and his face had a hearty sort of humour, which the slightly-lifting lip,
in its insolent disdain, could not greatly modify. He certainly seemed
well pleased with himself, and more than once, as he sat alone, he
laughed outright, and once he said aloud, as his fingers ran up and down
a schedule--not a man-o'-war's schedule--laughing softly:

"Poor old Farquhar, if he could see me now!" Then, to himself: "Well, as
I told him, I was violently tossed like a ball into the large country;
and I've had a lot of adventure and sport. But here's something more
the biggest game ever played between nations by a private person--with
fifty thousand pounds as the end thereof, if all goes well with my lone
corvette."

The next evening, just before dusk, after having idled about out of sight
of the signal station nearly all day, Captain Shewell entered Golden Gate
with the Hornet-of no squadron. But the officers at the signal station
did not know that, and simply telegraphed to the harbour, in reply to the
signals from the corvette, that a British man-of-war was coming. She
came leisurely up the bay, with Captain Shewell on the bridge. He gave a
low whistle as he saw the Cormorant in the distance. He knew the harbour
well, and saw that the Cormorant had gone to a new anchorage, not the
same as British men-of-war took formerly. He drew away to the old
anchorage--he need not be supposed to know that a change was expected;
besides--and this was important to Captain Shewell--the old anchorage
was near the docks; and it was clear, save for one little life-boat
and a schooner which was making out as he came up.

As the Hornet came to anchor the Cormorant saluted her, and she replied
instantly. Customs officers who were watching the craft from the shore
or from their boats put down their marine glasses contentedly when they