“Glad to be acquainted with you,” he said, shaking the lad’s hand. “It does me good to see our fine big ships in foreign ports. These dagos here are a hundred per cent. more civil already.” He led the way to his cabin and gave Phil the information which the custom of the naval service requires be obtained upon visiting American merchantmen in foreign ports. “No, you cannot be of any assistance to me,” answered the captain to Phil’s inquiry; “but it’s great to see her over there. Why, she could blow this whole town into pieces in a half hour, and she would, too, if it were necessary, wouldn’t she?” the captain interrogated, warmed to his theme. A uniformed official appeared at this moment to speak to him. “Come in, Baldwin. This is a young officer from the battle-ship,” the captain announced; “Mr. Baldwin is our purser.” “The legation steam launch is alongside for the minister’s freight,” the purser reported. “Mr. Juarez is in her to sign the receipts for the bills of lading. Shall I deliver it at once? There are about twenty heavy packages.” “Very well, Baldwin, go right ahead,” replied the captain. Then turning to Phil, as the purser withdrew: “A diplomatic officer has a privilege which no one else has; his freight can be landed direct; everything else must go through the custom-house ashore and be inspected.” The captain excused himself shortly but insisted that Phil should make himself at home. “Take a look about the ship,” he said proudly; “she’s not as big as yours yonder, but she is a stanch one for this trade.” Phil was glad to have an excuse to remain. He had heard something to arouse his curiosity. “I shall have a look at this Juarez and his boxes,” he mused as he followed the captain on deck. Stepping to the high rail, he glanced down on a large launch, lying alongside the ship abreast her forward cargo hatch. Big boxes were being hoisted out of the hold by the ship’s derrick and landed on the smaller vessel’s deck. Phil saw a short heavily built man, dressed in white clothes, with a wide brimmed panama set over a massive head. He was superintending the landing of the boxes. This man Phil knew must be Juarez, the minister’s confidential vice-consul. Phil descended to the lower deck in order to be nearer the work of landing the cargo. He also wanted to have a better look at this man. He found a convenient air port not ten feet from the launch, where he could see unobserved by those on board it. There were a number of very heavy packages and the small natives on the deck of the launch strained and pulled to find deck space for them all. [Illustration: _HE FOUND A CONVENIENT AIR PORT_] Phil saw a small native fishing-boat, her sail flapping idly in the gentle breeze, move slowly and with deliberation over the tranquil water, edging in toward the launch. The vice-consul seemed not to observe it, but Phil saw the eagerness on the fisherman’s face. He watched the scene with rising pulse.