“Guess we all are,” said Joe. “But there’s no disgrace in being scared, as long as we fight the scare. What famous general was it, Bob, who admitted his knees always shook when he went into battle? But he went in just the same, and that’s what made him a hero.”
“I can hear the radio operator still sending out his signals,” said Herb. “Guess he’s flinging out the old S. O. S. as fast as his fingers can work.”
“Let’s go and see if he has any answers yet,” suggested Bob. “We might as well be there as anywhere else.”
As they made their way to the signal room again, they heard the creaking of a pulley at the side.
“Testing out the pulley to see if the boats can be lowered all right,” observed Bob.
“Looks as thought they think the vessel is a goner,” said Jimmy.
“Not necessarily,” returned Bob, cheerily. “That’s only a matter of precaution that any good captain would take. It’s his business to get ready for the worst that can possibly happen.”
The boys passed along, being careful to avoid interfering with the activities of the crew, until they again reached the door of the wireless room.
The operator, with his face pale but his jaw grim and determined, was intent on his work, and the blue flames sputtered as he worked the apparatus that was sending out urgent messages over that dark waste of waters.
The boys huddled at one side of the door and listened. All of them were now so expert that the letters of the code were as plain to them as the alphabet.