"Not much--only that there Judd, the coastguard from Chapel Point, seems to be always a passin' or comin' in to smoke--as though he suspects summat." "Ah! you're getting nervy again, Tom, I see," laughed Rodwell. "What the dickens can he suspect if he doesn't see me, and you and Ted are both discreet and keep still tongues! Why, there's no more respectable fisherman along the whole coast here than Tom Small," he added. "Well, sir," replied the old fellow, "I've tried to keep respectable always, till now. And I wouldn't ha' done this dirty work--no, not for a fortune, had I known what was intended." "No, I don't really suppose you would," remarked Rodwell with quiet sarcasm. "But, having begun, you've got to go on--or else be shot, both of you, as traitors to your country. Nevertheless, don't let's discuss that: it serves no purpose. I must get to work. Is the line all in order?" "Yes, sir," was the reply. "I tested just before six--as soon as I got up. Mr Stendel is on duty on the other side. He asked Ted if we'd seen you lately, and 'e told 'im you 'adn't been down this week." "Did he want to speak to me?" "Yes, sir. I think 'e did." Old Small did not know the Morse code, except the testing signals, but young Ted had, before the war, been sent for a course to a wireless and cable-school in Glasgow, on the pretext that he wanted to act as wireless operator on board a Grimsby trawler. Therefore Ted always transmitted and received messages. When they wanted to speak urgently from Wangeroog, the German operator rang up Ted and informed him. Then Ted would walk into Huttoft, Alford, Chapel St Leonard's, or one or other of the neighbouring villages where there was a telegraph-office, and despatch a perfectly innocent-looking message addressed to either the chauffeur Penney, or to Mrs Kirby, such as "Received your letter--Small," "My daughter left yesterday--Small," "Thanks, am writing--Ted," or "Will send fish to-morrow--T. Small." The wording of the message did not matter in the least; as long as Rodwell received the name "Tom," "Ted," or "Small," he knew that he was wanted at the end of the secret cable.