A hush of excited suspense witnessed to the interest of my news. I found even the impassive captain close by my elbow, as though he were trying to get one eye on to the lens of the glass. My next remark did nothing to lessen the excitement. ‘The Turkish flag, by Jove!’ I cried; and, quick as thought, followed from the captain: ‘My promise didn’t cover that, Lord Wheatley.’ ‘Shall we turn and run for it!’ asked Denny in a whisper. ‘They’d think that queer,’ cautioned Hogvardt, ‘and if she came after us, we shouldn’t have a chance.’ ‘The English flag, by Jupiter!’ I cried a second later, and I took the glass from my strained eyes. The captain caught eagerly at it and looked; then he also dropped it, saying, ‘Yes, Turkish and English; both will come within hail of us.’ ‘It’s a race, by Heaven!’ cried Denny. The two vessels were approaching us almost on the same course, for each had altered half a point, and both were now about half a point on our starboard bow. They would be very close to one another by the time they came up with us. It would be almost impossible for us by any alteration of our course to reach one before the other. ‘Yes, it’s a race,’ said I, and I felt Phroso’s arm passed through mine. She knew the meaning of the race. Possession is nine points of the law, and in a case so doubtful as hers it was very unlikely that the ship which got possession of her would surrender her to the other. Which ship was it to be? ‘Are we going to cause an international complication?’ asked Denny in a longing tone. ‘We shall very likely run into a nautical one if we don’t look out,’ said I. However the two approaching vessels seemed to become aware of this danger, for they diverged from one another, so that, if we kept a straight course, we should now pass them by, one on the port side and one on the starboard. But we should pass within a couple of hundred yards of both, and that was well in earshot on such a day. I looked at the captain, and the captain looked at me. ‘Shall we take him below and smother him?’ whispered Denny. I did not feel at liberty to adopt the suggestion, much to my regret. The agreement I had made with the captain precluded any assault on his liberty. I had omitted to provide for the case which had occurred. Well, that was my fault, and I must stand the consequences of it. My word was pledged to him that he should be treated in all friendliness on one condition, and that he had satisfied. Now to act as Denny suggested would not be to treat him in all friendliness. I shook my head sadly. Hogvardt shouted for orders from the wheel. ‘What am I to do, my lord?’ he cried. ‘Full speed ahead?’ I looked at the captain. I knew he would not pass the Turkish ship without trying to attract her attention. We were within a quarter of a mile of the vessels now. ‘Stop,’ I called, and I added quickly, ‘Lower away the gig, Denny.’