The messenger soon darted for the commander’s cabin. It was no immediate order or signal for help, or he would have first hailed the bridge. But soon Mr. Lang’s orderly appeared with a message for the officer of the watch.
There were a few whispered words at the break of the bridge. Then the officer conning the ship gave swift directions for her course to be changed and signaled the engine room as well. Almost immediately the pace of the destroyer was increased.
“I wonder what’s in the wind?” murmured Whistler.
“I’m going to see if I can find out,” said Belding, rising again.
He went around to the door of the radio room. Sparks himself was on duty. He sat on the bench with the helix strap and “eartabs” adjusted. He had just taken another message, but it was nothing meant for the commander of the Colodia.
“That’s the second time to-night, George,” he said, removing his head-harness. “I don’t know what to make of it.”
“What’s the matter, sir?” asked the young fellow.
“Why, I guess it’s static. Nothing more, I suppose. Yet it is a regular ‘ghost talk.’ I can almost make out words.”
“Goodness! What do you mean?” asked the young fellow, mightily interested. “I never heard of ‘ghost talk’, though I know ‘static’ means atmospheric pressure.”
“Pah! It means electricity in the air that we can’t wholly account for,” said Sparks. “But this——”