THE ADMIRAL UNLOADS HIS MIND
Reporting their coming aboard to the officer of the deck, Dave and Dan
hastened to their respective quarters.
While Ensign Dalzell performed a "lightning change" from "cits" to
uniform, Dave first seated himself at his desk, where he wrote a note
hurriedly.
This done, he passed the word for an orderly, who promptly appeared.
"Take this note to the Captain," ordered Darrin.
"Aye, aye, sir," said the messenger.
Dave then hastened to make the necessary change in his own apparel. So
quickly did he act, that he had his uniform on and was buttoning his
blouse when the messenger returned.
"The Captain will see Ensigns Darrin and Dalzell immediately,"
reported the orderly.
Returning the orderly's salute, Dave buckled on his sword belt, hung
on his sword, drew on his white gloves, and started. He found his
chum ready.
Together the young officers reported at the Captain's quarters.
Captain Allen was already seated at his desk.
"Orderly!" called the commanding officer briskly.
"Aye, aye, sir."
"Guard the door and report that I am engaged."
"Aye, aye, sir."
In an instant Captain Allen, who had briefly greeted his youngest
officers, turned to them.
"Your note, Mr. Darrin, stated that you had a matter to report to me
of such importance that you did not believe I would wish to lose a
moment in hearing what Mr. Dalzell and yourself could tell me."
"That is the case, sir," Dave bowed. "Have I your permission to
proceed, sir?"
"Yes. You may take seats, if you wish."
Bowing their thanks, the young officers remained on their feet.
Ensign Dave plunged at once into the narration of what had befallen
them ashore.
Captain Allen listened to the tale without comment, but when Dave
related what he had overheard the two men say when passing the
imitation grove on the darkest part of the Casino veranda, the
commanding officer sprang to his feet.
"Mr. Darrin," he demanded, "are you positive of the words that you
have just repeated?"
"I am, sir. In a matter of such importance I was careful to record
every word in my mind just as it was uttered."
"Then I must communicate with the Admiral at once," continued Captain
Allen, seating himself again. "Even if the Admiral be abed I consider
this a subject of enough importance to call him."
Taking down the receiver of the telephone that led direct to the fleet
commander's quarters, the Captain sent in a call to the Admiral's
quarters.
Soon there came a response.
"This is the Captain speaking, Admiral," announced the "Hudson's"
commanding officer. "Although the hour is late, sir, I request
permission to report to you on a matter of importance."
"I will see you, Captain, in five minutes."
"Thank you, sir. I request permission to bring two officers with me."
"Permission is granted, Captain."
"Thank you, sir."
Hanging up the transmitter, Captain Allen sank back in his chair.
"Is there anything else, gentlemen, that you wish to say to me before
we go to the Admiral?"
"I think I have told you all, sir," Dave replied.
"And I, too," Dalzell added.
Keeping his eye on the clock, Captain Allen presently arose, girded on
his sword, parted the curtains, and led the way.
"If I am wanted, Orderly, I shall be in the Admiral's quarters."
"Aye, aye, sir."
The three officers then filed rapidly along the deck, presented
themselves at the Admiral's quarters, and were admitted.
Admiral Timworth was standing at the rear of his cabin when the
subordinate officers entered. He came quickly forward, instructed his
orderly to guard the door, then turned to his visitors.
"I believe it will be best, with your permission, sir," began Captain
Allen, "to let Mr. Darrin make his report to you."
"Mr. Darrin will proceed, then."
So Dave repeated the story he had told the Captain. Admiral Timworth
listened until the recital had been finished, and then asked several
questions.
"It does not sound like a hoax," commented Admiral Timworth, at last.
"Yet it is impossible for me to conceive how two British battleships
are to be sunk near Malta, or near anywhere else, and Americans blamed
for the act. Captain Allen, can you imagine any way in which such a
thing might be effected?"
"I cannot, sir."
"The subject must be given careful thought," declared the Admiral. "By
the way, Mr. Darrin, do you think you could identify those two men who
talked of the proposed destruction of the British battleships?"
"I am positive that I could do so, sir," Dave rejoined, "provided they
were not disguised."
"Then you may meet them again, as we shall stop at various
Mediterranean ports. If you do, sir, I wish you to report to me
anything that you may find out about them. Mr. Dalzell did not see
them, did he?"
"I may have passed them, sir," Dan replied, "but I would not know
them, if meeting them, as the men whom Mr. Darrin mentions."
