He noticed (it is funny how one notices these little things amid such great things) the little ring of red upon the lieutenant's nose where the glasses had sat.
"There you are, see ?" he heard Mr.Conne say quietly, breathing heavily upon the glasses and holding them up to the light, for the benefit of his colleagues.

"B L--two dots--X--see--Plain as day.

See there, Tommy!" He breathed upon them again and held them quickly up so that Tom could see.
"Yes, sir," Tom stammered, somewhat perturbed at such official attention.
"Look in the other one, too, Tommy--now--quick!" "Oh, yes," said Tom as the strange figures die away.

He felt very proud, and not a little uncomfortable at being drawn into the centre of things.
And he did not feel slighted as he saw Mr.Conne and the captive lieutenant, and the other officials whom he did not know, start away thoughtless of anything else in the stress of the extraordinary affair.
He followed because he did not know what else to do, and he supposed they wished him to follow.

Outside the wharf he got _Uncle Sam_ and wheeled him along at a respectful distance behind these high officials.
So he had one companion.