.

"I don't suppose there'll be any band concert this afternoon,"
said Greg Holmes suddenly and ruefully. "And we have a mighty
good band, too. And probably no band concert to-morrow forenoon,
either."

"We may not be at sea to-morrow forenoon," Dick suggested.

"Have you been able to figure out at all where we are?" Captain
Holmes asked.

"I haven't. I don't know either our course or the speed at which
we are traveling. All I am sure of is that we are still out of
sight of land. I was told that we are nearing the coast of Ireland,
but Ireland is a town of some size, so the information isn't very
explicit."

"Say," ejaculated Greg, suddenly looking over at the water, "we
have begun to hit up a faster speed. So have the other transports.
And look at the destroyers off yonder. They are moving faster,
too. I wonder if any submarine signs have been seen."

There could be no doubt that the fleet was moving faster.

"I take it," Prescott guessed, "that we've reached the part of
the ocean, where greater speed is considered much more healthful."

"The leading transport is signaling, and so are the destroyers
in the lead," Greg announced, peering ahead.

In their path, and coming nearer four columns of dense smoke could
be observed ascending as though coming up out of the water.

"More destroyers, or some cruisers, coming out to meet us," Dick
conjectured. "As yet they're too far away to be seen from this
deck. Yes, I must be right. Look at the watch officers on the
bridge. They are using their marine glasses and looking forward."

"More craft coming to help us?" Greg called up, after having walked
nearly under the bridge end on the port side.

"Yes, sir," replied one of the watch officers. "Four American
destroyers coming up to strengthen the escort."

Then he named the oncoming craft, whereat Dick Prescott started
with pleasure.

"The first two are the craft commanded by Darry and Danny Grin,"
Dick murmured to his chum.

"That's right," Greg nodded. "I wonder if they know we're here."

"Probably not. And they wouldn't recognize us, even if they saw
us at a distance. The uniform tends to make all men look alike
at a very little distance. It will seem tough, though, to be
so near Darry and Danny Grin and not have even a wave of the hand
from them."

"What part of the ocean are we in?" Greg called up to the obliging
bridge officer.

"On the surface, sir," came the dry reply. "On the surf