diff options
| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-02-06 18:41:36 -0800 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-02-06 18:41:36 -0800 |
| commit | cc3f75d89d31c72ac734ab9d64de0722f433f6d5 (patch) | |
| tree | d4128b67d67fdc8fa7428b3a6b19d2f91e6ce9d6 | |
| parent | 201140532adba98ee29535d5d7d4693dcb91f0ee (diff) | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53704-0.txt | 7417 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53704-0.zip | bin | 115770 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53704-h.zip | bin | 733466 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53704-h/53704-h.htm | 9989 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53704-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 203565 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53704-h/images/image01.jpg | bin | 56761 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53704-h/images/image02.jpg | bin | 103013 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53704-h/images/image03.jpg | bin | 77238 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53704-h/images/image04.jpg | bin | 68023 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53704-h/images/image05.jpg | bin | 18091 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53704-h/images/image06.jpg | bin | 13842 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53704-h/images/image07.jpg | bin | 18027 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53704-h/images/image08.jpg | bin | 14676 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53704-h/images/image09.jpg | bin | 16332 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53704-h/images/image10.jpg | bin | 16948 -> 0 bytes |
18 files changed, 17 insertions, 17406 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f80cfaa --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #53704 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53704) diff --git a/old/53704-0.txt b/old/53704-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 2dc8094..0000000 --- a/old/53704-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7417 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Motor Boys Bound for Home, by Clarence Young - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Motor Boys Bound for Home - or, Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Wrecked Troopship - -Author: Clarence Young - -Release Date: December 10, 2016 [EBook #53704] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MOTOR BOYS BOUND FOR HOME *** - - - - -Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - -[Illustration: “WHALES!” SHOUTED JERRY, “WE’RE IN THE MIDST OF A SCHOOL -OF WHALES!”] - - - - - THE MOTOR BOYS - BOUND FOR HOME - - OR - - Ned, Bob and Jerry on the - Wrecked Troopship - - - BY - - CLARENCE YOUNG - - AUTHOR OF “THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES,” “THE JACK - RANGER SERIES,” ETC. - - - ILLUSTRATED - - - NEW YORK - CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY - - - - -BOOKS BY CLARENCE YOUNG - -12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Colored Jacket. - - -=THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES= - - THE MOTOR BOYS - THE MOTOR BOYS OVERLAND - THE MOTOR BOYS IN MEXICO - THE MOTOR BOYS ACROSS THE PLAINS - THE MOTOR BOYS AFLOAT - THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE ATLANTIC - THE MOTOR BOYS IN STRANGE WATERS - THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE PACIFIC - THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE CLOUDS - THE MOTOR BOYS OVER THE ROCKIES - THE MOTOR BOYS OVER THE OCEAN - THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE WING - THE MOTOR BOYS AFTER A FORTUNE - THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE BORDER - THE MOTOR BOYS UNDER THE SEA - THE MOTOR BOYS ON ROAD AND RIVER - THE MOTOR BOYS AT BOXWOOD HALL - THE MOTOR BOYS ON A RANCH - THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE ARMY - THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE FIRING LINE - THE MOTOR BOYS BOUND FOR HOME - - -=THE JACK RANGER SERIES= - - JACK RANGER’S SCHOOLDAYS - JACK RANGER’S WESTERN TRIP - JACK RANGER’S SCHOOL VICTORIES - JACK RANGER’S OCEAN CRUISE - JACK RANGER’S GUN CLUB - JACK RANGER’S TREASURE BOX - - - COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY - CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY - - - =The Motor Boys Bound for Home= - - Printed in U. S. A. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - I TURNING BACK 1 - II SUSPICIONS 9 - III THE LITTLE MAN 18 - IV OFF AGAIN 26 - V THE NIGHT ATTACK 37 - VI A STRANGE ENCOUNTER 45 - VII A MIDNIGHT BLAST 52 - VIII DISABLED 60 - IX THE MYSTERIOUS CABIN 68 - X CALLING IN VAIN 76 - XI DRIFTING 83 - XII THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR 91 - XIII A WELL-KNOWN VOICE 101 - XIV THE FOG 109 - XV THE CRASH 117 - XVI A WAIF OF THE SEA 125 - XVII NED WONDERS 133 - XVIII A QUEER CRAFT 140 - XIX A LONE NAVIGATOR 149 - XX THREE ON A RAFT 156 - XXI REUNITED 165 - XXII NED AND PEPPER-POT 175 - XXIII MAKING THE BEST OF IT 181 - XXIV NED LEARNS SOMETHING 189 - XXV THE BOW GUN 198 - XXVI LEAKING 208 - XXVII THE WIRELESS 214 - XXVIII THE SEARCH 222 - XXIX “DERELICT AHOY!” 232 - XXX ALL’S WELL--CONCLUSION 237 - - - - - THE MOTOR BOYS, - NED, BOB AND JERRY - BOUND FOR HOME - - - - -CHAPTER I - -TURNING BACK - - -Slowly and ponderously the United States transport, _Sherman_, moved -out of the maze of boats that had clustered about her at the Brest -dock. With ever-gathering speed she thrust her prow into the rippling -water, leaving behind, on the wharf, cheering hundreds of Uncle Sam’s -boys who envied the lot of their fellows in thus sailing for home after -the Great War. Mingled with the resonant voices of the Americans were -the shriller notes of their French comrades, who were bidding God-speed -to their allied comrades. - -“Well, we’re really off at last,” remarked a tall, bronzed youth, -speaking to some of his chums who leaned over the rail with him, waving -to friends on the wharf. - -“Yes, Jerry,” remarked a rather stout khaki-clad soldier lad, “off at -last. And now that the captain can dispense with my valuable services -in warping the ship away from the dock--I believe warping is the proper -word--I’m going to look----” - -“For the kitchen!” interrupted a third member of the little group -clustered about the lad called Jerry, who wore on his coat the D. S. C. -of valor. “Isn’t that what you were going to say, Bob?” - -“What’s that about a kitchen?” asked the youth called Jerry. - -“Oh, Bob is up to his old tricks,” remarked the soldier who had -interrupted his friend’s facetious words. - -“Perhaps I may be, Ned,” came in reply from the stout one; “but I know -enough not to call the place on board a ship where food is prepared a -‘kitchen.’ Why don’t you say galley, you land-lubber?” and with this -parting shot Bob Baker, winking one eye at his tall friend, Jerry -Hopkins, strolled aft. - -He was soon lost in the throng of soldiers which crowded every -available part of the transport, and Ned and Jerry, retaining their -places by the rail, looked down at the water of the harbor which they -were leaving behind. This was one of the first transports to depart -for the United States after the terrible conflict, and in addition to -taking home a number of unwounded men, it also carried many casual -cases. - -Among the former were many friends and comrades of Jerry Hopkins, Ned -Slade, and Bob Baker, three chums known to many of my readers as the -“Motor Boys,” of whom more will later be told. - -“Yes, we’re on our way,” remarked Ned to Jerry, as the two stood -somewhat apart for the moment, their friends at the rail having moved -to one side. “We’re on our way, and Bob hasn’t lost much time in -starting his favorite indoor sport.” - -“Well, I don’t know that I blame him,” announced Jerry. “The eating -problem has been a hard one for all of us since this war started, and -there’s such a crowd on board that it isn’t likely to be an easy matter -to get a feed now. Bob always was one who believed in safety first, -when it comes to his stomach.” - -“You’re right!” assented Ned. “But there’s one thing about him: He -isn’t mean, and if he finds a way to get an extra supply of grub he’ll -share it with us.” - -“You said a mouthful!” agreed Jerry. - -For several moments they stood looking at the gradually disappearing -reminders of the late conflict--the docks and the buildings at the -Brest camp, in France, where they had spent some days in waiting for -transportation back to the United States. Then Ned turned to look over -the seething deck. - -“This is some crowd!” murmured Ned. “I hope Bob doesn’t get lost in it.” - -“Especially if he does manage to find the galley, and can bribe or -intimidate one of the cooks into slipping him something on the side,” -added Jerry. “In that case I hope Bob’s memory carries him back to us, -for, to tell you the truth, I’m hungry.” - -“So’m I,” admitted Ned; “though I did pull a raw one on Chunky. But I -guess we ought to consider ourselves lucky to be on board.” - -“You said it!” declared Jerry. “There’s a lot of the boys who would -give up a wound stripe for the sake of going back on one of these early -boats. Now that the war is practically over, there’s going to be a big -slump in the enthusiasm that kept us going when nothing else would have -done it. Yes, we’re dead lucky to be going back.” - -And so, amid the whistle salutes of other craft, the waving of hands -and the tossing of hats and caps from unknown well-wishers, the -_Sherman_ kept on her way. - -Out toward the west she headed, out toward the land of the Stars and -Stripes, and deep in their hearts Ned, Bob, and Jerry were thankful for -the Providence that had picked them as among the first to go back home -after the fighting was over. - -They had covered themselves with glory, for in addition to the D. S. C. -bestowed on Jerry Hopkins, Ned and Bob had received honorable mention, -and their company was one picked out for signal honor, the three boys -sharing in the general praise. - -“I wonder how things are going back in Cresville,” mused Ned, after a -period of silence on the part of himself and Jerry. - -“That’s queer! I was just thinking that same thing myself,” the taller -lad exclaimed. “It will seem mighty quiet after the hail-storms we’ve -been through.” - -“Hail-storms is right,” agreed Ned Slade. “But it can’t be too quiet -for me. All I want to do is to sit under a tree back of the house, -with plenty of books and magazines to read, clean clothes--real clean -clothes--to wear, a bath-tub where I know where it is, and----” - -“Something to eat!” interrupted a voice behind him, and, turning, Ned -and Jerry beheld their stout chum, Bob Baker, who smilingly held out -some sandwiches. - -“Running true to form,” murmured Ned, as he accepted one, and also a -bit of chocolate candy his friend extended. “How’d you manage to do it, -Bob?” - -“Oh, my hypnotic eye. Just told one of the cooks I had to have -something if they didn’t want the captain to read the service for -burial at sea. And the cook allowed he didn’t want that to happen -so soon after we’d got started. This is the result,” and Bob began -munching on his share of the auxiliary rations, an example followed by -Ned and Jerry. - -“Am I right?” mumbled Bob, between bites. - -“Right-O, Chunky!” murmured Jerry. “This touches the right spot.” - -“Do you accept my amendment regarding the necessities you require on -reaching home, Ned?” asked Bob, after a period of eloquent silence. - -“Amendment accepted, all in favor say ‘aye!’” exclaimed Ned, adding, a -moment later: “The ayes have it!” - -“Didn’t see anything of Professor Snodgrass, did you?” asked Jerry of -his chums, as they disposed of the last of the sandwiches and chocolate -Bob had procured in some mysterious way. - -“No,” answered Ned. “The last I saw of him was when he had seen to it -that Gladys Petersen and Dorothy Gibbs were safely on their way home -and he was packing up his pictures and specimens of bugs and things to -ship to the college.” - -“He said he might possibly join us on this transport,” said Bob. “And -he may be here, for all we know. Looks as if everybody I ever met in -France is on board.” - -“Not that pretty little girl with the black hair and brown eyes you -were so fond of in the restaurant--she isn’t here, is she?” asked Jerry. - -“Oh, cut it out!” growled Bob. “You know what I mean.” - -“But did she know what _you_ meant?” asked Ned pointedly. “You know you -never could get the hang of the French words, and she used to rip them -out like a drygoods clerk tearing off a yard of muslin.” - -“Say, if you fellows think I’m going to rustle grub for you, and then -have you insult me, you’ve got another guess and a half coming!” cried -Bob hotly--so hotly, in fact, that Jerry quickly interposed. - -“That’s all right, Bob,” he said quietly, laying a cautioning hand on -Ned’s shoulder. “We two were just as fond of Marie as you were, only -she seemed to take more of a notion to you than she did to us.” - -This admission apparently brightened Bob visibly, and his anger slowly -died away. - -“And, going back to the original subject,” said Ned, “did either of you -see the professor?” - -They had not, they admitted. - -“Well, we’re not likely to hear from him until we get across, then,” -decided Bob. - -But it was not to be long before his words were disproved. - -Gathering speed, the transport moved ahead, and the craft was -approaching the open sea, leaving behind, in a misty haze, the camp at -Brest, when without warning she suddenly slowed up, not gradually, as -if making a regular stop, but with a jar and a shudder that seemed to -go through her whole structure. - -“What’s that?” cried Bob, as he and his chums felt the tremors and the -vibration. - -“Something’s wrong!” said Ned in a low voice. - -“Could we have struck a mine?” asked Bob in a half whisper, as though -he feared to start a panic. “It couldn’t be a sub, could it? I -thought----” - -He did not finish the sentence, for in the midst of it the vessel -started on again; but, to the surprise of all, she began turning slowly -back toward the port she had so recently left. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -SUSPICIONS - - -Not much imagination is required to picture the confusion on board the -U. S. S. _Sherman_ when she was turned around and headed for Brest, the -port from which the craft had so recently sailed. And also it is easy -to guess something of the many and rapid questions that were fired from -all directions, without any counter-barrage in the way of replies being -given. - -“What does it mean?” - -“Aren’t they going to let us go home after all?” - -“Have the Germans started another war?” - -“Did we strike a mine?” - -“Has a torpedo hit us?” - -The two last were the questions most often asked, for it was easily -within the bounds of possibility that the craft might have been damaged -by some floating mine, nor was it out of the bounds of possibility that -she might have been torpedoed. Some German captain of a submarine, not -having heard of the signing of the armistice, or choosing to ignore -it, perhaps pleading ignorance later, might easily have taken this -method of revenge for the fancied wrongs to the “Fatherland.” - -And so it was that on all sides arose the question: - -“What has happened?” - -But no one answered it. At least the returning soldiers, among whom -were Ned, Bob, and Jerry, had no one to answer it for them. They -“milled around” on the decks, surging this way and that until they -threatened the equilibrium of the vessel and the officers had to go -among them ordering them to remain quiet. - -“But what has happened, sir?” asked Jerry of a captain with whom he was -on friendly terms. - -“I don’t know, exactly. Something seemed to go wrong with the -machinery. But there is no danger. We are only a short distance from -shore. It is the duty of every one to remain calm.” - -The boys did their best, but the questioning still persisted and at -length Jerry said: - -“Fellows, I’m going to find out what the matter is.” - -“I am, too!” exclaimed Ned. - -“So’m I!” added Bob. “Maybe the galley is on fire, and----” - -“That would be a terrible calamity!” laughed Jerry, and his laugh -seemed to ease the tension somewhat. Then he added: “You two boys had -better stay here. If three of us chase around we’ll be ordered to keep -to one spot. But if I go alone I may be able to manage it.” - -“And as soon as you find out what it is come back and tell us,” begged -Ned. - -“Sure thing!” promised his tall chum, as he moved away. - -While Jerry is thus endeavoring to learn the cause of the sudden -turning back of the troopship, readers who are meeting Ned, Bob, and -Jerry for the first time will be told something more about the lads, so -they may seem more like old acquaintances. - -To those readers who have the first book of this series, entitled -“The Motor Boys,” not much need be said. It need only be stated that -the present series, under the caption “Ned, Bob and Jerry,” is a -continuation of the same characters in new fields. - -Ned Slade was the son of a wealthy department store-keeper. Bob Baker’s -father was a banker. And Mrs. Julia Hopkins, the mother of Jerry, was -financially interested in several institutions controlled by Mr. Slade -and Mr. Baker. The youths lived in Cresville, in one of our New England -states, and their interest in locomotion dated from the days of their -early boyhood, when they owned motor cycles. It was their activities -on these machines that gained them the appellation of “Motor Boys.” -They later secured an automobile, and in this they made a trip -Overland, to Mexico, and Across the Plains, as related in the books -bearing those distinctive titles. - -Afterward the boys secured a motor boat and had many voyages, including -travel on the Atlantic, the Pacific, and in Strange Waters. Trips above -the clouds followed in airships of various makes, and, not satisfied -with that, the three adventurous lads descended to the depths in -submarines. - -Following a series of exciting adventures, detailed at length, there -was a conference on the part of the parents of Ned, Bob and Jerry. It -was decided that the lads had better “buckle down” to some serious work -in life, and, accordingly, they were sent to college to complete their -educations. - -In “The Motor Boys at Boxwood Hall, or, Ned, Bob and Jerry as -Freshmen,” is related the many jolly times they had and how they helped -to establish a reputation for old Boxwood Hall in athletics. At Boxwood -Hall the three had lots of fun, as well as doing good work in their -studies. The boys had many obstacles and difficulties to overcome but -how they won out in the end is set forth in detail in the book. - -The three chums spent a summer on a ranch, and then the Great War -broke out. Ned, Bob and Jerry joined the army, and, in due course, they -found themselves fighting Germany. What happened to them is set forth -in the book immediately preceding this, called “The Motor Boys on the -Firing Line.” More than the details of many battles is in this volume, -for in addition to fighting for Uncle Sam the Motor Boys had also to -help their friend, Professor Uriah Snodgrass. - -This doughty little scientist was the boys companion on their many -trips, and he not only enjoyed the companionship of the boys, but he -obtained much information by going with them, not to mention many -valuable, if not always pleasant specimens. For Professor Snodgrass -collected bugs, snakes and allied creatures for Boxwood Hall and other -colleges and also several museums. - -He had gone to Europe with the boys on a double mission. One was to -find two young ladies--Dorothy Gibbs and Gladys Petersen--nieces of -Professor Petersen’s, and the other was to get photographs of the -effects of war noises on certain insects. - -Professor Snodgrass found the girls, and, with the help of the three -boys, was able to send them back to the United States. He also got the -pictures he wanted, and he secured for himself a large sum of money. -This money had been left by Professor Petersen to Professor Snodgrass, -provided the latter discovered the whereabouts of the two young ladies. - -Now, with the ending of the war Ned, Bob and Jerry had started back -home on the transport. Professor Snodgrass, having seen to it that -the nieces of his late friend were safely cared for, had turned his -attention to shipping back the moving and other pictures he had made -of the insects. The boys had lost sight of him in the confusion of the -preparations for sailing for home. Professor Snodgrass, however, had -said he might meet the boys on the transport. But, up to the time of -the turning back of the _Sherman_, no further word had been received -concerning the little scientist. - -Now all was confusion on board the troopship. In spite of the orders of -the officers, the men kept moving here and there, each one seeking to -learn the cause of the trouble, to find out why they should be going -back to France when they hoped they had left it for good--and this was -saying or thinking nothing against the country that had given them such -a warm welcome in her hour of dire distress. - -“It’s a fat chance Jerry has of finding out what the row is,” commented -Ned to Bob, as they retained their places near the crowded rail close -to one of the lifeboats--a position Jerry had assigned to them as a -rendezvous. - -“What makes you think so?” asked Bob. - -“Because I just heard our colonel telling the major he didn’t know what -was up.” - -“Well, maybe it isn’t generally known yet,” said Bob. “If there’s been -an accident the captain of the ship is sure to know about it, even if -he doesn’t tell our colonel right away. You see the ship captain is in -full authority, once the vessel gets away from the dock. His word is -law, and the military authorities, that had the say on shore, don’t cut -any ice now.” - -“Poetically speaking,” added Ned, with a smile. - -“Exactly,” agreed Bob, also grinning. “You see the safety of the ship -depends on the captain, and you can stake your last doughnut that he -knows what’s up, even if he hasn’t told any of the military crowd, -which includes us--ahem!” and Bob swelled up his chest. “But you can -depend on it that if anything is to be found out Jerry will discover -it. He has a way with him!” - -“Can he find out something our colonel can’t learn?” asked Ned. - -“He might. The colonel couldn’t descend to asking information of a -stoker or a coal passer, but Jerry could, not being of the elect, you -know. Yes, you let Jerry-boy alone, and he’ll come home with the bacon. -And, speaking of bacon, I wish I had some right now, with some fresh -eggs, and have them with the sunny-sides up. The bacon nice and crisp, -and the coffee just right, with cream in a little pitcher on the side -and----” - -“Thud!” - -That was Ned giving Bob a thump on the back. - -“What’s the matter?” indignantly demanded the stout youth. - -“Cut out the imaginary eats!” was the answer. “Haven’t we got troubles -enough without that? But here comes Jerry. Now to see if he has found -out anything!” - -The tall lad, on whose coat was the D. S. C., sauntered toward his two -chums. With a signal from his eyes--a signal they well knew how to -interpret, Ned and Bob moved to one side. Jerry had told them, without -the use of words, that he wanted to speak with them alone. - -Just then, fortunately for their plans, there was a little commotion -farther up the deck, and in the rush that followed there was a clear -space left near the rail where the three boys now stood. - -“Well, what is it?” asked Ned, as Jerry looked first at him and then at -Bob. “Are we sinking, Jerry?” - -“Far from it. The hull is as sound as a dollar.” - -“Then it wasn’t a mine or a torpedo?” asked Bob. - -“Not this time. But there has been an accident to the machinery, and -we’re returning to the dock for repairs.” - -“Only an accident to the machinery!” exclaimed Ned. “Then why, in the -name of Andy Rush, all this mystery and excitement?” - -“Because,” answered Jerry slowly, “from what I heard, the accident was -a premeditated one, and it looks suspicious.” - -“Suspicious!” exclaimed his two chums. - -“Hush! Yes! But not so loud. That’s why I gave you the high sign to let -me have a word alone with you. There’s a rumor that some revengeful -German may have set off a time bomb in the engine room. So far the -damage is slight, but----” - -Jerry paused, for another tremor ran through the ship and again the -vessel came to a sudden stop. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE LITTLE MAN - - -“Say, this is getting a bit more than interesting!” cried Ned, as he -and Bob gazed at Jerry. - -The stout lad looked up at the lifeboat near which he leaned on the -rail. - -“None of that!” warned Jerry. “Don’t start a rush. There’s no danger!” - -But his words did not seem to be borne out, for no sooner was it -apparent to all on board that the _Sherman_ had come to a stop again -than a sort of panic began which the officers had to work hard to -subdue. Finally the colonel commanding the troops had to make an -address from the main deck. - -“There is absolutely no danger!” he declared. “The captain assures me -the ship is not leaking a drop, and we shall soon be back at the dock -whence we started. This is unfortunate, but it can not be helped. We -shall start for home again as soon as possible.” - -“When will that be, sir?” some soldier asked. While another--more than -one, in fact--inquired as to the cause of the trouble. - -“There has been an accident to the machinery,” the colonel stated. “One -of the engines is disabled, and that puts all the work on the remaining -unit. I am told that this excess caused a temporary stoppage of the one -good engine. But we shall soon be under way again.” - -“Was there an explosion?” some one asked. - -“A slight one, yes,” was the rather hesitating answer. - -“What caused it?” - -“Did we hit a mine?” - -“Was it a Boche?” - -These were only a few of the questions, hurled like hand grenades, at -the colonel. - -“I am not at liberty to say what caused the explosion,” he announced. -“It can not be told at present. All I ask of you--all that your -officers ask of you--is that you remain quiet. We shall soon start -again, to be quickly back at the dock.” - -“For how long?” asked several. - -That seemed to strike a popular chord. - -“I am sorry, but I am unable to answer that question,” replied the -colonel with a smile. “I know you all want it answered, and I will say -that if it is found it will require too long to repair the damage to -this transport another will be provided.” - -There was a cheer at this, and the colonel and his staff looked -relieved. The danger of a panic and a rush for the boats seemed past. -But many rumors were still in circulation, and that of a German spy or -some Hun sympathizer having tried to sink the transport and the troops -gained each hour. - -It seemed a very long time, though it was not more than two hours, -before the ship was under way again. But she limped along under less -than half steam, and many anxious hearts were glad when the dock they -had recently left loomed in sight again. - -The accident, of whatever nature it was, had happened when the -_Sherman_ was not far from shore, and, even had it been necessary to -launch the lifeboats and rafts, it is probable that all on board would -have been saved. - -But there was always danger, especially when the wounded men were -considered, and there were not a few of them on board. Consequently, it -was with a feeling of relief that all observed the craft being warped -back to the berth she had so lately left. - -“Now the question arising is: What----” - -“Are we going to eat, and when!” interrupted Ned, breaking in on what -Bob had started to say. - -“As you were! As you were!” growled the stout lad. “I wasn’t going to -say that at all. What I mean is: ‘What’s going to happen to us? Shall -we have to stay cooped up on board when there’s peace and plenty and -room to move about on shore?’” - -“Not to mention Marie, of _le restaurant de la palma_ or something like -that,” mocked Jerry. - -“That’s right--keep on picking at me!” mourned Bob. “But you guys’ll -be just as glad as I shall be to get off this tub if she isn’t moving -toward the U. S. A.” - -“Guess you’re right,” assented Jerry. “It isn’t going to be much fun -cooped up here if we’re going to stay tied to the dock. It’s too -crowded. Wouldn’t be so bad if we were at sea and knew we were moving -toward home. But if we have to hang around this dock it will give me -the willies!” - -“You said another mouthful!” agreed Ned. “But it’s a good thing this -accident didn’t happen when we were three or four days out. And maybe -they’ll let us go ashore.” - -This hope was realized, at least on the part of the Motor Boys, a -little later. Once the _Sherman_ was made fast to the dock again, -there were numerous petitions from the privates to their officers for -permission to go ashore, if only for a few hours. Ned, Bob, and Jerry -made their requests, and, to their delight, they were granted. Perhaps -Jerry’s D. S. C. and the honors attained by Ned and Bob had something -to do with this. - -“But you must not go far away, and you must report back here on board -in three hours,” their captain told them. “It is thought the repairs -will be completed by then.” - -Jerry and his chums were closely scrutinized and their passes examined -with care when they walked down the gangplank to the dock. All who were -allowed to go on shore were thus observed, and as the three friends -passed out to the streets of the city which had loomed so large of late -as the location of the camp of much rain and mud, they noted that the -sentries had been doubled around the wharf of the _Sherman_. - -“If there’s a German spy on board he’ll stand a fat chance if they find -him,” said Bob, as he and his chums started off on their leave. - -The three boys headed at once for a restaurant, for the emergency -rations which Bob had, somehow, managed to secure had long since lost -their effects. And, for a wonder, Ned and Jerry did not twit their -stout companion with being over-zealous in his desire for food. They -wanted it as much as he did. - -Moreover, they went to the restaurant where the pretty Marie waited on -one of the tables. Bob had discovered this “life-saving station” in the -midst of his wanderings about Brest, and after some persuasion on the -part of his chums had let them into the secret of it. Thereafter they -spent much of their leave-time in this place. Now again they headed -for it. - -And Marie was there. She welcomed the boys with a smile. With smiles, -in fact; for though Bob claimed it as his right to bask in them to the -exclusion of all others, Marie, in reality, smiled impartially on her -“three musketeers.” - -“Back so soon?” she asked, with her fascinating accent and pronunciation. - -“Yes. Couldn’t stay away from you, _ma’m’sell_,” returned Bob, trying -to catch Marie’s eyes in a glance that meant more than words. - -“What’s that? What’s she got to sell?” asked Ned, winking at Jerry. - -“Oh, cut it out! That’s an old one,” replied Bob. “I can speak as good -French as you.” - -“Better, _mon ami_, much better!” laughed Jerry. “Now you two old -roosters stop kidding and get down to business. We have only three -hours’ shore leave, so let’s make the most of it. What have you to eat, -Marie?” - -“Now you’re talking!” commented Ned. “Bob can live on love if he likes, -as for me, give me----” - -“Liberty or death!” chanted Bob. - -They all laughed gaily, and Marie was told, in a casual way, of the -accident to the troopship and her trip back to the dock. - -The boys were so taken up with the pretty waitress and with getting -their appetites in a fair way to be satisfied, that they paid little -attention to those around them at the other tables. But when they had -begun to eat, and the sharp edge of their hunger was somewhat dulled, -Jerry looked about the restaurant to note the possible presence of some -of their friends who, like themselves, might have also received shore -leave from the _Sherman_. - -Jerry did not see any soldiers whom he and his chums knew, though he -did observe a number of Uncle Sam’s boys, together with some French -poilus and British Tommies. What attracted his attention, however, was -the sight of a little bald-headed man seated at a table two or three -removed from the one at which he and his friends were dining. The -little man was in civilian clothes. - -“Look!” excitedly exclaimed Jerry, nudging Ned, who sat next to him. -“Look over there!” - -He pointed to the little bald-headed man, who was busy over his soup. - -“Professor Snodgrass!” exclaimed Ned. “Well, this is luck!” - -Jerry arose from his chair, followed by Ned, and started toward the -man to whom he had called the attention of his chums. The man’s back -was toward the lads, but there was no doubt in their minds that he was -their scientific friend. - -“Where have you been, Professor Snodgrass?” asked Jerry, as, with Ned, -he stood at the other table. - -And then the two boys received the surprise of their lives. For the -little man who gazed quickly up at them was not Professor Snodgrass at -all, though he bore a wonderfully striking resemblance to him from the -back. - -But more strange than the fact of his being the professor’s double -(which was not so pronounced when his face was seen) was the action of -the little man. His face turned red with rage, and he fairly spluttered -as he rose from his chair, facing Jerry and Ned, and exclaiming: - -“What do you mean? How dare you call me Professor Snodgrass? How dare -you insult me? I shall complain to the manager! How dare you?” - -Highly indignant, he motioned to Jerry and Ned to move back, and, -hardly knowing what they were doing, they retreated, while the eyes of -all in the restaurant were turned on them. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -OFF AGAIN - - -Jerry Hopkins was the first of the three chums to regain his composure -and take the situation in hand. Quietly he motioned to Ned to fall -back, and, at the same time, nodded to Bob not to approach, as the -stout youth seemed about to do. The two soldiers had had enough -experience with Jerry’s method in an emergency to be willing to let him -manage matters now. - -“What do you mean? What do you mean?” spluttered the little man, who, -from the back, had so closely resembled Professor Snodgrass. “How dare -you insult me?” - -“There seems to be some mistake,” said Jerry, trying to keep his voice -under control, for, truth to tell, he was as indignant as his chums -were at the unwarranted assumption on the part of the stranger. - -“Mistake? I should say there had been!” was the exclamation from the -little man. “You made a mistake in thinking I had anything to do with -that--that charlatan! That pretender! That scientific faker, who calls -himself ‘Professor’ Snodgrass. A mistake indeed!” - -“Wait a minute! Wait a minute!” broke in Ned, unable longer to hear his -friend thus abused. “The mistake will be on the other foot in a minute -if you keep on that way!” he said indignantly. - -The little man seemed about to rise from the table to attack Ned, but -Jerry gently thrust back his impetuous chum. - -“Let me handle him,” he whispered to Ned. - -“Is he crazy?” asked Bob. - -“It begins to look that way,” answered Jerry, as the little man resumed -his seat at his table, though he did not continue his meal. - -“We wish to apologize for having mistaken you for a friend of ours,” -said Jerry suavely. “Seeing you from the back we took you to be -Professor Snodgrass, and----” - -“Is _he_ a friend of yours?” asked the little man fiercely. - -“He certainly is!” exclaimed Bob truculently. - -“Well, all I have to say is that I am sorry for you,” said the little -man. “You had no right to assume that I was he, and your effrontery in -publicly addressing me as such needs to be apologized for.” - -“Which we are doing,” said Jerry stiffly. “And I might add,” he went -on, “that if you continue in your present strain there will be -something else to apologize for, and not on our part, either!” He -seemed quite a different Jerry now. - -“We have made proper reparation for having mistaken you for our friend, -Professor Snodgrass,” he continued, “and that, to a _gentleman_, should -be sufficient. I think that is all, sir!” - -Jerry turned stiffly and marched back to his own table, followed by -Ned and Bob, who had left their seats to join him. For a few seconds -the little bald-headed man did not seem to know what to do. He said -something about its being “all right now,” but mingled with this were -grunts and mutterings about “insolent puppies,” which words, however, -Jerry and his chums thought best to ignore. - -“Say, what was eating him, anyhow?” asked Bob, when they had resumed -their seats for their dessert which the pretty Marie was then bringing -to them. - -“I guess you mean what had he been eating,” said Ned. “Red pepper -and _chili con carne_ I imagine, with a dish of tabasco sauce and -_frijoles_ on the side.” - -“Reminds me of our Mexico trip,” interposed Bob. “What was the name of -that Spanish fellow who was always making so much trouble?” - -“You mean Vasco Bilette,” suggested Jerry. - -“That’s it! This fellow, who really looks a lot like our dear, old -professor, certainly is touchy.” - -“He certainly is,” agreed Jerry. “Say, Bob,” he went on, “you claim you -can _parlez-vous_ better than the rest of us. Suppose you ask Marie if -she knows this duck.” - -“Sure!” assented the stout lad. “Say, _chere_ Marie,” he went on as the -pretty little waitress came up to their table, “_comprehendez-vous_ -him?” and he pointed to the man who was the cause of the Motor Boys’ -discomfiture. For it had been disquieting, to say the least, to have -the eyes of all in the restaurant turned on them during the fracas, as -Ned termed it. - -“_Comprehendez-vous_ him?” asked Bob of Marie. “You know. _La petite -hommes de la table d’hote_,” and to make sure that his “French” would -be understood he pointed to the little man. - -“Say, what’s that you’re getting off?” demanded Jerry. - -“I’m asking her if she’s wise to the guy who’s eating in this -restaurant,” translated Bob. “_Comprehendez_--that means ‘do you know.’ -_La petite_--that means ‘little’ and _hommes_ means ‘man.’” - -“He’s right there,” declared Ned earnestly, while Marie looked amusedly -at “_les trois mousquetaires_.” - -“How do you know?” snapped Jerry. - -“Why, isn’t it painted all over the cars we’ve been riding in, -‘chevaux 8--hommes 40’? That is eight horses or forty men. Sure -_hommes_ mean men, or man.” - -“Watch Bob swell up,” commented Jerry. - -“Well, you told me to spout French, and I’m doing it,” said the lad -with the perpetual appetite. “Now give her a chance to answer. I’ll ask -her again. _Chere Marie! Comprehendez-vous la petite hommes de la table -d’hote?_” - -The pretty waitress placed on the table the dishes she had brought up -to serve, turned for a look over her shoulder at the man Bob referred -to, and then looked back, with a smile, at the stout lad and his chums. - -“_Oui_,” she answered, guessing shrewdly at Bob’s meaning and shrugging -her shoulders expressively. - -“Oh, ho! So she does know him!” exclaimed Ned, for in spite of the fact -that they let Bob assert his knowledge of French, they could not help -acquiring some of the words, and that “_oui_” meant “yes” had been one -of their first acquisitions. - -“Who is he?” asked Jerry. - -“She can’t understand that,” declared Bob. “Wait, I’ll translate -it to her.” Then, laboriously he said: “_Le nom des hommes? -Comprehendez-vous?_” - -“What’s that?” Ned wanted to know. - -“I’m asking her if she knows his name,” replied Bob. - -They looked anxiously at Marie. Again she turned and glanced at the -little man who had waxed so indignant at being taken for Professor -Snodgrass. - -“_Cochon!_” exclaimed Marie, and she seemed to snap out the word as a -second lieutenant issues his commands to the awkward squad. - -“What did she say?” chorused Ned and Jerry. - -Bob was nonplussed. He scratched his head and then repeated the word to -Marie. - -“_Cochon?_” he asked. - -“_Cochon! Cochon!_” was the swift answer. “_Oui! Cochon des cochons!_” - -“Um!” murmured Bob. - -There was a moment’s silence, during which Marie moved off to serve -another table. - -“Well, what is he, a German spy?” asked Ned. “If he is, he has his -nerve with him--showing up here after the armistice.” - -“Yes, tell us what she said,” begged Jerry. - -“Well,” returned Bob slowly, “you know the French language is very -queer. It isn’t like any other language.” - -“Oh, we know that all right!” exclaimed Ned. “You needn’t tell us that. -Even though you may know a lot more about it than we do, it hasn’t -taken us six months to appreciate the fact that it’s a mighty elusive -way of conversing. But what I want to know, and what Jerry wants to -know, is: What did Marie say that pepper-hash guy was?” - -“Well,” confessed Bob, “that’s just it. If the French language didn’t -have so many words in it that sound a lot alike, but mean a lot of -different things, I could be sure. She called him a _cochon_.” - -“A _cochon_ of a _cochon_,” added Jerry. - -“Yes, that’s what she did,” said Bob. - -“Well, but what is a cochon?” asked Ned. - -“It’s either a pig or a coachman,” said Bob, desperately. “That’s -the trouble. I’m not sure which. I forget whether _cocher_ is pig or -whether it’s coachman, and I don’t know whether _cochon_ is coachman or -pig. I know it’s one or the other, but just now I sort of forget.” - -“A heap of good your French does us!” laughed Jerry. “If she said he -was a coachman it might mean he was a respectable, though humble, -member of society. If, on the other hand, she called him a pig, it -might mean he had something to do with starting this war. Now which is -it?” - -Bob scratched his head again. Plainly, he was “stumped.” - -“I’ll ask her again when she comes back,” he said. “I wish I had my -French book here. I sort of think that _cochon_ means pig, and, in that -case----” - -“Well, he certainly acted like a pig, so we’ll let it go at that,” -declared Jerry. “The idea of getting on his ear just because we -happened to mistake him for Professor Snodgrass!” - -“And he did look a lot like him from the back,” declared Ned. - -“Sure,” assented Bob. “I wonder where the dear old chap is, anyhow? I -wish he were going back with us.” - -“Not much chance of that,” said Jerry. “He said he’d like to, and he -really started back, but he received word to take up some other line of -scientific investigation before he left to go back to Boxwood Hall, and -you can wager your last cartridge that he’ll do it. But this man seems -to have some sort of grudge against him, taking us up the way he did.” - -“That’s right,” agreed Ned. “Say, Bob, you’ll have to tackle your -friend Marie again. See if you can’t find out more about this duck.” - -“I will,” promised Bob. “I’ll speak to her as soon as she comes back. -It might be, you know, that this fellow is some relation to the Germans -the professor captured.” - -“Not much chance of that,” declared Jerry. “This _cocher_ or _cochon_ -doesn’t seem a bit like a Hun.” - -“You never can tell,” remarked Ned. “We’d better find out all we can -about him while we have the chance. If Professor Snodgrass is going to -remain here it would be a good thing for him to know about this guy.” - -“Here comes Marie now,” said Jerry. “Go at her again, Bob, and see if -she can’t speak English.” - -“I will,” agreed the stout youth. - -When Marie again approached their table, in response to a beckoning -signal, Bob began: - -“_Marie, de la cochon la petite cocher est le----_” - -“Oh, for cats’ sake!” cried Ned, “you’ll be worse tangled than before. -Can’t you get some American words? Here, let me----” - -But at that moment there came an interruption in the person of a member -of the American military police who, thrusting his head into the -restaurant, called: - -“Anybody here that’s booked to go on the _Sherman_ had better hike back -to the dock. She’s going to sail soon.” - -“Has the machinery been repaired?” asked Jerry. - -“Yes! She’s getting ready to sail. You fellows going on her?” - -“Yes,” answered Ned. - -“Oh, you lucky dogs!” sighed the other. “Well, get a move on. We got -orders to round up everybody that had shore leave,” and with a friendly -wave of his hand he departed. - -“Come on!” cried Jerry, gathering up a few possessions, an example -followed by the others. - -“I’ll pay the bill,” said Ned, taking a handful of change out of his -pocket. - -“Where’s Marie?” asked Bob. “I want to----” - -“Oh, never mind finding out what _cochon_ means!” exclaimed Jerry. “We -don’t want to be left!” - -“I want to say good-bye!” declared Bob, indignantly. “And I was going -to ask her if she could put us up some sandwiches.” - -“Cupboard love!” laughed Ned. “Come on! Move lively!” - -“The pepper-hash individual is moving, too,” commented Jerry, as they -left the restaurant, having noted that the man who had so resented -being taken for Professor Snodgrass was also settling his bill. - -“Well, if he doesn’t run into us again I’ll be thankful,” remarked -Jerry. “He sure did make me feel like twenty-nine cents when he turned -on me the way he did.” - -Quickly the three chums made their way back to the dock to which the -_Sherman_ had returned. They saw others on the same errand. The repair -work had been completed sooner than was expected, and now the siren of -the vessel was blowing to call back those who had been allowed shore -leave. Fortunately each one, when being granted permission to “stretch -his legs,” had been told to hold himself in readiness, and none had -gone far away. - -The Motor Boys were soon on board again, and after a slight delay the -transport was again moving slowly from the dock. - -“Off again!” exclaimed Ned. - -“Yes; and let’s hope with better luck!” added Bob. - -Jerry looked about the crowded deck. As he did so he gave a start, and -grasped the arm of Ned. - -“Look!” he exclaimed. - -“What is it?” asked Ned. “See a ghost?” - -“No, but if that isn’t our peppery friend of the restaurant--_le -cochon_--I’ll do K. P. for a week!” - - - - -CHAPTER V - -THE NIGHT ATTACK - - -Instantly Ned and Bob turned to look in the direction indicated by -Jerry. Both the tall lad’s chums saw the individual referred to as “_le -cochon_.” - -“It’s him all right!” asserted Bob, with complete disregard for the -rules of grammar. - -“But what’s he doing here?” demanded Ned. - -“That’s what I’d like to know,” said Jerry in a low voice. “It can’t be -that he feels so indignant at us for having honestly mistaken him for -Professor Snodgrass that he has followed us here.” - -“If he has,” voiced Ned, “he’ll find we have our gang with us, and he’d -better watch his step!” - -“We’ll take no more of his insults,” declared Bob. “I’ve a good notion -to go up to him now and ask him what his game is.” - -“No, don’t!” interposed Jerry, as his stout chum seemed about to put -this into execution. “Let’s lay low for a while, and see what we can -find out. No use starting anything. We’ve had trouble enough already.” - -“Exactly,” chimed in Ned. “There’s been enough of a hoodoo about this -homeward trip. Let’s get out to sea before we tackle _le cochon_. Then -he can’t dodge us by getting off and walking ashore.” - -“He’s going below, anyhow,” remarked Jerry, as they saw the little man -descending a companionway. “He must feel at home. I didn’t know they -allowed any civilians to travel on the troopships.” - -“They’ve made an exception in his case,” decided Jerry. “Well, it is -queer, and I’d like to know what it all means. This man is an American, -by his talk, but he isn’t at all like our dear old professor, no matter -how much he looks like him from the rear.” - -“I’d like to see the professor once more,” said Ned. - -“Same here,” agreed Bob. “Well, we’ll see him, I suppose, when we get -back home. Gee! After what we’ve gone through it hardly seems as if -there is any such a place.” - -“You said a mouthful, buddy!” exclaimed a tall soldier who wore the -_croix de guerre_. “I’d rather see my back yard with the sunflowers and -the hollyhocks in it than all the gardens of the too-de-loories over -here.” - -The _Sherman_ was now again rapidly leaving the harbor of Brest and -making her way toward the open sea. - -“There isn’t going to be much of a joy-ride about this,” observed Ned, -as he and his chums found their sleeping quarters and stowed away their -few belongings. - -“No; it’s too crowded,” decided Bob. “There isn’t much more elbow room -than we had in the trenches.” - -“Trenches!” exclaimed Jerry. “Don’t name ’em!” - -Any one who heard, saw, or had any experience in connection with -the return of the first of our fighting forces back to their homes -need not be told that the transports were no place for a comfortable -voyage. While everything possible was done to insure the comfort of the -soldiers, the first requisite was to bring back as many as possible -in the shortest possible time, and also transport as many casualties -as could safely and comfortably be accommodated. The recovered, or -partly recovered, wounded were the first consideration, and none of -the soldiers who were comparatively well and strong, even though some -of them had been in hospitals, begrudged an inch of space that went -to make life easier for those who had lost an arm, a leg, who were -suffering from the effects of gas or shell shock, or who were among -the most terribly afflicted--some being blinded. - -So, as Bob said, the transport was no place for joy-riding. There was -such a crowd that the soldiers had to stand up to eat, many of them, -and they were glad of a place to sleep. They could not move around much -on the boat, big as it was. - -“Now we’re really on our way at last!” exclaimed Bob to his chums. “And -do you know what I think will be the best thing to do?” - -“I can make a pretty good guess,” laughed Ned. “It has something to do -with eating, hasn’t it?” - -“Don’t get fresh,” advised the stout lad. “You may be thankful to me, -later, for suggesting this.” - -“What were you going to say, Chunky?” asked Jerry. “Go on, tell me! -Don’t mind the shrimp!” - -“Well, I was going to say it would be a good thing if we located -the place at the lunch counter where we’ll be handed our rations,” -suggested Bob. “They’ll be giving the mess call soon, and if we know -where to fall in, and the shortest route to the dining car, so much the -better.” - -“Not such a bad suggestion at that,” commented Jerry. “We’ll do it, old -top!” - -“Yes, you said something--for once,” conceded Ned. - -Accordingly, led by Bob, who might perhaps qualify as an expert in the -matter of eating, the three lads asked their way about the troopship -until they found where their particular company would be fed, and at -about what time. - -“About an hour more!” sighed Bob, as he looked at his wrist watch. - -“Listen to him!” cried Ned. “And it’s only a little while ago that _la -belle Marie_ was feeding him!” - -“It’s the sea air!” confessed Bob. “It always did make me hungry!” - -There was not a great deal to do on board the _Sherman_--at least -during the first day of the homeward-bound voyage. The soldiers stood -about on deck, or sought such sheltered places as they could find, and -smoked, played cards, talked or read. Later on some entertainments -might be gotten up, it was said. But the wounded required the attention -of the nurses and the doctors, and the well and strong were well able -to shift for themselves. - -Bob’s wisdom in finding out in advance where they were to assemble at -mess call proved to be a commendable bit of forethought. For while some -of the soldiers hurried here and there in what approached confusion, -the three chums got in line, and with a few other knowing ones were -among the first to be fed. - -“Chunky, we’ve got to hand it to you!” complimented Jerry, as he -cleaned his plate. “You sure are one good little feeder.” - -“And I take back all I said,” added Ned. “You may come to my party, -Bob, when I have it.” - -“Thanks!” murmured the stout one, smiling between bites. - -After the dinner mess there was nothing to do until the middle of the -afternoon, when word went around that there was to be boat drill. That -is, each man was to be told where his station was, and what boat he was -to try to get into in case of danger. This program held for two days of -ocean travel, until some began to complain of too many boat drills. - -But, in spite of the fact that the war was over, there was a chance -that a floating mine might be struck. - -Following the short boat drill, Ned, Bob, and Jerry came back to a -comfortable place they had preempted on the after deck, and they were -sitting there talking when Bob nudged Jerry, who was nearest him, and -whispered: - -“There he is again!” - -“Who?” asked the tall lad. - -“The pepper-pot,” was the answer. “_Le cochon!_” - -As he spoke he nodded toward a secluded and shadowed corner. There, -staring at the three boys, they could make out the little bald-headed -man of the restaurant. He was peering at them through his spectacles -over the top of what to the boys seemed to be a pamphlet and which he -was holding just below the level of his eyes. - -“Well, he’ll know us again, anyhow,” mused Jerry. And then, as if -conscious that he was under observation and had been detected in spy -work, the peculiar individual hastily turned and went below. - -“I’d like to know what his game is!” exclaimed Ned. - -“So would I!” agreed Jerry. - -“We’ll have to keep watch,” said Bob. “He seems to have it in for us.” - -“Let’s see if we can find out something about him,” suggested Ned. “We -can ask some of our officers, and, if they don’t know, maybe they can -find out from the ship’s captain. It may be this fellow is a German -spy, or at least a Hun sympathizer, who would like to play some mean -trick on those who put the ‘Fatherland’ on the blink.” - -“Yes, let’s see if we can get a line on him,” agreed Bob. - -Jerry was about to assent to this when the three chums were approached -by a group of their comrades who wanted them to join a party that was -going to call on some of the wounded who were below decks. This was -done, and, for the time being, the queer little bald-headed man was -forgotten. - -Indeed the minds of the Motor Boys did not revert to him until late -that night when they were turning in, and then Jerry said: - -“We’ll make some inquiries in the morning.” - -The boys were tired enough to sleep soundly, even though their beds -were not as comfortable as those oftentimes they had stretched out on -when in some camp. But they were too happy over going home to find -fault, and soon all were asleep, as were hundreds all around them. - -It was shortly after midnight, Jerry declared later, stating that he -had glanced at his radium-faced wrist watch, when the midnight attack -took place. And it was made on Bob. He was sleeping between Ned and -Jerry, and they were awakened by hearing the stout lad yell. - -“What’s the matter?” demanded Jerry, suddenly awakening and -instinctively glancing at his watch. “What is it, Bob?” - -“I’ve got him! I’ve got him!” cried a voice savagely, and the tones -were not those of Chunky. Then followed the sound of a struggle. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -A STRANGE ENCOUNTER - - -Instantly all was in confusion in that part of the sleeping quarters -where the three friends were berthed. Jerry leaped up, followed by -Ned, and the tall lad flashed on the scene the gleam from his pocket -electric torch. - -He saw a strange sight. Bob was struggling in the grasp of a -white-robed figure. The two were tumbling about, each one seemingly -trying to get an advantageous grip on the other. And all the while the -figure in white was shouting: - -“I’ve got him! I’ve got him! I’ll kill him now! I’ve got him!” - -While Bob, exerting himself to the utmost, could only gasp: - -“Let up now! What’s the matter! Ned! Jerry! He’s killing me!” - -Ned’s answer to this appeal was to leap on the back of the man who had -Bob in what might prove to be a death-grip, while Jerry moved about to -get in position where he, too, could help his chum. Meanwhile, the -tall lad kept his pocket electric lamp glowing. - -“Who is he? What’s he fighting you for, Bob?” cried Jerry, while -many other soldiers, awakened by the commotion, gathered about the -struggling twain. - -The only answer from the stout youth was a grunt, and a gasp. - -“It’s _le cochon_!” cried Ned. “That’s who it is! The same fellow who -acted so rotten in the restaurant, Jerry! He’s trying to kill Bob! He -must be crazy!” - -At first, as Jerry admitted afterward, this was his thought also. But -a second look at Bob’s midnight assailant told a different story. This -man had a shock of red hair, while the other had been almost bald. And -there was a great difference in the physique of the two. - -Ned was doing his best to pull the fellow away from Bob by a rear -attack, and to this end Jerry likewise lent his aid. Other soldiers -also joined in to separate the two struggling ones, and they worked to -such good advantage that the desperate grip on Bob’s throat was broken, -his attacker pulled away and his arms held behind him. - -[Illustration: NED WAS DOING HIS BEST TO PULL THE FELLOW AWAY FROM BOB.] - -“Why it’s Meldon!” some one shouted. “It’s Meldon of the Twenty-seventh. -He was in the hospital!” - -And Meldon, if that was the name of the man in white pajamas, looked -wonderingly about him, passed his hand over his eyes as if in a daze, -and murmured: - -“Where am I? What happened?” - -“Lots happened, old man,” answered Ned, himself panting from the -violence of the struggle. - -“Are you all right, Bob?” he asked his chum. - -Bob carefully and tenderly felt of his throat before answering. - -“I--I guess so,” he replied, after a pause. “But what’s the idea of -giving me the once-over like that?” he demanded of his assailant. - -The latter acted most strangely. He looked from one to the other of -those about him, including those who held him tightly, and again, he -passed his hand over his forehead, one arm having been released when it -was seen that he was going to offer no more resistance. - -At that moment, when every one was wondering what it all meant, a nurse -came hurrying in. - -“Here he is!” she called to a doctor who followed. “Is he hurt?” she -asked the soldiers about the pajama-clad one. - -“No,” answered Jerry. “But he came near----” - -“Did he attack any one?” interposed the surgeon quickly. - -“You might call it that,” answered Bob, with an attempt at a smile. - -“Just what I feared!” exclaimed the medical man. “We’ll have to keep -him under closer restraint.” - -“Who is he, sir?” asked Jerry, saluting the surgeon, who bore the rank -of major. “All we know is that we heard a commotion in the dark, and -found my chum here, Bob Baker, struggling with this man.” - -“Meldon is a private suffering from shell shock,” answered the doctor. -“He has violent spells, and then gets up and imagines he’s attacking a -German.” - -The soldier in pajamas seemed to have become completely quiet now. He -gently shook himself loose from those holding him, and, advancing to -Bob, held out his hand. - -“I’m all kinds of sorry, old man,” he said in a cultured voice. “These -spells come on me before I know it, but they’re getting less frequent. -All I know is that I went to sleep in my usual berth and woke up having -a dickens of a fight. I can’t tell you how sorry I am. But it must have -come on me in my sleep, and I thought I was back again fighting the -Huns.” - -“Well, as long as you did your share of that I’ll call it square,” said -Bob, with a laugh. “At first I thought you were----” - -He stopped, with a significant look at Ned and Jerry. - -“Did you think I was a Boche, too?” asked the soldier who had caused -the commotion. - -“Well, not exactly,” Bob answered slowly, for he had been about to say -that he had thought his assailant was none other than the queer little -man--a thought shared by Ned and Jerry. - -“Well, I hope it doesn’t happen again,” said the afflicted one. “And -I’m sure it won’t. I’m getting better, I know.” - -“We’ll keep him a little more confined than we have been doing,” said -the doctor to Jerry and his friends, when the nurse had led away the -shell-shocked individual. “This is the second or third time he has -gotten loose in the night and started a fight. Fortunately, none of -them ended seriously. Better let me look you over,” the medical major -suggested to Bob. “He didn’t bite you anywhere, did he?” - -“Not a bite!” answered Bob, with a laugh. “Though he did gouge me a bit -on the neck.” - -Bob’s throat was scratched by the other’s finger nails, and an -antiseptic wash was applied to prevent any possible bad effect. Then -such quiet as was possible under the circumstances replaced the -midnight excitement. - -“At first I thought it was _le cochon_,” remarked Ned in a low voice to -his chums, as they turned in to get what sleep they could. - -“That was my first idea when I awoke and found him choking me,” -admitted Bob. “Though I couldn’t form any good reason why he should -want to put me out of business.” - -“There’s something queer about _le cochon_,” declared Jerry. By common -consent the boys had adopted that name for the strange little man. -“Why should he be on board here where no civilians--or at least none -unless specially qualified--are permitted? And why should he have such -a feeling against Professor Snodgrass?” - -“Those are questions I’d like to have answered,” said Ned. “Did either -of you ever hear our professor speak of an individual who somewhat -resembled him?” - -“If he ever knew such to be a fact,” declared Jerry, “he’d never give -it a thought or remember to tell us. All he thinks of is bugs, bugs, -and then more bugs.” - -“Guess you’re right,” assented Bob. “But this man must know our -professor, and also have no liking for him, or he wouldn’t have called -him such names as he did.” - -“We oughtn’t to have stood for that!” said Ned vigorously. - -“No,” agreed Jerry. “But it was better to let the thing go as it did. -No use having too much of a row. Now let’s go to sleep. I’m tired.” - -Next day the _Sherman_ was many miles further out to sea on her -homeward-bound voyage. Jerry and his chums inquired for the soldier -who had attacked Bob, and learned that he was progressing toward -recovery as well as could be expected. - -It was the third day out that, as Ned, Bob and Jerry were coming -back from the “sick bay,” or hospital, where they had been to call -on Meldon, and when they were walking along a dimly-lighted passage, -they saw some one approaching them. As the passage was narrow they all -squeezed back against the wall to let the person who was nearing them -pass. But the latter, at the sight of the three boys, seemed to change -his plans. - -Instead of passing he turned suddenly, and, with a muttered exclamation, -swung back. Not before, however, Jerry had time to notice that he -carried a black object under one arm. And as soon as the tall lad -observed this Ned exclaimed: - -“What’s that funny smell? Isn’t it like a burning fuse?” - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -A MIDNIGHT BLAST - - -To Ned, Bob, and Jerry, as well as to other soldiers who had taken -part in the Great War, the word “fuse” referred to but one thing, and -that was the explosion which usually followed the lighting of it. The -lads were familiar with many kind of fuses, from the ordinary time -one, the most common form of which is the fizzing string attached to a -firecracker, to the complicated fuses in the big shells. These may be -set to explode the shell at any height, or at any time desired. - -And when Ned, sniffing the air suspiciously, spoke of a fuse, his two -companions understood at once what he meant. But Jerry perhaps because -he did not want to cause an alarm, or it may have been because he -really believed what he said, exclaimed: - -“Fuse, my eye! That’s cigar smoke you smell!” - -“Then all I have to say is that it’s a pretty poor specimen of cigar,” -retorted Ned. “Must be one of the substitute tobacco ones the Germans -had to use. Cigar! My word, old top! I’m glad I don’t smoke if they -have to inhale that sort of stuff.” - -“It does smell funny,” agreed Bob. “And did you see who that was?” - -“Our peppery friend, _le cochon_,” remarked Jerry. “He evidently didn’t -want to meet us, for he turned away like a shot.” - -“He had something under his arm,” went on Ned. “Fellows, I don’t want -to be an alarmist, but after all that has passed, and smelling what -I believe to be powder smoke, don’t you think we ought to tell the -captain?” - -“And get laughed at?” asked Jerry. “Not much. We got ourselves into a -conspicuous position once by having something to do with this man, and -I’m not going to risk it again. He, too, seems to have had enough of -us, for it was evident that he didn’t want to meet us. Let well enough -alone, I say.” - -“Yes,” insisted Ned, “but suppose he’s been up to some trick here? -Suppose he may have planted----” - -Ned did not finish what he had started to say. For at that moment there -was a commotion in that part of the ship given over to hospital needs, -and loud cries indicated that something unusual was going on. - -“What’s that?” asked Bob, looking at his two chums. - -“Sounds as if some of the patients were making a row,” remarked Jerry. -“It may be Meldon, the fellow who attacked you in a nightmare, Bob. -Perhaps he’s having another spasm, poor fellow.” - -“Maybe we’d better go back there and see if we can give any help,” -suggested Ned. “Sometimes when they get to raving that way, as they -often do, they’re stronger than usual and the women nurses can’t handle -’em. Let’s go and see if we can help.” - -“It may be a good idea,” agreed Jerry. - -Forgetting, or putting aside, rather, for the time being, the memory of -the strange man they had met, and the odd manner in which he had acted, -the three chums turned back to the hospital which they had just left. - -And it was fortunate that they did. For two of the wounded men had -become delirious and were fighting their nurses. And as it happened, -there was only one doctor on duty just then, and he was having his -hands full. - -Of course the two patients did not know what they were doing, their -pain and suffering having affected their brains temporarily, and the -aid of Ned, Bob and Jerry in subduing them was greatly appreciated by -the nurses. In fact, the help was absolutely necessary, for one of the -nurses was in danger of bodily harm from the unreasoning strength of -the patient, a big raw-boned Kentucky mountaineer, who had been sorely -wounded in the head, and who was scarcely on the road to recovery. - -But, being directed by the nurses and by the one doctor, the Motor -Boys soon managed to subdue without the use of undue force the two -half-insane patients, who were soon strapped to their cots. - -“Thank you very much, boys!” exclaimed the head surgeon, when he had -come in and had been told of what had happened. “You helped out a whole -lot. I shall see that you are officially thanked.” - -“Oh, this wasn’t anything,” declared Jerry. “We just heard the row and -came to do what we could.” - -“Well, I, for one, am mighty glad of it,” exclaimed the panting nurse, -who had been in danger from the attack of the crazed soldier. “I shall -never forget it! I went through a good part of the war, and I didn’t -want to have to wear a wound stripe on the way home,” and she nodded to -the three chums. - -“This bids fair to be an eventful voyage,” remarked Jerry, when he and -his friends were up on the main deck again. “We started off with a bad -omen--putting back to port; Bob has to fight for his life; and now we -rescue some of the nurses. I wonder what’s next on the program?” - -“Don’t you think we’d better report what we saw down in the passage?” -asked Ned, “and that we smelled what might have been a burning fuse?” - -“Well, let’s first think it over a bit,” suggested Jerry. “I’d hate, -like all get-out, to give a false alarm. Suppose we go to the ship -captain, or our captain, which would be the proper procedure, and tell -him what we saw? What evidence have we?” - -“Well, we saw that pepper-hash individual with something black under -his arm,” declared Ned. - -“Might have been a box of cigarettes he was taking to some of the -wounded men,” interposed Jerry. - -“He ran back when he saw us,” persisted Ned. - -“Yes, because of the encounter we had before,” agreed Jerry. “That -doesn’t prove anything.” - -“Well, I’m sure I smelled powder smoke--the same as when a bomb fuse is -lighted,” declared Ned. - -“You may have, and, again, you may have merely got a whiff of a bad, -cheap cigar. That’s no evidence, so far. If we went to the captain with -that information he’d only laugh at us. - -“Besides,” went on Jerry, “you’ve got to have motives for suspecting -any one, even _le cochon_. And you can be pretty sure he didn’t get on -board this troopship unless he was well vouched for. They aren’t taking -any chances.” - -“Well, maybe I’m imagining a whole lot,” admitted Ned. “Only I would -like to know who that fellow is, what his game is, and why he seems to -have such a grudge against our Professor Snodgrass.” - -“Yes, I’d like the answer to those questions myself,” admitted Jerry. -“But to get at them I don’t just feel like going to the _Sherman’s_ -captain and telling him we suspect the pepper-pot of being a German -spy.” - -“No,” assented Ned slowly, “I don’t suppose we can do that. But I’m -going to keep my eyes open.” - -“There wasn’t a sign of anything wrong when we came back through the -passage where we met that duck,” remarked Bob. - -“No. But it still smelled mighty queer,” stated Ned. - -“It always will so near the hospital rooms,” suggested Jerry. “The odor -of iodoform is very lingering.” - -“Well, maybe it was that,” agreed Ned. “But I’m going to keep my eyes -open.” - -“Yes, we can all do that,” came from Jerry. “And now let’s get in line -for the semi-occasional feed. It’s about due, I think.” - -“You’re falling in with me, I see,” laughed Bob. - -During the afternoon the three chums moved about on board the _Sherman_ -as much as the crowded condition of the transport would permit. And it -was while making their way about the crowded boat deck that they heard -some one hail them with: - -“Well, if there aren’t the three musketeers!” - -Turning quickly, Ned, Bob, and Jerry beheld a youth whom they had -learned to know and like in the trenches. - -“Well, if it isn’t old Hen Wilson!” cried Jerry. - -“Old scout Hen!” added Ned. - -“Where’d you blow in from?” demanded Bob. - -“Been here all the while,” was the answer, as the four met in a jolly -circle. “That’s what I was just going to ask you. I didn’t know you -were on board.” - -“Nor we you,” declared Jerry. “There’s such a bunch on this craft that -we may meet a lot more friends we knew in the fighting days. Where have -you been keeping yourself, Hen?” - -“Oh, moving around here and there. I ran into a bunch of the old gang -that helped clean up that machine-gun nest--you know, Jerry--the place -where you got whiffed.” - -“Oh, I remember that all right. And so some of those fellows are on -board? Lead me to ’em!” - -The rest of the day was most pleasantly spent--that is, as pleasantly -as possible under the circumstances--and Ned, Bob, and Jerry were glad -that they had found old friends whose presence would help while away -what might, otherwise, be a tedious voyage. - -It was in the middle of the night that Jerry was awakened by a dull -explosion and a concussion that sent a tremor through the whole ship. -Dim lights that were burning near the sleeping quarters went out -suddenly, and Jerry, straining his eyes to pierce the darkness and at -the same time sitting up and feeling about him, heard the voice of Ned -crying: - -“What is it? What’s the matter?” - -At the same moment Bob broke in with: - -“We hit something sure, that time, or something hit us! If the whole -bottom isn’t blown out of the ship we’re lucky!” - -And then followed a scene of confusion and almost panic. