' ye mesel' gin I was able. It were jest a wee bit joke, ye'll ken."
She reassured him concerning her intentions, and the engineer, with a sigh of relief, returned to his bunk.