Then he again threw out the sending key, and drawing a pencil from his pocket, began to write rapidly, the words coming in on the aerial in dots and dashes. The two midshipmen, for Sydney had joined them, glanced excitedly over the sailor’s shoulder.
“Royal mail steamer, ‘Bombay,’ from London, via Singapore and Hongkong. What ship is that?”
“Japanese gunboat ‘Neko,’” Phil exclaimed quickly, after reading the received message; “and now ask if she has sighted anything.”
“I did ask her, and that’s her answer,” O’Neil replied, throwing in his sending circuit and spelling out what Phil had given him. “You see, sir, these fellows want to know to whom they are giving information.”
“Passed Chinese squadron at Colombo one week ago. Saw great deal of smoke yesterday to the northward. Has war been declared yet?”
“Don’t seem to be necessary to ask with whom,” Sydney exclaimed. “Apparently our affairs are being talked of out in the world.”
“What shall I answer?” O’Neil asked.
“Tell them yes, and that Turkey has won the first victory on the sea,” Phil directed calmly, a twinkle in his eyes. “They make me tired!” he exclaimed angrily. “It looks as if they were only too anxious to see Japan and the United States at each other’s throats.”
O’Neil sent the message with a gleeful smile on his face and then quickly penciled the answer:
“Please repeat. Why Turkey? You don’t mean the United States, do you?”