He told Brent quietly, after the ensign had reported, of the struggles in the wireless room and its few remaining traces. And he watched with the commander through the hour of darkness while the _Bennington_ steamed in slow circles about the abandoned hulk, while her search-lights played endlessly over the empty waters and the men at the guns cast wondering glances at their skipper who ordered such strange procedure when no danger was there. With daylight the scene lost its sense of mysterious threat, and Thorpe was eager to return to the abandoned ship. "I might find something," he said, "some trace or indication of what we have to fight." "I must leave," said Commander Brent. "Oh, I'm coming back, never fear," he added, at the look of dismay on Thorpe's face. The thought of leaving this mystery unsolved was more than that young seeker after adventure could accept. "I'm coming back," Brent repeated. "I've been in communication with the Admiral--Honolulu has relayed the messages through. All code, of course; we mustn't alarm the whole Pacific with our nightmares. The old man says to stick around and get the low-down on this damn thing." "Then why leave?" objected Thorpe. * * * * * "Because I am coming around to your way of thinking, Thorpe. Because I am as certain as can be that we have a monster of some sort to deal with ... and because I haven't any depth charges. I want to run up to the supply station at Honolulu and get a couple of ash-cans of TNT to lay on top of the brute if we sight him." "Glory be!" said Thorpe fervently. "That sounds like business. Go and get your eggs and perhaps we can feed them to this devil--raw.... And I think I'll stay here, if you will be back by dark." "Better not," the other objected; but Thorpe overruled him. "This thing attacks in the dark," he said. "I will lay a little bet on that. It left the orang-outang on the _Minnie R._--quit at the first sign of daylight. I will be safe through the day, and besides, the beast has gutted this ship. It won't return, I imagine. And if I stay there for the day--live as they lived, the men who manned that ship--I may have some information that will be of help when you get back. But for Heaven's sake, Brent, don't stop to pick any flowers on the way." "It's your funeral," said Brent not too cheerfully. "The old man said to give you every assistance, and perhaps that includes helping you commit suicide." But Robert Thorpe only laughed as Commander Brent gave his orders for a small boat to be lowered. A ship's lantern and rockets for night signals were taken at the officer's orders. "We'll be back before dark," he said, "but take these as a precaution." One favor Thorpe asked--that the ship's carpenter go over with him and help him to make a strong-barred retreat of the wireless cabin. "And I'll talk to you occasionally," he told Brent. "I tried the key while I was aboard; the wireless is working on its batteries."