Yet there was a very serious train of thought in the minds of the Seacove boys and George Belding, as has been shown. There had been uncertainty enough regarding the voyage of the _Redbird_ to Bahia; but since the beginning of what the radio men called the “ghost talk” out of the air, the five friends had all felt a greater measure of anxiety. Of course, it was by no means certain that these letters in Morse that suggested the name _Redbird_ had anything to do with Mr. Belding’s ship and her company. Yet, not having heard in any form from the party bound for Bahia since the ship left New York, it was not strange that George Belding and Phil Morgan, at least, should be especially troubled in their minds. During the afternoon watch on this day in which George had gone to Mr. Sparks again, the young fellow got relief and approached the radio room. The chief was off duty and one of his assistants was at the instrument. But the older man was lolling in the doorway and welcomed Belding with a smile. “Jim, here,” said Sparks, nodding to the student at the instrument, “was just telling me ‘ghost talk’ is coming over again. He says he gets ‘Colodia’ as clear as can be.” “My goodness! Then somebody is trying to call us, Mr. Sparks!” murmured Belding. “I don’t know. I’ve been keeping track, busy as we have been for a couple of days. I really think there is some attempt to put a message over; but whether it is for fun or serious, I would not dare state. Or whether it is meant for us or not. It isn’t the same message each time.” “But you do believe that somebody is trying--or something?” “‘Something’ is good,” growled Sparks. “I’ve made out ‘Colodia’ more than a few times myself. And I agree that the letters you caught the last time you were listening in, and which I heard myself, may spell ‘Redbird’. Then, you know, you said you heard ‘help.’” “Well, I did!” snorted Belding. The radio chief pushed a square bit of paper into his hand. On it were set down without spacing of any kind the following line of letters: “c,o,l,o,d,i,a,h,e,l,p,r,e,d,b,i,r,d,l,b.” “I will be honest with you, George,” he said, watching closely the flushing face of the youth. “I really got those letters not half an hour ago. They were repeated in just that order several times. What do you make out of them?” Belding’s excitement was growing momentarily. He seized Sparks’ pencil and wrote under the row of letters swiftly and surely: “Colodia--Help--Redbird--L.B.” The chief nodded. “‘L. B.’ being your sister’s initials, eh?” “Yes, sir,” cried George breathlessly. “Lilian Belding.” “Get over there on the bench. Jim will give you the harness. Listen in and see what you can make of it now,” said Sparks, himself excited.