As the approaching ship was coming directly toward them, she grew large rapidly. While she was still too small, however, for the boys to distinguish anything about her, even with the glasses, Captain Foster examined her again. He looked intently through the glasses for a few moments, and then declared,-- “It’s the Black Duke, Captain Johnson, from London to Smyrna.” “Gee! captain,” exclaimed Raymond; “you must have second sight. How do you know what ship that is at this distance?” “I know her as well as I know the Princess Mary.” “I couldn’t tell the Princess Mary as far off as that,” declared Raymond. “Well, I could. When she comes up I’ll speak her and we’ll get the news.” The two ships rapidly drew together, and laid their courses to pass about one hundred yards apart. When the Black Duke, for such the ship was in fact, was still some three or four hundred yards distant, Captain Foster took the trumpet and shouted,-- “Ahoy! Black Duke.” “Ahoy! Princess Mary,” came the answer. “What news of the war?” “Turkey closed the Dardanelles this morning.” “Gee!” exclaimed Raymond, “that was a close shave.” The vessels were now rapidly separating, but Captain Foster launched one more question. “Is the Adriatic safe?” “English and French cruisers there, Austrian coast is mined,” was shouted back from the distance. Captain Foster lowered the trumpet and regarded the departing ship thoughtfully. “Well,” he said finally, “we escaped that storm, thanks to my Turkish friend. Now if those mines are stationary, we’ll get through, but floating mines I’m afraid of.” “Do you think Austria would put out floating mines, captain?” asked Sidney. “Germany has sowed the North Sea with floating mines, and Austria may have done the same thing in the Adriatic. But there is no way we can locate them, so we’ll just have to go straight ahead, and take what comes.” Having obtained what information he desired, Captain Foster determined to crowd the ship forward at top speed. With Turkey apparently about to join the hostilities and probably on the side of Germany, the quicker they were out of the Ægean the better. While passing through Grecian waters they would be perfectly safe, and in the Adriatic the presence of English and French cruisers would be a great protection, though they would not insure absolute security. The most serious aspect of the whole matter was presented by the mines in the Adriatic. There was no possibility, however, of evading, or minimizing, that danger.