"Then may I, as the prisoner of war, ask that the subject be changed?" Dave Darrin suggested. "By all means," von Schellen returned, quickly, though he was able to perceive that the American had again succeeded in putting him in the wrong. Just a moment later a petty officer appeared on deck. Taking two or three steps toward the junior officer he halted, saluted, and then remained standing at attention, as though waiting. Von Schellen stepped over to the man, and a conversation followed in low tones, but did not last long. "If you care to remain on deck and watch," said the junior lieutenant, "you will see something that may interest you." CHAPTER XII GERMAN BRUTALITY AT ITS WORST JUST behind the conning tower a jointed steel mast was raised and stepped by three seamen who came at the petty officer's order. Farther astern a narrow, ledge-like trapdoor of steel was raised, and from this was taken and stepped another steel jointed mast. The seamen now worked quickly in rigging aerial wires in place. In a very short time the work was completed, and the petty officer saluted von Schellen. "You cannot fail to understand what we are doing," hinted the young German officer. "You are about to send or receive radio messages, I take it," Dave replied. "You have been told, of course, that we always report our whereabouts after dark?" "Yes, it is common knowledge with the Allies," Dave admitted. "And also that you receive instructions from the home offices of your Admiralty." There was a crackling sound on the aerials, followed by others, some short, some long. "A wonderful invention, is it not?" asked von Schellen, with satisfaction. "Yes, and first developed outside of Germany," Dave bantered, good-humoredly. "True enough, but we have known how to take the radio and adapt it to all our needs," retorted von Schellen. "Your operator is now reporting your whereabouts, of course." "That would seem likely, wouldn't it?" the other demanded. "And then you will receive information." "Yes; and sometimes we have even messages for our men from their homes," laughed von Schellen. "More! I have even had tender messages from my sweetheart! And have answered them in kind!" For a moment Dave stared in astonishment. He knew von Schellen for a truly heartless brute. The idea that any woman could love this fellow came almost as a shock. And that Schellen could have any tender feelings! Wonders would never cease. "Of what are you thinking, if I may ask?" the German went on. "After information coming to you," Darrin hinted, "it almost goes without saying that you receive your orders." "Surely we receive them," nodded the German, "if we happen to need any. But in our line of professional work, after we have received information we do not often need orders. We know how to use our information."