“Gee!” exclaimed Raymond, “that was a close shave.”
The vessels were now rapidly separating, but Captain Foster launched one more question.
“Is the Adriatic safe?”
“English and French cruisers there, Austrian coast is mined,” was shouted back from the distance.
Captain Foster lowered the trumpet and regarded the departing ship thoughtfully.
“Well,” he said finally, “we escaped that storm, thanks to my Turkish friend. Now if those mines are stationary, we’ll get through, but floating mines I’m afraid of.”
“Do you think Austria would put out floating mines, captain?” asked Sidney.
“Germany has sowed the North Sea with floating mines, and Austria may have done the same thing in the Adriatic. But there is no way we can locate them, so we’ll just have to go straight ahead, and take what comes.”
Having obtained what information he desired, Captain Foster determined to crowd the ship forward at top speed. With Turkey apparently about to join the hostilities and probably on the side of Germany, the quicker they were out of the Ægean the better. While passing through Grecian waters they would be perfectly safe, and in the Adriatic the presence of English and French cruisers would be a great protection, though they would not insure absolute security. The most serious aspect of the whole matter was presented by the mines in the Adriatic. There was no possibility, however, of evading, or minimizing, that danger.
In early evening the Princess Mary entered the Gulf of Ægina, and Captain Foster laid his course directly for the Corinth Canal. Before they arrived at that cut, however, night had closed down. The boys remained on deck to get what impression they might of the country, but after the ship had traversed the canal, and entered the Gulf of Corinth, nothing whatever could be distinguished on either side. When the boys woke rather late the next morning the Princess Mary was passing between the island of Corfu and the mainland.