“No; but what of that? It’s all right. And Mr. Strong can have anything I have. If it were your watch, you’d feel the same.”
“I suppose so,” agreed Joe.
The next day the boys found themselves on board a steamer bound for the Canadian port. They could hardly believe in their good fortune, and Jimmy declared that he expected to wake up any moment and find it all a dream.
They made friends with the radio operator, which was not difficult when the latter found how keenly they were interested in the science. Each of them was allowed to receive one of the messages in international code, and they enjoyed the experience hugely.
All went well, and the Radio Boys were enjoying themselves thoroughly, until, along toward evening, the steamer ran into one of the heavy fogs common in those waters. The vessel was forced to proceed at reduced speed, and there was an air of suppressed anxiety among officers and crew.
Few among the passengers thought much of the matter, and those who did expected that the fog would lift soon. The boys went to their staterooms at the usual time without any thought of real peril in their minds.
But danger was abroad on the face of the waters.
It seemed to Bob that he had hardly fallen asleep when he was rudely awakened by a terrific crash that almost threw him out of his berth.
CHAPTER IX
A NIGHT OF UNCERTAINTY
Bob sprang to the floor. He was joined immediately by Joe, who shared the stateroom with him. As they hastily threw on a few articles of clothing, they could hear shouts and cries on deck and the rush and scurry of feet overhead and along the passageway outside. Dominating everything, however, was a sullen roar of water as it poured into the hold of the vessel.