“Mmmmmmmm!” answered the Merrimack.
And now there could be no mistaking her position. She was to starboard and close at hand. Slowly the Lycoming crept around her, then went nosing her way through the fog again. Once Roy thought he glimpsed the Merrimack but he was not sure. When her whistle was plainly astern, Roy again shot a message to her wireless man.
“Close shave,” he flashed. “Thanks for your help.”
“You saved us from a collision, sure,” came back the answer. “Good-bye and good luck to you.”
A few minutes later the two boats were miles apart.
CHAPTER XIII
ROY GAINS ANOTHER FRIEND
On went the Lycoming, creeping cautiously through the fog. For hours Roy sat at his instrument and kept in touch with the steamers he had already talked to. Again he went over his newspaper file and searched out all the other ships recorded that by any possibility at all could be near the Lycoming. One by one he flung out their call signals. Some he heard at a far distance, some he could not reach at all. From time to time he talked with the City of Columbus, but she was still afar off. When he had thoroughly combed the air with his wireless signals, Roy breathed more freely. He felt certain that no steamer was in the Lycoming’s path or in her immediate neighborhood. The only thing that remained to fear was some silent sailing ship that might suddenly come plunging out of the mist bank. Roy hoped the time would soon come when every ship afloat would be compelled to carry wireless.