to look at each other with some worriment of
countenance. Later it was reported that the first "periscope" could not
be found. The two mischief-makers were greatly relieved.

"Say! that wasn't any joke," Ikey whispered to the Irish lad. "Oi, oi!
S'pose they had grappled for it and brought it aboard and found
"_Kennebunk_" stamped on those iron belayin' pins we used for weights?"

"Don't say a word!" urged Frenchy.

"You bet I won't!" agreed Ikey. "Not even to Whistler and Al. We come
pretty near putting our foot in it that time, Frenchy."

The Irish lad agreed warmly: "By St. Patrick's piper that played the
last snake out of Ireland!" he reiterated, "no more practical jokes,
Ikey. This is a lesson. And say!"

"What is it?"

"I left my knife down there in that room. I've got to go down after it
before it's found and the master-at-arms asks questions."

"All right. I'll go down and watch out for you," declared the loyal
Ikey.

The target ship was being signaled again and she was coming back. At the
first alarm of a submarine in the vicinity she had started coastward.

The wireless was snapping. Messages were being sent out announcing the
sinking of the U-boat and warning other craft, especially merchant
vessels, of the possibility of other undersea boats being in the
vicinity.

It was proved, at least, that the Germans had sent more submarines to
this side of the ocean. The visit of the _Deutschland_ and of U-53 to
America before the United States got into the war, had been in the
nature of a warning as to what the Hun could really do. Now perhaps a
squadron of U-boats was to be sent across to prey upon American shipping
or to shell helpless seaboard towns.

The two younger Seacove boys, who had come so near committing a huge
piece of folly by their small practical joke, slipped down to the lower
deck again to recover Frenchy's knife. If it should be found by the
master-at-arms, or was handed to him, it would go into the lucky bag;
and then Frenchy would have to explain how he lost it in that unused
compartment of the ship if he wished to get back the knife again.

Just as they got to the passage abaft the compartment in question, Ikey
uttered a warning "hist!" and drew Frenchy back. Somebody was coming out
of the room in which they built the dummy that had so fooled the ship's
company.

"Who is it?" gasped Michael.

"Oi, oi!" murmured Ikey, peering again, "It's Seven Knott."

"Shucks! I'm not afraid o