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Page 4
"We had, Mr. Chairman," said Demosthenes, who was secretary of the House
Committee, rising, "but they are gone with the House-boat itself. They
were kept in the safe in the hold."
A look of annoyance came into the face of the stranger.
"That's too bad," he said. "It was a most important part of my plan that
we should know about how fast the House-boat was."
"Humph!" ejaculated Socrates, with ill-concealed sarcasm. "If you'll take
Xanthippe's word for it, the House-boat was the fastest yacht afloat."
"I refer to the matter of speed in sailing," returned the stranger,
quietly. "The question of its ethical speed has nothing to do with it."
"The designer of the craft is here," said Sir Walter, fixing his eyes upon
Sir Christopher Wren. "It is possible that he may be of assistance in
settling that point."
"What has all this got to do with the question, anyhow, Mr. Chairman?"
asked Solomon, rising impatiently and addressing Sir Walter. "We aren't
preparing for a yacht-race that I know of. Nobody's after a cup, or a
championship of any kind. What we do want is to get our wives back. The
Captain hasn't taken more than half of mine along with him, but I am
interested none the less. The Queen of Sheba is on board, and I am
somewhat interested in her fate. So I ask you what earthly or unearthly
use there is in discussing this question of speed in the House-boat. It
strikes me as a woful waste of time, and rather unprecedented too, that we
should suspend all rules and listen to the talk of an entire stranger."
[Illustration: "'WHAT HAS ALL THIS GOT TO DO WITH THE QUESTION?'"]
"I do not venture to doubt the wisdom of Solomon," said Johnson, dryly,
"but I must say that the gentleman's remarks rather interest me."
"Of course they do," ejaculated Solomon. "He agreed with you. That ought
to make him interesting to everybody. Freaks usually are."
"That is not the reason at all," retorted Dr. Johnson. "Cold water agrees
with me, but it doesn't interest me. What I do think, however, is that our
unknown friend seems to have a grasp on the situation by which we are
confronted, and he's going at the matter in hand in a very comprehensive
fashion. I move, therefore, that Solomon be laid on the table, and that
the privileges of the--ah--of the wharf be extended indefinitely to our
friend on the string-piece."
The motion, having been seconded, was duly carried, and the stranger
resumed.
"I will explain for the benefit of his Majesty King Solomon, whose wisdom
I have always admired, and whose endurance as the husband of three hundred
wives has filled me with wonder," he said, "that before starting in
pursuit of the stolen vessel we must select a craft of some sort for the
purpose, and that in selecting the pursuer it is quite essential that we
should choose a vessel of greater speed than the one we desire to
overtake. It would hardly be proper, I think, if the House-boat can sail
four knots an hour, to attempt to overhaul her with a launch, or other
nautical craft, with a maximum speed of two knots an hour."
"Hear! hear!" ejaculated C�sar.
"That is my reason, your Majesty, for inquiring as to the speed of your
late club-house," said the stranger, bowing courteously to Solomon. "Now
if Sir Christopher Wren can give me her measurements, we can very soon
determine at about what rate she is leaving us behind under favorable
circumstances."
"'Tisn't necessary for Sir Christopher to do anything of the sort," said
Noah, rising and manifesting somewhat more heat than the occasion seemed
to require. "As long as we are discussing the question I will take the
liberty of stating what I have never mentioned before, that the designer
of the House-boat merely appropriated the lines of the Ark. Shem, Ham, and
Japhet will bear testimony to the truth of that statement."
"There can be no quarrel on that score, Mr. Chairman," assented Sir
Christopher, with cutting frigidity. "I am perfectly willing to admit that
practically the two vessels were built on the same lines, but with
modifications which would enable my boat to sail twenty miles to windward
and back in six days less time than it would have taken the Ark to cover
the same distance, and it could have taken all the wash of the excursion
steamers into the bargain."
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