As quickly as it could be done, Captain Ponsberry assembled his men on deck.
"Men," he said, briefly, "the officers on board of that warship wish to find out what they can about us. If you are asked questions say nothing more than that you shipped for the voyage to Nagasaki and San Francisco, and that you know nothing about the cargo. Do you understand?"
"Aye, aye, sir," came from those who were listening.
"I must depend upon you to help save the ship. If the Columbia is suspected of being in the employ of the Japanese Government, or of carrying a cargo for that nation, she will be taken as a prize of war and we'll go to a Russian prison most likely."
"I don't want to go to no Russian prison!" cried out Wilbur, his face turning pale. "I ain't done nothing wrong!"
"Then keep your tongue from wagging too much, Wilbur," answered the master of the schooner, grimly.
"There ain't no use o' fighting, is there?" asked Groot.
"Fighting?" came from Tom Grandon. "What could the old Columbia do against a man-o'-war? Why, they'd blow us sky high in no time!"
"No, there is absolutely no use of attempting to fight," answered Captain Ponsberry. "Our only hope lays in convincing them that they have no right to stop us."
The hands were dismissed and sent forward, and Captain Ponsberry hurried below, to burn certain papers and secrete others. This was in accordance with the orders received from the agents of the Richmond Importing Company at Manila.