toward them.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Watching," sighed Dave.

"And waiting," added Danny Grin.

"Then perhaps you youngsters will be interested in the news of
what's going on under this superstructure," suggested Lieutenant
Trent.

"What's happening below?" demanded Dalzell. "More watching---and
waiting?"

"Why, I have an idea that we won't have to wait much longer,"
replied Trent, smiling at the eager faces before him. "I've just
learned that, for the last twenty minutes, Captain Gales has been
standing in the wireless room, and that Commander Bainbridge is
with him. They are, so I hear, having a hot and heavy wireless
talk with Admiral Fletcher."

"A little _talk_, as a relief from so much watching and waiting,
eh?" asked Darrin, dryly.

"Why, I believe that the talk is going to lead to something real,"
replied Lieutenant Trent, trying hard to keep the flash of excitement
from showing in his own eyes. The fact is, something has happened."

"Don't 'string' us like that!" urged Danny Grin. "Why, Trent,
the American Navy, and the Army, too, has been waiting for three
years or more for something to happen. But so far it has all
happened on the Mexican side. Don't tell us, at this late day,
that the United States is going to start anything to happening on
the other side."

"There's something up," Trent insisted. "I don't know what it
is; I haven't an idea of the nature of the happening, but of this
I feel rather sure,---that now, at last, the Mexicans have done
something that will turn Yankee guns and Yankee men loose."

"I wonder if you're any good as a prophet, Trent?" pondered Dan,
studying his division officer's face keenly.

"We'll wait and see," laughed the lieutenant. "If there really
is anything in the wind, I think we'll have a suspicion of what
it is by mess-hour to-night. A little more watching and waiting
won't hurt us."

"Hear that commotion on the quarter-deck?" demanded Dave, suddenly.
"I hear a lot of talking there. Come on. We'll see if _waiting_
is about to be turned into _doing_."

Trent walked slowly aft. Still chatting with him, Dave and Dan
kept by his side. Then they stood looking down upon the quarter-deck.

Presently two messengers came running out, looking eagerly about
them. One messenger, catching sight of the three officers on
the superstructure, came bounding up the steps, halting and saluting.

"Compliments of the executive officer," announced