"I'm looking, sir," Hastings answered, as he opened other drawers
in turn, and explored them. "But I'm not at all hopeful of finding
the duplicate plates. This damaged one had been filed thinner,
which shows that it was done by design. The man who would do
that trick purposely wouldn't leave any duplicate plates behind."
The four enlisted men and the cook had gathered behind their officers.
"Morton---the hound! This is his trick!" growled Seaman Kellogg
hoarsely. "Many a time I've heard him brag that he'd get even
for the punishments that were put upon him. And now he has gone
and done it---the worse than cur!"
"No; there are no duplicate parts here," announced Ensign Hastings
at last.
"See if you can't fit on the old, worn one," proposed Lieutenant
Jack.
"No such luck!" murmured Hal Hastings. "Morton was too good a
mechanic not to know bow to do his trick! He hasn't left us a
single chance for our lives!"
None the less Hal patiently tried to fit the plate back and make
the motor work, Lieutenant Jack, in the meantime, standing by
the board with the wrench in hand. In the next ten minutes several
efforts were made to start the motor, but all of them failed.
"And all for want of a bit of copper of a certain size, shape
and thickness," sighed Midshipman Dan Dalzell.
"It does seem silly, doesn't it," replied Lieutenant Jack with a
wan smile.
"At least," murmured Midshipman Wolgast, "we shall have a chance
to show that we know how to die like men of the Navy.
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