on the lookout for them."

"Then I am astonished that they should have embarked on a steamship bound
for England," Dave returned. "They must have faced certain arrest on
landing."

"I don't believe they intended coming to England," Allaire answered.
"Probably they were on their way to Spain. It may have been that no
German submarine was leaving for the Spanish coast just at the time, and
it was imperative that they reach Spain early. So, I take it, they
journeyed to the neutral country and embarked on the 'Louisa,' knowing
that the skipper could transfer them to a submarine bound for Spain. We
are amazed at this fellow, Hadkor, skipper of the 'Louisa.' We had
believed him to be all right, and he had ready access to our ports with
his cargoes. But his ship has been found to be fitted with all facilities
for transferring mines at sea, and also with an anti-aircraft gun and a
stock of rifles and ammunition. The work must have been excellently paid
for by the Germans, for the crew were assuredly in the secret, and ready
even to fight, and they surely had to be paid for their risks."

"Then it was a very important catch that the 'blimp' ran us into."

"One of the best in a six-month," replied Captain Allaire. "And yet that
skipper fellow and his crew must be lunatics, for their conduct lays them
liable to being hanged as pirates."

When the "Grigsby" put out to sea before daylight Dave Darrin lay asleep.
He slept extremely well, too, in the consciousness of a day's duties well
done.

CHAPTER XX

DARRIN TURNS THE TABLES

BOTH commanding officers were asleep when the "Grigsby" and the "Reed"
passed each other that morning, the "Grigsby" proceeding on to her
station.

Dave would have gone back on the same water route he had hunted over the
day before, but the dirigible, which had reached England safely, had not
yet been put in shape for further service, and there was at present no
other dirigible that could be spared for his service.

Therefore it was a matter of back to the shoals for temporary duty, yet
of a kind that was very important.

At ten o'clock he was called, as that was the hour he had named for
relieving Lieutenant Fernald.

The executive officer had come into the chart-room to call him, and
remained while Darrin performed his hasty toilet.

"What's the weather?" Darrin asked.

"Misty, sir," replied the executive officer. "There's a fine drizzle,
mixed with some fog. For the last half hou