Brandon of the Engineers

Nothing could be done until morning, but as day broke the raider

reappeared and had fired a shot across the reef when a gunboat belonging

to the state in whose territorial waters the steamer lay came upon the

scene. She steamed towards the raider, which made off at full speed. Then

the gunboat took the liner's passengers on board, and it was hoped that

the vessel could be re-floated.

"A clear story, told by a French or Spanish sailor who'd taken a passage

on the ship," Bethune remarked. "It certainly didn't come from one of the

British crew."

"Why?" Jake asked.

Bethune smiled. "A seaman who tells the truth about anything startling

that happens on board a passenger boat gets fired. The convention is to

wrap the thing in mystery, if it can't be denied. Besides, the ability to

take what you might call a quick, bird's-eye view isn't a British gift;

an Englishman would have concentrated on some particular point. Anyhow, I

can't see how the boat came to be where she was at the time mentioned."

He turned to Dick and asked: "Do you know, Brandon?"

"No," said Dick, shortly, "not altogether."

"Well," resumed Bethune, "I've seen the antiquated gunboat that came to

the rescue, and it's amusing to think of her steaming up to the big

auxiliary cruiser. It's doubtful if they've got ammunition that would go

off in their footy little guns, though I expect the gang of half-breed

cut-throats would put up a good fight. They have pluck enough, and the

country they belong to can stand upon her dignity."

"She knows where to look for support," Stuyvesant remarked. "If the other

party goes much farther, she'll get a sharp snub up. What's your idea of

the situation?"

"Something like yours. We can't allow the black eagle to find an eyrie in

this part of the world, but just now our Western bird's talons are blunt.

She hasn't been rending the innocents like the other, but one or two of

our former leaders are anxious to put her into fighting trim, and I dare

say something of the kind will be done. However, Brandon hasn't taken

much part in this conversation. I guess he's thinking about his work!"

Dick, who had been sitting quiet with a thoughtful face, got up.

"I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes, Stuyvesant."

"Very well," said the other, who turned to Bethune and Jake. "I don't

want to play the domineering boss, but we're not paid to sit here and fix

up international politics."

They went away and Stuyvesant looked at Dick who said, "I ought to start

in the launch to-morrow to get the laborers you want, but I can't go."

"Why?"

Dick hesitated. "The fact is I've something else to do."