Once again the hand had vanished from the square of light. This time Beth pushed the apparatus into a corner and threw a cloth over it.

“He reports once each hour until midnight,” she explained. “If anything really startling comes up, he gives us a buzz on a short-wave radio and we turn on television for a special report.”

“After midnight?” Norma asked.

“Two elderly ladies take over until morning. They use short wave entirely. During the day fishermen who live there keep a sharp watch.”

“It’s not much of a setup for so important a spot,” Bess said. “One old man, two women and some fishermen. But it’s all there is there in winter.”

“It might be improved upon,” Norma agreed.

“Well,” said Bess, drawing on a heavy coat, “I’ll get out on the listening platform. It’s all ears from now till morning.”

“Unless they show a light,” Norma suggested.

“No enemy would show a light,” was the reply.

As Bess left her comfortable place by the fire Norma noticed that outside the wind was picking up and snow beginning to fall.