lton comes in, tell him I want to see him right away."

* * * * *

It was high noon at Cavalan when the _Pelican_ reentered the harbor
after cruising in the open sea to pick up any words that might come from
McCoy over the radio. Gregory watched the progress of the _Pelican_
from the deck of the Albatross.

"Looks as if they'd picked up something at last," he observed. "Hope
it's from the fleet, saying they arrived at the cannery all right."

"They've hardly had time to make it yet," objected Dickie Lang. "I
wouldn't expect to hear from them at Legonia for at least two hours."

The wireless operator appeared on deck as the _Pelican_ drew abreast of
the _Albatross_. "Message for Mr. Gregory," he shouted.

Gregory took the paper and glanced eagerly at the message. It was from
McCoy and it read:

Rock here with attachment papers to tie us up pending
payment of claim bought by him from Canners' Supply
Company. We have until four o'clock to answer. Wire what
to do.

Gregory glanced at his watch as he handed the message to Dickie Lang.
Jumping to the deck of the _Pelican_ he found Tom Howard.

"Tom," he said, "I want you to put to sea at once. Travel a straight
course for Legonia and keep the radio going all the time. We'll be
alongside in the _Richard_. Give us the answer you get over the radio by
megaphone. Perhaps then it won't be necessary for us to go all the way
over. But if it should be, we've got to get there before four o'clock."

Turning to the radio man, he dictated a message to Farnsworth setting
forth the situation and instructing the attorney to take whatever steps
were advisable to stay the attachment. The message was to be forwarded
to Farnsworth from the cannery. It would give the lawyer time to act if
he got busy at once.

Returning to the _Albatross_, Gregory went over his plans with Dickie
Lang.

"I'm going, too," the girl announced. "You are all in. It will be no fun
driving the _Richard_ to-day. If you do have to go across, you haven't
much chance of making it on time in weather like this. Especially if we
have to lag along with the _Pelican_."

"I know it," Gregory answered. "But I'm not figuring we'll have to go
very far. But if we do have to go all the way we've got to be at Legonia
before four o'clock. We've beaten Mascola but we'll lose all we've
gained if we don't beat Rock."

Hawkins sensed that something important was taking place an