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -DISABLED - - -Sudden noises at night, particularly when accompanied by a tremor -and by vibrations that shake one to his innermost being, are, in -themselves, terrifying. When to that is added the additional source -of danger of the occurrence taking place at sea on board a crowded -transport and the possibilities for tragic happenings from this source, -fears may well be multiplied. - -And yet, such was the discipline and foresightedness on board the -_Sherman_ that the panic and terror were only momentary. No sooner -did Ned, Bob, and Jerry, together with many of their comrades, find -themselves stumbling about in the dark with the noise of the explosion -still ringing in their ears, than they were aware of signals being -sounded throughout the ship. - -The signals were those for instant falling in on the part of the -soldiers, and indicated that they were to take the quarters assigned to -them, each man nearest the boat in which he was to have a place should -destruction menace the ship. - -And then, while excited cries were issuing from many throats and when -some, in the confusion, forgot what the bugle calls meant and while -still others were instinctively terrified in the darkness, lights began -to gleam. Some of the illumination came from oil lanterns provided for -an emergency to the dynamo lighting system of the ship. Other glows -flitted from portable electric flash-torches that many of the officers -and men carried, but the greater light came from the auxiliary storage -battery system, which was switched on as soon as the proper officer -found that the big, whirring dynamo was out of commission. - -“Fall in! Fall in! Take your places at the boats!” cried the officers, -rapidly getting the situation well in hand. “Be ready for the order to -abandon ship!” - -And then perfect order came out of confusion. No longer did the -soldiers rush madly about, crying out to know what had happened. No -longer was the pall of blackness hiding man from the sight of man. Once -more wonderful discipline was uppermost. - -“What’s it all about?” asked Bob of Ned, as he and his chum followed -Jerry to their appointed station. - -“Your guess is as good as the next man’s,” said Jerry. “Let’s get to -our boat first, and talk afterward.” - -They stumbled upward and onward in the midst of the crowd, groping -their way, for the lighting system, though sufficiently good to enable -them to see to progress, was not as bright as the regular one. As they -stumbled on toward their boat-station a voice of authority cried: - -“Wounded men first in the boats!” - -“Right!” sang out a number of hearty voices, and it was evident there -would be no terrible scenes should it become necessary to abandon ship. -And this dire thought was uppermost in the minds of all. - -It was also evident that the _Sherman_ had received an injury much -more serious than the previous one that had sent her back to the dock -for repairs to the machinery which had been so quickly made. She had -come to a stop now in the darkness on the broad ocean, and was slowly -heaving to the swell. There was also a slight list to one side, its -cause unknown to the soldiers who, in response to the commands of their -officers, were moving in orderly array to safety stations. - -“Well, our adventures are keeping up,” said Jerry in a low voice to his -two chums when they had reached their boat station and stood waiting -for further orders. “But I didn’t quite bargain for this.” - -“Me, either,” commented Ned. - -“Do you think the old boat will go down?” asked Bob. - -“No telling,” Jerry answered. “It looks pretty serious, or they -wouldn’t get us all up here this way. They’re bringing up the wounded -now.” - -As he spoke it could be seen that doctors, nurses, and stretcher-bearers -were appearing on deck with the casualty cases. And to the credit of the -unfortunate ones be it said that they remained quiet, and some even -laughed and joked, though they must have known, in case of the necessity -for abandoning ship and taking to the small boats, that their chances of -being saved were infinitely smaller than those of able-bodied men. But -they were Uncle Sam’s boys, and that is enough to say. - -Naturally, on all sides, the questions asked were: - -“What happened?” - -“What caused it?” - -“Did a sub attack us?” - -And so insistent were these queries, and so vital was it to have some -information given out, that when at last all the wounded had been -brought up and every man was at his station the officer commanding the -troops addressed them. - -“As you all know, there has been an unfortunate accident,” he said. -“The full extent is not yet known, but I am authorized by Captain -Munson to say that the ship is in no immediate danger. We are -protected by a number of water-tight bulkheads, and, so far, only one -compartment is flooded. This has been closed off and we expect to keep -on.” - -A cheer greeted this announcement. Holding up his hand for silence, the -colonel, standing in the light of a ship lantern, went on: - -“As you have heard ordered, the wounded will be first placed in the -boats in case we have to abandon ship. Others will follow as directed. -It is of prime necessity that every man obey implicitly his superior -officers. The first to disobey will be instantly shot! You know what -that means!” and his voice itself was like the click of a gun. - -“It may be that we shall not have to take to the boats,” the colonel -resumed. “An investigation of the damage done is now being made. As far -as can be learned it was caused by an explosion of one of the small -boilers. What caused the boiler to explode we do not yet know. But for -the present every one must stand at attention and be ready for quick -disembarkation. - -“There have been men injured in the engine room, and they will take -their places with our wounded in the boats first!” the colonel added, -and his words were greeted with a cheer, which told him and the other -officers that there would be no disgraceful scenes at the end in case -the end should be a tragic one. - -“Now you know as much as I do,” the colonel concluded. “We may be only -slightly damaged, and we may be greatly so. We shall know in a little -while. In the meantime, stand by!” - -Another cheer punctuated the closing remarks, and then followed a -nerve-racking time. There was nothing to be done except to wait for the -conclusion of the investigation of the ship’s officers. They were below -now, seeking to learn how badly damaged were the craft’s vitals. - -“Well, this is worse and more of it,” remarked Bob, as he began to feel -about him to ascertain if he had as many of his possessions as he had -been able to gather up in the haste. - -“It may not be so bad,” declared Jerry. “We aren’t a great way from the -coast, for we haven’t made any wonderful speed so far. I believe we can -get back.” - -“What! In the small boats?” asked Ned. - -“Maybe. Or the _Sherman_ may limp back under her own steam.” - -“Not the way she’s listing now,” declared Ned. “Say!” he went on -earnestly, “I wish we’d told some one about seeing that peppery chap -with the black box leaving a trail of a fuse smell behind him.” - -“Oh, don’t get to imagining things!” cautioned Jerry. “There are -enough real happenings as it is. Stand by--that’s the order!” - -“But we might have prevented this,” Ned persisted. - -“Nonsense!” declared his tall chum. “This was an engine-room accident. -Probably they were carrying too much steam. Lucky it wasn’t any worse.” - -“We don’t know how bad it is,” remarked Bob. “Seems to me the lights -are getting dimmer; aren’t they?” - -“Maybe they’re shutting some off to save the current,” replied Jerry. -“They switched on the storage battery, I heard some one say. They are -getting dimmer, that’s a fact.” - -As he spoke the incandescent lights began gradually fading away. The -filaments, from a white-hot glow, turned red, and then went out, as -a glowing match slowly loses its illumination. All that lighted the -scenes on the ship’s decks now were the emergency oil lanterns and an -occasional pocket electric torch. - -“Let no one be alarmed!” called the colonel. “The lights are being -turned off to save the battery current for the wireless in case we have -to call for assistance. It will soon be morning.” - -“If they have to depend for wireless calls on a storage battery it -won’t last very long,” declared Ned. - -“Let’s wait and see,” advised Jerry. - -They all stood waiting for the result of the investigation of the -damage done to the troopship. And as they waited in the semi-darkness -many thoughts came to each man. It was a time to try one’s soul. - -Finally there was a commotion near a group of officers, which included -the commanding colonel of the troops on the _Sherman_. The ship’s -captain was seen speaking to the colonel by Ned, Bob, and Jerry. And -so close were the lads to the scene of the consultation that they -overheard something of what was said. - -One word, among the others, seemed to stand out as if written in -letters of fire. And that one word was: - -“Disabled!” - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -THE MYSTERIOUS CABIN - - -Ned nudged his two chums as they stood in the now almost complete -darkness, waiting near their boat station for what was next to happen. - -“Did you hear that?” asked Ned Slade in a low voice. - -“I did,” answered Jerry. “Don’t repeat it.” - -“But, if we’re disabled,” whispered Bob, “doesn’t that mean we’ll sink -sooner or later? And I haven’t noticed any other ships near us--not -since we started the second time.” - -“Disabled doesn’t mean that we’re sinking,” said Jerry, “and there’s -no use starting another near-panic by scattering that word broadcast. -If we’re disabled it may only mean that we can’t proceed under our own -steam.” - -“How else are we going to proceed?” demanded Ned. - -“Send out a wireless call for help and be towed back to port,” was -Jerry’s answer. “That’s easy.” - -“I didn’t think of that,” murmured Ned. “But say, isn’t it bad luck to -have to go back to port twice on the same voyage?” - -“Not half as bad luck as it would be to go once to Davy Jones’s -locker!” declared Jerry, with a trace of mirth--just a faint trace, -for the situation was still too tense to admit of any great feeling of -jollity. - -“Well, of course there’s something in that,” admitted Ned. - -“A whole lot in it!” came from Bob. “Say, have you fellows got anything -to eat?” he demanded, still speaking in a whisper, for the word of -“silence in the ranks” had gone forth. - -“Eat!” exclaimed Jerry in tense tones. “What do you think we are, -anyhow? Walking cupboards?” - -“I didn’t know but what you might have stowed away a cake or two of -chocolate apiece,” sighed Bob. “Lots of times they forget to provision -the boats when they abandon ship in a hurry. Chocolate is nourishing. -I’ve got three big cakes. That’s one each. Here,” and he extended one -to Ned and another to Jerry. - -“What’s the idea?” demanded the tall lad, with amused curiosity. - -“We might get separated,” answered Bob. “Better take this when you can -get it. That cake of chocolate will keep you alive several days.” - -“He’s got it all figured out,” said Ned. “Well, you aren’t so bad at -that, Chunky. It may come in handy!” and he put his cake away. - -Jerry did likewise, and then they stood waiting for the next -development. It was not long in coming. - -Following the conference of the colonel and his army officers with the -captain of the _Sherman_ there was a tense period for a little while, -until the colonel made another announcement. - -“I regret to inform you, men,” he said, “that the accident in the -engine room is more serious than at first was thought. The transport -is disabled, and will not be able to proceed under her own power--at -least, not until extensive repairs are made. An effort will be made to -have the engines patched up, but this may not be possible. - -“In the latter case we shall have to be towed back to France. I know -that seems hard,” he said quickly; “but it is better than sinking in -mid-ocean, and that possibility confronted us all for a time. - -“Now we shall all be saved, but it may take some little time. The -ship’s captain will at once order wireless calls for assistance to be -sent out, and we should have an answer within a short time. Then, in -another day, or, at most, two, we should receive help. So make the best -of a bad situation. You will presently be ordered back to your sleeping -quarters, for there is no danger of the ship’s sinking. She will float -for years in this condition. Only one compartment is flooded, and that -has been shut off from the rest of the craft. - -“The wounded will first be carried back to the hospital quarters, and -then the others may go back to bed. I regret this occurrence, but you, -who have fought in the Great War, will recognize this as only a minor -happening compared to others.” - -“Three cheers for the colonel!” called some one, and right heartily -they came. - -“Three cheers for Captain Munson!” some one else demanded, and the -tribute to the commander of the disabled vessel was no less genuine. - -The taking back of the wounded who had been brought up on the boat deck -to be ready for quick transfer to the small craft went on in orderly -fashion, though not so quickly as they had been brought from the -hospital. The same need of speed was not present. - -Then Ned, Bob, Jerry and the others were allowed to go back to where -they had been sleeping, or trying to. And once more peace and quiet -seemed to settle down over the ship. The list had been corrected -somewhat, though in what manner the three friends did not know, and -the _Sherman_ was now riding more easily, though she was still without -forward motion, save that perhaps imparted to her by the wind or the -ocean currents. - -“Don’t you think we’d better tell what we know about old pepper-pot?” -asked Ned of his chums, as they reached their sleeping quarters. - -“I suppose, after what has happened, that it will be best to,” assented -Jerry. “Mind you, I’m not saying he had anything to do with the -explosion of the boiler. But later on, if anything should come up, I -suppose we’d feel better to remember that we had told. We’ll go to the -captain in the morning.” - -The boys were just composing themselves for some hours of rest in what -remained of the night when they heard the crackle of the wireless -overhead. - -“Well, anything new?” asked Bob the next morning, as he made about the -only kind of toilet possible on the crowded transport. - -“I didn’t hear any,” responded Jerry. “Let’s get some eats, and then -we’ll report to our captain what we know and let him do as he thinks -best.” - -On their way to receive from the galley their usual daily ration, Ned -seemed to be listening intently for something. - -“Want to hear another explosion?” asked Jerry. - -“No, I was listening for the crackle of the wireless. I don’t hear it; -do you?” - -“That’s so--it is silent,” commented Bob. - -“Oh, well, maybe they’ve sent off a message for help, have received an -answer, and now there’s nothing to do but wait,” came from Jerry. - -“That’s so,” admitted Ned. But his chums observed that he was deeply -silent during mess. And as soon as it was over he suggested that they -go up on deck. - -“Better look for our captain first,” suggested Jerry. “His quarters are -aft.” - -“We’ll see him all right,” Ned declared. “I want to find out about -something else, first.” - -“What?” asked Bob. - -“The wireless,” answered Ned. “I want to see if we’ve had any answer to -our calls for help.” - -As they approached the vicinity of the wireless room, the boys, and -many others, became aware that something unusual had taken place. There -was a group of officers--both those of the ship and those in command -of the returning soldiers--gathered about the electrical cabin, and -workmen were hurrying to and fro. - -“What’s up, buddy?” asked Ned of a fellow soldier. - -“Don’t know, exactly,” was the answer. “But I think the wireless has -given out.” - -“Before we got off any messages asking for help?” demanded Ned. - -“So they say. But I’m not sure. Here comes my sergeant. I’ll ask.” - -There was an exchange of confidences, and then the Motor Boys heard -more bad news. - -“I thought so!” exclaimed Ned, as he turned away from where he had been -questioning the two soldiers. - -“Thought what?” asked Jerry. - -“That the wireless had given out! That’s what happened. The storage -battery short-circuited, the auxiliary dynamo burned out, and they -can’t get off a single message.” - -“Perhaps they had already sent out an S. O. S. call,” suggested Jerry, -hoping to the last. - -“They started one, the sergeant says,” replied Ned, “but the apparatus -went fluey before they could give our position.” - -“Gee! that’s tough luck!” exclaimed Bob. - -“Oh, it might be worse!” declared Jerry, with a hopefulness he did not -altogether feel. “They got off a message asking for help, and even -though our position wasn’t given, it can be pretty well guessed. They -know which way we started, and about how fast we have steamed. They can -send some one out to pick us up.” - -“Maybe,” said Ned gloomily. “Well, there’s no use worrying over it. -We’re still afloat, and that’s something. Now then, let’s go to see our -captain, or the first lieutenant. We’ll report on pepper-pot. It may be -nothing, and, again, it may be something.” - -They started to find their own special company officers, and while -they were inquiring they stood near a cabin that was among a number of -others given over to officers. - -Ned had just asked as to the probable whereabouts of his captain and a -lieutenant was in the act of replying when two marines, with rifles and -fixed bayonets, came swinging along the passage. They halted in front -of the cabin, before which stood the lieutenant, and after their salute -had been returned, the officer said: - -“You are to remain on guard here in front of this cabin until relieved. -Let no one go in or come out without written authority from Captain -Munson. Remember--written authority!” - -“Yes, sir!” answered the marines, and then the lieutenant turned to -speak to the three friends while they, in turn, gazed at the closed -door of the mysterious cabin. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -CALLING IN VAIN - - -“Did you wish to see me?” the lieutenant asked, as Jerry and his chums -looked in rather a fixed manner at the young man. - -“Yes, sir,” replied the tall lad. “We wish to find out where Captain -Ware may be found. We’re in his company, and----” - -“Oh, yes. You were asking me that when I had to give instructions to -these sentinels. If you’ll come with me I’ll take you to Captain Ware.” - -He turned to go, but, before leaving, he looked again at the marine -corps sentinels, one of whom stood on either side of the closed door -of the mysterious cabin--at least it was mysterious to the three Motor -Boys. - -“Don’t forget!” the lieutenant cautioned. “No one is to enter that -cabin--not even I--without a written order from Captain Munson.” - -“Yes, sir,” was the answer in chorus, and, acknowledging the salutes of -the sentries, the lieutenant strode away, followed by Ned, Bob, and -Jerry. - -“Has there been a mutiny, sir, or anything like that?” asked Ned of the -lieutenant, at the same time nudging his two comrades to indicate that -he was taking a chance in thus putting a question to a superior officer -on a subject that might well be a forbidden one. - -“A mutiny? What makes you think that?” was the quick retort. - -“Oh, on account of what happened--the blowing up of the boiler, and all -that. I thought maybe some one had been found planting a bomb in the -engine room, sir, and----” - -“You must have been doing quite a bit of thinking,” was the smiling -comment of the young officer. “Be careful you don’t do too much. Or, at -least, if you do, keep your thoughts to yourself.” - -“Yes, sir,” assented Ned, and he knew then that his questions were not -to be answered. - -“Who told you the boiler had been blown up, and what made you think a -bomb had been placed in the engine room?” asked the lieutenant. - -“Oh, we just imagined so, that’s all, sir,” Ned replied. - -“It sounded like an explosion, sir,” said Jerry. - -“Well, it was,” and the lieutenant’s answer was a bit snappy. “One of -the boilers blew out a main feed steam pipe. It takes an explosion to -do that, or rather, the act is explosive in itself. But that doesn’t -say it was a bomb.” - -“I’m glad it wasn’t,” commented Bob. - -“I didn’t say it wasn’t!” came quickly from the young officer. “All I -said was that a steam boiler could blow up without a bomb having caused -it. I don’t know that any one knows exactly what caused the accident -to the ship. We are still investigating, and the less talk about it -the better--especially when no facts are known. So I advise you young -gentlemen not to do too much talking.” - -“All right, sir,” murmured Ned. “But we were just thinking--about that -cabin, you know--we were just thinking----” - -“But keep your thoughts to yourselves--for the time being,” interrupted -the lieutenant. “You may hear all about it later, and again you may -not.” - -They found Captain Ware in a small cabin which he had to share with -fellow officers, so crowded were accommodations aboard the _Sherman_. -The captain greeted the boys cordially. - -“Now don’t tell me,” he began with a smile, “that you have come to -complain of the sleeping quarters, the food, or the lack of exercise. I -know all that already--a dozen times over,” and he motioned to a pile -of papers on his bed. - -“Oh, we haven’t come to complain, sir,” voiced Ned. “But we have -something we’d like to tell you, and it may have to do with the -accident that disabled the ship.” - -“Well, that’s interesting, to say the least,” commented the captain. -“Come in, boys. There isn’t a great deal of room, but if you stand up -while you’re talking I guess we can squeeze you all in. These cabins -were made for only two.” - -Thereupon the trio entered and, after a few false starts and a friendly -rivalry as to who should open the narrative, the story was finally -told. It began with the encounter in the Brest restaurant, when -Jerry mistook a stranger for Professor Snodgrass with the consequent -unreasonable indignation on the part of the little bald-headed -_cochon_, as he had been dubbed. - -Then the boys told of having met the man in the passageway, and of how -he turned back at the sight of them, evidently trying to conceal a -black object he carried. - -Ned told of having smelled what seemed to be a burning fuse; and from -there the tale went on to the guarded cabin. - -“Hum,” mused Captain Ware, when the boys had finished. “Is that all?” - -“Yes, sir,” replied Ned, who had assumed the role of spokesman. “Except -that we thought we ought to report it all to you, sir, so you could -tell Captain Munson if you thought best to do so.” - -“You have done quite right. And, now that you have reported to me, -please don’t say anything about it to any one else.” - -“Do you think there may be anything in it, sir?” asked Bob, who could -not refrain from his impulsive question. “I mean do you think this -little man, who looks like our Professor Snodgrass from the back, could -have tried to blow up the ship?” - -“Oh, yes, he could do it easily enough, if he was so minded and had -the opportunity,” answered the captain. “But, mind you, I am not -saying that he did. This must be investigated, and Captain Munson, in -connection with our army officers, will be the one to do this. I am -glad you told me what you did. Now don’t talk about it any more. There -is no use in starting rumors, the effect of which we can tell nothing -about. And, too, it may prove to be a false alarm.” - -“That’s what we were afraid of,” said Jerry. “We didn’t want to get in -wrong. But we thought it best to speak after we saw the marines put on -duty at the cabin, for we thought it might be of more importance than -it seemed in the beginning.” - -“Yes,” answered the captain, noncommittally. “Well, I’ll let you know -when your further testimony is needed. Now don’t forget to keep still -about this.” - -He dismissed them with a smile, and the boys, feeling they had done -all in their power to set things right and to prevent any further -outrages, in case it really should turn out that an attempt had been -made to blow up the ship, went up on deck. - -“I’m glad that’s off my mind,” remarked Ned. - -“So’m I,” added Bob. “There must be something in it all right, or they -wouldn’t be guarding that cabin.” - -“It’s queer, to say the least,” admitted Jerry. “If we could only -know----” - -“Hark! What’s that?” interrupted Ned, as they neared the head of the -companionway. - -“The wireless!” cried Bob. “It’s working again!” - -And to the ears of the boys came the well-known crackle that told of -electrical impulses being sent off into space. - -Quickly the three chums looked about them when they reached the deck. -A group around the wireless room testified that in some manner the -disabled machinery had been put in operation again. - -“Yes,” Ned was told by a comrade to whom he put an inquiry, “they -managed to fix up a small dynamo, and they’re sending out calls for -help.” - -“Then we’re all right!” decided Bob. “I guess my appetite will come -back now.” - -“Didn’t know you’d lost it!” mocked Ned. - -“Why, I didn’t feel a bit like eating!” retorted the stout lad. - -“Well, it’s the first time such a thing has happened in a good many -years,” commented Jerry. - -With every one else on board, they were vitally interested in the -reëstablishment of the wireless. But as the day went on and no replies -came to call after call that was flashed into the void, the feeling of -hope gave way to one of despair. - -“Don’t they answer?” was the question asked over and over again. - -“No reply,” was the report of the wireless men, as they bent over their -keys and strained their ears to catch the faintest click that might -come through the ear-pieces strapped to their heads. All their flashing -calls seemed in vain. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -DRIFTING - - -There is, perhaps, no greater strain to be endured than waiting--waiting -for some certain time to come, waiting for an event to pass, waiting for -a letter or a message. And when this nervous strain is multiplied several -thousand times, and when the waiting has to do with perhaps the very -continuation of life itself, it becomes at last almost unendurable. - -That is what Ned, Bob, and Jerry, and their thousands of comrades on -board the _Sherman_, found as they waited for some reply to come to -the wireless calls. As has been related, the dynamo that sent out the -impulses, controlled by the operators’ keys, had been patched up so -that it revolved. Steam was generated for a small engine. - -“But how long she’ll work no one knows,” confided an operator to Jerry, -coming off duty after several anxious hours in the little deck house. -“The repairs are only temporary, the engineer tells me, and she may -break down again any minute.” - -“But you’ll keep on sending out calls as long as you can, won’t you?” -asked Ned. - -“Oh, sure,” was the answer. - -“How do you account for not getting replies to the wireless calls? -You’re sending them out broadcast, aren’t you?” - -“That’s it. They can be picked up by any number of shore stations, to -say nothing of ships at sea.” - -“Then why aren’t our calls picked up and answered?” Bob queried. - -“Well, there are two reasons that may possibly explain it,” answered -the operator. “One is that we’re having a great deal of trouble with -static. That’s the electricity that’s always more or less in the air, -you know. It interferes with our wireless waves.” - -“I thought some fellow got up a patent apparatus to overcome that -trouble,” ventured Ned. - -“He claimed to,” answered the operator; “but I haven’t yet seen any -device that will turn the trick. And believe me, when Old Man Static -gets in his fine work you might as well close your switch, take off -your headpiece, and read a book. When the static gets ready to quiet -down and stop cutting up high jinks it’ll do it, and not before. - -“Of course I don’t mean to say,” he went on, “that it’s as bad as -when wireless was first invented. A good deal of the trouble has been -overcome. But to-day it’s very bad. - -“Then, too, our apparatus isn’t working right. She got a jolt when that -midnight explosion took place, and the operator who was on duty then -slammed in a high-powered current and burned out some of the fuses. -Since then it’s been on the floo, and, though we’ve been pounding -the keys for all we’re worth, we don’t know whether our messages are -getting anywhere or not. Evidently they aren’t, for we haven’t had any -replies, and in the natural course of things we would, as we ought to -be in the track of many ships going and coming.” - -“Just how far do you think the wireless message calls you’ve sent out -have gone?” asked Ned. - -“Hard to tell,” was the answer. “They may shoot off for a thousand -miles--our range is fully that when the machinery is in good -condition--and again they may not get a mile away from the ship. I’m -inclined to think, though, that the messages leave here all right, but -are all balled up by static, or else by other messages jamming them, -after they get up in the air. - -“You know,” the operator went on, “we work according to different wave -lengths. That is, the electrical impulses we send out are so many -meters in length. Now then, if we send out messages of one certain -wave length, and some other ship, within the prescribed distance, -sends out messages at the same time, tuned as ours are, but of a more -powerful wave length, ours get all jammed to pieces, so to speak. And -all the receiver hears is a jumble of dots and dashes in his earpiece. -Naturally he tunes out of that clashing, and listens to what he can -hear; to wave lengths that are just right.” - -“So, as far as you can tell,” observed Jerry, “it’s just as if a man -wrote a lot of telegrams, asking for help, and then, somehow, they got -tossed into the waste-paper basket before any one who could give the -help read them, is it?” - -“That’s one way of putting it,” conceded the operator. “But there is -one hope.” - -“What’s that?” asked Bob. - -“The static disturbance may clear off at any time, or some fellow -listening in may catch our call and then send it to the proper place. -If that’s done, help will be rushed to us. But I must admit there’s no -telling when this will happen.” - -“What can we do if we don’t get any reply?” asked Bob. - -“Well, we’ll have to drift on until they can patch up the machinery, I -suppose,” the operator replied. - -“Can they do that?” Ned questioned. - -“I believe they’re going to try,” was the answer. “Anything is better -than just drifting around.” - -“And yet some ship may sight us at any time,” ventured Bob. - -“Yes, that’s true,” was the tired wireless man’s remark. “I’ve been -torpedoed twice, and I know what it means to be drifting about waiting -for the chance of being picked up. I had hoped I shouldn’t have to go -through with it again, but it seems I may have to. Well, the boys are -going to keep on trying, and I’ll do my share when I go on duty again. - -“I don’t mind the sending off of messages so much,” he concluded, as he -continued on his way to the cabin set apart for the use of himself and -his companions. “It’s the strain of listening for a reply that gets on -my nerves. You hear a click in the earpiece, and you think surely it’s -coming. Then it turns out to be just Old Man Static getting in his fine -work, or else a jumble of dots and dashes from no one knows where--out -of the sky, you might say--and there you are. Four hours of that are -enough to wear any one’s nerves to a thread.” - -“You said it!” commented Jerry. “Well, good luck to you!” - -Interest in the reëstablishment of the wireless apparatus, even though -it was only temporarily repaired, and anxiety to know when some of the -messages sent off into space would be answered kept every one on board -the _Sherman_ keyed up to the highest pitch. They were all under a -heavy strain. - -But as hour after hour passed, and no good news came, faces that had -taken on looks of hope began to lose them. The time came for the man -who had talked to the Motor Boys to go back on duty. - -“Well, here’s for another try,” he said, with a weary smile, as he -entered the cabin. - -Having nothing better to do, Ned, Bob, and Jerry remained as close as -possible to the wireless room. They wanted to know, as soon as might -be, if any help was on the way. - -It was about an hour after George Hardy, the wireless man who had -talked to the three friends, had gone on duty for his second shift -since the repair of the apparatus, that he came out of the wireless -room with a despairing look on his face. - -“What’s the matter?” asked Jerry quickly. - -“It’s all up!” was the answer. - -“All up! What do you mean?” - -“Apparatus all burned out,” Hardy went on. “We tried to the limit of -the power, and the whole business has gone bluey. Can’t get another -spark out of her.” - -“Whew!” whistled Ned, and the faces of Bob and Jerry, as well as those -of others who heard the bad news, took on an added look of care and -anxiety. - -“But you can still listen in, can’t you?” asked Ned, after a pause. “Is -the receiving apparatus damaged?” - -“No, that’s still in good shape,” Hardy answered. “If, by any chance, -some of our messages reached some station, and they can tell where to -reply to us, and how, we may get an answer. We’re going to listen in -from now on.” - -“Well, let us hope that you hear something,” murmured Jerry. - -“And all we can do is drift on,” said Ned drearily. - -The day passed without anything happening. So many thoughts occupied -the minds of the three Cresville boys that they almost forgot to -speculate on the outcome of the information they had given their -captain. They did not cease to wonder at times, though, as to who -occupied the mysteriously guarded cabin, and they also tried to guess -the reason for the peculiar actions of _le cochon_. - -“Maybe he’s locked up there as a bomb-planter,” suggested Bob. - -“It’s possible,” assented Ned. - -“I wish Professor Snodgrass were here,” Bob went on. - -“Why?” asked Jerry. “Do you think he could fix up the wireless, mend -the broken boiler, or help us in any way?” - -“Not exactly,” was the answer from the stout youth. “But he’s better -fun than just standing about, waiting for something to happen.” - -“Yes, I’d like to see him, too,” agreed Ned. - -The night passed without incident, save that word went about the ship -now and then that the engine-room force was working desperately to make -repairs which would enable the transport to proceed, however lamely. - -But when the sun rose, a red ball of fire in the morning, it saw the -_Sherman_ still drifting. - -“We’re in for some change of weather,” remarked a sailor in the hearing -of the chums. - -“A storm?” asked Jerry. - -“Can’t say, but looks like it.” - -And the disabled troopship kept on drifting--drifting--drifting. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR - - -Weary were the hours, even fraught with anxiety as they were, that -Ned, Bob, and Jerry passed aboard the drifting craft. Notwithstanding -the presence of many of their comrades in arms, there was a sense of -loneliness on the vast expanse of the waters of the Atlantic. - -Had the _Sherman_ been proceeding along under her own power, lessening -each hour the miles that separated her from the shores of America, this -feeling would not have manifested itself. But as it was, with every one -ready for the trip home, which, for this unavoidable cause, could not -be completed, the sense of the vastness and loneliness of the ocean, on -which the troopship could only drift, filled the boys’ hearts. - -With the acknowledgment on the part of the engineers that the wireless -apparatus could no longer issue appeals for help, all that remained to -be done in connection with that was to wait for the possible chance -that some of the messages previously sent out would be answered. To -this end one man was kept constantly on duty, with the rubber receivers -clamped to his ears. And from the strained look on his face it was easy -to guess that his task, simple as it might seem, was no sinecure. - -“Why don’t they rig up some kind of sail?” asked several of the -soldiers who clustered on the decks, a few forming a knot around Ned, -Bob, and Jerry, for those lads had let it be known that they had been -talking with one of the wireless men, and, in a manner, spoke as those -having authority. - -“That’s it!” chimed in another impatient one. “If we can’t steam we -ought to be able to sail. I’ve often read stories of where a steamer -lost a propeller or something, and the sailors rigged up a mast and got -home all right.” - -“They rigged up a jury mast--I’ve read about that, too,” said another. -“Why can’t we do that here, and blow home?” - -“Yes, why can’t we?” asked others. “Let’s send a delegation to the -captain and ask him!” - -This seemed to find considerable favor, and it might have been carried -into effect but for the fact that just then a peculiar tremor which -could mean but one thing was felt throughout the ship. - -“The engines have started!” cried Ned. - -“That’s the throb of the propeller, sure enough!” added Bob. - -“We’re moving!” came from Jerry, and a chorus of delighted cheers -greeted this announcement. - -There was no question as to the last statement. The _Sherman_ was, -indeed, moving slowly through the water. Very slowly, indeed. The -motion was hardly perceptible at first, but it was undoubted. Soldier -after soldier, hearing the news and feeling the vibration, looked over -the side and verified Jerry’s announcement. - -Like wild-fire rumors flew about the transport. The chief one, and that -most readily believed, because it was the one that every one desired to -believe, was this: - -“The engines have been repaired. Now we’ll get home!” - -And for a time this seemed true. The _Sherman_ gathered headway, and -soon began moving more swiftly. But, even at that, her speed was -nothing like what it had been at the beginning of the voyage. - -“I guess we had the wrong dope, Ned,” remarked Jerry, as the three -chums discussed the situation. “It couldn’t have been a bomb explosion -after all, or they couldn’t have fixed up the engines.” - -“Well, I don’t know that I’ll go so far as to admit that. There may -have been a bomb explosion all right, but, even then, they might have -been able to make repairs. Anyhow, we’re moving.” - -“But we haven’t heard anything about the information we gave,” said -Bob; “and the marines are still on guard at that cabin--at least some -sentries are there. I passed the door a little while ago.” - -“And we haven’t had a sight of our pepper-pot friend since that guard -was stationed,” added Ned. “I feel sure he’s in there, and that he -tried to blow up the ship.” - -“Well, he didn’t make out very well, for we’re on our way once more,” -went on Bob. “And now I feel like eating again! Come on, fellows, let’s -scout around and see if there’s a chance to get some extra grub.” - -Bob’s face, that had been gloomy all day (an unusual thing for him) -cleared now. He was leading the way to the galley, followed by Ned -and Jerry, when the throbbing and vibration of the craft, which -unmistakably told of engines working, suddenly ceased. - -The three chums gazed blankly at one another, and all about them other -soldiers looked alarmed. - -“What’s that?” cried Ned. - -“Don’t tell me she’s stopping again!” exclaimed Bob. - -“She certainly has stopped, but she may start up again,” voiced Jerry. - -But as the minutes passed and the _Sherman_ continued to lose headway -in the smooth sea, the fears of the three chums and their companions -became confirmed. - -A little later word was circulated about the ship that the engines -had broken down again. And this time more completely than before. The -temporary repairs that had been made only caused a worse break in the -machinery when the second accident happened. - -“Well, it wasn’t a bomb explosion this time,” said Jerry, when it was -ascertained for certain that the transport could not possibly proceed -under her own power. - -“But that isn’t saying it wasn’t the original cause of the accident,” -declared Ned. “I’d like to get hold of that pepper-pot and tell him -what I think of him.” - -“They’ll do more than tell him, provided they can prove that he had -anything to do with it,” commented Jerry. - -“And it certainly looks as if he had--the way they’re keeping him a -prisoner in that cabin,” asserted Ned. - -“We aren’t sure he is there,” answered the tall lad. - -“I’m pretty sure,” Ned asserted. “Well, there’s no hope for it. All we -can do now is to drift around, wait for a wireless message, or----” - -“Sail home!” interrupted Bob. “Look, here come some sailors now, -getting ready to put up some sort of sail.” - -This, indeed, seemed to be the case. A number of men came on deck, and -then an effort began to have sails take the place of steam power. There -were two masts on the craft, used, ordinarily, to support the wireless -apparatus. It was determined, now, to fasten sails on these sticks of -steel. - -True not much speed could be hoped for, as the _Sherman_ was a big -craft and powerful engines were required to move her. But it was hoped -that such sails as could be rigged would at least give her steerage -way, and this would be needed, in case of a storm, to keep her head on -to the waves. Though there was bitter disappointment over the failure -of the repairs to the engines, there was hope in the sails. - -So interested were the three chums in this that, for the time, they -forgot about the mysterious cabin and its occupant, guarded by two -marines. - -Rumor had it that the engine room was a wreck, but whether this was -because of the explosion of the steam pipe, which had caused injuries -to a number of men, or to the explosion of a bomb, no one seemed to -know for certain. All that was sure was that the engines were out of -commission. - -And if the tedious hours got on the nerves of the soldiers who had -their health and strength, how much more so did they get on the nerves -of the wounded in the hospital wards? So over-wrought were some of the -casuals that it was necessary to organize squads of the sound men to -visit in relays and cheer up their unfortunate comrades. - -This worked well, and it not only brightened the wounded, but it gave -the unoccupied well lads a chance to do something to vary the monotony. - -This, what might be termed a crisis, occurred after it became known -that the engines had broken down for the second time. This news had -brought a reaction to the sick and wounded. - -Meanwhile the men were working hard to get the sails rigged; but -finally this was accomplished. It was a makeshift, to be sure, but -every one was thankful even for that. - -And then, as if Fate was determined to make a plaything of the -troopship and desired to show what she could do when she tried, there -came a dead calm. There had been a fairly good wind all the while -the men were rigging the sails, and it was thought, with the expanse -of canvas spread to the breeze, that progress could be made--perhaps -enough even to bring the ship back to port, or at least in the path of -some other craft. - -But no sooner had the last rope been made fast and word given to -bring the ship around, with the wind as near astern as would serve the -purpose, than every breath of air died out. - -“Dead calm!” muttered one of the sailors. “Dead as a mackerel!” - -“Well, what’s to be done?” asked Bob, when it became evident that the -transport could only drift helplessly about. - -“Whistle for a breeze!” some one suggested. - -The idea was taken in good part, and it had one effect--that of -bringing forth a flood of--well, not exactly melody, for too many -were off-key. But it brought forth laughs, and this was something, -considering the gloom that seemed overpowering all on board. - -All that could be done was to wait--wait for the wind, wait for an -answer on the wireless, wait for the sight of some craft to aid them, -either by providing a tow or sending word of their plight to those that -could help. - -Slowly the hours passed. Even the serving of meals brought little -relaxation or enjoyment, and Ned and Jerry noticed, not without alarm, -that Bob’s appetite was very poor. - -“Come on, let’s start something!” proposed Jerry, after a bit. - -“Start what?” asked Ned. - -“Oh, a game, or something. We’ll go woozy if we stand about waiting for -something to happen. Let’s go below, get some of the fellows we know, -and see what we can dig up.” - -As the three chums started for a companionway they noticed an -old sailor gazing out across the ocean, which was as calm as the -oft-spoken-of “mill pond.” - -“See anything?” asked Jerry, as he paused to speak to the old salt. - -“Not much,” was the answer. - -“What’s the weather going to do?” asked Ned. - -“Ha! I wish I knew!” was the retort. “Looked like a storm this -morning--red sun and everything. Now I’ll be jiggered if I don’t think -we’re in for the doldrums!” - -“What’s he saying?” asked another soldier lad of Jerry. “Does he mean -some disease may break out?” - -“No,” answered the tall lad, with a smile. “Doldrum means a calm--a -dead calm. Ships often run into the doldrums near the equator.” - -“Well, I wouldn’t mind what we ran into, if we could only move,” was -the dismal retort. - -“That’s the trouble,” voiced Ned. “The doldrums are the worst calms -ever--no motion at all.” - -“Good-night!” cried the seeker after information. - -Passing through a corridor below decks on their way to seek some of -their friends to try to organize something that would while away the -dreary monotony, the three chums approached a closed cabin door. - -And Bob remarked: - -“Why, they’ve taken the marine guards away! I wonder what that means?” - -Before his companions could join in his speculation the door of the -cabin opened, and through the opening the lads caught sight of a -figure. It was the figure of a little bald-headed man, and he wore -large spectacles. He was bending over a mass of papers on a table in -front of him, and, at the sight of this individual, Ned, Bob, and -Jerry, as if in the same voice, exclaimed: - -“Professor Snodgrass!” - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -A WELL-KNOWN VOICE - - -In the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments is told the story of Ali Baba and -the Forty Thieves. In this, at the mention of the magic word “Sesame,” -the ponderous rocky portal of the treasure cave swung open or shut, -according to its previous position. - -And now, as Ned, Bob, and Jerry stood outside the cabin door, through -which they had a glimpse of the well-remembered figure, and as together -they uttered the magic word “Professor Snodgrass,” the same thing -happened as happened to Ali Baba. - -The door of the cabin was quickly shut, and not by the figure seated at -the table before the mass of papers. - -For a few seconds the three lads remained transfixed with surprise. -They looked at one another, then glanced at the closed door, and then -peered into each others’ faces. - -Jerry was the first to recover the use of his voice. - -“Did you see that, fellows?” - -“Did we see it?” echoed Ned. “I should say so!” - -“What does it all mean?” asked Bob. “Why should our old friend, -Professor Snodgrass, treat us like that--shutting the door in our -faces?” - -“He didn’t!” declared Jerry. - -“He did!” asserted Bob. “I saw him!” - -“You saw the door close,” went on Jerry. “But the professor didn’t shut -it. If you had been standing where I was, you could have observed that. -There was some one else in the room who acted for him.” - -“That’s right!” chimed in Ned. “He didn’t even see us. He didn’t look -up once from his papers. It was the same old Professor Snodgrass--more -intent on finding out how many legs some new kind of ant has than on -his meals. Yes, the same old professor!” - -“Are you sure about that?” asked Jerry. - -“Sure of it?” reiterated Ned. “Why, of course! Aren’t you?” - -“You called his name out, just as we did, and then the door went shut,” -declared Bob. “You spoke his name.” - -“Yes; and at the time I really thought it was the professor,” admitted -Jerry. “But when I think of what took place I begin to have my doubts.” - -“Professor Snodgrass never acted that way before, that’s sure,” and Ned -seemed siding with Jerry Hopkins. “Every other time he’s seen us he’s -been tickled to death. This time----” - -“He didn’t see us this time--that’s all there is to it,” declared -Jerry. “Professor Snodgrass or not, whoever is in that room never -looked up to see us, though he--whoever he is--may have heard us call -out the name.” - -“If it isn’t the professor who is it?” demanded Bob. - -“Who’s the fellow I had the row with in the restaurant?” Jerry -countered. - -“Oh! _Le cochon!_” Bob exclaimed. “That’s so! He does look a lot like -our friend. But not from the front, Jerry Hopkins! Not from the front!” -he added quickly, as he recalled that circumstance, and the fact that -this time they had had a full-face view of the man now sitting behind -the closed cabin door. “The pepper-pot looks like the professor from -the back view, but not from the front. We proved that several times.” - -“And besides,” went on Ned, “this isn’t the mysterious cabin, either. -There are no marines on guard here.” - -“I grant you that,” said Jerry, and he was smiling at his two chums in -a manner that, had they not been so excited, would have roused their -curiosity. - -“And this isn’t the same cabin, either!” reiterated Ned. “The one where -the marines are on guard, and where we think the pepper-pot is held a -prisoner, is on the deck below.” - -“Are you sure of that?” asked Jerry, and the manner of his asking made -both Ned and Bob look more closely at the corridor in which they were -then standing. Next they glanced at the closed door, noting the number, -and with one accord they exclaimed: - -“It’s the same!” - -“That’s what I thought you’d say,” remarked Jerry, with a little nod of -satisfaction. “But we might as well hike along. No use standing here -talking over the mystery. Besides, the professor may not like it.” - -“I thought you said it wasn’t the professor,” said Ned. - -“No, I only said I had my doubts,” corrected Jerry. “I don’t really -know what to think.” - -“As you say, it’s a mystery,” conceded Bob. “But can’t we get to the -bottom of it? Say, all sorts of things are happening on our homeward -trip. Here we are delayed because of some mysterious explosion on -board, there’s a mysterious prisoner in a mysterious cabin guarded by -marines, and now we think we see in the same cabin the real professor. -Say, it’s beyond me all right!” - -“Yes, it’s queer,” admitted Jerry. “Let’s go off by ourselves and talk -it over.” - -“Good idea,” agreed Ned. “I guess we’ll have enough excitement doing -that not to need other recreation.” - -In as secluded a spot as the three Motor Boys could find on the crowded -troopship, they talked over the incidents of the trip thus far. - -“Then you are sure the cabin where we saw the professor--or at least -the cabin where the door was shut so soon after we uttered his -name--you’re sure that’s the same cabin where the marines were on -guard, are you, Jerry?” asked Ned. - -“Positive,” was the tall lad’s reply. - -“But how do you account for the change?” asked Bob. “Why are the guards -withdrawn, and why is it that this pepper-pot--if it is he in the -cabin--looks so much more like Professor Snodgrass from the front than -he did at first?” - -“The only way I can account for that,” replied Jerry, “is that it -really is Professor Snodgrass this time.” - -“_This_ time!” echoed Ned. “Do you mean to say the professor is on -board here?” - -“He might be,” the tall lad admitted. “You remember we met only the -other day a fellow we knew well. He’d been on board since the start of -this unfortunate trip, and yet we didn’t know it until we ran plumb -into him. It may be the same with the professor.” - -“But he’d be sure to look us up if he were here,” declared Bob. “He -always does. He’s very friendly, and he likes to be with us. He’d be -sure to speak to us if he were on board.” - -“Yes, if he knew we were here,” admitted Jerry. “But he may not. If it -was he in the cabin, where the door was just closed, you can make up -your mind he never saw us.” - -“No, I don’t believe he did,” assented Bob. “But if that is the same -cabin where pepper-pot was guarded, and he’s gone now, and the real -Professor Snodgrass is in his place, how do you account for it?” - -“I don’t account for it,” answered Jerry, with a smile. “All I am sure -of is that this is the same cabin where the marines were. You can be as -sure of that as I am--in fact, I guess you are sure, aren’t you?” - -Ned and Bob nodded in affirmation. - -“Then,” went on the tall lad, “all that I am sure of, next, is that -the guards are gone. And you must admit that it is possible for both -Professor Snodgrass and the man we call _le cochon_ to be in that cabin -at the same time, isn’t it?” - -“Yes, of course it is,” assented Ned. “But from the way that pepper-pot -talked of our friend I shouldn’t think they’d want to be in the same -cabin.” - -“Maybe they don’t want to be, but circumstances may force them to,” -suggested Jerry, with a laugh. “Boys,” he went on, “I believe there’s -something queer going on here aboard the _Sherman_. We’ve done our part -in telling what we know. Now it’s up to our superior officers.” - -Ned and Bob were silent for a moment. Then the stout lad broke the -silence by saying: - -“Well, it certainly is a mystery! I only wish we could have a talk with -Professor Snodgrass--provided he’s here--and see what he has to say.” - -“I wish the same thing myself,” admitted Jerry. “And now perhaps we’d -better go on with our original plan, and see if we can do something to -organize a little fun to kill this deadly monotony of waiting for help.” - -“Yes, let’s do that,” agreed Ned. - -As they started once more on their errand a commotion was heard on the -deck above. The shuffling of many feet told of soldiers rushing to and -fro, while there were shouts that seemed to be those of alarm. - -“Hello! Something else doing!” cried Ned, as he hurried toward a -companionway that led to the upper decks. - -The three reached the deck together, and as they emerged into the open -they were immediately enveloped in swirling clouds of white vapor. - -“Smoke!” cried Bob. “The ship is on fire!” - -“Nonsense!” exclaimed Jerry. “It’s a heavy fog! Just what is to -be expected when there’s a dead calm at this time of year. We’re -fog-bound, as well as disabled.” - -“But why should a mere fog cause such a commotion?” asked Ned. - -Before Jerry could answer the three boys were startled by hearing -through the dim, misty whiteness a well-known voice saying: - -“Don’t disturb me now, and please don’t come too close! This is the -best chance I’ve had for a long while to catch some of the mist-flies. -Please don’t interrupt me, gentlemen!” - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -THE FOG - - -With one accord Ned, Bob, and Jerry looked at one another, their faces -close together in the thick fog that was settling down over everything -in a white, damp pall. - -“There isn’t any doubt of it now!” exclaimed Jerry. - -“I should say not!” agreed Bob. - -“That’s the voice of Professor Snodgrass,” declared Ned. “I’d know it -among a hundred, even if he didn’t use his characteristic talk about -some new kind of bug.” - -“Mist-flies!” exclaimed Bob. “What are they?” - -“Oh, some kind of insect that flies only in a fog--or at least that’s -what the professor thinks they are,” commented Jerry. - -“Well, now that we’re sure--or almost positively so--that Professor -Snodgrass is on board,” suggested Ned, “why not see him? Let’s call out -and let him know we’re here--within a hundred feet of him, I should -say, though this fog is so thick that he may be several hundred feet -off. Voices carry very plainly over water and through heavy mist. I’m -going to----” - -“You’re going to keep still--at least for a while!” interrupted Jerry, -putting his hand over Ned’s mouth in time to prevent that energetic lad -from sending out a call to the unseen owner of the voice which sounded -so like that of Professor Snodgrass. - -“Just wait a bit,” Jerry went on, when Ned had recovered his composure -caused by the sudden stoppage of his vocal powers. “I admit that the -voice was that of our professor, but maybe it would spoil his plans to -be recognized just now or to meet with us.” - -“How could it?” asked Bob. - -“That’s what I don’t know,” Jerry was frank enough to admit. “But for -some reason the professor prefers to remain somewhat concealed. He must -have his own reason for that. Very good--it’s his privilege. Now let’s -wait until this thing clears up.” - -“Do you mean the fog?” asked Ned. - -“Partly that, yes. Great guns! isn’t it thick, though? You could almost -slice it like cheese.” - -“It’s dangerous, too,” said Ned. - -“That’s so,” assented Jerry. “This fog adds another danger to this -eventful voyage. I never saw mist so thick.” - -“What are we going to do?” Bob asked. - -“There isn’t anything we can do,” Jerry declared. “All any one can do -is to wait for it to lift. I suppose they have a means of sounding some -sort of warning signal.” - -“No, I didn’t mean so much what can we do about the fog, though that’s -bad enough--seems to take away all my appetite,” complained Chunky. “I -meant what are we going to do about Professor Snodgrass? Now that we -know he’s on board oughtn’t we do something?” - -“Yes,” admitted Jerry, “I believe we ought. But not just yet. Let’s -wait a while. We’ve got plenty of time. The professor can’t get away -any more than we can, and if we start looking for him now we may get -him into some sort of mixup. Let matters take their course for a while.” - -“I don’t hear anything of him now,” said Ned, listening intently. “He -seems to be on the still hunt for his new fog-bugs.” - -Though all about them, coming through the white mist, were murmurs of -voices and the sound caused by the movement of many bodies, neither of -the three lads had a glimpse of Professor Snodgrass. Nor did the echo -of his peculiar voice come to them. - -The fog seemed to be growing more dense every minute. There was no wind -to carry the mist away, and it hung about the disabled troopship like -some heavy, white veil. It was actually impossible to see more than -fifty feet, and then only dimly. To peer out over the side of the craft -was to gaze into a white sea, opaque and impenetrable. To look forward -or aft was to note the same thing. From amidships neither stern nor bow -of the _Sherman_ could be seen, and men moving about the decks actually -collided with one another. - -“Why don’t they do something?” complained more than one fretful voice, -and it was evident that many were under a great strain. - -“What can they do?” asked Jerry, of one of these complaining soldiers. -“The invention hasn’t been dreamed of that will dissipate a fog at sea.” - -“Well, why don’t the sailors fire guns, blow horns, or something, so we -won’t be run down?” went on the other. “We’re floating around here like -a log, and we may have a crash before very long.” - -“I fancy they’ll start signaling soon,” said Ned. - -“How are they going to when they can’t get up steam for the engines?” -Bob asked. - -“Oh, they’ve got donkey engines for hoisting out the cargo,” remarked -Jerry. “Those boilers can make steam, and I guess it can be conveyed to -the whistles. That will warn other vessels of our nearness. And this -fog may be a good thing, too.” - -“How do you figure that out?” a corporal wanted to know. - -“Well, we’ll begin signaling, and we may be heard by some craft which -can help us. It’s queer they didn’t blow the whistle when they found -the wireless wasn’t working.” - -“Yes, they might have done that,” assented Ned. “But I don’t agree with -you, Jerry, that the blowing of a whistle by our ship in this fog will -help us any.” - -“Why won’t it?” - -“Because as soon as any other ship hears our signals she’s going to -keep as far away as she can to avoid a collision.” - -“That’s so,” admitted the tall lad. “But I presume there’s some sort of -whistle code so they can send out a distress call.” - -“In that case we’ll be all right,” said Ned. “Well, all we can do is to -grin and bear it. The fog seems to have come to stay.” - -And this seemed true. Denser and more dense, the white vapor closed -around the slowly drifting _Sherman_. The air was cold and damp, and it -penetrated through the clothing. - -“What causes the fog?” asked Ned of a sailor who rolled past the three -friends as they stood at a rail. - -“Davy Jones, I guess,” was the answer. “Leastways he gets his full -share of ships when a fog like this here one comes. Maybe this here -one was caused by icebergs.” - -“Icebergs!” cried Jerry. - -“Yes, this is the time of year they come down, sometimes. An iceberg is -cold, you know, and when it gets in warm air it makes a fog. I’ve been -on ships more than once that bunked into ’em.” - -“Do they do much damage?” asked Bob. - -“Damage!” cried the sailor. “Say, did you ever see a little automobile, -the lightest kind there is, going full speed, hit a solid wall of rock?” - -“I can imagine what would happen,” admitted Ned. - -“Well, that’s what happens when a ship strikes an iceberg,” returned -the sailor. “Course we’re not speeding, but if we hit about fifty -thousand tons of ice--Aye, aye, sir!” he answered in response to a call -from one of the mates, and he moved off through the mist. - -“Pleasant prospect,” mused Jerry. - -“Let’s don’t think about it,” urged Bob. “Say, I wish we’d stayed in -France a few months longer. This being picked to be among the first to -go home isn’t as nice as it sounds.” - -“Oh, we’ll come out of this all right,” asserted Jerry. “Now let’s -consider what’s best to be done in case there is another accident in -the fog. We ought to try to find out where Professor Snodgrass is. -He’ll never think of trying to save himself if he has as much as one -bug to occupy his mind. We’d better try to locate him.” - -“I thought you said we wouldn’t force ourselves on him for fear of -spoiling his plans,” said Ned. - -“We won’t exactly force ourselves on him,” was Jerry’s answer. “But we -can inquire from the purser where our friend is placed. That may be his -regular cabin where we saw him, or he may only have stepped in there. -Once we know where he is we can go there and see that he gets out in -case there’s a crash.” - -“Yes, that’s a good idea,” agreed Ned and Bob. - -They were on their way to the purser, who might be expected to know the -names of all on board who were not strictly members of the military -force, when they heard from above the deep, hoarse note of a whistle. - -“Is that ours?” asked Ned quickly. - -“Sounded so,” replied Jerry. “But it may be that another ship is near. -Let’s go up and see.” - -They hurried on deck to learn that it was their own fog signal whistle -which had started sending out its hoarse warning. Steam had been -generated in one of the donkey hoisting engine boilers, and, by means -of a hastily rigged pipe line, conveyed to the big whistle. - -On this there now sounded warning blasts which would tell to other -craft in the vicinity the nearness of a ship. And, as the three chums -listened, they heard the blasts given in peculiar order--as though -spelling out some code word. - -“Is that saying anything?” asked Ned of a sailor who loomed up through -the mist. - -“Yes, that tells whoever hears it that we’re drifting, out of control, -and need help.” - -“Will help come?” - -“Nobody knows,” was the answer. “I don’t believe any other ship would -take a chance on coming too close while the fog holds.” - -And the fog still held. Like a white blanket it wrapped the transport -in its folds, hiding from view everything except in a fifty-foot -circle. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -THE CRASH - - -With moisture fairly dripping from their garments, hanging in beads -from their eyebrows, and seeming to penetrate to their innermost being, -as water does a sponge, Ned, Bob and Jerry stood at the rail of the -transport moodily discussing the situation. - -Yes, they were moody. It was, indeed, enough to make any one moody, -though perhaps they should have been thankful that their lives were -spared and that they were able to be up on deck, and not obliged to lie -stretched on a cot in the sick bay. But the boys thought they had just -cause for grievance, and perhaps they had. - -Certainly to be disabled far out at sea was bad enough, without having -to be fog-bound, to run the risk of crashing into some other vessel, -having some big steamer, or perhaps a war craft, crash into them, or -bear down on an immense iceberg which might be the cause of the very -fog that would hasten their destruction. - -And so, gloomily and moodily, the three Cresville lads leaned against -the rail, straining their eyes to pierce the misty whiteness that -enveloped them so closely. Every now and then the hoarse bellow of -the steamer’s whistle would sound out its warning and call--for the -blasts were so sounded as to form the international call for help. And, -punctuating the whistle blasts, was the clang of the fog bell, rung -insistently by sailors detailed for this important task. - -Meanwhile all that could be done was to watch and wait--wait for the -inevitable. Would the fog lift before some fatal crash? or would they -be further endangered by its opaqueness? No one could answer. - -Lookouts were stationed at every vantage point. Men were sent up to -the crow’s nests on the masts, but from there they reported that they -could see no more than could be observed from the deck. Their eyes were -useless beyond a distance of fifty feet. - -“This is fierce!” exclaimed Ned, and he closed his eyes for a moment, -for they actually ached from the strain he was putting on them by -trying to see the unseeable. - -“You said something!” commented Bob. - -“Oh, well, it might be worse,” remarked Jerry. - -“How could it be?” half-fiercely demanded Ned. - -“We might not be afloat in a sound ship, for one thing,” the tall lad -answered. “Of course we can’t move under our own power, but we’re in no -danger of sinking.” - -“No--not yet,” muttered Bob significantly. “But there’s no telling how -long we may be this way. Look at those sails! Might as well hang up a -couple of pocket handkerchiefs!” and he motioned to the great expanses -of canvas between the wireless masts. - -They did, indeed, hang as limp as clothes on a line. Not a whiff of -wind swayed them, and the moisture of the fog, condensing on their -white surfaces, dripped down to the deck. - -“Well, we can’t do anything to remedy it,” said Jerry, after a pause. -“Might as well grin and bear it.” - -“What do you say to looking up Professor Snodgrass?” asked Bob. “That -is, I don’t mean go directly to him, for he might have, as Jerry says, -some special reason for not wanting to be disturbed. But if he’s here -on board--and we’re sure, now, that he is--we could ask of some of the -officers and, perhaps, let him know we’re here.” - -“Yes, let’s do that!” added Ned. “We started to, but got off the track.” - -Jerry considered the matter a moment. Then he said: - -“I guess we might as well. We’ll want to know where he is, anyhow, in -case of accident, so we can look after him. Let’s go!” - -On board the transport the same sort of military rules and regulations -that existed in camp or on the battlefield did not hold good. There was -more freedom and ease in going about and in making inquiries, and the -Motor Boys proceeded to take advantage of this. - -Their first inquiries, however, of some of the ship’s officers resulted -in disappointment. No one seemed to know Professor Snodgrass. They -admitted that there were several civilians on board the transport, but -were not aware of their names. - -Some said they had seen a man resembling the description given of -Professor Snodgrass, but when pressed for details they described the -individual the boys had dubbed “_le cochon_,” and the Motor Boys did -not want to meet him again. - -They even made their way to the passage where the marines had been on -sentry duty in front of the mysterious cabin, and, somewhat to their -surprise, found the men on guard. They were not the same men they had -seen at first, but two burly soldiers who gruffly bade the boys: - -“Move on!” - -“This certainly is queer,” declared Bob, when they were out of earshot -of the two marines. “One time they have a guard there, and another time -they don’t.” - -“I wonder why,” voiced Ned. - -“Can’t you guess?” asked Jerry. - -“No. Tell us!” urged his chums. - -“Well, I should think it would occur to you that the marines are not -guarding the cabin--just some one in it. And if he isn’t there----” - -“Oh, I see!” exclaimed Bob. - -“You mean pepper-pot was out of the cabin the other time we were here -and we saw Professor Snodgrass inside?” asked Ned. - -“About that,” answered Jerry, smiling. - -“Well, that’s a white horse of another color,” remarked Ned. “Professor -Snodgrass must have been in pepper-pot’s cabin when our volatile -acquaintance, _le cochon_, was out of it. Now that the little man who -looks like our friend is there again, the guards are once more on duty. -How’s that, Jerry?” - -“That’s about the way I size it up.” - -“Well, now that we’ve got thus far let’s keep on,” suggested Bob. -“Let’s find where the professor is.” - -“Why not ask the guards?” suggested Ned. - -“We can try,” agreed Chunky. “But they didn’t seem very friendly.” - -Nor were they when the friends essayed a few questions. The chief one -being as to whether or not the marines knew where Professor Snodgrass -could be found. - -“Go chase yourself,” was all the reply the boys received. - -“Well, we’re on our own now, so let’s make a hunt,” suggested Jerry. -“He’s somewhere on this ship, and a man with all the peculiarities of -Professor Snodgrass can’t be hidden long.” - -“That’s true,” assented his chums. - -And the search began. How long the three might have been searching, -unaided as they were by any information given in response to their many -questions, is doubtful. Probably if they had been able to find the -purser he would have solved the riddle for them at once. - -But that official was not to be found. Doubtless, with the added -responsibilities that had come with the accident to the ship he was in -great demand and was not long in any one place. - -At any rate Ned, Bob and Jerry could not find him, and no one in his -department would give them the information they sought. The transport -being so large and so crowded, the professor was almost as well hidden -as though he were in some large city and no one had his address. - -As it was, chance came to the aid of the three boys. They were -wandering about, now and then going up on deck to see if the fog had -lifted, coming down again, disappointed because it had not, when, as -they were watching a group of sailors putting fresh water in some of -the boats that were always kept in readiness for instant use, they -heard a well-remembered voice saying: - -“Just a moment, now! Just a moment, I beg of you. Don’t stir hand or -foot!” - -“And why shouldn’t I stir hand or foot?” asked a truculent voice. “Do -you think I can stand here all day while you’re creepin’ up on me like -a scalping Indian?” - -“One moment! Only a second more, I beg of you!” went on the first -voice. “There is on your left leg one of the finest specimens of -sea-leech I have ever seen, and I want him!” - -“A leech! You’re welcome to him!” cried the other voice, and through -the fog the three boys saw looming a strange sight. - -A sailor was swabbing part of the deck, and he stood with his mop half -raised from the pail while stealthily approaching him was the figure of -a little bald-headed man, wearing across his nose powerful spectacles. - -And it needed but a moment’s glance at the little man to show that he -was none other than Professor Snodgrass. Bob impulsively murmured his -name. - -The little scientist, edging his way along the fog-wreathed deck toward -the poised sailor, gave one glance and noticed the three chums. - -“Oh, boys! Glad to see you!” he exclaimed, as though they had just left -him the day before. “Please don’t move. I am about to make a most -important capture. One moment, my friend. Don’t stir hand or foot. In a -moment----” - -The professor’s words were interrupted by a chorus of terrific shouts. -There was a confusion of voices, mingling with the frantic clanging of -a bell and the hoarse tooting of the big whistle. - -Ned, Bob and Jerry caught a glimpse of something big and black looming -up on the port side out of the fog. - -A moment later there was a terrific crash, and it seemed as if the -transport would be heeled over and capsized. The fear-anticipated -collision had happened! - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -A WAIF OF THE SEA - - -Jerry Hopkins felt himself being tossed through space. That is to say, -he felt himself moving through space; but, as a matter of fact, he -did not at that instant know whether he had been tossed or was merely -falling. There was blackness before his eyes, caused, as he learned -later, by a blow on the head, and even if that had not been the case -he could have seen little, for the fog, after the collision, seemed to -settle down heavier than before. - -Jerry had a confused idea that he was shouting something. What it was -he did not know, but as there was a riot of shouts going on all about -him it did not much matter. - -The crash had stunned him for the time being. It had shaken him through -and through and disturbed his logical thinking powers. He found time -to wonder what had happened to his chums, Ned and Bob, and also to -Professor Snodgrass. Was it not queer how they had so unexpectedly met -him, and in a characteristic occupation--that of gathering a rare bug -unsuspectingly harbored by some innocent spectator? - -What had happened to Bob, Ned, and the professor? Did he get the bug he -was after? What had become of the surprised sailor? - -These, and other thoughts, rushed through the mind of Jerry Hopkins -in a series of flashes, like the views on a moving picture screen. He -instinctively flung out his hands to protect himself when he should -land, and then---- - -Suddenly he felt himself being immersed in deep water. He had fallen -into the sea--he realized that--and the sudden shock cleared his -partially numbed brain. Instinctively Jerry held his breath as his head -went under, and then he began frantically striking out. He was a strong -swimmer, and, even fully dressed as he was, he knew how to take care of -himself in the water. - -Giving his head a shake to clear his eyes, he looked about him. He -wanted to see, if possible, in what direction to swim to save himself. -If he had been tossed any distance from the transport he might be some -time before he could swim back to her. And it might be better to try to -reach the vessel that had crashed into the _Sherman_. - -Then another thought occurred to Jerry. Was it another vessel that had -crashed into the troopship in the fog? Might it not have been some -immense iceberg, which, even now, was bearing down on the swimming lad? - -And then Jerry, in a measure, pulled himself together. He knew -that to dwell on such gloomy thoughts was hampering his powers of -resistance--taking from him his own self-control that he very much -needed at this time. So, vigorously putting them aside, he increased -the power of his strokes, though he was beginning to feel the weight -of his soaked garments. Again he shook his head to clear his eyes and -looked about him for something toward which to swim. All about him was -the dense, white fog. He looked for something black looming up through -it--the black side of the troopship, or perhaps the side of the vessel -which had crashed into the _Sherman_. - -And then, like a flash, it came to Jerry. - -“No, it won’t be black!” - -For a moment that simple thought, which came in the form of a sentence -he might have seen written down, puzzled the lad. - -“Why wouldn’t it be black?” he asked himself, even as he swam about. -And then came the subconscious answer. - -“Camouflage paint!” - -That was it! Why hadn’t he thought of it before? - -“If our vessel was camouflaged, as she was,” reasoned Jerry, “the other -might be also. I’ve got to look for something like that and not the -ordinary black-painted side of a ship. Glad I thought of that. But it’s -going to be harder to watch for.” - -One thing was in his favor--the sea was calm. The absence of wind for -several days had made the ocean like some smooth lake, and there was -only a long, gentle swell on the crests of which Jerry rose and fell as -he swam onward. - -But though he strained his eyes, which smarted somewhat from the salt -water, he could see no fantastically camouflaged side of a vessel -toward which he might make his way to safety. - -“This is queer,” he found himself reasoning. “I couldn’t have fallen -a great way from the _Sherman_ or the other ship. I must have been -swimming the wrong way in the fog. I’ll turn back.” - -He turned squarely around--as nearly as he could judge the direction in -the fog--and began striking out again. And just as he was beginning to -wonder why it was he did not see something, his ears became aware of a -confused shouting off to his left; at least he thought it was his left. - -“There she is! There’s the _Sherman_!” Jerry told himself. “I’ve been -headed wrong! Why didn’t I hear that noise before?” - -Then his ears felt as though warm water had suddenly run out of them -from inside his head, and he knew what had happened. - -Both ears had filled with water when he took his plunge into the sea, -and this had temporarily deafened him. He always had had trouble that -way, even when a small lad, and he used to wear wads of cotton in his -ears when he went for a swim. He remembered that on several occasions -he had feared he was going deaf, only to feel, later, the sensation of -warm water running from his ears, and then his hearing returned. - -The explanation was simple. Jerry’s inner ears filled with water. It -became warmed up to nearly 98 degrees by his blood, and then, expanding -with the heat, was forced out naturally. Once his ears were clear of -water, he could hear as well as before. And that accounted for the fact -that he now suddenly heard the shouting which, probably, had been going -on all the while he was in the water. - -“I’m all right now,” decided the tall lad. “I know which way to swim.” - -He really thought he did, though, as it turned out later, he had -mistaken the direction of the noise. And as he swam on, blissfully -unconscious of the fact that he was going farther and farther away from -the _Sherman_ instead of nearer to it, another thought came to Jerry. -He expressed it subconsciously: - -“Why don’t I hear some whistling or some other noise from the vessel -that crashed into us?” - -That was it--why did he not? Once his ears had cleared, Jerry could -continue to catch the sound of distant shouting, and also the periodic -whistling of the _Sherman_--he well knew the tones of that instrument. -But he did not hear any corresponding note from the other ship that had -been in the collision. - -“She ought to be whistling, too,” decided Jerry. “Maybe she’s damaged, -and maybe some of her men have been knocked overboard as I was. She -ought to be whistling.” - -But on that mist-covered sea there seemed to be but one vessel in the -neighborhood of the swimming lad--and that was the transport which he -was vainly endeavoring to find. - -Then, like a flash, one of his previous thoughts came to Jerry Hopkins. - -“An iceberg can’t whistle!” - -That must be it. An iceberg had been responsible for the crash, and -even now was out there, somewhere, in the fog. - -“_Sherman_ ahoy!” cried Jerry desperately. - -He listened, but there came no answer. The tumult and the shouting -seemed to have died away. Was he leaving the vicinity of the transport, -or was she being borne from him in the frozen grip of a mountainous -berg? - -Just for an instant, but for an instant only, Jerry lost hope and -courage. He seemed to want to cease swimming and let himself sink. Then -he got control of himself again, and struck out more vigorously than -before. - -[Illustration: HE SEEMED TO WANT TO CEASE SWIMMING AND LET HIMSELF -SINK.] - -“I’m not going to die! I’m not going to die!” - -This he told himself over and over again, fiercely. - -“I’m not going to quit! I’m not going to be a quitter!” - -He felt better when he said this over once or twice. He was beginning -to feel weary, but he would not allow his mind to dwell on that. His -brain forced his legs and arms to do their duty. - -And then, when for perhaps the fiftieth time he had feverishly -repeated: “I’m not going to be a quitter!” Jerry became aware of -something looming up before him out of the fog. At first he took it to -be merely but a thicker cloud of the white mist, and then he imagined -it to be the dirty white of some iceberg. - -But a moment later he knew it for what it was--the camouflaged side of -a vessel. - -“I’ve found the _Sherman_!” cried Jerry aloud. “On board the -transport!” he yelled. “Throw me a line!” - -Nothing but silence greeted him. In growing wonder and fear he swam -along the side of the craft. The waves rose and fell along it lazily, -now raising, again lowering him. - -What did it mean? Was the _Sherman_ so badly damaged that she was -sinking and had been abandoned? This could hardly have taken place so -quickly. There would have been some boats remaining in the vicinity. -But no, there was not a sign. - -“Ahoy the _Sherman_!” yelled Jerry. - -No answer. He swam along the side. He came upon a dangling rope, and, -by the exercise of his last-remaining strength, he managed to reach the -deck. - -Then one look told him the story. It was a derelict that had crashed -into the _Sherman_, and Jerry Hopkins was now aboard this waif of the -sea. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -NED WONDERS - - -When the crash had come Ned Slade felt himself thrown back against -a deck stanchion, which he grasped desperately. In the instant of -the collision, or so immediately following it as to make it seem -simultaneous, he had observed a big hole torn in the side of the -_Sherman_. - -Stunned and shaken, he clung to the stanchion while all about him were -confused shouts and orders and the rushing to and fro of many feet. - -Almost as if in a dream, Ned saw the dark shape that had smashed into -the troopship slowly back away--pull itself out of the great gash that -had been cut. Then the fog swallowed it up. - -He had slid to the deck after being hurled against the stanchion, and -now he pulled himself to his feet again. As he did so he saw himself -surrounded by a number of officers and men who had not been standing -near him when the crash came. They looked from Ned to the hole in the -side of the transport, and then out into the fog. - -“What was it?” some one asked. - -“I--I don’t know,” confusedly murmured Ned. And then it occurred to him -that he did know--that he had seen exactly what had happened. So he -answered: “A steamer crashed into us. She’s out there!” - -He pointed to the mist that was thicker than ever. - -“What ship was it?” - -“Did you see the name?” - -“Why doesn’t she stand by and give assistance?” - -“I didn’t notice what the name was,” he managed to answer. “She just -crashed into us--right here--and then she backed out.” He pointed to -the gaping hole. - -“Queer she backed out again,” commented a ship’s officer. “She might -better have held her nose in the hole. That is, if it’s below the water -line. But it isn’t,” he added quickly, as he leaned over the rail to -take an observation. “We’re safe, so far. The lowest part of the hole -is above the water line. But why doesn’t she let us know who she is? -Why doesn’t she signal?” - -It was queer, the absolute absence of sound from the other craft. -Except for that gaping hole, it was as though she had been a figment of -the imagination. - -“She doesn’t whistle,” said the officer, who had looked over the side, -“and I don’t hear any shouting. Surely she’s still near enough for us -to hear from her. Are you sure it was a vessel?” he asked Ned. “Who -else was here with you at the time?” - -That question gave Ned a shock. That was it! Who had been with him at -the time? - -Why of course Jerry, Bob and Professor Snodgrass. And there was some -one else--the sailor from whose person the little scientist had been -about to remove a bug. It all came back to Ned now. - -“Are you sure it was a vessel?” the officer asked again. “It may have -been an iceberg. I’ve been bumped by them more than once.” - -“It was a vessel,” answered Ned, and his mind was struggling with two -matters. One was to answer the questions put to him, and the other was -to try to think what had become of Bob, Jerry and the professor. He was -confusing things. - -“It was a vessel,” he went on. “I could see the camouflage paint on -her. She slammed right into us and then backed off.” - -“That’s queer,” murmured the officer. “If she was under steam she could -blow her whistle, and even if she was disabled, as we are, she could -ring a bell. But there isn’t a sound.” - -“It must have been an iceberg,” declared another officer. “That would -account for everything--even the silence.” - -“It wasn’t an iceberg!” declared Ned. “I saw the camouflage paint. And -look! You can see where some of it is scraped off on the broken end of -our rail.” - -He pointed to a jagged timber. It was true. Amid the splinters were -flecks of blue and white paint. - -“He’s right!” assented the first officer. “Besides, if it was an -iceberg there’d be chunks of it on our decks now. And there isn’t a -cubic inch. It was another ship!” - -“But what kind?” cried several. “Why doesn’t she signal us and see if -she can help?” - -The officer had an answer ready for that question. He had not sailed -the seven seas without knowing something of the mysteries of the vast -places. - -“A derelict,” he said. - -“A derelict!” came the chorus. Then they understood. - -Then came a barrage of questions, chief among them being: - -“How could an abandoned derelict back away?” - -“She probably didn’t,” the first officer said. “The shock of the -collision probably separated us, and a stray current did the rest. I -only hope she keeps away from us!” - -The first excitement following the crash having passed, it remained to -make certain just how badly damaged the _Sherman_ was and to ascertain -the number of her crew and passengers who had been injured. - -A hasty examination disclosed the fact that the hole in the side was -well above the water line. Except in the event of a storm the transport -would not leak. And, even in that case, the flooding of one more -compartment would not be fatal. - -In regard to the personal damage, though, the troopship had not come -off so well. Several had been killed when the prow of the derelict -had bit into the _Sherman’s_ side, for several decks were involved in -the damage done, and all along the rails, at the point of the crash, -men had been standing. Doctors and nurses found themselves with many -new casual cases to look after, as well as those with which they had -started out. The dead, of course, were beyond help, and their poor, -maimed bodies were tenderly laid aside. There were some of the injured -whose recovery was in doubt, but others were only slightly hurt. - -But military discipline, added to that of the naval officers, soon -brought comparative order out of chaos, and then, or even before, boats -were lowered to pick up any who might have been tossed by the collision -into the sea. - -One or two of these were picked up floating near the _Sherman_, and -some had been hurt. - -Just how many were missing could not be ascertained until the lists -were gone over. But Ned lost no time after a hasty survey of those -picked up in telling that Jerry, Bob and Professor Snodgrass, all of -whom had been talking with him a moment before the crash, were not to -be found. - -“We’ll have a thorough search made,” said the ship’s captain, when -Ned’s story was repeated. “If necessary I’ll keep boats cruising about -all night.” - -And he did. Sailors, marines, and soldiers formed searching parties in -lifeboats, but they were handicapped by the fog. They dared not go far -away from the _Sherman_ for fear of being lost themselves, and their -shouts brought no response. Some floating wreckage was picked up, part -of it from the troopship and some from the unknown derelict. “Unknown” -because nothing that was found afloat after the crash disclosed her -identity. - -“But what has become of Jerry, Bob and the professor?” wondered Ned. -“They were with me. Their bodies are not among the dead--I’m thankful -for that--nor are they in the list of wounded. They weren’t picked up -by the boats. But where are they?” - -And as Ned wondered and wondered the fearful conviction was borne to -him that his three friends must have been injured or killed by the -crash and have been flung into the sea, their bodies at once sinking. