CHAPTER IX.

A CLOSE CALL.

"My, but that water looks mighty inviting."

The Valkyrie was at anchor just outside a small cove of a small island not more than a couple of miles in circumference and nearly round in shape. It was late in the afternoon and the boat had limped to its present position some hours before with a badly cracked cylinder head. MacDonald, the engineer, had expressed the opinion that it would take the better part of two days to complete repairs.

It was scorching hot and only Bob and Jack were on deck, all the others except those working on the engine being below in their bunks where it was a bit cooler.

"It does look good," Jack agreed.

"How about a swim?"

"You said it."

Being dressed only in trowsers and shirt it was only a matter of seconds before they were in the water and for half an hour they swam and dived.

"Guess I've had enough," Jack declared as he rose the surface, after a deep dive and shook the water from his face.

"I'll be in in a minute," Bob, who was floating idly a few yards away, told him.

Jack mounted the rope ladder and, after donning his clothes, went to his cabin for a book. As he returned to the deck he looked out over the water and a sight met his eyes which seemed, for an instant, to freeze the blood in his veins. Bob was swimming slowly toward the boat and was some two hundred feet away, while farther out, a black triangular object was cutting through the water. For a second the boy was spellbound then, galvanized into action, he shouted:

"Sharks, Bob, sharks!"

Bob heard the cry and, without waiting to look behind him struck out with all his speed for the boat. When first seen the fin of the shark was not coming directly toward Bob but was moving nearly at right angles to the direction in which he was swimming. Jack prayed that the big fish had not seen him, but, as soon as he had uttered the warning, he rushed for his cabin and returned a moment later with his favorite Winchester in his hands. Eagerly he looked out and saw that Bob had covered fully half the distance to the boat, but, to his horror, he also saw that the shark had sighted him and was now coming straight for him. In fact the ominous fin was only a matter of fifty feet from the swimmer and was rapidly cutting down the distance between them.

"He'll never make it," he gasped as he raised the rifle.

Bob, now fully aware of his danger, was plowing through the water, making the best speed of which he was capable, but it seemed to the frightened boy on the boat, that he was stationary, compared with the swiftness with which the fin was cutting through the water.

"Oh, God, send this bullet straight," he breathed as he aimed just a bit in front of the fin and pulled the trigger.

For an instant, after firing the shot, he dared not look, then, realizing that there might be time for another shot, he raised his eyes.

"Thank God," he gasped as he saw the huge body of the shark floating on the water and Bob almost at the foot of the ladder.

In another moment the two boys were in each other's arms.

"Oh, Bob," Jack sighed, the tears running down his face. "I thought I was going to lose you."

"And you would have if it hadn't been for that wonderful shot."

"God sped that bullet."

"I believe you."

"What's all the shooting about?"

The boys turned to see their uncle emerging from his cabin.

"Jack shot a shark," Bob said, pointing at the dead fish now floating only a short distance from the boat.

"What was he after?" Mr. Lakewood demanded. Then noticing that Bob was naked, he asked: "You been in swimming?"

"Yes, sir," Bob replied.

"And you didn't know any better?"

"I was in too," Jack confessed. "You see, sir, it was so hot I reckon we didn't stop to think about the sharks."

"Well, you ought to be spanked, and you will be if you ever do such a thing again."

"Yes, sir," both boys replied meekly.

"Tell me about it."

"He--er--it almost had me when Jack shot it," Bob stammered.

"You mean that shark would have had you if Jack hadn't shot it?"

"It sure would."

"Then it's a miracle," his uncle told him. "Shooting a shark in the water and killing him with one shot is something that can't be done once in a hundred times, let me tell you. I know because I've tried it and I'm considered a pretty good shot. Of course, when you have one on a line, as we did a while ago, and can choose your time it's a different matter."

"God did it," Jack whispered.

"Not a doubt of it," his uncle agreed. "And it is by His grace that you're alive now," he added turning to Bob again.

"I--I know it, sir."

"And you'd better take your bath in the tub after this," Mr. Lakewood remarked dryly as he turned back to his cabin.

"I sure thought I was a goner that time," Bob said, as he pulled on his clothes after his uncle had left them.

"He must be all of twenty feet long," Jack said as he looked over the rail at the dead fish.

"About one bite and it would have been all up with me," Bob sighed.

"Well, let's not talk any more about it. It's too horrible. How about getting a line on him?"

"I suppose we ought to save the oil."

They got a rope and, lowering one of the small boats, they soon had the shark securely tied, and later the crew secured several quarts of the valuable oil from its head.

All the next day, the work of repairing the engine went on, and it was not until supper time that MacDonald finally announced that they could proceed as soon as they wished.

