u ask me,"
declared Frank.

"Looks that way to me, too," agreed Jack.

They mentioned the matter to Lord Hastings.

"Captain Smithers just told me," replied Lord Hastings, "that at this
moment there are in the neighborhood of a thousand of these little craft
here. However, the bulk of them probably will be sent to other stations
before long."

"You mean distributed up and down the coast?" asked Frank.

"Exactly."

"And when are we going to get busy, sir?" asked Jack.

Again Lord Hastings smiled.

"To-night," he said, after a moment's hesitation, "I think I can promise
you a little excitement to-night. Captain Smithers has a tip that he
intends to follow, and we have been selected for the job."

CHAPTER VII.

AN ENEMY.

_The Hawk_ crept over the still black waters as silently as the night
itself. Not a light showed aboard the little craft--not a human voice
was heard. Now and then the faint exhaust of the engine could have been
heard by a keen ear, but the engine was muffled and whatever sound it
might make carried but a few yards at most.

_The Hawk_, with Lord Hastings, Jack and Frank and the other few members
of the crew, was stalking the foe--no particular foe, perhaps--but any
enemy that might be foolhardy enough to show itself.

Aboard, each member of the crew, besides his revolvers, was equipped
with a small hand flashlight; and the larger searchlight in the bow was
ready for instant use--to flash in the eyes of an enemy to blind him and
to spoil his aim.

And the two heavy guns--one forward, the other aft--were ready for
action.

The men stood at their posts--had stood there now for two hours--ever
since _The Hawk_ had crept silently from the friendly shelter of Bantry
Bay. The crew had been ordered to silence and the crew of _The Hawk_,
commanded by Lord Hastings, obeyed orders.

So far _The Hawk_ had come upon nothing that had justified its lonesome
and silent vigil--not an object of any kind had been encountered, and
the hour was now after midnight. Still, keen eyes aboard the little
craft peered untiringly ahead and swept the waters in all directions,
trying to pierce the darkness of the night.

The night, though dark, was perfectly calm and peaceful, albeit black,
overhanging clouds heralded the approach of a storm. But Lord Hastings,
than whom there were few better weather prophets, announced that the
storm would not break before well along toward morning and held to his
ques