"Didn't you acknowledge my call fifteen minutes ago?"
"No!"
Even the ticking of the wireless instrument now grew nervous, and it was plain that the sender was laboring under stress.
"Received message signed 'Dresden, Koehler, fifteen minutes ago," came from the flagship. "Did you send it?"
"No," was the reply flashed back. "Picked you up now for the first time."
"Enemy must have picked up call and answered then," flashed the flagship. "Heed only code messages in future, and answer in kind."
Thereafter, although the operator picked up the messages passing between the two ships, they were only a jumble. In spite of all attempts of Lord Hastings and the two lads to decipher the code, they remained in ignorance of further communication between the enemy's ships.
"Well," said Lord Hastings. "We have scared them up a little bit, anyhow."
"I should say we have," replied Jack. "They don't know whether we are one or a dozen."
"But," said Frank, "they probably will make for the Falklands now faster than ever."