“Birds,” said the quartermaster. “Wait until I get a flash-light. We’ll gather them up and take them to the captain. He’s mighty fond of them.”
He disappeared in the darkness and presently returned with his flash-light. Together the two searched the deck from bow to stern. Many little birds lay cold and stiff. They had evidently flown into something and killed themselves. Regretfully, the searchers threw their bodies into the sea. The living birds seemed to be unharmed, and suffered themselves to be picked up without protest. Seven were found, and, carrying these, the two descended to the captain’s cabin and knocked at the door.
“Well, well,” said the commander, as they entered. “Some more pets for me, eh? Thank you, Quartermaster.”
The captain placed the little birds in the deep embrasures of the air-ports. Then he got saucers of water and some crumbs for them, but they would not eat.
“Utterly exhausted, I suppose,” said the captain. “It’s strange that such tiny creatures will venture so far away from land.”
Henry returned to the deck with the quartermaster. He spent a few minutes in the wireless shack, then went on the bridge. But he had been up a long time and on the go every minute of the day. Soon he was nodding. Presently he said good-night to the men on watch, and in a few moments was sound asleep in his bunk, while the ship stood steadily on her course toward Boston Light.
CHAPTER IX
THE CITY OF PAUL REVERE
As usual, Henry found that the captain was up and about when he himself awoke. As he hustled into his clothes he felt ashamed to seem to be such a laggard. He found, however, that he wasn’t so late as he had thought. In fact, it was still early, but the captain was such a tireless worker that one would indeed have had to get up early to be ahead of him. As usual, he was at his desk. He rose as Henry entered the cabin. In his hand was a red-bordered Coast Guard radio telegraph blank.
“Good-morning,” said the captain. “How are you this morning?”
“Just the very best,” said Henry. “I hope that I am not too late. I wanted to be up before we reached the harbor. Are we anywhere near Boston?”