The bombshell, as exploded by Mrs. Banneret on her return from the conference, produced much surprise and a certain amount of consternation among the young people. But after the smoke cleared away, so to speak, confidence returned, as it became gradually apparent that no harm was likely to result. At first, Corisande was disposed to insist upon going home, and writing to apprise her mother. But on its being represented that her leave extended to the end of the autumn, and that whether she availed herself of it in travel, or by remaining at Hexham with her friends, could make no difference to her family, she consented to remain. The military and the naval brother succumbed to the same argument, perhaps the more readily as certain county entertainments were to take place shortly. The question was fully debated, and as, obviously, it seemed unkind to desert Hexham on the occasion of their host and the eldest son leaving for foreign parts, a compromise was agreed to.
. . . . . . . . .
On the appointed day, therefore, the Peninsular and Oriental Company’s royal mail steamer Mesopotamia, 10,500 tons, had in her passenger list the names of Arnold and Reginald Banneret, booked for Fremantle, West Australia. Nothing out of the ordinary range of P. & O. passengers’ mild adventures occurred until the Red Sea was reached, the historic waters of which were destined in their case to furnish a truly sensational incident. At Suez they had dined in the great quadrangle of [442] ]the P. & O. Hotel, in the open air, where immense tables had been set out. It was a bizarre and dramatic scene. Above them the cloudless blue sky; around and afar the limitless sands of the Desert. Every variety of costume and head-dress diversified the three hundred and fifty passengers—Arab turbans of scarlet and yellow, or white and pink with gold edges.
A few days afterwards the Mesopotamia was slipping smoothly and pleasantly through the calm waters of the historic sea, on which hardly a ripple was visible. On the north-west shore were the irregular peaks and jagged outlines of the mountains of Palestine. It was the charming after-breakfast interval, when there was absolutely nothing to do but to read or frivol aimlessly. Mr. Banneret was walking up and down, his son was applying himself to an abstruse treatise on auriferous formations, when the Captain appeared on deck, and after a short colloquy with a quartermaster, joined the officer on the bridge.
‘What do you make of that?’ he asked, gazing at a faint line, which gradually made itself distinct athwart the fair blue sky.
‘Smoke of a steamer, sir—Russian battleship. It’s one of those volunteer cruisers let through the Canal, under a promise not to carry more than so many guns.’
‘She is overhauling us at a great rate,’ said the Captain. ‘I’d better prepare the passengers.’
This was hardly necessary, as every field-glass—and there were some good ones on board—had been directed at the strange vessel for the last few [443] ]minutes. All now knew that she was a Russian volunteer cruiser, which had been watching the Red Sea for vessels carrying contraband of war, and that they would be stopped and searched, unless, indeed, the Russian captain decided to sink the Mesopotamia first and explain afterwards. This had been done before, they reflected, in the case of the Knight Commander. It was not a pleasant idea. Some of the lady passengers turned pale; they all behaved with commendable self-possession.
There was no doubt as to the intention of the Russian volunteer cruiser. Rapidly approaching, she fired a shot across the bows of the Mesopotamia and signalled to her to stop until a boat, which promptly left the cruiser’s side, could come on board. The boat was so crowded with armed men that there was hardly room for the oarsmen. At the same time the look-out man reported ‘big steamer on the weather bow.’ All turned with deep interest towards the strange vessel, that in the excitement concentrated on the Russian cruiser had approached nearer than the officers of the Mesopotamia had remarked. Then occurred a change of front. For some unexplained reason the order now given to the Mesopotamia’s head engineer was ‘Full speed ahead,’ the effect of which moved the huge liner anew on her course, leaving the Russian row-boat far behind. At the same time her launch, just lowered, was hauled on board again.
The excitement of the passengers became intense. The stranger steamer, which was coming [444] ]up at a high rate of speed, altered her course a couple of points and steered straight for the P. & O. liner, when she suddenly hoisted the Japanese flag. Then it was seen that this vessel, much larger, carrying more guns and apparently a greater number of men than the Russian cruiser, was the new Japanese battleship the Hatsuce.