Explore "American Boys Afloat" by Oliver Optic on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Louis was willing to pay for the use of the Salihé; but the customs officers on the other side of the bay had some suspicions in regard to her, and the commander would not permit him to pay anything; besides, the little steamer was wanted to convey the witnesses to Algeciras. Chickworth received the report that Gray and his associates had actually captured the boat with consternation. He was invited to go over with the witnesses in the afternoon; but he declined to do so. The captain thought it more than probable that he had been concerned in contraband operation with Gray.
Chickworth departed with something worse than a flea in his ear, and the commander and Louis went down to breakfast. The moonlight excursion and the conflict with the outlaws were the subjects of conversation at the table. Louis took a great deal of pains to set forth that Sir Scott, as he called him in retaliation for the application of the title to himself, was the hero of the occasion. The process of lassoing the stout smuggler excited a great deal of interest, and was unanimously regarded as a brilliant operation, both in its conception and execution.