The Third Officer

like an aeroplane overhea

iles nor'-west of the Sandwich Islands. The sky was clear and brig

mistaken, old son. It's hardly likely that a seaplane

firm of tabloid drug manufacturers. Colonel and Mrs. Vivian were seated in canopied deck-chairs under the lee of one of the deck-houses. Captain Blair and the Chief Engineer were pacing to and fro on the starboard side of the deck, earnestly disc

t, overhearing the Third Offic

airs of eyes were scanning t

r it now?" a

ranscombe bluntly, "but

dynamos you heard

urth Officer firmly. "In fact," he

pair o' lugs," obser

of the Fifth Officer and the two quartermasters resulted in a negative

nd reported the result of his inquiries. "But no one can prove I d

on my hearing, but I'm hanged if I saw anything. Besides, if there were a seaplane so far

thampton to Cherbourg and Havre during the war, the sky was stiff with 'em. Hardly ever bothered to look up a

tinuing to give practica

ed the girl, removing the receivers fr

atus was of a totally different tune. That discovery puzzled him, since almost every ship and station keeps within the narrow limit of the 600-metre wave. Disconnecting the pin of the receiving-gear, and placing the jigger-switch on the

st mechanically wrote the message that came through ethereal space. To h

ss Vivian's presence, he continued. "Code message-they o

s. None of the recognized books afforded a clue. It might be jus

look-out man, just as the wireless opera

, and her curiosity was aroused by the appearance of the stranger. Branscombe, who was standing near her, hastened to offer

me of the ship?

r gravely, "but I'm not a thought reader. She'l

s a light cruiser of about 4000 tons, with two funnels and two short masts. From the deck of the Donibristle it was seen that she carried a gun for'ard, and three on her starboard broadside, s

" inquired Co

n's "chit" in his hand. "I don't even know her class. The navy's developed so many weird and hybrid types during the war, that it would puzz

binoculars. "She hasn't even her name painted on

e International E.C. flutter

ilda. They had now crossed to where Colonel Vivian, Burgoyne

muttered the girl.

yn, loth to keep out of the con

a number," o

the S.S. Donibristle, 6200 tons, registered at Newcastle-on-Tyne. Now they are making the

it was quite apparent to Colonel Vivian, his daughter, and Mr. Tarrant, that there was something of extreme gravity in that signal. Mrs. Vivian, being a

served in the Outer Patrol during the Great War, when the examination of neutral merchantmen was an everyday o

ontempt. Deeply puzzled, Captain Blair stepped to the engine-room telegraph and was about to ring

uejackets, sir;

ing sixteen points, and moving half as fast again as the merchantman, she rounded the latter's stern

call," ordered Captain Blair hurriedly, "ad

so that she overlapped the Donibristle by about half her length. Meanwhile she had diminis

d a pair of hand signal-flags at the "preparatory". Then, without

d and spoke through the

vel even tones, "can you g

, for the skipper replaced the whis

ll be sparks flying in half a shake. Heave-to, indeed. I'll show

der when the pirate, aware that their commands with reference to the wi

he wireless cabin simply disappeared, while fragments of the shell killed the Chief Officer on the spot, severely

mbe rushed to his aid, but before he could reach him the skipper regained his feet. Half-b

team steering-gear until the helm was hard-a-starboard. As he felt the ship answer he became as cool and steady as

er was about to ram his opponent and send the cruiser, with all