"It's getting on toward evening now, with the sun near setting time," remarked Billy, as though he felt that a load was taken from his shoulders with the passing of that almost interminable day.
"There's a steamship coming in," Frank said. "It's taking all sorts of chances of being torpedoed, even if the Germans have said they are holding back until the eighteenth to start the reign of terror."
"Do you really think the submarine blockade is going to work?" asked Billy.
"Honestly I don't see how it can," Frank replied. "They have only a certain number of the latest undersea vessels capable of staying away from a base for a week. These can't be everywhere, and are liable to be sunk by torpedo boats. I've no doubt the Germans will punch holes in a good many small steamers; but as a rule the big ones can run away from them. I guess it's a whole lot of a bluff, between you and me."
"Will Great Britain dare them to do their worst, do you think, Frank?"
"Yes, even knowing that they threaten to sink merchant vessels and their crews of noncombatants without giving warning. Somehow or other it does seem to me that Germany is doing everything possible to make outsiders distrust her. But I suppose we can't look at things the same way they must from inside, especially since England threatens to _starve_ Germany into submission."
"There's the sun going to set," remarked Billy.
They stood and watched it go down, and the gray of evening begin to creep across the cold sea. So that night in February closed in. Like a grim phantom the steamer came stealing into the harbor, with few lights showing.
"Let's go in where it's warm and comfortable," said Billy. "Frank, since we have plenty of stuff along with us why not make an allowance of coffee for the men who are standing guard over our plant here. A mug of hot coffee would take the chill out of their bones, I'm thinking."
"A good idea, Billy, and thank you for suggesting it. We'll find what Pudge says, and carry it out. With the lantern we can make the rounds, and see that no sentry is omitted."
With such sentiments spurring them on, the boys entered the hangar and found that Pudge was already deep in the pleasing duty of getting supper ready. Hardly had they mentioned the subject of treating the guards to a cup of hot coffee than he announced that he was heartily in accord with the scheme.