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -A QUEER CRAFT - - -Bob Baker and Professor Snodgrass struck the water at the same moment, -and side by side. They plunged downward together and came up at the -same time. And then, with seemingly the same thought, they both struck -out for a bit of wreckage. They reached this--a jagged mass of wood -which was large enough to partially support them in the water. - -Bob was, because of his stoutness, rather fortunate in the water. He -floated well, and he was by no means a bad swimmer. As for Professor -Snodgrass, in spite of his preoccupation at times, he had mastered the -art of keeping himself afloat in the water, and was really well able to -look out for himself. So he had not much difficulty. - -“Are you hurt, Professor?” gasped Bob, as soon as he had cleared his -eyes and mouth of some of the salty water that had entered. - -“I--I don’t seem to be,” gasped the little scientist. “This was rather -unfortunate, wasn’t it?” - -“If you mean being tossed overboard, I’ll say it was,” replied Bob, -hardly meaning his answer to take that army-slang phraseology. “But -it’s lucky we found this bit of wreckage. It will keep us up, without -our having to swim, for some time.” - -“Oh, yes, that was lucky,” agreed the professor. “But what I meant was -it’s too bad I didn’t get that bug when I had the chance. I refer to -the one on the sailor. Very rare bug, that. I almost had it when the -crash came. I wonder if he’ll be there when we get back?” - -“The bug?” asked Bob, unable to restrain a smile. - -“Well, the bug and the sailor. Those bugs cling, once they get fastened -on a person or object. If that sailor hasn’t been tossed overboard, -like ourselves, I may be able to get my specimen after all when we get -back.” - -“If we do get back,” put in Bob, as he took an easier position on the -bit of wreckage and looked about him. - -“Get back! Why shouldn’t we get back?” asked Professor Snodgrass. “All -we’ve got to do is to cling here until they send a boat for us.” - -“Yes, I suppose so,” half agreed Bob. “But if they can’t see to pick us -up, and we drift much farther apart, why----” - -He did not need to say more. The little scientist looked about and saw -the white fog enveloping them. It was answer enough. - -“This surely is unfortunate,” went on the little bald-headed man. “I -need just that one bug to complete my collection, and if we don’t -return soon some one else may get it.” - -“Who’d want it?” asked Bob. - -“Why Dr. Hallet, of course,” was the answer, as if there could be no -other. “I’ve had to fight tooth and nail the last month to keep him -from securing things that really belong to me. And now that I am in -this unfortunate position he may get ahead of me. There is only one -hope.” - -“What’s that?” asked Bob. “Do you see a boat coming for us?” - -“No. The hope I refer to is that the sailor on whom I saw that bug may -remember that I have first claim to it. He may save it for me and not -let Dr. Hallet get it.” - -“Is Dr. Hallet on board?” asked Bob, beginning to get a glimmer of -light on some matters that had puzzled him and his chums during the -past few days. - -“Well, he was at the time I left,” announced the professor. “But he, -too, may have been tossed overboard as we were. If he was, I hope he -doesn’t want to get aboard our present craft. There is hardly room for -one more.” - -“No, indeed,” agreed Bob. “But, say, Professor, we ought to do -something.” - -“Do what, Bob?” - -“Shout and yell to let ’em know we’re out here. They’ll send a boat for -us. Come on, yell!” - -Accordingly they blended their voices, far from musically, but into -what they hoped would prove to be an appeal for help. Whether it was -effective or not they could not tell, as the fog shut them in like a -great white blanket. - -“If we could manage to propel our craft in the direction of the ship we -might be saved sooner,” said Professor Snodgrass. “What do you imagine -hit us, Bob?” - -“Oh, some sort of ship--derelict, I imagine, because I didn’t hear any -whistle before the crash. Ours was the only one going. It wasn’t an -iceberg--I know that. I had a glimpse of something big looming up in -front of me, then I heard and felt the crash, and--here we are!” - -“Yes, here we are!” agreed the professor. “And the next matter to -consider is--what are we going to do?” - -“We’ve got to hold on to what we have until we can get something -better,” the Motor Boy decided, after a moment of thought. “If we -smashed the other ship up much, or she smashed us, there’ll be a lot of -wreckage floating around soon, and we may be able to pick up a bigger -piece. As it is, I think you can get on this one, Professor, and let -me swim behind and push it. In that way we can make better progress, -and may get back to the transport.” - -“I suppose that would be a good plan, Bob. But why can’t we both get on -this bit of wreckage?” - -“Won’t hold us,” was the answer. “It’s just big enough for you. I’m too -fat. Besides, I guess I can stand it better swimming and pushing than -you. I’ll get off some of my things, though, and make it easier.” - -Partly supporting himself on the mass of wreckage, Bob removed his -shoes, trousers and coat, and remained in his underwear, which did not -form a bad bathing suit. - -His garments he rolled up and stuffed into a big crack in the mass of -timbers and boards. - -Professor Snodgrass was small and light, and when he had managed, with -Bob’s help, to clamber up on the wreckage he found he had a fairly -comfortable position compared to being unsupported in the water. Nor -did he submerge the mass very much. - -“What are you going to do?” the professor asked, as he settled himself -on the middle of the mass. - -“Try to get back to the _Sherman_,” Bob answered. “She can’t be very -far away.” - -“Hadn’t we better yell again?” asked Professor Snodgrass, after a -period of silence. “We ought to let them know we’re here.” - -“Yes,” agreed Bob, “we had.” - -Now, again, they raised their voices, but after several trials, there -came no answer. - -“They must have got up steam, and are going away from us,” said Bob. -“Or else they’ve sunk,” he added, after a moment. - -“I can hardly believe that,” answered the professor. “The blow struck -by the derelict, as you say it was, I am sure was not hard enough to -sink our ship so soon. Besides, if she had gone down we’d see signs of -more wreckage, or the lifeboats. As it is, we have seen nothing.” - -“That’s right,” admitted Bob. “It surely is queer.” - -Bob Baker had paused in his efforts to push the raft, and now was -resting himself while he held this conversation with his friend. - -He was about to start to swimming again when the professor began -quickly to remove his coat, shoes, and trousers. - -“What are you going to do?” cried Bob, wondering if the shock had -suddenly sent his scientific friend mad. - -“Don’t stop me!” cried Professor Snodgrass. “I’ve just got to get it!” - -An instant later he dived overboard, and Bob was about to swim around -and catch hold of him, when he saw the little man’s object. - -Just ahead of the raft was a mass of floating seaweed, and on it, or -entangled in it, were several forms of marine life--a crab, a radiolite -and one or two others. - -“There’s enough here for a month of study!” cried the professor, as he -swam back to the raft with his prize. “Oh, if I only had my microscope -and notebook here. But they are back on the transport. Oh, if she -should be sunk what a loss it would be!” - -“I should say so!” agreed Bob, as he helped steady the raft while the -little bald-headed man, holding the mass of weeds he had secured, -climbed “on board” again. “Think of the lives that would be lost!” - -“Yes, that would be awful,” agreed his companion. “But I would lose -a most wonderful collection of specimens and much valuable data -concerning them. That rascally Dr. Hallet would get them if he could.” - -“Who is he?” asked Bob. “Is he that mysterious individual who was in -the guarded cabin? the little man who looks like you from behind, with -whom Jerry had the row, and who----” - -“Look! Look!” suddenly cried the professor, holding to his bunch of -seaweed with one hand and with the other stuffing his removed clothes -into a crack of the raft so they would not be washed away. “Look! -There’s a boat after us!” - -Bob looked in the direction of the pointing finger and saw, dimly -through the fog, a white object of considerable size, at least as -compared to their improvised vessel. It floated well up out of the -water, and as the drifting currents brought the two nearer Bob saw that -it was a ship’s life raft. It consisted of two large steel cylinders, -filled with air and sealed. Between them was a platform and a raised -object which Bob knew was a water-tight box, or locker, containing food -and water. - -“Look!” cried the professor. “There he is! There he is! Oh, I hope the -bug is still on him!” - -And then Bob observed that the life raft held a lone occupant. It was -a sailor, and it needed only a second glance to show that it was the -same man from whom Professor Snodgrass had been about to remove a -“specimen,” when the crash came. - -Almost at the same instant that Bob and the professor observed the lone -sailor on the life raft, the man noticed them. He stared a moment, then -waved his hand in greeting and called: - -“Are you alive?” - -“Very much so!” answered Bob. “Have you room for us there?” - -“Plenty and to spare,” was the answer. “This raft is built to hold -twelve. Wait, I’ll row over to you!” - -Then Bob saw that the queer craft was provided with oars; and though it -moved clumsily in the water it progressed toward him and the professor. -The latter gave one look and observing that substantial help was on the -way, he began to examine the specimens in the bunch of seaweed. Not -before he had called out, however to the sailor: - -“Don’t lose that bug, whatever you do!” - -“Bug! Lose the bug! Sure, and the man’s plumb daft!” Bob heard the old -salt mutter. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -A LONE NAVIGATOR - - -Jerry Hopkins stood in a pool of sea water on the deck of the derelict -to which he had climbed after having been immersed in the ocean for -more than an hour. Every seam of his garments seemed to spew out a -little puddle of dampness, and he said afterward that he felt not -unlike a sponge. But for the time being, wonder at his new situation -and thankfulness that he was on something more substantial than a wave -overpowered every other emotion. - -“Well, I’m here, but where am I?” mused Jerry. “I wonder what vessel -this is and how long she will remain afloat? Anyhow, if she does go -under I can make a raft of something to keep afloat on. This isn’t half -bad. Now let’s see where I’m at!” - -Jerry knew that the best thing for him to do was to get some dry -clothes on, provided he could find any, or, if not, to get his wet ones -off and let them dry. The weather was cold and damp, and the fog still -prevailed, so much so that he could only see part of the deck of the -derelict at a time. - -The refugee also felt the need of food and something hot to drink, for -though it was not winter his immersion in the sea, coupled to the fact -that the last few days had been damp, cold ones, had not served to -raise his vitality. - -“But first I’m going to see if any one else is on board,” mused Jerry, -as he moved about, first, however, removing his soaked coat and -trousers. His shoes he had loosed and let drop into the ocean soon -after he began swimming. - -“This is as good as a bathing suit, in case I meet any one,” mused the -lad, as he glanced down at his underwear. “And I can’t stand those wet -things. There must be bunks aboard, if nothing else, and I can crawl -into one after a bit. But first I’m going to look about.” - -He did not pause long to ascertain what sort of craft it was on which -he found himself. That it was a derelict, and that it was probably the -one that had crashed into the _Sherman_, or the craft into which the -troopship had crashed, was very evident to Jerry Hopkins. That it was -a derelict was sure, for there was not a sign of life on deck, nor was -the vessel under command. There was no vestige of sail, and no smoke -came from her single funnel, nor was there any vibration to tell of -engines in motion. - -Jerry made a quick tour of the deck, moving swiftly to restore his -partially suspended circulation. The vessel showed many evidences of -damage, whether by shell fire or collision Jerry could not determine. -Her rails were broken in many places, and all her boats were gone -except a broken one on the port davits. Looking over the side as best -he could the lad decided that there was not much damage below the water -line, or, if there were punctures, the bulkheads confined the leakage -to one small section. - -“She floats pretty well,” mused Jerry, after he had made a tour of the -craft and had seen no one on the deck. “She may ride quite a while yet. -There’s no one up here, that’s sure, but that isn’t saying there mayn’t -be some one below. I’m going to look.” - -The sea was calm and the vessel rode on an almost even keel, so the lad -had no difficulty in going below. In spite of her comparatively small -size, the derelict contained many places where persons might be either -in hiding, or perhaps ill or dead. But Jerry moved quickly about below, -using his knowledge of ships which was not small, and as he moved here -and there he shouted. - -The echoes of his own voice were the only answers he received, and when -he had penetrated to the engine room, and even to the stokehold, and -had seen the boilers cold and dead, and not a soul in sight, he came to -the most natural conclusion. - -“I’m all alone here!” he exclaimed aloud. Somehow, it seemed less -lonely to speak in this way. “Well, since I’ve got to entertain -myself,” mused Jerry whimsically, “I’m going to see if there is -anything I can wear and anything I can eat. Might as well be as -comfortable as I can since I’m to be ‘cook and captain too, and mate’ -of this derelict. Wonder what her name is, anyhow?” - -A look at the one remaining lifeboat--useless as it was,--showed -painted on her bow the words: “_Altaire_, New York.” - -“Never heard of her,” mused the lad. “She’s probably some small tramp -steamer, and maybe was doing a sort of free and easy freight business -to Europe. The Germans caught her and--good-night! She must have been -floating around for some time, though.” - -Going below again, out of the cold, damp fog, Jerry came upon what -he took to be the cabin of the captain or one of the mates. It bore -evidences of having been ransacked, but there was clothing scattered -about, as was the case in adjoining cabins, and Jerry at once stripped, -rubbed himself down well until his whole body was in a glow, and -then he dressed himself in the best of what he found. It was rather -nondescript, to say the least. - -“But I’m warm, and that’s a whole lot,” reasoned the lone navigator. -“And as there’s no one to see me, who cares how I look?” - -Warmly clad, though somewhat regretting that he was no longer in Uncle -Sam’s uniform, Jerry’s next thought was of getting something to eat. - -“And I only wish old Bob and Ned were here with me to help get up a -meal--provided I can find any!” mused the lad. “Wonder what happened to -them. Were they tossed overboard as I was? Or did the _Sherman_ sink? -That can hardly have happened, though, or I’d have heard more of a -commotion--fellows shouting and so on. Guess she’s all right, but it’s -mighty queer I’m the only one on board here. What became of Professor -Snodgrass? And what was he doing on board, and that other queer -duck--_le cochon_?” - -Jerry paused to reflect a moment, going hastily over in his mind all -that had happened since he had been standing in the fog on the deck of -the transport conversing with his friends. - -“Seems like a week ago, and yet it wasn’t more than two hours,” he -decided. “Well, now for the grub--if there is any!” - -Jerry did not need to be told the location of the galley and pantry. -He found the place where the ship’s food was prepared, but, like the -cabins, the deck, and the engine room--it was drearily empty. There was -a stock of dry wood and some coal near the galley stove, however, and -finding matches in a tin box, Jerry soon had a blaze. - -“Feels mighty good, too,” he decided as he rubbed his hands over the -fast-warming stove. “Now if I can get something to eat I’ll feel like a -real passenger.” - -There was, as the lad soon discovered, enough food on board to last a -long while. Much had been hastily taken away--that was evident--but -plenty remained. - -Whether the passengers and crew had filled the boats before leaving -what they believed to be a sinking ship, or whether the Germans had -looted the _Altaire_, Jerry could not determine. - -However, he found some tins of pilot biscuit, some canned bacon, and -enough coffee to last him a year, he thought. There was condensed -milk, also, and plenty of sugar, though how the Germans overlooked -that--providing they had been the marauders--it was hard to say. - -Moving quickly about, Jerry soon had some bacon sizzling on the stove, -its aroma mingling with that of the coffee. Having unearthed a tin of -preserved butter, Jerry set himself a table. Then, surveying the work -of his hands, he exclaimed: - -“Not half bad, old top! Not half bad!” - -How good that sizzling, crisp bacon and coffee tasted to Jerry Hopkins! -He was just finishing his repast and wondering what he had best do -next, when he heard a sound up above on deck. - -Jerry started so suddenly that he dropped the empty coffee cup he had -been about to set down, and it crashed to the floor, breaking into many -pieces. - -“Are we hitting something else, or has some one come to life on board -here?” mused Jerry, as he slowly rose from his seat. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -THREE ON A RAFT - - -Slowly, owing to its size and clumsy, though eminently safe, -construction, the life raft containing the sailor approached the bit of -wreckage that supported Bob Baker and Professor Snodgrass. - -“Are you all right?” the sailor called to them, and his voice seemed -happy and jolly in spite of his situation. - -“As right as can be,” responded Bob. “We’ll be better when we get on -board with you, though. That is, if there’s room.” - -“Sure, there’s plenty of room!” the old salt asserted. “And there’s -stuff to eat and drink here, though I haven’t time to get at it. Steady -now, and I’ll have you on board in another minute or two.” - -He navigated his queer craft until he had brought it alongside the mass -of wreckage, and in a few minutes more, Bob and the professor were -safely on board. The change was a most welcome one, since the life raft -rode high in the water, and they could sit out of reach of the waves, -at least while the sea was calm. In a storm it would be another matter, -but they did not think of this just then. - -“Now we’ll paddle away from that bit of jagged timber,” said the -sailor. “It won’t do to get rammed with that, or we may get a hole -stove in one of our air tanks. That’d be bad!” - -He was about to fend off the rude craft that had saved the lives of Bob -and Professor Snodgrass when the latter uttered a cry. - -“Wait a minute!” he begged. “My clothes! I’ve got a pencil in one -pocket, and some paper. After I dry it out I can make notes on this new -kind of crab I’ve found in this seaweed. I want to get my clothes.” - -“It wouldn’t be a bad idea,” decided Bob. “I’ll get mine, too. May have -a chance to use ’em later on.” - -It did not take long to haul aboard the raft the bundles of wet -clothing from the cracks in the mass of wreckage, and then Bob, taking -an oar, helped the sailor shove off. - -“Now we’re properly afloat, we’d better think what we’re going to do,” -suggested the old salt. “I’m no navigator. Beno Judd is my name, and I -generally write ‘A. B.’ after it when I sign papers. Can either of you -gentlemen navigate?” - -“I can’t,” confessed Bob, as he told his own name and that of his -scientific friend. “Perhaps the professor may be able to help us.” - -“Help you do what?” asked Professor Snodgrass, looking up from his -occupation of investigating the seaweed. - -“Navigate,” answered Bob. “Mr. Judd, this sailor, says he doesn’t know -anything about it.” - -“Neither do I,” admitted the professor. “But why do we want to -navigate? We’re afloat, aren’t we? And we’re comparatively dry now, or -will be soon. This bunch of seaweed will keep me occupied for several -days, and----” - -He paused to look closely at the sailor. - -“What did you do with it?” he asked quickly. - -“With what?” - -“That bug.” - -“Well, maybe the poor thing died of fright, or was drowned, sir,” was -the answer, given with just the trace of a smile. “I went overboard -when you did, sir, and that’s all I know.” - -“Too bad,” mused the professor. “But perhaps sometime I may find -another on you. At any rate I have this crab, and a most beautiful -specimen it is.” - -As he spoke he held up a squirming creature, which, as Bob said later, -never would have taken a prize, even at a bulldog show. - -“I hope to secure some valuable data from this specimen as to the -possible effect of the discharge of depth bombs on inhabitants of the -sea,” the professor went on. “If I only had some dry note paper!” he -sighed, as he took a sodden mass from his wet garments. - -“You’re lucky to be as high and as dry as you are, sir!” exclaimed the -sailor Judd. “I count myself lucky to have met with this raft. All I -had, at first, was a bit of wood hardly enough to kindle a fire. This -is much better.” - -“Oh, this is fine,” agreed the professor. - -“Speaking of fires,” ventured Bob, “did you say there was something -to eat on board?” and he looked suggestively at the closed box which -formed the highest part of the life raft. - -“This is supposed to contain food and water,” remarked Judd, as he -tapped the compartment in question. “Shall I open it?” - -“I should say so!” exclaimed the stout lad. “Even a cold snack would -taste good.” - -“And possibly we might find some dry paper in there on which I could -make a few notes.” The professor spoke wistfully. “I have the pencil,” -he added, as he drew one from his wet and sodden garments. - -“We’ll soon see,” said the sailor. “There’s no need of rowing just -now,” he added to Bob, who had one of the oars in his hands. “We aren’t -in any danger of running into any one or of getting anywhere, either. -We can see what we’ve got to eat and then start to navigate--that is, -we can row and see where we get.” - -“Don’t you think we ought to see if we can find the _Sherman_?” asked -Bob. “She ought to be somewhere around here,” and he gazed into the fog -that still surrounded them. - -“Not much use trying,” declared the sailor. “I shouted until my throat -ached, and never a word in answer did I get. I don’t know what happened -to the transport after I left it, but I couldn’t get sight of her.” - -He turned to open the case that was placed amidships of the life raft. -It was tightly closed by a catch that could be easily opened when one -knew how, and Judd seemed to know. - -“Is this life raft from the _Sherman_?” asked Bob. “Did they throw it -over when the crash came?” - -“It isn’t one from the transport,” the sailor answered. “It’s like -some we carried, though. This one is from the steamer _Altaire_, and I -shouldn’t wonder but what that was the derelict that crashed into us.” - -“The _Altaire_!” murmured Bob. “I wonder if we’ll ever see her again. -I’ve always wanted to see a derelict.” - -“Well, I’d rather see one at a distance, if they’re going to act as -this one did,” remarked Professor Snodgrass. “Though I suppose I -shouldn’t find fault, as I might never have discovered this crab if -I had not gone overboard. The only thing that worries me, though, is -that I didn’t get that sea-leech. That’s what was on you,” he added to -the sailor. “A sea-leech is one of the rarest specimens of the genus -_Hirudo_, and this was the _Hirudo aqua marinis_, quite different from -the _Hirudo medicinalis_. What I was particularly interested in was to -observe whether the sea-leech had the same three small white teeth with -serrated edges which cause the peculiar triradiated wound as has the -_Hirudo medicinalis_.” - -Judd stared in amazement. - -“Well, if it’s all the same to you,” said Bob, with a smile, “I’d like -to try my teeth on some of the food in that box.” - -“All right, my boy! I’m with you!” agreed the professor. “I feel a bit -hungry myself.” - -Judd opened the locker, and to the delight of the three on the raft it -was well filled. There was preserved food enough to last them perhaps -a week, and a large cask of fresh water--that is, it was comparatively -fresh, for no one could say how long the raft had been adrift. - -“But it can’t have been long,” asserted the old salt. “My opinion -is that the life raft was jarred off the derelict when she hit us. -Otherwise it wouldn’t have been floating in the place where we struck -the water. Besides, there isn’t any growth or mass of seaweed and -barnacles on it as there would be if it had been long in the water.” - -“Well, we ought to be thankful for what we have,” said Bob, with a -sigh, as he munched some sea biscuit and a bit of corned beef, a can of -which the sailor opened. “This is a good deal better off than I thought -we’d be a while back. How about it, Professor Snodgrass?” - -“You are right,” was the answer from the little scientist. “And, Bob, -don’t destroy any wrapping paper. I can use the blank side for making -notes.” - -This he proceeded to do, taking the crab as his first specimen, though -he declared that the bunch of seaweed, which he had laid aside, -contained much else that would hold his attention later. - -“Well, now let’s consider what’s best to do,” said Bob, when they had -made a fairly substantial meal, washing it down with the water which, -though not exactly as good as that from a faucet or a well, was very -acceptable. - -“Which way shall we row?” asked the sailor. “If you gentlemen will tell -me how to navigate I’ll be only too willing.” - -“I’ll do my share of rowing,” agreed Bob. “But that’s the -question--which way shall we row?” - -“Or sail,” added Judd. - -“Sail!” exclaimed the stout lad. “Can we sail?” - -“Oh, yes, there’s a small mast and sail here,” and the seaman pointed -out where it was fastened to the raft. “We can hoist the sail, but -there’s no wind to fill it.” - -This was true enough. The fog still enveloped them, and it needed a -wind to carry away this concealing vapor. It hid them from view even -as it hid from them the possible location of the _Sherman_ and the -derelict. - -“Well, let’s hoist the sail, anyhow,” suggested Bob. “Then it will -be ready when the wind does come, and if there are any small boats -cruising around looking for us, or if any other ships get in this -neighborhood, they can see us more easily if we have the sail up.” - -“You’re right,” agreed the sailor. “Up she goes.” - -As has been remarked, the raft, on which the three now were, consisted -of two large hollow steel cylinders. Between them was a raised -framework, and this, in addition to holding the box of food, contained -a compartment for the oars and for a small sail. The mast for the -latter was soon stepped in the hole provided for it. It was braced by -ropes, and the sail hoisted. - -“Now we’re all ready for a voyage!” cried Bob, more gaily than he could -have talked an hour before. - -For some little time they drifted on, the sail hanging idly at the -mast, and the fog lazily swirling around them. Then, suddenly, there -came a puff of wind. They all felt it at once. - -“A breeze!” cried the sailor. - -“Yes, and look!” cried Bob. “There’s the _Sherman_!” - -He pointed to what seemed an opening torn in the veil of fog, and all -three had a glimpse of the camouflaged side of some vessel. Then, as -the wind bellied out the sail, the fog shut in again, and it was as if -a blank, white wall confronted them. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -REUNITED - - -Jerry Hopkins, disturbed at his lonely meal by the sound of something -or some one moving on the deck of the derelict, started slowly and -cautiously toward the companionway. - -“If it’s one of the crew of this ship or some of the passengers, I’ll -be all right,” he reasoned. “But if it’s one of some beastly German -submarine crew----” - -He did not finish, but looked around for some sort of weapon. He saw a -small bar of iron, which might have been used by the cook for a fire -poker, and with this in his hand Jerry cautiously went up on deck. - -“Anybody here?” he called, as he carefully thrust up his head. He held -the iron bar in readiness. There was no answer, and as Jerry felt the -cold, clammy air on his face and smelled the fog, he knew that the -derelict was still enveloped in the mist. - -“No one seems to have boarded me,” he mused, as his eyes searched -the whiteness for a glimpse of some other craft. “If any one is here -besides myself he must have been in hiding. Hello!” he cried as loudly -as he could. “Anybody at home?” - -There was no answer. There was only the swish and swash of the heaving -ocean against the sides of the derelict and the rattle and bang of some -loose gear, as a swell gently careened her to and fro. - -“Nobody here,” mused Jerry. “What could that noise have been?” - -He looked about, at first warily, for he half expected to have to -engage with some German, as he and his chums had engaged in the -trenches in France. Then he became convinced that he was all alone -on the craft, and, though he had a realization that this would react -dreadfully on him later, for the time being he was thankful that there -was no one with whom to contend. - -“I wonder what made that noise,” said Jerry again, and he spoke aloud. -The words had scarcely left his lips before he heard a banging, -rattling sound, and then he saw what it was. - -A loose keg, probably one used for water, was rolling about the deck, -and this, colliding with various objects, movable and stationary, had -caused the commotion. - -“Well, it’s a good thing to know what it was,” mused Jerry with an air -of relief. “I’ll just make this fast now, so it won’t wake me up when -I get to sleep.” - -This done, his next thought was on the very subject he had last -mentioned--going to sleep. - -“It wouldn’t be a bad plan to look to see where I’m going to bunk -to-night,” mused Jerry. “I’ve got to turn in some time, and it must be -getting on toward night--though one wouldn’t know just what time it was -in this fog.” - -He looked at his wrist watch. It was one enclosed in a waterproof case, -and the hands showed four o’clock in the afternoon. - -“I’ll consider that what I just ate was my lunch,” decided Jerry, “and -when the time comes I’ll have a late supper. Wish Chunky and Ned were -here to share it with me--also the professor. Wonder what happened to -them.” - -It was a useless wondering, and Jerry realized it, but he could not -help speculating on what fate had befallen his companions. They had -been standing so near him when the crash came that there was hardly any -question in Jerry’s mind but what they had either gone overboard, as -had he, or been hurt. - -“If they fell into the sea and managed to cling to something, maybe -there’s a chance for them,” he reflected. “But if they were right in -the path of the collision, it may be all up with them. This certainly -was a disastrous voyage from the start. But I suppose I ought to be -thankful that I’m alive.” - -Carrying out his intention of finding a place to sleep, Jerry went -below again. He found he had quite a choice open to him. There were a -number of cabins and comfortable beds he could pick from, and though -some of the bed clothing had been taken, or at least had disappeared, -there was more than he needed. - -He made himself up a berth in what he decided was the captain’s cabin, -though all papers and everything else to indicate specific ownership -had been removed. Jerry hung up his own wet clothes to dry, as he -intended donning his uniform as soon as it was in shape to wear. - -“I haven’t been discharged yet,” he reasoned; “and if any of the dirty -Germans show up I want to show ’em who I am!” - -Having made up his berth, Jerry laid out some food he intended to cook -when supper time came, and then, having banked the fire in the galley -stove, he went up on deck again. The fog was still heavy, and he could -see not much further than the width of the deck of the derelict. But he -felt that this was a good opportunity for making an investigation of -the craft, to decide, if possible, what character of ship she had been. - -With his knowledge of vessels it did not take Jerry long to make up -his mind that the _Altaire_ had been a tramp freighter, engaged in -whatever trade she could pick up. He did not investigate the cargo -holds, but they seemed partly filled with boxes and cases. Some had -been broken out and carried bodily away. Others were strewn about below -decks, the contents, partly removed, of a few giving evidence that -goods of iron, steel, rubber, clothing, farm implements, and household -appliances had made up the manifest. - -“I guess the Germans wish they could have taken the whole cargo,” mused -Jerry, as he looked at the broken cases. “Their subs are limited, -however. Well, if I could get this ship and her cargo to some port I -could make a lot of money.” - -That was impossible, as he knew, unaided as he was. His next care was -to make as thorough an inspection of the craft as was possible, and -this revealed the important fact that she was not leaking or sinking. - -“If the Germans thought they put her out of business they made a -mistake,” Jerry decided. “Unless they left her with time bombs aboard, -which haven’t gone off yet.” - -This thought gave him a fright, and he looked as carefully as he -could in what he thought the most likely places to find such fiendish -devices. He saw nothing alarming, however. - -The engine room was in confusion, and certain parts of the machinery -were broken. But whether these were vital parts Jerry did not stop to -determine. He knew that without help he could not hope to operate the -engines anyhow; and without a boiler room gang to get up steam, even -the most perfect engine would not run for the best expert in existence. - -“I might hoist some sort of sail,” mused the lone navigator. “I suppose -I can do that. And I ought to set some sort of signal. This fog can’t -last forever, and if any ship passes me I want those on board to know -I’m in need of help. I’ll go up and see what I can manage.” - -Jerry knew there were certain signals that would indicate a vessel in -distress, while others would show the craft was merely unmanageable. He -came under both headings, so to speak. - -By rummaging in the chart room the lad found a signal book, and also -a set of flags and some lanterns. These last had oil in them and were -ready for lighting. - -“That’s what I’ll do!” decided Jerry. “I’ll hoist the flags for day -work, and use the lanterns at night. Might as well get the best I can -out of it.” - -Finding the proper combination of flags to indicate that he was both in -distress and unmanageable, Jerry hoisted them as high as he could on -the wireless masts. - -“I’d send out a call for help if I could get the electrical machinery -to working,” said Jerry, as he looked into the wireless room. But he -saw that there had been a destructive force engaged here, for some of -the instruments were smashed. He knew how to operate a simple sending -set, and also how to receive messages, but he reasoned that it was out -of the question to make this apparatus available. - -“The Huns must have set off a bomb here to prevent the _Altaire_ -signaling for help,” he reasoned. - -Having hoisted his signals, Jerry began to look about for the material -for getting sail on his craft. There was plenty of canvas, and he knew -enough about a boat to feel sure he could get up some kind of surface -that the wind might get hold of. - -“It will give her steerage way, anyhow,” he reasoned, “and I’ll need -that if the wind begins to blow and the old craft falls into the -trough. Got to keep her head up to the waves or I’ll be swamped. If a -sail won’t do it, I’ll have to rig up a sea anchor.” - -This is merely a drag, fastened to the stern of a disabled ship by -means of ropes. A sea anchor floats just submerged under the surface, -and, offering no surface to the wind while the higher structure of a -vessel acts almost as a sail, the anchor becomes a sort of auxiliary -rudder in cases where there is not momentum enough for the regular -rudder to be effective, or where it is missing. - -Jerry found what he thought would make a sail, and he was considering -how he could best use this when he noticed that there was a puff -of wind. As this had been the first in some days it attracted his -attention. - -“It’s coming on to blow!” exclaimed the lad. “Good! That will clear -away the fog and I can see where I am. Maybe I can sight the _Sherman_!” - -It was this same puff of wind that brought hope to the hearts of Bob, -the professor, and Judd aboard the life raft. - -“What did you think you saw?” asked the sailor, as Bob uttered his -exclamation at the sight of something through a rift in the fog. - -“I saw a ship! A ship with camouflaged sides!” exclaimed the stout lad. -“It’s the _Sherman_! Right ahead there! Look! There where the fog is -breaking again!” - -[Illustration: “I SAW A SHIP!” EXCLAIMED THE STOUT LAD. “RIGHT AHEAD -THERE!”] - -Even Professor Snodgrass looked. For a moment after Bob had first -spoken the fog had closed in, shutting out the momentary view he had -had. Now the wind freshened, the fog blew away, and he pointed at what -he had seen. - -“It is a ship!” exclaimed the professor. - -“But not the _Sherman_!” cried Judd. “That’s an abandoned vessel! The -derelict, I do believe, that crashed into us!” - -“Ahoy there! Ahoy the derelict!” shouted Bob, standing up and waving -his arms. - -The fog rapidly blew away. The wind caught the sail on the life raft, -and the mass moved forward. Judd quickly thrust an oar through a staple -at the stern made for the purpose, and began to steer. They approached -the strange, silent vessel that now loomed in front of them. - -“It is a derelict,” said Bob in a low voice. “There isn’t a soul on -board.” - -Nearer and nearer they approached. Bob and the sailor joined their -voices in a shout. - -“It’s just possible some one may be there,” said the stout lad. - -They were near enough now to look across the broken rails--to note the -damage done to the craft. And then, as they shouted again, they saw a -figure running along the deck. - -“Some one is there! Some one is there!” cried Bob, greatly excited. - -“Ahoy! Ahoy!” shouted the sailor. - -“Now I shall be able to get some paper for my crab notes,” murmured the -professor. - -The figure on the derelict leaned over the side and waved a frantic -welcome. - -“Bob! Professor!” a voice shouted. - -“Why--why--he knows us!” gasped the stout lad. “Who can it be?” - -A moment later the mist completely cleared away and the setting sun -shone clearly. Bob saw who was aboard the derelict and cried in delight. - -“Jerry! Jerry boy! It’s Jerry Hopkins! Oh, what luck!” - -And a moment later the life raft grated gently against the side of the -_Altaire_. The refugees were reunited. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -NED AND PEPPER-POT - - -“There are three passengers, sir, and one sailor, for whom we are -unable to account.” - -The chief officer was thus reporting to Captain Munson of the transport -_Sherman_, and Ned, standing near, disheartened and with his mind torn -by cruel worries, overheard. - -“Who are the missing ones?” asked the captain. - -“Two soldiers, Bob Baker and Jerry Hopkins; Professor Uriah Snodgrass; -and Beno Judd, a first-class seaman. They can not be found, they are -not among the injured, nor are their bodies among the dead. I have put -them down as missing, sir.” - -“Quite right. Unfortunate, but quite right. Have the boats been able to -pick up any one?” - -“No, sir.” - -“Well, there is not much use, I believe, in keeping them out longer -in this fog. Some of them may get lost. Call them back, but station -lookouts with orders to report at once anything that looks like -floating wreckage to which a person might cling. If this fog would only -lift we might have a chance of picking them up, if they, by any chance, -are still alive. Have a sufficient number of lookouts stationed, Mr. -Bangs.” - -“Yes, sir.” - -Ned felt sick at heart. It was all over, then--the happy companionship -of years--he thought. Never again would he see his beloved comrades, -Jerry and Bob, comrades with whom he had passed the gates of death -in many a battle. Professor Snodgrass, also--that dear but eccentric -individual--he, too, was gone. - -“Isn’t there anything we can do?” asked Ned of the captain. - -“I’m sorry to say I don’t see what else can be done,” was the -sympathetic answer, for the commander of the ship knew something of the -love and friendship existing between the lad who was left and those who -were gone. “You know how the accident happened, my lad, and we have -searched all over in this vicinity. It would be risking other lives to -search farther, for it is easy for a small boat to be lost in a fog. If -it should lift I would order them out again. I am sorry.” - -Ned turned away, his heart heavy. To whom could he go for solace? He -had many friends and acquaintances among his fellow soldiers, and the -officers were fond of him and his chums. But Ned did not feel like -talking to any of them just now. He wanted to be alone. But solitude -was difficult to come at on the crowded ship. - -Idly he made his way back to the scene of the accident. The break in -the bulwarks and rail had been temporarily mended, and a curious crowd -was gathered about the hole torn in the side of the _Sherman_. Ned did -not want to stay there. - -He looked out into the mist. The wet particles clung to his face like -tiny tears, and he had much ado to keep back his sobs as he thought of -those who had so lately been with him. - -“If only the fog would lift!” murmured Ned, as he turned away from the -broken place with a shiver. - -But the white curtain of vapor still swirled about the troopship, -seemingly moved more by the mysterious ocean currents than by any wind. -It was still a dead calm, and though the fog may have lifted over some -parts of the ocean area that it had covered, in the vicinity of the -transport it was still heavy and impenetrable. - -“It seems to shut me in like a prison!” murmured Ned. - -Night was coming on, and it seemed to settle down earlier than it -needed to, caused by the murkiness of the air. The first call to the -supper mess was sounded, but Ned did not respond. He had no appetite -for food. There would be time enough later to eat, if he felt so -disposed. - -“Poor Chunky!” he mused. “I’d never poke fun at him again about his -appetite if he were here now.” - -Ned choked back a sob and turned to go toward the bow of the ship. - -The deck along which he was then progressing was more deserted then -than it had been for some time, for many of the soldiers were down -below, eating. And as Ned made his way along he saw, coming toward him, -a figure that caused him a start, it was so like that of Professor -Snodgrass. But he knew in an instant who it was. - -“_Le cochon!_” he murmured. - -Hardly knowing why he did it, Ned stepped beneath an overhanging part -of the deck, and so was partially hidden. The man who so resembled -Professor Snodgrass--the man who had acted so violently in the -restaurant--walked toward the place where the derelict had crashed into -the _Sherman_ and stood looking at the damaged place. Ned, from his -vantage place, could observe and hear. - -“So this is the place, is it!” murmured _le cochon_, or the pepper-pot, -as Ned sometimes thought of him. “Well, well! I am sorry for him--for -all of them. I shall have to redouble my efforts now!” - -Ned started. What did the words mean? What was the mystery connected -with this strange man who seemed to be under guard at times, and -free to rove about at others? What association had he with Professor -Snodgrass, and why was he so vindictive toward that little scientist? -And, now that the professor was gone, why had this man come to gloat -over the place of his disappearance? - -All these thoughts rushed through Ned’s mind, which was in a tumult. -And then, as the little man spoke, another idea obtruded itself. - -What did he mean when he said: - -“I shall have to redouble my efforts now!” - -To Ned, obsessed as he was with a feeling of enmity against this man, -the words had but one meaning. - -“He means to go on with his deadly work!” mused the lad. “He was -responsible for the damage to the ship in the first place--he caused -her to be disabled and held up in the fog. If it wasn’t for that we’d -be on our way now, and the derelict wouldn’t have crashed into us. - -“This man is responsible for that, though he may not have known about -the derelict. He is responsible for the death of Bob, Jerry and -Professor Snodgrass. And now he talks of redoubling his efforts! I know -what that means! He’s a German spy and he’s going to try to sink the -whole shipload of us. He must have gotten away from his guards. I’m -going to tell the captain!” - -Ned stepped from his place of concealment and was about to hurry to -summon some of the ship’s officers when the little man caught sight of -him. To Ned it seemed that the pepper-pot was startled and alarmed. He -stared at Ned and stammered: - -“Oh, you--you are here, are you?” - -“Very much so!” was the indignant answer. “But you won’t be here long -to go on with your dirty work. I know all about you! I know----” - -Like a flash, and taking the youth by surprise, the little man rushed -at Ned and in a moment had him in a grip that rendered the lad -helpless. Both wrists were held in a muscular vise that spoke volumes -for the athletic training of _le cochon_. - -“Be quiet!” The man fairly hissed the words into Ned’s ears. “Don’t say -another word!” and he began to drag Ned along. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -MAKING THE BEST OF IT - - -When Jerry Hopkins looked over the side of the derelict _Altaire_, and -saw, slowly rising and falling on the swell, the life raft containing -Bob, Professor Snodgrass, and the sailor, Judd, and when the lone -navigator heard the welcome greetings in response to his own shouts, he -was filled with delight. - -“Jerry! Jerry!” cried Bob. “Throw us a line!” - -“And some sort of basket or bag!” added Professor Snodgrass. “I don’t -want to lose my seaweed. There are yet several valuable specimens of -marine life in it that I haven’t had a chance to examine.” - -He was as calm and collected as though he had just been out in a small -boat on some specimen-hunting expedition and was now returning. Instead -he had been saved from death only by a narrow margin, and even now he -was far from a dignified figure in his undergarments, a condition of -attire in which Bob shared. Judd, having been more simply clothed at -the start, had kept on his own soaked garments, which were of light -texture. - -“Is it really you?” cried Jerry in delight. “Are you all right? Where’s -Ned?” - -“Isn’t he with you?” inquired Bob, with a sinking heart. - -“No, I’m all alone on board. Oh, but I’m glad to see you! But where is -Ned?” - -“He must still be on the _Sherman_,” Bob answered, after a moment of -hesitation. “We were thrown into the sea.” - -“So was I,” said Jerry. “And I floated around until I found this ship. -She seems sound. Did you see anything more of the transport? Did she -sink, or what?” - -“We don’t know,” Bob answered, while the professor busied himself in -making a compact mass of the bunch of seaweed and Judd held the raft as -close as possible to the derelict by using one oar as a scull. - -“Come on up!” called Jerry. “Wait! I’ll throw you a line. There’s one -on the other side that I climbed up by, but I can toss you another. -There are plenty of loose ends here. This ship was deserted in a hurry.” - -Bob and the sailor soon scrambled up on deck by means of the cable -Jerry dropped down to them. And, after a warm hand clasp between the -two Motor Boys, and a look that meant much, they turned their attention -to getting Professor Snodgrass on board. - -The little scientist was not able to climb the rope hand over hand as -Bob and the sailor had done, but he was soon hauled up to the deck by -the three, clasping his precious seaweed in his arms. - -Judd had taken the precaution to make the line that Jerry sent down -fast to the life raft, and, once the greetings were over, the old salt -slid down again, and fastened the clothes of Bob and the professor to a -small rope. The garments were hauled up and hung out to dry in the air -which was fast clearing. - -“You can put on other clothes in the meanwhile,” said Jerry. “There’s -quite a supply to choose from. Enough for the sailor, too. Now tell me -all about it.” - -“The sailor seems to be calling you,” interrupted Professor Snodgrass, -who had spread his seaweed out on deck and was gleefully preparing to -examine it more closely. - -“Ahoy up there!” shouted Judd from where he stood on the life raft. - -“What’s the matter?” asked Jerry. - -“Better pull this craft around to the stern and make her fast there,” -was the answer. “We might need her again.” - -Once more the sailor scrambled up on deck, after having made more -secure the rope that attached the life raft to the derelict. Then with -his aid, and that of Professor Snodgrass, for the task was not easy, -the raft was hauled around to the stern and fastened there. It rode -buoyantly. - -“We can use her as a sea anchor by weighting her,” the sailor said, -“and we may have to if it comes on to blow. Well, you’re pretty well -off here--that is, if you have anything to eat,” he observed to Jerry, -as he looked about. “If you haven’t----” - -“Yes, the Germans, or whoever looted this vessel, left plenty,” was the -answer. - -“Maybe we’d better hoist up our provision box from the raft,” suggested -Bob. “No use wasting the stuff there, and if we have to get aboard the -queer boat again we can take the stuff with us.” - -This was considered a wise proceeding, and accordingly the water-tight -box of emergency rations and water was hoisted up. The food in it would -not really be needed as long as the supply on the derelict lasted, but -they all felt it was best not to take any chances. - -“Now get on some dry clothes, and then we’ll have a talk,” suggested -Jerry. “But, first of all, what do you really think about Ned?” and he -looked anxiously at Bob. - -“I think he’s still on the _Sherman_,” was the answer. - -“Do you really?” the tall lad demanded. - -“I really do,” and Bob tried hard to convince himself, as well as -Jerry, of this. - -He wanted to believe this, but, in reality, he did not know. Ned had -been standing close to Chunky when the crash came, and Bob had not seen -his chum after that. But, to his relief, Judd came to his aid. - -“I’m sure I saw your friend standing on deck near the hole that was -stove in us,” he said. “I remember seeing him as I slid overboard.” - -“Well, in case the _Sherman_ isn’t in any more danger of sinking than -the _Altaire_ is, I hope Ned is on her,” said Jerry. - -“Is this the _Altaire_?” asked Bob. - -“Yes.” - -“Then it’s her life raft that helped save us,” said the sailor. “Things -are sure turning out queer!” - -Jerry led them below, and they soon all changed to dry garments, which -had the additional merit of being warm, though not much could be said -for the fit--especially in the case of Professor Snodgrass, whose small -form was not built to fill out the rather roomy garments of seamen. - -But they all made the best of it, and their spirits rose as they saw -how snug and comfortable they could be on the craft of which Jerry had -been in lone command for a while. - -“And, now that we feel pretty certain Ned is all right, we can begin -to take it a bit easier,” sighed Bob. “You said you had plenty to eat, -Jerry?” - -“Yes, even for you, Chunky,” and the tall lad smiled for the first time -since the crash. “Come on down and I’ll show you.” - -Bob’s eyes opened with pleasure when he saw the larder. There was -plenty for the four refugees for many weeks, even though the Germans, -or perhaps the hastily departing crew and passengers, had well supplied -themselves. - -“It isn’t too early to eat, is it?” asked Bob, as he looked at the -packages and cans of food. - -“Haven’t you had anything since you went overboard?” asked Jerry, with -a smile. - -“Oh, well, yes, we had a snack. But----” - -“Fall in, Chunky! No, I don’t mean exactly that, either,” and Jerry -laughed a little. “You’ve fallen in enough for to-day, and so have I. -What I meant was ‘fall to’ and eat as much as you like. Then we’ll -decide what’s best to be done.” - -“I wonder if the professor wants anything?” mused Bob. “He didn’t eat -much on the raft--too much taken up with his crab.” - -“I’ll find out,” volunteered the tall lad. - -As might have been expected, the little scientist declared that he -could not find time to stop now to make a meal. He had managed to get -hold of some blank paper, and, attired in a ship’s officer’s suit, -many sizes too large for him, he was seated on deck poking through the -bunch of seaweed and making notes of the different creatures he found. - -“I’ll eat later,” he said. “I want to take advantage of the daylight -while it lasts.” - -“Thank goodness we have the sun for a change!” exclaimed Bob, as he -looked around the horizon. “The fog is gone, and I hope it doesn’t come -back. But where do you imagine the _Sherman_ is, Jerry?” - -“Haven’t the least idea,” was the answer. “Maybe the sailor can tell -us.” - -But the seaman was as much at sea, to use an appropriate term, as -either of the boys. - -“I’m all twisted,” he admitted. “I don’t know which way we drifted -after we were on the raft, and I don’t even know which way the -transport drifted during the time we were fogbound. I suppose the -officers did, but I never was much on navigation. However, we’ve got -a sound bottom under us, that’s one blessing. She isn’t taking in any -water, is she?” he asked Jerry. - -“Not as far as I can tell,” was the answer. “She seems as sound as a -dollar--one of Uncle Sam’s dollars,” he added. “But I wish I knew what -we ought to do. Night is coming on, and it’s possible we may sight -something or some craft sight us.” - -“That’s right,” agreed Judd. “I see you have some signals hoisted,” and -he looked at the wireless masts from which fluttered the flags Jerry -had hoisted. “They’re all right during the day, now that the fog has -lifted, but they won’t be any use at night.” - -“There are some lanterns,” the tall lad said. - -“Then we’ll hoist them,” suggested the sailor. - -Eagerly they all looked around the horizon for a sight of the -_Sherman_, or any craft that might aid them. But the sea heaved and -rolled restlessly and void. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -NED LEARNS SOMETHING - - -Ned Slade felt himself being pulled along the deck of the transport in -the firm grip of a man who, for the moment, he believed to be insane. -The quick grasp of the pepper-pot and his sudden motion in dragging -Ned along had, for the time being, deprived the lad of his power of -resistance. But it came back to him quickly enough, and, suspecting -some sinister design on the part of his captor, he braced himself, -pulled his hands away, and demanded: - -“What does this mean? What are you trying to do, anyhow? Isn’t it -enough for you to have disabled this ship, and so, indirectly, have -caused the collision, without trying anything more?” - -“Don’t speak so loudly! Come with me! To my cabin! I can explain -everything!” hoarsely whispered the little man, variously dubbed the -pepper-pot, from his quick, impulsive way, and “_le cochon_,” a name -given by Marie, the restaurant girl. - -“Not much!” cried Ned. “I see your game! You want to get rid of me -as, perhaps by accident, you got rid of Bob, Jerry, and Professor -Snodgrass!” - -“Ah! Professor Snodgrass! He--he is impossible! A mere dabbler! A -charlatan!” cried the other, with something of his former manner. “I -alone hold the secret! I shall give it to the world! Now that he is -gone, I can work freely and openly. I will redouble my efforts! I will -beat him!” His voice was triumphant. - -“Yes, beat him, coward, now that he’s gone!” cried Ned. “I don’t want -to have anything to do with you! I’m going to tell----” - -Ned swung aside and was going to turn back to avoid what he thought was -a lunge on the part of the strange man, a lunge that, the lad thought, -meant danger, when he collided with some one hurrying along the passage. - -There were many mutual grunts, for the impact had not been a gentle -one, and, half dazed, Ned looked up to observe Captain Munson. - -“Oh!” exclaimed Ned. - -“What is the trouble?” asked the captain, and he smiled at Ned and the -little man--smiled in such a way as to convince the Motor Boy that -either there was nothing wrong, or else that the captain himself was -deceived as to the character of his passenger. - -“There is no trouble at all, Captain,” replied the pepper-pot. “Now -that my rival has gone, I----” - -“You mean Professor Snodgrass,” the captain said. “Yes, unfortunately -he is gone. We hope he and the others may have saved themselves, and -perhaps have floated off on some bit of wreckage our boats did not -observe, but it hardly seems possible. I suppose you do not need a -guard any longer?” he smilingly asked of the little man. - -“No, thank you, my secret is in no further danger of being taken away -by an unscrupulous charlatan!” was the emphatic answer. - -And Ned, puzzled, observed with amazement Captain Munson deliberately -winking at him the eye that was concealed from the pepper-pot. - -“Captain Munson!” exclaimed Ned, “this--this man is trying to----” - -The pepper-pot interrupted. - -“I can now tell everything!” he said eagerly. “Please let me explain to -him, Captain. I was taking him to my cabin to let him understand the -whole situation, when he broke away from me and----” - -“If you wish to listen to Dr. Hallet’s story I am sure you would find -it interesting, to say the least,” broke in the commander. “Of course -don’t go with him if you don’t want to, but in view of what has taken -place perhaps it will be best to let him tell his side of it. If you -wish any further light you may come to me. I will give orders to have -the marines withdrawn from in front of your cabin, Dr. Hallet,” he -added. - -“Do you mean to say--I mean is everything all right? Isn’t there any -danger----” began Ned. And then as he looked at the little man, and -compared his own splendid physique with that of _le cochon_, he felt -just a little bit ashamed of the exhibition he had made. Certainly -he was sure he could hold his own in a struggle, though there was no -denying that the pepper-pot--or Dr. Hallet, to give him his right -name--had a powerful grip. - -“You may safely go with Dr. Hallet,” said the captain. “I am sorry -there has been any misunderstanding. I would have explained before, -but so many things have happened, it seemed impossible. As I say, if -you are not satisfied with what he tells you, come to me,” and having -nodded to Ned, with whom he had talked several times following the -fatal crash, the commander passed on. - -“Now are you satisfied?” asked the little man, and, somehow, in the -light of the events of the last few moments, his face seemed more -friendly to Ned. - -“Well, I don’t in the least understand what it’s all about,” admitted -Ned. “You acted so queerly in the restaurant, and then on board the -transport; and so much has happened--my friends being missing and all -that--you can’t blame me for----” - -“Not in the least, my dear boy! Not in the least!” was the suave -answer. “If you will come to my cabin I can explain everything to your -satisfaction. But first let me ask: You do not seriously believe that -I caused the collision with the derelict and the disappearance of your -friends, do you?” - -Ned thought for a minute. Clearly he could answer in but one way. In -spite of what the captain had said, this man might be guilty of having -caused the disablement of the _Sherman_. And so, indirectly, he might -be responsible for what happened to her afterward. But to accuse him of -having caused Jerry, Bob, the professor and others to fall overboard, -even though such accident was the direct result of the collision, was -going a little too far. Ned had to admit this. At least it could not be -called premeditated, for Dr. Hallet could not have known the derelict -was going to drift past. - -And so, after hastily thinking the matter over, Ned came to the -conclusion that he might better accompany the little man to his cabin, -and hear what he had to say. - -“But I’ll be on my guard,” mused Ned. “He’s got a grip that’s hard to -break. Must have been quite an athlete in his youth. But I’ve got an -automatic, and I sha’n’t hesitate to use it if I have to.” - -Ned slipped a hand to his hip pocket where he was carrying a small -but very effective weapon he had bought in Paris. “It might come in -useful,” he reflected. - -“I’ll come with you,” he said to Dr. Hallet, “but I warn you I’m not -very much prepossessed in your favor, and----” - -“I will explain everything, my dear boy,” declared his companion. “And -then, if you wish to hold enmity against me---- But come to my cabin. -We are likely to be disturbed here.” - -This was true enough. Officers and soldiers were constantly passing -along the “alley” of the ship, and Ned was kept busy saluting, while -several of his acquaintances, coming back from their mess, looked -curiously at him and his companion. - -To the very same cabin in front of which two marines had been on guard -and within which Ned and his chums had once seen Professor Snodgrass, -Dr. Hallet now led the Motor Boy. And it needed but a single glance -around it to disclose to Ned one fact, at least. - -This was that Dr. Hallet was a rival of Professor Snodgrass--or, if not -a rival, then a scientist engaged in the same pursuits. - -For there were the same sort of specimen boxes, microscopes, notebooks, -and other materials scattered about as always marked the abiding place -of Professor Snodgrass. There were even live bugs crawling in cases, -and Ned recognized one or two as exactly similar to some he had helped -Professor Snodgrass catch at different times. - -“Now if you will sit down, my boy, I’ll begin to explain,” said Dr. -Hallet. “It will take some little time, but I am sure at the end you -will have a different feeling toward me.” - -“I may, but I’m going to be perfectly frank, and tell you I have my -doubts!” declared Ned. “You can start explaining whenever you are -ready,” and he let his hand swing around behind him as he took a seat, -making sure that his pistol was within ready reach. - -“In the first place,” began Dr. Hallet, “I want to say that I---- Oh, I -nearly forgot! I haven’t fed my fleas!” - -Ned nearly laughed aloud, this was so like what Professor Snodgrass -might have said. Dr. Hallet quickly arose, and, going over to a tiny -green box, opened the top and sprinkled something in. He then quickly -closed the receptacle. - -“Have to be sharp with fleas,” he said. “These have bitten persons -afflicted with trench fever and mustard gas poisoning, and I am -going to make a test to see if those diseases are capable of being -transmitted by the bite of insects. I don’t want any of these infected -fleas to get on you.” - -“I don’t want it, myself,” murmured Ned, as he moved somewhat away from -the little green box. - -“Well, now that I have given them food enough to last until we land, -I hope, I will go on,” resumed the doctor. “As I was going to say, -you are much mistaken if you think that Professor Snodgrass and I are -enemies.” - -Ned started. - -“Well,” he said slowly, “if you are a friend of his you take a very -queer way of showing it.” - -“Professional feeling, my dear boy! Professional feeling; that’s all. -Call it jealousy, if you like,” said Dr. Hallet, with something like a -chuckle. “As a matter of fact, both he and I are working along the same -lines to benefit humanity, and if I said anything harsh against him----” - -“Which you certainly did!” interrupted Ned. - -“Well, it was in a Pickwickian sense only--merely Pickwickian,” and -this time the doctor laughed. “You have read Dickens, I dare say?” he -went on. - -“Yes,” admitted Ned. “I know my Pickwick Papers.” - -“Then you’ll understand. As a matter of fact, Professor Snodgrass is -my very dear friend, and we are mutually, though perhaps in a rival -manner, seeking the same certain end.” - -“Well, if you are,” asked Ned in amazement, “why did you act so? Why -did you call him a ‘charlatan’? And why were you put under guard? And -did you try to blow up the transport with a bomb? If you did----” - -Ned’s words died away, for at that moment the _Sherman_ was shaken from -stem to stern by a violent concussion, and after a period of portentous -silence confused shouting broke out all over the ship. - -Ned looked strangely at Dr. Hallet and drew his automatic pistol. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -THE BOW GUN - - -“This isn’t so bad,” remarked Jerry Hopkins. - -“Not half,” added Bob Baker. “That is,” he qualified, “when you think -how the professor and Judd here and I were situated a few hours ago.” - -“Right snug and comfortable, I calls it!” stated the sailor. - -As for Professor Snodgrass, attired in a warm but ill-fitting suit -which had belonged to some member of the _Altaire’s_ force, he bent -over his notes at the table in the cabin of the derelict, where the -four refugees were gathered. Night had fallen, signal lamps had -been hoisted to the wireless mastheads, and now, having finished -their supper, Jerry and his companions were below, “right snug and -comfortable,” as the old salt put it. - -They had found lanterns and lighted them to give a cheerful glow to -the cabin. The electric service was, of course, out of commission with -the engines stopped, but provision had been made for auxiliary oil -lighting, and it was no worse than conditions had been on all ships -before the electric light was discovered. - -“Do you think we ought to stand watch and watch all night?” asked Bob, -looking at Jerry. “We might sight the _Sherman_ or some other vessel, -you know.” - -“I don’t see what good it would do,” replied the tall lad. “If we did -sight the _Sherman_ we couldn’t move toward her, and unless her engines -have been put in commission she couldn’t reach us. We could only drift -along and look at one another. And I don’t believe we’ll sight the -_Sherman_.” - -“Do you mean she’s sunk?” asked Bob in a low voice, as he thought of -Ned still, in all probability, left on board. - -“No, not exactly that,” Jerry answered. “She has too many watertight -compartments to sink unless she was blown all apart, and I don’t -believe that has happened. But I think we must have gotten into two -widely separated ocean currents. One is carrying us one way and the -other is taking the _Sherman_ along.” - -“That’s about the way of it,” chimed in Judd. - -“But what about seeing some other vessel?” asked Bob. “I mean one that -isn’t disabled and that could take us off.” - -“Well, of course, we might see one if we took turns standing watch -through the night,” admitted Jerry. “But we have our distress signal -lamps set, and any vessel sighting them will put for us at once.” - -“Well, all right, if you think that there’s no use worrying,” Bob -agreed. “I didn’t fancy standing a night trick myself, but if it had to -be done----” - -“I don’t think it’s necessary, boys,” said Judd. “As Jerry Hopkins -says, if any vessel sees our lights she’ll be bound to come close and -investigate.” - -The experience through which the sailor had passed with Bob and the -professor made him seem like an old friend, and Jerry and Bob were glad -to have him call them by name, as though he had known them many years. -In fact the nearness to a tragic end, which at one period confronted -them all, seemed to squeeze a long time into a very few moments. - -“Well then all we’ve got to do,” suggested Bob, “is to stay here, sleep -and eat----” - -“You haven’t forgotten the eats, Chunky!” laughed Jerry, and it was the -first real merriment that had enlivened them since the accident. - -“I’m glad you’ve got plenty in the kitchen,” said Bob, joining in the -laugh at his own failing. “But what I meant was that we can’t really do -anything, can we, to better ourselves any?” - -“I don’t know,” replied Jerry, looking at the sailor. “I did think of -hoisting some sort of sail, and now that you’re here maybe we can do -that. Then we ought to rig up some sort of sea anchor to keep us head -on to the waves in case of a blow. Outside of that I don’t know that we -can do anything except to keep our distress signals flying.” - -“Some sort of sail would be good,” agreed Judd; “and a sea anchor can -be easy rigged up now that we have the life raft towing astern. There’s -one trouble, though, about setting sail, provided we can do it.” - -“What’s the trouble?” asked Bob. - -“Well, if we get any steerageway on the craft at all, we may not be -able to handle her.” - -“Why not?” demanded Bob. “Her rudder is still in place. I noticed it -when we were making fast the life raft.” - -“Yes, her rudder is in place,” agreed the old salt, “and it only weighs -several tons. It’s made to turn by steam, and with the engines dead -there isn’t any steam. I doubt if we could manage to steer by hand.” - -“There must be some provision for that,” asserted Jerry. “The steam -steering gear might go out of commission at any time--in fact, I’ve -often read of that happening on vessels. And when it does happen don’t -they have to steer by hand?” - -“Yes,” admitted the sailor, “I suppose they do. We’ll have a look in -the morning and see what we can do. Just now I think we’d better all -take it easy.” - -“Sure!” agreed Jerry. “We’ve had a hard time. I only hope poor old Ned -is as well off as we are just now.” - -“I fancy he’s better off in case he’s still on the transport, as he -must be,” said Bob. - -“He will be if he doesn’t fall too much under the influence of that -nincompoop, Dr. Hallet!” suddenly exclaimed Professor Snodgrass. - -Jerry and Bob started, looked at one another, and then at the little -scientist who was busy making notes about the queer crab and other -creatures he had found in the seaweed. - -“Who is this Dr. Hallet?” asked Jerry. “You spoke of him once before. -Is he the little man I had the trouble with in the restaurant, and who -tried to blow up the _Sherman_?” - -“Blow up the troopship!” cried the professor. “Why, I never heard of -that!” - -“Didn’t you know that her engines were disabled by an explosion?” asked -Bob. - -The professor shook his head. - -“I didn’t pay much attention to what was going on,” he said. “I had a -lot of notes to transcribe in my books, having made them only hastily -on scraps of paper. All I recall is that we stopped for something or -other, and I supposed we were waiting for passengers, or for some -reason like that.” - -“Waiting for passengers in the middle of the ocean,” murmured Bob. -Jerry signaled his chum to refrain from making comments, and then the -tall lad fired a volley of questions at the professor. - -“Who is this Dr. Hallet?” Jerry asked. “Why is he such an enemy of -yours? and why was he kept under guard in his cabin? Afterward the -guard was withdrawn and we saw you in there, though perhaps you didn’t -see us. And what does it all mean, anyhow? Why will Ned be likely to -get into trouble if he is left under the influence of this man? Don’t -you think you’d better explain?” - -The professor appeared to be considering this. And it seemed to require -as much mental effort on his part as though he were deciding the most -abstruse of abstract questions. - -“Yes,” he finally admitted, “I think I had better explain matters to -you. I didn’t think you were so interested. And as for you having -trouble with this--this--well, I won’t say what I think of him--but as -for you having had trouble with Dr. Hallet, Jerry, I know nothing of -that. I only know I’ve had plenty of trouble.” - -“He’s a long time getting down to facts,” thought Bob. “I wonder what -it all means?” - -“To begin at the beginning,” resumed the professor, after apparently -casting his mind back into the past, “the trouble between Dr. Hallet -and me started when we were rivals in the pursuit of----” - -The silence that pervaded the cabin, save for the low voice of the -little bald-headed scientist, was suddenly broken by a dull rumbling -sound, and a slight vibration seemed to go through the whole length of -the derelict. To the boys, used to water navigation as they were, the -sound and the feeling meant but one thing. - -“We’ve bumped into something or something has bumped into us!” cried -Bob. - -“Or else we’ve rubbed up against the dock,” added Jerry. - -“No dock out here in mid-ocean!” exclaimed the sailor. “But we sure -have struck something. Not hard though, that’s one good thing. -Otherwise we’d have a hole stove in us.” - -“We’d better see what it is,” said Jerry, preparing to go up on deck. - -The others agreed with him, even Professor Snodgrass putting away his -papers and following the two boys and the old sailor. - -As they mounted to the deck the bumping sounds kept up, and the tremors -and vibrations continued to be felt throughout the _Altaire_. - -“It’s just as if we were among a lot of ice cakes,” said Bob. “I hope -we don’t ram an iceberg.” - -“Hardly that in this latitude,” said Jerry. “Though some years they are -found farther south than others.” - -As they emerged on the deck, coming as they did from the lighted cabin, -at first they could observe nothing. But gradually their eyes became -accustomed to the darkness and they could see to move about. - -“It’s on both sides!” exclaimed Bob. - -“And it isn’t ice, either!” added Judd. “I know the smell of ice, and -you can always feel a chill in the air. It isn’t a big berg, that’s -sure, and small cakes wouldn’t last long in these warm waters.” - -“But what is it?” asked Bob. - -Jerry ran below and brought up a lantern which had on a powerful -reflector. It was a light set on the wall in the cabin and designed to -throw the rays in one spot. It was a sort of oil-power searchlight. - -Holding this, Jerry advanced to the rail and directed the rays of light -over the side and down to the water. What he saw caused him to utter a -cry of surprise and fear, in which the others joined. - -“Whales!” shouted Jerry. “We’re in the midst of a school of whales!” - -“You’re right!” agreed the sailor. “We’ve run right into them, or -they’ve surrounded us, and it’s the bumping of their big heads against -the sides that made the sounds.” - -“Is there any danger?” asked Bob. - -“There may be, if they take a notion to ram us all at once,” the sailor -said. “Of course there isn’t the same danger to a ship like this that -there would be to a small boat. But if they start to ram, and loosen -some of the side plates below the water line so that we begin to -leak--well, there’s no way of pumping the sea out.” - -“Whales?” exclaimed Professor Snodgrass. “How interesting! I wish Dr. -Hallet were here now!” - -He did not specify whether it was so that the doctor might view the -natural phenomenon or so that the professor’s rival might be annoyed -and distressed by the visit of the sea monsters. - -“What had we better do?” asked Bob. - -“Do? Why don’t do anything!” said Jerry. “If we let ’em alone they may -swim off, just as they swam up.” - -As he spoke there came a more violent concussion to the vessel, and she -seemed to heel over slightly. - -“That was an old residenter who rammed us!” exclaimed Bob. “A few more -blows like that, and we’ll start to leaking. If we only had a hand -grenade or two or a bomb gun! Look, they’re clustering thicker than -ever right in front of us!” - -Indeed, by the rays of the lamp the sea was observed to be churned to -foam by the milling of the huge creatures. - -Again came a fearful blow on the ship’s quarter, and then Jerry cried: - -“The bow gun! The bow gun! We can train that on ’em and shoot! That’s -the way to get rid of the whales! Use the bow gun!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -LEAKING - - -Dr. Hallet smiled as he saw the sinister weapon in Ned’s hand. The lad -did not aim at his companion, and, as a matter of fact, he had drawn -the pistol more from instinct than anything else. The sudden noise, -coupled with what he had gone through, had put Ned on the same sort -of defensive attitude as he had been constantly under while in the -trenches or on the battlefield. - -“There is no need for that,” said the scientist. “I see you do not -trust me.” - -Ned would have blushed except for the fact that he was almost as brown -as an Indian; and whoever heard of an Indian blushing? - -“I beg your pardon!” exclaimed the lad. “I--I really didn’t think what -I was doing. But did you hear that noise?” - -“Yes, I heard something. There is some excitement up above.” - -There was no question about that. The shouting and the tumult up above -continued to increase, and it was evident that something serious had -happened. There had been no concussion such as had taken place when the -derelict hit the _Sherman_, but that there was danger was evident even -to the scientist, who, like Professor Snodgrass, was absent-minded and -let the ordinary affairs of life pass by unheeded. - -“We had better go up and see what it is,” suggested Ned. - -“Yes, I agree with you,” was the answer. “My explanations will keep for -a while.” - -Ned was of the same mind, and, putting away his weapon, he and his -companion hastened out of the latter’s cabin. In the passageway leading -to the main deck they encountered many sailors, marines, soldiers and -officers hurrying along. - -“What’s the matter? What’s happened now?” called Ned to some whom he -knew. - -“Don’t know! Another explosion, I guess!” some one answered. - -“They’ve signaled to abandon ship!” cried another. “We’ve got to take -to the boats!” - -With an exclamation Dr. Hallet turned from Ned’s side. He swung about -and was about to retrace his steps when the lad caught him by the arm. - -“Where are you going?” he asked. - -“Back to my cabin.” - -“What for?” - -“To get some of my most valuable experimental specimens and save my -notebooks. Their loss would be irreparable.” - -“You can’t go back!” cried Ned, and he sought to drag his companion -with him. “The ship may go down at any minute, and if you’re caught in -your cabin you won’t have a chance!” - -“But I must save my papers!” cried the scientist. “They represent my -life work. I would be ruined if they were lost! If we have to take to -the boats I can save them if I have them with me. I can’t let them go -down with the ship.” - -Ned recognized the same traits so often shown by Professor Snodgrass -under similar conditions. The doctor was going to prove a stubborn man, -Ned could see that. - -“Hurry up! Hurry up!” a sailor shouted as he passed Ned and his -companion on the run. “Get to your boat stations!” - -“Do you hear!” yelled Ned in the doctor’s ear. “We’ve got to abandon -the troopship!” - -“I don’t go without my notes!” was the answer, and the man sought to -pull his arm away from Ned’s detaining hand. - -“Well, if you feel that way about it the only thing for me to do is to -help you,” muttered the Motor Boy. “I can’t see you drown like a rat in -a trap, and you may if you don’t have help. Come on!” he said in no -very gentle voice as he swung around and hurried along with the doctor. - -“What are you going to do?” asked the scientist in some alarm. - -“Help you gather up your notebooks and other things. Oh, don’t be -afraid!” he added, as he saw a look of something like distrust spread -itself over the features of his companion. “I know what’s valuable. I -have often helped Professor Snodgrass. I’ll do the best I can for you.” - -“Ah! Thank you for that!” murmured Dr. Hallet. “Some of my notes are -worth more than their weight in diamonds!” - -“Professor Snodgrass all over again!” mused Ned, and he was hardly able -to repress a smile in spite of the gravity of the situation. - -And that it was grave he could not doubt as he noted the confusion on -every side and saw the soldiers and others hurrying to the stations -that had been assigned to them in case of accident. It had been -announced before the troopship sailed that there were enough lifeboats, -rafts, and other appliances for saving the men aboard the ship and to -provide for all in case it was necessary to abandon the transport at -sea. But Ned had his doubts of this, as, it was evident, many others -had also. For every one was hurrying to get to a vantage point, though -there was no real disorder, and the men were obeying their officers. - -Ned, rather reluctantly it must be confessed, followed the doctor into -the cabin they had so lately quitted. The scientist began to gather up -notebooks and papers and stuff them into his pockets. - -“That won’t do!” cried Ned. “If you have to jump overboard they’ll get -soaked!” - -“But I’m not going to jump overboard!” was the calm reply, and it was -to be noted that the doctor was now more calm than was Ned. - -“You may have to,” was the grim response. “Haven’t you got a bit of -oiled silk, or rubber, or something, you can wrap your papers in? That -will protect them from the sea water.” - -“Oiled silk? Oh yes, I have something like that,” the doctor decided, -after thinking a moment. He produced an oilcloth bag, saying: - -“I use this to cover my specimen boxes when I go out in the rain. Will -this do?” - -“It will have to!” exclaimed Ned, and he began stuffing into the -receptacle the papers he gathered up from the various places where they -were scattered about the doctor’s cabin. “Lively now!” cried the lad. -“We may not have much time!” - -“I must save all I can!” murmured the doctor. He gathered up book after -book of notes, and as fast as he handed them to Ned the Motor Boy -stuffed them into the water-proof bag. - -“Everybody on deck!” shouted a voice outside the cabin door. -“Everybody on deck! We’ve got to abandon ship! She’s leaking like a -sieve!” - -“Come on!” cried Ned. “No time for any more!” - -“I must save my fleas! I must save the fleas I’m testing as gas -poisoning and trench fever carriers!” cried Dr. Hallet, as he turned -toward the little green box. “I can’t go without them!” - -“You’ve got to!” muttered Ned, grabbing him by the shoulders. “Didn’t -you hear ’em say we are leaking?” And by a sudden effort he succeeded -in forcing the doctor out of the cabin, not before the scientist, -however, had caught up the specimen box containing the insects. