"The difficulty is that I know nothing except that you have told me a somewhat improbable tale." "But you surely don't mean to let the raider do what she likes? Her next victim may be a British vessel." "I imagine the British admiralty will attend to that, and I have already sent a cablegram announcing the loss of the French boat." Dick saw that he was doubted and feared that argument would be useless, but he would not give in. "A raider must have coal and it's not easy to get upon this coast," he resumed. "You could render her harmless by cutting off supplies." "Do you know much about international law and how far it prohibits a neutral country from selling coal to a belligerent?" "I don't know anything about it; but if our Foreign Office is any good, they ought to be able to stop the thing," Dick answered doggedly. "Then let me try to show you how matters stand. We will suppose that your suspicions were correct and I thought fit to make representations to the Government of this country. What do you think would happen?" "They'd be forced to investigate your statements." "Exactly. The head of a department would be asked to report. You probably know that every official whose business brings him into touch with it is in the coaling company's pay; I imagine there is not a foreign trader here who does not get small favors in return for bribes. Bearing this in mind, it is easy to understand what the report would be. I should have shown that we suspected the good faith of a friendly country, and there would be nothing gained." "Still, you can't let the matter drop," Dick insisted. "Although you have given me no proof of your statements, which seem to be founded on conjectures, I have not said that I intend to let it drop. In the meantime I am entitled to ask for some information about yourself. You look like an Englishman and have not been here long. Did you leave home after the war broke out?" "Yes," said Dick, who saw where he was leading, "very shortly afterwards." "Why? Men like you are needed for the army." Dick colored, but looked his questioner steadily in the face. "I was in the army. They turned me out." The Vice-Consul made a gesture. "I have nothing to do with the reason for this; but you can see my difficulty. You urge me to meddle with things that require very delicate handling and with which my interference would have to be justified. No doubt, you can imagine the feelings of my superiors when I admitted that I acted upon hints given me by a stranger in the employ of Americans, who owned to having been dismissed from the British army." Dick got up, with his face firmly set. "Very well. There's no more to be said. I won't trouble you again."