er you down below last night. You and he
had a little scuffle down there, I take it.--Better run along about your
duties now, Tom, and I'll see you later."

CHAPTER XX

A NEW JOB

For a few moments Tom stood gaping at the receding figures, with Mr.
Conne's remark ringing in his ears: _I shall expect you to tell me what
became of the young fellow who happened to discover you down below last
night._

Was that the possible explanation of the missing wireless boy? The
thought of this complication shocked him. What could it mean? The
detective had evidently fitted the whole thing together.

Finger-prints were finger-prints, thought Tom, and a finger-print with
illegible markings in the center meant a telegraph operator, so far as
this particular incident was concerned. He so greatly admired Mr. Conne
that as usual he forgot to admire himself....

The man must have been discovered, either in the act of placing the
bomb, or perhaps of trying to remove it when he found that he must sail
with the ship, and there had been a scuffle and----

And what? Where was the wireless boy?

Alas, though the spy was apprehended, it was to be many long months
before the mystery of the missing wireless boy should be cleared up. And
who, of all the people in the world, do you suppose cleared it up? Who
but Pee-wee Harris (don't laugh) and his trusty belt-axe. But that is
part of another story.

The arrest of "Dr. Curry" as a German spy and plotter was a nine hours'
wonder on the ship, and the part which Tom Slade had played in the
affair did not pass without comment. Neither the ship's officers nor Mr.
Conne took him into their confidence as to the character of the papers
found on the "doctor," but he understood that that scornful personage
was safely lodged somewhere "below," and Mr. Conne did go so far as to
tell him that "our friend" had set his watch right. Tom did not dare to
ask questions, even of his friend the detective, who chatted pleasantly
with him whenever they met.

He was the last boy in the world to expect more consideration than was
due him or to make much of his own exploits, and if his superiors did
not take him into partnership and make him their confidant and adviser,
as undoubtedly they would have done in a story, they at least treated
him with rather more consideration than is usually given to ships' boys,
and the awkward young fellow in the ill-fitting duck jacket and peaked
hat askew was pointed out