There came to Knight an odd, wholly unwonted, sensation of smallness.

He felt curiously like a pigmy disturbing the meditations of a giant.
Rufus looked at him for several seconds of uninterrupted rowing before, in his deep, resounding voice, he spoke.

"They won't be taking up the nets for a goodish while yet.

We shall be back in time." "The idea is to give me a run for my money first, eh ?" inquired Knight pleasantly.
He had not anticipated the sudden fall of the red brows that greeted his words.

He felt as if he had inadvertently trodden upon a match.
"No," said Rufus slowly, speaking with a strangely careful accent, as if his mind were concentrated upon being absolutely intelligible to his listener.