“Now’s the time, then. Quick, man. The S. O. S.! Send it! We’re the _Wellington_, in trouble. This ship is now the _Wellington_, a hundred miles east of us; and you’re sending out the S. O. S. call as the _Wellington’s_ sinking!” The operator shook his head. “I can’t.” “Can’t! Why not?” “I’ve been thinking it over.” “Well?” “We can’t call ‘Wolf!’ on the ocean. The wireless must always bring a ship to a ship in distress; no captain must doubt it a minute.” “Once won’t do any harm,” Andy argued recklessly. “We’ll merely put the _Corinthian_ back a hundred miles, and maybe bring back some other ship which gets the call. And think of the excitement we’ll give the passengers on the _Corinthian_ till they find the _Wellington_ isn’t sinking.” “Yes; and when they find it out?” “No one can ever find that you did it,” Andy returned impatiently. “We’ve gone all over this, man. No one can tell where a wireless message comes from. The _Corinthian_ will think it comes from the _Wellington_. The _Wellington_ won’t know we’ve called since the operator’s in bed. The _Corinthian_ will call her, of course, and when there’s no answer that makes sure the _Wellington’s_ in trouble. If the _Corinthian_ calls us to go back to help the _Wellington_, too, we don’t get the call; our installation’s out of order for a few hours. Nothing could be simpler than that.” “Still, it’s too much risk for five hundred.” “Oh, all right. I expected a raise. A thousand for you, then.” “No.” “Two.” “Not enough.” “Three.” “It might be found out here. The S. O. S. call is distinctive. You can hear the sending outside. If it is, I’m fired, and don’t get another job.” “All right; four, then.” The operator looked at Andy keenly. “How much higher will you go?” he asked frankly. “Highbinder!” Andy accused him, and snatched pencil and pad. “S. O. S. _Wellington_ sinking. S. O. S.,” he scribbled. “Five thousand for four words; cash down!” He drew money from his pocket. “Five more if you’re caught and fired. My word for that. That’s all I had left on my letter of credit when I cashed it at Glasgow; but you know there’s more where this came from.” The operator held his hand over his key and listened nervously. “Can they know about this now?” he asked. There seemed, indeed, to be already a movement on the bridge as if the officers had heard the scheme or suspected something. But Andy did not sense this, or was reckless of it. He pushed his money halfway across the table. “I pay as you send. Ah, that’s it! S. O. S. That’s the stuff; there’s a thousand. Is that _Wellington_ you’re spelling? Right; there’s a thousand more. ‘Sinking.’ Now ‘S. O. S.’ Four thousand and a fifth for the repeat to clinch it! Sent? Good! Put it away; put it away. They’re coming now!” Indeed, the alarm, vague before, had become definite and loud. Men hammered on the locked door to the right of the wireless cabin and cried for entrance; and all about the noise of disturbance and haste increased.