Mr. Sabin discreetly retired. The captain turned on his heel and led the way to his cabin. He pointed briefly to the lounge against the wall and remained himself standing.
“Now, gentlemen, if you please,” he said briskly, “to business. You have stopped a mail steamer in mid ocean by force, so I presume you have something of importance to say. Please say it and let me go on. I am behind time now.”
The German held up his hands. “We have stopped you,” he said, “it is true, but not by force. No! No!”
“I don’t know what else you call it when you show me a bounding thirty guns and put a shot across my bows.”
“It was a blank charge,” the German began, but Captain Ackinson interrupted him.
“It was nothing of the sort!” he declared bluntly. “I was on deck and I saw the charge strike the water.”
“It was then contrary to my orders,” Captain Dronestein declared, “and in any case it was not intended for intimidation.”
“Never mind what it was intended for. I have my own opinion about that,” Captain Ackinson remarked impatiently. “Proceed if you please!”
“In the first place permit me to introduce the Baron Von Graisheim, who is attached to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs at Berlin.”
Captain Ackinson’s acknowledgment of the introduction was barely civil. The German continued—