Crawshay felt himself suddenly back again in the world of real happenings. His depression passed as though by magic. After all, he had won the first trick, and the next move was already forming up in his mind. CHAPTER X The captain sank into his easy-chair a little wearily. It had been a long and rather trying vigil. His steward filled two cups with coffee and at a sign from his master withdrew. "Any news?" "I have been compelled," Crawshay announced, stirring his coffee, "to dismantle your wireless." "The devil you have!" "Also, to speak words of wisdom to young Robins. I detected him signalling our location to the _Blucher_." The captain set down his coffee cup. "Mr. Crawshay," he said, "this is a very serious accusation." "It isn't an accusation at all--it's a fact," Crawshay replied. "Luckily, he hadn't picked her up when I got there. He signalled our exact location and our course a dozen times or more, without response. Then I took a hand in the game." "Exactly what happened?" the captain enquired. "Well, I borrowed a key from Mr. Dix, and whilst the young man was down at his supper I concealed myself in his bunk. I listened to him for a short time, and then I intervened." "Did he make any trouble?" "He had no chance," Crawshay explained, a little grimly. "I was first off the mark. On this piece of paper," he added, smoothing it out, "you will find Robins' calculations as to our whereabouts, which I took as being correct. These, you understand, were not picked up. Lower down you will see the message which he sent under my superintendence later on--" "Superintendence?" the captain interrupted. "At the point of my revolver," Crawshay explained. "This message was picked up by the _Blucher_." The captain scanned the calculations eagerly. "Wish you'd given us a little more room," he muttered. "However, it will be all right unless we get fog. We might blunder into one another then." "This little incident," Crawshay continued, crossing his legs, "confirms certain impressions with which I came on board. I think that the scheme was to get the documents on board this steamer, and then, in order to avoid the inevitable search at Liverpool, I fancy it was arranged that the _Blucher_ should be on the lookout for us and take over the messenger, whoever he may be, and the documents. It's a straightforward, simple little scheme, which we have now to look at from our own point of view. In the first place, the _Blucher_ is now very much less likely to capture us. In the second place, I would suggest that in case the _Blucher_ should happen to blunder across us, we make the search at once instead of in Liverpool." "What, search every one on board?" the captain asked. "Suspected persons only." "Exactly who are they?" "First and foremost, Mr. Jocelyn Thew." "And afterwards?" Crawshay hesitated. "Mr. Phillips and his entourage." "What, the man who is supposed to be dying?"