“I only hope,” George Belding said, “that we overtake this _Sea Pigeon_ and finish her before her commander takes it into his head to steam across the ocean to the western lanes of travel. If the raider should intercept father’s ship----” “Ah, say!” cried Frenchy, “that ‘if’ is the biggest word in the language, if it has only two letters. Don’t worry, Belding.” That advice was easy to give. George and Whistler remained very anxious, however; indeed, they could not help being. Nor did the activities aboard the destroyer during the next few days much take their thought off the _Redbird_ and her company and cargo. They talked but little--even to their closest boy friends--about the possibility of there being a great store of coined gold aboard the _Redbird_. Just the same, this fact they knew would cause the ship to be an object of keen attraction to any sea-raider who might hear of it. The spy from the Zeppelin had secured George Belding’s letters in which the gold treasure was mentioned and Mr. Belding’s voyage in the _Redbird_ explained. More than a month had elapsed between the spy-chase behind the little English port and the sailing of the square-rigged ship from New York for Bahia, Brazil. “And you know,” George once said, “a whole lot can happen in a month. Those Germans have an ‘underground telegraph’ that beats anything the negroes and their Northern sympathizers had during, and previous to, our Civil War.” “Aw, don’t bring up ancient history,” growled Al, who tried to be cheerful, but who found it hard work when the older boys seemed determined to see the dark side of the shield. “I’ve forgotten ’most all I ever knew about every war before this one we’re into with both feet--and _then_ some!” “Sure, Torry,” put in Frenchy Donahue, “don’t you remember the war of that showman who antedated Barnum--the one they say got a herd of elephants over the Alps to fight for him?” “Oi, oi! Hannibal!” cried Ikey. “Say! it would take a friend of yours to do that, Frenchy,” said Al in disgust. “I’ve always had my doubts about that fellow, Hannibal.” “Besides,” went on Ikey, going back to Belding’s statement, “it’s nothing to do with ‘underground’ or any other telegraph. The Germans use wireless. If that spy got news across the pond----” “Right-o!” broke in George, with increased good-nature and an answering smile. “But let’s ‘supposing.’ That spy has had ample time to transmit to friends on the other side of the ocean information about the gold my father is carrying to South America.” “Why,” said Whistler, slowly unpuckering his lips, “he might even have crossed to New York himself by this time--if the British didn’t catch him.” “If they had caught him wouldn’t we have been told?” asked Belding quickly. “How? By whom?” demanded Whistler. “Say!” declared Al vigorously, “the British War Office makes a clam look like it had a tongue hung in the middle and running at both ends!” “Now you’ve said something!” muttered Frenchy.