commander, and laughed at the notion of an astute person like him
allowing himself to be trapped; appealed to his nationality, and the
glory of having run out of a port that was severely blockaded. The
captain cut this flow of greasy oratory short by stating that for the
moment he was thinking of the amount of hard cash he was going to get,
and not of the glory.

"I know what I will have to do, and I think I know how it will have
to be done; but first let us fix the amount I am to have for doing it.
My price is L----. Do you agree?"

"Yes," said the agent; "though it's a bit stiff. But the animals must
go forward."

The captain did not expect so sudden a confirmation, and remarked, "I
fancy I have not put sufficient value on the services I am to carry
out; but I have given my word, and will keep it."

In due course the money was handed over in British gold. The cattle
were taken aboard, and just as the sun was setting the moorings were
cast off, and the vessel proceeded to the outer harbour and anchored.
The chief mate was instructed to put as little chain as possible out,
and the engineer was told to have a good head of steam at a certain
hour. Meanwhile, the captain proceeded to the city to clear his ship,
and at the stated hour he was stealthily rowed alongside. The pawls of
the windlass were muffled, and the anchor was hove noiselessly up by
hand; the engines were set easy ahead, and as soon as she was on her
course the telegraph rang "full speed." She had not proceeded far
before a shot was fired from the inner gunboat, which landed alongside
the starboard quarter. The chief officer called from the forecastle
head--

"They are firing at us--hadn't you better stop?"

"Stop, be d----d! Do you want to be hung or sent to the Siberian
mines?"

The next shot fell short of the stern. They now came thick and heavy,
but the _Claverhouse_ by this time was racing away, and was quickly
out of range. The most critical time arrived when she was rushed
headlong over the line of torpedoes; and as soon as the outer gunboat
was opened clear of the breakwater, she, too, commenced to fire. Once
the line of mines was safely passed, the course was set to hug the
land. The firing from the torpedo gunboat was wildly inaccurate, never
a shot coming within fathoms of their target, and soon the little
steamer was far beyond the reach of the Tsar's guns.

Her captain had no faith in the report industriously circulated that
the Crim