"
"Well, then maybe you know something else about them, or you may have
forgotten it. Like the proverb which says 'blessings brighten as they
vanish,' so the light of these lamps sometimes glows very strong just
before the battery goes on the blink and douses the glim."
Joe looked at his chum for a moment, uncomprehendingly, and then a smile
came over his face.
"Do you mean you gave him a light with a battery in it that was almost
played out?" he asked.
"Exactly," answered Blake, with another smile. "This is a light I have
had for some time. I noticed, only last night, that it was brighter
than usual. Just as a fountain pen--at least, the old-fashioned
kind--used to flow more freely when there were only a few drops of ink
left, so this battery seems to be strongest just before it gives out
altogether.
"I suspected this was going to happen, but I tested the battery with a
galvanometer to-day and I found out it has about ten flashes left. After
that the light will be dead."
"Is that why you gave it to him?" asked Charlie.
"The very reason. As soon as he asked for a light it occurred to me that
he wanted to use it--or might use it--to give a signal at night to some
watching submarine commander waiting for a chance to torpedo us.
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