"I reckon we'd better wait till morning now," Mr. Lakewood decided after a session with Captain Ole.

The boys had spent a part of the day on the little island, but as there was nothing of it save a pile of sand, there was little of diversion to attract them.

"That man Josh seems mighty uneasy," Bob whispered to Jack, as they leaned on the rail near the bow shortly after supper.

The second mate was walking slowly back and forth on the deck, a little way behind them, and seemed unaware of their presence. From time to time, they noticed that he would gaze for some seconds toward the south, as though expecting to see something. Then he would resume his restless pacing, his eyes fixed on the deck.

"He's sure got something on his mind," Jack whispered back.

"He's on the lookout for something or someone."

"Maybe."

"Dead certain."

"Reckon you're right."

"I wonder if he knows how to send and receive wireless."

"I don't know, why?"

"Well, I missed the key to the wireless room this morning. I didn't say anything about it, thinking probably I'd mislaid it. But I hunted for it every place I could think of and didn't find it, and then after dinner it was back again in its place."

"But he'd hardly dare send in the day time, or even to go into the room."

"No, but he might have taken the key, and then filed one to match it."

"That's so, and it's probably just what he did," Jack agreed.

"Then he probably knows the code."

"Of course. It wouldn't be of much use to him if he didn't."

"You get the key, and let's go take a look and see if there's any evidence that he's been in the room."

"Right. I'll be back in a minute."

But they failed to find anything wrong in the little room which was used for the wireless. They tested the apparatus, and found it all in good order, nor could they find any indication that anyone save themselves had been in the room.

"If he's made a key to fit the door, I don't believe he's used it yet," Bob said after they had made a thorough examination of the room and its contents.

"But he must intend to."

"Of course."

"Then I reckon it's up to us to see that he doesn't."

"Of course again."

"To-night?"

"To-night what?"

"I mean does he intend to use it to-night?"

"I think it's more than likely. By his actions out there he evidently thinks that someone's not very far away."

"Then I see where we play detective."

"I happen to know that he goes on watch at twelve o'clock to-night and I think we'd better be on watch after that too."

"We will."

The boys went to bed shortly after eight o'clock that night, but seeing that they had been up very early that morning, no one seemed to think it strange. Bob had a small alarm clock and, before getting into bed, he set it for twelve o'clock.

"It's raining," he announced in a whisper after the alarm had awakened him and he had succeeded in shaking Jack out of his sleep.

"Well, I don't know's that makes any difference in our plans, does it?"

"Not a dif. But come, snap out of it."

"Be with you in two shakes," Jack whispered as he leaped from the bunk.

The wireless room was directly behind the wheel house and they had decided to watch their chance and slip into the latter room and trust to luck that the mate would not see them. They believed that once in there they would be able to hear him if he made an attempt to enter the other room.

"It's dark as pitch," Bob said trying to look out the window.

"So much the better."

"But we've got to be mighty careful just the same. If he sees us he'll know what we're up for and all the fat'll be in the fire," Bob declared.

"Think we'd better go one at a time?"

"No, we'll go together. Might's well both be caught as one."

"All right: just as you say."

They had slipped on trowsers and shirts but were in their bare feet as they opened the door and cautiously stepped outside. For an instant they stood still, close to the side of the cabin, and listened. There was no sound to indicate that the mate was near and they slowly crept along hugging the wall. It was so dark that they could see nothing at all until they reached the corner and looked out onto the forward deck. Here a single light slightly illuminated the forward part of the boat and Bob, who was in the lead, saw the tall form of the mate well up at the bow. He was sitting on a coil of rope and had his head in his hands.

"We might get by and then again we might not," Bob explained as he stepped back a pace.

"Better not take a chance," Jack whispered. "He won't sit there long."

But it was all of a half hour before the mate changed his position and the boys had about lost patience when Bob, who peeped around the corner every few minutes, whispered that he was standing up. Soon footsteps warned them that he was coming their way and they pressed as closely as possible against the side of the cabin and waited. He passed within a foot of them but, so intense was the darkness, he failed to see them. They waited another minute and then Bob whispered now, and in another moment they were up the stairs and safe, for the time, in the wheel house.

"So far so good," Bob chuckled.

They stretched themselves on the floor close to the partition which separated them from the wireless room and waited. There was little danger now of discovery, they thought, even should he come into the room unless he should turn on the light and they did not think he would be likely to do that.

Another half hour passed before they heard his steps coming up the stairs. He stepped onto the bridge and for another long period he made no sound. Then they heard him enter the wheel house and the creak of a chair told them that he had sat down. Followed an agonizing period during which they hardly dared breathe. Once he lit his pipe and, as the match flared up they thought surely they would be discovered, but his back was toward them and he did not turn, at least until the match went out.

