Once they were under way, Hank, not being needed, went aft to stretch himself on one of the cabin cushions. Joe, having his motors running smoothly, followed Hank into the cabin. Dawson, however, did not seek further sleep. He wanted to make a more thorough test than he had done a few hours before, in order to make sure that the vandals locked in there the night before had not thought to destroy his beloved wireless instruments or connections.
“The whole wireless plant is in shape for instant use,” he reported, coming back at last to the bridge deck.
“That’s mighty good news,” declared Tom Halstead. “With the man we are working for now we’re likely to need the wireless at any minute in the twenty-four hours.”
“Say,” ejaculated Joe, after a few moments of silent thought, “there’s something hugely mysterious and uncanny back of all these doings of less than twenty-four hours. I wonder what that big mystery really is?”
CHAPTER VIII
THE RED MESSAGE
When the boys reached Beaufort and had tied up at a wharf, it was still too early to expect to find any shops open. They left Hank on watch, however, and went up into the town, Joe to look, presently, for a dealer in electrical supplies, while Captain Tom sought a ship’s joiner to fit and hang a new hatch to replace that smashed in the affair of the night before. Both boys were presently successful, though it was noon before the joiner had his task finished.
While the last of the work on the new hatch was being done, Tom and Joe went once more uptown to get a message from Mr. Seaton’s attorney regarding the date when the formal hearing of the men arrested the night before would take place in court. Hank Butts was left to watch over the boat and keep an eye over the joiner.