During the rest of the _West Barbican's_ stay at Durban, Ludwig Schoeffer lay low. For the present he had done all that was necessary. His deep-laid scheme was progressing favourably. His idea was to signal the ship by means of wireless and, by spurious authority, order her to Rangoon. It was not unusual for ships of the Blue Crescent Line to receive unexpected orders when on the high seas, since they held roving commissions once they were round the Cape and had landed their mails. And, since it would take longer than the seven days to make Rangoon, the _West Barbican_ would end her career mysteriously in mid-Indian Ocean. At ten one morning the _West Barbican_ stood out to sea bound for Beira and Pangawani, at which latter place she was to land the consignment of steelwork for the Kilba Protectorate. At four the same afternoon Schoeffer walked into the offices of the wireless company at Durban. "I want this message sent to the _West Barbican_," he announced, handing in a form written in code--the private code of the Blue Crescent Line. The clerk accepted the form without demur. He had no idea of its meaning, nor had he any way of finding out. Not that he wanted to. Messages in code were the rule rather than the exception. The message as received and ultimately sent off by the shore operator was as follows: "SW. TLB. FEW. CNI. TLXQ. VP AELB TNI PU. AEMQ". Ludwig Schoeffer paid the eighteen shillings demanded and obtained a receipt. Then, having got an assurance that the message would be dispatched within an hour, he wished the clerk good afternoon and walked briskly to the waiting rickshaw. The bogus message read, when decoded: "I have received telegraphic instructions from your owners for you to proceed straight to Rangoon, where you will unload steelwork, proceeding thence to Port Sudan". CHAPTER XVIII The Difference of a Dot "Hello, Sparks; you look a bit off colour?" This was Dr. Selwyn's greeting as Mostyn, having handed over the watch to Plover, walked into the doctor's cabin. "I feel it, Doc," replied Peter. "Touch of the old complaint--malaria." Selwyn had detected the symptoms the moment the Wireless Officer showed his face inside the door. Peter was trembling violently. He was feeling horribly cold, and his head was aching badly. "Taken any quinine?" asked the medical man. "Yes," was the reply. "My ears are buzzing already." "Then turn in," ordered Selwyn. "I'll make you up a draught. Keep as warm as you jolly well can. This will make you perspire freely before midnight, and you'll be fit by this time to-morrow." Peter waited while the doctor made up the medicine, and then staggered to his cabin, where Mahmed, greatly concerned, helped his master into bed and piled blankets and a bridge-coat upon his shivering body. It was now one bell in the first dog watch. At two bells Peter was still awake and trembling with cold spasms when Watcher Plover hurriedly entered the cabin.