They remained in the wireless shack, the two radio men chatting about their experiences at sea, until young Black came in to take his turn on watch. He had gone back to his rest after being disturbed by Henry and Belford. Now Henry and Roy and Mr. Sharp went to the stateroom. Belford entered with them.

When it came time to go to bed, Belford insisted upon sleeping below deck with the sailors, so that Henry and Roy might remain together in the stateroom. Roy was given Belford’s bunk, and Henry took Black’s, and, slipping into them, they turned out the light. But for some time Henry could not sleep. He was still excited and worried, and he felt very uncomfortable.

But finally he quieted down. It gave him such a feeling of comfort to have Roy at hand. Whatever happened, he knew that he had one staunch friend who would stand by him to the very end, and who would believe in him, and who also possessed the technical ability to be of great service to him. He believed that Mr. Sharp and Belford and the captain were also friendly to him and would be fair. But he knew that Roy was his friend, and in that thought he found such solace that presently he fell asleep. Soon there was no sound in the little stateroom save the heavy breathing of the sleeping wireless men.

CHAPTER XVI
THE MYSTERY GROWS DEEPER

The three men in the stateroom were astir early the next morning. Roy had to get back to the Lycoming, but before he went, he sought and obtained an interview with Captain Hardwick. The commander liked his looks, and felt drawn toward him, as indeed every one was, for Roy was a prime favorite with all who knew him.

“Captain Hardwick,” he said, after Henry had introduced him and withdrawn from the cabin, “I want first of all to thank you for your courtesy in allowing me to come to Henry and stay with him overnight. He feels this matter very keenly, and it is certainly hard to think he should start out so unfortunately. I suppose the chief electrician has told you that the difficulty with the wireless was in a coil that had grounded in the field. He will try to learn why it grounded. But no matter what he finds, I want to say that you can have absolute confidence in Henry. I’ve known him a good many years, and he would be the last person in the world to do anything dishonorable.”

“We will go into this matter thoroughly,” said the captain, without committing himself, “and I have no doubt we shall get to the bottom of it. You may be sure that I shall do whatever is right.”

Roy thanked the captain, was set ashore by the launch, and made his way back to his own ship.

Life aboard the Iroquois went on as it ordinarily did. Now that the ship lay in harbor, with fewer duties for the seamen, the captain put the crew to work drilling. Some of these drills Henry had seen the first day or so he was on board the ship. During the extraordinary events that had occurred on that trip, drills had been suspended. Now the captain put his men through their paces with renewed vigor, as though to make up for lost time.

Naturally the thing that attracted Henry most was the practice with the big guns. There were two four-inch guns mounted on the forward deck. The crews of these guns were assembled in their proper places. Then the captain, standing on the bridge, gave an order, the gun-breeches were thrown open, the big shells inserted and the breeches locked, the guns sighted, and, at a word of command, crack they went. But the crack was only a click, for the shells were imaginary, and all the rest of the drill was also largely a matter of the imagination. How Henry did wish he could see the guns really fired at something! What a noise they would make! And how far their shells would go tearing across the water!