But before Don could get further with that interesting work a word from Jack put him back to the duties of navigator, and he had to give detailed information concerning wind retardment, speed, course, etc.
Fred by now was receiving again, and apparently had succeeded in silencing whoever it was who had been interrupting with impertinent queries about the apparently bad grammar of the message.
Don again took up his position behind Fred, the code book handy.
The first word on Fred's sheet was "How." This Don knew from memory was the code word for "Give," so he jotted that down. The next was "paper." He looked this up and added "location."
Fred had now concluded talking with the relaying vessel and was able to aid him by reading from his own memo. "Invent," he called out. The code book revealed the translation as "situation."
Next came "burst," and both smiled at the very logical reason that an outsider had for inquiring what it was all about. Don found it in the "b's" and wrote down "critical."
No doubt about the authenticity of the message now: "Give location—situation critical—"
"Ship," Fred gave the next word.
Twice Don missed the right page in his nervous thumbing of the book, but finally he got it, and found opposite, "when."