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - -THE WIRELESS - - -“Come on! Come on! Everybody up on deck! Take your boat stations!” was -the cry that Ned and Dr. Hallet heard as they emerged from the cabin. - -“Have we got much time?” Ned asked. - -“Not any too much!” was the grim response. “Get to your boat station -and stand by for further orders--that’s the instructions.” - -It was one of the junior ship’s officers who answered Ned, and the lad -ventured a further question or two. - -“Are we badly damaged?” he inquired. “Did we hit something, or was it -another bomb?” And as he asked this he could not help glancing at Dr. -Hallet who stood at his side. The scientist, however, did not seem -aware of the scrutiny. - -“I don’t know anything about any bombs,” was the answer. “All I heard -was that they tried to get the machinery going down in the engine room. -A big steam pipe burst and blew a hole in the side. We’re taking in -water fast, and there aren’t any pumps to get rid of it. There’s a -chance to save everybody, though, if they’ll do as they’re told--get on -deck and stand by to enter the boats when the word is given.” - -“Have I time enough to go back and get a very valuable specimen of a -field mouse I left in my cabin?” asked the doctor. - -“No!” cried Ned and the officer in such perfect time and with the same -explosive effect that it seemed like one voice. - -“Up on deck with you!” added the young officer. “See that he obeys -you!” he added to Ned, as he looked significantly at the uniform of -the soldier lad. He evidently was aware of the peculiar notions of the -scientist. - -“That settles it!” muttered Ned. “You’ll have to come with me, Dr. -Hallet. There are other field mice.” - -“None like this one,” was the reply. “He was suffering from a peculiar -fungus ailment and I wanted to make a special study of it when I got -back home. Dear me! This is terrible! I was sure I could beat Professor -Snodgrass at this game, but it seems I am fated not to.” - -“I’d like to hear something about this game against our professor,” -muttered Ned, “but there isn’t time now. Come on! You’re lucky to have -your papers and fleas!” - -As for Ned, he thought with regret of certain souvenirs he, in common -with Bob and Jerry, had brought on board with them. They had been put -away in a safe place, but there was no time to get them now. - -And Ned had some mementoes of the Great War that he intended giving to -a certain girl back in Cresville. Now, he reflected, they might soon be -at the bottom of the sea. Well, “_c’est la guerre_!” - -Up on deck it seemed to be a scene of great confusion, but, in reality, -the officers, both those of the army and the ship, under Captain Munson -of the _Sherman_, had the situation well in hand. The confusion was -seeming only, for the men were being sent in squads to their respective -boat stations. Sailors were seeing to it that the falls of the small -craft were clear, and that life rafts were free for launching. Others -were making sure that each boat or raft contained food and water. - -Of course the orders were that they should always be in that prepared -condition, but, like everything else human, there might have been a -failure. Captain Munson, however, was trusting nothing to chance, and -at this eleventh hour no risk was to be assumed lest some wretched -refugees might starve or die of thirst if their boat or raft drifted -away. As it was, however, all the boats and other floating bits of sea -apparatus were found to be well stocked. - -Life preservers and cork rings were put where they could be instantly -gotten at, and, this much accomplished, all those who had taken their -places at the boats awaited further orders. - -In spite of the fact that the war was practically over and that all -German submarines had been recalled, it was felt that there was great -danger on the open sea from floating mines, or perhaps a stray torpedo -that might have failed to find its mark. There was more danger, of -course, to a big moving ship in this respect, than to small boats -whose speed would be slower, and which did not float as deeply as the -drifting mines were submerged below the surface. - -But, even with all that potential danger, the soldiers and sailors -remained wonderfully calm and in good cheer. They stood waiting, models -of discipline in every respect. - -Questions flew back and forth, but no one really knew what had -happened. Ned’s information was as good as any, and this seemed to be -the most acceptable explanation. - -Every one knew that the engine room force had been trying desperately -ever since the disablement of the _Sherman_ to get the machinery in -working condition again. And it might well be that some weakened steam -pipe had burst with disastrous results to the transport, if not to -human life below decks. - -At the same time, Ned could not help thinking that the explosion--if -there had been one--might have been caused by a bomb cunningly planted -by some German spy, or, now that the war was over and spies were no -longer needed, sympathizer. And in that connection he must needs think -of Dr. Hallet. - -The scientist was assigned to a boat some distance away from Ned’s -station, so the lad had no further chance to talk to the queer little -man and hear the explanation which was promised. - -“I wonder if he really is all right, and it is only professional -jealousy between him and Professor Snodgrass, or if there is something -more behind it all,” mused Ned. - -His reflections were interrupted by the passing along of one of the -ship’s officers, and at once several questions were fired at this -individual. - -“Are we still taking in water?” was the foremost inquiry. - -“I am glad to say that the leak has been partly stopped,” was the -answer. “It is confined to one compartment, and, if the bulkheads hold, -we may not have to abandon ship.” - -“I hope, most sincerely, that we do not!” Ned heard the voice of Dr. -Hallet exclaim. “I want to get that field mouse!” - -“Good-night!” exclaimed a doughboy. “Does he want it for his cat or -himself?” - -There was a laugh at this, and it served, in a measure, to relieve the -nervous tension. - -Hope began to spring up in hearts which had begun to lose it, and -with small wonder, when the series of happenings that occurred to the -_Sherman_ is considered. Nothing but ill luck seemed to have attended -her since she set out. - -And so they stood waiting at the boats, ready to take to the small -craft at the word of command and trust themselves to the great ocean in -what, by comparison with the heaving billows, were mere cockle-shells. -But the hearts of most of them were stout and strong. - -Night began to settle down and a little wind began to blow. - -“Storm coming!” said some. - -“It’ll blow the fog away,” cried others. - -And then, when it was about midnight, word was passed around that -there was no immediate danger, and that the soldiers might leave their -boat stations. But they were told to hold themselves in readiness for -another call. - -The leak had been partly stopped, it was said, and the engine room -force was again at work trying to get up steam, if only to operate the -wireless. - -“Let us hope that they do,” said Dr. Hallet, who sought out Ned. -“Though I would have been able to save most of my notes, there were -some that I should have been forced to leave behind. And I’m glad I can -come back to my field mouse,” he added, as he looked in the box in his -cabin containing the tiny creature, which was alive. - -“If you care to,” said Ned, “I should like to have you go on with the -explanation you started when the explosion came.” He was beginning to -have a different feeling toward his companion. Dr. Hallet was so much -like Professor Snodgrass, that, at times, Ned had to stop and think -before using the latter’s name and title. - -“Yes, I should like to explain,” said the scientist. “I begin to -understand how you mistrusted me, and, as you will see, it is without -cause. I may sum it all up in a few words by saying that Professor -Snodgrass and I, though scientific rivals, are good friends; and the -only thing between us is a sort of race to see who will be the first to -discover a certain disputed matter in relation to the germ destroying -powers of certain fungi which we gathered in a French forest. I thought -at one time that I had the professor beaten, and I managed to secure -passage on this transport, thinking to be the first to reach the United -States and give to the world my wonderful discovery. - -“But I learned that Professor Snodgrass had likewise discovered the -secret, and was also on board here. It became a race between us, and -I had to take precautions--or at least I thought I did--to prevent him -from finding out certain minor details. That is why I had my cabin -guarded and----” - -“Hark!” interrupted Ned, and his feeling of resentment against his -companion was fast vanishing. - -“What is it?” asked the doctor, for the Motor Boy seemed to be -listening intently. “What is it?” - -“Our wireless!” exclaimed Ned. “It’s working again! Now they can call -for help! Hurray! Our troubles are over!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII - -THE SEARCH - - -Standing on the sloping deck of the _Altaire_, sloping from a slight -list the vessel had assumed because of a shift of the cargo, Jerry -Hopkins and his fellow refugees stood for a moment looking at the -strange and wonderful sight of the school of whales attacking the ship. -Or, if not attacking, at least trying to ascertain by bumps of their -huge heads the character of the strange creature in their midst. And as -Jerry’s shout to use the bow gun rang out, there came another tremor of -the vessel, caused by what seemed the hardest blow yet delivered. - -“We’ve got to scare ’em off or kill some of ’em!” cried Jerry. “They -may not intend any harm, but if they open some of our plates we’ll go -down, sure!” - -“What do you mean by the bow gun?” asked Bob. - -“There’s a small gun up forward, put there to ward off submarine -attacks, but it doesn’t seem to have done much good,” explained Jerry -quickly. “It’s mounted on a swivel, and we can depress it and aim it in -almost any direction. There are some shells too. I saw them when I was -looking about before you came on board. If we give the whales a shot or -two I’m sure they’ll go away.” - -“We’ve got to do something!” muttered Bob. “Feel that!” - -Again came a tremor of the ship--not one but several, as though a -number of the whales had attacked at once, acting in concert against -what they may have reasoned was a common enemy. - -“Yes, let’s do something!” cried Judd. “I never saw anything like this -in all my life, and I know something about whales. I never saw so many -at once, and though I’ve known of them sinking small whaling vessels I -never knew ’em to attack a big steamer. We’ve got to do something!” - -“Then come on to the bow gun!” cried Jerry, and he raised his lantern -from where he had lowered it over the side. The rays were still -reflected from the wet and glistening backs of the whales as they swam -about, now and then one butting his head against the steel sides of the -_Altaire_. - -Professor Snodgrass looked on in fascinated silence. And when Jerry -removed the lantern, thus cutting off a further view of the immense -creatures, the little scientist remarked with something like a sigh: - -“I wish Dr. Hallet could see them.” - -“Why, is he particularly interested in whales?” asked Bob. - -“No, not whales particularly. But it would do him good to see these. It -might be the very thing he needs!” - -At the time Bob did not pay much attention to this remark. But -afterward he thought it rather strange. If Dr. Hallet was not -particularly interested in whales, why should Professor Snodgrass -desire the other scientist to view them? And why would they do him -“good”, if he had no special object in seeing them? - -“I declare,” mused Bob, “the further you go into this thing the more -mysterious it gets. I wonder what the real explanation of the feeling -between Professor Snodgrass and Dr. Hallet is. I’ll wager we haven’t -yet begun to get to the bottom of it!” - -However, these thoughts came later. Just then the vital need of the -moment was to deal with the whales, and this Jerry proposed to do by -means of the bow gun. - -Hurrying forward, carrying the lantern, while above them glowed the -signal fires of distress, Bob, Jerry, and Judd came to the bow gun. -It was of three-inch calibre, and capable of being aimed in any -direction, and also pointed, at a sharp angle, almost directly into the -water at either side of the bow of the ship. It could be trained aft, -too, and as it was mounted high there was considerable radius of action -allowed. - -“Where’s the ammunition?” cried Bob, just as another whale took a -head-on bang at the ship. - -“In the box near the gun,” answered Jerry, putting down his lantern. -The night was calm, and a moon gave some illumination now, having -emerged from behind a cloud bank, so the three could see fairly well -what they were doing. Professor Snodgrass, however, was not of the -least service. When Jerry set the lantern down on the deck the little -scientist took a position near it, and there he began making notes, -whether about the whales or some minute insect, no one inquired. - -The familiarity of Bob and Jerry with weapons of war stood them in -good stead now. With the help of Judd they loaded the three-inch gun -and aimed it into the midst of the school of whales, which were then -congregated on the port side of the bow. - -“Shall I fire?” asked Jerry, as he stood in readiness. - -“Let her go!” called Bob. - -There was a sharp report and the shell was sent into the midst of -the whales. That it did execution was disclosed when the lantern was -lowered over the side by means of a rope and the white, foaming water -was seen to be red for a considerable area. - -“They’ve sounded!” cried the sailor, giving information in this term -that the whales had sunk below the surface. “I guess we’ve scared ’em -off!” - -But it was for a moment only. A little later there were bumpings and -thumps on the other side of the craft, and the gun was again fired into -the midst of the huge bodies. Once more the lantern showed red water, -and then a commotion in the sea some distance away told the voyagers -that the school of whales was departing. Several must have been killed -and others wounded, the others being frightened off. - -The bow gun was effective, for though a watch was kept the rest of the -night there was no further trouble. The _Altaire_ drifted slowly on, -and when morning dawned the refugees came up on deck and looked about -the horizon for a sight of some rescuing craft. - -“We have the whole place to ourselves,” remarked Jerry, grimly joking -as he viewed the waste of waters. - -“Yes, it isn’t a bit crowded,” agreed Bob. “Well, let’s have breakfast.” - -In one sense the plight of the castaways was not at all bad. They had -shelter, plenty of food, the weather was ideal, now that the fog had -gone, and they were again clothed in their own garments which had -dried out. Nor was there any great immediate danger. The period of -long-continued storms had not yet come, their derelict, disabled as she -was, was in fairly staunch condition, and unless some accident happened -she might float for a long time. - -“But we’ve got to get sail on her,” decided Jerry after a breakfast -which was cooked by Bob and of which every one had an ample portion. - -With the aid and advice of Judd something resembling a sail was hoisted -and then the hand steering gear was connected up, after a fashion. - -“Now we’re on our way!” cried Jerry, when the derelict began to move -with considerable speed compared to her former progress. The wind was -west, and was blowing them back toward France. But this was the best -they could hope for. They could only sail directly before such breezes -as might favor them. Navigation was out of the question. - -So they settled down for a stay, of how long they knew not, on the -derelict. Jerry had not had time to explore the craft much before the -arrival of his friends, and this lack was now made up for, once the -sail was set. It was found that the _Altaire_ had sailed from New -York with a general cargo consigned to various English firms. And -it was evident that she had been intercepted and partly looted by a -German submarine. What had become of her crew and her passengers, -if she carried any (and there were accommodations for a few) was -problematical. But the _Altaire_ made a good sea home for the refugees. - -While Bob, Jerry, Professor Snodgrass, and Judd were thus making the -best of it on the derelict and eagerly watching for some vessel that -might rescue them, Ned Slade and his fellow voyagers on the _Sherman_ -were buoyed up with new hope as the word went cheeringly through the -craft that the wireless was again working. - -The snapping sparks of it had interrupted the talk between Ned and Dr. -Hallet, and it was some time before they had a chance to renew the -conversation. - -For as soon as it became known that signals could again be sent out, -giving the position of the disabled troopship and asking that aid be -rushed, that was the only topic of moment among all on board. - -“How soon will some ship come to our aid?” - -Again and again the call was sent out into space, and in less than an -hour there was a cheer from the vicinity of the wireless room. - -“What’s that?” asked Ned of some of his soldier chums. - -“They’ve received our calls!” cried a young lieutenant. “Three of -Uncle Sam’s warships are racing toward us at top speed. Now we’re all -right!” - -And the good news was true. Working night and day, often at great -personal risk, the engine room force had managed to rig up a boiler, -get steam to an engine, and so whirl the dynamo that furnished the -current for the powerful wireless spark. The operators had done the -rest. - -Forth into the air had gone the mystic signals, and this time they had -been heard and understood by many receivers both on shore and at sea. -It did not take long to flash the news to the proper quarters, and from -Brest, the very port from which the _Sherman_ had departed, aid was -rushed to her. The position was accurately given--as accurately as can -be on a boundless sea--and the rest had to be left to fate. - -In record-breaking time the rescuing convoy was sighted, and then -joyous scenes took place on board the _Sherman_. - -Soon after the first enthusiasm had worn off, though, the question -arose as to what was the next thing to do. The war-weary soldiers -wanted to get back home--to Uncle Sam’s country. - -But this problem was easily solved. The war vessels had orders to take -on board all the passengers and proceed with them to the United States. -The _Sherman_ would be towed back to Brest for repairs, and on board -her a crew would have to remain to look after the ship. Every one else, -however, was transferred to one or another of the three war vessels -that arrived about the same time. The baggage, too, was transferred, -much to the satisfaction of the returning soldiers. - -“Is there anything that can be done to see if Jerry and Bob are alive?” -asked Ned of his captain, when they, together with their comrades and -fellow officers, were on board the warship. - -“Do you think it possible they may be alive?” the captain asked. - -“Yes,” declared Ned, “improbable as it seems, I feel that Bob and -Jerry, as well as Professor Snodgrass, are alive. Perhaps that missing -sailor is, too. They may have been cast into the sea when the derelict -crashed into us, and they may have managed to keep afloat either on -some of the wreckage of the _Sherman_ that was torn off, or on a bit of -the derelict. She was smashed, too, I believe. Can’t we make a search -for Jerry and the others?” - -“I’ll see,” said the captain. And he used his influence to such good -advantage that it was soon after announced to Ned and others that -before proceeding to America a search would be made by all three -warships for the missing soldiers, the professor, and the sailor. - -“We’s going to try to locate the derelict, too,” Ned’s captain told -him. “Such craft are a terrible menace to other ships, and they -are sunk wherever found. I am sorry to say no one but you seems to -have much faith that we shall find your friends, but as a matter of -precaution, if nothing else, a search will be made for the derelict. As -she can only drift, and as Jerry and the others could only drift, in -case they managed to keep afloat on some wreckage, it is possible we -may find them in the vicinity of whatever vessel it was that crashed -into us in the fog.” - -And so the search began; a wearying and anxious search over the broad -sea. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX - -“DERELICT AHOY!” - - -Ned Slade and Dr. Hallet were aboard one of the rescuing warships. -There was a time, just before the wireless of the _Sherman_ was -reëstablished, when it seemed to Ned that he was going to learn -Dr. Hallet’s secret, and when he felt that he could be on terms of -friendship with the eccentric doctor--who was not a physician, but a -doctor of science. - -However, since the two had been transferred to the same warship there -had been a complete change in Dr. Hallet. Far from seeking a chance -to maintain friendly relations with Ned, the doctor avoided the Motor -Boy and remained in seclusion. Nor did he send any word or give any -explanation of what he had started to say as to his relations with -Professor Snodgrass. - -As a matter of fact, after a few glimpses of Dr. Hallet, following -their transfer from the _Sherman_, the Motor Boy did not again see the -scientist. The latter, Ned learned, was busy over his notebooks and -memoranda, which he had brought with him, together with his fleas and -other specimens from the troopship. - -“I can’t understand it,” said Ned to a soldier chum. “He was just -getting friendly with me when we were in the midst of our troubles, and -now, when we’re safe, he doesn’t speak to me.” - -“Why don’t you go to him and ask for a showdown?” inquired Sam Harden, -the lad with whom Ned was becoming chummy. - -“I’ve tried to, but he won’t see me. And I can’t very well force myself -on him. I don’t know any of the officers who are on board well enough -to go to them and tell them all that’s happened. They might laugh at -me, and Dr. Hallet might turn ugly again, as he can on occasion.” - -“Do you really think he tried to damage the _Sherman_?” asked Harden. - -“No, I can’t say that I do--now,” Ned confessed. “But he surely did act -queer. And why he should hate, or pretend to hate, Professor Snodgrass -is more than I can fathom. - -“But there’s nothing I can do, I suppose, except wait. If we ever find -Jerry, Bob, and the professor I may get an explanation. And I certainly -do hope we find them!” - -“Same here!” echoed his new chum. “They’re making a good search of it.” - -This was true. The three warships which were carrying home the troops -transferred from the _Sherman_ kept together and in a sort of line -swept forward over the sea, cruising about in search of the derelict -or for a possible sight of refugees drifting on wreckage. To this end -searchlights were kept aglow all night, and soldiers or sailors were -constantly on watch during the twenty-four hours. - -Meanwhile life aboard the _Altaire_ was far from being dangerous now. -The attack of the whales had done no harm, and in the broad daylight -Jerry rather wondered whether they had not acted foolishly in firing -the bow gun at the creatures. - -“I don’t really believe they could have rammed us hard enough to have -done any damage,” he said. - -“Well, it certainly felt so,” declared Bob. - -“And I’m just as glad we drove them away,” said Judd. - -As for Professor Snodgrass, he said little. He was too much occupied in -classifying and making notes of the various forms of life he found on -the bunch of seaweed he had brought on board with him. - -Aside from attending now and then to the rude sail that had been -hoisted, and steering the craft, which did not require much effort, -as she did not move rapidly, there was nothing to do on the derelict -except, as Bob said, “to get meals and eat ’em.” - -Of course the distress signals were kept flying by day, and the -lanterns at night gave notice to whoever might glimpse them that they -were carried by a craft which needed help for those on board. And -outside of seeing that these signals and lights were kept in place, -there was nothing that could be done. - -It was utterly impossible for the four to start the engines. The -small sail was their only motive power. There was no need of using -the steam pumps, for the _Altaire_ was not leaking save in one or two -compartments, and the water-tight bulkheads kept the sea from invading -other parts of the craft. Even had it been necessary to get steam up -for the pumps, it is doubtful if it could have been managed. - -All they could do was to wait and hope, and this was wearying enough -after the first week. - -Each morning they began a vigil that lasted all day, and even into the -night, for they knew the lights of an approaching vessel could be seen -farther after dark than could the form of the ship itself during the -day. But they sighted nothing. - -It was more than a week after the crash which resulted in the -separation of the Motor Boys when, on a wonderfully clear day, a -lookout aboard the war craft containing Ned sent forth a thrilling cry -from the crow’s nest. - -“Derelict ahoy!” he shouted. - -“Where away?” - -“Dead ahead!” - -And then Ned and the others, rushing to vantage points, saw the -_Altaire_. - -There she was, slowly rolling to and fro on a gentle swell, and no -sooner had officers and sailors of the rescuing vessel caught sight of -her than they raised a cry of: - -“Some one’s on board!” - -The distress signals told that. - -And about the same time Jerry, Bob, the professor, and Judd, grouped at -the rail, were frantically waving their hands and shouting. For they -had seen the oncoming war craft, and knew that they were saved. - -The weary search was over. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX - -ALL’S WELL--CONCLUSION - - -“What happened to you?” - -“And what happened to you? Did the _Sherman_ sink?” - -It was Ned who asked the first question, Jerry who propounded the -second. And then he and Ned and Bob clasped hands while about them -stood a circle of cheering sailors and soldiers on board the war vessel. - -A boat had been sent to bring the refugees from the _Altaire_, and -when Jerry and his chums were safe on board and the cruiser had moved -sufficiently far away to be out of danger, the derelict was blown -up. Afloat she would be a constant menace to navigation, and it was -impossible to salvage her. - -It was following this necessary destruction of what had once been a -fine vessel that Ned and Jerry questioned one another. - -Then came explanations. Jerry told how he had managed to get aboard the -derelict, and how he had been joined by Bob, the professor, and Judd. -And, in his turn, Ned described the life aboard the transport, his talk -with Dr. Hallet, and their transfer to the warship. - -“Where is Dr. Hallet now?” asked Jerry. - -“He’s shut up in his cabin, I imagine,” answered Ned. “Somehow, he -managed to get a cabin to himself. He seems to avoid me. I declare I -don’t know what it all means.” - -At that moment a steward approached Professor Snodgrass, who was -standing in the group that included Ned, Bob and Jerry. - -“Dr. Hallet wishes to see you,” the steward said to Professor -Snodgrass. “He has heard of your rescue.” - -“Wishes to see me!” exclaimed the little scientist. “Dear me, this is -rather extraordinary! I don’t know whether to see him or not!” - -“The surgeon told me to tell you, sir,” added the steward, “that Dr. -Hallet is perfectly normal again. All his trouble has gone, and he is -himself once more.” - -“Oh, in that case of course I’ll see him!” exclaimed the professor. -“It’s all right, boys!” he added to Bob and Jerry. “He must have had -the necessary shock to bring back his reason. I hope it will never -leave him again. I’ll go to see him at once. I am rejoiced to hear this -good news!” - -As the professor hurried away Ned looked curiously at his two chums. -Then he began to question them. - -“Say, what’s it all about?” he asked. “What does the professor mean -when he says Dr. Hallet has recovered his reason? Has he been crazy?” -burst out Ned. - -“Practically so, yes, though harmless,” said Jerry. “The professor -explained everything to us while we were on the _Altaire_. Did you -begin to suspect anything?” - -“I didn’t know what to think, nor what to expect or suspect,” answered -Ned. “At one time Dr. Hallet seemed about to tell me everything, and -explain a lot of queer circumstances. Then something happened--I -think it was when our wireless got to working--and there was too much -excitement to think of anything but a rescue. Since we’ve been on this -warship the doctor has avoided me. I declare I didn’t know what to -think.” - -“Nor did we until the professor explained,” said Jerry. “It seems we -were all wrong in our conjectures, but it wasn’t exactly our fault, for -the doctor’s trouble made him irresponsible.” - -“Does that account for his talk against the professor in the -restaurant, and why he had a guard at his cabin?” asked Ned. - -“Yes,” was the answer from Bob, while Jerry said: - -“I’ll tell you the yarn, Ned. All our troubles are over now, I hope. -We had enough of them while they lasted, and at one time it seemed as -if we were all booked for Davy Jones’ locker. But here we are, and -we’ll soon be back home where we can live life as it ought to be lived.” - -“We’ll have our meals on time, for one thing,” declared Bob. - -“And the folks will be glad to see us,” added Jerry. - -“And perhaps some others than just our _folks_,” put in Ned, with a -smile. He was thinking of girls, and, perchance, one in particular. - -The story Jerry told, having had it from Professor Snodgrass, was to -the effect that Dr. Hallet had once been a colleague of the little -scientist with whom the Motor Boys had made so many trips. When the war -broke out and Professor Snodgrass went to Europe to study the effect of -battle noises on certain insects, Dr. Hallet made a like voyage to take -up another branch of science. In some lines he and Professor Snodgrass -were associated, working to the same end. In other lines they differed -radically, and often violently, though they were always good friends -and helped one another. - -Dr. Hallet went too near the front toward the close of the war, and was -under fire. He suffered from shell shock, which affected his mind, and -among his hallucinations was one in which he imagined that Professor -Snodgrass was his enemy and was trying to obtain a certain scientific -secret from him. - -In order to effect, if possible, a cure of his friend, Professor -Snodgrass, on the advice of the physicians treating Dr. Hallet, did -not dispute this false idea. On the contrary he even encouraged it. -The state of mind of the doctor accounted for his violent talk against -the professor in the restaurant, and his queer actions led Marie, the -pretty waitress, to give the queer scientist the name of “_le cochon_.” -Of course that was not deserved. - -“Did Dr. Hallet try to blow up the ship?” asked Ned. - -“Of course not!” exclaimed Jerry. “That time we met him with the -black box he imagined he was concealing some insects from the gaze of -Professor Snodgrass, and also from us. He included us in his fear, it -seems. There never was a bomb on the ship. All the accidents were due -to defects in the machinery--the bursting of steam pipes and the like.” - -“Yes, I’ve since heard that,” Ned admitted. “But I didn’t know whether -or not Dr. Hallet might not have tried to set off a bomb.” - -“Nothing like it!” laughed Jerry. “We were all wrong in thinking -him that sort of man. He did act queerly, but it was because he was -suffering from shell shock. And he made such a fuss about the chance -that Professor Snodgrass might steal some scientific secrets that -Captain Munson, at the doctor’s request and on the professor’s advice, -posted a guard in front of the stateroom. It was not needed, of course.” - -“Well, how did it happen we saw Professor Snodgrass in there?” asked -Ned. - -“He went in to see if he could not quiet the doctor, who had a sort of -hysterical fit,” explained Jerry. “The ship’s surgeon suggested this. -Professor Snodgrass also looked over some of the doctor’s papers and -examined his specimens, hoping, thereby, to get a line on something -that might turn his mind into a new channel. It was then we saw him. -But he did not see us. Dr. Hallet closed the door quickly. - -“But nothing seemed to answer; though, after a while, the doctor -himself seemed to quiet down. He requested the guards to be taken away, -and this was done. Then came the crash, and what happened to him since -I don’t know. At the time the whales attacked us Professor Snodgrass -said he wished Dr. Hallet could see them. He thought perhaps interest -in them would give him the necessary shock which would bring back his -reason.” - -“Well, something must have happened to him,” said Ned. “He acted almost -rational with me after you and the professor were lost overboard. As I -said, two or three times he was on the verge of telling me something, -but I can realize now that he was not normal. Then, after we were -transferred to this warship, he acted strangely again.” - -“But he is all right now,” said Professor Snodgrass, who came on deck -again after a visit to his colleague. “His mind has cleared, and we are -again united friends. He realizes what he has gone through, but he has -no complete idea of how queerly he acted.” - -“What brought back his mind?” asked Bob. - -“I suppose the various shocks connected with the accidents to the -_Sherman_ and the search for the derelict all acted on him in a -beneficial way,” replied the professor. “At any rate, after having been -irrational, he is himself again, and the surgeon assures me there will -be no more trouble.” - -Both Dr. Hallet and Professor Snodgrass were allowed on the troopship -because of exceptional services rendered the government during the war. -Professor Snodgrass had captured a number of Germans, as detailed in -the book preceding this. As for Dr. Hallet, he had discovered a method -of combating one of the German poison gases. - -Professor Snodgrass, because of the mental attitude of Dr. Hallet, -had come on board the transport quietly, which accounted for the fact -that the boys did not see him for some days. And the professor was so -engrossed with various matters that he was not aware of the presence of -Ned, Bob and Jerry. Captain Munson knew something about the condition -of Dr. Hallet, and also the efforts Professor Snodgrass was making to -cure his friend, but he did not feel at liberty to discuss it with -the Motor Boys. That is why he spoke to Ned as he did when the doctor -started to make an explanation. - -“But there will be nothing more to worry about,” declared the -professor, concluding his explanations. - -Nor was there. Dr. Hallet, though a bit dazed by what he had gone -through and having very little real knowledge of his actions following -the shell shock, rapidly grew to be himself again. He and Professor -Snodgrass joined forces in making scientific observations while the -warship bore them and the others homeward. And from the time the -professor and the doctor resumed their old relations the Motor Boys -saw little of them. For the two scientists were constantly catching -specimens, from cockroaches to sea-leeches, and making learned notes -and observations regarding them. - -“And to think all our theories about the doctor being a bomber were hot -air!” exclaimed Bob, as they stood on deck after the good news had been -scattered that another day would see them at New York. “We certainly -were barking up the wrong tree! It was Marie that gave the wrong idea, -in a way. But she didn’t mean to. Mighty fine girl, Marie!” and Bob -sighed. - -“Here! None of that!” warned Jerry. “I’ll tell Helena.” - -“All right! You do, and I’ll whisper something to Mollie Horton about -the French girl who tied up your sore finger!” countered the stout lad. - -“Better call it a draw,” suggested Ned with a laugh. - -And so, as the old proverb has it: “All’s well that ends well.” - -And certainly matters ended well for the Motor Boys. The next day the -warship anchored off quarantine, and in due time Jerry and his friends -went ashore and were sent to a demobilization camp. There they obtained -furloughs and went home to Cresville, where an enthusiastic reception -awaited them. - -They told of their parts in the Great War, but they liked best to -relate the story of the wreck of the troopship, for it was like some -wonderful romance, and the terrors of the battlefield were not involved. - -“I’d like to know the story of the _Altaire_,” said Ned, one day. And -later he and his chums heard it. - -The freighter was attacked by a submarine and her few passengers and -crew forced to take to the small boats. Then the Germans took what -they wanted in the way of supplies and were about to sink the _Altaire_ -when they saw a United States destroyer looming on the horizon. The -submarine fled before being able to place any bombs, though her crew -partly wrecked the engine room and destroyed the wireless plant. - -The destroyer picked up the crew of the _Altaire_, but soon after that -a storm came up, and there was no chance to salvage the vessel. It was -thought that she had sunk, but, fortunately for Jerry and his three -companions, she remained afloat. Thus the mystery was cleared. - -“But there’s one thing I’m never going to do if we have another war,” -declared Ned, as the three chums found a moment to be by themselves -after a round of meeting old friends. - -“What’s that?” asked Bob. - -“I’m never going to be surprised at what a bug-hunting professor does,” -was the answer. - -“Same here!” echoed Jerry. - -And so, the three young soldiers were safe at home, though they had -come a perilous way to get there. And now we shall take leave--at least -for a time--of Ned, Bob and Jerry. - - -THE END - - - - -THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES - -BY CLARENCE YOUNG - -_12mo. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid_ - - -[Illustration] - - THE MOTOR BOYS - _or Chums Through Thick and Thin_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS OVERLAND - _or A Long Trip for Fun and Fortune_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS IN MEXICO - _or The Secret of the Buried City_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS ACROSS THE PLAINS - _or The Hermit of Lost Lake_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS AFLOAT - _or The Cruise of the Dartaway_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE ATLANTIC - _or The Mystery of the Lighthouse_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS IN STRANGE WATERS - _or Lost in a Floating Forest_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE PACIFIC - _or The Young Derelict Hunters_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE CLOUDS - _or A Trip for Fame and Fortune_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS OVER THE ROCKIES - _or A Mystery of the Air_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS OVER THE OCEAN - _or A Marvelous Rescue in Mid-Air_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE WING - _or Seeking the Airship Treasure_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS AFTER A FORTUNE - _or The Hut on Snake Island_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE BORDER - _or Sixty Nuggets of Gold_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS UNDER THE SEA - _or From Airship to Submarine_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS ON ROAD AND RIVER - _or Racing to Save a Life_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS AT BOXWOOD HALL - _or Ned, Bob and Jerry as Freshmen_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS ON A RANCH - _or Ned, Bob and Jerry Among the Cowboys_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE ARMY - _or Ned, Bob and Jerry as Volunteers_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE FIRING LINE - _or Ned, Bob and Jerry Fighting for Uncle Sam_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS BOUND FOR HOME - _or Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Wrecked Troopship_ - - THE MOTOR BOYS ON THUNDER MOUNTAIN - _or The Treasure Box of Blue Rock_ - - - CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York - - - - -THE BOB DEXTER SERIES - -BY WILLARD F. BAKER - -_12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket in Colors_ - -_=Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid=_ - -[Illustration] - -_This is a new line of stories for boys, by the author of the Boy -Ranchers series. The Bob Dexter books are of the character that may -be called detective stories, yet they are without the objectionable -features of the impossible characters and absurd situations that -mark so many of the books in that class. These stories deal with the -up-to-date adventures of a normal, healthy lad who has a great desire -to solve mysteries._ - - - 1. BOB DEXTER AND THE CLUB-HOUSE MYSTERY - _or The Missing Golden Eagle_ - -This story tells how the Boys’ Athletic Club was despoiled of its -trophies in a strange manner, and how, among other things stolen, was -the Golden Eagle mascot. How Bob Dexter turned himself into an amateur -detective and found not only the mascot, but who had taken it, makes -interesting and exciting reading. - - - 2. BOB DEXTER AND THE BEACON BEACH MYSTERY - _or The Wreck of the Sea Hawk_ - -When Bob and his chum went to Beacon Beach for their summer vacation, -they were plunged, almost at once, into a strange series of events, not -the least of which was the sinking of the Sea Hawk. How some men tried -to get the treasure off the sunken vessel, and how Bob and his chum -foiled them, and learned the secret of the lighthouse, form a great -story. - - - 3. BOB DEXTER AND THE STORM MOUNTAIN MYSTERY - _or The Secret of the Log Cabin_ - -Bob Dexter came upon a man mysteriously injured and befriended him. -This led the young detective into the swirling midst of a series of -strange events and into the companionship of strange persons, not -the least of whom was the man with the wooden leg. But Bob got the -best of this vindictive individual, and solved the mystery of the log -cabin, showing his friends how the secret entrance to the house was -accomplished. - - - _Send For Our Free Illustrated Catalogue_ - - CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, PUBLISHERS New York - - - - -THE GREAT MARVEL SERIES - -BY ROY ROCKWOOD - -_12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket in Colors_ - -_=Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid=_ - -[Illustration] - -_Stories of adventures in strange places, with peculiar people and -queer animals._ - - - 1. THROUGH THE AIR TO THE NORTH POLE - _or The Wonderful Cruise of the Electric Monarch_ - -The tale of a trip to the frozen North with a degree of reality that is -most convincing. - - - 2. UNDER THE OCEAN TO THE SOUTH POLE - _or The Strange Cruise of the Submarine Wonder_ - -A marvelous trip from Maine to the South Pole, telling of adventures -with the sea-monsters and savages. - - - 3. FIVE THOUSAND MILES UNDERGROUND - _or The Mystery of the Center of the Earth_ - -A cruise to the center of the earth through an immense hole found at an -island in the ocean. - - - 4. THROUGH SPACE TO MARS - _or The Most Wonderful Trip on Record_ - -This book tells how the journey was made in a strange craft and what -happened on Mars. - - - 5. LOST ON THE MOON - _or In Quest of the Field of Diamonds_ - -Strange adventures on the planet which is found to be a land of -desolation and silence. - - - 6. ON A TORN-AWAY WORLD - _or Captives of the Great Earthquake_ - -After a tremendous convulsion of nature the adventurers find themselves -captives on a vast “island in the air.” - - - 7. THE CITY BEYOND THE CLOUDS - _or Captured by the Red Dwarfs_ - -The City Beyond the Clouds is a weird place, full of surprises, and the -impish Red Dwarfs caused no end of trouble. There is a fierce battle -in the woods and in the midst of this a volcanic eruption sends the -Americans sailing away in a feverish endeavor to save their lives. - - - _Send For Our Free Illustrated Catalogue_ - - CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York - - - - -THE COLLEGE SPORTS SERIES - -BY LESTER CHADWICK - -_12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket in Colors_ - -_=Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid=_ - -[Illustration] - -_Mr. Chadwick has played on the diamond and on the gridiron himself._ - - - 1. THE RIVAL PITCHERS - _A Story of College Baseball_ - -Tom Parsons, a “hayseed,” makes good on the scrub team of Randall -College. - - - 2. A QUARTERBACK’S PLUCK - _A Story of College Football_ - -A football story, told in Mr. Chadwick’s best style, that is bound to -grip the reader from the start. - - - 3. BATTING TO WIN - _A Story of College Baseball_ - -Tom Parsons and his friends Phil and Sid are the leading players on -Randall College team. There is a great game. - - - 4. THE WINNING TOUCHDOWN - _A Story of College Football_ - -After having to reorganize their team at the last moment, Randall makes -a touchdown that won a big game. - - - 5. FOR THE HONOR OF RANDALL - _A Story of College Athletics_ - -The winning of the hurdle race and long-distance run is extremely -exciting. - - - 6. THE EIGHT-OARED VICTORS - _A Story of College Water Sports_ - -Tom, Phil and Sid prove as good at aquatic sports as they are on track, -gridiron and diamond. - - - _Send For Our Free Illustrated Catalogue_ - - CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York - - - - -THE BASEBALL JOE SERIES - -BY LESTER CHADWICK - -_12mo. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid_ - -[Illustration] - - - BASEBALL JOE OF THE SILVER STARS - _or The Rivals of Riverside_ - -Joe is an everyday country boy who loves to play baseball and -particularly to pitch. - - - BASEBALL JOE ON THE SCHOOL NINE - _or Pitching for the Blue Banner_ - -Joe’s great ambition was to go to boarding school and play on the -school team. - - - BASEBALL JOE AT YALE - _or Pitching for the College Championship_ - -In his second year at Yale Joe becomes a varsity pitcher. - - - BASEBALL JOE IN THE CENTRAL LEAGUE - _or Making Good as a Professional Pitcher_ - -From Yale College to a baseball league of our Central States. - - - BASEBALL JOE IN THE BIG LEAGUE - _or A Young Pitcher’s Hardest Struggles_ - -From the Central League Joe goes to the St. Louis Nationals. - - - BASEBALL JOE ON THE GIANTS - _or Making Good as a Twirler in the Metropolis_ - -Joe was traded to the Giants and became their mainstay. - - - BASEBALL JOE IN THE WORLD SERIES - _or Pitching for the Championship_ - -What Joe did to win the series will thrill the most jaded reader. - - - BASEBALL JOE AROUND THE WORLD - _or Pitching on a Grand Tour_ - -The Giants and the All-Americans tour the world. - - - BASEBALL JOE: HOME RUN KING - _or The Greatest Pitcher and Batter on Record_ - -Joe becomes the greatest batter in the game. - - - BASEBALL JOE SAVING THE LEAGUE - _or Breaking Up a Great Conspiracy_ - -Throwing the game meant a fortune but also dishonor. - - - BASEBALL JOE CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM - _or Bitter Struggles on the Diamond_ - -After Joe was elevated to the position of captain, the team took on a -new spirit. But the old captain was jealous and tried his best to bring -Joe to grief. - - - _Send For Our Free Illustrated Catalogue_ - - CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York - - - - -THE JACK RANGER SERIES - -BY CLARENCE YOUNG - -_12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket in Colors_ - -_=Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid=_ - -[Illustration] - -_Lively stories of outdoor sports and adventure every boy will want to -read._ - - - 1. JACK RANGER’S SCHOOLDAYS - _or The Rivals of Washington Hall_ - -You will love Jack Ranger--you simply can’t help it. He is bright and -cheery, and earnest in all he does. - - - 2. JACK RANGER’S WESTERN TRIP - _or From Boarding School to Ranch and Range_ - -This volume takes the hero to the great West. Jack is anxious to clear -up the mystery surrounding his father’s disappearance. - - - 3. JACK RANGER’S SCHOOL VICTORIES - _or Track, Gridiron and Diamond_ - -Jack gets back to Washington Hall and goes in for all sorts of school -games. There are numerous contests on the athletic field. - - - 4. JACK RANGER’S OCEAN CRUISE - _or The Wreck of the Polly Ann_ - -How Jack was carried off to sea against his will makes a “yarn” no boy -will want to miss. - - - 5. JACK RANGER’S GUN CLUB - _or From Schoolroom to Camp and Trail_ - -Jack organizes a gun club and with his chums goes in quest of big game. -They have many adventures in the mountains. - - - 6. JACK RANGER’S TREASURE BOX - _or The Outing of the Schoolboy Yachtsmen_ - -Jack receives a box from his father and it is stolen. How he regains it -makes an absorbing tale. - - - _Send For Our Free Illustrated Catalogue_ - - CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes: - - --Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_); text in - bold by “equal” signs (=bold=). - - --Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected. - - --Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved. - - --Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved. - - --The author’s long dash style has been retained. - - --The Chapter XXX title in the Table of Contents (All’s Well) was - changed to reflect the title within the contents (All’s - Well--Conclusion). - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Motor Boys Bound for Home, by Clarence Young - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MOTOR BOYS BOUND FOR HOME *** - -***** This file should be named 53704-0.txt or 53704-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/7/0/53704/ - -Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - diff --git a/old/53704-0.zip b/old/53704-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index aeaaf80..0000000 --- a/old/53704-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53704-h.zip b/old/53704-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 788677b..0000000 --- a/old/53704-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53704-h/53704-h.htm b/old/53704-h/53704-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 155d330..0000000 --- a/old/53704-h/53704-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9989 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Motor Boys Bound for Home, by Clarence Young—A Project Gutenberg eBook. - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - - <style type="text/css"> - -/* DACSoft styles */ - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -/* General headers */ -h1 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -/* Chapter headers */ -h2 { - text-align: center; - font-weight: bold; - line-height: 1.5em; -} - -/* Indented paragraph */ -p { - margin-top: .51em; - margin-bottom: .49em; - text-align: justify; - text-indent: 1em; -} - -/* Unindented paragraph */ -.noi { text-indent: 0em; } - -/* Centered unindented paragraph */ -.noic { - text-indent: 0em; - text-align: center; -} - -/* Non-standard paragraph margins */ -.p2 { margin-top: 2em; } -.p4 { margin-top: 4em; } - -/* Horizontal rules */ -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} - -hr.r20 { - width: 20%; - margin-left: 40%; - margin-right: 40%; - margin-top: 1em; - margin-bottom: 1em; -} - -/* Lists */ -ul { list-style-type: none; } - -li { - text-indent: 0em; - padding-left: 0em; -} - -/* Tables */ -table { - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; -} - -/* Table cell alignments */ -.tdl {text-align: left;} - -.tdrb { - text-align: right; - vertical-align: bottom; -} - -.tdrt { - text-align: right; - padding-right: .75em; - vertical-align: top; -} - -th { - font-weight: normal; -} - -/* Physical book page and line numbers */ -.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ - /* visibility: hidden; */ - position: absolute; - right: 3%; -/* left: 92%; */ - font-size: x-small; - text-align: right; - color: gray; -} /* page numbers */ - -/* Blockquotes */ -.blockquot { - margin-top: 1em; - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; - margin-bottom: 1em; -} - -/* Alignment */ -.right {text-align: right;} - -/* Text appearance */ -.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - -/* Small fonts and lowercase small-caps */ -.smfont { - font-size: .8em; -} - -.smfontr { - font-size: .75em; - text-align: right; -} - -/* Illustration caption */ -.caption { - font-size: .75em; - font-weight: bold; -} - -/* Images */ -img { - max-width: 100%; /* no image to be wider than screen or containing div */ - height:auto; /* keep height in proportion to width */ -} - -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; - max-width: 100%; /* div no wider than screen, even when screen is narrow */ -} - -.figleft { - float: left; - clear: left; - margin-left: 0; - margin-bottom: 1em; - margin-top: 1em; - margin-right: 1em; - padding: 0; - text-align: center; -/* max-width: XX%; */ -} - -@media handheld { -.figleft { - float: left; - margin: 0; - text-align: center; - } -} - -/* Transcriber's notes */ -.tnote { - background-color: #E6E6FA; - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; - padding-bottom: .5em; - padding-top: .5em; - padding-left: .5em; - padding-right: .5em; -} - -.tntitle { - font-size: 1.25em; - font-weight: bold; - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -/* Title page borders and content. */ -.title { - font-size: 1.75em; - font-weight: bold; - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -.subtitle { - font-size: 1.5em; - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -.author { - font-size: 1.25em; - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -.works { - font-size: .75em; - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -/* Advertisement formatting. */ -.adpage { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -.adbox { - border: 2px solid black; - padding-left: 1em; - padding-right: 1em; - margin: auto; - max-width: 22em; -} - -@media handheld { - - .adpage { - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; - } - - .adbox { - border: 2px solid black; - padding: 1em; - margin: auto; - max-width: 100%; - } -} - -.adtitle { - font-size: 1.5em; - font-weight: bold; - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -.adauthor { - font-size: 1.25em; - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -/* Hanging indent. */ -.hang { - text-indent: -2em; - padding-left: 0em; -} - -.ident { - padding-left: 2em; -} - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -Project Gutenberg's The Motor Boys Bound for Home, by Clarence Young - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Motor Boys Bound for Home - or, Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Wrecked Troopship - -Author: Clarence Young - -Release Date: December 10, 2016 [EBook #53704] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MOTOR BOYS BOUND FOR HOME *** - - - - -Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="600" height="701" alt="cover" title="cover" /> -</div> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 378px;"> -<a id="image01"> - <img src="images/image01.jpg" width="378" height="600" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_205">“WHALES!” SHOUTED JERRY, “WE’RE IN THE MIDST OF A -SCHOOL OF WHALES!”</a></div> -</div> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h1>THE MOTOR BOYS<br /> -BOUND FOR HOME</h1> - -<p class="noic">OR</p> - -<p class="noi subtitle">Ned, Bob and Jerry on the<br /> -Wrecked Troopship</p> - -<p class="p2 noic">BY</p> - -<p class="noi author">CLARENCE YOUNG</p> - -<p class="noi works">AUTHOR OF “THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES,” “THE JACK<br /> -RANGER SERIES,” ETC.</p> - -<p class="p4 noic">ILLUSTRATED</p> - -<p class="p4 noic">NEW YORK<br /> -<span class="author">CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY</span></p> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="adpage"> -<div class="adbox"> -<p class="noic adauthor">BOOKS BY CLARENCE YOUNG</p> - -<p class="noic">12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Colored Jacket.</p> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<p class="noic adauthor"><b>THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES</b></p> - -<ul> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS OVERLAND</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS IN MEXICO</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS ACROSS THE PLAINS</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS AFLOAT</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE ATLANTIC</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS IN STRANGE WATERS</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE PACIFIC</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE CLOUDS</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS OVER THE ROCKIES</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS OVER THE OCEAN</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE WING</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS AFTER A FORTUNE</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE BORDER</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS UNDER THE SEA</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS ON ROAD AND RIVER</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS AT BOXWOOD HALL</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS ON A RANCH</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE ARMY</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE FIRING LINE</li> -<li class="hang">THE MOTOR BOYS BOUND FOR HOME</li> -</ul> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<p class="noic adauthor"><b>THE JACK RANGER SERIES</b></p> - -<ul> -<li class="hang">JACK RANGER’S SCHOOLDAYS</li> -<li class="hang">JACK RANGER’S WESTERN TRIP</li> -<li class="hang">JACK RANGER’S SCHOOL VICTORIES</li> -<li class="hang">JACK RANGER’S OCEAN CRUISE</li> -<li class="hang">JACK RANGER’S GUN CLUB</li> -<li class="hang">JACK RANGER’S TREASURE BOX</li> -</ul> -</div> - -<p class="p2 noic"><span class="smcap">Copyright, 1920, by<br /> -Cupples & Leon Company</span></p> - -<hr class="r20" /> - -<p class="noic"><b>The Motor Boys Bound for Home</b></p> - -<p class="right">Printed in U. S. A.</p> -</div> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2>CONTENTS</h2> - - -<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents"> -<col style="width: 20%;" /> -<col style="width: 70%;" /> -<col style="width: 10%;" /> -<tr> - <th class="smfontr">CHAPTER</th> - <th class="tdl"></th> - <th class="smfontr">PAGE</th> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">I</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">Turning Back</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">1</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">II</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">Suspicions</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">9</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">III</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">The Little Man</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">18</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">IV</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">Off Again</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">26</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">V</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">The Night Attack</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">37</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">VI</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">A Strange Encounter</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">45</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">VII</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">A Midnight Blast</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">52</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">VIII</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">Disabled</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">60</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">IX</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">The Mysterious Cabin</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">68</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">X</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">Calling in Vain</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">76</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XI</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">Drifting</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">83</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XII</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">Through the Open Door</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">91</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XIII</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">A Well-Known Voice</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">101</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XIV</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">The Fog</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">109</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XV</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">The Crash</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">117</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XVI</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">A Waif of the Sea</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">125</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XVII</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">Ned Wonders</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">133</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XVIII</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">A Queer Craft</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">140</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XIX</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">A Lone Navigator</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">149</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XX</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">Three on a Raft</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">156</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XXI</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">Reunited</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">165</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XXII</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">Ned and Pepper-Pot</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">175</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XXIII</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII">Making the Best of It</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">181</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XXIV</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIV">Ned Learns Something</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">189</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XXV</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXV">The Bow Gun</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">198</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XXVI</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVI">Leaking</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">208</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XXVII</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVII">The Wireless</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">214</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XXVIII</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVIII">The Search</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">222</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XXIX</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIX">“Derelict Ahoy!”</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">232</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdrt">XXX</td> - <td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXX">All’s Well—Conclusion</a></td> - <td class="tdrb">237</td> -</tr> -</table> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> - - -<div class="blockquot"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" summary="Illustrations"> -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#image01">“WHALES!” SHOUTED JERRY, “WE’RE IN THE MIDST OF A SCHOOL OF WHALES!”</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#image02">NED WAS DOING HIS BEST TO PULL THE FELLOW AWAY FROM BOB.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#image03">HE SEEMED TO WANT TO CEASE SWIMMING AND LET HIMSELF SINK.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl"><a href="#image04">“I SAW A SHIP!” EXCLAIMED THE STOUT LAD. “RIGHT AHEAD THERE!”</a></td></tr> -</table> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="noic"><span class="title">THE MOTOR BOYS,</span><br /> -<span class="subtitle">NED, BOB AND JERRY</span><br /> -<span class="title">BOUND FOR HOME</span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</a><br /> -<small>TURNING BACK</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Slowly and ponderously the United States -transport, <i>Sherman</i>, moved out of the maze of -boats that had clustered about her at the Brest -dock. With ever-gathering speed she thrust her -prow into the rippling water, leaving behind, on -the wharf, cheering hundreds of Uncle Sam’s -boys who envied the lot of their fellows in thus -sailing for home after the Great War. Mingled -with the resonant voices of the Americans were -the shriller notes of their French comrades, who -were bidding God-speed to their allied comrades.</p> - -<p>“Well, we’re really off at last,” remarked a -tall, bronzed youth, speaking to some of his chums -who leaned over the rail with him, waving to -friends on the wharf.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Yes, Jerry,” remarked a rather stout khaki-clad -soldier lad, “off at last. And now that the -captain can dispense with my valuable services in -warping the ship away from the dock—I believe -warping is the proper word—I’m going to -look——”</p> - -<p>“For the kitchen!” interrupted a third member -of the little group clustered about the lad called -Jerry, who wore on his coat the D. S. C. of valor. -“Isn’t that what you were going to say, Bob?”</p> - -<p>“What’s that about a kitchen?” asked the youth -called Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Bob is up to his old tricks,” remarked -the soldier who had interrupted his friend’s facetious -words.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps I may be, Ned,” came in reply from -the stout one; “but I know enough not to call the -place on board a ship where food is prepared a -‘kitchen.’ Why don’t you say galley, you land-lubber?” -and with this parting shot Bob Baker, -winking one eye at his tall friend, Jerry Hopkins, -strolled aft.</p> - -<p>He was soon lost in the throng of soldiers which -crowded every available part of the transport, -and Ned and Jerry, retaining their places by the -rail, looked down at the water of the harbor which -they were leaving behind. This was one of the -first transports to depart for the United States -after the terrible conflict, and in addition to taking<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span> -home a number of unwounded men, it also -carried many casual cases.</p> - -<p>Among the former were many friends and comrades -of Jerry Hopkins, Ned Slade, and Bob -Baker, three chums known to many of my readers -as the “Motor Boys,” of whom more will later -be told.</p> - -<p>“Yes, we’re on our way,” remarked Ned to -Jerry, as the two stood somewhat apart for the -moment, their friends at the rail having moved to -one side. “We’re on our way, and Bob hasn’t -lost much time in starting his favorite indoor -sport.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I don’t know that I blame him,” announced -Jerry. “The eating problem has been a -hard one for all of us since this war started, and -there’s such a crowd on board that it isn’t likely -to be an easy matter to get a feed now. Bob -always was one who believed in safety first, when -it comes to his stomach.”</p> - -<p>“You’re right!” assented Ned. “But there’s -one thing about him: He isn’t mean, and if he -finds a way to get an extra supply of grub he’ll -share it with us.”</p> - -<p>“You said a mouthful!” agreed Jerry.</p> - -<p>For several moments they stood looking at the -gradually disappearing reminders of the late conflict—the -docks and the buildings at the Brest -camp, in France, where they had spent some days<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> -in waiting for transportation back to the United -States. Then Ned turned to look over the seething -deck.</p> - -<p>“This is some crowd!” murmured Ned. “I -hope Bob doesn’t get lost in it.”</p> - -<p>“Especially if he does manage to find the galley, -and can bribe or intimidate one of the cooks -into slipping him something on the side,” added -Jerry. “In that case I hope Bob’s memory carries -him back to us, for, to tell you the truth, I’m -hungry.”</p> - -<p>“So’m I,” admitted Ned; “though I did pull a -raw one on Chunky. But I guess we ought to -consider ourselves lucky to be on board.”</p> - -<p>“You said it!” declared Jerry. “There’s a lot -of the boys who would give up a wound stripe for -the sake of going back on one of these early boats. -Now that the war is practically over, there’s going -to be a big slump in the enthusiasm that kept -us going when nothing else would have done it. -Yes, we’re dead lucky to be going back.”</p> - -<p>And so, amid the whistle salutes of other craft, -the waving of hands and the tossing of hats and -caps from unknown well-wishers, the <i>Sherman</i> -kept on her way.</p> - -<p>Out toward the west she headed, out toward -the land of the Stars and Stripes, and deep in -their hearts Ned, Bob, and Jerry were thankful -for the Providence that had picked them as among<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span> -the first to go back home after the fighting was -over.</p> - -<p>They had covered themselves with glory, for -in addition to the D. S. C. bestowed on Jerry -Hopkins, Ned and Bob had received honorable -mention, and their company was one picked out -for signal honor, the three boys sharing in the -general praise.</p> - -<p>“I wonder how things are going back in Cresville,” -mused Ned, after a period of silence on -the part of himself and Jerry.</p> - -<p>“That’s queer! I was just thinking that same -thing myself,” the taller lad exclaimed. “It will -seem mighty quiet after the hail-storms we’ve been -through.”</p> - -<p>“Hail-storms is right,” agreed Ned Slade. -“But it can’t be too quiet for me. All I want to -do is to sit under a tree back of the house, with -plenty of books and magazines to read, clean -clothes—real clean clothes—to wear, a bath-tub -where I know where it is, and——”</p> - -<p>“Something to eat!” interrupted a voice behind -him, and, turning, Ned and Jerry beheld their -stout chum, Bob Baker, who smilingly held out -some sandwiches.</p> - -<p>“Running true to form,” murmured Ned, as -he accepted one, and also a bit of chocolate candy -his friend extended. “How’d you manage to do -it, Bob?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Oh, my hypnotic eye. Just told one of the -cooks I had to have something if they didn’t want -the captain to read the service for burial at sea. -And the cook allowed he didn’t want that to happen -so soon after we’d got started. This is the -result,” and Bob began munching on his share of -the auxiliary rations, an example followed by Ned -and Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Am I right?” mumbled Bob, between bites.</p> - -<p>“Right-O, Chunky!” murmured Jerry. “This -touches the right spot.”</p> - -<p>“Do you accept my amendment regarding the -necessities you require on reaching home, Ned?” -asked Bob, after a period of eloquent silence.</p> - -<p>“Amendment accepted, all in favor say ‘aye!’” -exclaimed Ned, adding, a moment later: “The -ayes have it!”</p> - -<p>“Didn’t see anything of Professor Snodgrass, -did you?” asked Jerry of his chums, as they disposed -of the last of the sandwiches and chocolate -Bob had procured in some mysterious way.</p> - -<p>“No,” answered Ned. “The last I saw of him -was when he had seen to it that Gladys Petersen -and Dorothy Gibbs were safely on their way -home and he was packing up his pictures and -specimens of bugs and things to ship to the college.”</p> - -<p>“He said he might possibly join us on this -transport,” said Bob. “And he may be here, for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> -all we know. Looks as if everybody I ever met -in France is on board.”</p> - -<p>“Not that pretty little girl with the black hair -and brown eyes you were so fond of in the restaurant—she -isn’t here, is she?” asked Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Oh, cut it out!” growled Bob. “You know -what I mean.”</p> - -<p>“But did she know what <em>you</em> meant?” asked -Ned pointedly. “You know you never could get -the hang of the French words, and she used to -rip them out like a drygoods clerk tearing off a -yard of muslin.”</p> - -<p>“Say, if you fellows think I’m going to rustle -grub for you, and then have you insult me, you’ve -got another guess and a half coming!” cried Bob -hotly—so hotly, in fact, that Jerry quickly interposed.</p> - -<p>“That’s all right, Bob,” he said quietly, laying -a cautioning hand on Ned’s shoulder. “We two -were just as fond of Marie as you were, only she -seemed to take more of a notion to you than she -did to us.”</p> - -<p>This admission apparently brightened Bob visibly, -and his anger slowly died away.</p> - -<p>“And, going back to the original subject,” said -Ned, “did either of you see the professor?”</p> - -<p>They had not, they admitted.</p> - -<p>“Well, we’re not likely to hear from him until -we get across, then,” decided Bob.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span></p> - -<p>But it was not to be long before his words were -disproved.</p> - -<p>Gathering speed, the transport moved ahead, -and the craft was approaching the open sea, leaving -behind, in a misty haze, the camp at Brest, -when without warning she suddenly slowed up, -not gradually, as if making a regular stop, but -with a jar and a shudder that seemed to go -through her whole structure.</p> - -<p>“What’s that?” cried Bob, as he and his chums -felt the tremors and the vibration.</p> - -<p>“Something’s wrong!” said Ned in a low voice.</p> - -<p>“Could we have struck a mine?” asked Bob in -a half whisper, as though he feared to start a -panic. “It couldn’t be a sub, could it? I -thought——”</p> - -<p>He did not finish the sentence, for in the midst -of it the vessel started on again; but, to the surprise -of all, she began turning slowly back toward -the port she had so recently left.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</a><br /> -<small>SUSPICIONS</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Not much imagination is required to picture the -confusion on board the U. S. S. <i>Sherman</i> when she -was turned around and headed for Brest, the port -from which the craft had so recently sailed. And -also it is easy to guess something of the many -and rapid questions that were fired from all directions, -without any counter-barrage in the way of -replies being given.</p> - -<p>“What does it mean?”</p> - -<p>“Aren’t they going to let us go home after all?”</p> - -<p>“Have the Germans started another war?”</p> - -<p>“Did we strike a mine?”</p> - -<p>“Has a torpedo hit us?”</p> - -<p>The two last were the questions most often -asked, for it was easily within the bounds of possibility -that the craft might have been damaged -by some floating mine, nor was it out of the bounds -of possibility that she might have been torpedoed. -Some German captain of a submarine, not having -heard of the signing of the armistice, or choosing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> -to ignore it, perhaps pleading ignorance later, -might easily have taken this method of revenge -for the fancied wrongs to the “Fatherland.”</p> - -<p>And so it was that on all sides arose the question:</p> - -<p>“What has happened?”</p> - -<p>But no one answered it. At least the returning -soldiers, among whom were Ned, Bob, and -Jerry, had no one to answer it for them. They -“milled around” on the decks, surging this way -and that until they threatened the equilibrium of -the vessel and the officers had to go among them -ordering them to remain quiet.</p> - -<p>“But what has happened, sir?” asked Jerry of -a captain with whom he was on friendly terms.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know, exactly. Something seemed to -go wrong with the machinery. But there is no -danger. We are only a short distance from -shore. It is the duty of every one to remain -calm.”</p> - -<p>The boys did their best, but the questioning -still persisted and at length Jerry said:</p> - -<p>“Fellows, I’m going to find out what the matter -is.”</p> - -<p>“I am, too!” exclaimed Ned.</p> - -<p>“So’m I!” added Bob. “Maybe the galley is -on fire, and——”</p> - -<p>“That would be a terrible calamity!” laughed -Jerry, and his laugh seemed to ease the tension<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> -somewhat. Then he added: “You two boys had -better stay here. If three of us chase around -we’ll be ordered to keep to one spot. But if I -go alone I may be able to manage it.”