At that moment the latter vessel spoke the Monitor and wanted to know who she was.
"Tell him the U-108 out of Zeebrugge," the American skipper told his wireless chief.
The message, in German code, was clicked out by Hal Bonte.
For a few minutes the two ships flung their wave lengths at each other and then the Monitor's operator closed the key to say to his chief:
"That chap over there is the Bergerhof, mother ship of the German U-boat fleet with supplies of fuel and food for our enemy's submarines. She is keeping a tryst here with her children and expects them at this rendezvous within the next two hours. After which the well-filled children are to visit the English channel and attack a group of transports scheduled for convoy to France the following night. She signals us to heave to and wait the appointed time."
McClure chuckled at the announcement.
"Just as I thought. Give them an O.K. in your best German," was his rejoinder.
CHAPTER XXI
TRAPPED
Gain the Monitor spoke the Bergerhof and received in turn a summons to come alongside and take on fresh stores of fuel.