“It seems we came just in time,” said he. “A bit later and we would have had difficulty in locating you in the fog. As it was, we got your position through the glasses before the fog closed down. Did they set you adrift?”
“No, we broke away of our own volition, in a way of speaking,” said Mr. Temple. “But explanations can come later. My name is Temple, George Temple of New York. This is Doctor Marley, and these young men are my son Bob and his chums, Jack Hampton and Frank Merrick.”
“And mine is Arthur Warwick,” said the other, acknowledging the introductions, “Ensign Arthur
Warwick, U. S. N., at your service. Let us go to my quarters.”
Turning, he led the way with Mr. Temple beside him and the others following, under the gaze of a number of American sailors scattered about.
“Are you going to stick to the trail of the trawler?” queried Mr. Temple.
“We shall try to,” said the other. “Although if this fog continues long, our chance of success will be small. We were heading for the S. S. Bear, a north-bound coast liner, to take off Inspector Burton of the Secret Service, when your radio caught us and faced us about. Now, from what Mr. Merrick said over the radio, I fancy we had better stick to this trawler as long as there is a chance of capturing her. If we miss her, I shall speed up to catch the Bear. Meantime, I have given orders to slow down with muffled engines, so that if we hear the trawler in the fog we stand a better chance. Let us go below, for I want to hear your story in greater detail.”
In the tight little cabin of the Sub Chaser they were considerably crowded, but by disposing themselves as compactly as possible all found room. Then Mr. Temple and the boys told their story. It took considerable time in the telling, for Ensign Warwick asked so many questions they were compelled
to begin at the very beginning of things with Frank’s overhearing the words dropped by “Black George” on the train.
Ensign Warwick nodded warmly many times during the course of the narrative, evidently in high approval of the courage and resource shown by the boys. He himself was a young man, not more than twenty-five, tall as Bob and of much the same deep-chested frame with tanned face in which twinkled honest blue eyes that impressed the chums favorably.