The party, with young Cutlip in their midst, moved inland.

CHAPTER XIX

IN THE NIGHT

It was not a long march to the Cutlip home, and the Essex party reached there some time before nightfall.  Young Cutlip now whispered a word of caution to Frank.

“My father will not like this,” he said.  “He is naturally a cautious man.  If he thinks I have given the alarm—­am responsible for your being here—­it will go hard with me.”

“Then he must not know it,” said Frank decidedly.  “Do you think he will be home now?”

“Yes, sir; most likely.”

Frank considered.

“Then I’ll call a halt here,” he said.  “You can return home and we will come later.  In that way he will not know that you gave the alarm.  But by the way, when he sees us is he not likely to try and warn the enemy?”

“He might, sir.  He is terribly afraid of submarines and men who control them.  He appears to think they are something supernatural.  He believes the crews of the submarines can whip anyone, sir.  That is why he is likely to tarry and give an alarm.”

“In that case,” said Frank, “we’ll have to tie him up until the game is over.”

“He’s my father, sir, and I don’t want you to hurt him,” said young Cutlip, “but that would be the best way, sir.”

“Very well,” said Frank.  “You run ahead, now; we’ll wait here for an hour.”

He called a halt.  Young Cutlip ran on ahead.  Frank explained the reason for the halt to Lieutenant Hetherton, who agreed that the lad had acted wisely.

“No use getting the boy in trouble if we can help, it, sir,” he said.

An hour later Frank ordered the march resumed.  Young Cutlip had given necessary directions and the party from the Essex reached the Cutlip home without trouble.  As they drew near, a man came to the door of the little cabin that nestled in among a group of trees.  Beside him, Frank made out the figure of the boy who had given notice of the visit of some of the submarine crew.

Frank motioned his men to halt some distance away, called Lieutenant Hetherton to follow him, and approached the cabin.

“How do you do, sir?” he asked civilly of the big man in the doorway.

“What do you want here?” was the growling response.

“We’re from a British destroyer out there,” said Frank, waving a hand in the general direction of the Atlantic, “and we are hunting for submarines that have sunk a dozen or more ships off the coast.”

“You don’t expect to find them here on land, do you?” demanded Cutlip.

“Not exactly,” said Frank.  “But I have reason to believe that the crew of one of the vessels has come ashore.  Have you seen anything of them, sir?”

“I have not,” replied Cutlip firmly.

“No one resembling a German, even?” persisted Frank.

“No.”