"Then it's rather strange that your jacket should be smeared with white paint. You see, my bunk was re-painted only this----"
The Captain's remark was cut short, for the German suddenly sprang to his feet and aimed a terrific blow at him with a short, pointed sheath-knife. Calamity was just in time to avoid the weapon, which struck the table with such force that the point snapped off, while the would-be murderer stumbled forward under the impetus of the stroke. Before he could recover himself, the Captain had seized him by the throat, at the same time calling for Sing-hi.
"The irons out of my drawer," he said when the Chinaman appeared.
Sing-hi opened a drawer, took therefrom a pair of handcuffs and slipped them over the prisoner's wrists.
"You'd better lock the fellow in your pantry for the time being," said Calamity as he went out.
The same night Mr. Fritz Siemann--that is to say, his mortal remains--was lowered into the sea, sewed up in a canvas bag. And, inside that bag, besides the firebars used as sinkers, was the thousand pounds in notes.
Captain Calamity was not the man to break his word.
During the next three days the work of repairing the _Hawk's_ engines went on unceasingly under McPhulach's supervision. The gunboat, which, it was found, had already been repaired by the Germans, was floated, and arrangements were made for accommodating the prisoners she would have to carry. Calamity christened her _Satellite_, and the name was painted on her stern in big white letters over the word _Gnesen_, which had formerly been there.
On the afternoon of the day preceding Calamity's departure three of the guns in the fort which had escaped damage from the fire were rendered useless, while such stores, ammunition, and coal as could not be taken away were destroyed or flung into the sea. This seeming waste was necessary in order to prevent any stray vessel that might put in there from re-coaling or victualling with what would otherwise have been left.
On the following morning, McPhulach, grimy of person and half-dead from want of sleep, reported that the engines were in working order and that he had a full head of steam in the boilers. A few hours afterwards everything was ready for the departure; the prisoners had been divided into two lots, one being sent aboard the _Satellite_, now under the command of Mr. Dykes, and the other transferred to the _Hawk_, whose after-hold had been fitted up for the purpose.