“Say,” ejaculated Greg, suddenly looking over at the water, “we have begun to hit up a faster speed.  So have the other transports.  And look at the destroyers off yonder.  They are moving faster, too.  I wonder if any submarine signs have been seen.”

There could be no doubt that the fleet was moving faster.

“I take it,” Prescott guessed, “that we’ve reached the part of the ocean, where greater speed is considered much more healthful.”

“The leading transport is signaling, and so are the destroyers in the lead,” Greg announced, peering ahead.

In their path, and coming nearer four columns of dense smoke could be observed ascending as though coming up out of the water.

“More destroyers, or some cruisers, coming out to meet us,” Dick conjectured.  “As yet they’re too far away to be seen from this deck.  Yes, I must be right.  Look at the watch officers on the bridge.  They are using their marine glasses and looking forward.”

“More craft coming to help us?” Greg called up, after having walked nearly under the bridge end on the port side.

“Yes, sir,” replied one of the watch officers.  “Four American destroyers coming up to strengthen the escort.”

Then he named the oncoming craft, whereat Dick Prescott started with pleasure.

“The first two are the craft commanded by Darry and Danny Grin,” Dick murmured to his chum.

“That’s right,” Greg nodded.  “I wonder if they know we’re here.”

“Probably not.  And they wouldn’t recognize us, even if they saw us at a distance.  The uniform tends to make all men look alike at a very little distance.  It will seem tough, though, to be so near Darry and Danny Grin and not have even a wave of the hand from them.”

“What part of the ocean are we in?” Greg called up to the obliging bridge officer.

“On the surface, sir,” came the dry reply.  “On the surface—–­just where, in latitude and longitude?” Holmes insisted.

But the ship’s officer smiled and shook his head.

“I’m not permitted to tell that, sir.  Wish I could.”

Going at the speed now employed the transport fleet and the oncoming destroyers were not long in getting to close quarters.

Dick named the two destroyers commanded by Lieutenant-Commander Dave Darrin and Lieutenant-Commander Dan Dalzell and asked the bridge officer if he could point them out.  That the man above was able and very glad to do.

“We’ll keep our eyes open in the hope of being close enough to signal Darry and Danny Grin,” Captain Holmes suggested.

“We-----” Dick began, but he stopped right there, for of a sudden
three of the destroyers let go with their three-inch guns with
a great deal of energy.

Two periscopes had been sighted off to northward.  After a few rounds had been served from the destroyers’ guns the firing ceased, for half a dozen of the escort craft had gone racing northward and there was danger of hitting them.