hen you are in the duty, too? You are under orders?"

"In a way, yes," said Blake. "We are, if you will excuse me for saying
so, on a sort of mission----"

"Ah, I understand, monsieur! A thousand pardons. It is a secret mission,
is it not? Tut! Tut! I must not ask! You, too, are soldiers in a way. I
must not talk about it. Forget that I have asked you. I am as silent as
the graveyard. What is that delightful slang you have--remember it no
more? Ah, I have blundered! Forget it! Now I have it! I shall forget
it!" and, with a gay laugh, he smiled at the boys, and then, nodding,
strolled about the deck.

"He's jolly enough, anyhow," remarked Joe.

"Yes, and perhaps we have wronged him," said Blake. "The best way is not
to talk too much to him. We might let something slip out without knowing
it. Let him jabber as much as he likes. We'll just saw wood."

"I suppose he'd call that some more of our delightful slang, and
translate it 'render into small pieces portions of the forest trees for
the morning fire,'" laughed Joe. "Well, Blake, I guess you're right.
We've got to keep things under our hats!"

"And watch our cameras and films," added Charlie. "No more
accidental-purpose collisions for mine!"

In the novelty and excitement of getting fairly under way the moving
picture boys forgot, for the time being, the presence of one who might
be not only an enemy of theirs but of their country also. It was not the
first time Blake and Joe had undertaken a long voyage, but this was
under auspices different from any other.

The United States was at war with a powerful and unscrupulous nation.
There were daily attacks on merchantmen, as well as on war vessels, by
the deadly submarine, and there was no telling, once they reached the
danger zone, what their own fate might be.

So even the start of the voyage was different from one that might have
been taken under more favorable skies. Soon after they had passed into
the lower bay word was passed that the passengers would be assigned to
"watches," or squads, for lifeboat drill, in anticipation of reaching
the dangerous submarine zone.

And then followed anxious days, not that there was any particular danger
as yet from hostile craft, but every one anticipated there would be,
and there was a grim earnestness about the lifeboat drills.

"I have been through it all before--when I came over," said Lieutenant
Secor to the boys; "but it has not lost its terrible charm. It is a part