The Sub looked at the clock in the bulkhead. It was a quarter-past eight. Although it was day, no natural light penetrated the interior of the hull. The submarine was running on the surface. The pulsation of the internal combustion engines proved that.
A man clad in blue cloth trousers, sweater and sea-boots entered the compartment and began to remove the empty plates.
"Had a good tuck in, chum?" he inquired. "All right—best turn in for a spell. There's your bunks, blankets and all. Captain won't want to see you afore three bells in the second dog."
"Thank you," replied Broadmayne. He, too, was feeling drowsy. Perhaps it was the heat of the confined space. He touched Vyse on the shoulder.
"Turn in, old man!" he exclaimed.
"What for?" demanded his chum rebelliously; then his desire to sleep dominated all other inclinations. Merely kicking off his rubber-boots, Vyse turned in all standing. The Sub followed his example, and a couple of minutes later both men were lost in heavy, dreamless slumber.
Meanwhile Captain Cain, whose almost unbounded energy could keep him going at high pressure for thirty-six hours without any desire for sleep, was standing on the bridge of the Alerte as she stood southward at eight knots.
He was at the wheel. With the exception of one mechanic standing by the Diesel motors, all hands were enjoying a few hours' well-earned rest. Shortly after the crew of the Ibex had been taken on board, a wireless message had been picked up that gave Captain Cain an inspiration upon which he determined to act.
The wireless message was from the Norddeutscher-Lloyd intermediate boat Cap Hoorn, to the Ushant signalling-station, reporting that she was ninety miles W. by S. of Ushant, homeward bound from Bremen.
Already the pirate captain had "looked her up" in the shipping register. He found that the Cap Hoorn was a vessel of 8500 tons, with a speed of fifteen knots. Coming from Buenos Ayres and Rio, she would be certain to have a valuable cargo. It was a risky business to hold her up, but Captain Cain, having weighed the pros and cons, decided to intercept her.