CHAPTER II.

AT SEA.

"Say yes, Dad."

"What do you say, Mother?"

Bob gave the order, and his father asked the question, while Jack and their uncle held their breath, waiting for her reply. Mrs. Lakewood looked first at one boy and then at the other.

"I believe I'll feel safer knowing that they're with Silas than to have them tramping goodness knows where, alone, and I've got pretty used to that," she smiled.

"That means we can go," Jack shouted, jumping up and giving his mother a bear-like hug.

"Save the pieces," she laughed.

"I'll take good care of them," their uncle promised.

"I know you will, Silas," she smiled as soon as Bob released her from another hug.

Followed busy days of preparation, interspersed with several trips which the boys insisted on taking with their uncle to show him some of the wonders of their State. But finally the night before their departure came, and as they were eating supper their father suddenly asked:

"How about that Photoradio? Going to take it with you?"

"What's that?" his brother asked eagerly. "Did I understand you to say a photoradio?"

"That's what you did. It's a machine the boys invented, and what's more, it works. Tell him about it, Bob."

"Well, I snum, what do you know about that?" His surprise was manifest in his voice and, as soon as the meal was over, he had to have a demonstration.

"Do you realize that there's a fortune in that thing?" he asked, when they had shown him what the machine would do.

"Maybe," Bob replied.

"No maybe about it," the other declared. "And when we get back I'm going to look into it, that is, provided you want me to."

"Of course we'd be glad to have you," Bob assured him. "But what do you think about taking it with us?"

"How far'll it work?"

"We've only tried it over a distance of about fifty miles."

"And it worked good that far?"

"Perfectly."

"Well, what's the matter with taking one end of it and leave the other end here? Maybe we can shoot some scenes up here. Who knows? You know how to run it?" he asked turning to his brother.

"Yes, Bob showed me how," Mr. Lakewood replied.

"Then we'll do it. It won't take up much room."

They left early the following morning and arriving in New York shortly before midnight, went to The Commodore where Mr. Lakewood had engaged rooms by wire. He had told them that it would take a couple of days to get things in shape before they sailed, although the captain and crew had been engaged before he had left for The Fortress.

"There's always a lot of things to see to at the last minute, and I don't like to be rushed," he explained as they said good night.

They were up bright and early the next morning, as their uncle had promised to take them over to a wharf on the East River where the Valkyrie was tied up, and they were most anxious to see the boat. He had evaded their questioning regarding her, telling them that he wanted them to get their first impression of her when they saw her, so, beyond the fact that she was an oil burning yacht, about eighty feet long, they knew practically nothing. Knowing that their uncle was a man of considerable wealth, they were quite sure that he would have a good boat. But they were not prepared for the beautiful vessel which met their gaze as they hurried out to the end of the wharf shortly after eight o'clock.

"Gee, but she's a beauty," Jack gasped, as he stood still for a moment and gazed at the beautiful lines of the boat, as she rode at anchor about fifty feet out in the river.

"I reckon Ole had to move her out there," Mr. Lakewood said, his face flushed with pleasure at Jack's praise. "She was tied up here, but I expect they wanted the room."

Just then a man appeared on her deck, and Mr. Lakewood waved his hand, and, a moment later, a small rowboat was lowered.

"How's tricks?" the owner asked the small freckled Irishman who saluted him as the boat touched the wharf.

"Niver was better, sir," he grinned.

"These are my two nephews, and they're going with us, and, boys, this is the first mate of the Valkyrie, Patrick Barney," he introduced them.

"Faith an' it's meself as is glad to know yees," the mate assured them holding out a hand to each, and their eager grasp must have made him sure that his pleasure was reciprocated.

"Where's Ole?" Mr. Lakewood asked.

"The Cap'n wint up town aboot an hour ago, but he said as how he'd be back by nine o'clock. Will yees go out?"

"I reckon. Come on, boys, jump in and we'll look her over a bit."

The second mate, a large bony man in the early thirties and evidently a typical Down East Yankee, whom their uncle introduced as Josh Kelley, met them as they mounted the companion way and both boys took an instant liking to him.

The boat had been newly painted, and her brass shown like gold, and everywhere she was spotlessly clean.

"She's guaranteed to do twenty-five knots," their uncle told them as he led the way to the cabin.

The cabin was plainly but very comfortably furnished, and a large book case on one side was filled with books of travel, history and fiction.

