King of the Air Part 28

"Much obliged," said Oliphant, kicking Tom under the table. "How did they get hold of _you_?"

"Vy, I tell you. I come to Rabat to buy great lot of carpets for Schlagintwert. Zere I hear zat ze Sultan is at Marrakesh, and I zink I shall visit him. I egzpect big order for alarm clocks and bianola. Zat vill be good business. Ach! vat know ze Mohrs of business? Zey seize me; zey care nozink ven I say I am Jarman sobjeck; zey understand nozink ven I speak of our Kaiser who is in Berlin; and so am I shut opp. I smoke all my tobacco; zere is no more. I read ze _Daily Mail_, and zink ven I gontemblate ze advertis.e.m.e.nt vat colossal business is literature in England. I read Schlagintwert's price list, and make notes for new edition; alas! zat muss all be done again. Zen I do nozink but zink profound, until Sir Ingleton come and ve study ze list togezer."

"An experience I shall always cherish, believe me, Mr. Schwab," said Sir Mark.

"I zank you, sir. Ze pleasure vas mutual; ze profit shall be Schlagintwert's."

"But how was it you were put in the dungeons?" asked Tom.

"Vy, I tell you. Vun day come ze sheikh viz his men. Zink I, now has arrive ze Kaiser's telegram. But no; zey carry us down to ze deps, and zere are ve shut opp vorse zan before!"

"That was when they got the message from Salathiel ben Ezra, no doubt,"

said Tom,"-the Jew you found in the cave, Mr. Schwab."

"Ven I vas so hungry!"

"I wonder what has become of him?" said Oliphant. "It's to him I owe the keenest sport I've ever had."

"The less said about that the _better_, M'C-I beg your pardon-Mr.

Oliphant. The man was a _villain_. I _said_ so, Tom. Timothy will have a _scar_ for the rest of his days. And but for the Jew we shouldn't have lost our airs.h.i.+p. Not that that matters. We've _proved_ it, you know; we'll build a larger one now."

"And Schlagintwerts shall buy it cost price!"

"No, sir, Schlagintwerts shall _not_ buy it," said Mr. Greatorex, frowning severely on the German. "We will offer it to the Government. I shall invite Colonel Capper to examine it, and Lord Langside, I trust, will show himself sufficiently sensible of his obligation to us to make no difficulties about the _price_."

"Vell, Schlagintwert shall have colossal order for Photographic Sensitizer Preparation Number Six-at least until ze var come."

"_What_ war?"

"Vy, ze var ven ze Kaiser shall zink it is time to teach ze vorld zat--"

"Stay, Mr. Schwab," interrupted Sir Mark, "we must not be indiscreet. As a diplomatist it is my duty to avert war; as a business man you, I am sure, would deplore it."

"So. Zat is shust vat I alvays say: zat is vat I go to say ven you interrup me; ven ze Kaiser shall zink it is time to teach ze vorld zat Business are Business!"