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when he was relieved from his third watch of the day. He hurried off and repeated his secret journey to the brig with food for Joe.
    â€œI thought you’d forgotten me, Frank,” Joe said jokingly.
    â€œNever, old buddy.” Frank told him about his new assignment and his encounter with Rawlin the night before.
    â€œThat guy seems to be everywhere at once,” Joe remarked. “When do you plan to try again?”
    â€œNow. I noticed a storm to the east when I left watch. Rawlin is on the bridge keeping an eye on it. He won’t be back this way tonight.”
    The ship began to roll gently. “The sea is beginning to get a bit rough,” Joe commented.
    â€œI’d better head for the cargo hold,” Frank said. “There’s no telling how much weather we’re in for.”
    â€œBe careful,” Joe warned. “And if this storm gets too rough, ask the captain to let me out of here.”
    Frank nodded. As he went down the passageway toward the cargo hold, he heard the clamor of footsteps ahead and looked around for a place to hide. He spotted the door of a small equipment locker, opened it, and ducked inside.
    â€œCome on! Come on!” a crewman yelled. “Rawlin wants us forward. Looks like we’re in for some real weather!”
    Frank estimated that about half a dozen men rushed past his hiding place. Fortunately they were headed away from the cargo hold.
    He crept out of the locker and reached the cargo hold. By now the intensity of the storm had increased and the ship rolled violently.
    Frank took out his flashlight and directed its beam toward the pile of logs. As he did, the ship lurched under the impact of the heavy sea. The logs broke loose from their bindings and came avalanching toward him!

CHAPTER XI
    Unknown Ally
    LOUD, crashing sounds thundered through the hold as the logs hurtled across the deck.
    Frank looked up and spotted a steel girder that spanned the beam of the ship. Making a desperate leap, he grabbed it and swung his body upward. The logs rolled beneath him.
    Crash! Bang! They collided with the bulkhead on the portside, then tumbled back across the deck in the opposite direction as the ship listed to starboard. The cycle was repeated again and again —solid thuds with an occasional hollow boom.
    As Frank clung to the girder with all his strength, the storm seemed to become even more violent.
    â€œCan’t hang on much longer,” he said to himself. “But if I let go—”
    The lights in the hold were turned on. Several crewmen poured in through the hatchway. For a moment they stared at the logs hurtling back and forth across the deck. then set about tying them down again.
    Frank watched as they gradually brought the situation under control. Then he released his grip on the girder and dropped to the floor.
    â€œWhat are you doin’ in here?” shouted one of the men.
    At that instant the captain entered the hold. “Everything under control?” he asked.
    â€œYes, sir. But we were wonderin’ what this kid’s up to. He was hangin’ from that girder when we got here.”
    The captain glared. “Your place is up forward!”
    Frank frantically searched his mind for an explanation. “I’d just gotten off deck watch and couldn’t sleep,” he said. “So I decided to take a walk.”
    â€œIn this storm?”
    â€œThe weather wasn’t too bad when I started out,” Frank answered. “Then it got worse. I heard a lot of noise here in the hold and wanted to see what it was.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you call for help when you saw that the logs had broken loose?”
    â€œI was going to, sir,” Frank replied. “But when the logs rolled toward me, I jumped for the girder.”
    The captain rubbed his chin dubiously for a few seconds. Finally he accepted Frank’s explanation and ordered him to return to his quarters.
    By daylight the storm had