</p> - -<p>“And as soon as you find out what it is come -back and tell us,” begged Ned.</p> - -<p>“Sure thing!” promised his tall chum, as he -moved away.</p> - -<p>While Jerry is thus endeavoring to learn the -cause of the sudden turning back of the troopship, -readers who are meeting Ned, Bob, and -Jerry for the first time will be told something -more about the lads, so they may seem more like -old acquaintances.</p> - -<p>To those readers who have the first book of -this series, entitled “The Motor Boys,” not much -need be said. It need only be stated that the -present series, under the caption “Ned, Bob and -Jerry,” is a continuation of the same characters in -new fields.</p> - -<p>Ned Slade was the son of a wealthy department -store-keeper. Bob Baker’s father was a -banker. And Mrs. Julia Hopkins, the mother of -Jerry, was financially interested in several institutions -controlled by Mr. Slade and Mr. Baker. -The youths lived in Cresville, in one of our New -England states, and their interest in locomotion -dated from the days of their early boyhood, when -they owned motor cycles. It was their activities<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> -on these machines that gained them the appellation -of “Motor Boys.” They later secured an -automobile, and in this they made a trip Overland, -to Mexico, and Across the Plains, as related -in the books bearing those distinctive titles.</p> - -<p>Afterward the boys secured a motor boat and -had many voyages, including travel on the Atlantic, -the Pacific, and in Strange Waters. Trips -above the clouds followed in airships of various -makes, and, not satisfied with that, the three -adventurous lads descended to the depths in -submarines.</p> - -<p>Following a series of exciting adventures, detailed -at length, there was a conference on the -part of the parents of Ned, Bob and Jerry. It -was decided that the lads had better “buckle -down” to some serious work in life, and, accordingly, -they were sent to college to complete their -educations.</p> - -<p>In “The Motor Boys at Boxwood Hall, or, -Ned, Bob and Jerry as Freshmen,” is related the -many jolly times they had and how they helped -to establish a reputation for old Boxwood Hall in -athletics. At Boxwood Hall the three had lots -of fun, as well as doing good work in their studies. -The boys had many obstacles and difficulties to -overcome but how they won out in the end is set -forth in detail in the book.</p> - -<p>The three chums spent a summer on a ranch,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> -and then the Great War broke out. Ned, Bob -and Jerry joined the army, and, in due course, -they found themselves fighting Germany. What -happened to them is set forth in the book immediately -preceding this, called “The Motor Boys -on the Firing Line.” More than the details of -many battles is in this volume, for in addition -to fighting for Uncle Sam the Motor Boys -had also to help their friend, Professor Uriah -Snodgrass.</p> - -<p>This doughty little scientist was the boys companion -on their many trips, and he not only enjoyed -the companionship of the boys, but he -obtained much information by going with them, not -to mention many valuable, if not always pleasant -specimens. For Professor Snodgrass collected -bugs, snakes and allied creatures for Boxwood -Hall and other colleges and also several museums.</p> - -<p>He had gone to Europe with the boys on a -double mission. One was to find two young -ladies—Dorothy Gibbs and Gladys Petersen—nieces -of Professor Petersen’s, and the other was -to get photographs of the effects of war noises on -certain insects.</p> - -<p>Professor Snodgrass found the girls, and, with -the help of the three boys, was able to send them -back to the United States. He also got the pictures -he wanted, and he secured for himself a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> -large sum of money. This money had been left -by Professor Petersen to Professor Snodgrass, -provided the latter discovered the whereabouts of -the two young ladies.</p> - -<p>Now, with the ending of the war Ned, Bob and -Jerry had started back home on the transport. -Professor Snodgrass, having seen to it that the -nieces of his late friend were safely cared for, -had turned his attention to shipping back the -moving and other pictures he had made of the -insects. The boys had lost sight of him in the -confusion of the preparations for sailing for -home. Professor Snodgrass, however, had said -he might meet the boys on the transport. But, -up to the time of the turning back of the <i>Sherman</i>, -no further word had been received concerning -the little scientist.</p> - -<p>Now all was confusion on board the troopship. -In spite of the orders of the officers, the men kept -moving here and there, each one seeking to learn -the cause of the trouble, to find out why they -should be going back to France when they hoped -they had left it for good—and this was saying or -thinking nothing against the country that had -given them such a warm welcome in her hour of -dire distress.</p> - -<p>“It’s a fat chance Jerry has of finding out what -the row is,” commented Ned to Bob, as they retained -their places near the crowded rail close<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> -to one of the lifeboats—a position Jerry had assigned -to them as a rendezvous.</p> - -<p>“What makes you think so?” asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“Because I just heard our colonel telling the -major he didn’t know what was up.”</p> - -<p>“Well, maybe it isn’t generally known yet,” -said Bob. “If there’s been an accident the captain -of the ship is sure to know about it, even if -he doesn’t tell our colonel right away. You see -the ship captain is in full authority, once the vessel -gets away from the dock. His word is law, -and the military authorities, that had the say on -shore, don’t cut any ice now.”</p> - -<p>“Poetically speaking,” added Ned, with a smile.</p> - -<p>“Exactly,” agreed Bob, also grinning. “You -see the safety of the ship depends on the captain, -and you can stake your last doughnut that he -knows what’s up, even if he hasn’t told any of -the military crowd, which includes us—ahem!” -and Bob swelled up his chest. “But you can depend -on it that if anything is to be found out -Jerry will discover it. He has a way with him!”</p> - -<p>“Can he find out something our colonel can’t -learn?” asked Ned.</p> - -<p>“He might. The colonel couldn’t descend to -asking information of a stoker or a coal passer, -but Jerry could, not being of the elect, you know. -Yes, you let Jerry-boy alone, and he’ll come home -with the bacon. And, speaking of bacon, I wish<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> -I had some right now, with some fresh eggs, and -have them with the sunny-sides up. The bacon -nice and crisp, and the coffee just right, with cream -in a little pitcher on the side and——”</p> - -<p>“Thud!”</p> - -<p>That was Ned giving Bob a thump on the back.</p> - -<p>“What’s the matter?” indignantly demanded -the stout youth.</p> - -<p>“Cut out the imaginary eats!” was the answer. -“Haven’t we got troubles enough without that? -But here comes Jerry. Now to see if he has found -out anything!”</p> - -<p>The tall lad, on whose coat was the D. S. C., -sauntered toward his two chums. With a signal -from his eyes—a signal they well knew how to -interpret, Ned and Bob moved to one side. Jerry -had told them, without the use of words, that he -wanted to speak with them alone.</p> - -<p>Just then, fortunately for their plans, there was -a little commotion farther up the deck, and in the -rush that followed there was a clear space left -near the rail where the three boys now stood.</p> - -<p>“Well, what is it?” asked Ned, as Jerry looked -first at him and then at Bob. “Are we sinking, -Jerry?”</p> - -<p>“Far from it. The hull is as sound as a dollar.”</p> - -<p>“Then it wasn’t a mine or a torpedo?” asked -Bob.</p> - -<p>“Not this time. But there has been an accident<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> -to the machinery, and we’re returning to the -dock for repairs.”</p> - -<p>“Only an accident to the machinery!” exclaimed -Ned. “Then why, in the name of Andy Rush, all -this mystery and excitement?”</p> - -<p>“Because,” answered Jerry slowly, “from what -I heard, the accident was a premeditated one, and -it looks suspicious.”</p> - -<p>“Suspicious!” exclaimed his two chums.</p> - -<p>“Hush! Yes! But not so loud. That’s why -I gave you the high sign to let me have a word -alone with you. There’s a rumor that some revengeful -German may have set off a time bomb -in the engine room. So far the damage is slight, -but——”</p> - -<p>Jerry paused, for another tremor ran through -the ship and again the vessel came to a sudden -stop.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</a><br /> -<small>THE LITTLE MAN</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“Say, this is getting a bit more than interesting!” -cried Ned, as he and Bob gazed at Jerry.</p> - -<p>The stout lad looked up at the lifeboat near -which he leaned on the rail.</p> - -<p>“None of that!” warned Jerry. “Don’t start -a rush. There’s no danger!”</p> - -<p>But his words did not seem to be borne out, -for no sooner was it apparent to all on board that -the <i>Sherman</i> had come to a stop again than a sort -of panic began which the officers had to work hard -to subdue. Finally the colonel commanding the -troops had to make an address from the main -deck.</p> - -<p>“There is absolutely no danger!” he declared. -“The captain assures me the ship is not leaking a -drop, and we shall soon be back at the dock -whence we started. This is unfortunate, but it -can not be helped. We shall start for home again -as soon as possible.”</p> - -<p>“When will that be, sir?” some soldier asked.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -While another—more than one, in fact—inquired -as to the cause of the trouble.</p> - -<p>“There has been an accident to the machinery,” -the colonel stated. “One of the engines is -disabled, and that puts all the work on the remaining -unit. I am told that this excess caused -a temporary stoppage of the one good engine. -But we shall soon be under way again.”</p> - -<p>“Was there an explosion?” some one asked.</p> - -<p>“A slight one, yes,” was the rather hesitating -answer.</p> - -<p>“What caused it?”</p> - -<p>“Did we hit a mine?”</p> - -<p>“Was it a Boche?”</p> - -<p>These were only a few of the questions, hurled -like hand grenades, at the colonel.</p> - -<p>“I am not at liberty to say what caused the -explosion,” he announced. “It can not be told at -present. All I ask of you—all that your officers -ask of you—is that you remain quiet. We shall -soon start again, to be quickly back at the dock.”</p> - -<p>“For how long?” asked several.</p> - -<p>That seemed to strike a popular chord.</p> - -<p>“I am sorry, but I am unable to answer that -question,” replied the colonel with a smile. “I -know you all want it answered, and I will say -that if it is found it will require too long to repair -the damage to this transport another will be provided.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span></p> - -<p>There was a cheer at this, and the colonel and -his staff looked relieved. The danger of a panic -and a rush for the boats seemed past. But many -rumors were still in circulation, and that of a -German spy or some Hun sympathizer having -tried to sink the transport and the troops gained -each hour.</p> - -<p>It seemed a very long time, though it was not -more than two hours, before the ship was under -way again. But she limped along under less than -half steam, and many anxious hearts were glad -when the dock they had recently left loomed in -sight again.</p> - -<p>The accident, of whatever nature it was, had -happened when the <i>Sherman</i> was not far from -shore, and, even had it been necessary to launch -the lifeboats and rafts, it is probable that all on -board would have been saved.</p> - -<p>But there was always danger, especially when -the wounded men were considered, and there were -not a few of them on board. Consequently, it -was with a feeling of relief that all observed the -craft being warped back to the berth she had so -lately left.</p> - -<p>“Now the question arising is: What——”</p> - -<p>“Are we going to eat, and when!” interrupted -Ned, breaking in on what Bob had started to say.</p> - -<p>“As you were! As you were!” growled the -stout lad. “I wasn’t going to say that at all.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> -What I mean is: ‘What’s going to happen to -us? Shall we have to stay cooped up on board -when there’s peace and plenty and room to move -about on shore?’”</p> - -<p>“Not to mention Marie, of <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le restaurant de la -palma</i> or something like that,” mocked Jerry.</p> - -<p>“That’s right—keep on picking at me!” -mourned Bob. “But you guys’ll be just as glad -as I shall be to get off this tub if she isn’t moving -toward the U. S. A.”</p> - -<p>“Guess you’re right,” assented Jerry. “It isn’t -going to be much fun cooped up here if we’re -going to stay tied to the dock. It’s too crowded. -Wouldn’t be so bad if we were at sea and knew -we were moving toward home. But if we have to -hang around this dock it will give me the willies!”</p> - -<p>“You said another mouthful!” agreed Ned. -“But it’s a good thing this accident didn’t happen -when we were three or four days out. And maybe -they’ll let us go ashore.”</p> - -<p>This hope was realized, at least on the part of -the Motor Boys, a little later. Once the <i>Sherman</i> -was made fast to the dock again, there were numerous -petitions from the privates to their officers -for permission to go ashore, if only for a few -hours. Ned, Bob, and Jerry made their requests, -and, to their delight, they were granted. Perhaps -Jerry’s D. S. C. and the honors attained by -Ned and Bob had something to do with this.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span></p> - -<p>“But you must not go far away, and you must -report back here on board in three hours,” their -captain told them. “It is thought the repairs will -be completed by then.”</p> - -<p>Jerry and his chums were closely scrutinized -and their passes examined with care when they -walked down the gangplank to the dock. All who -were allowed to go on shore were thus observed, -and as the three friends passed out to the streets -of the city which had loomed so large of late as -the location of the camp of much rain and mud, -they noted that the sentries had been doubled -around the wharf of the <i>Sherman</i>.</p> - -<p>“If there’s a German spy on board he’ll stand -a fat chance if they find him,” said Bob, as he -and his chums started off on their leave.</p> - -<p>The three boys headed at once for a restaurant, -for the emergency rations which Bob had, -somehow, managed to secure had long since lost -their effects. And, for a wonder, Ned and Jerry -did not twit their stout companion with being -over-zealous in his desire for food. They wanted -it as much as he did.</p> - -<p>Moreover, they went to the restaurant where -the pretty Marie waited on one of the tables. -Bob had discovered this “life-saving station” in -the midst of his wanderings about Brest, and after -some persuasion on the part of his chums had let -them into the secret of it. Thereafter they spent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -much of their leave-time in this place. Now again -they headed for it.</p> - -<p>And Marie was there. She welcomed the boys -with a smile. With smiles, in fact; for though -Bob claimed it as his right to bask in them to the -exclusion of all others, Marie, in reality, smiled -impartially on her “three musketeers.”</p> - -<p>“Back so soon?” she asked, with her fascinating -accent and pronunciation.</p> - -<p>“Yes. Couldn’t stay away from you, <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">ma’m’sell</i>,” -returned Bob, trying to catch Marie’s eyes -in a glance that meant more than words.</p> - -<p>“What’s that? What’s she got to sell?” asked -Ned, winking at Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Oh, cut it out! That’s an old one,” replied -Bob. “I can speak as good French as you.”</p> - -<p>“Better, <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">mon ami</i>, much better!” laughed Jerry. -“Now you two old roosters stop kidding and get -down to business. We have only three hours’ -shore leave, so let’s make the most of it. What -have you to eat, Marie?”</p> - -<p>“Now you’re talking!” commented Ned. “Bob -can live on love if he likes, as for me, give -me——”</p> - -<p>“Liberty or death!” chanted Bob.</p> - -<p>They all laughed gaily, and Marie was told, in -a casual way, of the accident to the troopship and -her trip back to the dock.</p> - -<p>The boys were so taken up with the pretty waitress<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -and with getting their appetites in a fair way -to be satisfied, that they paid little attention to -those around them at the other tables. But when -they had begun to eat, and the sharp edge of their -hunger was somewhat dulled, Jerry looked about -the restaurant to note the possible presence of -some of their friends who, like themselves, might -have also received shore leave from the <i>Sherman</i>.</p> - -<p>Jerry did not see any soldiers whom he and his -chums knew, though he did observe a number of -Uncle Sam’s boys, together with some French -poilus and British Tommies. What attracted his -attention, however, was the sight of a little bald-headed -man seated at a table two or three removed -from the one at which he and his friends -were dining. The little man was in civilian -clothes.</p> - -<p>“Look!” excitedly exclaimed Jerry, nudging -Ned, who sat next to him. “Look over there!”</p> - -<p>He pointed to the little bald-headed man, who -was busy over his soup.</p> - -<p>“Professor Snodgrass!” exclaimed Ned. “Well, -this is luck!”</p> - -<p>Jerry arose from his chair, followed by Ned, -and started toward the man to whom he had -called the attention of his chums. The man’s back -was toward the lads, but there was no doubt in -their minds that he was their scientific friend.</p> - -<p>“Where have you been, Professor Snodgrass?”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> -asked Jerry, as, with Ned, he stood at the other -table.</p> - -<p>And then the two boys received the surprise of -their lives. For the little man who gazed quickly -up at them was not Professor Snodgrass at all, -though he bore a wonderfully striking resemblance -to him from the back.</p> - -<p>But more strange than the fact of his being the -professor’s double (which was not so pronounced -when his face was seen) was the action of the -little man. His face turned red with rage, and -he fairly spluttered as he rose from his chair, -facing Jerry and Ned, and exclaiming:</p> - -<p>“What do you mean? How dare you call me -Professor Snodgrass? How dare you insult me? -I shall complain to the manager! How dare -you?”</p> - -<p>Highly indignant, he motioned to Jerry and Ned -to move back, and, hardly knowing what they -were doing, they retreated, while the eyes of all -in the restaurant were turned on them.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</a><br /> -<small>OFF AGAIN</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Jerry Hopkins was the first of the three chums -to regain his composure and take the situation in -hand. Quietly he motioned to Ned to fall back, -and, at the same time, nodded to Bob not to approach, -as the stout youth seemed about to do. -The two soldiers had had enough experience with -Jerry’s method in an emergency to be willing to -let him manage matters now.</p> - -<p>“What do you mean? What do you mean?” -spluttered the little man, who, from the back, had -so closely resembled Professor Snodgrass. “How -dare you insult me?”</p> - -<p>“There seems to be some mistake,” said Jerry, -trying to keep his voice under control, for, truth -to tell, he was as indignant as his chums were at -the unwarranted assumption on the part of the -stranger.</p> - -<p>“Mistake? I should say there had been!” was -the exclamation from the little man. “You made -a mistake in thinking I had anything to do<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> -with that—that charlatan! That pretender! That -scientific faker, who calls himself ‘Professor’ -Snodgrass. A mistake indeed!”</p> - -<p>“Wait a minute! Wait a minute!” broke in -Ned, unable longer to hear his friend thus abused. -“The mistake will be on the other foot in a minute -if you keep on that way!” he said indignantly.</p> - -<p>The little man seemed about to rise from the -table to attack Ned, but Jerry gently thrust back -his impetuous chum.</p> - -<p>“Let me handle him,” he whispered to Ned.</p> - -<p>“Is he crazy?” asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“It begins to look that way,” answered Jerry, -as the little man resumed his seat at his table, -though he did not continue his meal.</p> - -<p>“We wish to apologize for having mistaken -you for a friend of ours,” said Jerry suavely. -“Seeing you from the back we took you to be -Professor Snodgrass, and——”</p> - -<p>“Is <em>he</em> a friend of yours?” asked the little man -fiercely.</p> - -<p>“He certainly is!” exclaimed Bob truculently.</p> - -<p>“Well, all I have to say is that I am sorry for -you,” said the little man. “You had no right to -assume that I was he, and your effrontery in publicly -addressing me as such needs to be apologized -for.”</p> - -<p>“Which we are doing,” said Jerry stiffly. “And -I might add,” he went on, “that if you continue in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -your present strain there will be something else to -apologize for, and not on our part, either!” He -seemed quite a different Jerry now.</p> - -<p>“We have made proper reparation for having -mistaken you for our friend, Professor Snodgrass,” -he continued, “and that, to a <em>gentleman</em>, -should be sufficient. I think that is all, sir!”</p> - -<p>Jerry turned stiffly and marched back to his own -table, followed by Ned and Bob, who had left -their seats to join him. For a few seconds the -little bald-headed man did not seem to know what -to do. He said something about its being “all -right now,” but mingled with this were grunts and -mutterings about “insolent puppies,” which words, -however, Jerry and his chums thought best to ignore.</p> - -<p>“Say, what was eating him, anyhow?” asked -Bob, when they had resumed their seats for their -dessert which the pretty Marie was then bringing -to them.</p> - -<p>“I guess you mean what had he been eating,” -said Ned. “Red pepper and <i>chili con carne</i> I imagine, -with a dish of tabasco sauce and <i>frijoles</i> -on the side.”</p> - -<p>“Reminds me of our Mexico trip,” interposed -Bob. “What was the name of that Spanish fellow -who was always making so much trouble?”</p> - -<p>“You mean Vasco Bilette,” suggested Jerry.</p> - -<p>“That’s it! This fellow, who really looks a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> -lot like our dear, old professor, certainly is -touchy.”</p> - -<p>“He certainly is,” agreed Jerry. “Say, Bob,” -he went on, “you claim you can <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">parlez-vous</i> better -than the rest of us. Suppose you ask Marie if -she knows this duck.”</p> - -<p>“Sure!” assented the stout lad. “Say, <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">chere</i> -Marie,” he went on as the pretty little waitress -came up to their table, “<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">comprehendez-vous</i> him?” -and he pointed to the man who was the cause of -the Motor Boys’ discomfiture. For it had been -disquieting, to say the least, to have the eyes of -all in the restaurant turned on them during the -fracas, as Ned termed it.</p> - -<p>“<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Comprehendez-vous</i> him?” asked Bob of -Marie. “You know. <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">La petite hommes de la -table d’hote</i>,” and to make sure that his “French” -would be understood he pointed to the little man.</p> - -<p>“Say, what’s that you’re getting off?” demanded -Jerry.</p> - -<p>“I’m asking her if she’s wise to the guy who’s -eating in this restaurant,” translated Bob. “<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Comprehendez</i>—that -means ‘do you know.’ <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">La petite</i>—that -means ‘little’ and <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">hommes</i> means ‘man.’”</p> - -<p>“He’s right there,” declared Ned earnestly, -while Marie looked amusedly at “<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">les trois mousquetaires</i>.”</p> - -<p>“How do you know?” snapped Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Why, isn’t it painted all over the cars we’ve<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> -been riding in, ‘chevaux 8—hommes 40’? That is -eight horses or forty men. Sure <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">hommes</i> mean -men, or man.”</p> - -<p>“Watch Bob swell up,” commented Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Well, you told me to spout French, and I’m -doing it,” said the lad with the perpetual appetite. -“Now give her a chance to answer. I’ll ask -her again. <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Chere Marie! Comprehendez-vous -la petite hommes de la table d’hote?</i>”</p> - -<p>The pretty waitress placed on the table the -dishes she had brought up to serve, turned for a -look over her shoulder at the man Bob referred -to, and then looked back, with a smile, at the -stout lad and his chums.</p> - -<p>“<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Oui</i>,” she answered, guessing shrewdly at -Bob’s meaning and shrugging her shoulders expressively.</p> - -<p>“Oh, ho! So she does know him!” exclaimed -Ned, for in spite of the fact that they let Bob -assert his knowledge of French, they could not -help acquiring some of the words, and that “<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">oui</i>” -meant “yes” had been one of their first acquisitions.</p> - -<p>“Who is he?” asked Jerry.</p> - -<p>“She can’t understand that,” declared Bob. -“Wait, I’ll translate it to her.” Then, laboriously -he said: “<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Le nom des hommes? Comprehendez-vous?</i>”</p> - -<p>“What’s that?” Ned wanted to know.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I’m asking her if she knows his name,” replied -Bob.</p> - -<p>They looked anxiously at Marie. Again she -turned and glanced at the little man who had -waxed so indignant at being taken for Professor -Snodgrass.</p> - -<p>“<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Cochon!</i>” exclaimed Marie, and she seemed to -snap out the word as a second lieutenant issues his -commands to the awkward squad.</p> - -<p>“What did she say?” chorused Ned and Jerry.</p> - -<p>Bob was nonplussed. He scratched his head -and then repeated the word to Marie.</p> - -<p>“<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Cochon?</i>” he asked.</p> - -<p>“<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Cochon! Cochon!</i>” was the swift answer. -“<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Oui! Cochon des cochons!</i>”</p> - -<p>“Um!” murmured Bob.</p> - -<p>There was a moment’s silence, during which -Marie moved off to serve another table.</p> - -<p>“Well, what is he, a German spy?” asked Ned. -“If he is, he has his nerve with him—showing up -here after the armistice.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, tell us what she said,” begged Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Well,” returned Bob slowly, “you know the -French language is very queer. It isn’t like any -other language.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, we know that all right!” exclaimed Ned. -“You needn’t tell us that. Even though you may -know a lot more about it than we do, it hasn’t -taken us six months to appreciate the fact that it’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -a mighty elusive way of conversing. But what I -want to know, and what Jerry wants to know, is: -What did Marie say that pepper-hash guy was?”</p> - -<p>“Well,” confessed Bob, “that’s just it. If the -French language didn’t have so many words in it -that sound a lot alike, but mean a lot of different -things, I could be sure. She called him a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cochon</i>.”</p> - -<p>“A <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cochon</i> of a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cochon</i>,” added Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Yes, that’s what she did,” said Bob.</p> - -<p>“Well, but what is a cochon?” asked Ned.</p> - -<p>“It’s either a pig or a coachman,” said Bob, -desperately. “That’s the trouble. I’m not sure -which. I forget whether <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cocher</i> is pig or whether -it’s coachman, and I don’t know whether <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cochon</i> -is coachman or pig. I know it’s one or the other, -but just now I sort of forget.”</p> - -<p>“A heap of good your French does us!” laughed -Jerry. “If she said he was a coachman it might -mean he was a respectable, though humble, member -of society. If, on the other hand, she called -him a pig, it might mean he had something to do -with starting this war. Now which is it?”</p> - -<p>Bob scratched his head again. Plainly, he was -“stumped.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll ask her again when she comes back,” he -said. “I wish I had my French book here. I -sort of think that <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cochon</i> means pig, and, in that -case——”</p> - -<p>“Well, he certainly acted like a pig, so we’ll let<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> -it go at that,” declared Jerry. “The idea of getting -on his ear just because we happened to mistake -him for Professor Snodgrass!”</p> - -<p>“And he did look a lot like him from the back,” -declared Ned.</p> - -<p>“Sure,” assented Bob. “I wonder where the -dear old chap is, anyhow? I wish he were going -back with us.”</p> - -<p>“Not much chance of that,” said Jerry. “He -said he’d like to, and he really started back, but -he received word to take up some other line of -scientific investigation before he left to go back -to Boxwood Hall, and you can wager your last -cartridge that he’ll do it. But this man seems to -have some sort of grudge against him, taking us -up the way he did.”</p> - -<p>“That’s right,” agreed Ned. “Say, Bob, you’ll -have to tackle your friend Marie again. See if -you can’t find out more about this duck.”</p> - -<p>“I will,” promised Bob. “I’ll speak to her as -soon as she comes back. It might be, you know, -that this fellow is some relation to the Germans -the professor captured.”</p> - -<p>“Not much chance of that,” declared Jerry. -“This <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cocher</i> or <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cochon</i> doesn’t seem a bit like a -Hun.”</p> - -<p>“You never can tell,” remarked Ned. “We’d -better find out all we can about him while we have -the chance. If Professor Snodgrass is going to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> -remain here it would be a good thing for him to -know about this guy.”</p> - -<p>“Here comes Marie now,” said Jerry. “Go at -her again, Bob, and see if she can’t speak English.”</p> - -<p>“I will,” agreed the stout youth.</p> - -<p>When Marie again approached their table, in -response to a beckoning signal, Bob began:</p> - -<p>“<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Marie, de la cochon la petite cocher est -le——</i>”</p> - -<p>“Oh, for cats’ sake!” cried Ned, “you’ll be -worse tangled than before. Can’t you get some -American words? Here, let me——”</p> - -<p>But at that moment there came an interruption -in the person of a member of the American military -police who, thrusting his head into the restaurant, -called:</p> - -<p>“Anybody here that’s booked to go on the <i>Sherman</i> -had better hike back to the dock. She’s going -to sail soon.”</p> - -<p>“Has the machinery been repaired?” asked -Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Yes! She’s getting ready to sail. You fellows -going on her?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” answered Ned.</p> - -<p>“Oh, you lucky dogs!” sighed the other. “Well, -get a move on. We got orders to round up everybody -that had shore leave,” and with a friendly -wave of his hand he departed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Come on!” cried Jerry, gathering up a few -possessions, an example followed by the others.</p> - -<p>“I’ll pay the bill,” said Ned, taking a handful -of change out of his pocket.</p> - -<p>“Where’s Marie?” asked Bob. “I want -to——”</p> - -<p>“Oh, never mind finding out what <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cochon</i> -means!” exclaimed Jerry. “We don’t want to be -left!”</p> - -<p>“I want to say good-bye!” declared Bob, indignantly. -“And I was going to ask her if she could -put us up some sandwiches.”</p> - -<p>“Cupboard love!” laughed Ned. “Come on! -Move lively!”</p> - -<p>“The pepper-hash individual is moving, too,” -commented Jerry, as they left the restaurant, having -noted that the man who had so resented being -taken for Professor Snodgrass was also settling -his bill.</p> - -<p>“Well, if he doesn’t run into us again I’ll be -thankful,” remarked Jerry. “He sure did make -me feel like twenty-nine cents when he turned on -me the way he did.”</p> - -<p>Quickly the three chums made their way back -to the dock to which the <i>Sherman</i> had returned. -They saw others on the same errand. The repair -work had been completed sooner than was expected, -and now the siren of the vessel was blowing to -call back those who had been allowed shore leave.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> -Fortunately each one, when being granted permission -to “stretch his legs,” had been told to hold -himself in readiness, and none had gone far away.</p> - -<p>The Motor Boys were soon on board again, -and after a slight delay the transport was again -moving slowly from the dock.</p> - -<p>“Off again!” exclaimed Ned.</p> - -<p>“Yes; and let’s hope with better luck!” added -Bob.</p> - -<p>Jerry looked about the crowded deck. As he -did so he gave a start, and grasped the arm of -Ned.</p> - -<p>“Look!” he exclaimed.</p> - -<p>“What is it?” asked Ned. “See a ghost?”</p> - -<p>“No, but if that isn’t our peppery friend of the -restaurant—<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le cochon</i>—I’ll do K. P. for a week!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</a><br /> -<small>THE NIGHT ATTACK</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Instantly Ned and Bob turned to look in the -direction indicated by Jerry. Both the tall lad’s -chums saw the individual referred to as “<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le -cochon</i>.”</p> - -<p>“It’s him all right!” asserted Bob, with complete -disregard for the rules of grammar.</p> - -<p>“But what’s he doing here?” demanded Ned.</p> - -<p>“That’s what I’d like to know,” said Jerry in -a low voice. “It can’t be that he feels so indignant -at us for having honestly mistaken him for -Professor Snodgrass that he has followed us -here.”</p> - -<p>“If he has,” voiced Ned, “he’ll find we have -our gang with us, and he’d better watch his step!”</p> - -<p>“We’ll take no more of his insults,” declared -Bob. “I’ve a good notion to go up to him now -and ask him what his game is.”</p> - -<p>“No, don’t!” interposed Jerry, as his stout -chum seemed about to put this into execution. -“Let’s lay low for a while, and see what we can<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> -find out. No use starting anything. We’ve had -trouble enough already.”</p> - -<p>“Exactly,” chimed in Ned. “There’s been -enough of a hoodoo about this homeward trip. -Let’s get out to sea before we tackle <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le cochon</i>. -Then he can’t dodge us by getting off and walking -ashore.”</p> - -<p>“He’s going below, anyhow,” remarked Jerry, -as they saw the little man descending a companionway. -“He must feel at home. I didn’t know -they allowed any civilians to travel on the troopships.”</p> - -<p>“They’ve made an exception in his case,” decided -Jerry. “Well, it is queer, and I’d like to -know what it all means. This man is an American, -by his talk, but he isn’t at all like our dear old -professor, no matter how much he looks like him -from the rear.”</p> - -<p>“I’d like to see the professor once more,” said -Ned.</p> - -<p>“Same here,” agreed Bob. “Well, we’ll see -him, I suppose, when we get back home. Gee! -After what we’ve gone through it hardly seems as -if there is any such a place.”</p> - -<p>“You said a mouthful, buddy!” exclaimed a tall -soldier who wore the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">croix de guerre</i>. “I’d rather -see my back yard with the sunflowers and the hollyhocks -in it than all the gardens of the too-de-loories -over here.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span></p> - -<p>The <i>Sherman</i> was now again rapidly leaving -the harbor of Brest and making her way toward -the open sea.</p> - -<p>“There isn’t going to be much of a joy-ride -about this,” observed Ned, as he and his chums -found their sleeping quarters and stowed away -their few belongings.</p> - -<p>“No; it’s too crowded,” decided Bob. “There -isn’t much more elbow room than we had in the -trenches.”</p> - -<p>“Trenches!” exclaimed Jerry. “Don’t name -’em!”</p> - -<p>Any one who heard, saw, or had any experience -in connection with the return of the first of -our fighting forces back to their homes need not -be told that the transports were no place for a -comfortable voyage. While everything possible -was done to insure the comfort of the soldiers, -the first requisite was to bring back as many as -possible in the shortest possible time, and also -transport as many casualties as could safely and -comfortably be accommodated. The recovered, -or partly recovered, wounded were the first consideration, -and none of the soldiers who were -comparatively well and strong, even though some -of them had been in hospitals, begrudged an inch -of space that went to make life easier for those -who had lost an arm, a leg, who were suffering -from the effects of gas or shell shock, or who were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -among the most terribly afflicted—some being -blinded.</p> - -<p>So, as Bob said, the transport was no place for -joy-riding. There was such a crowd that the soldiers -had to stand up to eat, many of them, and -they were glad of a place to sleep. They could -not move around much on the boat, big as it was.</p> - -<p>“Now we’re really on our way at last!” exclaimed -Bob to his chums. “And do you know -what I think will be the best thing to do?”</p> - -<p>“I can make a pretty good guess,” laughed Ned. -“It has something to do with eating, hasn’t it?”</p> - -<p>“Don’t get fresh,” advised the stout lad. “You -may be thankful to me, later, for suggesting this.”</p> - -<p>“What were you going to say, Chunky?” asked -Jerry. “Go on, tell me! Don’t mind the shrimp!”</p> - -<p>“Well, I was going to say it would be a good -thing if we located the place at the lunch counter -where we’ll be handed our rations,” suggested -Bob. “They’ll be giving the mess call soon, and -if we know where to fall in, and the shortest route -to the dining car, so much the better.”</p> - -<p>“Not such a bad suggestion at that,” commented -Jerry. “We’ll do it, old top!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, you said something—for once,” conceded -Ned.</p> - -<p>Accordingly, led by Bob, who might perhaps -qualify as an expert in the matter of eating, the -three lads asked their way about the troopship<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -until they found where their particular company -would be fed, and at about what time.</p> - -<p>“About an hour more!” sighed Bob, as he looked -at his wrist watch.</p> - -<p>“Listen to him!” cried Ned. “And it’s only a -little while ago that <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">la belle Marie</i> was feeding -him!”</p> - -<p>“It’s the sea air!” confessed Bob. “It always -did make me hungry!”</p> - -<p>There was not a great deal to do on board the -<i>Sherman</i>—at least during the first day of the -homeward-bound voyage. The soldiers stood -about on deck, or sought such sheltered places as -they could find, and smoked, played cards, talked -or read. Later on some entertainments might be -gotten up, it was said. But the wounded required -the attention of the nurses and the doctors, and -the well and strong were well able to shift for -themselves.</p> - -<p>Bob’s wisdom in finding out in advance where -they were to assemble at mess call proved to be a -commendable bit of forethought. For while some -of the soldiers hurried here and there in what -approached confusion, the three chums got in line, -and with a few other knowing ones were among -the first to be fed.</p> - -<p>“Chunky, we’ve got to hand it to you!” complimented -Jerry, as he cleaned his plate. “You -sure are one good little feeder.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span></p> - -<p>“And I take back all I said,” added Ned. “You -may come to my party, Bob, when I have it.”</p> - -<p>“Thanks!” murmured the stout one, smiling between -bites.</p> - -<p>After the dinner mess there was nothing to do -until the middle of the afternoon, when word went -around that there was to be boat drill. That is, -each man was to be told where his station was, and -what boat he was to try to get into in case of danger. -This program held for two days of ocean -travel, until some began to complain of too many -boat drills.</p> - -<p>But, in spite of the fact that the war was over, -there was a chance that a floating mine might be -struck.</p> - -<p>Following the short boat drill, Ned, Bob, and -Jerry came back to a comfortable place they had -preempted on the after deck, and they were sitting -there talking when Bob nudged Jerry, who was -nearest him, and whispered:</p> - -<p>“There he is again!”</p> - -<p>“Who?” asked the tall lad.</p> - -<p>“The pepper-pot,” was the answer. “<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Le cochon!</i>”</p> - -<p>As he spoke he nodded toward a secluded and -shadowed corner. There, staring at the three -boys, they could make out the little bald-headed -man of the restaurant. He was peering at them -through his spectacles over the top of what to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -boys seemed to be a pamphlet and which he was -holding just below the level of his eyes.</p> - -<p>“Well, he’ll know us again, anyhow,” mused -Jerry. And then, as if conscious that he was under -observation and had been detected in spy work, -the peculiar individual hastily turned and went -below.</p> - -<p>“I’d like to know what his game is!” exclaimed -Ned.</p> - -<p>“So would I!” agreed Jerry.</p> - -<p>“We’ll have to keep watch,” said Bob. “He -seems to have it in for us.”</p> - -<p>“Let’s see if we can find out something about -him,” suggested Ned. “We can ask some of our -officers, and, if they don’t know, maybe they can -find out from the ship’s captain. It may be this -fellow is a German spy, or at least a Hun sympathizer, -who would like to play some mean trick on -those who put the ‘Fatherland’ on the blink.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, let’s see if we can get a line on him,” -agreed Bob.</p> - -<p>Jerry was about to assent to this when the three -chums were approached by a group of their comrades -who wanted them to join a party that was -going to call on some of the wounded who were -below decks. This was done, and, for the time -being, the queer little bald-headed man was forgotten.</p> - -<p>Indeed the minds of the Motor Boys did not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -revert to him until late that night when they were -turning in, and then Jerry said:</p> - -<p>“We’ll make some inquiries in the morning.”</p> - -<p>The boys were tired enough to sleep soundly, -even though their beds were not as comfortable as -those oftentimes they had stretched out on when -in some camp. But they were too happy over -going home to find fault, and soon all were asleep, -as were hundreds all around them.</p> - -<p>It was shortly after midnight, Jerry declared -later, stating that he had glanced at his radium-faced -wrist watch, when the midnight attack took -place. And it was made on Bob. He was sleeping -between Ned and Jerry, and they were -awakened by hearing the stout lad yell.</p> - -<p>“What’s the matter?” demanded Jerry, suddenly -awakening and instinctively glancing at his -watch. “What is it, Bob?”</p> - -<p>“I’ve got him! I’ve got him!” cried a voice -savagely, and the tones were not those of Chunky. -Then followed the sound of a struggle.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a><br /> -<small>A STRANGE ENCOUNTER</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Instantly all was in confusion in that part -of the sleeping quarters where the three friends -were berthed. Jerry leaped up, followed by Ned, -and the tall lad flashed on the scene the gleam -from his pocket electric torch.</p> - -<p>He saw a strange sight. Bob was struggling -in the grasp of a white-robed figure. The two -were tumbling about, each one seemingly trying -to get an advantageous grip on the other. And -all the while the figure in white was shouting:</p> - -<p>“I’ve got him! I’ve got him! I’ll kill him now! -I’ve got him!”</p> - -<p>While Bob, exerting himself to the utmost, -could only gasp:</p> - -<p>“Let up now! What’s the matter! Ned! -Jerry! He’s killing me!”</p> - -<p>Ned’s answer to this appeal was to leap on the -back of the man who had Bob in what might prove -to be a death-grip, while Jerry moved about to -get in position where he, too, could help his chum.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -Meanwhile, the tall lad kept his pocket electric -lamp glowing.</p> - -<p>“Who is he? What’s he fighting you for, -Bob?” cried Jerry, while many other soldiers, -awakened by the commotion, gathered about the -struggling twain.</p> - -<p>The only answer from the stout youth was a -grunt, and a gasp.</p> - -<p>“It’s <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le cochon</i>!” cried Ned. “That’s who it -is! The same fellow who acted so rotten in the -restaurant, Jerry! He’s trying to kill Bob! He -must be crazy!”</p> - -<p>At first, as Jerry admitted afterward, this was -his thought also. But a second look at Bob’s midnight -assailant told a different story. This man -had a shock of red hair, while the other had been -almost bald. And there was a great difference -in the physique of the two.</p> - -<p><a href="#image02">Ned was doing his best to pull the fellow away -from Bob</a> by a rear attack, and to this end Jerry -likewise lent his aid. Other soldiers also joined -in to separate the two struggling ones, and they -worked to such good advantage that the desperate -grip on Bob’s throat was broken, his attacker -pulled away and his arms held behind him.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;"> -<a id="image02"> - <img src="images/image02.jpg" width="380" height="600" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_46">NED WAS DOING HIS BEST TO PULL THE FELLOW AWAY -FROM BOB.</a></div> -</div> - -<p>“Why it’s Meldon!” some one shouted. “It’s -Meldon of the Twenty-seventh. He was in the -hospital!”</p> - -<p>And Meldon, if that was the name of the man<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -in white pajamas, looked wonderingly about him, -passed his hand over his eyes as if in a daze, and -murmured:</p> - -<p>“Where am I? What happened?”</p> - -<p>“Lots happened, old man,” answered Ned, himself -panting from the violence of the struggle.</p> - -<p>“Are you all right, Bob?” he asked his chum.</p> - -<p>Bob carefully and tenderly felt of his throat -before answering.</p> - -<p>“I—I guess so,” he replied, after a pause. -“But what’s the idea of giving me the once-over -like that?” he demanded of his assailant.</p> - -<p>The latter acted most strangely. He looked -from one to the other of those about him, including -those who held him tightly, and again, he -passed his hand over his forehead, one arm having -been released when it was seen that he was going -to offer no more resistance.</p> - -<p>At that moment, when every one was wondering -what it all meant, a nurse came hurrying in.</p> - -<p>“Here he is!” she called to a doctor who followed. -“Is he hurt?” she asked the soldiers about -the pajama-clad one.</p> - -<p>“No,” answered Jerry. “But he came -near——”</p> - -<p>“Did he attack any one?” interposed the surgeon -quickly.</p> - -<p>“You might call it that,” answered Bob, with an -attempt at a smile.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Just what I feared!” exclaimed the medical -man. “We’ll have to keep him under closer -restraint.”</p> - -<p>“Who is he, sir?” asked Jerry, saluting the surgeon, -who bore the rank of major. “All we know -is that we heard a commotion in the dark, and -found my chum here, Bob Baker, struggling with -this man.”</p> - -<p>“Meldon is a private suffering from shell -shock,” answered the doctor. “He has violent -spells, and then gets up and imagines he’s attacking -a German.”</p> - -<p>The soldier in pajamas seemed to have become -completely quiet now. He gently shook himself -loose from those holding him, and, advancing to -Bob, held out his hand.</p> - -<p>“I’m all kinds of sorry, old man,” he said in a -cultured voice. “These spells come on me before -I know it, but they’re getting less frequent. All -I know is that I went to sleep in my usual berth -and woke up having a dickens of a fight. I can’t -tell you how sorry I am. But it must have come on -me in my sleep, and I thought I was back again -fighting the Huns.”</p> - -<p>“Well, as long as you did your share of that -I’ll call it square,” said Bob, with a laugh. “At -first I thought you were——”</p> - -<p>He stopped, with a significant look at Ned and -Jerry.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Did you think I was a Boche, too?” asked the -soldier who had caused the commotion.</p> - -<p>“Well, not exactly,” Bob answered slowly, for -he had been about to say that he had thought -his assailant was none other than the queer little -man—a thought shared by Ned and Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Well, I hope it doesn’t happen again,” said -the afflicted one. “And I’m sure it won’t. I’m -getting better, I know.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll keep him a little more confined than we -have been doing,” said the doctor to Jerry and -his friends, when the nurse had led away the shell-shocked -individual. “This is the second or third -time he has gotten loose in the night and started -a fight. Fortunately, none of them ended seriously. -Better let me look you over,” the medical -major suggested to Bob. “He didn’t bite you anywhere, -did he?”</p> - -<p>“Not a bite!” answered Bob, with a laugh. -“Though he did gouge me a bit on the neck.”</p> - -<p>Bob’s throat was scratched by the other’s finger -nails, and an antiseptic wash was applied to -prevent any possible bad effect. Then such quiet -as was possible under the circumstances replaced -the midnight excitement.</p> - -<p>“At first I thought it was <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le cochon</i>,” remarked -Ned in a low voice to his chums, as they turned -in to get what sleep they could.</p> - -<p>“That was my first idea when I awoke and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> -found him choking me,” admitted Bob. “Though -I couldn’t form any good reason why he should -want to put me out of business.”</p> - -<p>“There’s something queer about <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le cochon</i>,” declared -Jerry. By common consent the boys had -adopted that name for the strange little man. -“Why should he be on board here where no civilians—or -at least none unless specially qualified—are -permitted? And why should he have -such a feeling against Professor Snodgrass?”</p> - -<p>“Those are questions I’d like to have answered,” -said Ned. “Did either of you ever hear our professor -speak of an individual who somewhat resembled -him?”</p> - -<p>“If he ever knew such to be a fact,” declared -Jerry, “he’d never give it a thought or remember -to tell us. All he thinks of is bugs, bugs, and -then more bugs.”</p> - -<p>“Guess you’re right,” assented Bob. “But this -man must know our professor, and also have no -liking for him, or he wouldn’t have called him -such names as he did.”</p> - -<p>“We oughtn’t to have stood for that!” said -Ned vigorously.</p> - -<p>“No,” agreed Jerry. “But it was better to let -the thing go as it did. No use having too much -of a row. Now let’s go to sleep. I’m tired.”</p> - -<p>Next day the <i>Sherman</i> was many miles further -out to sea on her homeward-bound voyage. Jerry<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> -and his chums inquired for the soldier who had -attacked Bob, and learned that he was progressing -toward recovery as well as could be expected.</p> - -<p>It was the third day out that, as Ned, Bob and -Jerry were coming back from the “sick bay,” -or hospital, where they had been to call on Meldon, -and when they were walking along a dimly-lighted -passage, they saw some one approaching them. -As the passage was narrow they all squeezed back -against the wall to let the person who was nearing -them pass. But the latter, at the sight of the -three boys, seemed to change his plans.</p> - -<p>Instead of passing he turned suddenly, and, with -a muttered exclamation, swung back. Not before, -however, Jerry had time to notice that he -carried a black object under one arm. And as -soon as the tall lad observed this Ned exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“What’s that funny smell? Isn’t it like a burning -fuse?”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a><br /> -<small>A MIDNIGHT BLAST</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>To Ned, Bob, and Jerry, as well as to other -soldiers who had taken part in the Great War, -the word “fuse” referred to but one thing, and -that was the explosion which usually followed the -lighting of it. The lads were familiar with many -kind of fuses, from the ordinary time one, the -most common form of which is the fizzing string -attached to a firecracker, to the complicated fuses -in the big shells. These may be set to explode -the shell at any height, or at any time desired.</p> - -<p>And when Ned, sniffing the air suspiciously, -spoke of a fuse, his two companions understood at -once what he meant. But Jerry perhaps because -he did not want to cause an alarm, or it may have -been because he really believed what he said, exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“Fuse, my eye! That’s cigar smoke you -smell!”</p> - -<p>“Then all I have to say is that it’s a pretty poor -specimen of cigar,” retorted Ned. “Must be one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> -of the substitute tobacco ones the Germans had to -use. Cigar! My word, old top! I’m glad I -don’t smoke if they have to inhale that sort of -stuff.”</p> - -<p>“It does smell funny,” agreed Bob. “And did -you see who that was?”</p> - -<p>“Our peppery friend, <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le cochon</i>,” remarked -Jerry. “He evidently didn’t want to meet us, for -he turned away like a shot.”</p> - -<p>“He had something under his arm,” went on -Ned. “Fellows, I don’t want to be an alarmist, -but after all that has passed, and smelling what I -believe to be powder smoke, don’t you think we -ought to tell the captain?”</p> - -<p>“And get laughed at?” asked Jerry. “Not -much. We got ourselves into a conspicuous position -once by having something to do with this man, -and I’m not going to risk it again. He, too, seems -to have had enough of us, for it was evident that -he didn’t want to meet us. Let well enough alone, -I say.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” insisted Ned, “but suppose he’s been -up to some trick here? Suppose he may have -planted——”</p> - -<p>Ned did not finish what he had started to say. -For at that moment there was a commotion in that -part of the ship given over to hospital needs, and -loud cries indicated that something unusual was -going on.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span></p> - -<p>“What’s that?” asked Bob, looking at his two -chums.</p> - -<p>“Sounds as if some of the patients were making -a row,” remarked Jerry. “It may be Meldon, the -fellow who attacked you in a nightmare, Bob. -Perhaps he’s having another spasm, poor fellow.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe we’d better go back there and see if we -can give any help,” suggested Ned. “Sometimes -when they get to raving that way, as they often -do, they’re stronger than usual and the women -nurses can’t handle ’em. Let’s go and see if we -can help.”</p> - -<p>“It may be a good idea,” agreed Jerry.</p> - -<p>Forgetting, or putting aside, rather, for the -time being, the memory of the strange man they -had met, and the odd manner in which he had -acted, the three chums turned back to the hospital -which they had just left.</p> - -<p>And it was fortunate that they did. For two -of the wounded men had become delirious and -were fighting their nurses. And as it happened, -there was only one doctor on duty just then, and -he was having his hands full.</p> - -<p>Of course the two patients did not know what -they were doing, their pain and suffering having affected -their brains temporarily, and the aid of -Ned, Bob and Jerry in subduing them was greatly -appreciated by the nurses. In fact, the help was -absolutely necessary, for one of the nurses was in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> -danger of bodily harm from the unreasoning -strength of the patient, a big raw-boned Kentucky -mountaineer, who had been sorely wounded in the -head, and who was scarcely on the road to recovery.</p> - -<p>But, being directed by the nurses and by the one -doctor, the Motor Boys soon managed to subdue -without the use of undue force the two half-insane -patients, who were soon strapped to their -cots.</p> - -<p>“Thank you very much, boys!” exclaimed the -head surgeon, when he had come in and had been -told of what had happened. “You helped out a -whole lot. I shall see that you are officially -thanked.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, this wasn’t anything,” declared Jerry. -“We just heard the row and came to do what we -could.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I, for one, am mighty glad of it,” exclaimed -the panting nurse, who had been in danger -from the attack of the crazed soldier. “I -shall never forget it! I went through a good part -of the war, and I didn’t want to have to wear a -wound stripe on the way home,” and she nodded -to the three chums.</p> - -<p>“This bids fair to be an eventful voyage,” remarked -Jerry, when he and his friends were up -on the main deck again. “We started off with a -bad omen—putting back to port; Bob has to fight<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> -for his life; and now we rescue some of the nurses. -I wonder what’s next on the program?”</p> - -<p>“Don’t you think we’d better report what we -saw down in the passage?” asked Ned, “and that -we smelled what might have been a burning fuse?”</p> - -<p>“Well, let’s first think it over a bit,” suggested -Jerry. “I’d hate, like all get-out, to give a false -alarm. Suppose we go to the ship captain, or our -captain, which would be the proper procedure, -and tell him what we saw? What evidence have -we?”</p> - -<p>“Well, we saw that pepper-hash individual with -something black under his arm,” declared Ned.</p> - -<p>“Might have been a box of cigarettes he was -taking to some of the wounded men,” interposed -Jerry.</p> - -<p>“He ran back when he saw us,” persisted Ned.</p> - -<p>“Yes, because of the encounter we had before,” -agreed Jerry. “That doesn’t prove anything.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I’m sure I smelled powder smoke—the -same as when a bomb fuse is lighted,” declared -Ned.</p> - -<p>“You may have, and, again, you may have -merely got a whiff of a bad, cheap cigar. That’s -no evidence, so far. If we went to the captain -with that information he’d only laugh at us.</p> - -<p>“Besides,” went on Jerry, “you’ve got to have -motives for suspecting any one, even <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le cochon</i>.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> -And you can be pretty sure he didn’t get on board -this troopship unless he was well vouched for. -They aren’t taking any chances.”</p> - -<p>“Well, maybe I’m imagining a whole lot,” admitted -Ned. “Only I would like to know who -that fellow is, what his game is, and why he seems -to have such a grudge against our Professor Snodgrass.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I’d like the answer to those questions -myself,” admitted Jerry. “But to get at them I -don’t just feel like going to the <i>Sherman’s</i> captain -and telling him we suspect the pepper-pot of being -a German spy.”</p> - -<p>“No,” assented Ned slowly, “I don’t suppose -we can do that. But I’m going to keep my eyes -open.”</p> - -<p>“There wasn’t a sign of anything wrong when -we came back through the passage where we met -that duck,” remarked Bob.</p> - -<p>“No. But it still smelled mighty queer,” stated -Ned.</p> - -<p>“It always will so near the hospital rooms,” -suggested Jerry. “The odor of iodoform is very -lingering.”</p> - -<p>“Well, maybe it was that,” agreed Ned. “But -I’m going to keep my eyes open.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, we can all do that,” came from Jerry. -“And now let’s get in line for the semi-occasional -feed. It’s about due, I think.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span></p> - -<p>“You’re falling in with me, I see,” laughed Bob.</p> - -<p>During the afternoon the three chums moved -about on board the <i>Sherman</i> as much as the -crowded condition of the transport would permit. -And it was while making their way about the -crowded boat deck that they heard some one hail -them with:</p> - -<p>“Well, if there aren’t the three musketeers!”</p> - -<p>Turning quickly, Ned, Bob, and Jerry beheld a -youth whom they had learned to know and like -in the trenches.</p> - -<p>“Well, if it isn’t old Hen Wilson!” cried Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Old scout Hen!” added Ned.</p> - -<p>“Where’d you blow in from?” demanded Bob.</p> - -<p>“Been here all the while,” was the answer, as -the four met in a jolly circle. “That’s what I was -just going to ask you. I didn’t know you were -on board.”</p> - -<p>“Nor we you,” declared Jerry. “There’s such -a bunch on this craft that we may meet a lot more -friends we knew in the fighting days. Where have -you been keeping yourself, Hen?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, moving around here and there. I ran into -a bunch of the old gang that helped clean up that -machine-gun nest—you know, Jerry—the place -where you got whiffed.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I remember that all right. And so some -of those fellows are on board? Lead me to ’em!”</p> - -<p>The rest of the day was most pleasantly spent—that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> -is, as pleasantly as possible under the circumstances—and -Ned, Bob, and Jerry were glad -that they had found old friends whose presence -would help while away what might, otherwise, be -a tedious voyage.</p> - -<p>It was in the middle of the night that Jerry was -awakened by a dull explosion and a concussion that -sent a tremor through the whole ship. Dim lights -that were burning near the sleeping quarters went -out suddenly, and Jerry, straining his eyes to -pierce the darkness and at the same time sitting -up and feeling about him, heard the voice of Ned -crying:</p> - -<p>“What is it? What’s the matter?”</p> - -<p>At the same moment Bob broke in with:</p> - -<p>“We hit something sure, that time, or something -hit us! If the whole bottom isn’t blown out -of the ship we’re lucky!”</p> - -<p>And then followed a scene of confusion and almost -panic.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</a><br /> -<small>DISABLED</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Sudden noises at night, particularly when accompanied -by a tremor and by vibrations that -shake one to his innermost being, are, in themselves, -terrifying. When to that is added the additional -source of danger of the occurrence taking -place at sea on board a crowded transport and -the possibilities for tragic happenings from this -source, fears may well be multiplied.</p> - -<p>And yet, such was the discipline and foresightedness -on board the <i>Sherman</i> that the panic and -terror were only momentary. No sooner did Ned, -Bob, and Jerry, together with many of their comrades, -find themselves stumbling about in the dark -with the noise of the explosion still ringing in their -ears, than they were aware of signals being -sounded throughout the ship.</p> - -<p>The signals were those for instant falling in -on the part of the soldiers, and indicated that they -were to take the quarters assigned to them, each<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> -man nearest the boat in which he was to have a -place should destruction menace the ship.</p> - -<p>And then, while excited cries were issuing from -many throats and when some, in the confusion, -forgot what the bugle calls meant and while still -others were instinctively terrified in the darkness, -lights began to gleam. Some of the illumination -came from oil lanterns provided for an emergency -to the dynamo lighting system of the ship. Other -glows flitted from portable electric flash-torches -that many of the officers and men carried, but the -greater light came from the auxiliary storage battery -system, which was switched on as soon as the -proper officer found that the big, whirring dynamo -was out of commission.</p> - -<p>“Fall in! Fall in! Take your places at the -boats!” cried the officers, rapidly getting the situation -well in hand. “Be ready for the order to -abandon ship!”</p> - -<p>And then perfect order came out of confusion. -No longer did the soldiers rush madly about, crying -out to know what had happened. No longer -was the pall of blackness hiding man from the -sight of man. Once more wonderful discipline was -uppermost.</p> - -<p>“What’s it all about?” asked Bob of Ned, as -he and his chum followed Jerry to their appointed -station.</p> - -<p>“Your guess is as good as the next man’s,” said<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> -Jerry. “Let’s get to our boat first, and talk afterward.”</p> - -<p>They stumbled upward and onward in the midst -of the crowd, groping their way, for the lighting -system, though sufficiently good to enable them to -see to progress, was not as bright as the regular -one. As they stumbled on toward their boat-station -a voice of authority cried:</p> - -<p>“Wounded men first in the boats!”</p> - -<p>“Right!” sang out a number of hearty voices, -and it was evident there would be no terrible -scenes should it become necessary to abandon -ship. And this dire thought was uppermost in the -minds of all.</p> - -<p>It was also evident that the <i>Sherman</i> had received -an injury much more serious than the previous -one that had sent her back to the dock for -repairs to the machinery which had been so quickly -made. She had come to a stop now in the darkness -on the broad ocean, and was slowly heaving -to the swell. There was also a slight list to one -side, its cause unknown to the soldiers who, in -response to the commands of their officers, were -moving in orderly array to safety stations.</p> - -<p>“Well, our adventures are keeping up,” said -Jerry in a low voice to his two chums when they -had reached their boat station and stood waiting -for further orders. “But I didn’t quite bargain -for this.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Me, either,” commented Ned.</p> - -<p>“Do you think the old boat will go down?” -asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“No telling,” Jerry answered. “It looks pretty -serious, or they wouldn’t get us all up here this -way. They’re bringing up the wounded now.”</p> - -<p>As he spoke it could be seen that doctors, nurses, -and stretcher-bearers were appearing on deck with -the casualty cases. And to the credit of the unfortunate -ones be it said that they remained quiet, -and some even laughed and joked, though they -must have known, in case of the necessity for abandoning -ship and taking to the small boats, that -their chances of being saved were infinitely smaller -than those of able-bodied men. But they were -Uncle Sam’s boys, and that is enough to say.</p> - -<p>Naturally, on all sides, the questions asked -were:</p> - -<p>“What happened?”</p> - -<p>“What caused it?”</p> - -<p>“Did a sub attack us?”</p> - -<p>And so insistent were these queries, and so vital -was it to have some information given out, that -when at last all the wounded had been brought -up and every man was at his station the officer -commanding the troops addressed them.</p> - -<p>“As you all know, there has been an unfortunate -accident,” he said. “The full extent is not -yet known, but I am authorized by Captain Munson<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> -to say that the ship is in no immediate danger. -We are protected by a number of water-tight bulkheads, -and, so far, only one compartment is -flooded. This has been closed off and we expect -to keep on.”</p> - -<p>A cheer greeted this announcement. Holding -up his hand for silence, the colonel, standing in the -light of a ship lantern, went on:</p> - -<p>“As you have heard ordered, the wounded will -be first placed in the boats in case we have to -abandon ship. Others will follow as directed. It -is of prime necessity that every man obey implicitly -his superior officers. The first to disobey -will be instantly shot! You know what that -means!” and his voice itself was like the click of -a gun.</p> - -<p>“It may be that we shall not have to take to -the boats,” the colonel resumed. “An investigation -of the damage done is now being made. As -far as can be learned it was caused by an explosion -of one of the small boilers. What caused the -boiler to explode we do not yet know. But for -the present every one must stand at attention and -be ready for quick disembarkation.</p> - -<p>“There have been men injured in the engine -room, and they will take their places with our -wounded in the boats first!” the colonel added, -and his words were greeted with a cheer, which -told him and the other officers that there would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> -be no disgraceful scenes at the end in case the end -should be a tragic one.</p> - -<p>“Now you know as much as I do,” the colonel -concluded. “We may be only slightly damaged, -and we may be greatly so. We shall know in a -little while. In the meantime, stand by!”</p> - -<p>Another cheer punctuated the closing remarks, -and then followed a nerve-racking time. There -was nothing to be done except to wait for the -conclusion of the investigation of the ship’s officers. -They were below now, seeking to learn -how badly damaged were the craft’s vitals.</p> - -<p>“Well, this is worse and more of it,” remarked -Bob, as he began to feel about him to ascertain -if he had as many of his possessions as he had -been able to gather up in the haste.</p> - -<p>“It may not be so bad,” declared Jerry. “We -aren’t a great way from the coast, for we haven’t -made any wonderful speed so far. I believe we -can get back.”</p> - -<p>“What! In the small boats?” asked Ned.</p> - -<p>“Maybe. Or the <i>Sherman</i> may limp back under -her own steam.”</p> - -<p>“Not the way she’s listing now,” declared Ned. -“Say!” he went on earnestly, “I wish we’d told -some one about seeing that peppery chap with the -black box leaving a trail of a fuse smell behind -him.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, don’t get to imagining things!” cautioned<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> -Jerry. “There are enough real happenings as it -is. Stand by—that’s the order!”</p> - -<p>“But we might have prevented this,” Ned persisted.</p> - -<p>“Nonsense!” declared his tall chum. “This -was an engine-room accident. Probably they -were carrying too much steam. Lucky it wasn’t -any worse.”</p> - -<p>“We don’t know how bad it is,” remarked Bob. -“Seems to me the lights are getting dimmer; -aren’t they?”</p> - -<p>“Maybe they’re shutting some off to save the -current,” replied Jerry. “They switched on the -storage battery, I heard some one say. They are -getting dimmer, that’s a fact.”</p> - -<p>As he spoke the incandescent lights began -gradually fading away. The filaments, from a -white-hot glow, turned red, and then went out, as -a glowing match slowly loses its illumination. All -that lighted the scenes on the ship’s decks now -were the emergency oil lanterns and an occasional -pocket electric torch.</p> - -<p>“Let no one be alarmed!” called the colonel. -“The lights are being turned off to save the battery -current for the wireless in case we have to -call for assistance. It will soon be morning.”</p> - -<p>“If they have to depend for wireless calls on a -storage battery it won’t last very long,” declared -Ned.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Let’s wait and see,” advised Jerry.</p> - -<p>They all stood waiting for the result of the -investigation of the damage done to the troopship. -And as they waited in the semi-darkness -many thoughts came to each man. It was a time -to try one’s soul.</p> - -<p>Finally there was a commotion near a group -of officers, which included the commanding colonel -of the troops on the <i>Sherman</i>. The ship’s captain -was seen speaking to the colonel by Ned, Bob, -and Jerry. And so close were the lads to the -scene of the consultation that they overheard -something of what was said.</p> - -<p>One word, among the others, seemed to stand -out as if written in letters of fire. And that one -word was:</p> - -<p>“Disabled!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</a><br /> -<small>THE MYSTERIOUS CABIN</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Ned nudged his two chums as they stood in the -now almost complete darkness, waiting near their -boat station for what was next to happen.</p> - -<p>“Did you hear that?” asked Ned Slade in a low -voice.</p> - -<p>“I did,” answered Jerry. “Don’t repeat it.”</p> - -<p>“But, if we’re disabled,” whispered Bob, -“doesn’t that mean we’ll sink sooner or later? -And I haven’t noticed any other ships near us—not -since we started the second time.”</p> - -<p>“Disabled doesn’t mean that we’re sinking,” -said Jerry, “and there’s no use starting another -near-panic by scattering that word broadcast. If -we’re disabled it may only mean that we can’t proceed -under our own steam.”</p> - -<p>“How else are we going to proceed?” demanded -Ned.</p> - -<p>“Send out a wireless call for help and be towed -back to port,” was Jerry’s answer. “That’s easy.”</p> - -<p>“I didn’t think of that,” murmured Ned. “But<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> -say, isn’t it bad luck to have to go back to port -twice on the same voyage?”</p> - -<p>“Not half as bad luck as it would be to go once -to Davy Jones’s locker!” declared Jerry, with a -trace of mirth—just a faint trace, for the situation -was still too tense to admit of any great feeling -of jollity.</p> - -<p>“Well, of course there’s something in that,” -admitted Ned.</p> - -<p>“A whole lot in it!” came from Bob. “Say, -have you fellows got anything to eat?” he demanded, -still speaking in a whisper, for the word -of “silence in the ranks” had gone forth.</p> - -<p>“Eat!” exclaimed Jerry in tense tones. “What -do you think we are, anyhow? Walking cupboards?”</p> - -<p>“I didn’t know but what you might have stowed -away a cake or two of chocolate apiece,” sighed -Bob. “Lots of times they forget to provision the -boats when they abandon ship in a hurry. Chocolate -is nourishing. I’ve got three big cakes. That’s -one each. Here,” and he extended one to Ned -and another to Jerry.</p> - -<p>“What’s the idea?” demanded the tall lad, -with amused curiosity.</p> - -<p>“We might get separated,” answered Bob. -“Better take this when you can get it. That cake -of chocolate will keep you alive several days.”</p> - -<p>“He’s got it all figured out,” said Ned. “Well,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> -you aren’t so bad at that, Chunky. It may come -in handy!” and he put his cake away.</p> - -<p>Jerry did likewise, and then they stood waiting -for the next development. It was not long in -coming.</p> - -<p>Following the conference of the colonel and -his army officers with the captain of the <i>Sherman</i> -there was a tense period for a little while, until -the colonel made another announcement.</p> - -<p>“I regret to inform you, men,” he said, “that -the accident in the engine room is more serious -than at first was thought. The transport is disabled, -and will not be able to proceed under her -own power—at least, not until extensive repairs -are made. An effort will be made to have the -engines patched up, but this may not be possible.</p> - -<p>“In the latter case we shall have to be towed -back to France. I know that seems hard,” he -said quickly; “but it is better than sinking in mid-ocean, -and that possibility confronted us all for -a time.</p> - -<p>“Now we shall all be saved, but it may take -some little time. The ship’s captain will at once -order wireless calls for assistance to be sent out, -and we should have an answer within a short time. -Then, in another day, or, at most, two, we should -receive help. So make the best of a bad situation. -You will presently be ordered back to your sleeping -quarters, for there is no danger of the ship’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> -sinking. She will float for years in this condition. -Only one compartment is flooded, and that has -been shut off from the rest of the craft.</p> - -<p>“The wounded will first be carried back to the -hospital quarters, and then the others may go back -to bed. I regret this occurrence, but you, who -have fought in the Great War, will recognize -this as only a minor happening compared to -others.”</p> - -<p>“Three cheers for the colonel!” called some -one, and right heartily they came.</p> - -<p>“Three cheers for Captain Munson!” some one -else demanded, and the tribute to the commander -of the disabled vessel was no less genuine.</p> - -<p>The taking back of the wounded who had been -brought up on the boat deck to be ready for quick -transfer to the small craft went on in orderly -fashion, though not so quickly as they had been -brought from the hospital. The same need of -speed was not present.</p> - -<p>Then Ned, Bob, Jerry and the others were allowed -to go back to where they had been sleeping, -or trying to. And once more peace and quiet -seemed to settle down over the ship. The list had -been corrected somewhat, though in what manner -the three friends did not know, and the <i>Sherman</i> -was now riding more easily, though she was still -without forward motion, save that perhaps imparted -to her by the wind or the ocean currents.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Don’t you think we’d better tell what we know -about old pepper-pot?” asked Ned of his chums, -as they reached their sleeping quarters.</p> - -<p>“I suppose, after what has happened, that it -will be best to,” assented Jerry. “Mind you, I’m -not saying he had anything to do with the explosion -of the boiler. But later on, if anything should -come up, I suppose we’d feel better to remember -that we had told. We’ll go to the captain in the -morning.”</p> - -<p>The boys were just composing themselves for -some hours of rest in what remained of the night -when they heard the crackle of the wireless overhead.</p> - -<p>“Well, anything new?” asked Bob the next -morning, as he made about the only kind of toilet -possible on the crowded transport.