“He’s no Englishman, that’s sure,” muttered the young man to himself.
Suddenly, from across the water, came the sound of a big gun, and a solid shot struck the water dead ahead of the Yucatan.
Immediately her engines were stopped, and the passenger steamer came to a stop.
Instantly wild alarm spread over the ship.
“We’ve been fired on,” cried Shirley. “Will they sink us?”
Dick smiled.
“Oh, I guess not,” he replied. “That’s just a signal to heave-to and give an account of ourselves.”
“But what business have they stopping an American ship?” exclaimed Shirley.
“It is permissible under the laws of war,” explained Dick. “You see, the Yucatan might be an enemy flying the American flag. As soon as they find out we are all right, they will allow us to proceed.”
“And would we have to stop just the same for a German?”