"We'll do our best, believe us!" came back the word.
In the late afternoon a slight haze came up, which gradually deepened.
Darrin followed for a few miles, keeping the "blimp" in sight. She was some six miles away when a radio message came from her in code in these words:
"Can you see steamship about four knots north-west of us?"
Dave challenged the lookout on the military mast, but that seaman reported the weather a bit too thick to enable him to make out the steamship. Darrin accordingly wirelessed back this information.
"Looks like a tramp steamer," came the next message, "but she acted suspiciously when she sighted us. Her skipper appears perturbed, which he would hardly be if his business is honest. Weather is thickening so we may lose him in the haze. Better close in."
"Will do so," Dave replied.
Then followed explicit directions as to the course the destroyer must follow.
The next code message from the airship was:
"Skipper of steamship so bothered that he appears to be rigging anti-aircraft gun. Am about to signal him to stop for search."