"Well, I guess it's about time."

The man spoke the words aloud but in a low tone. Then they heard him get up and, a moment later, pass out of the room.

"Time for what?" Jack whispered, his lips close to Bob's ear.

"That's what we've got to find out," Bob whispered back.

He passed the door of the wheel house and, a moment later, they heard him at the door of the wireless room.

"You guessed right," Jack whispered.

There seemed to be some trouble in getting the door unlocked and the boys hoped that the key would not fit. Several times they heard the man mutter under his breath and more than once he used, what Jack afterward referred to as "quite illuminating language." But finally they heard the door open and close.

"Come on now," Bob whispered as he got quietly to his feet.

Without knowing what plan Bob had in his head Jack followed him from the wheel house and around to the door of the wireless room. Through the crack beneath the door they could see a gleam of light and knew that he had turned on the electric but the shutters of the single window were so tightly closed that no ray came through them.

"What you going to do?" Jack whispered.

"Just a minute and I'll tell you," Bob whispered back as he drew from his pocket a pair of small pliers adapted for cutting wire.

He knew just where the lead in from the aerial entered the room and that just beside the door was a large insulator through which the wire passed. It was the work of but an instant to cut the wire just below this insulator. Then he pulled the upper part of the wire up about an inch and then stuck the piece, which he had cut off, up into the insulator, pushing it far enough so that it securely held but being careful that the two ends did not touch. In this way he put the apparatus entirely out of commission and in such a way that it would be likely to take a long time for anyone else to locate the trouble.

This was done in much less time than it takes to tell it and, taking Jack by the arm, he pulled him gently away from the door.

"He's welcome to all the messages he gets," he chuckled as soon as they were around in front of the wheel house.

"What'd you do?"

Bob explained how he had split the aerial.

"Fine," Jack praised him. "He'll never find out where the trouble is in a week of Sundays."

Just then they heard a faint snapping sound from behind them and Bob whispered:

"He's trying to send."

"But he isn't using much power," Jack added.

"Afraid some of us'll hear it."

"Can we get it?"

"Listen."

For some moments the boys strained their ears to catch the faint sparks which came from the wireless, but finally Bob said:

"It's no use. Either he's using some code which I don't know or else it's so faint I've got it all balled up."

"Same here. I couldn't make head or tail out of it."

"Well, we have the satisfaction of knowing that the person or persons he thinks he's sending to isn't making even that much out of it because he isn't hearing it at all," Bob chuckled.

"But, Bob, if he expects to get him with a spark of that size he must think he's pretty near."

"Reckon that's so."

Just then the sounds of the sparks stopped.

"He's listening for the answer now," Jack chuckled.

"He'll know right off that the thing's dead."

"Sure he will."

"S-s-s-s-h."

They heard the door open and the man step out.

"Something's the matter with the blamed thing," $hey heard him mutter.

"You said it, old man," Jack whispered.

From the sounds they judged that he was feeling for the lead-in wire and they were, for a moment, filled with apprehension lest he find the break for they knew it would take only a slight yank to pull either end from the insulator. Soon, however, their fears were relieved as they heard him mutter: "Must be something on the inside. Everything seems to be all right out here." Then the door shut as he passed in.

"Go to it," Jack whispered. "If you find it in there you're a whole lot better than I think you are."

They were now in the wheel house again and, pressing their ear against the partition, they could hear him as he was evidently testing the different parts of the set.

"Hope he doesn't loose his temper and smash anything," Jack whispered as they heard something drop on the floor.

"I don't think he'd dare do that."

"Nor I. But you never can tell what a man of his stripe will do."

For several minutes after that there was no sound from the wireless room and then the sparking was heard again.

"He's trying to send again," Jack whispered.

"Well, he can't do any harm at that," Bob whispered back. "I only wish we could read his stuff."

"He's sending the same thing over and over again."

"You mean he's trying to," Bob chuckled.

Then all was quiet again and the boys judged that he must be listening again for a reply to his message. Five, ten and then fifteen minutes passed without a sound. Then suddenly they heard the door open and, a moment later, footsteps approached the wheel house. Bob nudged Jack as a signal to make no noise and Jack nudged him back in token of his understanding. For some time the mate stood on the bridge moving uneasily from time to time and finally he entered the room and sat down in the chair which stood directly in front of the wheel.

"I more'n half believe those boys suspect me," they heard him mutter after a few minutes had passed.

"You win," Bob thought to himself as he carefully nudged his brother again.

"Something was the matter with that wireless but I'll be hanged if I could find out what it was," they heard him say.

Then, as though unable to stay long in one place, he went out onto the bridge again and, a moment later, they heard his steps as he descended the stairs to the lower deck.

