A minute later he was above, Hal following only some twenty seconds
behind his young chief.
Williamson swiftly told how he had heard the bumping against the hull,
and how he had found the cylinder, with a wire connection.
"Gunboat, ahoy!" roared Captain Jack, snatching up a megaphone and
holding it to his lips.
The response was prompt. In less than three minutes a cutter, containing
an officer, a corporal and four marines, was alongside.
"The first thing for us to do is to take that cylinder aboard the
'Waverly' and investigate it," decided Ensign Foss. "I'll leave the
marines here until I get further instructions from the commanding
officer."
"Anything happening?" demanded Eph, reaching deck just after the cutter
had put off. He eyed the marine squad curiously.
"Just what we're trying to find out," replied Jack.
"It must seem to you that I acted amiss in leaving the deck," put in
Williamson.
"But you didn't," retorted Jack. "Had you been on deck you wouldn't
have heard that infernal machine bumping against the hull."
"Infernal?" echoed Eph Somers, rubbing his eyes. "Say, have I been
missing a whole lot by being asleep?"
The other three told him quickly all they knew of what had happened.
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