and, if we do, we can easily follow it to its other end."

"By jove, that's good enough," muttered the lieutenant.

"Williamson is already wet," proposed Jack. "He can dive again, and see
whether he can pick up that wire. If he needs any help, I'll go
overboard with him."

"Wait until I see what I can do," proposed the machinist.

This time he dived over the port side of the craft. Three or four times
he came up for air, next going, below again. At last, however,
Williamson came up, calling:

"I have a part of the wire in my hands."

Lieutenant Foster ordered his marines into the cutter, inviting Jack
and Hal also to go with him. They rowed out alongside of Williamson,
picking up the machinist and his wire.

"We'd better put your man back on the boat, hadn't we, Mr. Benson?"
inquired the marine lieutenant.

"I'm not such weak stuff as that, sir," almost grumbled the machinist.
"I can stand a few minutes more in wet clothes, and I want to go along to
see where this wire leads."

"Good enough," nodded Lieutenant Foster, he gave the order to row along
slowly, while two marines in the bow of the cutter slowly gathered
in the wire, at the same time signaling back the direction in which it