“What!” shouted the astonished Tony.
“Yes, it’s true. I spelled the name Herculanea as clear as can be. Keep still now.”
There was silence again for a minute or two while Walter strained every listening nerve to catch the dots and dashes in the receivers. Then he said:
“Yes, its the Herculanea. I didn’t catch the name of the other liner, but it’s warning the Herculanea to look out for icebergs.”
“They must be way up north,” said Tony.
“Yes, keep still. They’re talking again.”
Walter was an intent listener again for five minutes. Then he took a pencil from his pocket and wrote several figures on a paper tab lying on the table. Presently he looked up at his friend and said:
“Tony, get me that chart of the north Atlantic in the chart case. I’ve got the location of the icebergs, and maybe I’ll get the location of the Herculanea. I want to follow it if I can. I want to place the steamer on the chart and follow it as long as I get messages from it.”
Tony dashed into the pilot house and soon returned with the desired chart, laying it on the table before Walter.
“There’s where the icebergs are,” said the young operator, eagerly indicating with his finger; “not far from Sable Island, two hundred miles or more from Halifax.”