Late on the following night a special messenger came on board of the Holland with orders for the submarine boat to move out to the east coast of Cape Cod, the locality being mentioned in detail.
Captain Oscar was much puzzled by the order, for it was entirely unexpected.
Yet there was nothing to do but to obey, and soon the new Holland was on her way out of Cape Cod Bay and heading first northeast and then southeast, outside of the cape.
"This is strange," he said to the lieutenant. "I don't understand it."
"Perhaps the navy department is afraid some foreign ship will crawl along Cape Cod in the dark," suggested Andy.
"Perhaps."
There the conversation ended, but still Captain Oscar was doubtful, he knew not why.
His experience with Raxtell, who had been put ashore at Boston, made him extremely cautious.
"I didn't like the looks of that messenger," he mused. "He had a bad eye."
The outside of the cape gained, it was a run of two miles to the spot mentioned in the order.