“Man-of-war, isn’t she?” he inquired.
The captain nodded.
“Not much doubt about that,” he answered; “look at her guns. The odd part of it is, too, she is flying no flag. We shall know who she is in a minute or two, though.”
Mr. Sabin descended the steps on his way to a late luncheon. As he turned the corner he came face to face with Mr. Watson, whose eyes were fixed upon the coming steamer with a very curious expression.
“Man-of-war,” Mr. Sabin remarked. “You look as though you had seen her before.”
Mr. Watson laughed harshly.
“I should like to see her,” he remarked, “at the bottom of the sea.”
Mr. Sabin looked at him in surprise.
“You know her, then?” he remarked.
“I know her,” Mr. Watson answered, “too well. She is the Kaiser Wilhelm, and she is going to rob me of twenty thousand pounds.”