In the meantime the Russian warship had come to a stop in mid-ocean and now a small boat was lowered, containing a small crew, a coxswain, and a Russian naval officer. At the same time a signal was hoisted which meant that the officer was coming on board of the schooner.
"Unless I miss my guess, this looks rather black for us," said Larry, to Tom Grandon.
"I agree with you, Larry," responded the first mate. "But we've got to take our medicine, no matter how bitter it is."
"If only that mist had held on to-day! We might have slipped by that warship nicely."
"I only hope the old man fixes up his papers so that he can show a clean bill of health," went on Grandon. "You see, if they can't actually prove something against us, they won't dare to touch us. They know what Old Glory means, and Russia has no desire just now to get into trouble with Uncle Sam."
"The worst of it is, our cargo may look too suspicious to them. Under ordinary circumstances they know that the Columbia wouldn't be carrying such a line of goods in these waters."
"That's true, too."
"Besides that, they may have had an agent at Nagasaki and at Manila spying on us. They may know just what is being done. The Czar's followers are mighty slick, I can tell you."
Captain Ponsberry now came on deck and gave quick orders that the sailors should be lined up, to receive the visitor in a befitting manner.
"A little goose grease may help," he drawled, with a knowing glance at Grandon and Larry.