The effect of this announcement was almost magical. The crew of the tramp, mostly fair-haired Finns, disappeared from her bulwarks, while the captain hastened to leave the bridge and lower a rope-ladder over the side.
Thirty seconds later Palmer and six of his men were in possession of the Russian vessel, and the cutter was sent back to the cruiser. Then, carefully manoeuvred, the Olive Branch came alongside the tramp and the work of spoliation began.
The hoses were already connected up, and under the action of six powerful centrifugal pumps the precious oil was transferred to the tanks of the Olive Branch, till six hundred tons completed the carrying capacity of the cruiser.
This done, Captain Brookes made out a draft in payment and handed it to the Russian skipper, at the same time making him a present of a case of whisky, which the man received with an ill grace.
"We may as well give him a taste of the Z-rays, just to show there's no deception," remarked Captain Brookes as the Olive Branch showed her heels to the tramp.
"Will the rays not effect the submarine cable between Reggio and Messina?" asked Gerald.
"What matters? If they want an explanation there are the subjects for theory," replied the captain, waving his arm in the direction of the invisible Etna. "Volcanic disturbances, eh?"
The Z-rays were accordingly released for ten minutes, during which time the Olive Branch had passed the renowned Scylla and Charybdis of the ancients and was heading towards the port of Catania, sixty miles to the south'ard of the Straits.
"Wreck ahead, sir," reported the look-out.
Glasses were instantly levelled, and an object was discovered that at first sight appeared to be a small sailing craft lying on her beam ends.