Page:The Wireless Operator with the U.S. Coast Guard.djvu/270

 purposely, and grounded by some one on this ship.” The surgeon was all attention. “We were just coming up the channel and about to drop anchor. It was early evening—seven o'clock, to be exact. Young Harper was on watch. He received a message for me, and, leaving the wireless shack, he ran up to the bridge to me. I read the message, wrote a reply, and Henry ran back to his key. A little later he came charging back, to say that his wireless wouldn’t work. I sent for the other wireless men. Belford was talking to the quartermaster beside the wheel-house. Black was fast asleep in his bunk. But Sharp came aboard in a few moments, found the trouble, and fixed the outfit up.”

“That is what I had understood,” remarked the doctor.

“Next day,” continued the captain, “Mr. Sharp found out what had grounded the defective coil. It was this.” And the commander held out the bent finishing nail. “Some one had driven that nail into the coil in those few minutes that Henry was up in the chart-room with me.”

“Can it be possible!” cried the doctor, amazed.

“I regret to say it is. What is more, Henry pulled on a coat of Black’s after his ducking yesterday, and this morning he found these in the pocket of that coat.”