An old quartermaster passed the door of the wireless cabin. He poked his head in.
"Goot efenings, Yack," he said, with easy familiarity. "How iss der birdt cage vurking?"
This was Quartermaster Schultz's term for the tenuous aërials swung far aloft to catch wide-flung, whispered space messages and relay them to the operator's listening ears.
"The bird cage is all right," laughed Jack. "Dandy weather, eh?"
The old man, weather-beaten and bronzed by the storms and burning suns of the seven seas, shook his head.
"Idt is nice now, all righdt," he said, "but you ought to see der glass."
"The barometer? What is the matter with it?"
"Py gollys, I dink der bottom drop oudt off idt. You may have vurk aheadt of you to-night."
"You mean that we are in for a big storm?"
"I sure do dot same. Undt ven it comes idt be a lollerpaloozitz. Take my vurd for dat. Hark!"
Far above him in the aërials could be heard a sound like the moaning bass string of a violin as the wind swept among the copper wires.
"Dot's der langwitch of Davy Chones," declared Schultz. "Idt says, 'Look oudt. Someding didding.' I'fe heardt idt pefore, undt I know."
The old man hurried off on his way forward, and Jack emitted a long whistle.
"My, won't there be a lot of seasick passengers aboard to-night! The company will save money on breakfast to-morrow."
Just then Sam came back from dinner and Jack was free to go below to his meal. He was about to relinquish the instruments when there came a sudden call.
"To all ships within three hundred miles of Hatteras: Watch out for storm of hurricane violence.
"Briggs, Operator Neptune Beach U. S. Wireless Service."
Sam was looking over Jack's shoulder as the young wireless chief of the _Tropic Queen_ rapidly transcribed the message on a blank.
"Phew! Trouble on the way, eh?" he asked.
"Looks like it. But we need not worry, with a craft like this under our feet."
"What is the trouble? Not scared, are you?" asked Jack, who knew that, excellent operator though he had shown himself to be, this was Sam's first deep-sea voyage.
"N-no. Not that," hesitated Sam, "but seasickness, you know. And I ate an awful big dinner."
"Well, don't bother about that now. Lots of fellows who have never been to sea before don't get sick."