Part 9 (2/2)
”Sand ballast and Portland cement,” growled the other.
”No doubt the cargo you took out was rather more interesting. But what's this?” he added, holding up a doc.u.ment heavily sealed.
”I don't know.”
”Still, it would be as well to find out,” and without hesitation he calmly broke the seals.
To the astonishment of them both, the doc.u.ment was absolutely blank; to all appearances a virgin sheet of paper.
”H'm, this is strange,” murmured Calamity. ”It is not usual to enclose and seal a blank sheet of paper with the s.h.i.+p's doc.u.ments. Have you got a candle?”
Captain Noel produced one from a shelf and lit it. He seemed as eager to find out the meaning of this mysterious enclosure as Calamity himself.
The latter held the paper in front of the flame and, as he had expected, writing began to appear. When the whole communication became legible he spread the doc.u.ment out on the table and commenced to read.
It was, in effect, a letter from a German official to Mr. Isaac Solomon of Singapore, informing him that his last cargo had reached its first destination, a neutral port, without mishap. This was followed by some very valuable advice concerning the manner in which another cargo--referred to as ”Eastern merchandise”--might be delivered at the same port. There were also other matters of even greater interest, but Calamity decided to study these at a more convenient time.
”I have only one more question to ask you, Captain,” he said. ”What was the exact nature of this 'Eastern merchandise'?”
”Copper and nickel,” answered the other.
”A very profitable cargo, I should imagine; yet not as profitable as this one little piece of paper should prove to me--eh, Captain Noel?”
”I'll take my oath I knew nothing of this,” answered the latter eagerly.
”You knew about the cargo, at any rate. However, that's a matter which doesn't concern me. I shall hand you back your German clearance papers, but the English ones, together with this interesting little doc.u.ment, I shall keep.”
”You--you're going to keep the English papers?” faltered the other.
”Yes.”
”But, good G.o.d, man, I shall be captured! I can't reach a port with German papers. I'm at the mercy of the first British cruiser I meet!”
”Exactly. And dear Isaac Solomon, bless his gentle heart, will have his s.h.i.+p confiscated. Still, I'll wager he'd sooner the authorities took his s.h.i.+p than this piece of paper.”
Calamity rose to his feet, and, leaving the German papers on the table, put the others in his pocket.
”I'll wish you good-day, Captain Noel,” he said. ”I may capture a few prizes during my cruise, but I can never hope to get another like this.
If you should meet Mr. Solomon during the next week or so kindly remember me to him. Captain Calamity; he'll not have forgotten the name.”
He left the steamer, and, returning to the _Hawk_, told Mr. d.y.k.es to continue the original course.
”Very good, sir,” answered the mate. ”I suppose,” he added, ”there weren't nothin' worth freezin' on to aboard that packet?”
Calamity made no answer, and, going to his cabin, locked himself in.
Meanwhile, to the surprise and disappointment of the crew, the _Ann_ was permitted to proceed on her way and the _Hawk_ resumed her course.
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