“Why not?”
“I can’t tell you. But I’ve got information that something out of the ordinary may happen.”
“Pshaw! Why can’t you tell me what it is?”
Herc was all on fire with curiosity.
“I’m not at liberty to. I came by my information in a sort of confidential way.”
“Humph! I suppose the old man asked you into his cabin and gave you all his plans for the next twenty-four hours.”
The night wore on. Lights gleamed out; watches were set as usual. The bugle sounded taps and the Jackies were all wrapped in their usual sound slumbers. Ned alone lay awake waiting for the signal that he was sure would not be long in coming. On the bridge the captain paced back and forth and almost all the officers were out, none of them having retired.
It was past eight bells, midnight, when a sudden voice sounded loud and sharp above the monotonous vibration of the big propellers. “Bos’un’s-mate!”
“Aye! aye, sir!” came the voice of Shorty Shea, who had the watch.
“Turn out the crew! Sound stations. Shake a leg now!”