Nor had the flagship heard anything of the whereabouts of the Blues1. It was generally believed that they had rallied off the Virginia Capes2 and were playing a game of hide-and-seek with their opponents.
Ned knew the spot to which he had been directed for the mine test very well. Already he had planned just how he would proceed. From the mainland at this point there runs out a long finger of land, on one end of which is perched Fort Schuyler.
It was his intention to leave the Seneca anchored[Pg 105] in a bay far up the Sound and then proceed on one of the submarines, under cover of night, himself commanding the diving boat. But when they had almost reached the snug3 bay that Ned had decided4 upon as a good anchoring place for a craft on such an errand, Trevor hastened out of his wireless5 box with a message in the secret code.
Ned took it below and speedily read it off. He made a wry6 face of chagrin7 as he did so. It appeared that other work than going down with the submarine had been laid out for him. He was to get ashore8 somehow, land on the neck in the early morning, and make certain observations of the work of the diving boat.
"Pshaw!" exclaimed Ned to himself; "too bad! I don't see the object of it all, but I suppose they know best. Well, Herc will have to take command of the submarine, of course, and I will have to do what's laid out for me."
His mind at once began to busy itself with[Pg 106] plans for the morrow's work when Trevor suddenly interrupted again. There had been a mistake in transmitting the details of the last message, it appeared.
The submarine was not to make the tests the next day at all. Through other sources the flagship had learned that the mines had not yet been laid. Ned was to contrive9 to be on the watch during the process and note carefully where each was planted from a quartermaster's department tug10. This was very important, as the mines were to be laid just as they would be for actual defenses. When Ned had secured all this information, the submarine test would come. If they succeeded in dodging11 the torpedoes12, it would be several points for the Red side.
When they reached the bay that Ned had in mind, the Seneca was guided inside, and then, while her crew speculated as to what the next move could possibly be, she lay swinging at her anchor, idly waiting for darkness to fall. For[Pg 107] Ned had decided not to let his crew know of the plans. Herc, of course, was familiar with them, but none of the others, except Trevor, the wireless operator.
It was not long before dusk when Midshipman Kenworth presented himself before Ned. He saluted13 respectfully and appeared much more obsequious14 than he had been since the arrival of the boys on board.
"Beg your pardon, sir," he asked, "but would there be any objection to my going ashore to-night? Some of my people live at Oakhurst, about nine miles inland, and I'd like to take this opportunity of seeing them."
Ned thought a moment. Then he decided that if Kenworth was spying about the Seneca with the object of injuring her young skipper, the further off he was during the next day the better.
"Very well, Kenworth," said he, "you may go, but be sure to report on board to-morrow night at four bells."
[Pg 108]
"Yes, sir," said the midshipman, saluting15. He turned away and not long after reappeared on deck with his suit case. The shore boat was ordered away and was soon skimming off over the water.
"Confound the fellow," said Ned to Herc as they watched the craft making its way over the bay, "I didn't want to let him go; but after all, I'd rather have his room than his company any day."
"I'd have kept him aboard and worked him up to the king's taste," said Herc with positiveness. "I've no more use for him than I have for a snake in the grass, or for what I compared him to before."
"After all, though, there is no possible way he could injure us," declared Ned. "Such fellows as he is generally end by hurting themselves more than the folks they have it in for."
"That may all be as true as a preacher's words,[Pg 109] Ned," declared Herc, "but we owe it to ourselves to look out for him."
"Oh, that part of it is all right. But come on now, I'm going to get ready for the trip that I'm going to take to-night myself."
"I wish I were going with you," said Herc.
"Just think, you'll be able to lord it over the ship as a skipper all the time I'm gone," laughed Ned.
"I'm afraid a skipper with a red head won't get as much respect as you do, Ned, but I'll do my best."
After dark that night, Ned, clothed in an old suit of civilian16 clothes, and carrying in a small handbag some necessary instruments and a sketch17 block for recording18 his impressions, clambered down into the gig and was rowed ashore by two members of the crew who had been sworn to secrecy19.
Once ashore, where there was a community of summer cottages and hotels, he engaged a gasoline[Pg 110] launch to take him to a small island known as Civic20 Island, not far from the Neck, to which it was joined, in fact, by a bridge.
Going ashore at Civic Island, Ned turned in at a hotel and early in the morning rose, secured some provisions which he placed in his small handbag, and then set out on foot for the scene of his observations.
The Neck was a lonely place and very little frequented. On one end of it was the fort, between which and some wooded heights in which it terminated, stretched the sandy, brush-covered peninsula of the Neck, scrawny and thin as that of a giraffe.
Ned was provided with field glasses, of course, and having reached a point from which he could command a clear view of the fort, he surveyed it for some time to get his bearings. Meanwhile, of course, he concealed21 his body behind some bushes.
He could see the tug perfectly22 plainly. There[Pg 111] was a big crane at its bow and it was hoisting23 on board large metallic24 shapes of globular form that he knew were mines.
At the top of the mast floated the flag of the quartermaster's department, so that Ned knew that he had the right craft spotted25.
"Well, they are in no hurry, anyhow," he said to himself, as he watched the leisurely26 way in which the craft was being loaded. "I reckon I'll sit down and take a rest. I didn't sleep much at that hotel last night, and I'd be glad of a seat in the shade. I can keep my eyes open just as well under this bush here as standing27 out there in the sun."
But alas28 for good intentions! As he cast himself down in the shade, Ned appeared to slip gently out of the present and into the land of Nod. How long he slept he had no idea. But it could not have been very long, for when he opened his eyes again the tug, loaded with the[Pg 112] big, black bulks of the submarine mines, was just leaving the fort.
"Gracious! Lucky I woke up in time! A fine thing it would have been if I had blissfully slept right on!" exclaimed Ned to himself in mortified29 tones.
He jumped to his feet. The next instant he threw himself just as hastily down again.
He was not alone on the Neck. Not far off was a figure intently watching the tug as it slowly steamed out from the dock.
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
blues
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| n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐 | |
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2
capes
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| 碎谷； 斗篷( cape的名词复数 )； 披肩； 海角； 岬 | |
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3
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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4
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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5
wireless
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| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
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6
wry
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| adj.讽刺的；扭曲的 | |
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7
chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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8
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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9
contrive
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| vt.谋划，策划；设法做到；设计，想出 | |
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10
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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11
dodging
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| n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避 | |
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12
torpedoes
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| 鱼雷( torpedo的名词复数 )； 油井爆破筒； 刺客； 掼炮 | |
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13
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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14
obsequious
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| adj.谄媚的，奉承的，顺从的 | |
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15
saluting
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的现在分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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16
civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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17
sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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18
recording
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| n.录音，记录 | |
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19
secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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20
civic
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| adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的 | |
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21
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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22
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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23
hoisting
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| 起重，提升 | |
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24
metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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25
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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26
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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27
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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28
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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29
mortified
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| v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等） | |
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