# The Schooner Ebba explained — Facing the Flag

> Chapter companion for Facing the Flag by Jules Verne.

## What happens

The Ebba prepares to depart from New-Berne as alarm guns signal the discovery of Thomas Roch and Gaydon's disappearance from Healthful House. A boarding party from the cruiser Falcon searches the schooner thoroughly, but finds no trace of the missing men. After the search, the Count d'Artigas is allowed to proceed, and the Ebba sails out, later picking up a submerged buoy that tows the vessel at high speed out to sea.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Identity

Count d'Artigas and his crew maintain a facade of innocence while secretly involved in the kidnapping, deceiving the boarding officers with a thorough but fruitless search.

### Imprisonment and Escape

The chapter centers on the aftermath of the kidnapping from Healthful House and the failed attempt to recapture Thomas Roch and Gaydon, who have been secretly removed.

## Character check-ins

### Count d'Artigas

Owner of the Ebba; feigns surprise at the kidnapping and calmly allows the search of his vessel.

### Captain Spade

Commands the Ebba; assists the boarding officers in their search and later retrieves a buoy that tows the schooner.

### Engineer Serko

The Count's companion on board; observes the search and the departure preparations.

### Thomas Roch

The missing inventor; the search of the Ebba fails to locate him.

### Gaydon

Thomas Roch's keeper; also missing and not found during the search.

### The Falcon

The cruiser that sends a boarding party to search the Ebba.

## Key lines

> surpassed by the most experienced detectives. Moreover, Captain Spade assisted them by every means in his power, obviously anxious that they should not preserve the slightest suspicion of the Ebba ’s owner.

Captain Spade helped the searchers thoroughly, clearly wanting to avoid any suspicion falling on the schooner's owner.

_Shows Spade's complicity in the deception._

> “You must pardon us for having disturbed you, Monsieur the Count,” said the lieutenant. “You were compelled to obey your orders, gentlemen.”

The lieutenant apologized for the search, and the Count graciously accepted the explanation that it was a necessary formality.

_Highlights the polite exchange masking the tension of the search._

> The buoy, with a towline affixed to it, was lifted into the boat that was then paddled to the bow of the Ebba , from the deck of which another hawser was cast to the captain, who made it fast to the towline of the buoy.

The crew retrieved a buoy with a line, attached it to a hawser from the Ebba, and then dropped the buoy back overboard to tow the schooner.

_Reveals the secret method of propulsion used by the Ebba._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/iv-the-schooner-ebba
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/facing_the_flag_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters