e night's business. But first he connected up his detector and snapped
the receivers against his ears, just to see what might be going on. The
operator on the _Adriatic_, a hundred miles behind them, was gossiping
with Poldhu, and far ahead two boats were exchanging information about
the weather. Then Ludwig glanced up quickly, for a step had sounded at
the door, and he saw a man just stepping over the threshold.

"No admittance here!" he called sharply; but the man advanced another
step, smiling broadly.

"My dear Fritz!" he said in German. "Do you not know me?"

And Fritz, staring upwards, and seeing his visitor's face clearly, tore
off the receivers, sprang to his feet and saluted.

"Admiral Pachmann!" he gasped.

Pachmann laughed. Then he turned, closed the door, and drew the shade
before the window.

"Yes, it is I; but don't shout it so loudly, Fritz. Let us sit down. I
saw you at dinner to-night--yes, I, too, am of the second class!--and I
trembled lest you might recognise me and shout my name out in just that
fashion. So, as soon as I could, I hastened up to warn you. I am
travelling incognito upon official business, and in public you are not
to know me."

"I understand, Herr Admiral," said Fritz. "I shall be most careful."

"It is most important," Pachmann warned him; "and I shall trust you not
to forget. How do you like your work here?"

"Very well, sir. I find it very interesting."

"I shall have you back in the service, nevertheless, one of these days,"
Pachmann said. "Perhaps sooner than you think," he added.

"I am always ready, sir," said Fritz.

Pachmann drew out a cigar and lighted it.

"Go ahead with your work," he said. "There is no music to me so pleasant
as the snapping of the spark."

Fritz laughed.

"I know that, sir," he said. "I have an extra receiver, if you care to
put it on."

"Yes, give it to me," said the Admiral; and in a moment it, too, was
connected with the detector.

Fritz replaced his own, started his converter and snapped out into the
air the signal which told the waiting world that the operator of the
_Ottilie_ was ready to receive anything it might have to communicate.
Almost at once Southampton answered, and there was a little preliminary
tuning, till the signals came clear and strong. Then Fritz drew a pad
toward him, picked up a freshly sharpened pencil, and told Southampton
to go ahead.

"SN three fr DKA," began Southampton. "Time 9:50 G."

Which meant t