</p> - -<p>“I didn’t hear any,” responded Jerry. “Let’s -get some eats, and then we’ll report to our captain -what we know and let him do as he thinks -best.”</p> - -<p>On their way to receive from the galley their -usual daily ration, Ned seemed to be listening -intently for something.</p> - -<p>“Want to hear another explosion?” asked -Jerry.</p> - -<p>“No, I was listening for the crackle of the -wireless. I don’t hear it; do you?”</p> - -<p>“That’s so—it is silent,” commented Bob.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Oh, well, maybe they’ve sent off a message -for help, have received an answer, and now there’s -nothing to do but wait,” came from Jerry.</p> - -<p>“That’s so,” admitted Ned. But his chums observed -that he was deeply silent during mess. -And as soon as it was over he suggested that they -go up on deck.</p> - -<p>“Better look for our captain first,” suggested -Jerry. “His quarters are aft.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll see him all right,” Ned declared. “I -want to find out about something else, first.”</p> - -<p>“What?” asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“The wireless,” answered Ned. “I want to see -if we’ve had any answer to our calls for help.”</p> - -<p>As they approached the vicinity of the wireless -room, the boys, and many others, became aware -that something unusual had taken place. There -was a group of officers—both those of the ship -and those in command of the returning soldiers—gathered -about the electrical cabin, and workmen -were hurrying to and fro.</p> - -<p>“What’s up, buddy?” asked Ned of a fellow -soldier.</p> - -<p>“Don’t know, exactly,” was the answer. “But -I think the wireless has given out.”</p> - -<p>“Before we got off any messages asking for -help?” demanded Ned.</p> - -<p>“So they say. But I’m not sure. Here comes -my sergeant. I’ll ask.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span></p> - -<p>There was an exchange of confidences, and -then the Motor Boys heard more bad news.</p> - -<p>“I thought so!” exclaimed Ned, as he turned -away from where he had been questioning the -two soldiers.</p> - -<p>“Thought what?” asked Jerry.</p> - -<p>“That the wireless had given out! That’s -what happened. The storage battery short-circuited, -the auxiliary dynamo burned out, and they -can’t get off a single message.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps they had already sent out an S. O. S. -call,” suggested Jerry, hoping to the last.</p> - -<p>“They started one, the sergeant says,” replied -Ned, “but the apparatus went fluey before they -could give our position.”</p> - -<p>“Gee! that’s tough luck!” exclaimed Bob.</p> - -<p>“Oh, it might be worse!” declared Jerry, with -a hopefulness he did not altogether feel. “They -got off a message asking for help, and even though -our position wasn’t given, it can be pretty well -guessed. They know which way we started, and -about how fast we have steamed. They can send -some one out to pick us up.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe,” said Ned gloomily. “Well, there’s -no use worrying over it. We’re still afloat, and -that’s something. Now then, let’s go to see our -captain, or the first lieutenant. We’ll report on -pepper-pot. It may be nothing, and, again, it may -be something.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span></p> - -<p>They started to find their own special company -officers, and while they were inquiring they stood -near a cabin that was among a number of others -given over to officers.</p> - -<p>Ned had just asked as to the probable whereabouts -of his captain and a lieutenant was in the -act of replying when two marines, with rifles and -fixed bayonets, came swinging along the passage. -They halted in front of the cabin, before which -stood the lieutenant, and after their salute had -been returned, the officer said:</p> - -<p>“You are to remain on guard here in front of -this cabin until relieved. Let no one go in or come -out without written authority from Captain Munson. -Remember—written authority!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir!” answered the marines, and then the -lieutenant turned to speak to the three friends -while they, in turn, gazed at the closed door of -the mysterious cabin.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</a><br /> -<small>CALLING IN VAIN</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“Did you wish to see me?” the lieutenant -asked, as Jerry and his chums looked in rather a -fixed manner at the young man.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir,” replied the tall lad. “We wish to -find out where Captain Ware may be found. -We’re in his company, and——”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes. You were asking me that when I -had to give instructions to these sentinels. If -you’ll come with me I’ll take you to Captain -Ware.”</p> - -<p>He turned to go, but, before leaving, he looked -again at the marine corps sentinels, one of whom -stood on either side of the closed door of the -mysterious cabin—at least it was mysterious to -the three Motor Boys.</p> - -<p>“Don’t forget!” the lieutenant cautioned. “No -one is to enter that cabin—not even I—without a -written order from Captain Munson.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir,” was the answer in chorus, and, acknowledging -the salutes of the sentries, the lieutenant<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> -strode away, followed by Ned, Bob, and -Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Has there been a mutiny, sir, or anything like -that?” asked Ned of the lieutenant, at the same -time nudging his two comrades to indicate that he -was taking a chance in thus putting a question to -a superior officer on a subject that might well be -a forbidden one.</p> - -<p>“A mutiny? What makes you think that?” was -the quick retort.</p> - -<p>“Oh, on account of what happened—the blowing -up of the boiler, and all that. I thought maybe -some one had been found planting a bomb in the -engine room, sir, and——”</p> - -<p>“You must have been doing quite a bit of thinking,” -was the smiling comment of the young officer. -“Be careful you don’t do too much. Or, at -least, if you do, keep your thoughts to yourself.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir,” assented Ned, and he knew then that -his questions were not to be answered.</p> - -<p>“Who told you the boiler had been blown up, -and what made you think a bomb had been placed -in the engine room?” asked the lieutenant.</p> - -<p>“Oh, we just imagined so, that’s all, sir,” Ned -replied.</p> - -<p>“It sounded like an explosion, sir,” said Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Well, it was,” and the lieutenant’s answer was -a bit snappy. “One of the boilers blew out a main -feed steam pipe. It takes an explosion to do that,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> -or rather, the act is explosive in itself. But that -doesn’t say it was a bomb.”</p> - -<p>“I’m glad it wasn’t,” commented Bob.</p> - -<p>“I didn’t say it wasn’t!” came quickly from the -young officer. “All I said was that a steam boiler -could blow up without a bomb having caused it. -I don’t know that any one knows exactly what -caused the accident to the ship. We are still investigating, -and the less talk about it the better—especially -when no facts are known. So I advise -you young gentlemen not to do too much talking.”</p> - -<p>“All right, sir,” murmured Ned. “But we were -just thinking—about that cabin, you know—we -were just thinking——”</p> - -<p>“But keep your thoughts to yourselves—for the -time being,” interrupted the lieutenant. “You -may hear all about it later, and again you may -not.”</p> - -<p>They found Captain Ware in a small cabin -which he had to share with fellow officers, so -crowded were accommodations aboard the <i>Sherman</i>. -The captain greeted the boys cordially.</p> - -<p>“Now don’t tell me,” he began with a smile, -“that you have come to complain of the sleeping -quarters, the food, or the lack of exercise. I know -all that already—a dozen times over,” and he motioned -to a pile of papers on his bed.</p> - -<p>“Oh, we haven’t come to complain, sir,” voiced -Ned. “But we have something we’d like to tell<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> -you, and it may have to do with the accident that -disabled the ship.”</p> - -<p>“Well, that’s interesting, to say the least,” commented -the captain. “Come in, boys. There isn’t -a great deal of room, but if you stand up while -you’re talking I guess we can squeeze you all in. -These cabins were made for only two.”</p> - -<p>Thereupon the trio entered and, after a few -false starts and a friendly rivalry as to who should -open the narrative, the story was finally told. It -began with the encounter in the Brest restaurant, -when Jerry mistook a stranger for Professor Snodgrass -with the consequent unreasonable indignation -on the part of the little bald-headed <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cochon</i>, -as he had been dubbed.</p> - -<p>Then the boys told of having met the man in -the passageway, and of how he turned back at the -sight of them, evidently trying to conceal a black -object he carried.</p> - -<p>Ned told of having smelled what seemed to be -a burning fuse; and from there the tale went on -to the guarded cabin.</p> - -<p>“Hum,” mused Captain Ware, when the boys -had finished. “Is that all?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir,” replied Ned, who had assumed the -role of spokesman. “Except that we thought we -ought to report it all to you, sir, so you could tell -Captain Munson if you thought best to do so.”</p> - -<p>“You have done quite right. And, now that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> -you have reported to me, please don’t say anything -about it to any one else.”</p> - -<p>“Do you think there may be anything in it, -sir?” asked Bob, who could not refrain from his -impulsive question. “I mean do you think this -little man, who looks like our Professor Snodgrass -from the back, could have tried to blow up the -ship?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, he could do it easily enough, if he -was so minded and had the opportunity,” answered -the captain. “But, mind you, I am not -saying that he did. This must be investigated, and -Captain Munson, in connection with our army officers, -will be the one to do this. I am glad you -told me what you did. Now don’t talk about it -any more. There is no use in starting rumors, -the effect of which we can tell nothing about. -And, too, it may prove to be a false alarm.”</p> - -<p>“That’s what we were afraid of,” said Jerry. -“We didn’t want to get in wrong. But we thought -it best to speak after we saw the marines put on -duty at the cabin, for we thought it might be of -more importance than it seemed in the beginning.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” answered the captain, noncommittally. -“Well, I’ll let you know when your further testimony -is needed. Now don’t forget to keep still -about this.”</p> - -<p>He dismissed them with a smile, and the boys,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> -feeling they had done all in their power to set -things right and to prevent any further outrages, -in case it really should turn out that an attempt -had been made to blow up the ship, went up on -deck.</p> - -<p>“I’m glad that’s off my mind,” remarked Ned.</p> - -<p>“So’m I,” added Bob. “There must be something -in it all right, or they wouldn’t be guarding -that cabin.”</p> - -<p>“It’s queer, to say the least,” admitted Jerry. -“If we could only know——”</p> - -<p>“Hark! What’s that?” interrupted Ned, as -they neared the head of the companionway.</p> - -<p>“The wireless!” cried Bob. “It’s working -again!”</p> - -<p>And to the ears of the boys came the well-known -crackle that told of electrical impulses -being sent off into space.</p> - -<p>Quickly the three chums looked about them -when they reached the deck. A group around the -wireless room testified that in some manner the -disabled machinery had been put in operation -again.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” Ned was told by a comrade to whom he -put an inquiry, “they managed to fix up a small -dynamo, and they’re sending out calls for help.”</p> - -<p>“Then we’re all right!” decided Bob. “I guess -my appetite will come back now.”</p> - -<p>“Didn’t know you’d lost it!” mocked Ned.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Why, I didn’t feel a bit like eating!” retorted -the stout lad.</p> - -<p>“Well, it’s the first time such a thing has happened -in a good many years,” commented Jerry.</p> - -<p>With every one else on board, they were vitally -interested in the reëstablishment of the wireless. -But as the day went on and no replies came to -call after call that was flashed into the void, the -feeling of hope gave way to one of despair.</p> - -<p>“Don’t they answer?” was the question asked -over and over again.</p> - -<p>“No reply,” was the report of the wireless men, -as they bent over their keys and strained their ears -to catch the faintest click that might come through -the ear-pieces strapped to their heads. All their -flashing calls seemed in vain.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</a><br /> -<small>DRIFTING</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>There is, perhaps, no greater strain to be endured -than waiting—waiting for some certain -time to come, waiting for an event to pass, waiting -for a letter or a message. And when this -nervous strain is multiplied several thousand -times, and when the waiting has to do with perhaps -the very continuation of life itself, it becomes -at last almost unendurable.</p> - -<p>That is what Ned, Bob, and Jerry, and their -thousands of comrades on board the <i>Sherman</i>, -found as they waited for some reply to come to -the wireless calls. As has been related, the dynamo -that sent out the impulses, controlled by the -operators’ keys, had been patched up so that it -revolved. Steam was generated for a small engine.</p> - -<p>“But how long she’ll work no one knows,” confided -an operator to Jerry, coming off duty after -several anxious hours in the little deck house. -“The repairs are only temporary, the engineer<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> -tells me, and she may break down again any -minute.”</p> - -<p>“But you’ll keep on sending out calls as long -as you can, won’t you?” asked Ned.</p> - -<p>“Oh, sure,” was the answer.</p> - -<p>“How do you account for not getting replies to -the wireless calls? You’re sending them out -broadcast, aren’t you?”</p> - -<p>“That’s it. They can be picked up by any -number of shore stations, to say nothing of ships -at sea.”</p> - -<p>“Then why aren’t our calls picked up and answered?” -Bob queried.</p> - -<p>“Well, there are two reasons that may possibly -explain it,” answered the operator. “One is that -we’re having a great deal of trouble with static. -That’s the electricity that’s always more or less in -the air, you know. It interferes with our wireless -waves.”</p> - -<p>“I thought some fellow got up a patent apparatus -to overcome that trouble,” ventured Ned.</p> - -<p>“He claimed to,” answered the operator; “but -I haven’t yet seen any device that will turn the -trick. And believe me, when Old Man Static gets -in his fine work you might as well close your -switch, take off your headpiece, and read a book. -When the static gets ready to quiet down and stop -cutting up high jinks it’ll do it, and not before.</p> - -<p>“Of course I don’t mean to say,” he went on,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> -“that it’s as bad as when wireless was first invented. -A good deal of the trouble has been -overcome. But to-day it’s very bad.</p> - -<p>“Then, too, our apparatus isn’t working right. -She got a jolt when that midnight explosion took -place, and the operator who was on duty then -slammed in a high-powered current and burned -out some of the fuses. Since then it’s been on the -floo, and, though we’ve been pounding the keys -for all we’re worth, we don’t know whether our -messages are getting anywhere or not. Evidently -they aren’t, for we haven’t had any replies, and -in the natural course of things we would, as we -ought to be in the track of many ships going and -coming.”</p> - -<p>“Just how far do you think the wireless message -calls you’ve sent out have gone?” asked Ned.</p> - -<p>“Hard to tell,” was the answer. “They may -shoot off for a thousand miles—our range is fully -that when the machinery is in good condition—and -again they may not get a mile away from the -ship. I’m inclined to think, though, that the messages -leave here all right, but are all balled up by -static, or else by other messages jamming them, -after they get up in the air.</p> - -<p>“You know,” the operator went on, “we work -according to different wave lengths. That is, the -electrical impulses we send out are so many meters -in length. Now then, if we send out messages of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> -one certain wave length, and some other ship, -within the prescribed distance, sends out messages -at the same time, tuned as ours are, but of a more -powerful wave length, ours get all jammed to -pieces, so to speak. And all the receiver hears -is a jumble of dots and dashes in his earpiece. -Naturally he tunes out of that clashing, and listens -to what he can hear; to wave lengths that are just -right.”</p> - -<p>“So, as far as you can tell,” observed Jerry, -“it’s just as if a man wrote a lot of telegrams, -asking for help, and then, somehow, they got -tossed into the waste-paper basket before any one -who could give the help read them, is it?”</p> - -<p>“That’s one way of putting it,” conceded the -operator. “But there is one hope.”</p> - -<p>“What’s that?” asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“The static disturbance may clear off at any -time, or some fellow listening in may catch our -call and then send it to the proper place. If that’s -done, help will be rushed to us. But I must admit -there’s no telling when this will happen.”</p> - -<p>“What can we do if we don’t get any reply?” -asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“Well, we’ll have to drift on until they can -patch up the machinery, I suppose,” the operator -replied.</p> - -<p>“Can they do that?” Ned questioned.</p> - -<p>“I believe they’re going to try,” was the answer.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> -“Anything is better than just drifting -around.”</p> - -<p>“And yet some ship may sight us at any time,” -ventured Bob.</p> - -<p>“Yes, that’s true,” was the tired wireless man’s -remark. “I’ve been torpedoed twice, and I know -what it means to be drifting about waiting for -the chance of being picked up. I had hoped I -shouldn’t have to go through with it again, but -it seems I may have to. Well, the boys are going -to keep on trying, and I’ll do my share when I go -on duty again.</p> - -<p>“I don’t mind the sending off of messages so -much,” he concluded, as he continued on his way -to the cabin set apart for the use of himself and -his companions. “It’s the strain of listening for -a reply that gets on my nerves. You hear a click -in the earpiece, and you think surely it’s coming. -Then it turns out to be just Old Man Static getting -in his fine work, or else a jumble of dots and -dashes from no one knows where—out of the sky, -you might say—and there you are. Four hours -of that are enough to wear any one’s nerves to a -thread.”</p> - -<p>“You said it!” commented Jerry. “Well, good -luck to you!”</p> - -<p>Interest in the reëstablishment of the wireless -apparatus, even though it was only temporarily -repaired, and anxiety to know when some of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> -messages sent off into space would be answered -kept every one on board the <i>Sherman</i> keyed up to -the highest pitch. They were all under a heavy -strain.</p> - -<p>But as hour after hour passed, and no good -news came, faces that had taken on looks of hope -began to lose them. The time came for the man -who had talked to the Motor Boys to go back on -duty.</p> - -<p>“Well, here’s for another try,” he said, with a -weary smile, as he entered the cabin.</p> - -<p>Having nothing better to do, Ned, Bob, and -Jerry remained as close as possible to the wireless -room. They wanted to know, as soon as might -be, if any help was on the way.</p> - -<p>It was about an hour after George Hardy, the -wireless man who had talked to the three friends, -had gone on duty for his second shift since the -repair of the apparatus, that he came out of the -wireless room with a despairing look on his face.</p> - -<p>“What’s the matter?” asked Jerry quickly.</p> - -<p>“It’s all up!” was the answer.</p> - -<p>“All up! What do you mean?”</p> - -<p>“Apparatus all burned out,” Hardy went on. -“We tried to the limit of the power, and the whole -business has gone bluey. Can’t get another spark -out of her.”</p> - -<p>“Whew!” whistled Ned, and the faces of Bob -and Jerry, as well as those of others who heard<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> -the bad news, took on an added look of care and -anxiety.</p> - -<p>“But you can still listen in, can’t you?” asked -Ned, after a pause. “Is the receiving apparatus -damaged?”</p> - -<p>“No, that’s still in good shape,” Hardy answered. -“If, by any chance, some of our messages -reached some station, and they can tell where -to reply to us, and how, we may get an answer. -We’re going to listen in from now on.”</p> - -<p>“Well, let us hope that you hear something,” -murmured Jerry.</p> - -<p>“And all we can do is drift on,” said Ned -drearily.</p> - -<p>The day passed without anything happening. -So many thoughts occupied the minds of the three -Cresville boys that they almost forgot to speculate -on the outcome of the information they had -given their captain. They did not cease to wonder -at times, though, as to who occupied the mysteriously -guarded cabin, and they also tried to -guess the reason for the peculiar actions of <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le -cochon</i>.</p> - -<p>“Maybe he’s locked up there as a bomb-planter,” -suggested Bob.</p> - -<p>“It’s possible,” assented Ned.</p> - -<p>“I wish Professor Snodgrass were here,” Bob -went on.</p> - -<p>“Why?” asked Jerry. “Do you think he could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -fix up the wireless, mend the broken boiler, or -help us in any way?”</p> - -<p>“Not exactly,” was the answer from the stout -youth. “But he’s better fun than just standing -about, waiting for something to happen.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I’d like to see him, too,” agreed Ned.</p> - -<p>The night passed without incident, save that -word went about the ship now and then that the -engine-room force was working desperately to -make repairs which would enable the transport to -proceed, however lamely.</p> - -<p>But when the sun rose, a red ball of fire in the -morning, it saw the <i>Sherman</i> still drifting.</p> - -<p>“We’re in for some change of weather,” remarked -a sailor in the hearing of the chums.</p> - -<p>“A storm?” asked Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Can’t say, but looks like it.”</p> - -<p>And the disabled troopship kept on drifting—drifting—drifting.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</a><br /> -<small>THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Weary were the hours, even fraught with anxiety -as they were, that Ned, Bob, and Jerry passed -aboard the drifting craft. Notwithstanding the -presence of many of their comrades in arms, there -was a sense of loneliness on the vast expanse of -the waters of the Atlantic.</p> - -<p>Had the <i>Sherman</i> been proceeding along under -her own power, lessening each hour the miles that -separated her from the shores of America, this -feeling would not have manifested itself. But as -it was, with every one ready for the trip home, -which, for this unavoidable cause, could not be -completed, the sense of the vastness and loneliness -of the ocean, on which the troopship could -only drift, filled the boys’ hearts.</p> - -<p>With the acknowledgment on the part of the -engineers that the wireless apparatus could no -longer issue appeals for help, all that remained -to be done in connection with that was to wait for -the possible chance that some of the messages<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> -previously sent out would be answered. To this -end one man was kept constantly on duty, with the -rubber receivers clamped to his ears. And from -the strained look on his face it was easy to guess -that his task, simple as it might seem, was no -sinecure.</p> - -<p>“Why don’t they rig up some kind of sail?” -asked several of the soldiers who clustered on the -decks, a few forming a knot around Ned, Bob, -and Jerry, for those lads had let it be known that -they had been talking with one of the wireless -men, and, in a manner, spoke as those having -authority.</p> - -<p>“That’s it!” chimed in another impatient one. -“If we can’t steam we ought to be able to sail. -I’ve often read stories of where a steamer lost a -propeller or something, and the sailors rigged up -a mast and got home all right.”</p> - -<p>“They rigged up a jury mast—I’ve read about -that, too,” said another. “Why can’t we do that -here, and blow home?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, why can’t we?” asked others. “Let’s -send a delegation to the captain and ask him!”</p> - -<p>This seemed to find considerable favor, and it -might have been carried into effect but for the -fact that just then a peculiar tremor which could -mean but one thing was felt throughout the -ship.</p> - -<p>“The engines have started!” cried Ned.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span></p> - -<p>“That’s the throb of the propeller, sure -enough!” added Bob.</p> - -<p>“We’re moving!” came from Jerry, and a -chorus of delighted cheers greeted this announcement.</p> - -<p>There was no question as to the last statement. -The <i>Sherman</i> was, indeed, moving slowly through -the water. Very slowly, indeed. The motion was -hardly perceptible at first, but it was undoubted. -Soldier after soldier, hearing the news and feeling -the vibration, looked over the side and verified -Jerry’s announcement.</p> - -<p>Like wild-fire rumors flew about the transport. -The chief one, and that most readily believed, -because it was the one that every one desired to -believe, was this:</p> - -<p>“The engines have been repaired. Now we’ll -get home!”</p> - -<p>And for a time this seemed true. The <i>Sherman</i> -gathered headway, and soon began moving -more swiftly. But, even at that, her speed was -nothing like what it had been at the beginning of -the voyage.</p> - -<p>“I guess we had the wrong dope, Ned,” remarked -Jerry, as the three chums discussed the -situation. “It couldn’t have been a bomb explosion -after all, or they couldn’t have fixed up the -engines.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I don’t know that I’ll go so far as to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> -admit that. There may have been a bomb explosion -all right, but, even then, they might have -been able to make repairs. Anyhow, we’re moving.”</p> - -<p>“But we haven’t heard anything about the information -we gave,” said Bob; “and the marines -are still on guard at that cabin—at least some -sentries are there. I passed the door a little -while ago.”</p> - -<p>“And we haven’t had a sight of our pepper-pot -friend since that guard was stationed,” added -Ned. “I feel sure he’s in there, and that he tried -to blow up the ship.”</p> - -<p>“Well, he didn’t make out very well, for we’re -on our way once more,” went on Bob. “And now -I feel like eating again! Come on, fellows, let’s -scout around and see if there’s a chance to get -some extra grub.”</p> - -<p>Bob’s face, that had been gloomy all day (an -unusual thing for him) cleared now. He was -leading the way to the galley, followed by Ned and -Jerry, when the throbbing and vibration of the -craft, which unmistakably told of engines working, -suddenly ceased.</p> - -<p>The three chums gazed blankly at one another, -and all about them other soldiers looked alarmed.</p> - -<p>“What’s that?” cried Ned.</p> - -<p>“Don’t tell me she’s stopping again!” exclaimed -Bob.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span></p> - -<p>“She certainly has stopped, but she may start -up again,” voiced Jerry.</p> - -<p>But as the minutes passed and the <i>Sherman</i> continued -to lose headway in the smooth sea, the -fears of the three chums and their companions became -confirmed.</p> - -<p>A little later word was circulated about the ship -that the engines had broken down again. And -this time more completely than before. The temporary -repairs that had been made only caused a -worse break in the machinery when the second accident -happened.</p> - -<p>“Well, it wasn’t a bomb explosion this time,” -said Jerry, when it was ascertained for certain that -the transport could not possibly proceed under her -own power.</p> - -<p>“But that isn’t saying it wasn’t the original -cause of the accident,” declared Ned. “I’d like -to get hold of that pepper-pot and tell him what I -think of him.”</p> - -<p>“They’ll do more than tell him, provided they -can prove that he had anything to do with it,” -commented Jerry.</p> - -<p>“And it certainly looks as if he had—the way -they’re keeping him a prisoner in that cabin,” asserted -Ned.</p> - -<p>“We aren’t sure he is there,” answered the tall -lad.</p> - -<p>“I’m pretty sure,” Ned asserted. “Well,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> -there’s no hope for it. All we can do now is to -drift around, wait for a wireless message, or——”</p> - -<p>“Sail home!” interrupted Bob. “Look, here -come some sailors now, getting ready to put up -some sort of sail.”</p> - -<p>This, indeed, seemed to be the case. A number -of men came on deck, and then an effort began -to have sails take the place of steam power. There -were two masts on the craft, used, ordinarily, to -support the wireless apparatus. It was determined, -now, to fasten sails on these sticks of steel.</p> - -<p>True not much speed could be hoped for, as -the <i>Sherman</i> was a big craft and powerful engines -were required to move her. But it was hoped that -such sails as could be rigged would at least give -her steerage way, and this would be needed, in -case of a storm, to keep her head on to the waves. -Though there was bitter disappointment over the -failure of the repairs to the engines, there was -hope in the sails.</p> - -<p>So interested were the three chums in this that, -for the time, they forgot about the mysterious -cabin and its occupant, guarded by two marines.</p> - -<p>Rumor had it that the engine room was a wreck, -but whether this was because of the explosion of -the steam pipe, which had caused injuries to a -number of men, or to the explosion of a bomb, -no one seemed to know for certain. All that was -sure was that the engines were out of commission.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span></p> - -<p>And if the tedious hours got on the nerves of -the soldiers who had their health and strength, -how much more so did they get on the nerves of -the wounded in the hospital wards? So over-wrought -were some of the casuals that it was -necessary to organize squads of the sound men -to visit in relays and cheer up their unfortunate -comrades.</p> - -<p>This worked well, and it not only brightened -the wounded, but it gave the unoccupied well lads -a chance to do something to vary the monotony.</p> - -<p>This, what might be termed a crisis, occurred -after it became known that the engines had broken -down for the second time. This news had brought -a reaction to the sick and wounded.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the men were working hard to get -the sails rigged; but finally this was accomplished. -It was a makeshift, to be sure, but every one was -thankful even for that.</p> - -<p>And then, as if Fate was determined to make a -plaything of the troopship and desired to show -what she could do when she tried, there came a -dead calm. There had been a fairly good wind -all the while the men were rigging the sails, and -it was thought, with the expanse of canvas spread -to the breeze, that progress could be made—perhaps -enough even to bring the ship back to port, -or at least in the path of some other craft.</p> - -<p>But no sooner had the last rope been made<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> -fast and word given to bring the ship around, with -the wind as near astern as would serve the purpose, -than every breath of air died out.</p> - -<p>“Dead calm!” muttered one of the sailors. -“Dead as a mackerel!”</p> - -<p>“Well, what’s to be done?” asked Bob, when -it became evident that the transport could only -drift helplessly about.</p> - -<p>“Whistle for a breeze!” some one suggested.</p> - -<p>The idea was taken in good part, and it had -one effect—that of bringing forth a flood of—well, -not exactly melody, for too many were off-key. -But it brought forth laughs, and this was -something, considering the gloom that seemed -overpowering all on board.</p> - -<p>All that could be done was to wait—wait for -the wind, wait for an answer on the wireless, wait -for the sight of some craft to aid them, either by -providing a tow or sending word of their plight -to those that could help.</p> - -<p>Slowly the hours passed. Even the serving of -meals brought little relaxation or enjoyment, and -Ned and Jerry noticed, not without alarm, that -Bob’s appetite was very poor.</p> - -<p>“Come on, let’s start something!” proposed -Jerry, after a bit.</p> - -<p>“Start what?” asked Ned.</p> - -<p>“Oh, a game, or something. We’ll go woozy -if we stand about waiting for something to happen.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> -Let’s go below, get some of the fellows we -know, and see what we can dig up.”</p> - -<p>As the three chums started for a companionway -they noticed an old sailor gazing out across the -ocean, which was as calm as the oft-spoken-of -“mill pond.”</p> - -<p>“See anything?” asked Jerry, as he paused to -speak to the old salt.</p> - -<p>“Not much,” was the answer.</p> - -<p>“What’s the weather going to do?” asked Ned.</p> - -<p>“Ha! I wish I knew!” was the retort. -“Looked like a storm this morning—red sun and -everything. Now I’ll be jiggered if I don’t think -we’re in for the doldrums!”</p> - -<p>“What’s he saying?” asked another soldier lad -of Jerry. “Does he mean some disease may -break out?”</p> - -<p>“No,” answered the tall lad, with a smile. -“Doldrum means a calm—a dead calm. Ships -often run into the doldrums near the equator.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I wouldn’t mind what we ran into, if -we could only move,” was the dismal retort.</p> - -<p>“That’s the trouble,” voiced Ned. “The doldrums -are the worst calms ever—no motion at -all.”</p> - -<p>“Good-night!” cried the seeker after information.</p> - -<p>Passing through a corridor below decks on -their way to seek some of their friends to try to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> -organize something that would while away the -dreary monotony, the three chums approached a -closed cabin door.</p> - -<p>And Bob remarked:</p> - -<p>“Why, they’ve taken the marine guards away! -I wonder what that means?”</p> - -<p>Before his companions could join in his speculation -the door of the cabin opened, and through -the opening the lads caught sight of a figure. It -was the figure of a little bald-headed man, and -he wore large spectacles. He was bending over -a mass of papers on a table in front of him, and, -at the sight of this individual, Ned, Bob, and -Jerry, as if in the same voice, exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“Professor Snodgrass!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII</a><br /> -<small>A WELL-KNOWN VOICE</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>In the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments is told -the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. In -this, at the mention of the magic word “Sesame,” -the ponderous rocky portal of the treasure cave -swung open or shut, according to its previous position.</p> - -<p>And now, as Ned, Bob, and Jerry stood outside -the cabin door, through which they had a -glimpse of the well-remembered figure, and as -together they uttered the magic word “Professor -Snodgrass,” the same thing happened as happened -to Ali Baba.</p> - -<p>The door of the cabin was quickly shut, and -not by the figure seated at the table before the -mass of papers.</p> - -<p>For a few seconds the three lads remained -transfixed with surprise. They looked at one another, -then glanced at the closed door, and then -peered into each others’ faces.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span></p> - -<p>Jerry was the first to recover the use of his -voice.</p> - -<p>“Did you see that, fellows?”</p> - -<p>“Did we see it?” echoed Ned. “I should say -so!”</p> - -<p>“What does it all mean?” asked Bob. “Why -should our old friend, Professor Snodgrass, treat -us like that—shutting the door in our faces?”</p> - -<p>“He didn’t!” declared Jerry.</p> - -<p>“He did!” asserted Bob. “I saw him!”</p> - -<p>“You saw the door close,” went on Jerry. “But -the professor didn’t shut it. If you had been -standing where I was, you could have observed -that. There was some one else in the room who -acted for him.”</p> - -<p>“That’s right!” chimed in Ned. “He didn’t -even see us. He didn’t look up once from his -papers. It was the same old Professor Snodgrass—more -intent on finding out how many legs some -new kind of ant has than on his meals. Yes, the -same old professor!”</p> - -<p>“Are you sure about that?” asked Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Sure of it?” reiterated Ned. “Why, of -course! Aren’t you?”</p> - -<p>“You called his name out, just as we did, and -then the door went shut,” declared Bob. “You -spoke his name.”</p> - -<p>“Yes; and at the time I really thought it was -the professor,” admitted Jerry. “But when I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> -think of what took place I begin to have my -doubts.”</p> - -<p>“Professor Snodgrass never acted that way before, -that’s sure,” and Ned seemed siding with -Jerry Hopkins. “Every other time he’s seen us -he’s been tickled to death. This time——”</p> - -<p>“He didn’t see us this time—that’s all there is -to it,” declared Jerry. “Professor Snodgrass or -not, whoever is in that room never looked up to -see us, though he—whoever he is—may have -heard us call out the name.”</p> - -<p>“If it isn’t the professor who is it?” demanded -Bob.</p> - -<p>“Who’s the fellow I had the row with in the -restaurant?” Jerry countered.</p> - -<p>“Oh! <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Le cochon!</i>” Bob exclaimed. “That’s -so! He does look a lot like our friend. But not -from the front, Jerry Hopkins! Not from the -front!” he added quickly, as he recalled that circumstance, -and the fact that this time they had -had a full-face view of the man now sitting behind -the closed cabin door. “The pepper-pot looks like -the professor from the back view, but not from -the front. We proved that several times.”</p> - -<p>“And besides,” went on Ned, “this isn’t the -mysterious cabin, either. There are no marines -on guard here.”</p> - -<p>“I grant you that,” said Jerry, and he was smiling -at his two chums in a manner that, had they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> -not been so excited, would have roused their curiosity.</p> - -<p>“And this isn’t the same cabin, either!” reiterated -Ned. “The one where the marines are on -guard, and where we think the pepper-pot is held -a prisoner, is on the deck below.”</p> - -<p>“Are you sure of that?” asked Jerry, and the -manner of his asking made both Ned and Bob -look more closely at the corridor in which they -were then standing. Next they glanced at the -closed door, noting the number, and with one accord -they exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“It’s the same!”</p> - -<p>“That’s what I thought you’d say,” remarked -Jerry, with a little nod of satisfaction. “But we -might as well hike along. No use standing here -talking over the mystery. Besides, the professor -may not like it.”</p> - -<p>“I thought you said it wasn’t the professor,” -said Ned.</p> - -<p>“No, I only said I had my doubts,” corrected -Jerry. “I don’t really know what to think.”</p> - -<p>“As you say, it’s a mystery,” conceded Bob. -“But can’t we get to the bottom of it? Say, all -sorts of things are happening on our homeward -trip. Here we are delayed because of some mysterious -explosion on board, there’s a mysterious -prisoner in a mysterious cabin guarded by marines, -and now we think we see in the same cabin the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> -real professor. Say, it’s beyond me all right!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, it’s queer,” admitted Jerry. “Let’s go -off by ourselves and talk it over.”</p> - -<p>“Good idea,” agreed Ned. “I guess we’ll have -enough excitement doing that not to need other -recreation.”</p> - -<p>In as secluded a spot as the three Motor Boys -could find on the crowded troopship, they talked -over the incidents of the trip thus far.</p> - -<p>“Then you are sure the cabin where we saw -the professor—or at least the cabin where the -door was shut so soon after we uttered his name—you’re -sure that’s the same cabin where the -marines were on guard, are you, Jerry?” asked -Ned.</p> - -<p>“Positive,” was the tall lad’s reply.</p> - -<p>“But how do you account for the change?” -asked Bob. “Why are the guards withdrawn, -and why is it that this pepper-pot—if it is he in -the cabin—looks so much more like Professor -Snodgrass from the front than he did at first?”</p> - -<p>“The only way I can account for that,” replied -Jerry, “is that it really is Professor Snodgrass -this time.”</p> - -<p>“<em>This</em> time!” echoed Ned. “Do you mean to -say the professor is on board here?”</p> - -<p>“He might be,” the tall lad admitted. “You -remember we met only the other day a fellow we -knew well. He’d been on board since the start of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> -this unfortunate trip, and yet we didn’t know it -until we ran plumb into him. It may be the same -with the professor.”</p> - -<p>“But he’d be sure to look us up if he were -here,” declared Bob. “He always does. He’s -very friendly, and he likes to be with us. He’d -be sure to speak to us if he were on board.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, if he knew we were here,” admitted -Jerry. “But he may not. If it was he in the -cabin, where the door was just closed, you can -make up your mind he never saw us.”</p> - -<p>“No, I don’t believe he did,” assented Bob. -“But if that is the same cabin where pepper-pot -was guarded, and he’s gone now, and the real -Professor Snodgrass is in his place, how do you -account for it?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t account for it,” answered Jerry, with -a smile. “All I am sure of is that this is the same -cabin where the marines were. You can be as -sure of that as I am—in fact, I guess you are sure, -aren’t you?”</p> - -<p>Ned and Bob nodded in affirmation.</p> - -<p>“Then,” went on the tall lad, “all that I am -sure of, next, is that the guards are gone. And -you must admit that it is possible for both Professor -Snodgrass and the man we call <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le cochon</i> -to be in that cabin at the same time, isn’t it?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, of course it is,” assented Ned. “But -from the way that pepper-pot talked of our friend<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> -I shouldn’t think they’d want to be in the same -cabin.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe they don’t want to be, but circumstances -may force them to,” suggested Jerry, with a -laugh. “Boys,” he went on, “I believe there’s -something queer going on here aboard the <i>Sherman</i>. -We’ve done our part in telling what we -know. Now it’s up to our superior officers.”</p> - -<p>Ned and Bob were silent for a moment. Then -the stout lad broke the silence by saying:</p> - -<p>“Well, it certainly is a mystery! I only wish -we could have a talk with Professor Snodgrass—provided -he’s here—and see what he has to say.”</p> - -<p>“I wish the same thing myself,” admitted Jerry. -“And now perhaps we’d better go on with our -original plan, and see if we can do something to -organize a little fun to kill this deadly monotony -of waiting for help.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, let’s do that,” agreed Ned.</p> - -<p>As they started once more on their errand a -commotion was heard on the deck above. The -shuffling of many feet told of soldiers rushing to -and fro, while there were shouts that seemed to -be those of alarm.</p> - -<p>“Hello! Something else doing!” cried Ned, -as he hurried toward a companionway that led to -the upper decks.</p> - -<p>The three reached the deck together, and as -they emerged into the open they were immediately<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> -enveloped in swirling clouds of white vapor.</p> - -<p>“Smoke!” cried Bob. “The ship is on fire!”</p> - -<p>“Nonsense!” exclaimed Jerry. “It’s a heavy -fog! Just what is to be expected when there’s a -dead calm at this time of year. We’re fog-bound, -as well as disabled.”</p> - -<p>“But why should a mere fog cause such a commotion?” -asked Ned.</p> - -<p>Before Jerry could answer the three boys were -startled by hearing through the dim, misty whiteness -a well-known voice saying:</p> - -<p>“Don’t disturb me now, and please don’t come -too close! This is the best chance I’ve had for a -long while to catch some of the mist-flies. Please -don’t interrupt me, gentlemen!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV</a><br /> -<small>THE FOG</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>With one accord Ned, Bob, and Jerry looked -at one another, their faces close together in the -thick fog that was settling down over everything -in a white, damp pall.</p> - -<p>“There isn’t any doubt of it now!” exclaimed -Jerry.</p> - -<p>“I should say not!” agreed Bob.</p> - -<p>“That’s the voice of Professor Snodgrass,” declared -Ned. “I’d know it among a hundred, even -if he didn’t use his characteristic talk about some -new kind of bug.”</p> - -<p>“Mist-flies!” exclaimed Bob. “What are they?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, some kind of insect that flies only in a fog—or -at least that’s what the professor thinks they -are,” commented Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Well, now that we’re sure—or almost positively -so—that Professor Snodgrass is on board,” -suggested Ned, “why not see him? Let’s call out -and let him know we’re here—within a hundred -feet of him, I should say, though this fog is so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> -thick that he may be several hundred feet off. -Voices carry very plainly over water and through -heavy mist. I’m going to——”</p> - -<p>“You’re going to keep still—at least for a -while!” interrupted Jerry, putting his hand over -Ned’s mouth in time to prevent that energetic lad -from sending out a call to the unseen owner of -the voice which sounded so like that of Professor -Snodgrass.</p> - -<p>“Just wait a bit,” Jerry went on, when Ned had -recovered his composure caused by the sudden -stoppage of his vocal powers. “I admit that the -voice was that of our professor, but maybe it -would spoil his plans to be recognized just now -or to meet with us.”</p> - -<p>“How could it?” asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“That’s what I don’t know,” Jerry was frank -enough to admit. “But for some reason the professor -prefers to remain somewhat concealed. He -must have his own reason for that. Very good—it’s -his privilege. Now let’s wait until this thing -clears up.”</p> - -<p>“Do you mean the fog?” asked Ned.</p> - -<p>“Partly that, yes. Great guns! isn’t it thick, -though? You could almost slice it like cheese.”</p> - -<p>“It’s dangerous, too,” said Ned.</p> - -<p>“That’s so,” assented Jerry. “This fog adds -another danger to this eventful voyage. I never -saw mist so thick.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span></p> - -<p>“What are we going to do?” Bob asked.</p> - -<p>“There isn’t anything we can do,” Jerry declared. -“All any one can do is to wait for it to -lift. I suppose they have a means of sounding -some sort of warning signal.”</p> - -<p>“No, I didn’t mean so much what can we do -about the fog, though that’s bad enough—seems -to take away all my appetite,” complained Chunky. -“I meant what are we going to do about Professor -Snodgrass? Now that we know he’s on board -oughtn’t we do something?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” admitted Jerry, “I believe we ought. -But not just yet. Let’s wait a while. We’ve got -plenty of time. The professor can’t get away any -more than we can, and if we start looking for -him now we may get him into some sort of mixup. -Let matters take their course for a while.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t hear anything of him now,” said Ned, -listening intently. “He seems to be on the still -hunt for his new fog-bugs.”</p> - -<p>Though all about them, coming through the -white mist, were murmurs of voices and the sound -caused by the movement of many bodies, neither -of the three lads had a glimpse of Professor Snodgrass. -Nor did the echo of his peculiar voice -come to them.</p> - -<p>The fog seemed to be growing more dense -every minute. There was no wind to carry the -mist away, and it hung about the disabled troopship<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> -like some heavy, white veil. It was actually -impossible to see more than fifty feet, and then -only dimly. To peer out over the side of the -craft was to gaze into a white sea, opaque and -impenetrable. To look forward or aft was to -note the same thing. From amidships neither -stern nor bow of the <i>Sherman</i> could be seen, and -men moving about the decks actually collided with -one another.</p> - -<p>“Why don’t they do something?” complained -more than one fretful voice, and it was evident -that many were under a great strain.</p> - -<p>“What can they do?” asked Jerry, of one of -these complaining soldiers. “The invention hasn’t -been dreamed of that will dissipate a fog at sea.”</p> - -<p>“Well, why don’t the sailors fire guns, blow -horns, or something, so we won’t be run down?” -went on the other. “We’re floating around here -like a log, and we may have a crash before very -long.”</p> - -<p>“I fancy they’ll start signaling soon,” said Ned.</p> - -<p>“How are they going to when they can’t get -up steam for the engines?” Bob asked.</p> - -<p>“Oh, they’ve got donkey engines for hoisting -out the cargo,” remarked Jerry. “Those boilers -can make steam, and I guess it can be conveyed to -the whistles. That will warn other vessels of our -nearness. And this fog may be a good thing, -too.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span></p> - -<p>“How do you figure that out?” a corporal -wanted to know.</p> - -<p>“Well, we’ll begin signaling, and we may be -heard by some craft which can help us. It’s queer -they didn’t blow the whistle when they found the -wireless wasn’t working.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, they might have done that,” assented Ned. -“But I don’t agree with you, Jerry, that the blowing -of a whistle by our ship in this fog will help -us any.”</p> - -<p>“Why won’t it?”</p> - -<p>“Because as soon as any other ship hears our -signals she’s going to keep as far away as she can -to avoid a collision.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so,” admitted the tall lad. “But I presume -there’s some sort of whistle code so they -can send out a distress call.”</p> - -<p>“In that case we’ll be all right,” said Ned. -“Well, all we can do is to grin and bear it. The -fog seems to have come to stay.”</p> - -<p>And this seemed true. Denser and more dense, -the white vapor closed around the slowly drifting -<i>Sherman</i>. The air was cold and damp, and it -penetrated through the clothing.</p> - -<p>“What causes the fog?” asked Ned of a sailor -who rolled past the three friends as they stood at -a rail.</p> - -<p>“Davy Jones, I guess,” was the answer. -“Leastways he gets his full share of ships when a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> -fog like this here one comes. Maybe this here -one was caused by icebergs.”</p> - -<p>“Icebergs!” cried Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Yes, this is the time of year they come down, -sometimes. An iceberg is cold, you know, and -when it gets in warm air it makes a fog. I’ve -been on ships more than once that bunked into -’em.”</p> - -<p>“Do they do much damage?” asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“Damage!” cried the sailor. “Say, did you -ever see a little automobile, the lightest kind there -is, going full speed, hit a solid wall of rock?”</p> - -<p>“I can imagine what would happen,” admitted -Ned.</p> - -<p>“Well, that’s what happens when a ship strikes -an iceberg,” returned the sailor. “Course we’re -not speeding, but if we hit about fifty thousand -tons of ice—Aye, aye, sir!” he answered in response -to a call from one of the mates, and he -moved off through the mist.</p> - -<p>“Pleasant prospect,” mused Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Let’s don’t think about it,” urged Bob. “Say, -I wish we’d stayed in France a few months longer. -This being picked to be among the first to go -home isn’t as nice as it sounds.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, we’ll come out of this all right,” asserted -Jerry. “Now let’s consider what’s best to -be done in case there is another accident in the -fog. We ought to try to find out where Professor<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> -Snodgrass is. He’ll never think of trying to save -himself if he has as much as one bug to occupy -his mind. We’d better try to locate him.”</p> - -<p>“I thought you said we wouldn’t force ourselves -on him for fear of spoiling his plans,” said -Ned.</p> - -<p>“We won’t exactly force ourselves on him,” -was Jerry’s answer. “But we can inquire from -the purser where our friend is placed. That may -be his regular cabin where we saw him, or he -may only have stepped in there. Once we know -where he is we can go there and see that he gets -out in case there’s a crash.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, that’s a good idea,” agreed Ned and -Bob.</p> - -<p>They were on their way to the purser, who -might be expected to know the names of all on -board who were not strictly members of the military -force, when they heard from above the deep, -hoarse note of a whistle.</p> - -<p>“Is that ours?” asked Ned quickly.</p> - -<p>“Sounded so,” replied Jerry. “But it may be -that another ship is near. Let’s go up and see.”</p> - -<p>They hurried on deck to learn that it was their -own fog signal whistle which had started sending -out its hoarse warning. Steam had been generated -in one of the donkey hoisting engine boilers, and, -by means of a hastily rigged pipe line, conveyed to -the big whistle.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span></p> - -<p>On this there now sounded warning blasts which -would tell to other craft in the vicinity the nearness -of a ship. And, as the three chums listened, -they heard the blasts given in peculiar order—as -though spelling out some code word.</p> - -<p>“Is that saying anything?” asked Ned of a -sailor who loomed up through the mist.</p> - -<p>“Yes, that tells whoever hears it that we’re -drifting, out of control, and need help.”</p> - -<p>“Will help come?”</p> - -<p>“Nobody knows,” was the answer. “I don’t -believe any other ship would take a chance on -coming too close while the fog holds.”</p> - -<p>And the fog still held. Like a white blanket it -wrapped the transport in its folds, hiding from -view everything except in a fifty-foot circle.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV</a><br /> -<small>THE CRASH</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>With moisture fairly dripping from their garments, -hanging in beads from their eyebrows, and -seeming to penetrate to their innermost being, as -water does a sponge, Ned, Bob and Jerry stood -at the rail of the transport moodily discussing the -situation.</p> - -<p>Yes, they were moody. It was, indeed, enough -to make any one moody, though perhaps they -should have been thankful that their lives were -spared and that they were able to be up on deck, -and not obliged to lie stretched on a cot in the sick -bay. But the boys thought they had just cause -for grievance, and perhaps they had.</p> - -<p>Certainly to be disabled far out at sea was bad -enough, without having to be fog-bound, to run -the risk of crashing into some other vessel, having -some big steamer, or perhaps a war craft, -crash into them, or bear down on an immense iceberg -which might be the cause of the very fog that -would hasten their destruction.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span></p> - -<p>And so, gloomily and moodily, the three Cresville -lads leaned against the rail, straining their -eyes to pierce the misty whiteness that enveloped -them so closely. Every now and then the hoarse -bellow of the steamer’s whistle would sound out -its warning and call—for the blasts were so -sounded as to form the international call for help. -And, punctuating the whistle blasts, was the clang -of the fog bell, rung insistently by sailors detailed -for this important task.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile all that could be done was to watch -and wait—wait for the inevitable. Would the -fog lift before some fatal crash? or would they -be further endangered by its opaqueness? No -one could answer.</p> - -<p>Lookouts were stationed at every vantage point. -Men were sent up to the crow’s nests on the masts, -but from there they reported that they could see -no more than could be observed from the deck. -Their eyes were useless beyond a distance of fifty -feet.</p> - -<p>“This is fierce!” exclaimed Ned, and he closed -his eyes for a moment, for they actually ached -from the strain he was putting on them by trying -to see the unseeable.</p> - -<p>“You said something!” commented Bob.</p> - -<p>“Oh, well, it might be worse,” remarked Jerry.</p> - -<p>“How could it be?” half-fiercely demanded -Ned.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span></p> - -<p>“We might not be afloat in a sound ship, for -one thing,” the tall lad answered. “Of course we -can’t move under our own power, but we’re in -no danger of sinking.”</p> - -<p>“No—not yet,” muttered Bob significantly. -“But there’s no telling how long we may be this -way. Look at those sails! Might as well hang -up a couple of pocket handkerchiefs!” and he motioned -to the great expanses of canvas between -the wireless masts.</p> - -<p>They did, indeed, hang as limp as clothes on a -line. Not a whiff of wind swayed them, and the -moisture of the fog, condensing on their white -surfaces, dripped down to the deck.</p> - -<p>“Well, we can’t do anything to remedy it,” said -Jerry, after a pause. “Might as well grin and -bear it.”</p> - -<p>“What do you say to looking up Professor -Snodgrass?” asked Bob. “That is, I don’t mean -go directly to him, for he might have, as Jerry -says, some special reason for not wanting to be -disturbed. But if he’s here on board—and we’re -sure, now, that he is—we could ask of some of the -officers and, perhaps, let him know we’re here.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, let’s do that!” added Ned. “We started -to, but got off the track.”</p> - -<p>Jerry considered the matter a moment. Then -he said:</p> - -<p>“I guess we might as well. We’ll want to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> -know where he is, anyhow, in case of accident, so -we can look after him. Let’s go!”</p> - -<p>On board the transport the same sort of military -rules and regulations that existed in camp or on -the battlefield did not hold good. There was -more freedom and ease in going about and in -making inquiries, and the Motor Boys proceeded -to take advantage of this.</p> - -<p>Their first inquiries, however, of some of the -ship’s officers resulted in disappointment. No one -seemed to know Professor Snodgrass. They admitted -that there were several civilians on board -the transport, but were not aware of their names.</p> - -<p>Some said they had seen a man resembling the -description given of Professor Snodgrass, but -when pressed for details they described the individual -the boys had dubbed “<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le cochon</i>,” and the -Motor Boys did not want to meet him again.</p> - -<p>They even made their way to the passage where -the marines had been on sentry duty in front of -the mysterious cabin, and, somewhat to their surprise, -found the men on guard. They were not -the same men they had seen at first, but two burly -soldiers who gruffly bade the boys:</p> - -<p>“Move on!”</p> - -<p>“This certainly is queer,” declared Bob, when -they were out of earshot of the two marines. -“One time they have a guard there, and another -time they don’t.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I wonder why,” voiced Ned.</p> - -<p>“Can’t you guess?” asked Jerry.</p> - -<p>“No. Tell us!” urged his chums.</p> - -<p>“Well, I should think it would occur to you that -the marines are not guarding the cabin—just some -one in it. And if he isn’t there——”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I see!” exclaimed Bob.</p> - -<p>“You mean pepper-pot was out of the cabin the -other time we were here and we saw Professor -Snodgrass inside?” asked Ned.</p> - -<p>“About that,” answered Jerry, smiling.</p> - -<p>“Well, that’s a white horse of another color,” -remarked Ned. “Professor Snodgrass must have -been in pepper-pot’s cabin when our volatile acquaintance, -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le cochon</i>, was out of it. Now that -the little man who looks like our friend is there -again, the guards are once more on duty. How’s -that, Jerry?”</p> - -<p>“That’s about the way I size it up.”</p> - -<p>“Well, now that we’ve got thus far let’s keep -on,” suggested Bob. “Let’s find where the professor -is.”</p> - -<p>“Why not ask the guards?” suggested Ned.</p> - -<p>“We can try,” agreed Chunky. “But they -didn’t seem very friendly.”</p> - -<p>Nor were they when the friends essayed a few -questions. The chief one being as to whether or -not the marines knew where Professor Snodgrass -could be found.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Go chase yourself,” was all the reply the boys -received.</p> - -<p>“Well, we’re on our own now, so let’s make a -hunt,” suggested Jerry. “He’s somewhere on this -ship, and a man with all the peculiarities of Professor -Snodgrass can’t be hidden long.”</p> - -<p>“That’s true,” assented his chums.</p> - -<p>And the search began. How long the three -might have been searching, unaided as they were -by any information given in response to their -many questions, is doubtful. Probably if they had -been able to find the purser he would have solved -the riddle for them at once.</p> - -<p>But that official was not to be found. Doubtless, -with the added responsibilities that had come -with the accident to the ship he was in great demand -and was not long in any one place.</p> - -<p>At any rate Ned, Bob and Jerry could not find -him, and no one in his department would give them -the information they sought. The transport being -so large and so crowded, the professor was almost -as well hidden as though he were in some large -city and no one had his address.</p> - -<p>As it was, chance came to the aid of the three -boys. They were wandering about, now and -then going up on deck to see if the fog had lifted, -coming down again, disappointed because it had -not, when, as they were watching a group of sailors -putting fresh water in some of the boats that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span> -were always kept in readiness for instant use, they -heard a well-remembered voice saying:</p> - -<p>“Just a moment, now! Just a moment, I beg -of you. Don’t stir hand or foot!”</p> - -<p>“And why shouldn’t I stir hand or foot?” asked -a truculent voice. “Do you think I can stand here -all day while you’re creepin’ up on me like a -scalping Indian?”</p> - -<p>“One moment! Only a second more, I beg -of you!” went on the first voice. “There is on -your left leg one of the finest specimens of sea-leech -I have ever seen, and I want him!”</p> - -<p>“A leech! You’re welcome to him!” cried the -other voice, and through the fog the three boys -saw looming a strange sight.</p> - -<p>A sailor was swabbing part of the deck, and he -stood with his mop half raised from the pail while -stealthily approaching him was the figure of a little -bald-headed man, wearing across his nose powerful -spectacles.</p> - -<p>And it needed but a moment’s glance at the little -man to show that he was none other than Professor -Snodgrass. Bob impulsively murmured his -name.</p> - -<p>The little scientist, edging his way along the -fog-wreathed deck toward the poised sailor, gave -one glance and noticed the three chums.</p> - -<p>“Oh, boys! Glad to see you!” he exclaimed, -as though they had just left him the day before.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span> -“Please don’t move. I am about to make a most -important capture. One moment, my friend. -Don’t stir hand or foot. In a moment——”</p> - -<p>The professor’s words were interrupted by a -chorus of terrific shouts. There was a confusion -of voices, mingling with the frantic clanging of a -bell and the hoarse tooting of the big whistle.</p> - -<p>Ned, Bob and Jerry caught a glimpse of something -big and black looming up on the port side -out of the fog.</p> - -<p>A moment later there was a terrific crash, and -it seemed as if the transport would be heeled over -and capsized. The fear-anticipated collision had -happened!</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI</a><br /> -<small>A WAIF OF THE SEA</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Jerry Hopkins felt himself being tossed -through space. That is to say, he felt himself -moving through space; but, as a matter of fact, -he did not at that instant know whether he had -been tossed or was merely falling. There was -blackness before his eyes, caused, as he learned -later, by a blow on the head, and even if that had -not been the case he could have seen little, for the -fog, after the collision, seemed to settle down -heavier than before.</p> - -<p>Jerry had a confused idea that he was shouting -something. What it was he did not know, but as -there was a riot of shouts going on all about him -it did not much matter.</p> - -<p>The crash had stunned him for the time being. -It had shaken him through and through and disturbed -his logical thinking powers. He found -time to wonder what had happened to his chums, -Ned and Bob, and also to Professor Snodgrass. -Was it not queer how they had so unexpectedly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span> -met him, and in a characteristic occupation—that -of gathering a rare bug unsuspectingly harbored -by some innocent spectator?</p> - -<p>What had happened to Bob, Ned, and the professor? -Did he get the bug he was after? What -had become of the surprised sailor?</p> - -<p>These, and other thoughts, rushed through the -mind of Jerry Hopkins in a series of flashes, like -the views on a moving picture screen. He instinctively -flung out his hands to protect himself when -he should land, and then——</p> - -<p>Suddenly he felt himself being immersed in deep -water. He had fallen into the sea—he realized -that—and the sudden shock cleared his partially -numbed brain. Instinctively Jerry held his breath -as his head went under, and then he began frantically -striking out. He was a strong swimmer, and, -even fully dressed as he was, he knew how to take -care of himself in the water.</p> - -<p>Giving his head a shake to clear his eyes, he -looked about him. He wanted to see, if possible, -in what direction to swim to save himself. If he -had been tossed any distance from the transport -he might be some time before he could swim back -to her. And it might be better to try to reach the -vessel that had crashed into the <i>Sherman</i>.</p> - -<p>Then another thought occurred to Jerry. Was -it another vessel that had crashed into the troopship -in the fog? Might it not have been some immense<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span> -iceberg, which, even now, was bearing down -on the swimming lad?</p> - -<p>And then Jerry, in a measure, pulled himself together. -He knew that to dwell on such gloomy -thoughts was hampering his powers of resistance—taking -from him his own self-control that he -very much needed at this time. So, vigorously -putting them aside, he increased the power of his -strokes, though he was beginning to feel the weight -of his soaked garments. Again he shook his head -to clear his eyes and looked about him for something -toward which to swim. All about him was -the dense, white fog. He looked for something -black looming up through it—the black side of -the troopship, or perhaps the side of the vessel -which had crashed into the <i>Sherman</i>.</p> - -<p>And then, like a flash, it came to Jerry.</p> - -<p>“No, it won’t be black!”</p> - -<p>For a moment that simple thought, which came -in the form of a sentence he might have seen written -down, puzzled the lad.</p> - -<p>“Why wouldn’t it be black?” he asked himself, -even as he swam about. And then came the subconscious -answer.</p> - -<p>“Camouflage paint!”</p> - -<p>That was it! Why hadn’t he thought of it before?</p> - -<p>“If our vessel was camouflaged, as she was,” -reasoned Jerry, “the other might be also. I’ve<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> -got to look for something like that and not the -ordinary black-painted side of a ship. Glad I -thought of that. But it’s going to be harder to -watch for.”</p> - -<p>One thing was in his favor—the sea was calm. -The absence of wind for several days had made -the ocean like some smooth lake, and there was -only a long, gentle swell on the crests of which -Jerry rose and fell as he swam onward.</p> - -<p>But though he strained his eyes, which smarted -somewhat from the salt water, he could see no -fantastically camouflaged side of a vessel toward -which he might make his way to safety.</p> - -<p>“This is queer,” he found himself reasoning. -“I couldn’t have fallen a great way from the <i>Sherman</i> -or the other ship. I must have been swimming -the wrong way in the fog. I’ll turn back.”</p> - -<p>He turned squarely around—as nearly as he -could judge the direction in the fog—and began -striking out again. And just as he was beginning -to wonder why it was he did not see something, -his ears became aware of a confused shouting off -to his left; at least he thought it was his left.</p> - -<p>“There she is! There’s the <i>Sherman</i>!” Jerry -told himself. “I’ve been headed wrong! Why -didn’t I hear that noise before?”</p> - -<p>Then his ears felt as though warm water had -suddenly run out of them from inside his head, -and he knew what had happened.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span></p> - -<p>Both ears had filled with water when he took -his plunge into the sea, and this had temporarily -deafened him. He always had had trouble that -way, even when a small lad, and he used to wear -wads of cotton in his ears when he went for a -swim. He remembered that on several occasions -he had feared he was going deaf, only to feel, -later, the sensation of warm water running from -his ears, and then his hearing returned.</p> - -<p>The explanation was simple. Jerry’s inner ears -filled with water. It became warmed up to nearly -98 degrees by his blood, and then, expanding with -the heat, was forced out naturally. Once his ears -were clear of water, he could hear as well as before. -And that accounted for the fact that he now -suddenly heard the shouting which, probably, had -been going on all the while he was in the water.</p> - -<p>“I’m all right now,” decided the tall lad. “I -know which way to swim.”</p> - -<p>He really thought he did, though, as it turned -out later, he had mistaken the direction of the -noise. And as he swam on, blissfully unconscious -of the fact that he was going farther and farther -away from the <i>Sherman</i> instead of nearer to it, -another thought came to Jerry. He expressed it -subconsciously:</p> - -<p>“Why don’t I hear some whistling or some other -noise from the vessel that crashed into us?”</p> - -<p>That was it—why did he not? Once his ears<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> -had cleared, Jerry could continue to catch the -sound of distant shouting, and also the periodic -whistling of the <i>Sherman</i>—he well knew the tones -of that instrument. But he did not hear any corresponding -note from the other ship that had -been in the collision.</p> - -<p>“She ought to be whistling, too,” decided Jerry. -“Maybe she’s damaged, and maybe some of her -men have been knocked overboard as I was. She -ought to be whistling.”</p> - -<p>But on that mist-covered sea there seemed to -be but one vessel in the neighborhood of the swimming -lad—and that was the transport which he -was vainly endeavoring to find.</p> - -<p>Then, like a flash, one of his previous thoughts -came to Jerry Hopkins.</p> - -<p>“An iceberg can’t whistle!”</p> - -<p>That must be it. An iceberg had been responsible -for the crash, and even now was out there, -somewhere, in the fog.</p> - -<p>“<i>Sherman</i> ahoy!” cried Jerry desperately.</p> - -<p>He listened, but there came no answer. The -tumult and the shouting seemed to have died -away. Was he leaving the vicinity of the transport, -or was she being borne from him in the -frozen grip of a mountainous berg?</p> - -<p>Just for an instant, but for an instant only, Jerry -lost hope and courage.<a href="#image03"> He seemed to want to -cease swimming and let himself sink.</a> Then he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span> -got control of himself again, and struck out more -vigorously than before.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;"> -<a id="image03"> - <img src="images/image03.jpg" width="380" height="600" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_130">HE SEEMED TO WANT TO CEASE SWIMMING AND LET -HIMSELF SINK.</a></div> -</div> - -<p>“I’m not going to die! I’m not going to die!”</p> - -<p>This he told himself over and over again, -fiercely.</p> - -<p>“I’m not going to quit! I’m not going to be a -quitter!”</p> - -<p>He felt better when he said this over once or -twice. He was beginning to feel weary, but he -would not allow his mind to dwell on that. His -brain forced his legs and arms to do their duty.</p> - -<p>And then, when for perhaps the fiftieth time -he had feverishly repeated: “I’m not going to be -a quitter!” Jerry became aware of something -looming up before him out of the fog. At first -he took it to be merely but a thicker cloud of the -white mist, and then he imagined it to be the dirty -white of some iceberg.</p> - -<p>But a moment later he knew it for what it was—the -camouflaged side of a vessel.</p> - -<p>“I’ve found the <i>Sherman</i>!” cried Jerry aloud. -“On board the transport!” he yelled. “Throw -me a line!”</p> - -<p>Nothing but silence greeted him. In growing -wonder and fear he swam along the side of the -craft. The waves rose and fell along it lazily, -now raising, again lowering him.</p> - -<p>What did it mean? Was the <i>Sherman</i> so badly -damaged that she was sinking and had been abandoned?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span> -This could hardly have taken place so -quickly. There would have been some boats remaining -in the vicinity. But no, there was not a -sign.</p> - -<p>“Ahoy the <i>Sherman</i>!” yelled Jerry.</p> - -<p>No answer. He swam along the side. He -came upon a dangling rope, and, by the exercise -of his last-remaining strength, he managed to -reach the deck.</p> - -<p>Then one look told him the story. It was a -derelict that had crashed into the <i>Sherman</i>, and -Jerry Hopkins was now aboard this waif of the -sea.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII</a><br /> -<small>NED WONDERS</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>When the crash had come Ned Slade felt himself -thrown back against a deck stanchion, which -he grasped desperately. In the instant of the collision, -or so immediately following it as to make -it seem simultaneous, he had observed a big hole -torn in the side of the <i>Sherman</i>.</p> - -<p>Stunned and shaken, he clung to the stanchion -while all about him were confused shouts and orders -and the rushing to and fro of many feet.</p> - -<p>Almost as if in a dream, Ned saw the dark -shape that had smashed into the troopship slowly -back away—pull itself out of the great gash that -had been cut. Then the fog swallowed it up.</p> - -<p>He had slid to the deck after being hurled -against the stanchion, and now he pulled himself -to his feet again. As he did so he saw himself -surrounded by a number of officers and men who -had not been standing near him when the crash -came. They looked from Ned to the hole in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span> -side of the transport, and then out into the fog.</p> - -<p>“What was it?” some one asked.</p> - -<p>“I—I don’t know,” confusedly murmured Ned. -And then it occurred to him that he did know—that -he had seen exactly what had happened. So -he answered: “A steamer crashed into us. She’s -out there!”</p> - -<p>He pointed to the mist that was thicker than -ever.</p> - -<p>“What ship was it?”</p> - -<p>“Did you see the name?”</p> - -<p>“Why doesn’t she stand by and give assistance?”</p> - -<p>“I didn’t notice what the name was,” he managed -to answer. “She just crashed into us—right -here—and then she backed out.” He pointed to -the gaping hole.</p> - -<p>“Queer she backed out again,” commented a -ship’s officer. “She might better have held her -nose in the hole. That is, if it’s below the water -line. But it isn’t,” he added quickly, as he leaned -over the rail to take an observation. “We’re safe, -so far. The lowest part of the hole is above the -water line. But why doesn’t she let us know who -she is? Why doesn’t she signal?”</p> - -<p>It was queer, the absolute absence of sound -from the other craft. Except for that gaping hole, -it was as though she had been a figment of the -imagination.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span></p> - -<p>“She doesn’t whistle,” said the officer, who had -looked over the side, “and I don’t hear any shouting. -Surely she’s still near enough for us to hear -from her. Are you sure it was a vessel?” he -asked Ned. “Who else was here with you at the -time?”</p> - -<p>That question gave Ned a shock. That was it! -Who had been with him at the time?</p> - -<p>Why of course Jerry, Bob and Professor Snodgrass. -And there was some one else—the sailor -from whose person the little scientist had been -about to remove a bug. It all came back to Ned -now.</p> - -<p>“Are you sure it was a vessel?” the officer asked -again. “It may have been an iceberg. I’ve been -bumped by them more than once.”</p> - -<p>“It was a vessel,” answered Ned, and his mind -was struggling with two matters. One was to answer -the questions put to him, and the other was -to try to think what had become of Bob, Jerry and -the professor. He was confusing things.</p> - -<p>“It was a vessel,” he went on. “I could see the -camouflage paint on her. She slammed right into -us and then backed off.”</p> - -<p>“That’s queer,” murmured the officer. “If she -was under steam she could blow her whistle, and -even if she was disabled, as we are, she could -ring a bell. But there isn’t a sound.”</p> - -<p>“It must have been an iceberg,” declared another<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span> -officer. “That would account for everything—even -the silence.”</p> - -<p>“It wasn’t an iceberg!” declared Ned. “I saw -the camouflage paint. And look! You can see -where some of it is scraped off on the broken end -of our rail.”</p> - -<p>He pointed to a jagged timber. It was true. -Amid the splinters were flecks of blue and white -paint.