“Come in, Baldwin. This is a young officer from the battle-ship,” the captain announced; “Mr. Baldwin is our purser.”
“The legation steam launch is alongside for the minister’s freight,” the purser reported. “Mr. Juarez is in her to sign the receipts for the bills of lading. Shall I deliver it at once? There are about twenty heavy packages.”
“Very well, Baldwin, go right ahead,” replied the captain. Then turning to Phil, as the purser withdrew: “A diplomatic officer has a privilege which no one else has; his freight can be landed direct; everything else must go through the custom-house ashore and be inspected.”
The captain excused himself shortly but insisted that Phil should make himself at home.
“Take a look about the ship,” he said proudly; “she’s not as big as yours yonder, but she is a stanch one for this trade.”
Phil was glad to have an excuse to remain. He had heard something to arouse his curiosity.
“I shall have a look at this Juarez and his boxes,” he mused as he followed the captain on deck.
Stepping to the high rail, he glanced down on a large launch, lying alongside the ship abreast her forward cargo hatch. Big boxes were being hoisted out of the hold by the ship’s derrick and landed on the smaller vessel’s deck. Phil saw a short heavily built man, dressed in white clothes, with a wide brimmed panama set over a massive head. He was superintending the landing of the boxes.
This man Phil knew must be Juarez, the minister’s confidential vice-consul.
Phil descended to the lower deck in order to be nearer the work of landing the cargo. He also wanted to have a better look at this man.