the
_Bennington's_ lights.

"The Lord knows," said the ensign in wonder. "It's all over and it
smells like a rotten dead fish. Well, we will be going back, sir." He
called to a petty officer to round up the men, and the boat was
brought alongside.

* * * * *

Their return to the _Bennington_ again through a pathway of light that
Thorpe knew was safe under the black muzzles of the destroyer's guns.

Or was it, he asked himself. Safe! Was anything safe from this
devilish mystery that could pluck each cowering human from the lowest
depths of this steel freighter, that could drag her down in the water
till the radio man sent his cry: "We are sinking!..."

He told Brent quietly, after the ensign had reported, of the struggles
in the wireless room and its few remaining traces. And he watched with
the commander through the hour of darkness while the _Bennington_
steamed in slow circles about the abandoned hulk, while her
search-lights played endlessly over the empty waters and the men at
the guns cast wondering glances at their skipper who ordered such
strange procedure when no danger was there.

With daylight the scene lost its sense of mysterious threat, and
Thorpe was eager to return to the abandoned ship.

"I might find something," he said, "some trace or indication of what
we have to fight."

"I must leave," said Commander Brent. "Oh, I'm coming back, never
fear," he added, at the look of dismay on Thorpe's face. The thought
of leaving this mystery unsolved was more than that young seeker after
adventure could accept.

"I'm coming back," Brent repeated. "I've been in communication with
the Admiral--Honolulu has relayed the messages through. All code, of
course; we mustn't alarm the whole Pacific with our nightmares. The
old man says to stick around and get the low-down on this damn thing."

"Then why leave?" objected Thorpe.

* * * * *

"Because I am coming around to your way of thinking, Thorpe. Because I
am as certain as can be that we have a monster of some sort to deal
with ... and because I haven't any depth charges. I want to run up to
the supply station at Honolulu and get a couple of ash-cans of TNT to
lay on top of the brute if we sight him."

"Glory be!" said Thorpe fervently. "That sounds like business. Go and
get your eggs and perhaps we can feed them to this devil--raw.... And
I think I'll stay here, if you will be back by dark."