</p> - -<p>“He’s right!” assented the first officer. “Besides, -if it was an iceberg there’d be chunks of it -on our decks now. And there isn’t a cubic inch. -It was another ship!”</p> - -<p>“But what kind?” cried several. “Why doesn’t -she signal us and see if she can help?”</p> - -<p>The officer had an answer ready for that question. -He had not sailed the seven seas without -knowing something of the mysteries of the vast -places.</p> - -<p>“A derelict,” he said.</p> - -<p>“A derelict!” came the chorus. Then they understood.</p> - -<p>Then came a barrage of questions, chief among -them being:</p> - -<p>“How could an abandoned derelict back away?”</p> - -<p>“She probably didn’t,” the first officer said. -“The shock of the collision probably separated us, -and a stray current did the rest. I only hope she -keeps away from us!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span></p> - -<p>The first excitement following the crash having -passed, it remained to make certain just how -badly damaged the <i>Sherman</i> was and to ascertain -the number of her crew and passengers who had -been injured.</p> - -<p>A hasty examination disclosed the fact that the -hole in the side was well above the water line. -Except in the event of a storm the transport would -not leak. And, even in that case, the flooding of -one more compartment would not be fatal.</p> - -<p>In regard to the personal damage, though, the -troopship had not come off so well. Several had -been killed when the prow of the derelict had bit -into the <i>Sherman’s</i> side, for several decks were -involved in the damage done, and all along the -rails, at the point of the crash, men had been -standing. Doctors and nurses found themselves -with many new casual cases to look after, as well -as those with which they had started out. The -dead, of course, were beyond help, and their -poor, maimed bodies were tenderly laid aside. -There were some of the injured whose recovery -was in doubt, but others were only slightly -hurt.</p> - -<p>But military discipline, added to that of the -naval officers, soon brought comparative order out -of chaos, and then, or even before, boats were -lowered to pick up any who might have been tossed -by the collision into the sea.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span></p> - -<p>One or two of these were picked up floating -near the <i>Sherman</i>, and some had been hurt.</p> - -<p>Just how many were missing could not be ascertained -until the lists were gone over. But Ned -lost no time after a hasty survey of those picked -up in telling that Jerry, Bob and Professor Snodgrass, -all of whom had been talking with him a -moment before the crash, were not to be found.</p> - -<p>“We’ll have a thorough search made,” said the -ship’s captain, when Ned’s story was repeated. -“If necessary I’ll keep boats cruising about all -night.”</p> - -<p>And he did. Sailors, marines, and soldiers -formed searching parties in lifeboats, but they -were handicapped by the fog. They dared not -go far away from the <i>Sherman</i> for fear of being -lost themselves, and their shouts brought no response. -Some floating wreckage was picked up, -part of it from the troopship and some from the -unknown derelict. “Unknown” because nothing -that was found afloat after the crash disclosed her -identity.</p> - -<p>“But what has become of Jerry, Bob and the -professor?” wondered Ned. “They were with -me. Their bodies are not among the dead—I’m -thankful for that—nor are they in the list of -wounded. They weren’t picked up by the boats. -But where are they?”</p> - -<p>And as Ned wondered and wondered the fearful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span> -conviction was borne to him that his three -friends must have been injured or killed by the -crash and have been flung into the sea, their bodies -at once sinking.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII</a><br /> -<small>A QUEER CRAFT</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Bob Baker and Professor Snodgrass struck -the water at the same moment, and side by side. -They plunged downward together and came up -at the same time. And then, with seemingly the -same thought, they both struck out for a bit of -wreckage. They reached this—a jagged mass of -wood which was large enough to partially support -them in the water.</p> - -<p>Bob was, because of his stoutness, rather fortunate -in the water. He floated well, and he was -by no means a bad swimmer. As for Professor -Snodgrass, in spite of his preoccupation at times, -he had mastered the art of keeping himself afloat -in the water, and was really well able to look out -for himself. So he had not much difficulty.</p> - -<p>“Are you hurt, Professor?” gasped Bob, as -soon as he had cleared his eyes and mouth of some -of the salty water that had entered.</p> - -<p>“I—I don’t seem to be,” gasped the little<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span> -scientist. “This was rather unfortunate, wasn’t -it?”</p> - -<p>“If you mean being tossed overboard, I’ll say -it was,” replied Bob, hardly meaning his answer -to take that army-slang phraseology. “But it’s -lucky we found this bit of wreckage. It will keep -us up, without our having to swim, for some time.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, that was lucky,” agreed the professor. -“But what I meant was it’s too bad I didn’t -get that bug when I had the chance. I refer to the -one on the sailor. Very rare bug, that. I almost -had it when the crash came. I wonder if he’ll be -there when we get back?”</p> - -<p>“The bug?” asked Bob, unable to restrain a -smile.</p> - -<p>“Well, the bug and the sailor. Those bugs -cling, once they get fastened on a person or object. -If that sailor hasn’t been tossed overboard, -like ourselves, I may be able to get my specimen -after all when we get back.”</p> - -<p>“If we do get back,” put in Bob, as he took an -easier position on the bit of wreckage and looked -about him.</p> - -<p>“Get back! Why shouldn’t we get back?” asked -Professor Snodgrass. “All we’ve got to do is to -cling here until they send a boat for us.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I suppose so,” half agreed Bob. “But if -they can’t see to pick us up, and we drift much -farther apart, why——”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span></p> - -<p>He did not need to say more. The little -scientist looked about and saw the white fog enveloping -them. It was answer enough.</p> - -<p>“This surely is unfortunate,” went on the little -bald-headed man. “I need just that one bug to -complete my collection, and if we don’t return soon -some one else may get it.”</p> - -<p>“Who’d want it?” asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“Why Dr. Hallet, of course,” was the answer, -as if there could be no other. “I’ve had to fight -tooth and nail the last month to keep him from securing -things that really belong to me. And now -that I am in this unfortunate position he may get -ahead of me. There is only one hope.”</p> - -<p>“What’s that?” asked Bob. “Do you see a -boat coming for us?”</p> - -<p>“No. The hope I refer to is that the sailor on -whom I saw that bug may remember that I have -first claim to it. He may save it for me and not -let Dr. Hallet get it.”</p> - -<p>“Is Dr. Hallet on board?” asked Bob, beginning -to get a glimmer of light on some matters -that had puzzled him and his chums during the -past few days.</p> - -<p>“Well, he was at the time I left,” announced the -professor. “But he, too, may have been tossed -overboard as we were. If he was, I hope -he doesn’t want to get aboard our present craft. -There is hardly room for one more.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span></p> - -<p>“No, indeed,” agreed Bob. “But, say, Professor, -we ought to do something.”</p> - -<p>“Do what, Bob?”</p> - -<p>“Shout and yell to let ’em know we’re out here. -They’ll send a boat for us. Come on, yell!”</p> - -<p>Accordingly they blended their voices, far from -musically, but into what they hoped would prove -to be an appeal for help. Whether it was effective -or not they could not tell, as the fog shut them -in like a great white blanket.</p> - -<p>“If we could manage to propel our craft in the -direction of the ship we might be saved sooner,” -said Professor Snodgrass. “What do you imagine -hit us, Bob?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, some sort of ship—derelict, I imagine, -because I didn’t hear any whistle before the crash. -Ours was the only one going. It wasn’t an iceberg—I -know that. I had a glimpse of something -big looming up in front of me, then I heard and -felt the crash, and—here we are!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, here we are!” agreed the professor. -“And the next matter to consider is—what are we -going to do?”</p> - -<p>“We’ve got to hold on to what we have until -we can get something better,” the Motor Boy decided, -after a moment of thought. “If we smashed -the other ship up much, or she smashed us, there’ll -be a lot of wreckage floating around soon, and -we may be able to pick up a bigger piece. As it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> -is, I think you can get on this one, Professor, and -let me swim behind and push it. In that way we -can make better progress, and may get back to -the transport.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose that would be a good plan, Bob. -But why can’t we both get on this bit of wreckage?”</p> - -<p>“Won’t hold us,” was the answer. “It’s just -big enough for you. I’m too fat. Besides, I guess -I can stand it better swimming and pushing than -you. I’ll get off some of my things, though, and -make it easier.”</p> - -<p>Partly supporting himself on the mass of wreckage, -Bob removed his shoes, trousers and coat, -and remained in his underwear, which did not form -a bad bathing suit.</p> - -<p>His garments he rolled up and stuffed into a big -crack in the mass of timbers and boards.</p> - -<p>Professor Snodgrass was small and light, and -when he had managed, with Bob’s help, to clamber -up on the wreckage he found he had a fairly -comfortable position compared to being unsupported -in the water. Nor did he submerge the -mass very much.</p> - -<p>“What are you going to do?” the professor -asked, as he settled himself on the middle of the -mass.</p> - -<p>“Try to get back to the <i>Sherman</i>,” Bob answered. -“She can’t be very far away.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Hadn’t we better yell again?” asked Professor -Snodgrass, after a period of silence. “We -ought to let them know we’re here.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” agreed Bob, “we had.”</p> - -<p>Now, again, they raised their voices, but after -several trials, there came no answer.</p> - -<p>“They must have got up steam, and are going -away from us,” said Bob. “Or else they’ve -sunk,” he added, after a moment.</p> - -<p>“I can hardly believe that,” answered the professor. -“The blow struck by the derelict, as you -say it was, I am sure was not hard enough to sink -our ship so soon. Besides, if she had gone down -we’d see signs of more wreckage, or the lifeboats. -As it is, we have seen nothing.”</p> - -<p>“That’s right,” admitted Bob. “It surely is -queer.”</p> - -<p>Bob Baker had paused in his efforts to push the -raft, and now was resting himself while he held -this conversation with his friend.</p> - -<p>He was about to start to swimming again -when the professor began quickly to remove his -coat, shoes, and trousers.</p> - -<p>“What are you going to do?” cried Bob, wondering -if the shock had suddenly sent his scientific -friend mad.</p> - -<p>“Don’t stop me!” cried Professor Snodgrass. -“I’ve just got to get it!”</p> - -<p>An instant later he dived overboard, and Bob<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> -was about to swim around and catch hold of him, -when he saw the little man’s object.</p> - -<p>Just ahead of the raft was a mass of floating -seaweed, and on it, or entangled in it, were several -forms of marine life—a crab, a radiolite -and one or two others.</p> - -<p>“There’s enough here for a month of study!” -cried the professor, as he swam back to the raft -with his prize. “Oh, if I only had my microscope -and notebook here. But they are back on -the transport. Oh, if she should be sunk what -a loss it would be!”</p> - -<p>“I should say so!” agreed Bob, as he helped -steady the raft while the little bald-headed man, -holding the mass of weeds he had secured, -climbed “on board” again. “Think of the lives -that would be lost!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, that would be awful,” agreed his companion. -“But I would lose a most wonderful -collection of specimens and much valuable data -concerning them. That rascally Dr. Hallet -would get them if he could.”</p> - -<p>“Who is he?” asked Bob. “Is he that mysterious -individual who was in the guarded cabin? -the little man who looks like you from behind, -with whom Jerry had the row, and who——”</p> - -<p>“Look! Look!” suddenly cried the professor, -holding to his bunch of seaweed with one hand -and with the other stuffing his removed clothes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span> -into a crack of the raft so they would not be -washed away. “Look! There’s a boat after -us!”</p> - -<p>Bob looked in the direction of the pointing -finger and saw, dimly through the fog, a white -object of considerable size, at least as compared -to their improvised vessel. It floated well up -out of the water, and as the drifting currents -brought the two nearer Bob saw that it was a -ship’s life raft. It consisted of two large steel -cylinders, filled with air and sealed. Between -them was a platform and a raised object which -Bob knew was a water-tight box, or locker, containing -food and water.</p> - -<p>“Look!” cried the professor. “There he is! -There he is! Oh, I hope the bug is still on him!”</p> - -<p>And then Bob observed that the life raft held -a lone occupant. It was a sailor, and it needed -only a second glance to show that it was the same -man from whom Professor Snodgrass had been -about to remove a “specimen,” when the crash -came.</p> - -<p>Almost at the same instant that Bob and the -professor observed the lone sailor on the life -raft, the man noticed them. He stared a moment, -then waved his hand in greeting and called:</p> - -<p>“Are you alive?”</p> - -<p>“Very much so!” answered Bob. “Have you -room for us there?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Plenty and to spare,” was the answer. “This -raft is built to hold twelve. Wait, I’ll row over -to you!”</p> - -<p>Then Bob saw that the queer craft was provided -with oars; and though it moved clumsily -in the water it progressed toward him and the -professor. The latter gave one look and observing -that substantial help was on the way, he began -to examine the specimens in the bunch of seaweed. -Not before he had called out, however -to the sailor:</p> - -<p>“Don’t lose that bug, whatever you do!”</p> - -<p>“Bug! Lose the bug! Sure, and the man’s -plumb daft!” Bob heard the old salt mutter.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIX" id="CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX</a><br /> -<small>A LONE NAVIGATOR</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Jerry Hopkins stood in a pool of sea water -on the deck of the derelict to which he had -climbed after having been immersed in the ocean -for more than an hour. Every seam of his garments -seemed to spew out a little puddle of -dampness, and he said afterward that he felt -not unlike a sponge. But for the time being, -wonder at his new situation and thankfulness that -he was on something more substantial than a -wave overpowered every other emotion.</p> - -<p>“Well, I’m here, but where am I?” mused -Jerry. “I wonder what vessel this is and how long -she will remain afloat? Anyhow, if she does go -under I can make a raft of something to keep -afloat on. This isn’t half bad. Now let’s see -where I’m at!”</p> - -<p>Jerry knew that the best thing for him to do -was to get some dry clothes on, provided he -could find any, or, if not, to get his wet ones off<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span> -and let them dry. The weather was cold and -damp, and the fog still prevailed, so much so -that he could only see part of the deck of the derelict -at a time.</p> - -<p>The refugee also felt the need of food and -something hot to drink, for though it was not -winter his immersion in the sea, coupled to the -fact that the last few days had been damp, cold -ones, had not served to raise his vitality.</p> - -<p>“But first I’m going to see if any one else is on -board,” mused Jerry, as he moved about, first, -however, removing his soaked coat and trousers. -His shoes he had loosed and let drop into the -ocean soon after he began swimming.</p> - -<p>“This is as good as a bathing suit, in case I -meet any one,” mused the lad, as he glanced -down at his underwear. “And I can’t stand those -wet things. There must be bunks aboard, if -nothing else, and I can crawl into one after a -bit. But first I’m going to look about.”</p> - -<p>He did not pause long to ascertain what sort -of craft it was on which he found himself. That -it was a derelict, and that it was probably the one -that had crashed into the <i>Sherman</i>, or the craft -into which the troopship had crashed, was very -evident to Jerry Hopkins. That it was a derelict -was sure, for there was not a sign of life on -deck, nor was the vessel under command. There -was no vestige of sail, and no smoke came from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span> -her single funnel, nor was there any vibration to -tell of engines in motion.</p> - -<p>Jerry made a quick tour of the deck, moving -swiftly to restore his partially suspended circulation. -The vessel showed many evidences of -damage, whether by shell fire or collision Jerry -could not determine. Her rails were broken in -many places, and all her boats were gone except -a broken one on the port davits. Looking over -the side as best he could the lad decided that -there was not much damage below the water line, -or, if there were punctures, the bulkheads confined -the leakage to one small section.</p> - -<p>“She floats pretty well,” mused Jerry, after -he had made a tour of the craft and had seen no -one on the deck. “She may ride quite a while -yet. There’s no one up here, that’s sure, but that -isn’t saying there mayn’t be some one below. -I’m going to look.”</p> - -<p>The sea was calm and the vessel rode on an -almost even keel, so the lad had no difficulty in -going below. In spite of her comparatively small -size, the derelict contained many places where -persons might be either in hiding, or perhaps ill -or dead. But Jerry moved quickly about below, -using his knowledge of ships which was not small, -and as he moved here and there he shouted.</p> - -<p>The echoes of his own voice were the only -answers he received, and when he had penetrated<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span> -to the engine room, and even to the stokehold, -and had seen the boilers cold and dead, and not -a soul in sight, he came to the most natural conclusion.</p> - -<p>“I’m all alone here!” he exclaimed aloud. -Somehow, it seemed less lonely to speak in this -way. “Well, since I’ve got to entertain myself,” -mused Jerry whimsically, “I’m going to see if -there is anything I can wear and anything I can -eat. Might as well be as comfortable as I can -since I’m to be ‘cook and captain too, and mate’ -of this derelict. Wonder what her name is, anyhow?”</p> - -<p>A look at the one remaining lifeboat—useless -as it was,—showed painted on her bow the -words: “<i>Altaire</i>, New York.”</p> - -<p>“Never heard of her,” mused the lad. “She’s -probably some small tramp steamer, and maybe -was doing a sort of free and easy freight business -to Europe. The Germans caught her and—good-night! -She must have been floating around -for some time, though.”</p> - -<p>Going below again, out of the cold, damp fog, -Jerry came upon what he took to be the cabin -of the captain or one of the mates. It bore evidences -of having been ransacked, but there was -clothing scattered about, as was the case in adjoining -cabins, and Jerry at once stripped, rubbed -himself down well until his whole body was in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span> -a glow, and then he dressed himself in the best -of what he found. It was rather nondescript, -to say the least.</p> - -<p>“But I’m warm, and that’s a whole lot,” reasoned -the lone navigator. “And as there’s no -one to see me, who cares how I look?”</p> - -<p>Warmly clad, though somewhat regretting that -he was no longer in Uncle Sam’s uniform, Jerry’s -next thought was of getting something to eat.</p> - -<p>“And I only wish old Bob and Ned were here -with me to help get up a meal—provided I can -find any!” mused the lad. “Wonder what happened -to them. Were they tossed overboard as -I was? Or did the <i>Sherman</i> sink? That can -hardly have happened, though, or I’d have heard -more of a commotion—fellows shouting and so -on. Guess she’s all right, but it’s mighty queer -I’m the only one on board here. What became of -Professor Snodgrass? And what was he doing -on board, and that other queer duck—<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le cochon</i>?”</p> - -<p>Jerry paused to reflect a moment, going hastily -over in his mind all that had happened since he -had been standing in the fog on the deck of the -transport conversing with his friends.</p> - -<p>“Seems like a week ago, and yet it wasn’t more -than two hours,” he decided. “Well, now for -the grub—if there is any!”</p> - -<p>Jerry did not need to be told the location of the -galley and pantry. He found the place where the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span> -ship’s food was prepared, but, like the cabins, the -deck, and the engine room—it was drearily empty. -There was a stock of dry wood and some coal -near the galley stove, however, and finding -matches in a tin box, Jerry soon had a blaze.</p> - -<p>“Feels mighty good, too,” he decided as he -rubbed his hands over the fast-warming stove. -“Now if I can get something to eat I’ll feel like a -real passenger.”</p> - -<p>There was, as the lad soon discovered, enough -food on board to last a long while. Much had -been hastily taken away—that was evident—but -plenty remained.</p> - -<p>Whether the passengers and crew had filled the -boats before leaving what they believed to be a -sinking ship, or whether the Germans had looted -the <i>Altaire</i>, Jerry could not determine.</p> - -<p>However, he found some tins of pilot biscuit, -some canned bacon, and enough coffee to last him -a year, he thought. There was condensed milk, -also, and plenty of sugar, though how the Germans -overlooked that—providing they had been -the marauders—it was hard to say.</p> - -<p>Moving quickly about, Jerry soon had some -bacon sizzling on the stove, its aroma mingling -with that of the coffee. Having unearthed a tin -of preserved butter, Jerry set himself a table. -Then, surveying the work of his hands, he exclaimed:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Not half bad, old top! Not half bad!”</p> - -<p>How good that sizzling, crisp bacon and coffee -tasted to Jerry Hopkins! He was just finishing -his repast and wondering what he had best do -next, when he heard a sound up above on deck.</p> - -<p>Jerry started so suddenly that he dropped the -empty coffee cup he had been about to set down, -and it crashed to the floor, breaking into many -pieces.</p> - -<p>“Are we hitting something else, or has some -one come to life on board here?” mused Jerry, -as he slowly rose from his seat.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XX" id="CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX</a><br /> -<small>THREE ON A RAFT</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Slowly, owing to its size and clumsy, though -eminently safe, construction, the life raft containing -the sailor approached the bit of wreckage that -supported Bob Baker and Professor Snodgrass.</p> - -<p>“Are you all right?” the sailor called to them, -and his voice seemed happy and jolly in spite of -his situation.</p> - -<p>“As right as can be,” responded Bob. “We’ll -be better when we get on board with you, though. -That is, if there’s room.”</p> - -<p>“Sure, there’s plenty of room!” the old salt asserted. -“And there’s stuff to eat and drink here, -though I haven’t time to get at it. Steady now, -and I’ll have you on board in another minute or -two.”</p> - -<p>He navigated his queer craft until he had -brought it alongside the mass of wreckage, and in -a few minutes more, Bob and the professor were -safely on board. The change was a most welcome -one, since the life raft rode high in the water,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span> -and they could sit out of reach of the waves, at -least while the sea was calm. In a storm it would -be another matter, but they did not think of this -just then.</p> - -<p>“Now we’ll paddle away from that bit of jagged -timber,” said the sailor. “It won’t do to get -rammed with that, or we may get a hole stove in -one of our air tanks. That’d be bad!”</p> - -<p>He was about to fend off the rude craft that had -saved the lives of Bob and Professor Snodgrass -when the latter uttered a cry.</p> - -<p>“Wait a minute!” he begged. “My clothes! -I’ve got a pencil in one pocket, and some paper. -After I dry it out I can make notes on this new -kind of crab I’ve found in this seaweed. I want -to get my clothes.”</p> - -<p>“It wouldn’t be a bad idea,” decided Bob. “I’ll -get mine, too. May have a chance to use ’em later -on.”</p> - -<p>It did not take long to haul aboard the raft the -bundles of wet clothing from the cracks in the -mass of wreckage, and then Bob, taking an oar, -helped the sailor shove off.</p> - -<p>“Now we’re properly afloat, we’d better think -what we’re going to do,” suggested the old salt. -“I’m no navigator. Beno Judd is my name, and -I generally write ‘A. B.’ after it when I sign papers. -Can either of you gentlemen navigate?”</p> - -<p>“I can’t,” confessed Bob, as he told his own<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span> -name and that of his scientific friend. “Perhaps -the professor may be able to help us.”</p> - -<p>“Help you do what?” asked Professor Snodgrass, -looking up from his occupation of investigating -the seaweed.</p> - -<p>“Navigate,” answered Bob. “Mr. Judd, this -sailor, says he doesn’t know anything about it.”</p> - -<p>“Neither do I,” admitted the professor. “But -why do we want to navigate? We’re afloat, aren’t -we? And we’re comparatively dry now, or will -be soon. This bunch of seaweed will keep me occupied -for several days, and——”</p> - -<p>He paused to look closely at the sailor.</p> - -<p>“What did you do with it?” he asked quickly.</p> - -<p>“With what?”</p> - -<p>“That bug.”</p> - -<p>“Well, maybe the poor thing died of fright, or -was drowned, sir,” was the answer, given with -just the trace of a smile. “I went overboard when -you did, sir, and that’s all I know.”</p> - -<p>“Too bad,” mused the professor. “But perhaps -sometime I may find another on you. At any -rate I have this crab, and a most beautiful specimen -it is.”</p> - -<p>As he spoke he held up a squirming creature, -which, as Bob said later, never would have taken -a prize, even at a bulldog show.</p> - -<p>“I hope to secure some valuable data from this -specimen as to the possible effect of the discharge<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span> -of depth bombs on inhabitants of the sea,” the -professor went on. “If I only had some dry note -paper!” he sighed, as he took a sodden mass from -his wet garments.</p> - -<p>“You’re lucky to be as high and as dry as you -are, sir!” exclaimed the sailor Judd. “I count myself -lucky to have met with this raft. All I had, at -first, was a bit of wood hardly enough to kindle a -fire. This is much better.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, this is fine,” agreed the professor.</p> - -<p>“Speaking of fires,” ventured Bob, “did you say -there was something to eat on board?” and he -looked suggestively at the closed box which -formed the highest part of the life raft.</p> - -<p>“This is supposed to contain food and water,” -remarked Judd, as he tapped the compartment in -question. “Shall I open it?”</p> - -<p>“I should say so!” exclaimed the stout lad. -“Even a cold snack would taste good.”</p> - -<p>“And possibly we might find some dry paper -in there on which I could make a few notes.” The -professor spoke wistfully. “I have the pencil,” -he added, as he drew one from his wet and sodden -garments.</p> - -<p>“We’ll soon see,” said the sailor. “There’s no -need of rowing just now,” he added to Bob, who -had one of the oars in his hands. “We aren’t in -any danger of running into any one or of getting -anywhere, either. We can see what we’ve got to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> -eat and then start to navigate—that is, we can -row and see where we get.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t you think we ought to see if we can -find the <i>Sherman</i>?” asked Bob. “She ought to be -somewhere around here,” and he gazed into the -fog that still surrounded them.</p> - -<p>“Not much use trying,” declared the sailor. -“I shouted until my throat ached, and never a -word in answer did I get. I don’t know what -happened to the transport after I left it, but I -couldn’t get sight of her.”</p> - -<p>He turned to open the case that was placed -amidships of the life raft. It was tightly closed -by a catch that could be easily opened when one -knew how, and Judd seemed to know.</p> - -<p>“Is this life raft from the <i>Sherman</i>?” asked -Bob. “Did they throw it over when the crash -came?”</p> - -<p>“It isn’t one from the transport,” the sailor -answered. “It’s like some we carried, though. -This one is from the steamer <i>Altaire</i>, and I -shouldn’t wonder but what that was the derelict -that crashed into us.”</p> - -<p>“The <i>Altaire</i>!” murmured Bob. “I wonder if -we’ll ever see her again. I’ve always wanted to -see a derelict.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I’d rather see one at a distance, if they’re -going to act as this one did,” remarked Professor -Snodgrass. “Though I suppose I shouldn’t find<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span> -fault, as I might never have discovered this crab -if I had not gone overboard. The only thing that -worries me, though, is that I didn’t get that sea-leech. -That’s what was on you,” he added to the -sailor. “A sea-leech is one of the rarest specimens -of the genus <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Hirudo</i>, and this was the <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Hirudo -aqua marinis</i>, quite different from the <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Hirudo -medicinalis</i>. What I was particularly interested in -was to observe whether the sea-leech had the same -three small white teeth with serrated edges which -cause the peculiar triradiated wound as has the -<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Hirudo medicinalis</i>.”</p> - -<p>Judd stared in amazement.</p> - -<p>“Well, if it’s all the same to you,” said Bob, -with a smile, “I’d like to try my teeth on some -of the food in that box.”</p> - -<p>“All right, my boy! I’m with you!” agreed the -professor. “I feel a bit hungry myself.”</p> - -<p>Judd opened the locker, and to the delight of -the three on the raft it was well filled. There was -preserved food enough to last them perhaps a -week, and a large cask of fresh water—that is, it -was comparatively fresh, for no one could say -how long the raft had been adrift.</p> - -<p>“But it can’t have been long,” asserted the old -salt. “My opinion is that the life raft was jarred -off the derelict when she hit us. Otherwise it -wouldn’t have been floating in the place where we -struck the water. Besides, there isn’t any growth<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span> -or mass of seaweed and barnacles on it as there -would be if it had been long in the water.”</p> - -<p>“Well, we ought to be thankful for what we -have,” said Bob, with a sigh, as he munched some -sea biscuit and a bit of corned beef, a can of which -the sailor opened. “This is a good deal better off -than I thought we’d be a while back. How about -it, Professor Snodgrass?”</p> - -<p>“You are right,” was the answer from the little -scientist. “And, Bob, don’t destroy any wrapping -paper. I can use the blank side for making notes.”</p> - -<p>This he proceeded to do, taking the crab as his -first specimen, though he declared that the bunch -of seaweed, which he had laid aside, contained -much else that would hold his attention later.</p> - -<p>“Well, now let’s consider what’s best to do,” -said Bob, when they had made a fairly substantial -meal, washing it down with the water which, -though not exactly as good as that from a faucet -or a well, was very acceptable.</p> - -<p>“Which way shall we row?” asked the sailor. -“If you gentlemen will tell me how to navigate -I’ll be only too willing.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll do my share of rowing,” agreed Bob. -“But that’s the question—which way shall we -row?”</p> - -<p>“Or sail,” added Judd.</p> - -<p>“Sail!” exclaimed the stout lad. “Can we -sail?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, there’s a small mast and sail here,” -and the seaman pointed out where it was fastened -to the raft. “We can hoist the sail, but there’s no -wind to fill it.”</p> - -<p>This was true enough. The fog still enveloped -them, and it needed a wind to carry away this concealing -vapor. It hid them from view even as it -hid from them the possible location of the <i>Sherman</i> -and the derelict.</p> - -<p>“Well, let’s hoist the sail, anyhow,” suggested -Bob. “Then it will be ready when the wind does -come, and if there are any small boats cruising -around looking for us, or if any other ships get -in this neighborhood, they can see us more easily -if we have the sail up.”</p> - -<p>“You’re right,” agreed the sailor. “Up she -goes.”</p> - -<p>As has been remarked, the raft, on which the -three now were, consisted of two large hollow -steel cylinders. Between them was a raised -framework, and this, in addition to holding the -box of food, contained a compartment for the oars -and for a small sail. The mast for the latter was -soon stepped in the hole provided for it. It was -braced by ropes, and the sail hoisted.</p> - -<p>“Now we’re all ready for a voyage!” cried -Bob, more gaily than he could have talked an hour -before.</p> - -<p>For some little time they drifted on, the sail<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span> -hanging idly at the mast, and the fog lazily swirling -around them. Then, suddenly, there came a -puff of wind. They all felt it at once.</p> - -<p>“A breeze!” cried the sailor.</p> - -<p>“Yes, and look!” cried Bob. “There’s the -<i>Sherman</i>!”</p> - -<p>He pointed to what seemed an opening torn in -the veil of fog, and all three had a glimpse of the -camouflaged side of some vessel. Then, as the -wind bellied out the sail, the fog shut in again, and -it was as if a blank, white wall confronted them.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXI" id="CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI</a><br /> -<small>REUNITED</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Jerry Hopkins, disturbed at his lonely meal by -the sound of something or some one moving on the -deck of the derelict, started slowly and cautiously -toward the companionway.</p> - -<p>“If it’s one of the crew of this ship or some of -the passengers, I’ll be all right,” he reasoned. -“But if it’s one of some beastly German submarine -crew——”</p> - -<p>He did not finish, but looked around for some -sort of weapon. He saw a small bar of iron, -which might have been used by the cook for a -fire poker, and with this in his hand Jerry cautiously -went up on deck.</p> - -<p>“Anybody here?” he called, as he carefully -thrust up his head. He held the iron bar in readiness. -There was no answer, and as Jerry felt the -cold, clammy air on his face and smelled the fog, -he knew that the derelict was still enveloped in -the mist.</p> - -<p>“No one seems to have boarded me,” he mused,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span> -as his eyes searched the whiteness for a glimpse -of some other craft. “If any one is here besides -myself he must have been in hiding. Hello!” he -cried as loudly as he could. “Anybody at home?”</p> - -<p>There was no answer. There was only the -swish and swash of the heaving ocean against the -sides of the derelict and the rattle and bang of -some loose gear, as a swell gently careened her -to and fro.</p> - -<p>“Nobody here,” mused Jerry. “What could -that noise have been?”</p> - -<p>He looked about, at first warily, for he half expected -to have to engage with some German, as -he and his chums had engaged in the trenches in -France. Then he became convinced that he was -all alone on the craft, and, though he had a realization -that this would react dreadfully on him -later, for the time being he was thankful that there -was no one with whom to contend.</p> - -<p>“I wonder what made that noise,” said Jerry -again, and he spoke aloud. The words had -scarcely left his lips before he heard a banging, -rattling sound, and then he saw what it was.</p> - -<p>A loose keg, probably one used for water, was -rolling about the deck, and this, colliding with various -objects, movable and stationary, had caused -the commotion.</p> - -<p>“Well, it’s a good thing to know what it was,” -mused Jerry with an air of relief. “I’ll just make<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span> -this fast now, so it won’t wake me up when I get -to sleep.”</p> - -<p>This done, his next thought was on the very -subject he had last mentioned—going to sleep.</p> - -<p>“It wouldn’t be a bad plan to look to see where -I’m going to bunk to-night,” mused Jerry. “I’ve -got to turn in some time, and it must be getting on -toward night—though one wouldn’t know just -what time it was in this fog.”</p> - -<p>He looked at his wrist watch. It was one enclosed -in a waterproof case, and the hands showed -four o’clock in the afternoon.</p> - -<p>“I’ll consider that what I just ate was my lunch,” -decided Jerry, “and when the time comes I’ll have -a late supper. Wish Chunky and Ned were here -to share it with me—also the professor. Wonder -what happened to them.”</p> - -<p>It was a useless wondering, and Jerry realized -it, but he could not help speculating on what fate -had befallen his companions. They had been -standing so near him when the crash came that -there was hardly any question in Jerry’s mind but -what they had either gone overboard, as had he, -or been hurt.</p> - -<p>“If they fell into the sea and managed to cling -to something, maybe there’s a chance for them,” -he reflected. “But if they were right in the path -of the collision, it may be all up with them. This -certainly was a disastrous voyage from the start.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span> -But I suppose I ought to be thankful that I’m -alive.”</p> - -<p>Carrying out his intention of finding a place to -sleep, Jerry went below again. He found he had -quite a choice open to him. There were a number -of cabins and comfortable beds he could pick -from, and though some of the bed clothing had -been taken, or at least had disappeared, there was -more than he needed.</p> - -<p>He made himself up a berth in what he decided -was the captain’s cabin, though all papers and -everything else to indicate specific ownership had -been removed. Jerry hung up his own wet clothes -to dry, as he intended donning his uniform as soon -as it was in shape to wear.</p> - -<p>“I haven’t been discharged yet,” he reasoned; -“and if any of the dirty Germans show up I want -to show ’em who I am!”</p> - -<p>Having made up his berth, Jerry laid out some -food he intended to cook when supper time came, -and then, having banked the fire in the galley -stove, he went up on deck again. The fog was still -heavy, and he could see not much further than -the width of the deck of the derelict. But he felt -that this was a good opportunity for making an -investigation of the craft, to decide, if possible, -what character of ship she had been.</p> - -<p>With his knowledge of vessels it did not take -Jerry long to make up his mind that the <i>Altaire</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span> -had been a tramp freighter, engaged in whatever -trade she could pick up. He did not investigate -the cargo holds, but they seemed partly filled with -boxes and cases. Some had been broken out and -carried bodily away. Others were strewn about -below decks, the contents, partly removed, of a -few giving evidence that goods of iron, steel, rubber, -clothing, farm implements, and household appliances -had made up the manifest.</p> - -<p>“I guess the Germans wish they could have -taken the whole cargo,” mused Jerry, as he looked -at the broken cases. “Their subs are limited, however. -Well, if I could get this ship and her cargo -to some port I could make a lot of money.”</p> - -<p>That was impossible, as he knew, unaided as -he was. His next care was to make as thorough -an inspection of the craft as was possible, and this -revealed the important fact that she was not leaking -or sinking.</p> - -<p>“If the Germans thought they put her out of -business they made a mistake,” Jerry decided. -“Unless they left her with time bombs aboard, -which haven’t gone off yet.”</p> - -<p>This thought gave him a fright, and he looked -as carefully as he could in what he thought the -most likely places to find such fiendish devices. He -saw nothing alarming, however.</p> - -<p>The engine room was in confusion, and certain -parts of the machinery were broken. But whether<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span> -these were vital parts Jerry did not stop to determine. -He knew that without help he could not -hope to operate the engines anyhow; and without -a boiler room gang to get up steam, even the most -perfect engine would not run for the best expert in -existence.</p> - -<p>“I might hoist some sort of sail,” mused the -lone navigator. “I suppose I can do that. And I -ought to set some sort of signal. This fog can’t -last forever, and if any ship passes me I want -those on board to know I’m in need of help. I’ll -go up and see what I can manage.”</p> - -<p>Jerry knew there were certain signals that would -indicate a vessel in distress, while others would -show the craft was merely unmanageable. He -came under both headings, so to speak.</p> - -<p>By rummaging in the chart room the lad found -a signal book, and also a set of flags and some -lanterns. These last had oil in them and were -ready for lighting.</p> - -<p>“That’s what I’ll do!” decided Jerry. “I’ll -hoist the flags for day work, and use the lanterns -at night. Might as well get the best I can out -of it.”</p> - -<p>Finding the proper combination of flags to indicate -that he was both in distress and unmanageable, -Jerry hoisted them as high as he could on -the wireless masts.</p> - -<p>“I’d send out a call for help if I could get the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span> -electrical machinery to working,” said Jerry, as he -looked into the wireless room. But he saw that -there had been a destructive force engaged here, -for some of the instruments were smashed. He -knew how to operate a simple sending set, and also -how to receive messages, but he reasoned that it -was out of the question to make this apparatus -available.</p> - -<p>“The Huns must have set off a bomb here to -prevent the <i>Altaire</i> signaling for help,” he reasoned.</p> - -<p>Having hoisted his signals, Jerry began to look -about for the material for getting sail on his craft. -There was plenty of canvas, and he knew enough -about a boat to feel sure he could get up some -kind of surface that the wind might get hold of.</p> - -<p>“It will give her steerage way, anyhow,” he -reasoned, “and I’ll need that if the wind begins to -blow and the old craft falls into the trough. Got -to keep her head up to the waves or I’ll be -swamped. If a sail won’t do it, I’ll have to rig up -a sea anchor.”</p> - -<p>This is merely a drag, fastened to the stern of -a disabled ship by means of ropes. A sea anchor -floats just submerged under the surface, and, offering -no surface to the wind while the higher -structure of a vessel acts almost as a sail, the anchor -becomes a sort of auxiliary rudder in cases -where there is not momentum enough for the regular<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span> -rudder to be effective, or where it is missing.</p> - -<p>Jerry found what he thought would make a -sail, and he was considering how he could best use -this when he noticed that there was a puff of wind. -As this had been the first in some days it attracted -his attention.</p> - -<p>“It’s coming on to blow!” exclaimed the lad. -“Good! That will clear away the fog and I -can see where I am. Maybe I can sight the -<i>Sherman</i>!”</p> - -<p>It was this same puff of wind that brought hope -to the hearts of Bob, the professor, and Judd -aboard the life raft.</p> - -<p>“What did you think you saw?” asked the sailor, -as Bob uttered his exclamation at the sight of -something through a rift in the fog.</p> - -<p>“<a href="#image04">I saw a ship!</a> A ship with camouflaged sides!” -<a href="#image04">exclaimed the stout lad</a>. “It’s the <i>Sherman</i>! -<a href="#image04">Right ahead there!</a> Look! There where the fog -is breaking again!”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 381px;"> -<a id="image04"> - <img src="images/image04.jpg" width="381" height="600" alt="" title="" /> -</a><br /> -<div class="caption"><a href="#Page_172">“I SAW A SHIP!” EXCLAIMED THE STOUT LAD. “RIGHT -AHEAD THERE!”</a></div> -</div> - -<p>Even Professor Snodgrass looked. For a moment -after Bob had first spoken the fog had closed -in, shutting out the momentary view he had had. -Now the wind freshened, the fog blew away, and -he pointed at what he had seen.</p> - -<p>“It is a ship!” exclaimed the professor.</p> - -<p>“But not the <i>Sherman</i>!” cried Judd. “That’s -an abandoned vessel! The derelict, I do believe, -that crashed into us!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Ahoy there! Ahoy the derelict!” shouted -Bob, standing up and waving his arms.</p> - -<p>The fog rapidly blew away. The wind caught -the sail on the life raft, and the mass moved forward. -Judd quickly thrust an oar through a staple -at the stern made for the purpose, and began to -steer. They approached the strange, silent vessel -that now loomed in front of them.</p> - -<p>“It is a derelict,” said Bob in a low voice. -“There isn’t a soul on board.”</p> - -<p>Nearer and nearer they approached. Bob and -the sailor joined their voices in a shout.</p> - -<p>“It’s just possible some one may be there,” said -the stout lad.</p> - -<p>They were near enough now to look across the -broken rails—to note the damage done to the -craft. And then, as they shouted again, they saw -a figure running along the deck.</p> - -<p>“Some one is there! Some one is there!” cried -Bob, greatly excited.</p> - -<p>“Ahoy! Ahoy!” shouted the sailor.</p> - -<p>“Now I shall be able to get some paper for my -crab notes,” murmured the professor.</p> - -<p>The figure on the derelict leaned over the side -and waved a frantic welcome.</p> - -<p>“Bob! Professor!” a voice shouted.</p> - -<p>“Why—why—he knows us!” gasped the stout -lad. “Who can it be?”</p> - -<p>A moment later the mist completely cleared<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span> -away and the setting sun shone clearly. Bob saw -who was aboard the derelict and cried in delight.</p> - -<p>“Jerry! Jerry boy! It’s Jerry Hopkins! Oh, -what luck!”</p> - -<p>And a moment later the life raft grated gently -against the side of the <i>Altaire</i>. The refugees -were reunited.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXII" id="CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII</a><br /> -<small>NED AND PEPPER-POT</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“There are three passengers, sir, and one -sailor, for whom we are unable to account.”</p> - -<p>The chief officer was thus reporting to Captain -Munson of the transport <i>Sherman</i>, and Ned, -standing near, disheartened and with his mind -torn by cruel worries, overheard.</p> - -<p>“Who are the missing ones?” asked the captain.</p> - -<p>“Two soldiers, Bob Baker and Jerry Hopkins; -Professor Uriah Snodgrass; and Beno Judd, a -first-class seaman. They can not be found, they -are not among the injured, nor are their bodies -among the dead. I have put them down as missing, -sir.”</p> - -<p>“Quite right. Unfortunate, but quite right. -Have the boats been able to pick up any one?”</p> - -<p>“No, sir.”</p> - -<p>“Well, there is not much use, I believe, in keeping -them out longer in this fog. Some of them -may get lost. Call them back, but station lookouts<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span> -with orders to report at once anything that -looks like floating wreckage to which a person -might cling. If this fog would only lift we might -have a chance of picking them up, if they, by any -chance, are still alive. Have a sufficient number -of lookouts stationed, Mr. Bangs.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir.”</p> - -<p>Ned felt sick at heart. It was all over, then—the -happy companionship of years—he thought. -Never again would he see his beloved comrades, -Jerry and Bob, comrades with whom he had -passed the gates of death in many a battle. Professor -Snodgrass, also—that dear but eccentric individual—he, -too, was gone.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t there anything we can do?” asked Ned -of the captain.</p> - -<p>“I’m sorry to say I don’t see what else can be -done,” was the sympathetic answer, for the commander -of the ship knew something of the love -and friendship existing between the lad who was -left and those who were gone. “You know how -the accident happened, my lad, and we have -searched all over in this vicinity. It would be -risking other lives to search farther, for it is easy -for a small boat to be lost in a fog. If it should -lift I would order them out again. I am sorry.”</p> - -<p>Ned turned away, his heart heavy. To whom -could he go for solace? He had many friends -and acquaintances among his fellow soldiers, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span> -the officers were fond of him and his chums. But -Ned did not feel like talking to any of them just -now. He wanted to be alone. But solitude was -difficult to come at on the crowded ship.</p> - -<p>Idly he made his way back to the scene of the -accident. The break in the bulwarks and rail had -been temporarily mended, and a curious crowd -was gathered about the hole torn in the side of -the <i>Sherman</i>. Ned did not want to stay there.</p> - -<p>He looked out into the mist. The wet particles -clung to his face like tiny tears, and he had much -ado to keep back his sobs as he thought of those -who had so lately been with him.</p> - -<p>“If only the fog would lift!” murmured Ned, -as he turned away from the broken place with a -shiver.</p> - -<p>But the white curtain of vapor still swirled -about the troopship, seemingly moved more by the -mysterious ocean currents than by any wind. It -was still a dead calm, and though the fog may -have lifted over some parts of the ocean area -that it had covered, in the vicinity of the transport -it was still heavy and impenetrable.</p> - -<p>“It seems to shut me in like a prison!” murmured -Ned.</p> - -<p>Night was coming on, and it seemed to settle -down earlier than it needed to, caused by the murkiness -of the air. The first call to the supper mess -was sounded, but Ned did not respond. He had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span> -no appetite for food. There would be time enough -later to eat, if he felt so disposed.</p> - -<p>“Poor Chunky!” he mused. “I’d never poke -fun at him again about his appetite if he were -here now.”</p> - -<p>Ned choked back a sob and turned to go toward -the bow of the ship.</p> - -<p>The deck along which he was then progressing -was more deserted then than it had been for some -time, for many of the soldiers were down below, -eating. And as Ned made his way along he saw, -coming toward him, a figure that caused him a -start, it was so like that of Professor Snodgrass. -But he knew in an instant who it was.</p> - -<p>“<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Le cochon!</i>” he murmured.</p> - -<p>Hardly knowing why he did it, Ned stepped -beneath an overhanging part of the deck, and so -was partially hidden. The man who so resembled -Professor Snodgrass—the man who had acted so -violently in the restaurant—walked toward the -place where the derelict had crashed into the <i>Sherman</i> -and stood looking at the damaged place. -Ned, from his vantage place, could observe and -hear.</p> - -<p>“So this is the place, is it!” murmured <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le -cochon</i>, or the pepper-pot, as Ned sometimes -thought of him. “Well, well! I am sorry for -him—for all of them. I shall have to redouble -my efforts now!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span></p> - -<p>Ned started. What did the words mean? -What was the mystery connected with this strange -man who seemed to be under guard at times, and -free to rove about at others? What association -had he with Professor Snodgrass, and why was -he so vindictive toward that little scientist? And, -now that the professor was gone, why had this man -come to gloat over the place of his disappearance?</p> - -<p>All these thoughts rushed through Ned’s mind, -which was in a tumult. And then, as the little -man spoke, another idea obtruded itself.</p> - -<p>What did he mean when he said:</p> - -<p>“I shall have to redouble my efforts now!”</p> - -<p>To Ned, obsessed as he was with a feeling of -enmity against this man, the words had but one -meaning.</p> - -<p>“He means to go on with his deadly work!” -mused the lad. “He was responsible for the damage -to the ship in the first place—he caused her to -be disabled and held up in the fog. If it wasn’t -for that we’d be on our way now, and the derelict -wouldn’t have crashed into us.</p> - -<p>“This man is responsible for that, though he -may not have known about the derelict. He is -responsible for the death of Bob, Jerry and Professor -Snodgrass. And now he talks of redoubling -his efforts! I know what that means! He’s a -German spy and he’s going to try to sink the whole<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span> -shipload of us. He must have gotten away from -his guards. I’m going to tell the captain!”</p> - -<p>Ned stepped from his place of concealment and -was about to hurry to summon some of the ship’s -officers when the little man caught sight of him. -To Ned it seemed that the pepper-pot was startled -and alarmed. He stared at Ned and stammered:</p> - -<p>“Oh, you—you are here, are you?”</p> - -<p>“Very much so!” was the indignant answer. -“But you won’t be here long to go on with your -dirty work. I know all about you! I know——”</p> - -<p>Like a flash, and taking the youth by surprise, -the little man rushed at Ned and in a moment had -him in a grip that rendered the lad helpless. Both -wrists were held in a muscular vise that spoke volumes -for the athletic training of <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le cochon</i>.</p> - -<p>“Be quiet!” The man fairly hissed the words -into Ned’s ears. “Don’t say another word!” and -he began to drag Ned along.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIII" id="CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII</a><br /> -<small>MAKING THE BEST OF IT</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>When Jerry Hopkins looked over the side of -the derelict <i>Altaire</i>, and saw, slowly rising and -falling on the swell, the life raft containing Bob, -Professor Snodgrass, and the sailor, Judd, and -when the lone navigator heard the welcome greetings -in response to his own shouts, he was filled -with delight.</p> - -<p>“Jerry! Jerry!” cried Bob. “Throw us a -line!”</p> - -<p>“And some sort of basket or bag!” added Professor -Snodgrass. “I don’t want to lose my seaweed. -There are yet several valuable specimens -of marine life in it that I haven’t had a chance to -examine.”</p> - -<p>He was as calm and collected as though he had -just been out in a small boat on some specimen-hunting -expedition and was now returning. Instead -he had been saved from death only by a -narrow margin, and even now he was far from a -dignified figure in his undergarments, a condition<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span> -of attire in which Bob shared. Judd, having been -more simply clothed at the start, had kept on his -own soaked garments, which were of light texture.</p> - -<p>“Is it really you?” cried Jerry in delight. “Are -you all right? Where’s Ned?”</p> - -<p>“Isn’t he with you?” inquired Bob, with a sinking -heart.</p> - -<p>“No, I’m all alone on board. Oh, but I’m glad -to see you! But where is Ned?”</p> - -<p>“He must still be on the <i>Sherman</i>,” Bob answered, -after a moment of hesitation. “We were -thrown into the sea.”</p> - -<p>“So was I,” said Jerry. “And I floated around -until I found this ship. She seems sound. Did -you see anything more of the transport? Did she -sink, or what?”</p> - -<p>“We don’t know,” Bob answered, while the professor -busied himself in making a compact mass -of the bunch of seaweed and Judd held the raft -as close as possible to the derelict by using one oar -as a scull.</p> - -<p>“Come on up!” called Jerry. “Wait! I’ll -throw you a line. There’s one on the other side -that I climbed up by, but I can toss you another. -There are plenty of loose ends here. This ship -was deserted in a hurry.”</p> - -<p>Bob and the sailor soon scrambled up on deck -by means of the cable Jerry dropped down to -them. And, after a warm hand clasp between the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span> -two Motor Boys, and a look that meant much, they -turned their attention to getting Professor Snodgrass -on board.</p> - -<p>The little scientist was not able to climb the -rope hand over hand as Bob and the sailor had -done, but he was soon hauled up to the deck by the -three, clasping his precious seaweed in his arms.</p> - -<p>Judd had taken the precaution to make the line -that Jerry sent down fast to the life raft, and, -once the greetings were over, the old salt slid down -again, and fastened the clothes of Bob and the -professor to a small rope. The garments were -hauled up and hung out to dry in the air which -was fast clearing.</p> - -<p>“You can put on other clothes in the meanwhile,” -said Jerry. “There’s quite a supply to -choose from. Enough for the sailor, too. Now -tell me all about it.”</p> - -<p>“The sailor seems to be calling you,” interrupted -Professor Snodgrass, who had spread his -seaweed out on deck and was gleefully preparing -to examine it more closely.</p> - -<p>“Ahoy up there!” shouted Judd from where he -stood on the life raft.</p> - -<p>“What’s the matter?” asked Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Better pull this craft around to the stern and -make her fast there,” was the answer. “We -might need her again.”</p> - -<p>Once more the sailor scrambled up on deck,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span> -after having made more secure the rope that attached -the life raft to the derelict. Then with his -aid, and that of Professor Snodgrass, for the task -was not easy, the raft was hauled around to the -stern and fastened there. It rode buoyantly.</p> - -<p>“We can use her as a sea anchor by weighting -her,” the sailor said, “and we may have to if it -comes on to blow. Well, you’re pretty well off -here—that is, if you have anything to eat,” he observed -to Jerry, as he looked about. “If you -haven’t——”</p> - -<p>“Yes, the Germans, or whoever looted this vessel, -left plenty,” was the answer.</p> - -<p>“Maybe we’d better hoist up our provision box -from the raft,” suggested Bob. “No use wasting -the stuff there, and if we have to get aboard the -queer boat again we can take the stuff with us.”</p> - -<p>This was considered a wise proceeding, and accordingly -the water-tight box of emergency rations -and water was hoisted up. The food in it would -not really be needed as long as the supply on the -derelict lasted, but they all felt it was best not to -take any chances.</p> - -<p>“Now get on some dry clothes, and then we’ll -have a talk,” suggested Jerry. “But, first of all, -what do you really think about Ned?” and he -looked anxiously at Bob.</p> - -<p>“I think he’s still on the <i>Sherman</i>,” was the -answer.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Do you really?” the tall lad demanded.</p> - -<p>“I really do,” and Bob tried hard to convince -himself, as well as Jerry, of this.</p> - -<p>He wanted to believe this, but, in reality, he -did not know. Ned had been standing close to -Chunky when the crash came, and Bob had not -seen his chum after that. But, to his relief, Judd -came to his aid.</p> - -<p>“I’m sure I saw your friend standing on deck -near the hole that was stove in us,” he said. “I -remember seeing him as I slid overboard.”</p> - -<p>“Well, in case the <i>Sherman</i> isn’t in any more -danger of sinking than the <i>Altaire</i> is, I hope Ned -is on her,” said Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Is this the <i>Altaire</i>?” asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Then it’s her life raft that helped save us,” -said the sailor. “Things are sure turning out -queer!”</p> - -<p>Jerry led them below, and they soon all changed -to dry garments, which had the additional merit of -being warm, though not much could be said for the -fit—especially in the case of Professor Snodgrass, -whose small form was not built to fill out the -rather roomy garments of seamen.</p> - -<p>But they all made the best of it, and their spirits -rose as they saw how snug and comfortable they -could be on the craft of which Jerry had been in -lone command for a while.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span></p> - -<p>“And, now that we feel pretty certain Ned is -all right, we can begin to take it a bit easier,” -sighed Bob. “You said you had plenty to eat, -Jerry?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, even for you, Chunky,” and the tall lad -smiled for the first time since the crash. “Come -on down and I’ll show you.”</p> - -<p>Bob’s eyes opened with pleasure when he saw -the larder. There was plenty for the four refugees -for many weeks, even though the Germans, -or perhaps the hastily departing crew and passengers, -had well supplied themselves.</p> - -<p>“It isn’t too early to eat, is it?” asked Bob, as -he looked at the packages and cans of food.</p> - -<p>“Haven’t you had anything since you went -overboard?” asked Jerry, with a smile.</p> - -<p>“Oh, well, yes, we had a snack. But——”</p> - -<p>“Fall in, Chunky! No, I don’t mean exactly -that, either,” and Jerry laughed a little. “You’ve -fallen in enough for to-day, and so have I. What -I meant was ‘fall to’ and eat as much as you like. -Then we’ll decide what’s best to be done.”</p> - -<p>“I wonder if the professor wants anything?” -mused Bob. “He didn’t eat much on the raft—too -much taken up with his crab.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll find out,” volunteered the tall lad.</p> - -<p>As might have been expected, the little scientist -declared that he could not find time to stop now -to make a meal. He had managed to get hold of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span> -some blank paper, and, attired in a ship’s officer’s -suit, many sizes too large for him, he was seated -on deck poking through the bunch of seaweed and -making notes of the different creatures he found.</p> - -<p>“I’ll eat later,” he said. “I want to take advantage -of the daylight while it lasts.”</p> - -<p>“Thank goodness we have the sun for a -change!” exclaimed Bob, as he looked around the -horizon. “The fog is gone, and I hope it doesn’t -come back. But where do you imagine the <i>Sherman</i> -is, Jerry?”</p> - -<p>“Haven’t the least idea,” was the answer. -“Maybe the sailor can tell us.”</p> - -<p>But the seaman was as much at sea, to use an -appropriate term, as either of the boys.</p> - -<p>“I’m all twisted,” he admitted. “I don’t know -which way we drifted after we were on the raft, -and I don’t even know which way the transport -drifted during the time we were fogbound. I suppose -the officers did, but I never was much on navigation. -However, we’ve got a sound bottom -under us, that’s one blessing. She isn’t taking in -any water, is she?” he asked Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Not as far as I can tell,” was the answer. -“She seems as sound as a dollar—one of Uncle -Sam’s dollars,” he added. “But I wish I knew -what we ought to do. Night is coming on, and it’s -possible we may sight something or some craft -sight us.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span></p> - -<p>“That’s right,” agreed Judd. “I see you have -some signals hoisted,” and he looked at the wireless -masts from which fluttered the flags Jerry had -hoisted. “They’re all right during the day, now -that the fog has lifted, but they won’t be any use -at night.”</p> - -<p>“There are some lanterns,” the tall lad said.</p> - -<p>“Then we’ll hoist them,” suggested the sailor.</p> - -<p>Eagerly they all looked around the horizon for -a sight of the <i>Sherman</i>, or any craft that might -aid them. But the sea heaved and rolled restlessly -and void.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIV" id="CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV</a><br /> -<small>NED LEARNS SOMETHING</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Ned Slade felt himself being pulled along the -deck of the transport in the firm grip of a man -who, for the moment, he believed to be insane. -The quick grasp of the pepper-pot and his sudden -motion in dragging Ned along had, for the time -being, deprived the lad of his power of resistance. -But it came back to him quickly enough, and, suspecting -some sinister design on the part of his captor, -he braced himself, pulled his hands away, and -demanded:</p> - -<p>“What does this mean? What are you trying -to do, anyhow? Isn’t it enough for you to have -disabled this ship, and so, indirectly, have caused -the collision, without trying anything more?”</p> - -<p>“Don’t speak so loudly! Come with me! To -my cabin! I can explain everything!” hoarsely -whispered the little man, variously dubbed the pepper-pot, -from his quick, impulsive way, and “<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le -cochon</i>,” a name given by Marie, the restaurant -girl.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Not much!” cried Ned. “I see your game! -You want to get rid of me as, perhaps by accident, -you got rid of Bob, Jerry, and Professor Snodgrass!”</p> - -<p>“Ah! Professor Snodgrass! He—he is impossible! -A mere dabbler! A charlatan!” cried -the other, with something of his former manner. -“I alone hold the secret! I shall give it to the -world! Now that he is gone, I can work freely -and openly. I will redouble my efforts! I will -beat him!” His voice was triumphant.</p> - -<p>“Yes, beat him, coward, now that he’s gone!” -cried Ned. “I don’t want to have anything to do -with you! I’m going to tell——”</p> - -<p>Ned swung aside and was going to turn back to -avoid what he thought was a lunge on the part of -the strange man, a lunge that, the lad thought, -meant danger, when he collided with some one hurrying -along the passage.</p> - -<p>There were many mutual grunts, for the impact -had not been a gentle one, and, half dazed, Ned -looked up to observe Captain Munson.</p> - -<p>“Oh!” exclaimed Ned.</p> - -<p>“What is the trouble?” asked the captain, and -he smiled at Ned and the little man—smiled in -such a way as to convince the Motor Boy that -either there was nothing wrong, or else that the -captain himself was deceived as to the character -of his passenger.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span></p> - -<p>“There is no trouble at all, Captain,” replied -the pepper-pot. “Now that my rival has gone, -I——”</p> - -<p>“You mean Professor Snodgrass,” the captain -said. “Yes, unfortunately he is gone. We hope -he and the others may have saved themselves, and -perhaps have floated off on some bit of wreckage -our boats did not observe, but it hardly seems -possible. I suppose you do not need a guard any -longer?” he smilingly asked of the little man.</p> - -<p>“No, thank you, my secret is in no further danger -of being taken away by an unscrupulous charlatan!” -was the emphatic answer.</p> - -<p>And Ned, puzzled, observed with amazement -Captain Munson deliberately winking at him the -eye that was concealed from the pepper-pot.</p> - -<p>“Captain Munson!” exclaimed Ned, “this—this -man is trying to——”</p> - -<p>The pepper-pot interrupted.</p> - -<p>“I can now tell everything!” he said eagerly. -“Please let me explain to him, Captain. I was -taking him to my cabin to let him understand the -whole situation, when he broke away from me -and——”</p> - -<p>“If you wish to listen to Dr. Hallet’s story I am -sure you would find it interesting, to say the least,” -broke in the commander. “Of course don’t go -with him if you don’t want to, but in view of what -has taken place perhaps it will be best to let him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span> -tell his side of it. If you wish any further light -you may come to me. I will give orders to have -the marines withdrawn from in front of your -cabin, Dr. Hallet,” he added.</p> - -<p>“Do you mean to say—I mean is everything all -right? Isn’t there any danger——” began Ned. -And then as he looked at the little man, and compared -his own splendid physique with that of -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le cochon</i>, he felt just a little bit ashamed of the -exhibition he had made. Certainly he was sure -he could hold his own in a struggle, though there -was no denying that the pepper-pot—or Dr. Hallet, -to give him his right name—had a powerful -grip.</p> - -<p>“You may safely go with Dr. Hallet,” said the -captain. “I am sorry there has been any misunderstanding. -I would have explained before, but -so many things have happened, it seemed impossible. -As I say, if you are not satisfied with what -he tells you, come to me,” and having nodded to -Ned, with whom he had talked several times following -the fatal crash, the commander passed on.</p> - -<p>“Now are you satisfied?” asked the little man, -and, somehow, in the light of the events of the -last few moments, his face seemed more friendly -to Ned.</p> - -<p>“Well, I don’t in the least understand what it’s -all about,” admitted Ned. “You acted so queerly -in the restaurant, and then on board the transport;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span> -and so much has happened—my friends being -missing and all that—you can’t blame me -for——”</p> - -<p>“Not in the least, my dear boy! Not in the -least!” was the suave answer. “If you will come -to my cabin I can explain everything to your satisfaction. -But first let me ask: You do not seriously -believe that I caused the collision with the -derelict and the disappearance of your friends, do -you?”</p> - -<p>Ned thought for a minute. Clearly he could -answer in but one way. In spite of what the captain -had said, this man might be guilty of having -caused the disablement of the <i>Sherman</i>. And so, -indirectly, he might be responsible for what happened -to her afterward. But to accuse him of -having caused Jerry, Bob, the professor and others -to fall overboard, even though such accident -was the direct result of the collision, was going a -little too far. Ned had to admit this. At least -it could not be called premeditated, for Dr. Hallet -could not have known the derelict was going to -drift past.</p> - -<p>And so, after hastily thinking the matter over, -Ned came to the conclusion that he might better -accompany the little man to his cabin, and hear -what he had to say.</p> - -<p>“But I’ll be on my guard,” mused Ned. “He’s -got a grip that’s hard to break. Must have been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span> -quite an athlete in his youth. But I’ve got an automatic, -and I sha’n’t hesitate to use it if I have to.”</p> - -<p>Ned slipped a hand to his hip pocket where he -was carrying a small but very effective weapon he -had bought in Paris. “It might come in useful,” -he reflected.</p> - -<p>“I’ll come with you,” he said to Dr. Hallet, -“but I warn you I’m not very much prepossessed -in your favor, and——”</p> - -<p>“I will explain everything, my dear boy,” declared -his companion. “And then, if you wish to -hold enmity against me—— But come to my -cabin. We are likely to be disturbed here.”</p> - -<p>This was true enough. Officers and soldiers -were constantly passing along the “alley” of the -ship, and Ned was kept busy saluting, while several -of his acquaintances, coming back from their -mess, looked curiously at him and his companion.</p> - -<p>To the very same cabin in front of which two -marines had been on guard and within which Ned -and his chums had once seen Professor Snodgrass, -Dr. Hallet now led the Motor Boy. And it -needed but a single glance around it to disclose to -Ned one fact, at least.</p> - -<p>This was that Dr. Hallet was a rival of Professor -Snodgrass—or, if not a rival, then a -scientist engaged in the same pursuits.</p> - -<p>For there were the same sort of specimen boxes, -microscopes, notebooks, and other materials scattered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span> -about as always marked the abiding place -of Professor Snodgrass. There were even live -bugs crawling in cases, and Ned recognized one -or two as exactly similar to some he had helped -Professor Snodgrass catch at different times.</p> - -<p>“Now if you will sit down, my boy, I’ll begin -to explain,” said Dr. Hallet. “It will take some -little time, but I am sure at the end you will have -a different feeling toward me.”</p> - -<p>“I may, but I’m going to be perfectly frank, and -tell you I have my doubts!” declared Ned. “You -can start explaining whenever you are ready,” and -he let his hand swing around behind him as he took -a seat, making sure that his pistol was within ready -reach.</p> - -<p>“In the first place,” began Dr. Hallet, “I want -to say that I—— Oh, I nearly forgot! I haven’t -fed my fleas!”</p> - -<p>Ned nearly laughed aloud, this was so like what -Professor Snodgrass might have said. Dr. Hallet -quickly arose, and, going over to a tiny green -box, opened the top and sprinkled something in. -He then quickly closed the receptacle.</p> - -<p>“Have to be sharp with fleas,” he said. “These -have bitten persons afflicted with trench fever and -mustard gas poisoning, and I am going to make -a test to see if those diseases are capable of being -transmitted by the bite of insects. I don’t want -any of these infected fleas to get on you.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I don’t want it, myself,” murmured Ned, as -he moved somewhat away from the little green -box.</p> - -<p>“Well, now that I have given them food enough -to last until we land, I hope, I will go on,” resumed -the doctor. “As I was going to say, you -are much mistaken if you think that Professor -Snodgrass and I are enemies.”</p> - -<p>Ned started.</p> - -<p>“Well,” he said slowly, “if you are a friend of -his you take a very queer way of showing it.”</p> - -<p>“Professional feeling, my dear boy! Professional -feeling; that’s all. Call it jealousy, if you -like,” said Dr. Hallet, with something like a -chuckle. “As a matter of fact, both he and I are -working along the same lines to benefit humanity, -and if I said anything harsh against him——”</p> - -<p>“Which you certainly did!” interrupted Ned.</p> - -<p>“Well, it was in a Pickwickian sense only—merely -Pickwickian,” and this time the doctor -laughed. “You have read Dickens, I dare say?” -he went on.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” admitted Ned. “I know my Pickwick -Papers.”</p> - -<p>“Then you’ll understand. As a matter of fact, -Professor Snodgrass is my very dear friend, and -we are mutually, though perhaps in a rival manner, -seeking the same certain end.”</p> - -<p>“Well, if you are,” asked Ned in amazement,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span> -“why did you act so? Why did you call him a -‘charlatan’? And why were you put under guard? -And did you try to blow up the transport with a -bomb? If you did——”</p> - -<p>Ned’s words died away, for at that moment the -<i>Sherman</i> was shaken from stem to stern by a violent -concussion, and after a period of portentous -silence confused shouting broke out all over the -ship.</p> - -<p>Ned looked strangely at Dr. Hallet and drew -his automatic pistol.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXV" id="CHAPTER_XXV">CHAPTER XXV</a><br /> -<small>THE BOW GUN</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“This isn’t so bad,” remarked Jerry Hopkins.</p> - -<p>“Not half,” added Bob Baker. “That is,” he -qualified, “when you think how the professor and -Judd here and I were situated a few hours ago.”</p> - -<p>“Right snug and comfortable, I calls it!” stated -the sailor.</p> - -<p>As for Professor Snodgrass, attired in a warm -but ill-fitting suit which had belonged to some -member of the <i>Altaire’s</i> force, he bent over his -notes at the table in the cabin of the derelict, -where the four refugees were gathered. Night -had fallen, signal lamps had been hoisted to the -wireless mastheads, and now, having finished their -supper, Jerry and his companions were below, -“right snug and comfortable,” as the old salt -put it.</p> - -<p>They had found lanterns and lighted them to -give a cheerful glow to the cabin. The electric -service was, of course, out of commission with -the engines stopped, but provision had been made<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span> -for auxiliary oil lighting, and it was no worse than -conditions had been on all ships before the electric -light was discovered.</p> - -<p>“Do you think we ought to stand watch and -watch all night?” asked Bob, looking at Jerry. -“We might sight the <i>Sherman</i> or some other vessel, -you know.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t see what good it would do,” replied -the tall lad. “If we did sight the <i>Sherman</i> we -couldn’t move toward her, and unless her engines -have been put in commission she couldn’t reach -us. We could only drift along and look at one -another. And I don’t believe we’ll sight the -<i>Sherman</i>.”</p> - -<p>“Do you mean she’s sunk?” asked Bob in a low -voice, as he thought of Ned still, in all probability, -left on board.</p> - -<p>“No, not exactly that,” Jerry answered. “She -has too many watertight compartments to sink unless -she was blown all apart, and I don’t believe -that has happened. But I think we must have -gotten into two widely separated ocean currents. -One is carrying us one way and the other is taking -the <i>Sherman</i> along.”</p> - -<p>“That’s about the way of it,” chimed in Judd.</p> - -<p>“But what about seeing some other vessel?” -asked Bob. “I mean one that isn’t disabled and -that could take us off.”</p> - -<p>“Well, of course, we might see one if we took<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span> -turns standing watch through the night,” admitted -Jerry. “But we have our distress signal lamps set, -and any vessel sighting them will put for us at -once.”</p> - -<p>“Well, all right, if you think that there’s no use -worrying,” Bob agreed. “I didn’t fancy standing -a night trick myself, but if it had to be done——”</p> - -<p>“I don’t think it’s necessary, boys,” said Judd. -“As Jerry Hopkins says, if any vessel sees our -lights she’ll be bound to come close and investigate.”</p> - -<p>The experience through which the sailor had -passed with Bob and the professor made him seem -like an old friend, and Jerry and Bob were glad -to have him call them by name, as though he had -known them many years. In fact the nearness to -a tragic end, which at one period confronted them -all, seemed to squeeze a long time into a very few -moments.