essel. She was a "tramp," that is, a vessel
going from port to port, picking up whatever cargo can be found.

"Ahoy, there!" cried Captain Ponsberry, as the tramp slowed up. "What
ship is that?"

"The _Lord Duffield_," was the answer. "What ship is that?"

"The _Columbia_."

"Where are you bound?"

"For Nagasaki. And you?"

"For Hong-Kong."

A little more talk followed, and the captain of the _Lord Duffield_
vouchsafed the information that he had sighted a Russian warship the day
before.

"A warship!" murmured Larry.

"Which way was she bound?" asked Captain Ponsberry, anxiously.

"I can't tell you. She stopped us and asked a few questions and then
slipped away in the darkness."

"What warship was she?"

"The _Pocastra_, from Vladivostok. I think she used to be in the
merchant service and was built over for the navy."

The captain of the British steamer could give no further information,
and so resumed his course, and the master of the _Columbia_ did
likewise.

"Ain't very nice news, is it?" said Tom Grandon.

"It's very unpleasant news," returned Captain Ponsberry, with a shrug of
his shoulders.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"What can we do, Tom? Trust to luck that we get into Nagasaki harbor, or
some other port, in safety."

"We'll have to keep a sharp lookout for anything that looks like a
warship, unless, of course, she flies a Japanese flag."

Word was passed around to those who could be trusted, and all day long
one of the mates and a foremast hand were kept on the lookout, taking
turns at looking through the best glass the schooner possessed.

"This is almost as exciting as being in a war," said Larry, when he was
on duty with Luke. "Don't you know how we looked for the Spanish ships?"

"Yes, lad; but if we sight a Russian warship it will be small fighting
we'll do, to my way of thinking."

"Oh, we won't be able to fight at all. We'll simply have to rely on our
wits to keep us out of being gobbled up as a prize of war," responded
the young second mate.

CHAPTER XI

AN ORDER TO LAY-TO

When taking on his cargo at Manila, Captain Ponsberry had considered the
possibility of being captured by a Russian warship, and had talked the
matter over with the agents of the Richmond Importing Company and with a
Japanese official who was doing business on the sly in the Philippines.

The Japanese Government was willing to pay for the cargo, whether it was
delivered or not--pr