Our request for her name remained for a time without an answer. Then came the reply: "Heraclide."
This was disconcerting, for Lloyd's Register contained no such name. We repeated our question and received the same answer:
"Heraclide."
"What nationality?"
"Good friend."
"What line?"
Deep silence.
Now we knew how to act. If the boat had claimed to be a neutral, I should have let her go unmolested. On the other hand, a neutral would never have given such an equivocal reply, so, of course, she could only be an "Engländer."
I ordered her to stop.
While we slowed down, the steamer suddenly accelerated her movements in an evident attempt to escape. That put an end to my patience. We sent a shell in her direction, and I heard the captain ironically inquire: