The Captain promptly led the way to the chart-room and produced his papers with an alacrity that was calculated to disarm the most suspicious investigator. According to them, the Gelderland had cleared at Amsterdam for Boston with general cargo.
"H'm!" grunted Chard, as he looked at the papers. "How long have you been coming up the Channel?"
"Four or five days. I was hung up by fog."
"Well, the sooner you get out of it the better," answered Chard, turning to go. The ship's papers were in order, and therefore he had no right to detain the vessel further. As he was about to pass through the door his glance fell on a chart fastened to the table with drawing-pins. He paused for a moment and bent over it.
"Here!" he said in a different tone. "Come here!"
His forefinger was resting on the apex formed by two diagonal lines which had been ruled across the chart. This apex was just opposite Start Point, and the lines formed two sides of a triangle—one running parallel to the English coast as far as the Lizard, the other running south-west to a point just north of Ushant.
"Vell?" inquired the Captain, but there was a slight tremor in his voice.
"You'd better scuttle that Amsterdam yarn," replied Chard quietly. He laid his finger once more on the chart. "If this means anything," he went on, "it means that you've been cruising around between Start Point, Ushant and the Lizard, and that the clearance papers you showed me are just fakes. It's pretty certain that——No, you don't!" as the Captain made a swift movement with his right hand. "Keep your eye on this, my son," and Chard levelled an automatic pistol at the other's head.
Then, still covering the Captain with his pistol, he hailed the O47 through the open door of the chart-room.
"Mr. Lawless!"