The stout German slipped his wireless "ears" from his head and extended them to Jack, who, good-naturedly, took them. Then he made off for his cabin where he kept constantly a stock of provisions to satisfy his appetite between meals.
"Well, I'm a fine chump," smiled Jack, as he slipped into Hans' vacant chair. "No wonder Bill says I'm crazy. Off for a holiday and the first thing I know I find myself back on the job. Hullo, here's a message coming. K. P. E., that's our call. Funny sort of sending, too. Doesn't sound like a commercial operator."
"This is the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_," he flashed back; "what do you want?"
"Tell your captain to lie to in his present position till further orders," came the reply.
"Well, I like your nerve," flashed back Jack, thinking somebody was trying to play a wireless joke on him. "Don't you know we are carrying the European mails from New York? You stick around where you are and we may bump into you on the way back again."
"Never mind about that. Obey orders at once," came back bruskly.
"Say, never mind that comedy," implored Jack. "I'm busy. Ring off."
"No trifling there, young man," was flashed back. "This is the British cruiser _Essex_. We want to overhaul you."
"In this case we can. War has been declared by England upon Germany and Austria. Lay to or it will be the worse for you."
A step sounded behind Jack. He turned quickly, thinking it was someone who wanted to send a message, in which case he was anxious to "cut out" the man he thought was playing a senseless joke on him. The newcomer was de Garros.
"Ah, sitting at zee wire, eh? I suppose our always hungry Teutonic friend iz taking ze light lunch somewhere. Ah, any news? I saw you working ze key as I came in."
"No news since I came on," said Jack, carelessly. "I was just trying to convince some deep sea joker that he couldn't fool me."
"Why, somebody just flashed a message to the ship that they were the British cruiser _Essex_ and that war had been declared between England and Germany and----"
He got no further. De Garros's hands flew out and seized his shoulders.
"Zat was no joke, _mon ami_," he exclaimed; "it was zee truth."
"The truth? How do you know?" asked the naturally astonished Jack.