Her appearance was a cause for considerable excitement among the officers.

‘What a beauty!’ Mason exclaimed. ‘She’s the finest ship I’ve ever seen.’

A boat was lowered, and those officers who were still masquerading as passengers in civilian dress were rowed over to the other ship and went aboard. To Gus’s distress, they all carried their ship bags, which contained what he had learned to call their dunnage: their personal possessions. That meant they were not coming back, and the thought that Mason, his friend and mentor, had departed without so much as a goodbye was painful.

On the Laurel, there was some consternation among the ordinary sailors. This was an unexpected, and largely unwelcome, diversion from what they took to be the purpose of the voyage. They were given little time, however, to discuss this new development as orders were issued for the contents of the Laurel’s holds to be transferred to the Sea King. The crew of that vessel joined in the work, but even with their combined numbers it was hard going. Further anger was generated by what seemed unnecessary haste. After hanging about off Funchal for days, it now seemed that everything must be done at top speed. Tackles were rigged on the masts and by means of ropes and pulleys the crates and boxes from the hold were raised and swung overboard and lowered onto the deck of the Sea King.

Gus, scurrying backwards and forwards with smaller packages, saw that they were being deposited faster than they could be stowed, so that before long the Sea King’s deck was cluttered with unidentified boxes. He saw, too, to his surprise, that the officers who had transferred to the new ship had taken off their jackets, rolled up their sleeves and were labouring alongside the crew.

They worked until dark and were up again at dawn, and finally by mid-afternoon the work was completed. Looking at the chaos on the Sea King’s deck, Gus had to revise his guess about the purpose of the Laurel and the armaments she carried. Was this new ship to be fitted out as a blockade runner instead? And why was the transfer of the cargo so urgent?

For the rest of the day the feeling of discontent amongst the crew grew.

Next morning, unexpectedly, they were all summoned aboard the Sea King and told to assemble on the deck, together with her crew. There was a short wait, while the men fidgeted and muttered, and then Captain Waddell led the other officers onto the quarterdeck above them. Now their true identity was plain for all to see, for they were all dressed in the grey uniform of the Confederate navy, complete with badges of rank. There was a general murmur of surprise, but the mood was far from friendly.