"Then, Captain, you will see to it," directed the Admiral, "that Mr.
Dalzell has shore leave whenever Mr. Darrin does. The two young men
will go ashore together so that Mr. Darrin, if opportunity presents,
may indicate the plotters to Mr. Dalzell."
The Captain and the young officers bowed their understanding of this
order.
"The presence of Gortchky here, taken with what Mr. Darrin overheard
those men talking about, and coupled with what took place on the mole
at Gibraltar, leads me to believe that some foreign government has
plans for involving the United States government in serious
complications," resumed the Admiral, after a pause. "Gortchky is not
in charge of any very extensive plot. He is simply a tool of greater
minds, and it may easily be that the pair whom Mr. Darrin overheard
are those who are directing Gortchky in some really big and dangerous
scheme. By the way, gentlemen, was either of you introduced to any
young or charming woman ashore?"
"We were both presented to the Countess Ripoli, sir," Darrin answered,
at once.
"And at the Countess's request, I took a little turn with her on one
of the verandas, sir," Dan added.
"Tell me all about the Countess and your meeting with her, Mr.
Dalzell," Admiral Timworth directed.
So Dan plunged at once into a narration of his chat with the Countess,
to which Admiral Timworth listened attentively.
"Ripoli?" he mused aloud, at last. "I do not recall the name as that
of a supposed secret service agent. Ripoli? Let me see."
From a drawer of his desk the Admiral drew out an indexed book. He
turned over, presumably, to the letter "R," then scanned the writing
on several pages.
"She has not been reported to me as a suspected secret service agent
of any country," said the fleet commander, aloud. "Yet she may very
likely be a spy in the service of some ring of international
trouble-makers. I will enter her name now, though I cannot place
anything positive against it."
"If either of us should meet the Countess Ripoli again, sir," queried
Dan, "have you any orders, sir, in that event?"
"If you do meet her," replied the admiral, "do not be too distant with
her, and do not let her see that she is in any sense under suspicion.
Just treat her as you would any charming woman whom you might meet
socially. However, should you meet her again, you may report the fact
to me. I shall doubtless have some further instructions for you,
gentlemen, but that is all for the present. Captain, you will remain."
Formally saluting their superiors, Dave and Dan withdrew and returned
to Dave's quarters. For half an hour Dan remained chatting with Dave,
then went to his own quarters.
By daylight the "Hudson" was under way again, bound for Naples. Dan
and Dave were called to stand their watches, and life on the
battleship went on as usual.
It was but an hour after daylight when Admiral Timworth, who had
remained up the rest of the night with Flag Lieutenant Simpson, sent a
long message to the Navy Department at Washington. The message
crackled out over the "Hudson's" wireless aerials, and was soon
afterward received in Washington at the huge naval wireless station
there.
"Good night, Simpson," said the Admiral, when his flag lieutenant
reported that the message was in the hands of the wireless operator.
"Shall I leave any instructions for your being called, sir?" asked
Lieutenant Simpson.
"Have me called at ten o'clock, unless a reply from the Navy
Department should arrive earlier. In that case have me called at
once."
The flag lieutenant is the personal aide of the fleet commander.
If the Admiral received an interesting reply from the Navy Department
during the voyage to Naples, he at least concealed the fact from
Ensigns Darrin and Dalzell. Ensigns, however, are quite accustomed to
reserve on the part of admirals.
It was one o'clock one sunny afternoon when the "Hudson" entered the
Bay of Naples. Her anchorage having already been assigned by wireless
by the port authorities at Naples, the "Hudson" came to anchor close
to the "Kennebec" and "Lowell" of the Mediterranean Fleet. Admiral
Timworth now had three war vessels under his own eyes.
At four bells (two o'clock) an orderly called at Dan's and Dave's
quarters, with orders to report to the Admiral at once.
When the two young ensigns reached the Admiral's quarters they found
Lieutenant Simpson there also.
"Be seated, gentlemen," directed the Admiral.
For a few moments Admiral Timworth shuffled papers on his desk,
glancing briefly at some of them.
"Now, gentlemen," said the Admiral, wheeling about in his chair and
looking impressively at Darrin and Dalzell, "it seems to me I had
better preface my remarks by giving you some idea of the Fleet's
unusual and special mission in the Mediterranean. That may lead you to
a better comprehension of why a certain foreign power should wish to
create, between Great Britain and the United States, a situation that
would probably call for war between the two greatest nations of the
world."