AN ORDER TO LAY-TO
When taking on his cargo at Manila, Captain Ponsberry had considered the
possibility of being captured by a Russian warship, and had talked the
matter over with the agents of the Richmond Importing Company and with a
Japanese official who was doing business on the sly in the Philippines.
The Japanese Government was willing to pay for the cargo, whether it was
delivered or not--presuming it was "gobbled up" by the Russians, but was
not willing to pay for the ship if the vessel was taken as a prize of
war.
"That is a risk you must take yourself," said the Japanese official. "We
are willing to pay a high price for the cargo--we cannot do more." And
so the risk--so far as the schooner went--was divided equally between
the Richmond Importing Company and Captain Ponsberry and the other
owners of the _Columbia_.
As nearly the captain's whole wealth was tied up in his share of the
schooner, he was naturally anxious to make a safe trip, and he often
came on deck to aid the lookouts in watching for the possible appearance
of an enemy.
"If you see the least thing that looks suspicious, tell me at once," was
his order, and it was strictly obeyed. As a consequence they ran away
from two steamers that afternoon and another steamer the next
morning--all too far off to show exactly what they were.
"This isn't bringing us much nearer to port," said Larry to Cal Vincent,
who was using the glass at the time. "I don't believe we have made a
dozen knots since yesterday."
"Well, the old man is a bit nervous," responded the boatswain, in a low
voice. "And I don't blame him. It's no small matter to lose your craft
and be thrown into prison in the bargain."
"Would they dare to throw us into prison?"
"To be sure,--if they could prove that we were aiding the Japs."
"Well, they'll have hard work proving that."
An hour went by and it began to grow misty. Then came a call from the
bow.
"Sail in sight!"
"What is it?" demanded the captain instantly.
"A big steamer o' some sort."
Captain Ponsberry ran forward and took the glass. For fully two minutes
he did not speak and then he drew a long breath and put down the glass.
"I'm afraid she's a warship," he exclaimed, and his voice sounded
unnatural.
"A warship!" echoed Larry. "Will you let me look?"
He did so, and it was not long before he could make out the approaching
craft quite clearly.
"Well?" demanded Grandon, who knew that Larry's eyes were unusually
strong.
"I reckon the captain is right."
"A warship?"
"Yes, not a very large affair, but still a warship. I shouldn't be
surprised if she was the converted vessel the _Lord Duffield_ sighted."
"Just what I think," put in Captain Ponsberry. "We've got to do our best
to show her a clean pair of heels."
"The mist may help us to run away," suggested Grandon.
"Let us hope so."
Necessary orders were given, and soon the _Columbia_ swung around on
another tack, so that she had the large vessel on her starboard quarter.
But this movement was evidently noted by the stranger, and the latter
headed directly for the schooner once more.
"She is after us, that is positive," said Captain Ponsberry.
"There is a bank of mist over to the northward," returned Larry. "Why
not run into that?"
"Well spoken, lad; we'll do it, and as soon as the mist hides us we can
go over on the other tack and throw her off the scent."
The mist the young second mate had mentioned was nearly a quarter of a
mile away and it was a question whether they could reach it before the
stranger came up. But fortune favored those on the schooner. The mist
rolled toward them, and in less than two minutes they were hidden as
completely as could be desired.
"Now to get entirely out of the way," exclaimed Captain Ponsberry, and
lost not a moment in having the sails shifted and a new course set.
Through the mist they heard the other vessel steaming around noisily and
did their best to keep as far away as possible from the sound.
All during that evening and the night to follow the _Columbia_ kept to
her new course. This was taking her away from Nagasaki, but this could
not be helped. The captain said if it became absolutely necessary he
would run into some other Japanese port.
When daybreak came the mist was as thick as ever. But there were signs
that it would not last much longer, and by nine o'clock the sun was
struggling to come through the clouds. Nearly everybody was on deck, for
they realized that a fatal moment might be at hand.
