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diff --git a/17756.txt b/17756.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7cd9226 --- /dev/null +++ b/17756.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6213 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Submarine Boys and the Middies by +Victor G. Durham + + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no +restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under +the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or +online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license + + + +Title: The Submarine Boys and the Middies + +Author: Victor G. Durham + +Release Date: 2006-02-12 [Ebook #17756] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: US-ASCII + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SUBMARINE BOYS AND THE MIDDIES*** + + + + + +This ebook was produced by Roger Frank, Taavi Kalju and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + [Illustration: "You Are Not Likely to Be of Any Use Here."] + + "You Are Not Likely to Be of Any Use Here." + + + _ Frontispiece._ + + + + + + The Submarine Boys and the Middies + + OR + + The Prize Detail at Annapolis + + By Victor G. Durham + +Author of The Submarine Boys on Duty, The Submarine Boys' Trial Trip, The + Submarine Boys and the Spies, Etc. + +_Illustrated_ + +THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY +Akron, Ohio . New York +Made in U.S.A. + + + + + +CONTENTS + + +CHAPTER I: THE PRIZE DETAIL +CHAPTER II: HOW EPH FLIRTED WITH SCIENCE +CHAPTER III: "YOU MAY AS WELL LEAVE THE BRIDGE!" +CHAPTER IV: MR. FARNUM OFFERS ANOTHER GUESS +CHAPTER V: TRUAX SHOWS THE SULKS +CHAPTER VI: TWO KINDS OF VOODOO +CHAPTER VII: JACK FINDS SOMETHING "NEW," ALL RIGHT +CHAPTER VIII: A YOUNG CAPTAIN IN TATTERS +CHAPTER IX: TRUAX GIVES A HINT +CHAPTER X: A SQUINT AT THE CAMELROORELEPHANT +CHAPTER XI: BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED! +CHAPTER XII: JACK BENSON, EXPERT EXPLAINER +CHAPTER XIII: READY FOR THE SEA CRUISE +CHAPTER XIV: THE "POLLARD" GOES LAME +CHAPTER XV: ANOTHER TURN AT HARD LUCK +CHAPTER XVI: BRAVING NOTHING BUT A SNEAK +CHAPTER XVII: THE EVIL GENIUS OF THE WATER FRONT +CHAPTER XVIII: HELD UP BY MARINES +CHAPTER XIX: THE LIEUTENANT COMMANDER'S VERDICT +CHAPTER XX: CONCLUSION + + + + + +LIST OF FIGURES + + +"You Are Not Likely to Be of Any Use Here." +Down Dropped the Bag. +Eph Raced After Jack, Barking at Him. + + + + + + + CHAPTER I: THE PRIZE DETAIL + + +"The United States Government doesn't appear very anxious to claim its +property, does it, sir?" asked Captain Jack Benson. + +The speaker was a boy of sixteen, attired in a uniform much after the +pattern commonly worn by yacht captains. The insignia of naval rank were +conspicuously absent. + +"Now, that I've had the good luck to sell the 'Pollard' to the Navy," +responded Jacob Farnum, principal owner of the shipbuilding yard, "I'm not +disposed to grumble if the Government prefers to store its property here +for a while." + +Yet the young shipbuilder--he was a man in his early thirties, who had +inherited this shipbuilding business from his father--allowed his eyes to +twinkle in a way that suggested there was something else behind his words. + +Jack Benson saw that twinkle, but he did not ask questions. If the +shipbuilder knew more than he was prepared to tell, it was not for his +young captain to ask for information that was not volunteered. + +The second boy present, also in uniform, Hal Hastings by name, had not +spoken in five minutes. That was like Hal. _He_ was the engineer of the +submarine torpedo boat, "Pollard." Jack was captain of the same craft, and +could do all the talking. + +Jacob Farnum sat back, sideways, at his rolltop desk. On top of the desk +lay stacked a voluminous though neat pile of papers, letters, telegrams +and memoranda that some rival builders of submarine torpedo boats might +have been willing to pay much for the privilege of examining. For, at the +present moment, there was fierce competition in the air between rival +American builders of submarine fighting craft designed for the United +States Navy. Even foreign builders and inventors were clamoring for +recognition. Yet just now the reorganized Pollard Submarine Boat Company +stood at the top of the line. It had made