the context and composes a message. Guess I'll try and work it out
some time. It'll be something to do. And, hullo, he signs himself 'F'."

Jack looked up at the printed passenger-list that hung before him.
"Professor F. Dusenberry" was the last of the "D's"

"His initial," thought Jack, "but it's a funny coincidence that it
should be the same as that of the man the diamond merchant was warned to
watch out for, and that it should have been the professor's door outside
of which he was struck down."

CHAPTER XXVI.

A "FLASH" OF DISTRESS.

Having dispatched the message, Jack sat back in his chair and mused over
the future of the Universal Detector. It was a fascinating subject to
day-dream over, but his reverie was rudely interrupted by a sharp
summons from space.

"Yes--yes--yes," he shot back, "who--is--it?"

"This is the _Oriana_," came back the reply, "Hamburg for New York. We
are in distress."

"What's the trouble?"

The spark crackled and writhed, as Jack's rapid fingers spelled out the
message.

"We struck a half submerged derelict and our bow is stove in. We believe
we are sinking. This is an S. O. S."

Then followed the position of the craft and another earnest appeal to
rush to her aid. Jack roughly figured out the distances that separated
the two ships.

"Will be there in about two hours," he flashed, and then hurried to
Captain Turner's cabin with his message.

The captain scanned the message with contracted brow.

"The _Oriana_," he muttered, "I know her well. Rotten old tramp. We must
have full speed ahead. Stand by your wireless, Ready, and tell them we
are rushing at top speed to their aid. Confound it, though," he went on,
half to himself, "this will lose us the race with the Britisher, but
still if we can save the lives of those poor devils I shall be just as
well satisfied."

The captain hastened to the bridge to issue his orders and change the
big ship's course. Jack went quickly back to his cabin and began
flashing out messages of good cheer. About half an hour later Captain
Turner came along.

"Any more news, Ready?" he asked.

"No, sir. Their current is getting weak. The last time I had them the
operator said that the ship was slowly settling, but that they had the
steam pumps going and would keep them working till the water reached the
fires. The officers were keeping the firemen at their work with
revolvers."

"I've been through such scenes," remarked the captain.