now."

"Of course it isn't," said Sara.

"Certainly not," echoed Anne. "And besides, Mr. Armitage, I 've never
faced real danger in my life--except once when my polo pony ran away.
Oh, I want to go!"

"I should like to change my clothes." Armitage glanced humorously at
his livery.

"Of course," said Anne. "I tell you; you leave us at Berger's, drive
home and change your clothes, then you can pick us up there and we 'll
leave the car at O'Neill's until we return. How is that? We will have
a lobster ordered for you."

"Don't bother about that, please. I shall have to run over to the
island when I come back from The Crags, to prepare the way. Take a
taxicab and be at the Navy Landing--no, that would n't be wise; some
one might see you. Go to the New York Yacht Club station and I, or
Johnson, my second, will be there in the _D'Estang_'s launch. We are
the outer boat in the slips and you can come aboard over the stern
without any one seeing you. Don't be a minute later than seven-thirty
o'clock--that is," he added, "if you are serious about making the trip."

"Serious!" exclaimed Sara.

"Oh, we are serious," said Anne, "and Mr. Armitage--you 're awfully
good!"

A tall, grave, young ensign met the two excited girls at the hour
designated and shot them across the bay to the torpedo boat slips in
silence.

"He 's a nice-looking boy," whispered Sara. "But I wonder,--he does
n't seem altogether to approve."

Anne, who had been studying the officer, smiled easily.

"That isn't it; he's embarrassed. For heaven's sake, Sara, don't try
to make me feel _de trop_ at this stage."

The young man _was_ embarrassed; Anne had diagnosed correctly. And it
was with great relief that he turned them over to Armitage, who led
them to a hatch and thence down a straight iron ladder to the wardroom.
Anne watched the precise steward adjusting a centrepiece of flowers
upon the mess table and then glanced around the apartment, which was
lined with rifles, cutlasses, and revolvers in holsters.

"How interesting, Mr. Armitage," she said. "Do you recall the last
time we were in a cabin together?" smiling. "How absurd it was!"

"Wasn't it," laughed Armitage. He left the wardroom and returned in a
few minutes with two officers' long, blue overcoats and caps.

"These are your disguises. I 'll send an orderly down to take you up
to the bridge when we get well under way--"

"Do we really have to wear these?" Sara viewed