Then Roy did a little more figuring. He knew the _Lycoming_ was four days from Galveston. At the same rate of speed, he found by measuring his map, the _Lycoming_ was perhaps three and a half days from New Orleans, a little less from Mobile, and not three days from Tampa. Key West was a few hours more than two days distant, and Jacksonville not much more than a day. Savannah, Charleston, and Wilmington were within a day’s sail. Northern Cuba was only a trifle more than two days distant, and various West Indian ports were but a few hours further, while the Bahamas were some hours nearer. From some or all of these ports and a few others besides, ships might have sailed in time to bring them close to the _Lycoming_ now. Roy didn’t know the speed of any of the ships that ply along the coast excepting the Lycoming’s, but the captain would know. From his _Herald_ clippings Roy could learn what ships were on the ocean.
Roy got out his clippings and jotted down the names of coastwise ships sailing from various ports in recent days. He believed most of them would average about the same speed as the _Lycoming_. Calculating on that basis, he found that _El Alba_ from Galveston, the _Antilla_ from Cuba, the _Algonquin_ from San Domingo, the _City of Columbus_ from Savannah, the _Alabama_ from Port Arthur, and the _Merrimack_ from Jacksonville, all bound north, were now due in the neighborhood of Hatteras, while the _Matinicock_, bound from Baltimore to Tampico, and the _Brunswick_, south-bound from Newport News, must be close ahead in the fog. Now he had something to go on.
Taking down his signal book, Roy copied the call signals of each of these vessels. Then he adjusted his receivers, threw over his switch and began to call.
“KKL--KKL--KKL de WNA,” flashed Roy’s signal.
Again and again he repeated the call, but no answer greeted his ear. Either _El Alba_ was not within hearing distance or else her wireless man was not at his post.
Roy tried for the _Antilla_. “KWD--KWD--KWD de WNA,” he rapped out. Then amid the roar of the storm he waited for an answer. “KWD--KWD--KWD de WNA,” repeated Roy after an interval. And this time, very faintly, he got a reply.
“KWD de WNA. Where are you?” called Roy. “Are my signals distinct?”