Ensign Warwick nodded warmly many times during the course of the narrative, evidently in high approval of the courage and resource shown by the boys. He himself was a young man, not more than twenty-five, tall as Bob and of much the same deep-chested frame with tanned face in which twinkled honest blue eyes that impressed the chums favorably.
“You fellows certainly have been having a lot of fun,” he said, half enviously, half laughingly. “While here am I with nothing exciting to brighten things for me since the war ended.”
“Were you on the other side?” asked Frank eagerly. “Golly, how I wanted to go over, but Uncle George said I was too young.”
“I was on convoy duty,” said he, “and had several brushes with German submarines. I was torpedoed twice, and once sunk a sub.”
The three chums regarded him with the greatest interest.
“Just now,” he continued, “I’ve been loaned to the Secret Service. Left San Pedro harbor only yesterday morning to report to Inspector Burton at Santa Barbara. Evidently he had boarded the Bear at that port, however, and then changed his mind about going north, for he radioed me to take him off.”
A rap on the door interrupted and Ensign Warwick called an order to enter. A sailor stood in the doorway, coming smartly to salute.
“Fog’s not lifting, sir,” he said. “And no sound to indicate the trawler. Your orders to report in an hour, sir.”
“Right, Farrell,” answered Ensign Warwick. “You may go.”
“How far down the coast are we now, Ensign?” asked Frank. “Murphy gave me our bearings aboard the trawler, so I could radio them to you. But I have no idea where that is on the map. We had been trying to compute the distance we traveled from San Francisco, but when we awoke this morning the trawler’s engines were still, and I don’t know how long she had lain there. You spoke of Santa Barbara. Are we near that point?”
“About fifty or sixty miles west-north-west,” said the naval officer. He rose. “Shall we go on deck? In this weather I ought to be there.”
“Say, Bob,” said Frank, as the pair dropped behind, “wouldn’t it be fun to take a cruise aboard this Sub Chaser in pursuit of ‘Black George’s’ gang?”
“I mean not just after the trawler. Probably we’ll lose her in this fog. But to go on a regular expedition, maybe to nose out the smugglers’ rendezvous, maybe clear down into Mexican waters?”
