At the Fall of Port Arthur/Chapter 11
CHAPTER XI
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 he 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.