"Hm-m-m-m! What do you think now, Mr. Ogden?" and Captain Bentley gazed scowlingly at the darkening shadows on the mountainside, and the lights appearing, one by one, in the houses ashore.
Even while he looked there came distinctly to his ears the loud:
Sh-h-h-s-h-h! like escaping steam as from the vicinity of the consulate a streak of fire shot into the air. Then came the sound of an explosion, while directly over the ship three green balls of fire cast a ghostly glare on the upturned faces of officers and men.
Señor Perez had called for aid!
CHAPTER XIII
CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE
The three green balls of fire floated past the ship and slowly faded away in the heavens. Absolute silence reigned, while those on the Denver's deck watched with fascination their weird progress.
From the shore came no sign nor sound of disturbance. No calls, shouts, nor firing of guns. What, then, was the meaning of the rocket?
"It was fired from the consulate," said Captain Bentley. "My agreement with the consul was to send up a rocket in case he absolutely needed assistance, but he is such an excitable individual and his nerves are in such state that he is quite capable of committing any error of judgment."
"The shore looks peaceable enough," remarked Mr. Ogden. "Shall I have the search-lights turned on, sir?"