“Did they, though?” the Captain asked, laughing. “And what did you say to that?”
“Why, I was green enough not to know what they meant, sir. I supposed they referred to the cargo, so I said it had been properly entered and there would be no trouble about getting it through, and it would be the same thing in New York. I can see now, from the way they looked at me, that they could not quite make out whether I was really so innocent, or only pretending to be. At any rate, I soon found that they supposed I had brought some goods on my own account, which I would want to smuggle ashore, and that they wanted to send some in the same way when we go back.”
“That was what they meant, and no mistake,” the Captain said. “There is a great deal of that kind of business done.”
“Not by me, sir,” Kit went on. “I told them very plainly that I had brought nothing but what was on my manifests, and that if they wanted to smuggle anything into New York they would have to try some other ship. That offended them, I am afraid, for they became very cool, and left me to find my way about and make my own arrangements. If they can find any fault here with my work, and give a bad account of me to my employers, I think they will be pretty sure to do it.”
“Well, you have the satisfaction of being in the right,” the Captain answered, “and they are very clearly in the wrong. They will hardly be likely to expose their dishonest intentions by making any complaints in New York. At any rate, your work will show for itself when you get back, if you carry it through well.”
“I have got along all right so far without their assistance,” Kit continued; “but it is a new experience to deal with agents who are disposed to hinder rather than help.”
“Y-e-s,” said the Captain, dryly. “You will find that you have still one or two things to learn in the world. Well?”
“I have picked up more information than I should have got if I had been depending upon them. If they think I can’t land a cargo of oil without their help, they are very much mistaken.”
“Oh, ho!” the Captain laughed; “my young supercargo is beginning to feel his oats! Quite right, lad. And if they don’t have the homeward cargo ready for you promptly, their principals will have something to say to them. You may be sure of that.”
“This wharf that we are at,” Kit went on, “they call the ‘Quai de la Fratérnité.’ The oil is to go into that warehouse just across the street. They talked about keeping us a week before their stevedore could take out our cargo, so I found one myself and made a contract with him, and his men are to begin work to-morrow morning.”