"Of course not."
"Well," the Captain added, wiping his dry lips with the back of his hand, "do you know what will happen to the Sea Lion while you are gone?"
"Nothing serious, I hope."
"She will be blown up, and me with it!" almost screamed the Captain.
"The power that is handling this matter would do more than that to get the papers you have secured out of the way, and to get rid of Babc.o.c.k, my son, and myself."
"They seek to murder you?"
"I believe it."
"Why?"
"For two reasons. We know too much, and we failed."
"You haven"t named the power," suggested Ned.
"I am unable to do so. I don"t know. I have done all my work with a go-between."
"I see," Ned said.
"If you must go to Canton," the Captain went on, "first turn us over to the authorities here--to the American consul, if you please."
"That would protect the boat?"
"It would protect us."
"For the present, yes."
"And take the papers with you!"
"Why?" laughed Ned, thoroughly amused.
"Because that will draw the search off the boat."
"Then you believe that I shall be watched and followed?"
"Yes, and killed."
"You"re a cheerful sort of fellow!" laughed Ned.
Jimmie now came to the door and announced a warship flying an American flag.
"She"s signaling you," he added.
Ned was pretty glad to see the ship come to a halt lower down the inlet. She was not a large vessel, but she looked as big to Ned as all Manhattan island.
In an hour he was on board the ship, in earnest conversation with the captain, who had been ordered by cable to look the Sea Lion up and report to Ned. In another hour the prisoners were on board the warship, and the Sea Lion was anch.o.r.ed under her guns.
CHAPTER XX
AN ENDING AND A BEGINNING
Captain Harmon, of the warship Union, was a brave and capable officer.
He understood at once the necessity for the trip to Canton. The conspirators must be identified. The United States Government must be informed as to the foreign power which had so nosed into her affairs.
"The power that is doing this," the Captain said, "will resort to other tricks when this one fails. We want to know who she is. On the whole, I think, I"ll go to Canton with you--with your permission, of course."
"That"s kind of you," Ned replied, pleased at the offer. "I can leave three of the boys on the Sea Lion and take one with me. I should be lost without that little rascal from the Bowery."
"And I"ll send a file of marines on board the Sea Lion," the captain continued. "That will make all safe there. Now, about the papers. You have the packet?"
"Yes, of course."
"What does it contain?"
"Instructions which show the hand of private parties only. They completely exonerate our Government."
"And the other parties?"
"I regret that I must not mention names, sir."
"Very well," laughed the Captain. "You have performed your mission well. The slanders must now cease. But one thing more remains to be done--the meddling nation must be identified, as I have already said.
We must go to Canton."
And so, leaving the Moores and Babc.o.c.k safely locked in the den on board the Union and the important papers secure in the Captain"s safe, Ned, accompanied by the Captain and Jimmie, set out for Canton by boat. The way was not long, and they arrived at noon, an early start having been secured.
Ned was entirely at sea in the city, but Captain Harmon had been there a number of times, and the English chop house was soon found. Next door to it was the curio shop mentioned to Ned.
The three lounged about the chop house nearly all the afternoon. The Captain was in plain clothes, and the trio seemed to be foreigners waiting for friends to come. After a long time Ned saw a man pa.s.s the chop house and turn into the curio shop who did not seem to be a Chinaman.
"Jimmie," he said to the little fellow, "suppose you go in there and buy a dragon, or a silk coat, or a tin elephant. Anything to give you a notion as to what is going on in the shop." The lad was off in a moment, and then the Captain turned to Ned.
"Why did you send the boy?" he asked.
"Because we may both be wanted outside," was the reply.
"You mean that others may come--others who should be followed and observed?"
"That"s the idea," Ned replied.
Directly two more men, evidently not Chinamen, pa.s.sed into the shop, then Jimmie came running out.