from a ship that is 'in tune' with her own radio apparatus. The
Universal Detector should make it possible to catch every wireless
sound. I am very anxious, if I perfect it, to get it adopted in the
navy. It would be of great value in time of war, for by its use every
message sent by an enemy, even if they were purposely put 'out of tune,'
could be caught."

"By the way, speaking of the navy, did you hear from Captain Simms?"

"Yes; he is still up at Musky Bay. Some difficulties in the code have
arisen, and he will not be through with his work for two weeks or more
yet, he says."

"No more attempts to steal his work, or to spy on him?"

"He doesn't mention any. I guess we're through with the Judson crowd."

"Looks that way. What a gang of thorough-paced rascals they were."

"I guess Judson's business must be in a bad way to make him take such
desperate chances to recoup by landing that contract."

"I suppose that's it."

Raynor lifted his eyes to the ship's clock above Jack's operating
instruments.

"By Jove, almost eight bells! I've got to go on watch. This is my first
job as second engineer, and I mean to keep things on the jump. Well, so
long, old fellow."

"See you this evening," said Jack, as Raynor hurried off.

Jack soon became very busy. The air was full of all sorts of messages.
Besides that, his cabin was crowded with men and women who wished to
file last messages to those they left behind them. He worked steadily
through the afternoon, catching meteorological radios as well as
information from other steamers scattered along the Atlantic lane.

He knew that he might expect hard work and plenty of it all that day.
There would be no chance for him to experiment with his Universal
Detector. About dusk, Harvey Thurman, his assistant, came into the
wireless room to relieve him while he went to dinner.

Thurman was a short, thick-set young man, with a flabby, pallid face and
shifty eyes. He had got his job on the new liner through a "pull" that
he possessed through a distant relationship with Mr. Jukes. Jack had not
met him before, and, since they had been on board, they had exchanged
only a few words, but he instinctively felt that he and Thurman were not
going to make very good shipmates.

As Jack relinquished the head-receivers and the key to his "relief,"
Thurman's gaze rested on the Universal Detector.

"What's that?" he demanded.

"Oh, just a little idea I'm working on," said Jack, "a new in