Yusuf gave him a little cup of black coffee and a cigarette with a strange, bitter taste. Then he talked about the grain, and presently took a long roll of paper and some documents from the chest.
"This voyage we will give you camels," he said in good Castilian. "You will get them where you got the sheep. Since you will not come back, I will give you the bills of lading for the captain to sign."
"The rule is to sign the bills of lading when the goods are shipped," Kit remarked.
"In this country English rules do not go. A trader must run some risks and you will need proper documents for the Spanish officers."
Kit agreed. Wolf had told him he must trust Yusuf, but he did not, although he was willing to carry out his orders. There was something secretive about the old fellow; one felt strange plans were made in his small dark shop. In fact, Kit would have trusted nobody in the town. The people were a strange, silent lot; the Moors stamped by an inscrutable reserve. The Jews and half-breed Christians looked furtive and afraid. To hear the negroes' noisy talk was a relief, but all was quiet after dark.
"I understand you have some other cargo for us," he remarked.
"That is so. When you go back to your boat you will find the boxes are on board."
Kit thought it strange. His boat lay alongside the little mole, where people could see goods carried down, and since Yusuf had got the cartridges Kit wondered why he had not smuggled them off overland. To use a steamer like _Mossamedes_ to carry a few boxes along the coast was a strange plan; but then the business was all strange.
"Where must we land the goods?" he asked.
"I will show you," said Yusuf, and when he unrolled the long paper Kit saw with some surprise it was a good chart of the African coast.
"You will anchor here and signal," he said, marking a spot. "When you see smoke among the sandhills send off your boat. Afterwards you will steam back to the anchorage you know and wait for the camels."
"But we may wait for some time," Kit objected, noting the distance between the spots.
"I think not. A messenger will be sent and a good camel travels fast," Yusuf replied, and Kit, picking up the chart, started for the harbour.
The night was not dark and when he jumped on board his boat he noted a row of small boxes stowed in the bottom.