coats, or the shine of the younger officer’s bright red hair.
“That’s a queer pair we picked up,” the Captain was saying as they passed. “I went down to see how they were getting on and found the boy all worked up about some scheme that he claims is being hatched on Appledore Island. He says that the old sailor wants it reported, and may be too far gone to do it himself, but he isn’t very clear as to just what the trouble is. The best I can make out seems to be that there is an effort being made to buy this man Saulsby’s land, and that he is sure there is German influence backing it, with a view to getting ready a possible base of supplies in case of war.”
“One hears of such things having gone on for years abroad, before the German trouble cut loose,” said the other, “but the boy may not have known what he was talking about. He had been hanging to that boat four or five hours and that doesn’t tend to clear the brain.”
“Well,” said the Captain, “I’m not very sure myself, but I may plan to look into the matter without telling him so. The harbour he speaks of is at the northwest end—”
They moved out of hearing, and Billy took
