She called Mabel, and the girls dressed quickly. Shirley knocked on the next door and aroused the others, and an hour later, after a hearty breakfast, all stood forward on the promenade deck enjoying the fresh morning breeze.
There was not a speck of land in sight and would not be for hours. An hour later Captain Von Blusen joined them and after awhile Captain Anderson stopped to exchange a few words.
It was while the commander of the Yucatan was there that there came a hail from the lookout.
“Smoke to the leeward, sir!”
All glanced in the direction indicated. There, upon the distant horizon, was a faint cloud of smoke. As they gazed it presently took shape, and half an hour later it did not take the second cry of the lookout to tell them the approaching vessel was a battle cruiser of the first class.
“Wonder what this one is?” said Shirley, as the vessel drew nearer.
“I don’t know. It might be German. It has been supposed there were two German vessels in these waters, but we have already encountered one. This may be another.”
“It’s hardly possible, though,” said Mr. Willing. “Captain Von Blusen, to your knowledge, are there any German ships of war in these waters?”
“I can’t answer that question definitely, sir,” he replied. “All I can say is that it is possible.”
“I don’t believe this is a German,” said Dick. “But whatever she is she is coming right toward us.”