“I am not kidding,” said George Belding rather sullenly, for he did not like to be laughed at.
“No. And don’t try to make me believe that anybody is trying to kid you with a ‘help’ call,” Sparks said, shaking his head.
But as we have said, George was stubborn. Sparks thought he had spelled out the name of the destroyer in those grating sounds. If so, why shouldn’t it be just as reasonable that Belding had heard the dots and dashes spelling ‘h-e-l-p’?
Belding put this up to Whistler and Al when he had a chance to tell them about it in the first dog watch. He was not excited at all. He simply did not like to have his word doubted or be laughed at by Sparks.
“As for being laughed at,” the very sensible Philip Morgan said, “it strikes me that I wouldn’t be worried by that. Your opinion is just as good as old Sparks’ or anybody else’s, for that matter. Eh, Al?”
“Why not?” returned the other Seacove boy. “It was George heard the sounds, not Sparks. Get a chance to listen in again, George.”
“Can it be possible that there is somebody trying to send a message for help to the Colodia?” Whistler went on slowly.
“Cracky!” ejaculated Al, “I didn’t think of that.”
“Sparks says that he thought he spelled out the destroyer’s name. George has heard the word ‘help.’ Get after it, George!” he added, earnestly. “Don’t let ’em put you down.”
“But who under the sun would be doing such a thing?” demanded Al. “Is it a joke, after all?”