Part 14 (1/2)

Evidently his chum was straining hard to hear. He even closed his eyes, the better to concentrate. What could it be? Jack had news of his own to impart, important news, but in Frank's att.i.tude he sensed something that bespoke importance too. Suddenly Frank opened his eyes.

”That's all,” he said. ”The conversation grew fainter and fainter. Now I can't hear at all any more.”

”What was it? What did you hear?”

”Just two s.h.i.+ps talking, Jack. That's all.”

Frank smiled teasingly, as he folded the umbrella and pulled it back through the porthole, then laid off the headphones and began hauling in the ground wire.

”Just two s.h.i.+ps, that's all. You don't mind my taking liberties with your toy, do you, Jack?”

”Of course not. But, look here, you heard something that excited you, Frank. Quit jos.h.i.+ng. What was it?”

Frank turned a serious face, his eyes gleaming.

”Jack, the funniest thing. I heard two s.h.i.+ps talking, or rather, only one s.h.i.+p talking to another. The replies of the second I couldn't hear at all.”

”That ring-radio has a radius of about ten miles,” said Jack. ”Perhaps not quite that much. That accounts for it. You heard the s.h.i.+p that was within our radius, but not the other because it was too far away to be heard. But what was said? Business, I suppose?”

”Business, my eye,” said Frank. ”The one nearby was the U. S. Sub Chaser X-51. And as far as I could gather, it was talking to a coast liner bound north for San Francisco aboard which was Inspector Burton. He was asking the sub chaser to run alongside the liner and take him off.

Remember, I could only hear what the sub chaser replied. I gathered from something said that the liner could not be so very far away. The sub chaser started for it, however, and as it drew away from us the radio got fainter and fainter until I lost it altogether.”

”A sub chaser that close to us,” said Jack, highly excited. ”That decides me. We've got to act at once. Come on.”

He seized Frank by an arm and propelled him toward the door.

”But here. Wait a minute. I'm not half dressed yet. What's the matter with you?”

”Jump into your clothes quick. Meantime I'll get hold of Mr. Temple and Bob and bring them back here. We have got to talk to that sub chaser and turn her this way.”

”Talk to her?” said Frank, perplexed. ”You must be crazy. With this little receiving set, I suppose.”

”No, with the trawler's radio. But I'll explain when I return. Jump into your clothes.”

CHAPTER XIV

THE UPPER HAND REGAINED

Jack was highly excited as he dashed into the main salon and made for the door of the Temples' cabin. And with reason. He believed that now, if ever, they must attempt to seize the trawler.

The Chinese crew threatened to get out of hand and seize the s.h.i.+p themselves, in order to make sure of their vengeance upon the boys for what they had done to Wong Ho. If the boys antic.i.p.ated them, and got the upper hand, they could send a call for help by radio to the sub chaser.

It would be a matter of only a very short time before that speedy craft could swing about and come to their rescue. Moreover, they would thereby capture ”Black George” Folwell. And Inspector Burton had said it would be a feather in the cap of any man to accomplish that undertaking.

The main salon still was deserted, and the doors to the cabins of ”Black George” and Matt Murphy still closed. Jack did not know, of course, whether Doctor Marley had returned to his patient. But he believed that probably the frightened little man had waited above deck to see whether Engineer MacFinney found any signs of sabotage.

The Temples' door resisted. It was locked. But Bob's voice called sharply: