Page:The Wireless Operator with the U.S. Coast Guard.djvu/234

 might have it in for me or for the operator. If it weren’t that young Black was asleep when this was done, I’d think he did it. You know he and Harper had some words.”

“That would explain everything,” said the chief radio man, “but the facts won’t fit the case.”

“So far as we know, not a soul was on deck except the men on watch. If some one entered the radio room while Henry was up in the chartroom with me, he would have had to be both sly and slick. He would have had to watch young Harper’s every movement, and be all prepared to run in and drive this nail home. It was a terrible risk to run, for it was certain that the wireless man wouldn’t be away from his key for more than a minute or two. Discovery was almost certain. The more I consider it, the more it seems to me that young Harper must have been experimenting. Did you find anything else out of its usual order?”

“Now that you speak of it, I did find some loose screws, as though some of the other instruments had been tampered with.”

“I hate to think of it,” replied the captain, “but it looks very much as though young Harper took advantage of his position to tinker with the instruments.”

“That might be true about the other instruments, Captain, but he would certainly know