They went up the alleyway and met a short, thin man, wearing a stained blue jacket and greasy trousers. He stopped and studied them, without surprise.
"Weel?" he said. "Are ye going to a fancy ball?"
"We want to borrow some clothes; dungarees, overalls, anything you've got," said Kit. "We had to give up a swimming match and couldn't reach my ship, astern of you."
"The little Spanish mailboat? Ye're with Macallister?"
"Of course. He got up the match, although I think he didn't start."
"It's verra possible," said the other dryly. "Mack canna swim. But if ye are friends o' his, I must get ye clothes."
Kit thanked him, and then, looking at the man thoughtfully, added that he doubted if the things would fit.
"I wasna meaning to lend ye my clothes," the engineer replied. "If ye're no fastidious, the second's aboot your size. Since he's occupied below, I dinna think he'll mind."
He took them into the mess-room, gave them some white clothes, and went off, remarking: "Ye'll be ready to go ashore with the water-boat. When they've filled my tanks we start."
"He won't start for some time," said Nelson. "You see, until we were on the mole, I forgot to tell Felix they wanted water. Jardine sent the coal, but the water's my job."
"You seem to forget rather easily," Kit remarked.
"Oh, well," said Nelson, "Don Arturo gave me the post because I can sing." He paused and added apologetically: "I really can sing, you know."
Kit laughed. He thought he liked Nelson. "Where do you think the others went?"
"There's a sandy spot near the _barranco_ and I expect they crawled out. Of course, the distance was too long, but Macallister insisted we should go right across."
"Yet the engineer declared he can't swim."
"He can't swim; I have gone in with him at the bathing beach. All the same, I don't think this would bother Mack. If your mate had not meddled, he'd have started."
"But the thing's ridiculous!" Kit exclaimed. "If you can't swim and jump into deep water, you drown."
"Unless somebody pulls you out. Anyhow, Mack is like that, and I forget things; Don Arturo's men are a fantastic lot. A number of us have talents that might be useful somewhere else, and, so far as I can see, a number have none, but we keep the business going and beat Spaniards, French and Germans at jobs they've studied. I don't know if it's good luck or unconscious ability. However, we'll go on deck and look for the water-boat."