"One moment, sir," he said in a low voice, "I am not what I seem, but interpreter to H.M.S. Breezy. I have most important news to give or to send."
"Can you not come off with me then, and see our Captain?"
"No, sir, if I did so I should be suspected as a spy and my throat cut, for I must remain in this town until the Breezy returns. I will now pretend to be guiding you to a hotel, and tell you all as I trot along by your side."
"All right, boy. You seem to be trustworthy."
"I am true as steel."
Then he shouted as Arab guide boys do.
"Dis way den. Dis way, sah, to de best hotel in Zanzeebar."
And in this clever way he was able to tell the officer this whole story.
The ship lying in the offing, the officer told Kep, was the cruiser gun-boat Marten, and she was on her way to the Cape with important despatches to the Admiral of that station. But he must first see the British Consul, and report to him what had already happened. The Marten was on her way, it appeared, from Bombay, and had received orders to look out for and capture if possible a large three-masted ship called the Annabel Lee. This capture the Marten was only to effect if she fell in with the ship (which was flying American colours), before she, the gun-boat, reached Zanzibar. However, the Marten had broke down for a time, and while undergoing repairs a current had drifted her nearer to the coast than she ought to have been, and her fore-foot got on a bank. This was bad enough, certainly, but what made it all the more provoking was the fact that it came on to blow to the extent of a ten-knot breeze, and that during the night--it was one of the brightest moonlight--a large ship, answering in every way to the description given of the Annabel Lee, sailed past within a quarter of a mile of her.
The Marten had fired a gun or two; but the vessel took not the slightest notice, simply keeping on her course. She was seen, however, to hoist more sail, and soon she disappeared. After a delay of a day, the Marten got off the bank with merely the loss of a portion of her false keel, and made the best of her way to a town not far from Zanzibar; but only to find that the American ship--if she was American--had been there and had hurriedly bought and shipped stores; after which she speedily hoisted sail and bore up for the south. It was the opinion of every one, therefore, that the Annabel Lee was a slaver. So the Marten, hardly delaying an hour, set off in chase, but in three days' time came here unsuccessful, to Zanzibar roadstead, and anchored.