“Be very careful that you do not mention it to any one.”
The moment he was alone the captain turned to a calendar. “Last Thursday,” he muttered to himself, “was the day we got back to New York from Boston. Henry was on duty in the wireless house every minute that evening. I don’t know that he even got any supper. I must find out what Black was doing at that hour. I guess the best way to do it is through the quarter-master.”
Again the quartermaster was called and instructed to find out from the third-class wireless man, without arousing the latter’s suspicions, at what time he ate his supper on the preceding Thursday evening. That was not a difficult thing to do. Later in the day the quartermaster engaged young Black in conversation and turned the talk to the events of their run from Boston.
“You missed your supper the night we got in, didn’t you?” asked the quartermaster.
“Not on your life,” said Black. “You don’t catch me missing anything like that. I was one of the first fellows at the table.”
“I’ll bet I’ll be one of the first there this noon,” said the quartermaster. “I’m hungry enough to eat a bear.”
He said good-bye to Black and reported to Captain Hardwick. When the commander was