For that matter, it was her presence which enabled.

Smoke to act as he did.

He was too discreet and cautious a man to incur Wolf Larsen's anger at a time when that anger could be expressed in terms stronger than words.

I was in fear that a struggle might take place, but a cry from the helmsman made it easy for the situation to save itself.
"Smoke ho!" the cry came down the open companion-way.
"How's it bear ?" Wolf Larsen called up.
"Dead astern, sir." "Maybe it's a Russian," suggested Latimer.
His words brought anxiety into the faces of the other hunters.

A Russian could mean but one thing--a cruiser.