That same evening a wireless message--the first for three days--was received from Captain Restronguet's English agent stating that the Foreign Office was in communication with the government of the Portuguese Republic, and an arrangement had been arrived at whereby three British sternwheeler gunboats that were used to patrol the Shiré River, were to be allowed to descend to the Zambezi and attempt to cut off the "Vorwartz" on her return.
"Evidently the British Navy wants to chip in at the death," commented Captain Restronguet. "We must look to our laurels. It would be hard lines to be searching for days amongst these unexplored backwaters without success, and to find that one of these little paddle-boats by a piece of sheer good luck had managed to blow the 'Vorwartz' to smithereens while she was lying helplessly stranded on a mud-flat."
Hythe did not reply. He was naturally anxious, now that he had been on board the "Aphrodite" for such a lengthy period and had faced perils in company with her crew, that Captain Restronguet should receive a just reward for his strenuous endeavours; yet he did not forget that he was still an officer of the great British Navy, whose policy is to be ready, aye ready, in the hour of triumph or in the hour of disaster alike.
Just then Carnon, who since Kenwyn's illness had been appointed solely for duties in connexion with the detector, approached and saluted.
"The detector, sir, has gone wrong," he reported.
"Gone wrong? What do you mean? Have you been tampering with the instrument?"
"No, sir. The last reading gave sixty-one miles. That was five minutes ago. When I looked again there was no record at all. The batteries are still working: I could get a spark an inch in length. The terminals are properly clamped."
Captain Restronguet, Devoran, and the sub hastened to the compartment in which the detector was fixed. The indicator board was absolutely blank.
"We're not having an easy time of it at all," remarked the captain. "Without the detector it is quite possible that the 'Vorwartz' may yet outwit us. All the same, I cannot understand it."
"We know her position up to ten minutes or a quarter of an hour ago, sir," said the first officer.