slip of yellow paper which he respectfully handed to the Wall
Street magnate.

"Ah, Collins,--Mr. Hargreaves, this is our wireless operator."

The ensign nodded while Mr. Grant gazed over the message.

"So you picked her up, eh, Collins?" he said, handing the message he had
just perused over to the ensign.

"Yes, sir. It appears that after missing the derelict in the fog the
_Seneca_ cruised in circles looking for her. She is now within ten miles
of us."

"So I see by this message," struck in the ensign; "we are fortunate not
to have drifted further."

"What do you wish to do?" inquired Mr. Grant.

"Naturally, to be transferred to my own ship, if you will be so kind."

Mr. Grant nodded.

"Collins, get our exact position from the captain, signal it to the
_Seneca_, and tell her we will lay off and on here till she arrives."

"Very well, sir," said the man of the wireless, with a bow.

He had hardly withdrawn when the boys came up, fresh from their
inspection of the _Brigand_. All were loud in praise of the craft,
especially Rob and Merritt.

"Would you rather cruise on this craft or go on the duty for Uncle Sam
which lies before you?" asked Mr. Grant quizzically.

The Boy Scouts drew themselves up.

"Why, sir, our duty to our country comes before pleasure," declared Rob,
acting as spokesman. "Cruising about is all right, but we Boy Scouts
like to be doing something useful for somebody else, but most of all for
Uncle Sam."

Rob paused, rather alarmed at his temerity at thus addressing one of the
richest men in the world.

"So you think I am wasting my time cruising, eh?" said Mr. Grant
amusedly glancing at the upright, slender boy before him from under his
heavy brows.

It was impossible to tell whether he was displeased or not. But Rob
decided not to recede from his position. He knew that the Boy Scouts
were supposed to be manly, self-reliant, and upright under all
conditions. So putting his fears of offending the man before him aside,
he spoke up boldly:

"It's different for you, sir. Your life work has raised your monument;
but I think, and I guess my Patrol agrees with me, that it is better for
boys to be on active duty and," he added, his eyes flashing and his
cheeks glowing, "especially such service as we are now going on.
It's--it's glorious," he concluded breathlessly.

"I think you are quite right, my boy," was the magnate's reply, a very
different one from the rejoinder Rob had dreaded.