Help yourself," said Jack, looking up from a book he was reading. "I'll
wait a little longer."

Frank retired to his own cabin and was soon asleep. At ten o'clock, no
word having been received, Jack put down his book and rose.

"Frank may be right," he told himself. "At all events, I may as well turn
in. My remaining up won't alter the facts, whatever they are."

He undressed, extinguished the light in his cabin and climbed into bed.

Aboard practically every ship in the fleet, almost the same scenes were
enacted that night. Officers and men alike remained up for hours, awaiting
possible word that the armistice had been signed. But at midnight no word
had been received, and while the big ships moved about their patrol work,
the men slept--those of them who had no duties to perform at that hour.
Only the officers and members of the crew watch, and the night radio
operators, remained awake.

To Jack it seemed that he had just closed his eyes when he was aroused by
the sound of the Essex's signal whistle. It screeched and screeched. Jack
leaped from his bunk and scrambled into his clothes.

"Something wrong," he muttered. "Wonder why they didn't call me?"

He hurried on deck.

Frank, in his cabin, also had been aroused by the noise. He, too, sprang
into his clothes and hurried on deck.

There the first thing that his eyes encountered was a circle of figures,
with hands joined, dancing about the bridge and yelling at the top of
their voices. Among them was Jack, who, for the moment, seemed to have
forgotten the dignity that went with his command. Also, the shrill signal
whistle continued to give long, sharp blasts. Frank looked at Jack in pure
amazement.

"Must have gone crazy," he muttered.

He hurried to the bridge and standing behind the dancing figures, caught
Jack by the coat as he whirled by.

"I say," he demanded. "What's the meaning of this? Have you gone mad?"

Jack stopped and broke away from the circle which danced on without him.

"Almost," said Jack, in answer to Frank's question, "and with good
reason."

"What--" began Frank.

"By George! Can't you think?" demanded Jack.

Gradually comprehension dawned on Frank.

"You mean--" he began again.

"Of course, I mean it," shouted Jack. "Why else do you think I'd be
dancing around here like a whirling dervish? Come on and join the crowd.
The armistice has been signed!"

"Hurrah!" shouted Frank.

A moment later he was circling madly about the