"The storm did that for us. We had a three days' siege of it."

"Well, let me see your papers and take a look through the hold. It can
do no harm."

"None in the least," replied the captain.

He then ordered the main hatch opened as he escorted the officer down
to the cabin in order to inspect the ship's papers.

Rucker followed. Duff, impelled by curiosity, watched the opening of
the hatch, which had remained closely sealed ever since he had been
aboard.

An apparently empty hold was all that rewarded his eye, except for the
usual stores and provisions necessary for a long voyage.

"If Bermuda is really our port, we've got grub enough, and to spare,"
thought he as he returned to the quarter-deck.

Meanwhile the lieutenant, after a thorough inspection of the hold,
returned to the open air. He still seemed unsatisfied, and cast
curious glances here and there over the vessel's trim proportions.
Finally he gave it up.

"Your papers seem to be all right," he said, "and you certainly have no
cargo, though you are provisioned for a voyage round the world, I
should say."

"Barrels of meal," said the captain. "My owner had a lot on hand, and