Part 10 (1/2)
”Where shall I find a person by the name of Whiteway Baldwin?”
”I can't tell you, as he has left the place”
”Is any member of his family here?”
”No All of them ith him”
”Have you the keys of this factory?”
”I have”
”Then I must trouble you to open it, as I wish to look inside”
As the two entered the building, and the officer caught sight of thelobsters, he said:
”I am very sorry, Mr Grant, but I have orders to destroy everything found in this factory that has been, orof lobsters”
”Those orders apply to the property of Mrs William Baldwin, do they not?”
”They do”
”Then, sir, since she no longer owns this building, and I do, together with all that it contains, I warn you that if you destroy one penny's worth of ainst both you and your co officer I can command plenty of money and a powerful influence at hoht to bear on the case If it goes against you my claim will be pressed by the American Govern the outrage will be published in all the leading American papers Public sentiment will be aroused, and you doubtless knoell as any one whether England, with all the troubles now on her hands, can afford to incur the ill will of the American people for the sake of a pitiful lobster factory You can see for yourself that no illegal business--nor in fact business of any kind--is being carried on here at present, and, under the circumstances, I would advise you to take tiin to destroy the property of an American citizen”
Bewildered by this unexpected aspect of the situation, and reht by the proprietors of that saainst a former British commander who had interfered with its operations, the officer hemmed and hawed and made several remarks uncomplimentary to Americans, but finally decided to lay the case before his captain As he reentered his launch he said:
”Of course you understand, sir, that no work of any kind is to be done in this building between this and the ti whatever be removed from it”
”I understand perfectly,” replied Cabot Yet within half an hour the employees of the factory had returned to their tasks, fires had been re-lighted, kettles were boiling ain huest bluff I ever see, and it worked!”
exclaimed Captain Ezekiel Bland a fewthe departing launch
CHAPTER XII
ENGLAND AND FRANCE COME TO BLOWS
The Baldwins returned to their home shortly after the departure of the discomfited officer, and listened with intense interest to Cabot's report of all that had taken place during their absence
”So one but a Yankee would have thought of such a plan!” exclaimed White, ”or had the cheek to carry it out But it makes me feel as mean as dirt to have run away and left you to face the music alone”
”You needn't,” replied Cabot, ”for your absence was one of the s, and I couldn't possibly have carried out the prograot to hustle, for I expect that navy chap will be back again to-morrow, and whatever we can accomplish between now and then will probably end the lobster-packing business so far as this factory is concerned”
That night the workers received a reinforcement, as unexpected as it elcome, from the crew of the Yankee schooner, who, led by Captain Bland, caainst foreign oppression With this ti business was so rushed that by ten o'clock of the next ain reported a launch to be approaching, every can was filled and the pack was completed More than half of it had also been removed from the factory and stowed aboard the ”Sea Bee,” ready for delivery to the St Johns purchaser
”I wish he were here now,” said White, ”so that we ht settle up our business with him before those chaps arrive”