Phil and Sydney put the message, that the former framed, in the cipher code of the United States. Our lads fortunately had been given the key word by Captain Taylor before they started on their perilous mission. Without this secret word the message could not be read by outsiders, so although the boys knew that all the foreign ships in port would read this message to the “Connecticut,” none but Captain Taylor could find it intelligible; to the others it would be a meaningless confusion of unpronounceable words. The message told the captain of the battle-ship that the machine guns were no longer in the legation but concealed in the city of La Boca, and that the insurgent army were strong and well equipped with modern rifles and artillery; that they alone lacked machine guns, of which their race stood in great dread; that the cruiser “Aquadores” was on its way to Rio Grande to fight the enemy’s men-of-war, and that they were on board and well.
“I think that will be sufficient, don’t you?” Phil asked Sydney, after they had laboriously put the long message in the cipher code.
“Yes,” Sydney replied, “unless you wish to put the captain on his guard against a traitor in the legation.”
“The time is not ripe for that yet,” Phil answered promptly; “we must wait until the evidence against him is overwhelming. Remember Captain Taylor has a high opinion of Lazar and if we attempted to poison his ear against him, he might, even though he likes us, believe that we had formed a combination against the ensign.”
“Have your own way,” responded Sydney, impatiently, “but I fear by the time we return to the ‘Connecticut’ all the damage that he is capable of doing will be done.”
“What can he do more, Syd?” Phil exclaimed. “If he has given up the guns he must stop there, for there is nothing more that he can do that will injure the United States.”
The message completed they took it to Captain Garcia.
“Come to the wireless room with me,” requested the captain, “and we shall see it started on its long journey.”
Phil was delighted at the opportunity. He had always been interested in this wonderful method of telegraphy, but had not been able to make as complete a study of it as he would have desired, owing to his time being too thoroughly occupied since his reporting for duty in the Atlantic fleet.
Sydney also was included in the invitation, and the two lads followed Captain Garcia to the little compartment in which the delicate instruments were installed.