While awaiting orders, which the wireless had told the _St. Mark's_ captain were not ready for transmission, the big liner stood "off and on" at the mouth of the channel. It was wearing work, and all looked forward eagerly to the day when their destination would be settled and they could proceed.
Jack felt the monotony of it no less than anyone else on board, but he spent a good many busy hours perfecting an attachment for a wireless coherer which he hoped would prove of great value in the future, and possibly prove as profitable as the Universal Detector, to which allusion has already been made in "The Ocean Wireless Boys" and "The Naval Code." One night, after working for some time at some rather abstruse calculations in this connection, he decided to abandon the work for the night and take a stroll on deck before turning in.
Raynor, he knew, was finishing up the last of a series of match games of checkers, so he did not bother to look up his friend. Knowing that Bill was busily engaged, Jack was rather surprised when, at his fourth or fifth turn up and down the deck, which was almost deserted, a steward stepped up to him with a note.
It proved to be from Raynor and read as follows:
"Meet me at once in the stern where we can talk without being spied on. The steward will show you where. I have something important to tell you about Radwig.
"This is very peculiar," mused Jack, and then, turning to the steward he asked:
"Yes, sir, and he told me to bring you to where he was waiting, sir," was the obsequious response.
"All right, lead on," said Jack and then to himself he added: "I can't in the least make out why old Bill should be so secretive. I might just as well have met him in his cabin. But maybe he is being watched, and thinks the place he has appointed would be better."
The steward led the way aft through a maze of corridors and passages. At last they arrived far in the stern of the ship where the unlighted passages showed no cabins were occupied. The twenty first-class passengers had all been booked amidships, thus the hundreds of cabins opening on the stern passages were unoccupied and nobody went near them.
"You've no idea why Mr. Raynor selected this part of the ship to meet me?" said Jack, as he followed the man who lighted the way with an electric torch.