Whereupon Nicht Wahr haughtily commanded Weiss Nicht in addition, that a gun be fired as politely as possible across the bows of the little craft, by the way of invitation for her to heave to—since the admiral desired her— “In case she should be moving,” he said, with a great bow to the admiral. “Politely, hah?” cried Ruhet. “I think that is a mistake. It is always better to skeer ’em. Hang politeness in a cannon!” “It is not for that purpose, sir,” answered that wise mate, “that I do it—to be polite. But in order that we commit no act of piracy on the high seas.” Then Wahr struck an attitude in which his back was very concave and his feet far apart. For he was a sea lawyer, he said. III THE SOUP-SPRING “Thunder and blazes!” cried Ruhet, looking about, “who will know it? There is not a soul in sight.” “The law of nations first, sir. Second, our conscience. Both are everywhere.” “Well, where are they?” and Ruhet looked about again as if they could somewhere be seen. “Hang bridle,” he cried to the gunner, “you just fire and don’t bother about being polite with your gun. If conscience and law are anywhere about here, they’ll let us know.” The gunner did so at once, for he hated the first officer as much as the first officer hated him, when he bothered about hating anybody, and he loved his bluff and straight-forward admiral. At once there broke out from the small craft a multitude of flags. “I told you so, excellency,” said Nicht Wahr. “Well, tell me again,” said Ruhet. “Hanged if I know what it was. I have a short memory.” But the first officer held a haughty silence. Now the first flags were exchanged for others, nearly all of redder hue. “By the currycomb of Red Joshua, I think they are poking fun at us. Regular sport! If I were sure of that—” “Pardon me, they are not, excellency,” said Nicht Wahr. “They are so,” cried the savage admiral. “And by the roof of my father’s mouth, no one ever poked fun at Hier Ruhet and lived to poke more!” “Let us have mercy upon them, master,” said the hypocritical Nicht Wahr, devoutly crossing his breast. “They are but children. This is but a child’s toy, as I told you. We must not kill children.” His tenderness appealed strongly to the admiral. “No, nor cats,” answered Ruhet, at once convinced, “for both are unlucky. Especially for the children and cats—ha, ha! And, anyhow, I am getting hungrier every minute. That water is saline, I suppose. It makes one thirst. Go ahead. Hang the toy—I’m done wanting it.” Now the cunning Nicht Wahr noticed that the little craft had broken out several flags of extremely sanguinary red, and he knew that he would be asked what it meant. To beguile the admiral while he thought of some explanation he said: “Master, I have heard that near this spring of water there is another from which runs soup. Beautiful—thick—soup!”