"Thought probably we'd want to do some reading," he explained as he saw Bob's eyes fixed on the books. "This is your cabin," he said a few minutes later, after he had taken them below and showed them the engine, which Jack declared was a peach. As he spoke he pushed open a door leading from the main deck and pushed them in. It also was plainly furnished, but they saw at a glance that it contained everything necessary to their comfort. "My cabin is next door," he told them, after they had looked the room over and had voiced their approval.

"Gee, but I wish we were going to start right this minute," Jack declared.

"Well, it won't be long now," Mr. Lakewood smiled. "If Ole's ready, I think we can pull out sometime tomorrow afternoon. There he is now," he added, as a deep voice boomed out. "Come out, and I'll introduce you to the captain."

Captain Ole Olsen was a Swede and, as Jack laughed later "a mighty big one," standing well over six feet and well proportioned. Somewhat to their surprise, he spoke with practically no accent, although, as Jack declared as soon as he was out of hearing, his voice seemed to come from his boots. As soon as the introductions were over, Mr. Lakewood asked him if he could be ready to sail on the following afternoon.

"Sure thing," Captain Ole assured him. "The mates are on board and the rest of the crew will be on hand not later than tomorrow at nine o'clock."

"Good. Then we'll be off as soon as we can get here after dinner. You see," he smiled, "these boys are in a hurry and----"

"And I don't blame 'em a bit," the captain smiled.

"How many'll there be in the crew?" Bob asked as soon as they had been set ashore.

"Eight or ten besides the officers," his uncle told him. "By the way," he added. "How did you like those three?"

"They're fine, I think," Bob assured him, and Jack nodded approval.

"I've known Ole for years and he's all right and so's Pat I've known him for several years, but I don't know a thing about Josh. Ole picked him up a few days ago down and out, so to speak, and knowing from his talk that he knew the sea, and being sorry for him, I suppose, took him on as second officer. I imagine he's all right."

"If I'm any judge he is," Jack said as they stepped into a taxi and started off downtown.

"He struck me as having an honest face and a mighty agreeable one," Bob added.

"Oh, I guess he's all right only----"

But just then the cab gave a sudden lurch to avoid striking another car and the sentence was left unfinished. They reached the hotel shortly before dinner time, and, as soon as the meal was finished, Mr. Lakewood told them that he would leave them to their own resources as he had considerable business to attend to. "But mind your step and don't get lost," he cautioned them. He was back in time for supper and in the evening they went to a show, and the following morning he left them again, saying that he wouldn't be back for dinner, but would meet them at the wharf at two o'clock. "The bills are all paid here," he said, "including your dinner, so you eat here, and I'll see you at two."

"I say, Bob, did it strike you yesterday that Uncle Si was a bit suspicious of the second mate?"

The two boys were finishing their dinner in the hotel, and, as it was only a few minutes past twelve o'clock, they were taking their time.

"Now you speak of it, I do remember he kinder hesitated when he spoke of him, why?"

"That's what I was wondering. You remember he said he knew nothing about him except what he told us, and I can't see why he should feel the way he seemed to. He looked honest enough to me."

"Same here, but perhaps Uncle Si's a better reader of character than you or I."

"It's not impossible," Jack acknowledged slowly.

"Gee, but you sure do hate yourself," Bob laughed as he rose and pushed back his chair.

They were at the wharf at a quarter to two and a few minutes before the hour their uncle joined them, and in another ten minutes they were all on board.

"Crew all on board?" Mr. Lakewood asked as Captain Ole Olsen greeted them.

"All here, sir, and we can start in ten minutes if you're ready."

"The sooner the better, eh, boys?"

"You bet," they both replied.

The captain at once gave the order to up anchor, and almost immediately the voyage had begun.

"And many a stormy wind may blow e'er Jack comes home again," Jack sang as the boat swung her bow around and headed for the Upper Bay.

"There's many a truth spoken in jest," Bob reminded him.

"Don't I know it?" Jack retorted. "I mean just what the song says. I reckon we're going to see more or less rough weather before we get to the end of this voyage."

It was characteristic of the two boys that by the time they were passing through The Narrows they were more or less acquainted with every member of the crew, including Wong, the Chinese cook. Wong was of uncertain age. He might have been fifty, and then again, as Jack put it, he might just as well be a hundred and fifty. Later he confided to them in secret that he was eighty. His face was deeply furrowed with wrinkles and his slanting eyes were deep set beneath heavy brows, and he still clung to his pig tail, which reached far below his waist But, if his looks were against him, his disposition, as Jack put it, was in inverse ratio to his looks, and they took instant liking to the old man, and, as it afterward turned out, he was no less favorably impressed with them.

