Captain Broadbeam laughed in the officer's face outright.
"Guess not," he said. "I reckon, my friend, about all we will take away from Minotaur Island will be a mighty poor opinion of its inhabitants."
"Oh, I trust not," the polite official hastened to say, but added tersely: "We must make a search."
"What for?"
"I have told you--contraband goods. We are having a good deal of trouble in this line. Ships touching here make the island a sort of clearing house for dutiable imports and exports. Our governor's high sense of honor demands extreme vigilance and discipline. We are authorized to make a search."
"Search away," cried Broadbeam indifferently, but with some show of mental irritation.
Silverado and his aids went into the hold. They made a great pretense of looking through the lockers in the cabins.
"Well?" demanded the captain of the Swallow as they came on deck again, "found any smuggled goods?"
"None," reported Silverado promptly--"none, I am pleased to say."
"Then you give us a clean sheet on health and cargo, do you?" said Broadbeam. "Reason I ask, is that we are going to swing out of harbor soon as you get through with your tomfoolery."