"There she is!"
The cry came from half a dozen throats simultaneously. There, on the
port bow, loomed up the stranger, not an eighth of a mile away. That she
was a warship there was no longer any doubt, for her forward guns were
plainly to be seen.
"We're caught now!" muttered Tom Grandon.
"Not yet!" cried the captain, and gave orders to throw the _Columbia_
over on a new course. But scarcely had this movement been made when
there was a puff of smoke from the warship, a report, and a shot flew in
front of the schooner's bow.
"There's our order to lay-to!" ejaculated Larry. "Whoever she is, she
means business."
As the _Columbia_ did not stop, another shot was fired, this time just
grazing the bow. Seeing there was no help for it, Captain Ponsberry gave
the necessary orders, and down came one sail after another.
As this was done the warship swung around and then those on the schooner
saw that she flew the flag of Russia.
"A Russian warship!" ejaculated half a dozen.
"This looks to me as if the jig was up," murmured Tom Grandon.
As quickly as it could be done, Captain Ponsberry assembled his men on
deck.
"Men," he said, briefly, "the officers on board of that warship wish to
find out what they can about us. If you are asked questions say nothing
more than that you shipped for the voyage to Nagasaki and San Francisco,
and that you know nothing about the cargo. Do you understand?"
"Aye, aye, sir," came from those who were listening.
"I must depend upon you to help save the ship. If the _Columbia_ is
suspected of being in the employ of the Japanese Government, or of
carrying a cargo for that nation, she will be taken as a prize of war
and we'll go to a Russian prison most likely."
"I don't want to go to no Russian prison!" cried out Wilbur, his face
turning pale. "I ain't done nothing wrong!"
"Then keep your tongue from wagging too much, Wilbur," answered the
master of the schooner, grimly.
"There ain't no use o' fighting, is there?" asked Groot.
"Fighting?" came from Tom Grandon. "What could the old _Columbia_ do
against a man-o'-war? Why, they'd blow us sky high in no time!"
"No, there is absolutely no use of attempting to fight," answered
Captain Ponsberry. "Our only hope lays in convincing them that they have
no right to stop us."
The hands were dismissed and sent forward, and Captain Ponsberry hurried
below, to burn certain papers and secrete others. This was in accordance
with the orders received from the agents of the Richmond Importing
Company at Manila.
In the meantime the Russian warship had come to a stop in mid-ocean and
now a small boat was lowered, containing a small crew, a coxswain, and a
Russian naval officer. At the same time a signal was hoisted which meant
that the officer was coming on board of the schooner.
"Unless I miss my guess, this looks rather black for us," said Larry, to
Tom Grandon.
"I agree with you, Larry," responded the first mate. "But we've got to
take our medicine, no matter how bitter it is."
"If only that mist had held on to-day! We might have slipped by that
warship nicely."
"I only hope the old man fixes up his papers so that he can show a clean
bill of health," went on Grandon. "You see, if they can't actually prove
something against us, they won't dare to touch us. They know what Old
Glory means, and Russia has no desire just now to get into trouble with
Uncle Sam."
"The worst of it is, our cargo may look too suspicious to them. Under
ordinary circumstances they know that the _Columbia_ wouldn't be
carrying such a line of goods in these waters."
"That's true, too."
"Besides that, they may have had an agent at Nagasaki and at Manila
spying on us. They may know just what is being done. The Czar's
followers are mighty slick, I can tell you."
Captain Ponsberry now came on deck and gave quick orders that the
sailors should be lined up, to receive the visitor in a befitting
manner.
"A little goose grease may help," he drawled, with a knowing glance at
Grandon and Larry.
The foremast hands did not know much about lining up, but took the
places assigned to them, on the forward deck. Over the side a rope
ladder was thrown, and then Captain Ponsberry, Tom Grandon, and Larry
awaited the arrival of the Russian naval officer with keen interest.