The Claverhouse had nearly completed loading, and the kindly emissaries of her captain had reported nothing of a disturbing character, until one morning a steamer came in and was moored alongside the Claverhouse.  Yaunie was the pilot, and after completing his work he went aboard the Claverhouse and asked to see the captain.

“He is not astir yet,” said the steward.

“I must speak with him at once,” said Yaunie.

The captain, overhearing the conversation, called out, “All right, come to my room.”

“Well, Yaunie, what news this morning?” asked the captain.

“Ah, it is very bad news,” replied Yaunie.  “That fool Farquarson,” pointing to where the other steamer lay, “speaks all the time about what happened when you went from the port without permission.  He say that he was aboard the gunboat asking for a torpedo channel-pilot, and that he could not get one because they were firing at you all the time.  They asked him the name of the steamer, but he told some other.  I say to him he was wrong, but he say no; and he will jabb, as you call it.”

“Well, Yaunie, what’s to be done?  What is the remedy?”

“What’s to be done—­I don’ know what you call the other.  I say, get the steamer loaded quick and away.  I don’ tink trouble, but O Chresto! his tong go like steam-winch, and you much better Black Sea dan here.”

“Very excellent advice, Yaunie.  Now let us go on deck.”

A sudden inspiration came to the captain, which caused him to exclaim—­

“Yaunie, I’ll ask him to eat with us.  This is our English mode of settling obstacles, and making and retaining friendships.  Don’t you think it a good suggestion?”

“Do anything you like.  Give him the Sacrament, but keep him quiet.  He is very dangerous now.”

The captain of the other steamer was on deck, and as soon as he got his eye on them he bellowed out in terms of unjustifiable familiarity—­

“Hallo, old fellow, how are ye?  So they’ve not sent ye to the silver mines yet?”

“No,” smartly retorted the captain, with some warmth, “they’ve not, or I wouldn’t have been here.  But they d—­d soon will if you don’t keep your mouth shut!”

Without heeding what was said to him, the distinguished commander of the new-comer slapped his thigh vigorously with his right hand, and laughed out—­

“By Joshua, you were in a tight corner, and will never be nearer being popped! [sunk].  They were furious at me, and would have blown all England up because I said I didn’t know who it was.”

“Oh,” said the Claverhouse’s commander, “that is old history.  Come aboard and have breakfast with me.”

“All right,” said Farquarson, “I’ll have a wash up, and then come.  But what a darned funny thing not to blow you up with the mines.  I just said to my mate, they are a lot of lazy beasts, or there’s something wrong with the wires.  But the mate said, ’No; he’s taken them unawares.’  ‘Unawares be d——­d!’ said I; ’he’s not taken these gunboat chaps unawares, for I couldn’t get them to stop firing.’”