Description:Excerpt from The Phantom in the Rainbow
Private radio code
snapped and snarled through the ether. Out of the very early morning
mist, a great ship loomed up off Sandy Hook. The veteran captain, in
resplendent uniform, stood tensely on one end of' the bridge and closely
scanned the Long Island horizon.
On that side of the huge
vessel, down under the lowest deck, a freight opening was being cleared.
These preparations were so far below that no one could notice them
unless he was particularly curious and hung over the rail to see.
The
vast promenade decks were deserted at this early hour. Only a few
passengers were astir, but among them was Bill Skyles, star reporter of
the sensational New York Morning Star, returning from a European
assignment. Ever alert to any unusual development, he felt the quiet
tension pervading the crew and traced their interest to the skyline and
the mysterious business below decks.