r a moment Dave stared in astonishment. He knew von Schellen for a
truly heartless brute. The idea that any woman could love this fellow
came almost as a shock. And that Schellen could have any tender feelings!
Wonders would never cease.

"Of what are you thinking, if I may ask?" the German went on.

"After information coming to you," Darrin hinted, "it almost goes without
saying that you receive your orders."

"Surely we receive them," nodded the German, "if we happen to need any.
But in our line of professional work, after we have received information
we do not often need orders. We know how to use our information."

"Of course," Dave went on, "any other radio operator who is within
hearing distance can pick up your messages, so you do not send them in
open German but use a code, or rather, a series of codes."

"If your radio men have ever picked up any of our messages," retorted the
young German, "you must know that you were not able to decipher their
meaning."

"We could not always decipher them," Darrin admitted.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Why, it is possible, of course, that sometimes we and our Allies have
some keys to the German use of code messages."

"You assert that?" questioned von Schellen, rather eagerly.

"No, and I do not deny it, either," Dave smiled.

"You are interesting, but discreet," complained the German, banteringly.

"And I may say as much of you," Dave continued. "Naturally, you know
some things that you would not tell me, and I know a few things that I
would not dream of telling you."

"And, instead, you hint at things that are not so, and perhaps I do about
the same thing," returned von Schellen.

After that silence fell for some minutes. Dave walked back and forth, the
junior officer watching him keenly.

Overhead the crackling at the aerials continued, with occasional
intervals of silence when the operator below was busy receiving messages.

Again a petty officer approached von Schellen, saluting and reporting in
an undertone.

"It is time for you to go below," announced von Schellen, turning to
Dave.

"I appreciate very much this opportunity to take the fresh air," Dave
said, politely, as he turned toward the conning tower.

"Oh, I guess you're welcome," said the lieutenant, shortly, and with a
meaning smile, "though sometimes there is such a thing as too much
outdoor life."

To Darrin's mild astonishment, as he stepped below, a folding table had
been set up, a