The captain looked at him incredulously.
“She left Havana before her usual time,” shouted Roy. “New schedule.”
For a single instant Captain Lansford bent his piercing eyes on Roy. “Stand by to send a message,” he roared. Then he sprang for the chart house.
CHAPTER XVI
LATITUDE 28—LONGITUDE 96
Roy rushed after him. “My aerial has carried away, sir,” he shouted. “I cannot send a message until it is repaired.”
“Fix it,” bellowed the captain, turning to his charts.
Roy fought his way back to the wireless house, pausing on the way to appraise the damage. The aerial was entirely gone, spreaders and all. Fortunately the halyards that held them aloft were intact. Roy hurried on to the wireless house. His closet was full of repair material. He got out two spreaders, a coil of wire, some insulators, and other needed materials. With remarkable celerity he attached his wires to the spreader, united them to a new lead-in wire and spliced them to what was left of the old wire. It was almost dark by the time he finished his repairs. When all was ready, he struggled out with his new aerial, and bent it to the halyards. In a few moments it was swinging aloft. Roy watched it for a minute as the tempest tore at it, to see if it would hold. Nothing gave way.