f him," said Frenchy stepping forth into the
passage. The next moment he cried out: "What's the matter, Hansie?"

The petty officer was plainly frightened. He turned with rolling eyes
and a pasty countenance to the two boys.

"What you seen?" demanded Ikey, likewise disturbed by the petty
officer's appearance.

"No--nothin'," murmured the frightened Seven Knott. "But--but it's a
ghost."

"What's a ghost?" demanded the boys together, and although they did not
believe in ghosts, they could not help being shaken a bit by Seven
Knott's earnestness.

"It's what I heard," whispered the older man, still trembling.

"Oi, oi!" exclaimed Ikey Rosenmeyer suddenly. "Was it a clock ticking?"

"That's it! That's what it sounded like. But there's no clock there,"
the boatswain's mate said. "I couldn't find anything. It's all about
you--in the air! I tell you it's a ghost, a ghost-clock. 'The death
watch.' They say you hear it on board a ship when she's doomed to sink.
Something bad is going to happen to the _Kennebunk_," finished Seven
Knott earnestly.

"Crickey!" cried Frenchy under his breath. "Something bad just happened
to that German U-boat. Maybe this death watch you talk about was
counting out the submarine, not the battleship."

But Hertig was not to be easily pacified. He was superstitious anyway.
He believed that he could not be drowned himself, for instance, because
he had been born with a caul over his face.

Frenchy went into the room, presumably to listen for the "tick-tock"
sound; but actually to find his knife. He came out with the latter in
his pocket; but he also showed a rather pale face and he had not much to
say until Seven Knott went away.

The latter crept away, plainly in great trouble of spirit. Ikey asked
his chum:

"Did you hear it again?"

"Ye-es," admitted Frenchy. "It does sound queer. What do you suppose it
can be?"

"Don't know. Let's tell Whistler," said Ikey, who had a deal of
confidence in Morgan.

"That's all right. But don't tell him anything about our being in that
room before. Remember, Ikey, we don't know a livin' thing about that
first periscope the lookouts spied."

"Sure I won't tell," agreed the other. "It wasn't such a good joke after
all, was it, Frenchy?"

And Frenchy agreed with a solemn nod of his head.

CHAPTER XVI

AN ACCIDENT

The _Kennebunk_ shook throughout her structure at that moment and Ikey
darted for the between-decks ladder.

"Another sub