"What the deuce do you suppose it means, anyway?" asked Fred, when they had for the tenth time tried at further diagnosis of the baffling message.
"Guess about the only thing we can do under the circumstances is to sit pat and wait for further developments or additional instructions," said Big Jack.
"Yes," added Don, "and under those same aforementioned circumstances that's about the most tedious and difficult thing in the world to do."
"Well, admitting all that, what are you going to do about it?" asked Andy, by this time utterly oblivious to a pair of swollen hands which still showed clear evidences of the battle of the day before.
"Under the said circumstances, nothing; that's what we'll all do for the present," Fred answered gloomily.
"Righto! And it won't keep us very busy, either," assented Andy, who was of a nature which refused to be suppressed.
"Fine weather, too, just by way of cheering humanity up," suggested Big Jack, as he gazed morosely out of the window. It was cloudy to the point of threatening more rain, which, of course, under the most favorable circumstances otherwise, would only mean further inevitable delays in any attempt at the across-sea flight.
"Oh, what's the use of growling? Let's have a game of cribbage," Andy the cheerful suggested.
"You three can," Fred answered, "but as for me, I'm going down to the station to wait for the outside newspapers to come in. I'm the original little handy guy when it comes to bringing home the news. I'll see what I can do this afternoon."