."

"The declaration isn't everything," replied the senor. "If there has
been any fighting at all, American cruisers have a right, after that,
to question ships bound for a hostile port, and to stop and seize all
contraband of war. After goods are once seized, it isn't easy to get
them back again."

"Sail ho!" came down from aloft at that moment.

"Where away?" called back the captain.

"Northerly, sir. Looks like a shark, sir."

"Can you make out her flag?" was inquired, almost anxiously.

The man on the lookout plied his telescope a full half-minute before he
responded:

"Stars and Stripes, sir. Sloop-o'-war, sir. She's changin' her course,
and she's makin' for us, I reckon."

"Let her head!" growled the captain. "This bark'll bear more sail. Hoist
away there, men. Let her have it! Senor, there's one thing I'll do right
off. It may be our best chance if she should overhaul us."

He did not explain his meaning just then, but another sail went up and
something else came down. In a few minutes more, when Ned came on deck
again, he suddenly felt worse than ever. Not long before, when the sun
was rising, he had been on an American ship, with the flag of his
country flying above him, but now his first glance aloft drew from him a
loud exclamation, for he found that while below he had apparently been
turned into an Englishman, and away up yonder the gale was playing with
the Red Cross banner of the British Empire. He stared at it for a
moment, and then he made an excited rush for Senor Zuroaga. He might
have reached him sooner, but for a lurch of the _Goshawk_, which sent
him sprawling full length upon the deck. It did not hurt him much,
however, and as soon as he was on his feet, he blurted out, angrily:

"Senor! I say! Do you see that? What does it mean?"

The Mexican laughed aloud, but not only Ned Crawford but several of the
sailors were eyeing that unexpected bunting with red and angry faces.
They also were Americans, and they had national prejudices.

"You don't like the British flag, eh?" he said. "I do, then, just now.
An American cruiser would not fire a shot at that flag half so quick as
it would at your own."

"Why wouldn't she?" asked Ned.

[Illustration: "DO YOU SEE THAT? WHAT DOES IT MEAN?"]

"Because," said the senor, a little dryly, "the American skipper hasn't
any British navy behind him, ready to take the matter up. It's a
protection in case we can't outrun that sloop-of-war. The men won't