CHAPTER XXVII

THE WIRELESS

“Come on! Come on! Everybody up on deck! Take your boat stations!” was the cry that Ned and Dr. Hallet heard as they emerged from the cabin.

“Have we got much time?” Ned asked.

“Not any too much!” was the grim response. “Get to your boat station and stand by for further orders--that’s the instructions.”

It was one of the junior ship’s officers who answered Ned, and the lad ventured a further question or two.

“Are we badly damaged?” he inquired. “Did we hit something, or was it another bomb?” And as he asked this he could not help glancing at Dr. Hallet who stood at his side. The scientist, however, did not seem aware of the scrutiny.

“I don’t know anything about any bombs,” was the answer. “All I heard was that they tried to get the machinery going down in the engine room. A big steam pipe burst and blew a hole in the side. We’re taking in water fast, and there aren’t any pumps to get rid of it. There’s a chance to save everybody, though, if they’ll do as they’re told--get on deck and stand by to enter the boats when the word is given.”

“Have I time enough to go back and get a very valuable specimen of a field mouse I left in my cabin?” asked the doctor.

“No!” cried Ned and the officer in such perfect time and with the same explosive effect that it seemed like one voice.

“Up on deck with you!” added the young officer. “See that he obeys you!” he added to Ned, as he looked significantly at the uniform of the soldier lad. He evidently was aware of the peculiar notions of the scientist.

“That settles it!” muttered Ned. “You’ll have to come with me, Dr. Hallet. There are other field mice.”

“None like this one,” was the reply. “He was suffering from a peculiar fungus ailment and I wanted to make a special study of it when I got back home. Dear me! This is terrible! I was sure I could beat Professor Snodgrass at this game, but it seems I am fated not to.”

“I’d like to hear something about this game against our professor,” muttered Ned, “but there isn’t time now. Come on! You’re lucky to have your papers and fleas!”

As for Ned, he thought with regret of certain souvenirs he, in common with Bob and Jerry, had brought on board with them. They had been put away in a safe place, but there was no time to get them now.

And Ned had some mementoes of the Great War that he intended giving to a certain girl back in Cresville. Now, he reflected, they might soon be at the bottom of the sea. Well, “_c’est la guerre_!”

Up on deck it seemed to be a scene of great confusion, but, in reality, the officers, both those of the army and the ship, under Captain Munson of the _Sherman_, had the situation well in hand. The confusion was seeming only, for the men were being sent in squads to their respective boat stations. Sailors were seeing to it that the falls of the small craft were clear, and that life rafts were free for launching. Others were making sure that each boat or raft contained food and water.

Of course the orders were that they should always be in that prepared condition, but, like everything else human, there might have been a failure. Captain Munson, however, was trusting nothing to chance, and at this eleventh hour no risk was to be assumed lest some wretched refugees might starve or die of thirst if their boat or raft drifted away. As it was, however, all the boats and other floating bits of sea apparatus were found to be well stocked.

Life preservers and cork rings were put where they could be instantly gotten at, and, this much accomplished, all those who had taken their places at the boats awaited further orders.

In spite of the fact that the war was practically over and that all German submarines had been recalled, it was felt that there was great danger on the open sea from floating mines, or perhaps a stray torpedo that might have failed to find its mark. There was more danger, of course, to a big moving ship in this respect, than to small boats whose speed would be slower, and which did not float as deeply as the drifting mines were submerged below the surface.

But, even with all that potential danger, the soldiers and sailors remained wonderfully calm and in good cheer. They stood waiting, models of discipline in every respect.

Questions flew back and forth, but no one really knew what had happened. Ned’s information was as good as any, and this seemed to be the most acceptable explanation.

Every one knew that the engine room force had been trying desperately ever since the disablement of the _Sherman_ to get the machinery in working condition again. And it might well be that some weakened steam pipe had burst with disastrous results to the transport, if not to human life below decks.

At the same time, Ned could not help thinking that the explosion--if there had been one--might have been caused by a bomb cunningly planted by some German spy, or, now that the war was over and spies were no longer needed, sympathizer. And in that connection he must needs think of Dr. Hallet.

The scientist was assigned to a boat some distance away from Ned’s station, so the lad had no further chance to talk to the queer little man and hear the explanation which was promised.

“I wonder if he really is all right, and it is only professional jealousy between him and Professor Snodgrass, or if there is something more behind it all,” mused Ned.

His reflections were interrupted by the passing along of one of the ship’s officers, and at once several questions were fired at this individual.

“Are we still taking in water?” was the foremost inquiry.

“I am glad to say that the leak has been partly stopped,” was the answer. “It is confined to one compartment, and, if the bulkheads hold, we may not have to abandon ship.”

“I hope, most sincerely, that we do not!” Ned heard the voice of Dr. Hallet exclaim. “I want to get that field mouse!”

“Good-night!” exclaimed a doughboy. “Does he want it for his cat or himself?”

There was a laugh at this, and it served, in a measure, to relieve the nervous tension.

Hope began to spring up in hearts which had begun to lose it, and with small wonder, when the series of happenings that occurred to the _Sherman_ is considered. Nothing but ill luck seemed to have attended her since she set out.

And so they stood waiting at the boats, ready to take to the small craft at the word of command and trust themselves to the great ocean in what, by comparison with the heaving billows, were mere cockle-shells. But the hearts of most of them were stout and strong.

Night began to settle down and a little wind began to blow.

“Storm coming!” said some.

“It’ll blow the fog away,” cried others.

And then, when it was about midnight, word was passed around that there was no immediate danger, and that the soldiers might leave their boat stations. But they were told to hold themselves in readiness for another call.

The leak had been partly stopped, it was said, and the engine room force was again at work trying to get up steam, if only to operate the wireless.

“Let us hope that they do,” said Dr. Hallet, who sought out Ned. “Though I would have been able to save most of my notes, there were some that I should have been forced to leave behind. And I’m glad I can come back to my field mouse,” he added, as he looked in the box in his cabin containing the tiny creature, which was alive.

“If you care to,” said Ned, “I should like to have you go on with the explanation you started when the explosion came.” He was beginning to have a different feeling toward his companion. Dr. Hallet was so much like Professor Snodgrass, that, at times, Ned had to stop and think before using the latter’s name and title.

“Yes, I should like to explain,” said the scientist. “I begin to understand how you mistrusted me, and, as you will see, it is without cause. I may sum it all up in a few words by saying that Professor Snodgrass and I, though scientific rivals, are good friends; and the only thing between us is a sort of race to see who will be the first to discover a certain disputed matter in relation to the germ destroying powers of certain fungi which we gathered in a French forest. I thought at one time that I had the professor beaten, and I managed to secure passage on this transport, thinking to be the first to reach the United States and give to the world my wonderful discovery.

“But I learned that Professor Snodgrass had likewise discovered the secret, and was also on board here. It became a race between us, and I had to take precautions--or at least I thought I did--to prevent him from finding out certain minor details. That is why I had my cabin guarded and----”

“Hark!” interrupted Ned, and his feeling of resentment against his companion was fast vanishing.

“What is it?” asked the doctor, for the Motor Boy seemed to be listening intently. “What is it?”

“Our wireless!” exclaimed Ned. “It’s working again! Now they can call for help! Hurray! Our troubles are over!”