The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas

“Don’t slam the door when you’re going out!”

“You young whipper snapper, I – I – ” choked out Radwig, and being too discomfited to find words, ended the sentence by shaking his fist at the two boys.

“Well,” said Raynor, as Radwig vanished, muttering angrily to himself, “it would appear as if you’d spilled the beans, Jack.”

“It does look that way, doesn’t it?” said Jack with a smile. “I rather fancy our Teutonic friend will be good for a while now.”

CHAPTER XIII

A MESSAGE IN CODE

“What happened?” was Raynor’s next question.

“Oh, he came in here and offered me untold gold to send a code message for him. I fancy that it was about the Ruritania, telling her whereabouts and so on.”

“So that was his game, eh?”

“Well, he didn’t work it. I got mad and told him that he needn’t bother to conceal his identity from me, and that if he bothered me any more I’d show him up to the first British officer that again boarded us.”

“Phew! Going some. How did he take it?”

“I thought he was going up like a balloon for a minute,” laughed Jack. “Now, if we only could identify Schultz, we’d have both of them where we want them.”

“That’s going to be a hard job,” declared Bill. “They don’t go about together. At least, I’ve watched closely, but never saw Radwig talking with anyone on board.”

“No, I guess they keep pretty well under cover for fear of accident. I wish I could have gotten a look at them that night I overheard them talking.”

“Yes, it would have simplified matters a good deal,” Bill admitted, “but, as you say, I don’t think either of them will try to bother us again.”

The day passed uneventfully. In the afternoon they sighted a small British freighter making her way west, and later on overtook a French oil ship bound for Holland. Jack flashed them the latest war news, for they had a small wireless outfit, and in return received the information that two German cruisers were somewhere in the vicinity and that the French ship was in fear of capture at any time.

That evening the wind blew rather hard. A high sea was whipped up by the gale and the St.Mark, big as she was, rolled and pitched violently. It was what sea-faring men would have called “a fresh breeze,” but to the passengers, that is, such of them as were unseasoned travelers, it was a veritable storm.

Jack and Bill rather enjoyed the rough weather, coming as it did after a monotonous calm. After dinner they ascended to the boat deck and paced up and down, chatting for some time. Inside the wireless room Muller was at the key. Now and then, as they passed and repassed, they would exchange a word with him. It was on one of these occasions that Muller hailed them excitedly.

“There’s a ship just wirelessed the S. O. S.!” he exclaimed.

“Great Scott,” cried Jack, “and on a night like this. What’s the trouble?”’

“Don’t know yet. I’m trying to get them again. Notify the captain, will you?”

“On the jump,” cried Jack.

He despatched his errand in a few minutes, and was back in the wireless room with instructions to “stand by” and get further information as soon as possible.

“Anything new?” he asked Muller.

The wireless man shook his head.

“Nothing but that first S. O. S.,” he said.

Suddenly there came a shout from Bill, who was standing in the door.

“Look, Jack, what’s that off there?” he exclaimed, pointing to the horizon.

A dull glow was reflected against the night sky in the direction he indicated. Now it flashed bright as a blown furnace, and again it sank to a faint glare. Jack was not long in deciding what it was.

“It’s a ship on fire,” he declared.

At almost the same moment a hoarse shout from the forward lookout and a shouted reply from the bridge told that the glare had been observed from there, too.

Possibly there is nothing at sea that thrills like the sight of a vessel on fire. Jack, it will be recalled, had witnessed such a spectacle before, but yet his heart bounded as he watched the distant glare now bright and glowing, now dull and flickering.

“Hullo, the old man has rung for full speed ahead!” exclaimed Bill, as the next moment the St. Mark’s speed was perceptibly quickened and her course changed.

Several seamen in charge of the third officer, a Mr. Smallwood, came trampling aft. They busied themselves loosening the fastenings of one of the boats and getting it ready for launching. Presently they were joined, and three additional craft were made ready for the work of life saving.

All this time the glow had been getting brighter as the St. Mark approached the burning ship. But the distance was as yet too great to make out what manner of vessel she was.

“I’d give anything to get in one of those boats,” observed Jack to Bill, as the two lads watched the preparations for lowering away.

“So would I,” agreed Bill. “Do you think there’s a chance?”

“I don’t know. I ‘deadheaded’ a radio for Mr. Smallwood to his sick mother the day we sailed. That might have some influence with him. I’ll ask him anyhow.”

Jack vainly pleaded with the at first obdurate officer, but after a long interval, he returned to Bill with a smile on his face.

“It’s all right,” he announced. “It was a hard job to get him to consent. I won him over at last. We go.”

“Hurray!” cried Bill. “Now for some oilskins! It’s not the sort of night to be without them.”

“I’ve got mine in the cabin,” said Jack. “I’ll borrow Muller’s for you.”

“Good for you. Gosh! Look at those flames. Seems to be a big steamer.”

Both boys paused a moment to look at the awe-inspiring spectacle of the blazing ship.

As they did so, something occurred which chilled the hot blood in their veins and caused them to exchange startled, bewildered looks.

Over the dark, heaving waters that divided them from the blazing vessel there was borne to their ears what sounded like an awful concerted groan of agony. Again and again it came, rising and falling in a terrible rhythm. It was not human. It sounded like the sufferings of demons.

“Wow! But that’s fearful!” exclaimed Bill, paling. “What under the sun can it be?”

CHAPTER XIV

THE CATTLE SHIP

The awesome sound continued while the boats were being lowered. The weird nature of the uproar and its mystery made even the rough seamen apprehensive. The more religious among them crossed themselves fervently.