ight, Mr. Seaton." Joe's busy right hand fingers clicked out
the message on the sending key, while the electric waves sped from the
aerials aloft outside. "We don't know what 'failure' means. We won't
fail you. Good-bye."

Then Joe turned his attention to the "Constant." The big Black B liner
answered promptly. She was on the same course, and glad to know that
the "Restless" was speeding over the sea to seek her.

Having finished in raising the extended signal mast, and glancing into
the motor room to see that the motors were running smoothly, Hank
leaned against the raised deck top. The Long Island boy was hardly to
be expected as a member of the crew of the "Restless" on this cruise,
but he had wound up the summer season at East Hampton, and now, with
idle September coming upon him, he had found the longing for the broad
sea too powerful for him. Family conditions at home being
satisfactory, he had promised himself this one month away from home,
and was aboard as steward and general helper.

"I wonder if our work for Mr. Seaton has started in earnest?" ventured
Hank.

"It has, for a few hours to-day, anyway," smiled Captain Tom. "We're
cruising at full speed, and under orders from the man who chartered
the 'Restless' for this month."

"But who can this Clodis be?"

"I don't know," Tom Halstead admitted.

"I wonder why Mr. Seaton is so mightily interested in him? What does
Seaton mean by hinting at ruin and tragedies?"

"Do you know what I think, Hank?" queried the young skipper, quietly.

"What?"

"I think it would be downright impudence on our part to get too
inquisitive about the affairs of the man who employs us. We looked Mr.
Seaton up, and found he had the reputation of being an honest man.
That's as much of his business as we have any right to want to know."

Hank colored, though he went on, in an argumentative way:

"I s'pose that's all true enough, Tom. Still, it's human nature, when
you smell a big mystery, to want to know the meaning of at least some
of it. And I'm mighty curious, because I scent something unusually big
in the air."

"So do I," admitted the young skipper, giving the wheel another turn
in order to hold the fast-moving boat to her course.

"Then what----"

"Hold on, Hank! Don't be downright nosey. And, as for guessing----"

"Why, Seaton as good as hints that there's been a downright attempt to
kill this man Clodis," broke in Hank, who could not be repressed
easily. "And Se