the last sale to the United +States Navy Department. + +At this moment, out in the little harbor that was a part of the shipyard, +the "Pollard" rode gently at anchor. She was the first submarine torpedo +boat built at this yard, after the designs of David Pollard, the inventor, +a close personal friend of Jacob Farnum. + +Moreover, the second boat, named the "Farnum," had just been launched and +put in commission, ready at an hour's notice to take the sea in search of +floating enemies of the United States. + +"The United States will take its boat one of these days, Captain," Mr. +Farnum continued, after lighting a cigar. "By the way, did Dave tell you +the name we are thinking of for the third boat, now on the stocks?" + +"Dave" was Mr. Pollard, the inventor of the Pollard Submarine boat. + +"No, sir," Captain Jack replied. + +"We have thought," resumed Mr. Farnum, quietly, after blowing out a ring +of smoke, "of calling the third boat, now building, the 'Benson.'" + +"The--the--what, sir?" stammered Jack, flushing and rising. + +"Now, don't get excited, lad," laughed the shipbuilder. + +"But--but--naming a boat for the United States Navy after me, sir--" + +Captain Jack's face flushed crimson. + +"Of course, if you object--" smiled Mr. Farnum, then paused. + +"Object? You know I don't, sir. But I am afraid the idea is going to my +head," laughed Jack, his face still flushed. "The very idea of there being +in the United States Navy a fine and capable craft named after me--" + +"Oh, if the Navy folks object," laughed Farnum, "then they'll change the +name quickly enough. You understand, lad, the names we give to our boats +last only until the craft are sold. The Navy people can change those names +if they please." + +"It will be a handsome compliment to me, Mr. Farnum. More handsome than +deserved, I fear." + +"Deserved, well enough," retorted the shipbuilder. "Dave Pollard and I are +well enough satisfied that, if it hadn't been for you youngsters, and the +superb way in which you handled our first boat, Dave and I would still be +sitting on the anxious bench in the ante-rooms of the Navy Department at +Washington." + +"Well, I don't deserve to have a boat named after me any more than Hal +does, or Eph Somers." + +"Give us time, won't you, Captain?" pleaded Jacob Farnum, his face +straight, but his eyes laughing. "We expect to build at least five boats. +If we didn't, this yard never would have been fitted for the present work, +and you three boys, who've done so handsomely by us, wouldn't each own, as +you now do, ten shares of stock in this company. Never fear; there'll be a +'Hastings' and a 'Somers' added to our fleet one of these days--even though +some of our boats have to be sold to foreign governments." + +"If a boat named the 'Hastings' were sold to some foreign government," +laughed Jack Benson, "Hal, here, wouldn't say much about it. But call a +boat named the 'Somers,' after Eph, and then sell it, say, to the Germans +or the Japanese, and all of Eph's American gorge would come to the +surface. I'll wager he'd scheme to sink any submarine torpedo boat, named +after him, that was sold to go under a foreign flag." + +"I hope we'll never have to sell any of our boats to foreign governments," +replied Jacob Farnum, earnestly. "And we won't either, if the United +States Government will give us half a show." + +"That's just the trouble," grumbled Hal Hastings, breaking into the talk, +at last. "Confound it, why don't the people of this country run their +government more than they do? Four-fifths of the inventors who get up +great things that would put the United States on top, and keep us there, +have to go abroad to find a market for their inventions! If I could invent +a cannon to-day that would give all the power on earth to the nation +owning it, would the American Government buy it from me? No, sir! I'd have +to sell the cannon to England, Germany or Japan--or else starve while +Congress was talking of doing something about it in the next session. Mr. +Farnum, you have the finest, and the only real submarine torpedo boat. +Yet, if you want to go on building and selling these craft, you'll have to +dispose of most of them abroad." + +"I hope not," responded the shipbuilder, solemnly. + +Having said his say, Hal subsided. He was likely not to