“You may rise now. You have done what it has been believed impossible for any hostile ship to do. You have passed through the Kiel canal.”
At that moment Frank, refreshed by a few hours’ sleep, entered.
As Lord Hastings was about to give the signal to rise, Frank stepped forward.
“One moment, sir,” he exclaimed. “Something tells me that all is not right. We had best be careful, sir.”
The German drew himself up.
“Do you mean to insinuate——” he began.
Jack silenced him with a word. Then he, too, turned to Lord Hastings.
“I can’t explain why, sir,” he said, “but I believe Frank is right. Also, you may remember, sir, how he has been right on more than one occasion and that you said hereafter you would place unusual confidence in his premonitions.”
“Bosh,” said Lord Hastings scornfully. “It is true I did say that, but this time there can be no mistake. I have kept the reckoning myself, and the German is right. By this time we should have reached the Baltic end of the canal.”
“But, sir,” protested Frank, “could he not have steered us the same distance, but in another direction? Is it not possible that when we come up we may be right in a nest of the enemy’s ships, or under the guns of their fortifications?”