"Them velly fine boys, we catch um plenty much fun," he told the captain soon after their first trip to the galley.

Down in the engine room they next made the acquaintance of Chief Engineer Wallace MacDonald, a large weather-beaten Scotchman and his assistant, a young red-headed Irishman, who answered to the name of Sandy. Then there were four deck hands, three of whom were Yankees and the other a Swede. These, together with an Irish lad, Jerry Finagin, who waited on the table and washed dishes and made himself useful in other ways, and another boy, who answered to the name of Patsy Malone, and to whom was intrusted the care of the cabins, completed the crew. "And they're one fine bunch, I'm telling you," Jack whispered to Bob, as they were leaning over the rail watching Sandy Hook sink beneath the horizon.

Just as the last glimpse of land disappeared the gong rang for supper and they hurried to the officers' mess room where they found their uncle together with the captain and first mate awaiting them. There was no doubt in their minds after that first meal regarding Wong's ability as a cook, and Mr. Lakewood complimented the captain on his selection.

"He's cooked for me before," Captain Ole told them, "and I knew you'd be pretty hard to suit if he didn't fill the bill."

"Well, he's already filled my stomach," Jack laughed, and Bob added: "And the filling's been pretty good stuff let me tell you."

The Valkyrie was equipped with an up-to-date wireless and a radio receiving set. Mr. Lakewood had proposed taking an operator but the boys had persuaded him that it was unnecessary as they were both licensed operators and either of them could fill the bill, as Jack put it. Before leaving New York, Bob had sent a telegram to his father telling him when they were to sail and instructing him that they would try to send him a picture at ten o'clock that night. So, as soon as the meal was over, they hurried to their cabin and for a couple of hours busied themselves setting up the machine.

"There, I reckon she's all right now," Bob said as he finished the adjustment of a condenser.

"And it's only nine o'clock," Jack announced. "Guess we might's well go on deck for awhile."

On deck they found their uncle and captain listening to a radio concert and for the next hour they were well entertained.

"Five minutes to ten," Jack announced at the close of a selection.

"Then it's time we were getting busy," Bob added as he rose from his chair. "You and the captain care to come along?" he asked.

"Sure thing," Mr. Lakewood replied. "Come along, Cap'n and see what those two boys have rigged up."

"What is it?" Captain Ole asked, rubbing the side of his nose as he gazed at the machine a minute later.

"It's a photoradio," Bob told him.

"You mean it'll send pictures?"

"That's it, but we don't know how far it'll reach. We've only tried it for about fifty miles."

"And where you going to send to now?"

"We're hoping to reach Maine, our home."

"That must be close on to six hundred miles from here."

"That's about what we thought."

As Bob spoke he threw over the switch, and Jack stepped in front of the lens and began throwing kisses and smiling. Then Bob took his place and after he had gone through a few like motions, they insisted that their uncle play his part and then nothing would do, but the captain must at least make his bow. He stepped forward somewhat doubtfully and made a very gracious bow, after which, Bob threw off the switch and threw on another.

"Now to see if we can get a reply," he said, as he stepped back and watched the circle of light on the wall of the room. But, though they waited nearly an hour no picture appeared and they had to conclude that the experiment, at their end at least, was a failure.

"Something's wrong," Bob declared, as he finally gave it up and threw off the power.

"But I'd like to know whether or not they got us," Jack said.

"Well, so would I, but I reckon we'll have to wait till we get to Panama. We'll get letters there," Bob told him.

"I'm going into the wireless room and listen in for awhile," Jack announced. "It's just possible that father'll send a wireless although I doubt it."

"All right, I'll go with you," Bob said.

"And I reckon we might's well go back and get some more of that concert if it isn't all done," Captain Ole proposed.

"What do you suppose was the matter with the thing?" Jack asked a few minutes later as he sat in the wireless room with the receivers on his head.

"There's a lot of things could account for it," Bob replied from the couch, at one side of the little room, where he was stretched reading a book. "Not enough power for one thing, and then, you know, father's not much used to working it and he might have got something wrong."

