The cruiser slowed up near by and lowered a gig, which was speedily manned. Then, being rowed with admirable precision, it shot across the space which separated us and came alongside. We threw out a boarding ladder and two officers climbed it and a minute later stood upon our deck, where they inquired courteously for the Captain. They were fine-looking fellows, middle-aged and with an air of breeding. Their duty, whatever it might be, would doubtless be performed in a gentlemanly manner.
My father advanced to announce that he commanded the Seagull and would be glad to know by what authority he was arrested on the high seas.
Said the elder of the two: “You resisted an officer of the Egyptian government in the harbor of Port Said, and escaped. We consider you still our prisoner, although you have fled into neutral waters.”
“My papers are regular, sir, and you have no right to arrest me or to fire upon my ship,” returned my father, boldly. “If you persist in your illegal and high-handed course, sir, you will make this an international affair,” he added.
“There is little danger of that, Captain Steele,” answered the officer, with a smile. “It may be we have exceeded our authority in arresting you here; but kindly permit me to state our case. In Egypt you dug up a treasure—an important treasure—which you are now carrying away in defiance of our laws. We should not have permitted your ship to clear our port, I admit, but unfortunately we did not receive the news of your misdemeanor in time to prevent by force your escape. However, we do not intend to be robbed. Our instructions from the Minister of War at Cairo are positive. We are told to recover the treasure or send your ship to the bottom of the sea—or to do both, at our discretion. The matter of legality we will not discuss. We have the power to take this treasure if you refuse to give it up cheerfully, and I assure you we will do so. That is all. I await your decision, Captain.”
Well, there was nothing for us to do but give up the treasure. If we tried to withhold it we would lose both the treasure and the Seagull. We held a short conference, however, Uncle Naboth, Ned and Archie being present besides my father and myself. Joe was also an interested partner, but was not on deck and we had no time to hunt him up.
We decided there was but one way out of our difficulty. The American government would scarcely support us in a claim for damages, under such peculiar circumstances; and this the clever Turks knew as well as we did.
The thing that most amazed us was the accuracy of their information, and we wondered who could have revealed to the government the fact that we had secured the treasure. Abdul Hashim was dead, but some of his tribe might have learned our secret and reported it to the authorities in order to obtain vengeance for their sheik’s death. Or the villagers of Laketa, who had seen the treasure in Gege-Merak’s possession, might have disclosed the information. We did not suspect Ketti for a moment.
Anyway, the mischief was out and it only remained for us to give up the treasure and make our way homeward somewhat the poorer for our unsuccessful enterprise.
“Pardon me, gentlemen, if I ask you to make haste,” said one of the Turkish officers, stepping to our side. “The simoon is threatening both our ships, so we are anxious to finish our errand and be gone.”