s third year he was as expert in gunnery as Eric was in
seamanship. In the handling of a ship Eric was easily the best in his
class. It was not until nearly the end of this third and last cruise on
the _Itasca_, however, that he found his opportunity for personal
distinction.

It was a dark, blowy night. Eight bells of the second dog watch had only
been struck a few minutes before and the officers were chatting after
dinner. Eric was on duty on the bridge with the second lieutenant, when
the wireless sending apparatus began to buzz "S O S," "S O S," as the
operator relayed a message he evidently had just received. At the same
moment the shrill whistle of the speaking-tube that connects the bridge
with the wireless room was heard.

"You may answer, Mr. Swift," the lieutenant said.

Eric picked up the tube, answered "Hello!" and then repeated the
operator's words to the officer:

"Liner _Kirkmore_, on fire and sinking, forty-one degrees, eleven
minutes north; thirty-five, sixteen west; crew and passengers to boats."

With a word to Eric, the lieutenant dispatched the messenger to report
to the captain, plotted the position of the _Kirkmore_ on the chart,
and, less than two minutes after the receipt of the wireless message,
the _Itasca_ had changed her course and was speeding under forced
draught into the night. The cutter had broadcasted the call and word had
been received from land stations and other vessels that the call had
been heard. Still the _Itasca_ was one of the nearest to the reported
location of the vessel in distress and she fairly hissed through the
water.

Presently there was another message from the wireless room, and, as
before, Eric took up the speaking tube and reported to the officer of
the deck.

"'Very strange thing, sir,' he repeated, after the operator, 'I'm
picking up a faint call from a small apparatus. I think it must be on
one of the boats. The _Lucania_ is racing for the _Kirkmore_, I've
picked up her call.'"

"Ask him what he considers strange?" said the officer.

Eric put the query and again repeated:

"He says, sir: 'It's this way, sir. The first call stated that all the
passengers and crew had taken to the boats.'"

"Well?"

"That call has been repeated several times and every one picked it up
that way. Then there's a message coming from the boats, giving just
where they are."

"That all seems straight enough."

"Yes, sir. But the operator says the wireless is still work