English, and
bowed them into where, ranged on a long table, the whole length of the
left-hand wall, stood a great quantity of mysterious-looking electrical
appliances with a tangle of connecting wires, while below the tables
stood a row of fully fifty large batteries, such as are used in
telegraph work.

On the table, amid that bewildering assortment of queer-looking
instruments, all scrupulously clean and highly polished, were two small
brass lamps burning behind a long, narrow strip of transparent
celluloid whereon was marked a minute gauge. On the edge of the table,
before these lamps, was a switch, with black ebonite handle.

As the two Englishmen entered, the German's eyes caught the small, round
brass clock and noted that it was time to make the test--every five
minutes, night and day, while the cable was in process of completion.

Therefore, without further word to his visitors, he carefully pulled
over the long ebonite handle of the switch, and, at the same instant, a
tiny spot of bright light showed upon the transparent gauge.

This the engineer examined to see its exact place upon the
clearly-defined line, afterwards noting it in his book in cryptic
figures, and then carefully switching off again, when the tell-tale
light disappeared.

"Well?" asked Barclay. "How are you getting along? Not quite so much
excitement in this place as yesterday--eh?"

"No," laughed the engineer. "Der people here never see a shore-end
floated to land wiz bojes (buoys) before. Dey have already buried der
line in der trench, as you see. Ach! Your English workmen are far
smarter than ours, I confess," he added, with a pleasant accent.

"Is it being laid all right?" the airman asked.

"Ja, ja. Very good work. Der weather, he could not be better. We have
laid just over one hundert mile in twenty-four hours. Gut--eh?"

[Illustration: "A carter found him lying in a ditch at the roadside,
stabbed in the throat, while his motor-cycle was missing!" [_Page 9_]

As he spoke the Morse-sounder at the end of the green baize-covered
table started clicking calling him.

In a moment his expert hand was upon the key, tapping a response.

The ship tapped rapidly, and then the engineer made an enquiry, and
received a prompt reply.

Then tapped out the short-long-short-long and short, which meant
"finish," when, turning to the pair, he said:

"Dey hope to get it am Ufer (ashore) at daybreak to-morrow. By noon
there will be another th