THE FREEDOM OF THE SEAS
Haegel fellow was doing was getting news of sailings from American ports from some pal in New York or somewhere by mail and then going over to that island and sending it by wireless to Swedish and Norwegian ships out to sea. All they had to do was pass it on when they got near enough the other side. Easy, eh? Don't you say anything about it, for no one's supposed to know."
"Where did you hear it?" asked Nelson.
Billy blinked and hesitated. Finally: "Well, I was leaning over the rail aft last night after we left New Bedford and the cap and the junior was talking it over in the cabin and it sort of floated out!"
"You made believe you didn't know anything about it!" charged Nelson. Billy Masters grinned.
"Sure! A fellow don't repeat what he ain't supposed to know, does he?"
"What are you doing now?" Nelson laughed.
"Oh, it don't matter now. It's all over. Gee, you're a lucky guy, Chatty. You get swell grub in the hospitals!"
After a week of it, however, Nelson didn't agree with Billy. But minor surgical case such as he was is not likely to find hospital food quite satisfying. After the first two days Nelson's
54
