"Hoist the signal for her to heave to!" cried Commander Neville. "Take a boat and half a dozen hands, Mr. O'Riley," he continued; "board her, inspect her papers, and come back to report. If her papers are not in order," added he, "you may search for slaves; but if they are you had better do nothing further. You know it is clearly set down in the Protocol that we are not entitled to search the hold if the papers are in order; and there have been complaints lately against some over-zealous officers, who have got into trouble in consequence. So be careful. But keep your eyes open. Note any suspicious circumstances, and come back and report." Before Lieutenant O'Riley reached the ship he saw that everything about her had been sacrificed to speed. Her spars, especially, were unusually heavy for a craft of her size. The British officer was received by a little, thin, elderly man wearing a Panama hat and speaking with a strong Yankee accent. "Produce your papers, if you please," said O'Riley. They were handed out at once, and seemed to be perfectly regular. "What have you got on board?" was the next question. "General cargo--dry goods, and so on." "Why isn't your name on the register?" "Ain't it now? Well, I guess it must be because this is a new ship. We can't put our name on by telegraph, mister." "Just tell your men to knock off the hatches. I want to have a look at your cargo." The skipper shook his head. "I've been delayed long enough," said he, "and have lost a great part of the only wind we've had in this darned latitude for a week." "I'll do it myself, then!" cried O'Riley. "Not now, sir; not with six men while I have fifteen. You have no right to search the hold of a respectable merchantman and disturb her cargo. Do you take me for a slaver, or what? Ef you must have the hatches up, send back to your man-of-war for a larger crew, so as to overpower me, you understand, and you may do it with pleasure. Bet I guess there'll be a complaint lodged at Washington, and you folks in London will have to pay for it. That's all, mister. I only want things fair and square, within my treaty rights." And having delivered himself of this long speech, the Yankee skipper turned on his heel. Of course O'Riley could only return to the Petrel and report all this to his commander. "I'm convinced she is a slaver, sir," said he in conclusion. "But you have no evidence of it; and you say the papers were all in order." "Apparently they were, sir." "Then I'm afraid I can do nothing," said the commander. And to the deep disgust of the whole ship's crew, the order was given for the Petrel to return to her course.