“About six hundred Army-Navy time, courtesy of Whoozis watches,” he announced, “we shall sight Wake Island.” “Hm, works out very nicely,” Larry said. “Tomorrow morning just after dawn. We can travel on the surface all night and submerge just before the approach.” Everyone was up and about early the next morning, even those who had been on watch during the night. Breakfast was over and officers and men were at their stations before dawn. “We may get nothing, of course,” Larry said. “We mustn’t get our hopes up.” “Okay, Skipper,” McFee said. “We’re just dropping by for a look and if anything’s there we’ll try to take care of it.” “Rig ship for diving,” the Skipper said, and the word was passed throughout the boat. One by one the departments reported back to March that everything was ready. The long slim boat slid under the water, the whine of the electric motors replacing the throbbing of the Diesels. As March handled the diving operations, he recalled the days when it had seemed to him such a complicated and difficult task. Now it was a simple straightforward job, especially when carried out by a crew that knew its job. After about twenty minutes, March turned to Larry. “I think we ought to be able to have a look now,” he said. “Up periscope,” Larry said, reaching forward to grab the adjusting handles as they rose into position. He adjusted the eyepiece and looked, focussing with the handles. March saw his mouth open slightly in a whispered exclamation. “Have a look, March,” he said. “I think we’ve raised something.” March looked and saw the low-lying atolls where the Marines had for so long battled the Japs against great odds. It would do his heart good to kill a few Japs at Wake, entirely apart from the excellence of the idea in general. He located the harbor and then saw two dark blobs in it. “There’s something there, all right,” he said. “Can’t be sure what they are yet, though.” “Down ’scope,” Larry said. “We’ll get a little closer and have another look.” There was almost nothing said as the boat moved silently forward under the water, until Larry ordered the periscope up again. Then he exclaimed aloud at what he saw. “Three of ’em!” he cried. “Looks as if they just got here themselves, probably came in under cover of darkness. Lighters are just tying up to them to unload.” “What are they?” March asked. “Can you make out?” “One’s a troopship,” Larry replied, “loaded to the gunwales! The men’ll go ashore in the lighters. They haven’t even started yet. Must be relief for the garrison—old ones will be going back.” [Illustration: _He Adjusted the Eyepiece and Looked_] “Oh, no they won’t,” March said. “Not yet, anyway, because their relief is going to be cut down in number right soon now.” “Here, March, have a look,” Larry said. “I think one’s a tanker, one an ammunition ship, or a freighter with the supplies.” March stepped to the periscope and looked carefully.