It is plain he thought little of the business; thought indeed nothing of it; except in so far as armed men had entered the neutral territory from Mulinuu; and it was on this ground alone, and the implied breach of Becker's engagement at the conference, that he invited Leary's attention to the tale.

The impish ingenuity of the commander perceived in it huge possibilities of mischief.

He took up the Scanlon outrage, the atrocity of the threatened pigs; and with that poor instrument--I am sure, to his own wonder--drove Tamasese out of Mulinuu.

It was "an intrigue," Becker complains.

To be sure it was; but who was Becker to be complaining of intrigue?
On the 7th Leary laid before Fritze the following conundrum: "As the natives of Mulinuu appear to be under the protection of the Imperial German naval guard belonging to the vessel under your command, I have the honour to request you to inform me whether or not they are under such protection?
Amicable relations," pursued the humorist, "amicable relations exist between the government of the United States and His Imperial German Majesty's government, but we do not recognise Tamasese's government, and I am desirous of locating the responsibility for violations of American rights." Becker and Fritze lost no time in explanation or denial, but went straight to the root of the matter and sought to buy off Scanlon.