speak again for an +hour. As a class, engineers, having to listen much to noisy machinery, are +themselves silent. + +It was well along in the afternoon, a little past the middle of October. +For our three young friends, Jack, Hal and Eph, things were dull just at +the present moment. They were drawing their salaries from the Pollard +company, yet of late there had been little for them to do. + +Yet the three submarine boys knew that big things were in the air. David +Pollard was away, presumably on important business. Jacob Farnum was not +much given to speaking of plans until he had put them through to the +finish. Some big deal was at present "on" with the Government. That much +the submarine boys knew by intuition. They felt, therefore, that, at any +moment, they were likely to be called into action--to be called upon for +big things. + +As Jack and Hal sat in the office, silent, while Jacob Farnum turned to +his desk to scan one of the papers lying there, the door opened. A boy +burst in, waving a yellow envelope. + +"Operator said to hustle this wire to you," shouted the boy, panting a +bit. "Said it might be big news for Farnum. So I ran all the way." + +Jacob Farnum took the yellow envelope, opening it and glancing hastily +through the contents. + +"It _is_ pretty good news," assented the shipbuilder, a smile wreathing +his face. "This is for you, messenger." + +"This" proved to be a folded dollar bill. The messenger took the money +eagerly, then demanded, more respectfully: + +"Any answer, sir?" + +"Not at this moment, thank you," replied Mr. Farnum. "That is all; you may +go, boy." + +Plainly the boy who had brought the telegram was disappointed over not +getting some inkling of the secret. All Dunhaven, in fact, was wildly agog +over any news that affected the Farnum yard. For, though the torpedo boat +building industry was now known under the Pollard name, after the inventor +of these boats, the yard itself still went under the Farnum name that +young Farnum had inherited from his father. + +While Jacob Farnum is reading the despatch carefully, for a better +understanding, let us speak for a moment of Captain Jack Benson and his +youthful comrades and chums. + +Readers of the first volume in this series, "The Submarine Boys on Duty," +remember how Jack Benson and Hal Hastings strayed into the little seaport +town of Dunhaven one hot summer day, and how they learned that it was here +that the then unknown but much-talked-about Pollard submarine was being +built. Both Jack and Hal had been well trained in machine shops; they had +spent much time aboard salt water power craft, and so felt a wild desire +to work at the Farnum yard, and to make a study of submarine craft in +general. + +How they succeeded in getting their start in the Farnum yard, every reader +of the preceding volumes knows; how, too, Eph Somers, a native of +Dunhaven, managed to "cheek" his way aboard the craft after she had been +launched, and how he had always since managed to remain there. + +Our same older readers will remember the thrilling experiences of this +boyish trio during the early trials of the new submarine torpedo boat, +both above and below the surface. These readers will remember, also, for +instance, the great prank played by the boys on the watch officer of one +of the stateliest battleships of the Navy. + +Readers of the second volume, "The Submarine Boys' Trial Trip," will +recall, among other things, the desperate efforts made by George Melville, +the capitalist, aided by the latter's disagreeable son, Don, to acquire +stealthy control of the submarine building company, and their efforts to +oust Jack, Hal and Eph from their much-prized employment. These readers +will remember how Jack and his comrades spoiled the Melville plans, and +how Captain Jack and his friends handled the "Pollard" so splendidly, in +the presence of a board of Navy officers, that the United States +Government was induced to buy that first submarine craft. + +After that sale, each of the three boys received, in addition to his +regular pay, a bank account of a thousand dollars and ten shares of stock +in the new company. Moreover, Messrs. Farnum and Pollard had felt wholly +justified in promising these talented, daring, hustling submarine boys an +assured and successful future. + +Jacob