"By Jove, I'm glad we went out after the poor fellows of the 'Mary
Bond,'" cried Mr. Farnum, wheeling around. "We found them in sore
straits, in two small boats, with only a pair of oars to each boat,
and the sea roughening up every minute. They lost their fishing smack.
Their boat struck on the stump of a mast of a sunken derelict. The
smack sprung a big leak, this morning, and went down. I've just written
a telegram to the Navy Department, Mr. Danvers, advising them of the
location of the derelict as well as I could gather it from the captain
of the late 'Mary Bond.'" With this, he handed Danvers the telegram
he had written.
Lieutenant Danvers glanced at the telegram, and then handed it back
with a smile.
"What do you mean, sir?" demanded Jacob Farnum, wonderingly.
"The telegram isn't necessary--that's all," replied the naval officer,
with a smile. "We encountered that same sunken derelict--and Jack
Benson blew her to smithereens!"
CHAPTER V
THE MYSTERIOUS ORDER COMES
That night a machinist was stationed aboard the "Hastings" to watch the
in-coming of water through the slight leak, and to apply the pump
occasionally.
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