"Can you make it out?"
"Well, let me see--yes, it must be so."
"What, the Union Jack?" cried Willis.
"No, a red ground striped with blue."
"The United States, as I am a sinner!" cried Willis. "Well, it might
have been worse. We can go to America; there are surgeons there as
well as in Europe--at all events, we can get a ship there for England.
But let me see, we must hoist a bit of bunting; unfortunately, we have
only British colors aboard, and I am afraid they are not in
particularly high favor with our Yankee cousins just now."
"Never mind a flag," said Fritz.
"Oh, that will never do, they have hoisted a flag and are waiting a
reply. But let me see," added Willis, rummaging amongst some stores,
"here is one of our Shark's Island signals--that, I think, will puzzle
the Yankee considerably."
The Pilot's signal was answered by a gun, the report of which rang
through the air. The strange ship's sails were thrown back and she
stood still. A boat then put off with a young man in uniform and six
rowers on board.
"Pinnace ahoy!" cried the officer through a speaking trumpet, "who are
you?"
"Shipwrecked mariners," cried Fritz, in reply.
"What is the name of your craft?"
"The _Mary_."
"What country?"
"Switzerland."
"I was not aware that Switzerland was a naval power," observed Willis.
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