A tongue of flame had lanced out from behind the darkened galley. In the
same split second had come Don’s answering shot. Without pausing the
young commander leaped straight toward the source of attack.
Red, pounding at Don’s heels, tugged out his pistol.
“I’ll take the starboard side!” he yelped as Don darted to port.
It seemed that the enemy, whoever he was, must be trapped, or he would
have to break away in full view and get shot.
Yet it was Red Pennington whom Don bumped into, just abaft the galley.
“G-gosh! I nearly shot you, Don!” gulped the stout lieutenant. “Where’n
thunder did that bird go, anyway? I was sure you were he, till I got a
second look!”
For answer Don seized the knob of the galley door. It flew open to
reveal a dimly lighted interior, fragrant with the smell of brewing
coffee. Backed up in a corner stood Johnson, the colored cook,
brandishing a razor-sharp meat axe.
“Stay right wheah yo’ are, befo’ ah scattahs you’ brains!” wailed the
terrified man.
Don stepped calmly across the threshold.
“It’s all right, Johnson,” he said, sweeping the galley with a quick
look. “Somebody shot at us just now, and we thought he might have ducked
in here. Of course, you didn’t see anybody?”
Johnson’s meat cleaver hit the deck with a loud clang.
“Lawsy-me, C’mandah!” he quavered. “Ah sho’ thought you-all was de
killah. Yassah! But ah raickon he was de one dat scooted by de po’thole,
right aftah de shot! Ah jes’ happened ter look out....”
“Which way did he go?” Don snapped, turning back to the doorway.
“He was haided aft, C’mandah,” answered the colored man. “Ah jes’ seen
somethin’ white scootin’ past!”
“Come on, Red!” said Don, stepping out on deck. “We’ll try the radio
shack. It’s part of this same superstructure, and our last bet. Hope you
kept an eye on it, while I was in the galley!”
“I did,” answered Red. “The only door is on this side, too. Got your
flashlight ready? The place looks pitch dark!”
By this time, shouts and the sound of running feet were closing in from
all sides. The twin pistol shots had roused the whole ship’s company.
And now, quite unintentionally, Red Pennington made a grandstand play.
Thinking only to save Don from the killer’s bullets, he slammed open the
radio shack door and charged through, head down, like a football tackle.
There followed a yell and the thud of heavy bodies striking the deck. An
instant later half a dozen men headed by Don Winslow piled into the
narrow compartment.
No shots greeted their rush, though for a moment there was plenty of
confusion. With some difficulty, Red Pennington was pulled off from the
kicking body of his victim, who turned out to be the _Gatoon’s_ radio
operator. The man was breathless, battered, and evidently furious
beneath his show of respect for gold braid.
He gave his name as A. Corba, Electrician First Class, and he told a
reasonably straight story. He had been sitting half asleep in his chair,
he said, listening in to the radio conversations between other ships in
the Caribbean.
Suddenly he’d heard two pistol shots, and the sound of men running. He
was still wondering what it was all about, when the door burst open and
two hundred pounds of fighting man landed on him. Naturally he’d tried
to fight back, but his attacker, who turned out to be Lieutenant
Pennington, had him licked from the start.
Don Winslow heard the story through, without a change of expression.
“Why,” he asked, “did you have the deadlights screwed over the
portholes. Is that customary aboard this craft?”
“Captain Riggs’ orders, sir,” replied the radio operator instantly.
“That is, we were all warned to let no lights show our position to any
passing boat.”
“He’s right, Commander!” spoke up the _Gatoon’s_ captain, from the
doorway. “I did give that order; and it strikes me that this man’s
account holds water. Whoever shot at you must have gotten away, at least
for the time being. What puzzles me is the reason for such an attack.”
“Suppose we talk that over in your quarters, sir,” Don suggested, moving
toward the door. “If I’m not mistaken, we’re due for more surprises
before the night is over!”