“Maybe Sparks will stop them, after all,” grinned Henry.
“Let’s turn it into plain English,” continued the captain. “‘We cannot deliver any opium to you today because the custom officials have grabbed us. Everything is safe aloft.’ Now why should he tell his customer that his rigging is still all right? What has that to do with it?”
“I don’t know, Captain, unless it has something to do with the opium.”
“By George!” cried the commander. “Let’s put it that way. We’ll read the message all over again. ‘We cannot deliver you any opium today because the custom officials have grabbed us. But the stuff is safe aloft.’”
“Do you suppose it means that?” cried Henry, much excited.
“You can guess as well as I can. Now let’s go on with this thing. What does the answer say? Let’s see.” The captain bent over the paper again and read, “‘Put fish in trap when leaving port. Glad top-hamper is safe.’” He paused and chuckled. “Plain as day, isn’t it, Henry? ‘Put your opium in the trap when you leave the harbor. We’re glad your opium is safe.’ If we haven’t guessed their little riddle, I’ll eat my hat. Come on, we’ll see whether we are right or not.”
The commander went on deck. Jimmy flashed an order for the Orient to heave to again. A small boat was lowered and in a few moments the commander of the cutter stood on the deck of the freighter. The searchers looked grim. The Orient’s crew were grinning.
“What success?” asked the captain.
“None,” said the leader of the custom officials.
Captain Hardwick removed his cap and began to scan the top-hamper of the Orient. He saw that the forward crow’s-nest was unusually large and commodious. He called two of his sailors. “Boys,” he cried, “skip up the rigging and take a look in those crow’s-nests. Make sure there are no false bottoms in them.”