"
They sat down at a table. Freddie stood between them, a hand on the
shoulder of each. Very seriously he was saying:
"I say, gentlemen, we can't abandon a woman at a time like this. We must
stand together. All true sports and black sheep _should_ stand together,
don't you know."
It is possible that Odell-Carney appreciated the subtlety of this
compliment. Not so Mr. Rodney.
"Sports? Black sheep? Upon my soul, sir, I don't understand you," he
mumbled. Mr. Rodney, although he hailed from Seattle, had never known
anything but a clean and unrumpled conscience.
Freddie clapped him jovially on the shoulder. "It's all right, Mr.
Rodney. I'll take your word for it. But if we are black sheep we shan't
be blackguards. We'll stand by the ship. What's to be done? Bail 'em
out?"
It is of record that the three gentlemen were closeted with the officers
and managers for an hour or more, but it is not clear that they
transacted anything that could seriously affect the situation.
Mrs. Medcroft, despite Mrs. Odell-Carney's friendly offices, refused
point blank to discuss the situation. She did not dare to do or say
anything as yet. Her husband had not telegraphed the word releasing her
from the sorry compact. She loyally decided to stand by the agreement,
no matter what the cost, until she received word from London that he had
triumphed or failed in his brave fight against the "bloodsuckers.
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