"Oh, they're quite cheerful, sir," answered the bos'n apologetically. "I think the weather's a bit oppressive, sir."
Lawless went back to his cabin and found Trent on the settee, doubled up with laughter.
"Hullo, what's the matter with you?" he snapped.
"Read this," answered the Sub-Lieutenant, handing him a piece of paper; "it came just as you went on deck."
Lawless took the paper and read:
"Kite to Knat. When is a mine most to be feared? Answer: when it goes against the grain."
"Trent, I'll——," began the victim, but the junior officer had bolted on deck before the threat was finished.
To complete the Lieutenant's discomfiture, a message was received that night from the officer commanding the flotilla censuring Lawless for allowing the Krajero to proceed on her way without having thoroughly overhauled her cargo.
"That puts the lid on it," groaned the unhappy Lieutenant as he turned-in to try and forget his sorrows in sleep.
The result of all this was that, during the next few days, Lawless became the best-hated man in those waters. Not a ship came within sight but she was stopped and her cargo examined with irritating minuteness while the skipper stood by, helpless, but vowing to deluge the Admiralty with complaints. In his zeal Lawless as good as accused quite innocent passengers of being disguised Germans, much to the indignation of the parties concerned, who promised that the authorities should hear about his "unwarrantable officiousness and insulting behaviour," with much more to the same effect. And the worst of it was that he never once came across a trace of contraband for all his trouble.