"What'll we do now?" Jack whispered.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know but we might's well go to bed. I hardly think he'll try anything more to-night.

"What time is it?"

"Half after two."

"Well, I think we'd better stick it out till daylight. You see--" But before he could finish his sentence they heard the mate coming up the stairs again.

He stood just outside the door and, in a moment, they were electrified to see a stream of light dart from his hand.

"He's signalling again," Bob thought.

From where they lay they were, of course, unable to see whether or not he was receiving any reply to his signals and soon Bob was determined that he was going to get out where he could see regardless of the risk. Carefully he urged his body toward the door inch by inch confident that Jack would understand and lie quiet. He reached the open door without making the slightest noise and, even in the intense darkness, he could see the mate as he stood by the railing not more than six feet away. Slowly and cautiously he drew himself to his feet until he was standing erect in the doorway. He knew that the man might turn his head at any moment, but he trusted to the more intense darkness, with the room as a background, to hide him in case it happened.

The mate was now flashing his light rapidly out over the water and Bob strained his eyes to catch the faintest sign of an answering flash from out in the night. But, so far as he could see, none came, and after a few more minutes, the man, with an exclamation of disgust, turned after shutting off his light. Would he see the boy standing like a statue in the doorway? Bob dared not make a move so close was he to the mate and he held his breath for fear he might catch even that slight sound. One, two and then three steps he took toward him and so close was he that Bob could have reached out his hand and touched him. Then suddenly, as though struck by a new idea, he turned and quickly descended the stairs. Had he seen or heard him? Bob was not sure. He had heard no sound from Jack, and, for a second, he was undecided what to do. Then, he darted down the stairs in pursuit of the man. As soon as he reached the lower deck he paused and listened. No sound, to tell him which way he had gone, was audible and he had no way of knowing. But, from the suddenness of the man's movement as he had turned, he felt certain that he had had some definite object in mind and he was determined to find put what the object was if at all possible. So far they had learned nothing that would be of any help. To be sure they had foiled his attempt to send a message to his confederates, whoever they might be, but with that he was far from satisfied.

Perhaps he had gone to see if they were in their cabin. The thought struck him suddenly and, without waiting to analyze it, he started off as rapidly as he dared. But, when he had reached the door of his cabin he had not encountered the man and, after listening a moment, he opened it and went in. Turning on the light for an instant he satisfied himself that the room was empty nor could he see any evidence that the mate had been there.

"Reckon I guessed wrong that time," he thought as he switched off the light.

Stepping outside once more, for some moments he stood leaning against the railing looking out across the dark water. He made no attempt at concealment knowing that he could easily explain his presence in case the man should discover him.

"Up early 'aint yer?"

The question came so suddenly that Bob gave at start. Then, turning, he saw that the mate was standing close behind him.

"Great snakes, I'd as soon be killed as scared to death," he laughed.

"Didn't mean ter scare yer," the man apologized.

"Oh, it's all right," the other assured him. "It was a bit close in the cabin and I thought there'd be more air out here," he explained.

"Yep, it's a close night. Looks 's though it might rain."

"Which way's the wind?

"Nor-east, what thar is of it, which same 'aint much."

"I'll say it isn't."

"Wonder yer brother didn't want some air too."

"Oh, Jack's a better sleeper than I am," Bob laughed easily.

"Reckon I could sleep all right if I had the chance."

"Go ahead and hit the hay," Bob told him. "I'll stand the rest of your watch. I wouldn't sleep any more anyway and I'd rather stay out here than inside."

"You mean it?"

"Sure I do. Go to it."

"But mebby the cap' might not like it."

"He won't care as long as someone is on the watch," Bob assured him.

"Then I reckon as how I'll do it. I'm mighty sleepy."

The mate turned and disappeared in the darkness going toward his quarters. Bob waited a few minutes and then made his way to the wheel house.

"Where you been?" Jack demanded as soon as he was inside.

Bob told him what had happened and added: "You'd better get back to bed."

"Like fun I will and leave you alone."

"But, Jack, there's no danger."

"How do you know there isn't?"

"How could there be? You see, I'm not sure whether he really turned in or not, and if he should see you up he'd know something was in the wind. I honestly think you ought to go."

"Well, all right if you feel that way about it," Jack said after a moment's thought. "But you have to promise that you won't get into trouble or I won't go a step."

"Of course I won't," Bob laughed. "Now run along like a good little boy."

He accompanied him as far as the door of the cabin and then went back to the bridge. During the remainder of the night he made frequent rounds of the boat, half expecting to meet the mate again. But in this he was agreeably disappointed. Nor, although he watched carefully, did he see anything which could be taken for a signal.