“Ahoy, there, privateer Peggy! How comes it we find you down here?”
“We have decided to run down to Portsmouth,” the voice of Captain Saunders answered.
“Heave to! I must have a look at your papers,” our commander then announced.
“That’s all right. I’ll bring them over at once,” was the ready response.
Then the Peggy hove to; a boat was put out, mid Captain Saunders came over to us. Greeting him politely, Captain Tucker led him down to the cabin. Then his visitor handed his papers to him. The Captain passed them on to me as his secretary, saying: “Look them over, Midshipman Dunn;” then entered into conversation with his guest.
I went carefully through the documents. They were regularly made out, and there was not the slightest reason for doubting the Peggy’s claim to be an American privateer.
“The papers are all right, sir,” I announced, “though I would rather you would pass judgment upon them.”
He smiled, and taking them glanced at them. Then he said to Captain Saunders:
“Pardon me, sir, for putting you to all this trouble. But you know the enemy is now using all sorts of means to deceive us, and we have to follow out our merest suspicions if we do not want to be outwitted.”
“That is so, Captain Tucker,” his visitor responded. “I know something about that myself. You don’t feel very well to find they have made a fool of you. But you are a sharp one, Captain. It will take a smart man to get the best of you. No apology, however, is necessary for delaying me. Really, I’m glad to have made you this brief visit,” and he arose to depart.