</p> - -<p>“Well then all we’ve got to do,” suggested Bob, -“is to stay here, sleep and eat——”</p> - -<p>“You haven’t forgotten the eats, Chunky!” -laughed Jerry, and it was the first real merriment -that had enlivened them since the accident.</p> - -<p>“I’m glad you’ve got plenty in the kitchen,” -said Bob, joining in the laugh at his own failing. -“But what I meant was that we can’t really do -anything, can we, to better ourselves any?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” replied Jerry, looking at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span> -sailor. “I did think of hoisting some sort of sail, -and now that you’re here maybe we can do that. -Then we ought to rig up some sort of sea anchor -to keep us head on to the waves in case of a blow. -Outside of that I don’t know that we can do -anything except to keep our distress signals -flying.”</p> - -<p>“Some sort of sail would be good,” agreed -Judd; “and a sea anchor can be easy rigged up -now that we have the life raft towing astern. -There’s one trouble, though, about setting sail, -provided we can do it.”</p> - -<p>“What’s the trouble?” asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“Well, if we get any steerageway on the craft -at all, we may not be able to handle her.”</p> - -<p>“Why not?” demanded Bob. “Her rudder is -still in place. I noticed it when we were making -fast the life raft.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, her rudder is in place,” agreed the old -salt, “and it only weighs several tons. It’s made -to turn by steam, and with the engines dead there -isn’t any steam. I doubt if we could manage to -steer by hand.”</p> - -<p>“There must be some provision for that,” asserted -Jerry. “The steam steering gear might go -out of commission at any time—in fact, I’ve often -read of that happening on vessels. And when it -does happen don’t they have to steer by hand?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” admitted the sailor, “I suppose they do.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span> -We’ll have a look in the morning and see what we -can do. Just now I think we’d better all take it -easy.”</p> - -<p>“Sure!” agreed Jerry. “We’ve had a hard -time. I only hope poor old Ned is as well off as -we are just now.”</p> - -<p>“I fancy he’s better off in case he’s still on the -transport, as he must be,” said Bob.</p> - -<p>“He will be if he doesn’t fall too much under -the influence of that nincompoop, Dr. Hallet!” -suddenly exclaimed Professor Snodgrass.</p> - -<p>Jerry and Bob started, looked at one another, -and then at the little scientist who was busy making -notes about the queer crab and other creatures -he had found in the seaweed.</p> - -<p>“Who is this Dr. Hallet?” asked Jerry. “You -spoke of him once before. Is he the little man I -had the trouble with in the restaurant, and who -tried to blow up the <i>Sherman</i>?”</p> - -<p>“Blow up the troopship!” cried the professor. -“Why, I never heard of that!”</p> - -<p>“Didn’t you know that her engines were disabled -by an explosion?” asked Bob.</p> - -<p>The professor shook his head.</p> - -<p>“I didn’t pay much attention to what was going -on,” he said. “I had a lot of notes to transcribe -in my books, having made them only hastily -on scraps of paper. All I recall is that we stopped -for something or other, and I supposed we were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span> -waiting for passengers, or for some reason like -that.”</p> - -<p>“Waiting for passengers in the middle of the -ocean,” murmured Bob. Jerry signaled his chum -to refrain from making comments, and then the -tall lad fired a volley of questions at the professor.</p> - -<p>“Who is this Dr. Hallet?” Jerry asked. “Why -is he such an enemy of yours? and why was he -kept under guard in his cabin? Afterward the -guard was withdrawn and we saw you in there, -though perhaps you didn’t see us. And what does -it all mean, anyhow? Why will Ned be likely to -get into trouble if he is left under the influence of -this man? Don’t you think you’d better explain?”</p> - -<p>The professor appeared to be considering this. -And it seemed to require as much mental effort on -his part as though he were deciding the most -abstruse of abstract questions.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” he finally admitted, “I think I had better -explain matters to you. I didn’t think you -were so interested. And as for you having trouble -with this—this—well, I won’t say what I think of -him—but as for you having had trouble with Dr. -Hallet, Jerry, I know nothing of that. I only -know I’ve had plenty of trouble.”</p> - -<p>“He’s a long time getting down to facts,” -thought Bob. “I wonder what it all means?”</p> - -<p>“To begin at the beginning,” resumed the professor,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span> -after apparently casting his mind back into -the past, “the trouble between Dr. Hallet and me -started when we were rivals in the pursuit of——”</p> - -<p>The silence that pervaded the cabin, save for -the low voice of the little bald-headed scientist, -was suddenly broken by a dull rumbling sound, -and a slight vibration seemed to go through the -whole length of the derelict. To the boys, used to -water navigation as they were, the sound and the -feeling meant but one thing.</p> - -<p>“We’ve bumped into something or something -has bumped into us!” cried Bob.</p> - -<p>“Or else we’ve rubbed up against the dock,” -added Jerry.</p> - -<p>“No dock out here in mid-ocean!” exclaimed -the sailor. “But we sure have struck something. -Not hard though, that’s one good thing. Otherwise -we’d have a hole stove in us.”</p> - -<p>“We’d better see what it is,” said Jerry, preparing -to go up on deck.</p> - -<p>The others agreed with him, even Professor -Snodgrass putting away his papers and following -the two boys and the old sailor.</p> - -<p>As they mounted to the deck the bumping sounds -kept up, and the tremors and vibrations continued -to be felt throughout the <i>Altaire</i>.</p> - -<p>“It’s just as if we were among a lot of ice -cakes,” said Bob. “I hope we don’t ram an iceberg.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Hardly that in this latitude,” said Jerry. -“Though some years they are found farther south -than others.”</p> - -<p>As they emerged on the deck, coming as they -did from the lighted cabin, at first they could observe -nothing. But gradually their eyes became -accustomed to the darkness and they could see to -move about.</p> - -<p>“It’s on both sides!” exclaimed Bob.</p> - -<p>“And it isn’t ice, either!” added Judd. “I -know the smell of ice, and you can always feel a -chill in the air. It isn’t a big berg, that’s sure, and -small cakes wouldn’t last long in these warm -waters.”</p> - -<p>“But what is it?” asked Bob.</p> - -<p>Jerry ran below and brought up a lantern which -had on a powerful reflector. It was a light set on -the wall in the cabin and designed to throw the -rays in one spot. It was a sort of oil-power searchlight.</p> - -<p>Holding this, Jerry advanced to the rail and -directed the rays of light over the side and down -to the water. What he saw caused him to utter -a cry of surprise and fear, in which the others -joined.</p> - -<p><a href="#image01">“Whales!” shouted Jerry. “We’re in the midst -of a school of whales!”</a></p> - -<p>“You’re right!” agreed the sailor. “We’ve -run right into them, or they’ve surrounded us,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span> -and it’s the bumping of their big heads against the -sides that made the sounds.”</p> - -<p>“Is there any danger?” asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“There may be, if they take a notion to ram us -all at once,” the sailor said. “Of course there -isn’t the same danger to a ship like this that there -would be to a small boat. But if they start to -ram, and loosen some of the side plates below the -water line so that we begin to leak—well, there’s -no way of pumping the sea out.”</p> - -<p>“Whales?” exclaimed Professor Snodgrass. -“How interesting! I wish Dr. Hallet were here -now!”</p> - -<p>He did not specify whether it was so that the -doctor might view the natural phenomenon or so -that the professor’s rival might be annoyed and -distressed by the visit of the sea monsters.</p> - -<p>“What had we better do?” asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“Do? Why don’t do anything!” said Jerry. -“If we let ’em alone they may swim off, just as -they swam up.”</p> - -<p>As he spoke there came a more violent concussion -to the vessel, and she seemed to heel over -slightly.</p> - -<p>“That was an old residenter who rammed us!” -exclaimed Bob. “A few more blows like that, -and we’ll start to leaking. If we only had a hand -grenade or two or a bomb gun! Look, they’re -clustering thicker than ever right in front of us!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span></p> - -<p>Indeed, by the rays of the lamp the sea was observed -to be churned to foam by the milling of -the huge creatures.</p> - -<p>Again came a fearful blow on the ship’s quarter, -and then Jerry cried:</p> - -<p>“The bow gun! The bow gun! We can train -that on ’em and shoot! That’s the way to get rid -of the whales! Use the bow gun!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVI" id="CHAPTER_XXVI">CHAPTER XXVI</a><br /> -<small>LEAKING</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Dr. Hallet smiled as he saw the sinister -weapon in Ned’s hand. The lad did not aim at -his companion, and, as a matter of fact, he had -drawn the pistol more from instinct than anything -else. The sudden noise, coupled with what he had -gone through, had put Ned on the same sort of defensive -attitude as he had been constantly under -while in the trenches or on the battlefield.</p> - -<p>“There is no need for that,” said the scientist. -“I see you do not trust me.”</p> - -<p>Ned would have blushed except for the fact -that he was almost as brown as an Indian; and -whoever heard of an Indian blushing?</p> - -<p>“I beg your pardon!” exclaimed the lad. “I—I -really didn’t think what I was doing. But did -you hear that noise?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I heard something. There is some excitement -up above.”</p> - -<p>There was no question about that. The shouting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span> -and the tumult up above continued to increase, -and it was evident that something serious had happened. -There had been no concussion such as -had taken place when the derelict hit the <i>Sherman</i>, -but that there was danger was evident even to the -scientist, who, like Professor Snodgrass, was absent-minded -and let the ordinary affairs of life -pass by unheeded.</p> - -<p>“We had better go up and see what it is,” suggested -Ned.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I agree with you,” was the answer. “My -explanations will keep for a while.”</p> - -<p>Ned was of the same mind, and, putting away -his weapon, he and his companion hastened out -of the latter’s cabin. In the passageway leading -to the main deck they encountered many sailors, -marines, soldiers and officers hurrying along.</p> - -<p>“What’s the matter? What’s happened now?” -called Ned to some whom he knew.</p> - -<p>“Don’t know! Another explosion, I guess!” -some one answered.</p> - -<p>“They’ve signaled to abandon ship!” cried another. -“We’ve got to take to the boats!”</p> - -<p>With an exclamation Dr. Hallet turned from -Ned’s side. He swung about and was about to -retrace his steps when the lad caught him by the -arm.</p> - -<p>“Where are you going?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Back to my cabin.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span></p> - -<p>“What for?”</p> - -<p>“To get some of my most valuable experimental -specimens and save my notebooks. Their loss -would be irreparable.”</p> - -<p>“You can’t go back!” cried Ned, and he sought -to drag his companion with him. “The ship may -go down at any minute, and if you’re caught in -your cabin you won’t have a chance!”</p> - -<p>“But I must save my papers!” cried the scientist. -“They represent my life work. I would be ruined -if they were lost! If we have to take to the boats -I can save them if I have them with me. I can’t -let them go down with the ship.”</p> - -<p>Ned recognized the same traits so often shown -by Professor Snodgrass under similar conditions. -The doctor was going to prove a stubborn man, -Ned could see that.</p> - -<p>“Hurry up! Hurry up!” a sailor shouted as -he passed Ned and his companion on the run. -“Get to your boat stations!”</p> - -<p>“Do you hear!” yelled Ned in the doctor’s ear. -“We’ve got to abandon the troopship!”</p> - -<p>“I don’t go without my notes!” was the answer, -and the man sought to pull his arm away -from Ned’s detaining hand.</p> - -<p>“Well, if you feel that way about it the only -thing for me to do is to help you,” muttered the -Motor Boy. “I can’t see you drown like a rat in -a trap, and you may if you don’t have help. Come<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span> -on!” he said in no very gentle voice as he swung -around and hurried along with the doctor.</p> - -<p>“What are you going to do?” asked the scientist -in some alarm.</p> - -<p>“Help you gather up your notebooks and other -things. Oh, don’t be afraid!” he added, as he -saw a look of something like distrust spread itself -over the features of his companion. “I know -what’s valuable. I have often helped Professor -Snodgrass. I’ll do the best I can for you.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! Thank you for that!” murmured Dr. -Hallet. “Some of my notes are worth more than -their weight in diamonds!”</p> - -<p>“Professor Snodgrass all over again!” mused -Ned, and he was hardly able to repress a smile in -spite of the gravity of the situation.</p> - -<p>And that it was grave he could not doubt as he -noted the confusion on every side and saw the -soldiers and others hurrying to the stations that -had been assigned to them in case of accident. It -had been announced before the troopship sailed -that there were enough lifeboats, rafts, and other -appliances for saving the men aboard the ship -and to provide for all in case it was necessary to -abandon the transport at sea. But Ned had his -doubts of this, as, it was evident, many others had -also. For every one was hurrying to get to a vantage -point, though there was no real disorder, and -the men were obeying their officers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span></p> - -<p>Ned, rather reluctantly it must be confessed, -followed the doctor into the cabin they had so -lately quitted. The scientist began to gather up -notebooks and papers and stuff them into his -pockets.</p> - -<p>“That won’t do!” cried Ned. “If you have to -jump overboard they’ll get soaked!”</p> - -<p>“But I’m not going to jump overboard!” was -the calm reply, and it was to be noted that the -doctor was now more calm than was Ned.</p> - -<p>“You may have to,” was the grim response. -“Haven’t you got a bit of oiled silk, or rubber, or -something, you can wrap your papers in? That -will protect them from the sea water.”</p> - -<p>“Oiled silk? Oh yes, I have something like -that,” the doctor decided, after thinking a moment. -He produced an oilcloth bag, saying:</p> - -<p>“I use this to cover my specimen boxes when I -go out in the rain. Will this do?”</p> - -<p>“It will have to!” exclaimed Ned, and he began -stuffing into the receptacle the papers he gathered -up from the various places where they were scattered -about the doctor’s cabin. “Lively now!” -cried the lad. “We may not have much time!”</p> - -<p>“I must save all I can!” murmured the doctor. -He gathered up book after book of notes, and as -fast as he handed them to Ned the Motor Boy -stuffed them into the water-proof bag.</p> - -<p>“Everybody on deck!” shouted a voice outside<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span> -the cabin door. “Everybody on deck! We’ve -got to abandon ship! She’s leaking like a sieve!”</p> - -<p>“Come on!” cried Ned. “No time for any -more!”</p> - -<p>“I must save my fleas! I must save the fleas -I’m testing as gas poisoning and trench fever carriers!” -cried Dr. Hallet, as he turned toward the -little green box. “I can’t go without them!”</p> - -<p>“You’ve got to!” muttered Ned, grabbing him -by the shoulders. “Didn’t you hear ’em say we -are leaking?” And by a sudden effort he succeeded -in forcing the doctor out of the cabin, not -before the scientist, however, had caught up the -specimen box containing the insects.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVII" id="CHAPTER_XXVII">CHAPTER XXVII</a><br /> -<small>THE WIRELESS</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“Come on! Come on! Everybody up on -deck! Take your boat stations!” was the cry that -Ned and Dr. Hallet heard as they emerged from -the cabin.</p> - -<p>“Have we got much time?” Ned asked.</p> - -<p>“Not any too much!” was the grim response. -“Get to your boat station and stand by for further -orders—that’s the instructions.”</p> - -<p>It was one of the junior ship’s officers who answered -Ned, and the lad ventured a further question -or two.</p> - -<p>“Are we badly damaged?” he inquired. “Did -we hit something, or was it another bomb?” And -as he asked this he could not help glancing at Dr. -Hallet who stood at his side. The scientist, however, -did not seem aware of the scrutiny.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know anything about any bombs,” was -the answer. “All I heard was that they tried to -get the machinery going down in the engine room. -A big steam pipe burst and blew a hole in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span> -side. We’re taking in water fast, and there aren’t -any pumps to get rid of it. There’s a chance to -save everybody, though, if they’ll do as they’re -told—get on deck and stand by to enter the boats -when the word is given.”</p> - -<p>“Have I time enough to go back and get a very -valuable specimen of a field mouse I left in my -cabin?” asked the doctor.</p> - -<p>“No!” cried Ned and the officer in such perfect -time and with the same explosive effect that it -seemed like one voice.</p> - -<p>“Up on deck with you!” added the young officer. -“See that he obeys you!” he added to Ned, -as he looked significantly at the uniform of the soldier -lad. He evidently was aware of the peculiar -notions of the scientist.</p> - -<p>“That settles it!” muttered Ned. “You’ll have -to come with me, Dr. Hallet. There are other -field mice.”</p> - -<p>“None like this one,” was the reply. “He was -suffering from a peculiar fungus ailment and I -wanted to make a special study of it when I got -back home. Dear me! This is terrible! I was -sure I could beat Professor Snodgrass at this -game, but it seems I am fated not to.”</p> - -<p>“I’d like to hear something about this game -against our professor,” muttered Ned, “but there -isn’t time now. Come on! You’re lucky to have -your papers and fleas!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span></p> - -<p>As for Ned, he thought with regret of certain -souvenirs he, in common with Bob and Jerry, had -brought on board with them. They had been put -away in a safe place, but there was no time to get -them now.</p> - -<p>And Ned had some mementoes of the Great -War that he intended giving to a certain girl back -in Cresville. Now, he reflected, they might soon -be at the bottom of the sea. Well, “<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">c’est la -guerre</i>!”</p> - -<p>Up on deck it seemed to be a scene of great confusion, -but, in reality, the officers, both those of -the army and the ship, under Captain Munson -of the <i>Sherman</i>, had the situation well in hand. -The confusion was seeming only, for the men were -being sent in squads to their respective boat stations. -Sailors were seeing to it that the falls of -the small craft were clear, and that life rafts were -free for launching. Others were making sure -that each boat or raft contained food and -water.</p> - -<p>Of course the orders were that they should always -be in that prepared condition, but, like everything -else human, there might have been a failure. -Captain Munson, however, was trusting -nothing to chance, and at this eleventh hour no -risk was to be assumed lest some wretched refugees -might starve or die of thirst if their boat or raft -drifted away. As it was, however, all the boats<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span> -and other floating bits of sea apparatus were -found to be well stocked.</p> - -<p>Life preservers and cork rings were put where -they could be instantly gotten at, and, this much -accomplished, all those who had taken their places -at the boats awaited further orders.</p> - -<p>In spite of the fact that the war was practically -over and that all German submarines had been -recalled, it was felt that there was great danger -on the open sea from floating mines, or perhaps -a stray torpedo that might have failed to find its -mark. There was more danger, of course, to a -big moving ship in this respect, than to small boats -whose speed would be slower, and which did not -float as deeply as the drifting mines were submerged -below the surface.</p> - -<p>But, even with all that potential danger, the soldiers -and sailors remained wonderfully calm and -in good cheer. They stood waiting, models of discipline -in every respect.</p> - -<p>Questions flew back and forth, but no one really -knew what had happened. Ned’s information -was as good as any, and this seemed to be the most -acceptable explanation.</p> - -<p>Every one knew that the engine room force had -been trying desperately ever since the disablement -of the <i>Sherman</i> to get the machinery in working -condition again. And it might well be that some -weakened steam pipe had burst with disastrous<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span> -results to the transport, if not to human life below -decks.</p> - -<p>At the same time, Ned could not help thinking -that the explosion—if there had been one—might -have been caused by a bomb cunningly planted by -some German spy, or, now that the war was over -and spies were no longer needed, sympathizer. -And in that connection he must needs think of Dr. -Hallet.</p> - -<p>The scientist was assigned to a boat some distance -away from Ned’s station, so the lad had no -further chance to talk to the queer little man and -hear the explanation which was promised.</p> - -<p>“I wonder if he really is all right, and it is only -professional jealousy between him and Professor -Snodgrass, or if there is something more behind -it all,” mused Ned.</p> - -<p>His reflections were interrupted by the passing -along of one of the ship’s officers, and at once several -questions were fired at this individual.</p> - -<p>“Are we still taking in water?” was the foremost -inquiry.</p> - -<p>“I am glad to say that the leak has been partly -stopped,” was the answer. “It is confined to one -compartment, and, if the bulkheads hold, we may -not have to abandon ship.”</p> - -<p>“I hope, most sincerely, that we do not!” Ned -heard the voice of Dr. Hallet exclaim. “I want to -get that field mouse!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Good-night!” exclaimed a doughboy. “Does -he want it for his cat or himself?”</p> - -<p>There was a laugh at this, and it served, in a -measure, to relieve the nervous tension.</p> - -<p>Hope began to spring up in hearts which had -begun to lose it, and with small wonder, when the -series of happenings that occurred to the <i>Sherman</i> -is considered. Nothing but ill luck seemed to -have attended her since she set out.</p> - -<p>And so they stood waiting at the boats, ready -to take to the small craft at the word of command -and trust themselves to the great ocean in what, -by comparison with the heaving billows, were mere -cockle-shells. But the hearts of most of them -were stout and strong.</p> - -<p>Night began to settle down and a little wind -began to blow.</p> - -<p>“Storm coming!” said some.</p> - -<p>“It’ll blow the fog away,” cried others.</p> - -<p>And then, when it was about midnight, word -was passed around that there was no immediate -danger, and that the soldiers might leave their -boat stations. But they were told to hold themselves -in readiness for another call.</p> - -<p>The leak had been partly stopped, it was said, -and the engine room force was again at work trying -to get up steam, if only to operate the wireless.</p> - -<p>“Let us hope that they do,” said Dr. Hallet,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span> -who sought out Ned. “Though I would have been -able to save most of my notes, there were some -that I should have been forced to leave behind. -And I’m glad I can come back to my field mouse,” -he added, as he looked in the box in his cabin containing -the tiny creature, which was alive.</p> - -<p>“If you care to,” said Ned, “I should like to -have you go on with the explanation you started -when the explosion came.” He was beginning to -have a different feeling toward his companion. -Dr. Hallet was so much like Professor Snodgrass, -that, at times, Ned had to stop and think before -using the latter’s name and title.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I should like to explain,” said the scientist. -“I begin to understand how you mistrusted me, -and, as you will see, it is without cause. I may -sum it all up in a few words by saying that Professor -Snodgrass and I, though scientific rivals, -are good friends; and the only thing between us -is a sort of race to see who will be the first to discover -a certain disputed matter in relation to the -germ destroying powers of certain fungi which we -gathered in a French forest. I thought at one -time that I had the professor beaten, and I managed -to secure passage on this transport, thinking -to be the first to reach the United States and give -to the world my wonderful discovery.</p> - -<p>“But I learned that Professor Snodgrass had -likewise discovered the secret, and was also on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span> -board here. It became a race between us, and I -had to take precautions—or at least I thought I -did—to prevent him from finding out certain -minor details. That is why I had my cabin -guarded and——”</p> - -<p>“Hark!” interrupted Ned, and his feeling of -resentment against his companion was fast vanishing.</p> - -<p>“What is it?” asked the doctor, for the Motor -Boy seemed to be listening intently. “What is -it?”</p> - -<p>“Our wireless!” exclaimed Ned. “It’s working -again! Now they can call for help! Hurray! -Our troubles are over!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVIII" id="CHAPTER_XXVIII">CHAPTER XXVIII</a><br /> -<small>THE SEARCH</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Standing on the sloping deck of the <i>Altaire</i>, -sloping from a slight list the vessel had assumed -because of a shift of the cargo, Jerry Hopkins and -his fellow refugees stood for a moment looking -at the strange and wonderful sight of the school -of whales attacking the ship. Or, if not attacking, -at least trying to ascertain by bumps of their -huge heads the character of the strange creature -in their midst. And as Jerry’s shout to use the -bow gun rang out, there came another tremor of -the vessel, caused by what seemed the hardest -blow yet delivered.</p> - -<p>“We’ve got to scare ’em off or kill some of -’em!” cried Jerry. “They may not intend any -harm, but if they open some of our plates we’ll -go down, sure!”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean by the bow gun?” asked -Bob.</p> - -<p>“There’s a small gun up forward, put there to -ward off submarine attacks, but it doesn’t seem to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span> -have done much good,” explained Jerry quickly. -“It’s mounted on a swivel, and we can depress it -and aim it in almost any direction. There are -some shells too. I saw them when I was looking -about before you came on board. If we give -the whales a shot or two I’m sure they’ll go -away.”</p> - -<p>“We’ve got to do something!” muttered Bob. -“Feel that!”</p> - -<p>Again came a tremor of the ship—not one but -several, as though a number of the whales had -attacked at once, acting in concert against what -they may have reasoned was a common enemy.</p> - -<p>“Yes, let’s do something!” cried Judd. “I never -saw anything like this in all my life, and I know -something about whales. I never saw so many at -once, and though I’ve known of them sinking -small whaling vessels I never knew ’em to attack -a big steamer. We’ve got to do something!”</p> - -<p>“Then come on to the bow gun!” cried Jerry, -and he raised his lantern from where he had lowered -it over the side. The rays were still reflected -from the wet and glistening backs of the -whales as they swam about, now and then one -butting his head against the steel sides of the -<i>Altaire</i>.</p> - -<p>Professor Snodgrass looked on in fascinated -silence. And when Jerry removed the lantern, -thus cutting off a further view of the immense<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span> -creatures, the little scientist remarked with something -like a sigh:</p> - -<p>“I wish Dr. Hallet could see them.”</p> - -<p>“Why, is he particularly interested in whales?” -asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“No, not whales particularly. But it would do -him good to see these. It might be the very thing -he needs!”</p> - -<p>At the time Bob did not pay much attention to -this remark. But afterward he thought it rather -strange. If Dr. Hallet was not particularly interested -in whales, why should Professor Snodgrass -desire the other scientist to view them? And -why would they do him “good”, if he had no special -object in seeing them?</p> - -<p>“I declare,” mused Bob, “the further you go -into this thing the more mysterious it gets. I wonder -what the real explanation of the feeling between -Professor Snodgrass and Dr. Hallet is. -I’ll wager we haven’t yet begun to get to the bottom -of it!”</p> - -<p>However, these thoughts came later. Just -then the vital need of the moment was to deal -with the whales, and this Jerry proposed to do by -means of the bow gun.</p> - -<p>Hurrying forward, carrying the lantern, while -above them glowed the signal fires of distress, -Bob, Jerry, and Judd came to the bow gun. It -was of three-inch calibre, and capable of being<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span> -aimed in any direction, and also pointed, at a -sharp angle, almost directly into the water at either -side of the bow of the ship. It could be trained -aft, too, and as it was mounted high there was -considerable radius of action allowed.</p> - -<p>“Where’s the ammunition?” cried Bob, just as -another whale took a head-on bang at the ship.</p> - -<p>“In the box near the gun,” answered Jerry, putting -down his lantern. The night was calm, and -a moon gave some illumination now, having -emerged from behind a cloud bank, so the three -could see fairly well what they were doing. Professor -Snodgrass, however, was not of the least -service. When Jerry set the lantern down on the -deck the little scientist took a position near it, and -there he began making notes, whether about the -whales or some minute insect, no one inquired.</p> - -<p>The familiarity of Bob and Jerry with weapons -of war stood them in good stead now. With the -help of Judd they loaded the three-inch gun and -aimed it into the midst of the school of whales, -which were then congregated on the port side of -the bow.</p> - -<p>“Shall I fire?” asked Jerry, as he stood in readiness.</p> - -<p>“Let her go!” called Bob.</p> - -<p>There was a sharp report and the shell was sent -into the midst of the whales. That it did execution -was disclosed when the lantern was lowered over<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span> -the side by means of a rope and the white, foaming -water was seen to be red for a considerable -area.</p> - -<p>“They’ve sounded!” cried the sailor, giving information -in this term that the whales had sunk -below the surface. “I guess we’ve scared ’em -off!”</p> - -<p>But it was for a moment only. A little later -there were bumpings and thumps on the other side -of the craft, and the gun was again fired into the -midst of the huge bodies. Once more the lantern -showed red water, and then a commotion in the -sea some distance away told the voyagers that the -school of whales was departing. Several must -have been killed and others wounded, the others -being frightened off.</p> - -<p>The bow gun was effective, for though a watch -was kept the rest of the night there was no further -trouble. The <i>Altaire</i> drifted slowly on, and when -morning dawned the refugees came up on deck and -looked about the horizon for a sight of some rescuing -craft.</p> - -<p>“We have the whole place to ourselves,” remarked -Jerry, grimly joking as he viewed the -waste of waters.</p> - -<p>“Yes, it isn’t a bit crowded,” agreed Bob. -“Well, let’s have breakfast.”</p> - -<p>In one sense the plight of the castaways was not -at all bad. They had shelter, plenty of food, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span> -weather was ideal, now that the fog had gone, and -they were again clothed in their own garments -which had dried out. Nor was there any great -immediate danger. The period of long-continued -storms had not yet come, their derelict, disabled -as she was, was in fairly staunch condition, and -unless some accident happened she might float for -a long time.</p> - -<p>“But we’ve got to get sail on her,” decided Jerry -after a breakfast which was cooked by Bob and -of which every one had an ample portion.</p> - -<p>With the aid and advice of Judd something resembling -a sail was hoisted and then the hand -steering gear was connected up, after a fashion.</p> - -<p>“Now we’re on our way!” cried Jerry, when -the derelict began to move with considerable speed -compared to her former progress. The wind was -west, and was blowing them back toward France. -But this was the best they could hope for. They -could only sail directly before such breezes as -might favor them. Navigation was out of the -question.</p> - -<p>So they settled down for a stay, of how long -they knew not, on the derelict. Jerry had not had -time to explore the craft much before the arrival -of his friends, and this lack was now made up for, -once the sail was set. It was found that the <i>Altaire</i> -had sailed from New York with a general -cargo consigned to various English firms. And<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span> -it was evident that she had been intercepted and -partly looted by a German submarine. What had -become of her crew and her passengers, if she -carried any (and there were accommodations for -a few) was problematical. But the <i>Altaire</i> made -a good sea home for the refugees.</p> - -<p>While Bob, Jerry, Professor Snodgrass, and -Judd were thus making the best of it on the derelict -and eagerly watching for some vessel that -might rescue them, Ned Slade and his fellow voyagers -on the <i>Sherman</i> were buoyed up with new -hope as the word went cheeringly through the craft -that the wireless was again working.</p> - -<p>The snapping sparks of it had interrupted the -talk between Ned and Dr. Hallet, and it was some -time before they had a chance to renew the conversation.</p> - -<p>For as soon as it became known that signals -could again be sent out, giving the position of the -disabled troopship and asking that aid be rushed, -that was the only topic of moment among all on -board.</p> - -<p>“How soon will some ship come to our aid?”</p> - -<p>Again and again the call was sent out into space, -and in less than an hour there was a cheer from -the vicinity of the wireless room.</p> - -<p>“What’s that?” asked Ned of some of his soldier -chums.</p> - -<p>“They’ve received our calls!” cried a young lieutenant.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span> -“Three of Uncle Sam’s warships are racing -toward us at top speed. Now we’re all -right!”</p> - -<p>And the good news was true. Working night -and day, often at great personal risk, the engine -room force had managed to rig up a boiler, -get steam to an engine, and so whirl the dynamo -that furnished the current for the powerful wireless -spark. The operators had done the rest.</p> - -<p>Forth into the air had gone the mystic signals, -and this time they had been heard and understood -by many receivers both on shore and at sea. It -did not take long to flash the news to the proper -quarters, and from Brest, the very port from which -the <i>Sherman</i> had departed, aid was rushed to her. -The position was accurately given—as accurately -as can be on a boundless sea—and the rest had to -be left to fate.</p> - -<p>In record-breaking time the rescuing convoy was -sighted, and then joyous scenes took place on board -the <i>Sherman</i>.</p> - -<p>Soon after the first enthusiasm had worn off, -though, the question arose as to what was the next -thing to do. The war-weary soldiers wanted to -get back home—to Uncle Sam’s country.</p> - -<p>But this problem was easily solved. The war -vessels had orders to take on board all the passengers -and proceed with them to the United -States. The <i>Sherman</i> would be towed back to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span> -Brest for repairs, and on board her a crew would -have to remain to look after the ship. Every one -else, however, was transferred to one or another -of the three war vessels that arrived about the -same time. The baggage, too, was transferred, -much to the satisfaction of the returning soldiers.</p> - -<p>“Is there anything that can be done to see if -Jerry and Bob are alive?” asked Ned of his captain, -when they, together with their comrades and -fellow officers, were on board the warship.</p> - -<p>“Do you think it possible they may be alive?” -the captain asked.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” declared Ned, “improbable as it seems, -I feel that Bob and Jerry, as well as Professor -Snodgrass, are alive. Perhaps that missing sailor -is, too. They may have been cast into the sea -when the derelict crashed into us, and they may -have managed to keep afloat either on some of the -wreckage of the <i>Sherman</i> that was torn off, or on -a bit of the derelict. She was smashed, too, I believe. -Can’t we make a search for Jerry and the -others?”</p> - -<p>“I’ll see,” said the captain. And he used his -influence to such good advantage that it was soon -after announced to Ned and others that before -proceeding to America a search would be made by -all three warships for the missing soldiers, the -professor, and the sailor.</p> - -<p>“We’s going to try to locate the derelict, too,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span> -Ned’s captain told him. “Such craft are a terrible -menace to other ships, and they are sunk wherever -found. I am sorry to say no one but you seems -to have much faith that we shall find your friends, -but as a matter of precaution, if nothing else, a -search will be made for the derelict. As she can -only drift, and as Jerry and the others could only -drift, in case they managed to keep afloat on some -wreckage, it is possible we may find them in the -vicinity of whatever vessel it was that crashed into -us in the fog.”</p> - -<p>And so the search began; a wearying and -anxious search over the broad sea.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIX" id="CHAPTER_XXIX">CHAPTER XXIX</a><br /> -<small>“DERELICT AHOY!”</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Ned Slade and Dr. Hallet were aboard one of -the rescuing warships. There was a time, just -before the wireless of the <i>Sherman</i> was reëstablished, -when it seemed to Ned that he was going -to learn Dr. Hallet’s secret, and when he felt that -he could be on terms of friendship with the eccentric -doctor—who was not a physician, but a doctor -of science.</p> - -<p>However, since the two had been transferred to -the same warship there had been a complete change -in Dr. Hallet. Far from seeking a chance to -maintain friendly relations with Ned, the doctor -avoided the Motor Boy and remained in seclusion. -Nor did he send any word or give any explanation -of what he had started to say as to his relations -with Professor Snodgrass.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact, after a few glimpses of -Dr. Hallet, following their transfer from the -<i>Sherman</i>, the Motor Boy did not again see the -scientist. The latter, Ned learned, was busy over<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span> -his notebooks and memoranda, which he had -brought with him, together with his fleas and other -specimens from the troopship.</p> - -<p>“I can’t understand it,” said Ned to a soldier -chum. “He was just getting friendly with me -when we were in the midst of our troubles, and -now, when we’re safe, he doesn’t speak to me.”</p> - -<p>“Why don’t you go to him and ask for a showdown?” -inquired Sam Harden, the lad with whom -Ned was becoming chummy.</p> - -<p>“I’ve tried to, but he won’t see me. And I -can’t very well force myself on him. I don’t know -any of the officers who are on board well enough -to go to them and tell them all that’s happened. -They might laugh at me, and Dr. Hallet might -turn ugly again, as he can on occasion.”</p> - -<p>“Do you really think he tried to damage the -<i>Sherman</i>?” asked Harden.</p> - -<p>“No, I can’t say that I do—now,” Ned confessed. -“But he surely did act queer. And why -he should hate, or pretend to hate, Professor -Snodgrass is more than I can fathom.</p> - -<p>“But there’s nothing I can do, I suppose, except -wait. If we ever find Jerry, Bob, and the -professor I may get an explanation. And I certainly -do hope we find them!”</p> - -<p>“Same here!” echoed his new chum. “They’re -making a good search of it.”</p> - -<p>This was true. The three warships which were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span> -carrying home the troops transferred from the -<i>Sherman</i> kept together and in a sort of line swept -forward over the sea, cruising about in search of -the derelict or for a possible sight of refugees -drifting on wreckage. To this end searchlights -were kept aglow all night, and soldiers or sailors -were constantly on watch during the twenty-four -hours.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile life aboard the <i>Altaire</i> was far from -being dangerous now. The attack of the whales -had done no harm, and in the broad daylight Jerry -rather wondered whether they had not acted foolishly -in firing the bow gun at the creatures.</p> - -<p>“I don’t really believe they could have rammed -us hard enough to have done any damage,” he -said.</p> - -<p>“Well, it certainly felt so,” declared Bob.</p> - -<p>“And I’m just as glad we drove them away,” -said Judd.</p> - -<p>As for Professor Snodgrass, he said little. He -was too much occupied in classifying and making -notes of the various forms of life he found on -the bunch of seaweed he had brought on board -with him.</p> - -<p>Aside from attending now and then to the rude -sail that had been hoisted, and steering the craft, -which did not require much effort, as she did not -move rapidly, there was nothing to do on the derelict -except, as Bob said, “to get meals and eat ’em.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span></p> - -<p>Of course the distress signals were kept flying -by day, and the lanterns at night gave notice to -whoever might glimpse them that they were carried -by a craft which needed help for those on board. -And outside of seeing that these signals and lights -were kept in place, there was nothing that could -be done.</p> - -<p>It was utterly impossible for the four to start -the engines. The small sail was their only motive -power. There was no need of using the steam -pumps, for the <i>Altaire</i> was not leaking save in -one or two compartments, and the water-tight -bulkheads kept the sea from invading other parts -of the craft. Even had it been necessary to get -steam up for the pumps, it is doubtful if it could -have been managed.</p> - -<p>All they could do was to wait and hope, and -this was wearying enough after the first week.</p> - -<p>Each morning they began a vigil that lasted all -day, and even into the night, for they knew the -lights of an approaching vessel could be seen farther -after dark than could the form of the ship -itself during the day. But they sighted nothing.</p> - -<p>It was more than a week after the crash which -resulted in the separation of the Motor Boys -when, on a wonderfully clear day, a lookout -aboard the war craft containing Ned sent forth -a thrilling cry from the crow’s nest.</p> - -<p>“Derelict ahoy!” he shouted.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Where away?”</p> - -<p>“Dead ahead!”</p> - -<p>And then Ned and the others, rushing to vantage -points, saw the <i>Altaire</i>.</p> - -<p>There she was, slowly rolling to and fro on a -gentle swell, and no sooner had officers and sailors -of the rescuing vessel caught sight of her than -they raised a cry of:</p> - -<p>“Some one’s on board!”</p> - -<p>The distress signals told that.</p> - -<p>And about the same time Jerry, Bob, the professor, -and Judd, grouped at the rail, were frantically -waving their hands and shouting. For they -had seen the oncoming war craft, and knew that -they were saved.</p> - -<p>The weary search was over.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span></p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXX" id="CHAPTER_XXX">CHAPTER XXX</a><br /> -<small>ALL’S WELL—CONCLUSION</small></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“What happened to you?”</p> - -<p>“And what happened to you? Did the <i>Sherman</i> -sink?”</p> - -<p>It was Ned who asked the first question, Jerry -who propounded the second. And then he and -Ned and Bob clasped hands while about them -stood a circle of cheering sailors and soldiers on -board the war vessel.</p> - -<p>A boat had been sent to bring the refugees from -the <i>Altaire</i>, and when Jerry and his chums were -safe on board and the cruiser had moved sufficiently -far away to be out of danger, the derelict -was blown up. Afloat she would be a constant -menace to navigation, and it was impossible to -salvage her.</p> - -<p>It was following this necessary destruction of -what had once been a fine vessel that Ned and -Jerry questioned one another.</p> - -<p>Then came explanations. Jerry told how he -had managed to get aboard the derelict, and how<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span> -he had been joined by Bob, the professor, and -Judd. And, in his turn, Ned described the life -aboard the transport, his talk with Dr. Hallet, and -their transfer to the warship.</p> - -<p>“Where is Dr. Hallet now?” asked Jerry.</p> - -<p>“He’s shut up in his cabin, I imagine,” answered -Ned. “Somehow, he managed to get a -cabin to himself. He seems to avoid me. I declare -I don’t know what it all means.”</p> - -<p>At that moment a steward approached Professor -Snodgrass, who was standing in the group that -included Ned, Bob and Jerry.</p> - -<p>“Dr. Hallet wishes to see you,” the steward -said to Professor Snodgrass. “He has heard of -your rescue.”</p> - -<p>“Wishes to see me!” exclaimed the little scientist. -“Dear me, this is rather extraordinary! I -don’t know whether to see him or not!”</p> - -<p>“The surgeon told me to tell you, sir,” added -the steward, “that Dr. Hallet is perfectly normal -again. All his trouble has gone, and he is himself -once more.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, in that case of course I’ll see him!” exclaimed -the professor. “It’s all right, boys!” he -added to Bob and Jerry. “He must have had the -necessary shock to bring back his reason. I hope -it will never leave him again. I’ll go to see him -at once. I am rejoiced to hear this good news!”</p> - -<p>As the professor hurried away Ned looked curiously<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span> -at his two chums. Then he began to question -them.</p> - -<p>“Say, what’s it all about?” he asked. “What -does the professor mean when he says Dr. Hallet -has recovered his reason? Has he been crazy?” -burst out Ned.</p> - -<p>“Practically so, yes, though harmless,” said -Jerry. “The professor explained everything to -us while we were on the <i>Altaire</i>. Did you begin -to suspect anything?”</p> - -<p>“I didn’t know what to think, nor what to expect -or suspect,” answered Ned. “At one time -Dr. Hallet seemed about to tell me everything, -and explain a lot of queer circumstances. Then -something happened—I think it was when our -wireless got to working—and there was too much -excitement to think of anything but a rescue. Since -we’ve been on this warship the doctor has avoided -me. I declare I didn’t know what to think.”</p> - -<p>“Nor did we until the professor explained,” -said Jerry. “It seems we were all wrong in our -conjectures, but it wasn’t exactly our fault, for -the doctor’s trouble made him irresponsible.”</p> - -<p>“Does that account for his talk against the professor -in the restaurant, and why he had a guard -at his cabin?” asked Ned.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” was the answer from Bob, while Jerry -said:</p> - -<p>“I’ll tell you the yarn, Ned. All our troubles<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span> -are over now, I hope. We had enough of them -while they lasted, and at one time it seemed as if -we were all booked for Davy Jones’ locker. But -here we are, and we’ll soon be back home where -we can live life as it ought to be lived.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll have our meals on time, for one thing,” -declared Bob.</p> - -<p>“And the folks will be glad to see us,” added -Jerry.</p> - -<p>“And perhaps some others than just our <em>folks</em>,” -put in Ned, with a smile. He was thinking of -girls, and, perchance, one in particular.</p> - -<p>The story Jerry told, having had it from Professor -Snodgrass, was to the effect that Dr. Hallet -had once been a colleague of the little scientist -with whom the Motor Boys had made so many -trips. When the war broke out and Professor -Snodgrass went to Europe to study the effect of -battle noises on certain insects, Dr. Hallet made -a like voyage to take up another branch of science. -In some lines he and Professor Snodgrass were -associated, working to the same end. In other -lines they differed radically, and often violently, -though they were always good friends and helped -one another.</p> - -<p>Dr. Hallet went too near the front toward the -close of the war, and was under fire. He suffered -from shell shock, which affected his mind, and -among his hallucinations was one in which he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span> -imagined that Professor Snodgrass was his enemy -and was trying to obtain a certain scientific secret -from him.</p> - -<p>In order to effect, if possible, a cure of his -friend, Professor Snodgrass, on the advice of the -physicians treating Dr. Hallet, did not dispute -this false idea. On the contrary he even encouraged -it. The state of mind of the doctor accounted -for his violent talk against the professor -in the restaurant, and his queer actions led Marie, -the pretty waitress, to give the queer scientist the -name of “<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le cochon</i>.” Of course that was not -deserved.</p> - -<p>“Did Dr. Hallet try to blow up the ship?” asked -Ned.</p> - -<p>“Of course not!” exclaimed Jerry. “That time -we met him with the black box he imagined he was -concealing some insects from the gaze of Professor -Snodgrass, and also from us. He included us -in his fear, it seems. There never was a bomb on -the ship. All the accidents were due to defects in -the machinery—the bursting of steam pipes and -the like.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I’ve since heard that,” Ned admitted. -“But I didn’t know whether or not Dr. Hallet -might not have tried to set off a bomb.”</p> - -<p>“Nothing like it!” laughed Jerry. “We were -all wrong in thinking him that sort of man. He -did act queerly, but it was because he was suffering<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span> -from shell shock. And he made such a fuss -about the chance that Professor Snodgrass might -steal some scientific secrets that Captain Munson, -at the doctor’s request and on the professor’s advice, -posted a guard in front of the stateroom. -It was not needed, of course.”</p> - -<p>“Well, how did it happen we saw Professor -Snodgrass in there?” asked Ned.</p> - -<p>“He went in to see if he could not quiet the -doctor, who had a sort of hysterical fit,” explained -Jerry. “The ship’s surgeon suggested this. Professor -Snodgrass also looked over some of the -doctor’s papers and examined his specimens, -hoping, thereby, to get a line on something that -might turn his mind into a new channel. It was -then we saw him. But he did not see us. Dr. -Hallet closed the door quickly.</p> - -<p>“But nothing seemed to answer; though, after -a while, the doctor himself seemed to quiet down. -He requested the guards to be taken away, and -this was done. Then came the crash, and what -happened to him since I don’t know. At the time -the whales attacked us Professor Snodgrass said -he wished Dr. Hallet could see them. He thought -perhaps interest in them would give him the necessary -shock which would bring back his reason.”</p> - -<p>“Well, something must have happened to him,” -said Ned. “He acted almost rational with me -after you and the professor were lost overboard.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span> -As I said, two or three times he was on the verge -of telling me something, but I can realize now -that he was not normal. Then, after we were -transferred to this warship, he acted strangely -again.”</p> - -<p>“But he is all right now,” said Professor Snodgrass, -who came on deck again after a visit to his -colleague. “His mind has cleared, and we are -again united friends. He realizes what he has -gone through, but he has no complete idea of how -queerly he acted.”</p> - -<p>“What brought back his mind?” asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“I suppose the various shocks connected with -the accidents to the <i>Sherman</i> and the search for -the derelict all acted on him in a beneficial way,” -replied the professor. “At any rate, after having -been irrational, he is himself again, and the -surgeon assures me there will be no more trouble.”</p> - -<p>Both Dr. Hallet and Professor Snodgrass were -allowed on the troopship because of exceptional -services rendered the government during the war. -Professor Snodgrass had captured a number of -Germans, as detailed in the book preceding this. -As for Dr. Hallet, he had discovered a method of -combating one of the German poison gases.</p> - -<p>Professor Snodgrass, because of the mental attitude -of Dr. Hallet, had come on board the transport -quietly, which accounted for the fact that the -boys did not see him for some days. And the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span> -professor was so engrossed with various matters -that he was not aware of the presence of Ned, -Bob and Jerry. Captain Munson knew something -about the condition of Dr. Hallet, and also the -efforts Professor Snodgrass was making to cure -his friend, but he did not feel at liberty to discuss -it with the Motor Boys. That is why he -spoke to Ned as he did when the doctor started to -make an explanation.</p> - -<p>“But there will be nothing more to worry -about,” declared the professor, concluding his explanations.</p> - -<p>Nor was there. Dr. Hallet, though a bit dazed -by what he had gone through and having very little -real knowledge of his actions following the -shell shock, rapidly grew to be himself again. He -and Professor Snodgrass joined forces in making -scientific observations while the warship bore them -and the others homeward. And from the time the -professor and the doctor resumed their old relations -the Motor Boys saw little of them. For the -two scientists were constantly catching specimens, -from cockroaches to sea-leeches, and making -learned notes and observations regarding them.</p> - -<p>“And to think all our theories about the doctor -being a bomber were hot air!” exclaimed Bob, as -they stood on deck after the good news had been -scattered that another day would see them at New -York. “We certainly were barking up the wrong<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span> -tree! It was Marie that gave the wrong idea, in -a way. But she didn’t mean to. Mighty fine girl, -Marie!” and Bob sighed.</p> - -<p>“Here! None of that!” warned Jerry. “I’ll -tell Helena.”</p> - -<p>“All right! You do, and I’ll whisper something -to Mollie Horton about the French girl who tied -up your sore finger!” countered the stout lad.</p> - -<p>“Better call it a draw,” suggested Ned with a -laugh.</p> - -<p>And so, as the old proverb has it: “All’s well -that ends well.”</p> - -<p>And certainly matters ended well for the Motor -Boys. The next day the warship anchored off -quarantine, and in due time Jerry and his friends -went ashore and were sent to a demobilization -camp. There they obtained furloughs and went -home to Cresville, where an enthusiastic reception -awaited them.</p> - -<p>They told of their parts in the Great War, but -they liked best to relate the story of the wreck of -the troopship, for it was like some wonderful -romance, and the terrors of the battlefield were -not involved.</p> - -<p>“I’d like to know the story of the <i>Altaire</i>,” said -Ned, one day. And later he and his chums heard -it.</p> - -<p>The freighter was attacked by a submarine and -her few passengers and crew forced to take to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span> -the small boats. Then the Germans took what -they wanted in the way of supplies and were about -to sink the <i>Altaire</i> when they saw a United States -destroyer looming on the horizon. The submarine -fled before being able to place any bombs, -though her crew partly wrecked the engine room -and destroyed the wireless plant.</p> - -<p>The destroyer picked up the crew of the <i>Altaire</i>, -but soon after that a storm came up, and -there was no chance to salvage the vessel. It was -thought that she had sunk, but, fortunately for -Jerry and his three companions, she remained -afloat. Thus the mystery was cleared.</p> - -<p>“But there’s one thing I’m never going to do if -we have another war,” declared Ned, as the three -chums found a moment to be by themselves after -a round of meeting old friends.</p> - -<p>“What’s that?” asked Bob.</p> - -<p>“I’m never going to be surprised at what a bug-hunting -professor does,” was the answer.</p> - -<p>“Same here!” echoed Jerry.</p> - -<p>And so, the three young soldiers were safe at -home, though they had come a perilous way to get -there. And now we shall take leave—at least for -a time—of Ned, Bob and Jerry.</p> - - -<p class="p2 noic">THE END</p> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="noi adtitle">THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES</p> - -<p class="noi adauthor"><span class="smcap">By CLARENCE YOUNG</span></p> - -<p class="noic"><i>12mo. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid</i></p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 150px;"> -<img src="images/image05.jpg" width="150" height="204" - alt="THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES" title="THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES" /> -</div> - -<ul> -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Chums Through Thick and Thin</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS OVERLAND<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or A Long Trip for Fun and Fortune</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS IN MEXICO<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Secret of the Buried City</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS ACROSS THE PLAINS<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Hermit of Lost Lake</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS AFLOAT<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Cruise of the Dartaway</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE ATLANTIC<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Mystery of the Lighthouse</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS IN STRANGE WATERS<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Lost in a Floating Forest</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE PACIFIC<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Young Derelict Hunters</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE CLOUDS<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or A Trip for Fame and Fortune</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS OVER THE ROCKIES<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or A Mystery of the Air</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS OVER THE OCEAN<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or A Marvelous Rescue in Mid-Air</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE WING<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Seeking the Airship Treasure</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS AFTER A FORTUNE<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Hut on Snake Island</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE BORDER<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Sixty Nuggets of Gold</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS UNDER THE SEA<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or From Airship to Submarine</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS ON ROAD AND RIVER<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Racing to Save a Life</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS AT BOXWOOD HALL<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Ned, Bob and Jerry as Freshmen</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS ON A RANCH<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Ned, Bob and Jerry Among the Cowboys</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE ARMY<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Ned, Bob and Jerry as Volunteers</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE FIRING LINE<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Ned, Bob and Jerry Fighting for Uncle Sam</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS BOUND FOR HOME<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Wrecked Troopship</i></span></li> - -<li>THE MOTOR BOYS ON THUNDER MOUNTAIN<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Treasure Box of Blue Rock</i></span></li> -</ul> - -<p class="p2 noic">CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York</p> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="noi adtitle">THE BOB DEXTER SERIES</p> - -<p class="noic adauthor"><span class="smcap">By WILLARD F. BAKER</span></p> - -<p class="noic"><i>12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket in Colors</i></p> - -<p class="noic"><i><b>Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid</b></i></p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 150px;"> -<img src="images/image06.jpg" width="150" height="198" - alt="THE BOB DEXTER SERIES" title="THE BOB DEXTER SERIES" /> -</div> - -<p class="p2"><i>This is a new line of stories for boys, by -the author of the Boy Ranchers series. The -Bob Dexter books are of the character that -may be called detective stories, yet they -are without the objectionable features of the -impossible characters and absurd situations -that mark so many of the books in that class. -These stories deal with the up-to-date adventures -of a normal, healthy lad who has -a great desire to solve mysteries.</i></p> - -<ul> -<li><span class="adauthor">1. BOB DEXTER AND THE CLUB-HOUSE MYSTERY<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Missing Golden Eagle</i></span></span> - -<p>This story tells how the Boys’ Athletic Club was despoiled of its -trophies in a strange manner, and how, among other things stolen, -was the Golden Eagle mascot. How Bob Dexter turned himself into -an amateur detective and found not only the mascot, but who had -taken it, makes interesting and exciting reading.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">2. BOB DEXTER AND THE BEACON BEACH MYSTERY<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Wreck of the Sea Hawk</i></span></span> - -<p>When Bob and his chum went to Beacon Beach for their summer -vacation, they were plunged, almost at once, into a strange series of -events, not the least of which was the sinking of the Sea Hawk. -How some men tried to get the treasure off the sunken vessel, and -how Bob and his chum foiled them, and learned the secret of the -lighthouse, form a great story.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">3. BOB DEXTER AND THE STORM MOUNTAIN MYSTERY<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Secret of the Log Cabin</i></span></span> - -<p>Bob Dexter came upon a man mysteriously injured and befriended -him. This led the young detective into the swirling midst of a series -of strange events and into the companionship of strange persons, not -the least of whom was the man with the wooden leg. But Bob got -the best of this vindictive individual, and solved the mystery of the -log cabin, showing his friends how the secret entrance to the house -was accomplished.</p></li> -</ul> - -<p class="p2 noic"><i>Send For Our Free Illustrated Catalogue</i></p> - -<p class="noic">CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, PUBLISHERS New York</p> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="noi adtitle">THE GREAT MARVEL SERIES</p> - -<p class="noic adauthor"><span class="smcap">By ROY ROCKWOOD</span></p> - -<p class="noic"><i>12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket in Colors</i></p> - -<p class="noic"><i><b>Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid</b></i></p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 150px;"> -<img src="images/image07.jpg" width="150" height="209" - alt="THE GREAT MARVEL SERIES" title="THE GREAT MARVEL SERIES" /> -</div> - -<p class="p2"><i>Stories of adventures in strange places, with -peculiar people and queer animals.</i></p> - -<ul> -<li><span class="adauthor">1. THROUGH THE AIR TO THE NORTH POLE<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Wonderful Cruise of the Electric Monarch</i></span></span> - -<p>The tale of a trip to the frozen North with -a degree of reality that is most convincing.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">2. UNDER THE OCEAN TO THE SOUTH POLE<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Strange Cruise of the Submarine Wonder</i></span></span> - -<p>A marvelous trip from Maine to the South Pole, telling of adventures -with the sea-monsters and savages.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">3. FIVE THOUSAND MILES UNDERGROUND<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Mystery of the Center of the Earth</i></span></span> - -<p>A cruise to the center of the earth through an immense hole -found at an island in the ocean.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">4. THROUGH SPACE TO MARS<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Most Wonderful Trip on Record</i></span></span> - -<p>This book tells how the journey was made in a strange craft and -what happened on Mars.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">5. LOST ON THE MOON<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or In Quest of the Field of Diamonds</i></span></span> - -<p>Strange adventures on the planet which is found to be a land of -desolation and silence.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">6. ON A TORN-AWAY WORLD<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Captives of the Great Earthquake</i></span></span> - -<p>After a tremendous convulsion of nature the adventurers find -themselves captives on a vast “island in the air.”</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">7. THE CITY BEYOND THE CLOUDS<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Captured by the Red Dwarfs</i></span></span> - -<p>The City Beyond the Clouds is a weird place, full of surprises, and -the impish Red Dwarfs caused no end of trouble. There is a fierce -battle in the woods and in the midst of this a volcanic eruption sends -the Americans sailing away in a feverish endeavor to save their lives.</p></li> -</ul> - -<p class="p2 noic"><i>Send For Our Free Illustrated Catalogue</i></p> - -<p class="noic">CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York</p> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="noi adtitle">THE COLLEGE SPORTS SERIES</p> - -<p class="noic adauthor"><span class="smcap">By LESTER CHADWICK</span></p> - -<p class="noic"><i>12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket in Colors</i></p> - -<p class="noic"><i><b>Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid</b></i></p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 150px;"> -<img src="images/image08.jpg" width="150" height="210" - alt="THE COLLEGE SPORTS SERIES" title="THE COLLEGE SPORTS SERIES" /> -</div> - -<p class="p2"><i>Mr. Chadwick has played on the diamond -and on the gridiron himself.</i></p> - -<ul> -<li><span class="adauthor">1. THE RIVAL PITCHERS<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>A Story of College Baseball</i></span></span> - -<p>Tom Parsons, a “hayseed,” makes good on -the scrub team of Randall College.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">2. A QUARTERBACK’S PLUCK<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>A Story of College Football</i></span></span> - -<p>A football story, told in Mr. Chadwick’s best style, that is bound -to grip the reader from the start.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">3. BATTING TO WIN<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>A Story of College Baseball</i></span></span> - -<p>Tom Parsons and his friends Phil and Sid are the leading players -on Randall College team. There is a great game.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">4. THE WINNING TOUCHDOWN<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>A Story of College Football</i></span></span> - -<p>After having to reorganize their team at the last moment, Randall -makes a touchdown that won a big game.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">5. FOR THE HONOR OF RANDALL<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>A Story of College Athletics</i></span></span> - -<p>The winning of the hurdle race and long-distance run is extremely -exciting.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">6. THE EIGHT-OARED VICTORS<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>A Story of College Water Sports</i></span></span> - -<p>Tom, Phil and Sid prove as good at aquatic sports as they are -on track, gridiron and diamond.</p></li> -</ul> - -<p class="p2 noic"><i>Send For Our Free Illustrated Catalogue</i></p> - -<p class="noic">CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York</p> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="noi adtitle">THE BASEBALL JOE SERIES</p> - -<p class="noic adauthor"><span class="smcap">By LESTER CHADWICK</span></p> - -<p class="noic"><i>12mo. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid</i></p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 150px;"> -<img src="images/image09.jpg" width="150" height="227" - alt="THE BASEBALL JOE SERIES" title="THE BASEBALL JOE SERIES" /> -</div> - -<ul> -<li><span class="adauthor">BASEBALL JOE OF THE SILVER STARS<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Rivals of Riverside</i></span></span> - -<p>Joe is an everyday country boy who loves -to play baseball and particularly to pitch.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">BASEBALL JOE ON THE SCHOOL NINE<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Pitching for the Blue Banner</i></span></span> - -<p>Joe’s great ambition was to go to boarding -school and play on the school team.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">BASEBALL JOE AT YALE<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Pitching for the College Championship</i></span></span> - -<p>In his second year at Yale Joe becomes a varsity pitcher.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">BASEBALL JOE IN THE CENTRAL LEAGUE<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Making Good as a Professional Pitcher</i></span></span> - -<p>From Yale College to a baseball league of our Central States.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">BASEBALL JOE IN THE BIG LEAGUE<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or A Young Pitcher’s Hardest Struggles</i></span></span> - -<p>From the Central League Joe goes to the St. Louis Nationals.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">BASEBALL JOE ON THE GIANTS<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Making Good as a Twirler in the Metropolis</i></span></span> - -<p>Joe was traded to the Giants and became their mainstay.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">BASEBALL JOE IN THE WORLD SERIES<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Pitching for the Championship</i></span></span> - -<p>What Joe did to win the series will thrill the most jaded reader.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">BASEBALL JOE AROUND THE WORLD<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Pitching on a Grand Tour</i></span></span> - -<p>The Giants and the All-Americans tour the world.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">BASEBALL JOE: HOME RUN KING<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Greatest Pitcher and Batter on Record</i></span></span> - -<p>Joe becomes the greatest batter in the game.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">BASEBALL JOE SAVING THE LEAGUE<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Breaking Up a Great Conspiracy</i></span></span> - -<p>Throwing the game meant a fortune but also dishonor.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">BASEBALL JOE CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Bitter Struggles on the Diamond</i></span></span> - -<p>After Joe was elevated to the position of captain, the team took -on a new spirit. But the old captain was jealous and tried his best -to bring Joe to grief.</p></li> -</ul> - -<p class="p2 noic"><i>Send For Our Free Illustrated Catalogue</i></p> - -<p class="noic">CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York</p> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="noi adtitle">THE JACK RANGER SERIES</p> - -<p class="noic adauthor"><span class="smcap">By CLARENCE YOUNG</span></p> - -<p class="noic"><i>12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket in Colors</i></p> - -<p class="noic"><i><b>Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid</b></i></p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 150px;"> -<img src="images/image10.jpg" width="150" height="210" - alt="THE JACK RANGER SERIES" title="THE JACK RANGER SERIES" /> -</div> - -<p class="p2"><i>Lively stories of outdoor sports and adventure -every boy will want to read.</i></p> - -<ul> -<li><span class="adauthor">1. JACK RANGER’S SCHOOLDAYS<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Rivals of Washington Hall</i></span></span> - -<p>You will love Jack Ranger—you simply can’t -help it. He is bright and cheery, and earnest -in all he does.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">2. JACK RANGER’S WESTERN TRIP<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or From Boarding School to Ranch and Range</i></span></span> - -<p>This volume takes the hero to the great West. Jack is anxious -to clear up the mystery surrounding his father’s disappearance.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">3. JACK RANGER’S SCHOOL VICTORIES<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or Track, Gridiron and Diamond</i></span></span> - -<p>Jack gets back to Washington Hall and goes in for all sorts of -school games. There are numerous contests on the athletic field.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">4. JACK RANGER’S OCEAN CRUISE<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Wreck of the Polly Ann</i></span></span> - -<p>How Jack was carried off to sea against his will makes a “yarn” -no boy will want to miss.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">5. JACK RANGER’S GUN CLUB<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or From Schoolroom to Camp and Trail</i></span></span> - -<p>Jack organizes a gun club and with his chums goes in quest of -big game. They have many adventures in the mountains.</p></li> - - -<li><span class="adauthor">6. JACK RANGER’S TREASURE BOX<br /> -<span class="ident"><i>or The Outing of the Schoolboy Yachtsmen</i></span></span> - -<p>Jack receives a box from his father and it is stolen. How he regains -it makes an absorbing tale.</p></li> -</ul> - -<p class="p2 noic"><i>Send For Our Free Illustrated Catalogue</i></p> - -<p class="noic">CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York</p> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="tnote"> -<p class="noi tntitle">Transcriber’s Notes:</p> - -<p class="smfont">A List of Illustrations has been provided for the convenience of - the reader.</p> - -<p class="smfont">Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected.</p> - -<p class="smfont">Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved.</p> - -<p class="smfont">Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved.</p> - -<p class="smfont">The author’s long dash style has been retained.</p> - -<p class="smfont">The Chapter XXX title in the Table of Contents (All’s Well) was - changed to reflect the title within the contents (All’s - Well—Conclusion).</p> -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Motor Boys Bound for Home, by Clarence Young - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MOTOR BOYS BOUND FOR HOME *** - -***** This file should be named 53704-h.htm or 53704-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/7/0/53704/ - -Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - - -</pre> - -</body> -</html> diff --git a/old/53704-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/53704-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 06c2598..0000000 --- a/old/53704-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53704-h/images/image01.jpg b/old/53704-h/images/image01.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index cebfe11..0000000 --- a/old/53704-h/images/image01.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53704-h/images/image02.jpg b/old/53704-h/images/image02.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 0d07c6d..0000000 --- a/old/53704-h/images/image02.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53704-h/images/image03.jpg b/old/53704-h/images/image03.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index fc82c51..0000000 --- a/old/53704-h/images/image03.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53704-h/images/image04.jpg b/old/53704-h/images/image04.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 3bc3b87..0000000 --- a/old/53704-h/images/image04.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53704-h/images/image05.jpg b/old/53704-h/images/image05.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 96e4529..0000000 --- a/old/53704-h/images/image05.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53704-h/images/image06.jpg b/old/53704-h/images/image06.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f65f919..0000000 --- a/old/53704-h/images/image06.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53704-h/images/image07.jpg b/old/53704-h/images/image07.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index d9163d9..0000000 --- a/old/53704-h/images/image07.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53704-h/images/image08.jpg b/old/53704-h/images/image08.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 911681c..0000000 --- a/old/53704-h/images/image08.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53704-h/images/image09.jpg b/old/53704-h/images/image09.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index b37379e..0000000 --- a/old/53704-h/images/image09.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53704-h/images/image10.jpg b/old/53704-h/images/image10.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 5dcbf95..0000000 --- a/old/53704-h/images/image10.jpg +++ /dev/null |
