Evening star., 1921-07-31

come up as quickly as ! could. !
| tumbled out of my bunk, jumped into
my uniform, threw on my peaJacket
and buried to the bridge.
What's up?" | asked.
There's - to pay and no pitch
hot" replied Stedman.
What is the matter. Stedman.
You know. Cantwell, that we are
going by dead reckoning? Well. the
captain passed an, order last evening
! that, as the weather was so bad and
the sea so heavy. he would excuse
the officers from taking sights, but
that he should be called If an oppor-
tunity offered for getting the sun
or a star. l thought this very queer.
because in weather like this you
have to shoot on the wing. SO to
speak, or you'll get no observation
clouds broke away for moment or
two. and. in spite of the captains $
kind permission. I got sights of the
North Star and Arcturus. Unless my
work is all wrong, we are much 10
the southwark and eastward OF our
dead reckoning position.moreo
the compass is in error by at least
a point to the eastward. Looks as
though Johnson were getting in his
fine work"
Not wishing to give rise to any
talk. I replied loudly:
Thanks. Stedman, l think you nad
better put extra lashings around
those boats, the ship is rolling SO
deeply. and tell the coxswains to see
that the plugs are out and the oars
secured in place." Then-sotto voce
keep dark. but take good look
inside and around the binnacle-
you'll find a hidden magnet or dis
placed quadrantal sphere, but for
goodness's sake leave things as they
are" Again loudly, Better see that
the matches are we'll battened down.
Call me if it gets worse.
x X X X
DOWN to my room I went to. null
- over the situation. Something
had to be done and that without de-
lay. While pondering, my head in
my hands, Sparks" the wireless op-
orator entered the room with his
finger to his lips.
! This message came just now. sir.
It's for US all right, but 1 can't make
it out. 1t must be in code. but the
code is a new one to me"
"Ponticus - Barcelona, purt-
tanic, excelsior, congeries."
1 copied it and told him to take 1T
to the captain in the usual way, and
not to let him know that any other
person had seen it.
The plot was thickening,. l per-
ceived, However, it would not do to
spring the trap too quickly; we must
be sure Of our quarry first. So lay
down again on my bunk pretending
to sleep At six bells my morning
coffee was brought me and l sent
word to Baker to come in and share
the cheering, cup with me: quite
common practice on the Ponticus and
one not likely to occasion remark.
When he put in an appearance !
told him in a low voice what had
happened and asked his advice After
going into the matter in all its bear
ings we. agreed upon the course to
pursue, but to make no move till that
evening, when the necessary steps
could be taken with all secrecy and
less chance of a miscarriage In our
plans, or of open scandal. We went
over and over again the details of
our procedure, viewing them from
every angle. =
Also we tried to see ourselves in
the true light. One moment we were
heroes. the next hysterical and mex
perienced youngsters. face to face
with a crisis out of which we might
emerge beaten and discredited. Pos
sibly the conversation had over
heard was susceptible of a satisfac-
torv ,explanatiou2 But no.. this last