captain punched his call-bell and sent Rollin to summon the quartermaster. The latter was the captain’s prime favorite and right-hand man among the non-commissioned officers.
“Quartermaster,” said the commander when his helper appeared, “immediately after I go back to the bridge, I want you to slip into the wireless stateroom without being observed, and search the place. Keep your eyes open, especially for nails like this,” and the commander held out the two nails Henry had given him. “Look in all the nooks and corners, the bunks, and elsewhere, and notice anything out of the ordinary that you find. Above all, as you value your job, don’t say a word about this to any one.”
When Captain Hardwick passed to the bridge, he poked his head into the radio shack. “Belford,” he said, “I want you in the chart-room. And I want you, Black, to stick close to your instruments. Don’t leave them for a second. The Rayolite may be signaling us at any time, and it’s important to catch her message instantly. The hawser is likely to part at any moment if we aren’t careful. Harper is to stand watch with you.”
Belford followed his commander up to the chart-room, where he was put to work erasing lines from some old charts. The quartermaster promptly seized his opportunity to slip into the