hrown him overboard had it not been for the respect
inspired by his uniform.

"Where from?" he asked.

"From Lerwick."

"Where to?"

"We are going to sell our herrings. We are respectable people, Herr
major."

"Where are you going to sell your herrings?"

"Where we can. The skipper has gone to Breskens. He intended to be back
soon."

Heideck looked round. The smack had put to in a little bay, where the
water was quiet. The village of Breskens and the little watering-place,
Kadzand, were both so near that the lighted windows could be seen. It
was nine o'clock--rather late for the business which Maaning Brandelaar
intended to transact at Breskens.

Heideck sent the marines on deck with orders to see that no one left
the ship before the captain returned. He then ordered a lantern to be
lighted to examine below. It was a long time before the lantern was
ready, and it burned so dully that Heideck preferred to use the electric
lamp which he always carried with him as well as his revolver. He
climbed down the stairs into the hold and found that the smell of
pickled herrings, which he had noticed on deck, was sufficiently
explained by the cargo. In the little cabin two men were sitting,
drinking grog and smoking short clay pipes. Heideck greeted them
courteously and took a seat near them. They spoke English with a broad
Scotch accent, and used many peculiar expressions which Heideck did not
understand. They declared they were natives of the island of Bressay.
Heideck gathered from their conversation that the smack belonged to a
shipowner of Rotterdam, whose name they appeared not to know or could
not pronounce. They were very guarded and reserved in their statements
generally. Heideck waited half an hour, an hour--but still no signs of
the captain. He began to feel hungry, and throwing a piece of money on
the table, asked whether they could give him anything to eat.

The fishermen opened the cupboard in the wall of the cabin and brought
out a large piece of ham, half a loaf of black bread, and a knife and
fork. Heideck noticed two small white loaves in the cupboard amongst
some glasses and bottles. "Give me some white bread," said he. The man
who had brought out the eatables murmured something unintelligible to
Heideck and shut the cupboard again without complying with his request.
His behaviour could not help striking Heideck as curious. He had, as a
matter of fact, only asked for white bread because the black was