Then, with his pencil, he steadily traced the outlines of the trees.
When he had done this and had removed the sketch from beneath his tracing-paper he had what he expected—an outline of the British Isles, the Hebrides, Orkneys, Shetlands; part of the coast of Norway, the French, Belgian and Dutch coast. Heligoland, and the German coast at Cuxhaven and Wilhelmshaven.
From the map of the steamship company he carefully filled in boundaries and a few principal towns, then placing his outline drawing over the sketch of the trees he drew a dotted line following exactly the flight of the little birds.
Where that flight terminated he made an arrow, then turned his eyes on the steamer map to find out where that arrow's point rested.
And there on the Irish coast he saw the name Lough Swilly!
It was the last link!—the last but one.
"A Fleet Lough Swilly. Hecht (Pike) follow birds."
A pike, with little pike following her, was to follow the flight of the birds—the dotted line on his outline map. The dotted line curved up out of Cuxhaven, around the Orkneys and Hebrides and into Lough Swilly—where there was a fleet!
Out of Cuxhaven—Cuxhaven! where lay the German submarines!—A pike, and young! A parent ship and submarines!