CHAPTER VI
SECRET SERVICE
Three days of steady steaming brought the “Connecticut” within the tropics.
The sea was as peaceful as the waters of a lake and the sun overhead shone down with pitiless severity.
“All hands” were now dressed in white uniforms, which made them comfortable enough on deck under the cool shade of an awning, but below decks the heat from the engines and boilers was stifling.
The two friends spent most of their leisure hours in the open air and at night rolled themselves in their blankets on the clean white deck.
One evening they had made themselves comfortable for the night and were both speculating upon what was in store for them in the land of turmoil to which they were journeying.
“Did you notice the sailorman,” asked Sydney, “who has been walking past here as if he were trying to find out who we are?”
“I didn’t notice,” replied Phil sleepily; “it’s probably one of the messengers searching for some officer who is avoiding the heat as we are doing by sleeping on deck.”
“Maybe so,” Sydney answered, “but it appeared to me he scrutinized us very closely, although he must have seen immediately who we were. That light behind us makes us plainly visible.”
“We are accustomed to the darkness,” answered Phil, with a yawn, “while he has probably just come out of the light.”