A half hour later, having failed to pick up the call letters of the Valkyrie, Jack was about to give it up when suddenly, through the night, clear and sharp came a signal which brought him to his feet with a quick cry.

"What is it?" Bob asked.

"S-O-S."

"Where from?"

"Doesn't say yet."

"Does he sound near?"

"Can't be far off. There, he's starting to give his position."

Jack had seized a piece of paper and began putting down the message.

"Get the captain, quick," he ordered.

"S-T-E-A-M-E-R D-A-U-N-T-L-E-S-S O-N F-I-R-E H-U-N-D-R-E-D M-I-L-E-S E-A-S-T C-A-P-E M-A-Y."

He had just finished spelling out the words when Bob returned with his uncle and the captain.

"They're a hundred miles east of Cape May," he told them. "Just a minute," as Captain Ole was about to speak. "They sending more."

"H-U-R-R-Y. S-O-S S-O-S."

"We're off Atlantic City now," Captain Ole told them as he started from the room to give orders to change the course. "Heard anything more?" he asked as he returned a moment later.

"Not a thing," Jack told him.

"Well, keep on watch and if you pick up anything let me know at once. I'll be on the bridge." He went out and Mr. Lakewood followed him leaving the boys alone.

"She's sure picking up speed," Bob said as he felt the quiver of the boat's engine.

"And I reckon she'll need to if we're going to get there in time to be of any use. How's the weather? Beginning to blow a bit, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's blowing some and it's clouding up too."

"That'll make it bad if it comes on thick. There goes the S-O-S again but it's pretty faint."

"Anything else?" Bob asked anxiously.

"No, just the--yes they're sending now."

"H-U-R-R-Y S-O-S S-O-S."

"Have you answered them?"

"Sure. I told them we were on our way."

"Better give 'em another call."

Jack threw over the switch and pressed his key.

"V-A-L-K-Y-R-I-E C-O-M-I-N-G," he sent out into the night.

"G-O-O-D V-A-L-K-Y-R-I-E H-U-R-R-Y," came back the answer.

"Better run out and tell Cap'n Ole," Jack suggested, and Bob rushed out the door.

He found Captain Ole and his uncle pacing the little bridge and straining their eyes in an effort to sight the burning ship.

"He says to hurry," Bob shouted.

"We're doing that," his uncle called back.

Bob rushed back to the wireless room to find Jack taking down another message.

"F-I-R-E G-E-T-T-I-N-G C-L-O," he followed Jack's pencil as he set the letters down and then he stopped.

"Can't get another sound," he said after a moment's pause.

"And that means----"

"That he's had to get out," Jack finished, tearing the phones from his head. "Let's get out on deck, we can't do any more good in here."

"You go out and let me listen a bit. He may send again," Bob proposed as he picked up the phones and clapped them on his head.

"All right. I'll run out and tell them about that last call. Be back in a minute."

"See anything?" Bob asked as Jack returned a minute later.

"Not a thing, but it's getting pretty thick out and Cap'n Ole says it's going to rain."

They waited another fifteen minutes and, hearing nothing, decided that it was useless to wait longer. So they joined the others on the bridge.

"Don't you think we ought to see something pretty soon?" Jack asked as he reached the captain's side.

"Can't tell," the captain told him. "Their position's pretty indefinite and you can't see very far in this weather. If it had only stayed clear," he added.

The wind, which had been increasing steadily for the past hour, was now kicking up considerable of a sea and the boat was pitching badly as her powerful engine drove her at top speed.

"Look! Over there a bit to our left!"

Bob pointed as he shouted the words.

"It's a rocket," the captain cried and gave quick orders to the first mate, who had the wheel, to change his course a couple of points. "We wasn't very far out of the way at that," he added.

In a few minutes more a red glow showed them plainly the position of the burning boat and their hearts beat with hope that they would arrive in time after all.

"If they can hold out another half hour well be there," the captain told them.

"Don't you suppose they've taken to the boats," Mr. Lakewood asked.

"Can't tell. They'll likely stick to the ship as long they can," Captain Ole replied.

The light from the burning ship was rapidly growing brighter as the Valkyrie rushed through the water and, now and then, a rocket burst high above showing that some of the crew at least were still on board. But, after a time, they ceased, and when they judged that they were not more than a half mile away there came a dull heavy boom and in another moment the light disappeared.

"That was her boiler exploding and she's gone down sure as guns," Captain Ole shouted.