fleet had entered
the Danger Zone, Dick and Greg stood on deck to the port of the
pilot house. Leaning over the rail they idly scanned the surface
of the sea to northward.

"Almost in France, my boy!" Prescott cried eagerly. "Or England!"

"Near enough, yet we may never see either country," returned Captain
Holmes, suppressing a yawn, for the sea air, even after a night's
rest, made him drowsy.

"Croaker!" laughed Dick.

"I'm not," Greg denied, "and I don't want to croak, either, but
who can tell? We are now in the waters where the sea wolves have
been busy enough in finding prey."

"So far they haven't proved that they could do much to troopships,"
Dick declared warmly.

"There always has to be a first time," Holmes retorted.

"All right, then," smiled Prescott. "We're going to be torpedoed.
Now, I hope that satisfies you."

"You know it doesn't," Holmes rejoined. "This sea air makes me
so sleepy, all the time, that I don't feel as though I could stand
any real excitement."

"Being torpedoed would be something to look back upon in later
years," Dick observed thoughtfully.

"Yes, if we had any later years on earth in which to look back,"
Captain Holmes responded.

"Who's this strange-looking creature coming?" Dick suddenly demanded,
as he stared aft.

"Captain Craig, the adjutant, of course," Greg answered. "He has
his life belt on, and he's stopping to talk to others."

"After he speaks they hurry away," Dick went on. "I understand.
All hands are ordered to put on life belts."

And that, indeed, proved to be the message that Captain Craig
brought forward with him. Dick and Greg did not have far to go
to reach their cabin. In five minutes they reappeared on deck
in the bulky contrivances intended to buoy them up in the water
should they have the bad fortune to find themselves tossing on
the waves.

"This makes the danger seem real," Prescott observed.

"Too blamed real!" grumbled Greg. "We're ordered not to take
these belts off, either, until the order is passed, and are told
that the order won't be passed to-day, either. Imagine our trying
to get close to the dining table to eat in comfort!"

"It may be in the plans that we're not to eat to-day," Captain
Dick laughed.

Ahead, on either flank and at the rear, the torpedo-boat destroyers
were scouting vigilantly, with gunners standing by ready to fire
promptly at any periscope or conning tower of an enemy craft that
might be sighted