Farnum at last looked up from the final reading of the telegram in +his hands. Captain Jack Benson's gaze was fixed on his employer's face. +Hal Hastings was looking out of a window, with almost a bored look in his +eyes. + +"You young men wanted action," announced Mr. Farnum, quietly. "I think +you'll get it." + +"Soon?" questioned Jack, eagerly. + +"Immediately, or a minute or two later," laughed the shipbuilder. + +"I'm ready," declared Captain Jack, rising. + +"It'll take you a little time to hear about it all and digest it, so you +may as well be seated again," declared Farnum. + +Hal, too, wandered back to his chair. + +"You've been wondering how much longer the Government would leave the +'Pollard' here," went on Mr. Farnum. "I am informed that the gunboat +'Hudson' is on her way here, to take over the 'Pollard.'" + +"What are the Navy folks going to do?" demanded Captain Jack, all but +wrathfully. "Do they propose to _tow_ that splendid little craft away?" + +"Hardly that, I imagine," replied Farnum. "It's the custom of the United +States Navy, you know, to send a gunboat along with every two or three +submarines. They call the larger craft the 'parent boat.' The parent boat +looks out for any submarine craft that may become disabled." + +"The cheek of it," vented Jack, disgustedly. "Why, sir, I'd volunteer to +take the 'Pollard,' unassisted, around the world, if she could carry fuel +enough for such a trip." + +"But the Navy hasn't been accustomed to such capable submarine boats as +ours, you know," replied Mr. Farnum. "Hence the parent boat." + +"Parent boat?" interjected Hal Hastings, with his quiet smile. "You might +call it the 'Dad' boat, so to speak." + +Mr. Farnum laughed, then continued: + +"A naval crew will take possession of the 'Pollard,' and the craft will +proceed, under the care of the Dad boat"--with a side glance of amusement +at Hal--"to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis." + +"Annapolis--where they train the naval cadets, the midshipmen, into United +States Naval officers? Oh, how I'd like to go there!" breathed Captain +Jack Benson, eagerly. + +"As a cadet in the Navy, do you mean?" asked Mr. Farnum. + +"Why, that would have been well enough," assented Jack, "before I had such +a chance in your submarine service. No; I mean I'd like to see Annapolis. +I'd like to watch the midshipmen at their training, and see the whole +naval life there." + +"It's too bad every fellow can't have his wish gratified as easily," +continued Jacob Farnum. + +"Do you mean we're going to Annapolis, too?" asked Jack Benson, his eyes +glowing. Even Hal Hastings sat up straighter in his chair, watching the +shipbuilder's face closely. + +"Yes," nodded Jacob Farnum. "Permission has been granted for me to send +our second boat, the 'Farnum,' along with the 'Pollard'--both under the +care of the--" + +"The Dad boat," laughed Hastings. + +"Yes; that will give us a chance to have the 'Farnum' studied most closely +by some of the most capable officers in the United States Navy. It ought +to mean, presently, the sale of the 'Farnum' to the Government." + +"That's just what it will mean," promised Captain Jack, "if any efforts of +ours can make the Navy men more interested in the boat." + +"You three youngsters are likely to be at Annapolis for some time," went +on Mr. Farnum. "In fact--but don't let your heads become too enlarged by +the news, will you?" + +Hal, quiet young Hal, neatly hid a yawn behind one hand, while Benson +answered for both: + +"We're already wearing the largest-sized caps manufactured, Mr. Farnum. +Don't tempt us too far, please!" + +"Oh, you boys are safe from the ordinary perils of vanity, or your heads +would have burst long ago. Well, then, when you arrive at Annapolis, you +three are to act as civilian instructors to the middies. You three are to +teach the midshipmen of the United States Navy the principles on which the +Pollard type of boat is run. There; I've told you the whole news. What do +you think of it?" + +Mr. Farnum's cigar having burned low, he tossed it away, then leaned back +as he lighted another weed. + +"What do we think, sir?" echoed Captain Jack, eagerly. "Why, we think +we're in sight of the very time of our lives! Annapolis! And to teach the +middies how to run a 'Pollard' submarine." + +"How