Just about the time the _Narcissus_ was kicking ahead at nine knots,
in distant San Francisco the cable company was getting Mr. Skinner out
of bed to dictate to him over the telephone a message which had just
arrived from Pernambuco.

"Ah!" murmured the incomparable Skinner as he donned a dressing gown
and slippers and descended to his library to decode the cablegram.
"The luck of the Blue Star flag still holds. That belligerent and
highly intelligent fellow Murphy has received our cablegram, sent him
in care of the American consul, and in accordance with my instructions
he is acknowledging its receipt. Hum-m-m! The first word is 'oriana.'
Let me turn to 'oriana.' Hum-m! 'I have an order presumably emanating
from blank.' Ah, yes, the next word is 'Buestar,' the cable address of
the Blue Star Navigation Company. Well, well, well, the foxy fellow!
After wiring us to cable him, he gets our cable and then cables us to
confirm it! Caution is a virtue, but this brand is too high-priced.
The next word is 'osculo'."

Mr. Skinner turned to "osculo" and discovered that it meant "I am
ordered to--" The next word in the cablegram was "Montevideo."

"Good heavens!" Mr. Skinner gasped. "He has received orders,
presumably emanating from us, ordering him to Montevideo! Can it be
possible that Mr. Ricks or Matt Peasley has sent him a cablegram
without my knowledge? I must read further."

He did, and having done so he discovered that, in addition to being
ordered to Montevideo, Mike Murphy wanted to know if it was all right
and if von Staden and Ulrich--presumably German--were to be trusted;
that he would remain in command at the company's request, although he