Nor was old Beppo's awe any the less when he heard from Hythe of the manner of his almost miraculous escape. Devoutly crossing himself the Italian burst into a torrent of thanks to his preservers, and finished up by asking where they thought of landing him?
"I had thought of that," said Captain Restronguet when the sub interpreted the padrone's request. "Since there is now no real necessity for concealment, I think we might hail the first vessel we come across that is proceeding to Messina--if Messina still stands after the eruption."
An opportunity presented itself late in the afternoon. The "Aphrodite" was about two hundred miles S.S.E. of Cape Passaro, and running on the surface, when a tramp steamer hove in sight steering N.W. "We'll stop that fellow, Devoran," exclaimed the captain. "What does she look like?"
"I cannot make out, sir, she flies no ensign," replied the chief officer, after a lengthy survey through his telescope.
Still unperceived by the oncoming vessel the "Aphrodite" stood out in order to intercept her. At a request from Captain Restronguet two of the seamen shipped a light mast abaft the fore-conning-tower, and on this was hoisted the International Code signal--flags indicating "I wish to communicate--heave to."
As soon as the signal was observed the tramp's helm was ported as if she meditated flight, but ordering full speed ahead Captain Restronguet soon made it evident that the "Aphrodite" could go two knots to the steamer's one. The tramp's engines were set at half-speed astern and simultaneously the affirmative pendant fluttered from her stumpy foremast, while the Greek mercantile flag was hoisted on her ensign-staff.
"CAPTAIN RESTRONGUET SOON MADE IT EVIDENT THAT THE APHRODITE. COULD GO TWO KNOTS TO THE STEAMER'S ONE."
"The 'Eleusis' of the Piraeus," announced Captain Restronguet, who was able to decipher with ease the modern Greek characters on her stern.
Gracefully the "Aphrodite" was brought to a stand-still within fifty yards of the Greek tramp, over whose red-leaded bulwarks appeared the heads of about twenty nondescripts who formed her crew.