"We must communicate with Ensign Rosseau at once," said the officer, greatly agitated.
He knew that a searching investigation would follow the loss of a man, and he foresaw that he would appear in no very creditable light without any explanation to offer as to the manner in which Herc had vanished.
The triangular fin was now close upon the lad.
Rapidly the whaleboat was rowed to the wherry, which "lay to" some distance away, with the Number Two whaleboat alongside.
The tidings of Herc's loss were received with some anxiety by the ensign. He turned to Ned, whose face had gone white at the news, and asked curtly if Herc could swim.
"Like a fish, sir," was Ned's rejoinder, although he had hard work to keep his lips from quivering at the thought of his friend's possible fate.
"Then there is a chance that he can be saved yet," breathed the ensign; "give way for that float yonder. Strong, signal the news to the flagship and inform them that we are standing by."
Ned, badly unnerved as he was, made the necessary signals, and received an order to "carry on" from the flag-ship.
The two whaleboats and the wherry at once got under way for the target near which Herc had last been seen.