"Well," he said, "you can make inquiries and see if my conclusions are
right."
The Vice-Consul smiled. "That is not so. You can pry into the coaling
company's affairs and, if you are caught, it would be looked upon as an
individual impertinence. If I did anything of the kind, it would reflect
upon the Foreign Office and compromise our relations with a friendly
state. The Adexe wharf is registered according to the laws of this
country as being owned by a native company."
"Then go to the authorities and tell them what you know."
"The difficulty is that I know nothing except that you have told me a
somewhat improbable tale."
"But you surely don't mean to let the raider do what she likes? Her next
victim may be a British vessel."
"I imagine the British admiralty will attend to that, and I have already
sent a cablegram announcing the loss of the French boat."
Dick saw that he was doubted and feared that argument would be useless,
but he would not give in.
"A raider must have coal and it's not easy to get upon this coast," he
resumed. "You could render her harmless by cutting off supplies."
"Do you know much about international law and how far it prohibits a
neutral country from selling coal to a belligerent?"
"I don't know anything about it; but if our Foreign Office is any good,
they ought to be able to stop the thing," Dick answered doggedly.
"Then let me try to show you how matters stand. We will suppose that your
suspicions were correct and I thought fit to make representations to the
Government of this country. What do you think would happen?"
"They'd be forced to investigate your statements."
"Exactly. The head of a department would be asked to report. You probably
know that every official whose business brings him into touch with it is
in the coaling company's pay; I imagine there is not a foreign trader
here who does not get small favors in return for bribes. Bearing this in
mind, it is easy to understand what the report would be. I should have
shown that we suspected the good faith of a friendly country, and there
would be nothing gained."
"Still, you can't let the matter drop," Dick insisted.
"Although you have given me no proof of your statements, which seem to be
founded on conjectures, I have not said that I intend to let it drop. In
the meantime I am entitled to ask for some information about yourself.
You look like an Englishman and have not been here long. Did you leave
home after the war broke out?"
"Yes," said Dick, who saw where he was leading, "very shortly
afterwards."
"Why? Men like you are needed for the army."