ut," declared Jack.

"Suppose you and I walk down there, then, Hastings?" suggested Radwin.
"We can leave Benson here, to tell Somers where we are, if he comes back
this way."

"You wait here, Hal," suggested Jack. "There's a little matter I want
to speak to Mr. Farnum about, anyway."

So Hastings was left at the corner. He saw Jack and the Rhinds man go
in through the hotel entrance.

Then, hearing steps, Hal turned to see two sailors approaching. They
wore the uniform of the United States Navy. Hastings regarded them with
the friendly interest that he, like most other Americans, always felt
for sailors. But the two sailors came along, talking earnestly, and did
not appear to see young Hastings, who stood in close to the wall.

"When I first seen him fall," one of the sailors was saying, "I mistook
him for a Navy officer. He was pretty young, but the uniform fooled me."

"He had the uniform, all right but no signs of rank on it," nodded the
other sailor, thoughtfully. "Was he much hurt?"

"Oh, it won't kill him," replied the first sailor. "But--"

"I beg your pardon," interposed Hal, springing in front of the pair.
"It has just struck me that you are speaking of a comrade of mine."

"Well, he had a uniform on, just like your'n, replied the first sailor,
looking Hal Hastings over quickly.

"Only the young feller we're talkin' about has red hair," added the
second.

"What has happened to him?" demanded Hal, a feeling of alarm sweeping
over him.

"Oh, he got in a little fight--that's all," responded the first sailor.
"Bit off a little bit bigger chunk of fight than he could handle. He's
kinder dazed and silly, now, and talkin' about queer things. Half an
hour more, though, messmate, and I guess he'll be able to walk down to
the water front all right."

Eph knocked out and dazed--among strangers! That was the sole picture
that appeared to Hal Hastings's mind at that moment.

"He's a friend of mine--messmate, at that," Hal declared, quickly.
"Where is the place? Or, better still, can you take me to it? I'll
reward you."

"Oh, stow the reward, messmate," replied one of the sailors. "We
fellers that foller seafighting for a trade have got to stand in together
once in a while. When I seen your friend knocked down I jumped in and
floored the big rough that hurt your messmate. We'd have brought your
friend along, but we didn't know just where to take him."

It was hard for Hal to believe that