soon are we likely to have to start, sir!" asked Hal Hastings, after +a silence that lasted a few moments. + +"Whenever the 'Hudson' shows up along this coast, and the officer in +command of her gives the word. That may be any hour, now." + +"Then we'd better find Eph," suggested Captain Jack, "and pass him the +word. Won't Eph Somers dance a jig for delight, though?" + +"Yes; we'd better look both boats over at once," replied Mr. Farnum, +picking up his hat. "And we'll leave word for Grant Andrews and some of +his machinists to inspect both craft with us. There may be a few things +that will need to be done." + +As they left the office, crossing the yard, Captain Jack Benson and Hal +Hastings felt exactly as though they were walking on air. Even Hal, quiet +as he was, had caught the joy-infection of these orders to proceed to +Annapolis. To be sent to the United States Naval Academy on a tour of +instruction is what officers of the Navy often call "the prize detail." + +Farnum and his two youthful companions went, first of all, to the long, +shed-like building in which the third submarine craft to be turned out at +this yard was now being built. From inside came the noisy clang of hammers +against metal. The shipbuilder stepped inside alone, but soon came out, +nodding. The three now continued on their way down to the little harbor. +All of a sudden the three stopped short, almost with a jerk, in the same +second, as though pulled by a string. + +At exactly the same instant Jacob Farnum, Captain Jack Benson and Engineer +Hal Hastings put up their hands to rub their eyes. + +Their senses had told them truly, however. While the "Pollard" rode +serenely at her moorings, the "Farnum," the second boat to be launched, +was nowhere to be seen! + +"What on earth has happened to the other submarine?" gasped the +shipbuilder, as soon as he could somewhat control his voice. + +What, indeed? + +There was not a sign of her. At least, she had not sunk at her moorings, +for the buoys floated in their respective places, with no manner of tackle +attached to them. + +"A submarine boat can't slip its own cables and vanish without human +hands!" gasped the staggered Jack Benson. + +"There's something uncanny about this," muttered Hal Hastings. + +Jacob Farnum stood rooted to the spot, opening and closing his hands in a +way that testified plainly to the extent of his bewilderment. + + + + + + CHAPTER II: HOW EPH FLIRTED WITH SCIENCE + + +Jack Benson was the first of the trio to move. + +Without a word he broke into a run, heading for the narrow little shingle +of beach. + +"Got an idea, Captain?" shouted Jacob Farnum, darting after his young +submarine skipper. + +"Yes, sir!" floated back over Jack's shoulder. + +"Then what's at the bottom--" + +"Eph and the boat, both together, or I miss my guess," Captain Jack +shouted back as he halted at the water's edge, where a rowboat lay hauled +up on the shore. + +Jacob Farnum's face showed suddenly pallid as he, also, reached the beach. +Hal, who was in the rear, did not seem so much startled. + +"Do you think Eph has gone off on a cruise all alone?--that he has come to +any harm?" gasped the shipbuilder. + +"I don't know, but I'm not going to worry a mite about Eph Somers until I +have to," retorted Jack Benson, easily. + +"Eph can generally take care of himself," added Hal Hastings. "He rarely +falls into any kind of scrape that he can't climb out of." + +"But this is a bad time for him to take the 'Farnum' and cruise away," +objected the owner of the yard. "The 'Hudson' may be here at any hour, you +know, and we ought to be ready for orders." + +As he spoke, Mr. Farnum scanned the horizon away to the south, out over +the sea. + +"There's a line of smoke, now, and not many miles away," he announced. "It +may, as likely as not, be smoke from the 'Hudson's' pipe." + +"Going out with us, sir?" inquired Captain Jack Benson, as Hal took his +place at a pair of oars. + +"Yes," nodded the owner of the yard, dropping into a seat at the stern of +the boat, after which Benson pushed off at the bow. + +Down on the seashore, on this day just past the middle of October, the air +was keen and brisk. There had been frost for several nights past. +Sleighing might be looked for in another month. + +"Cable's gone from this buoy," declared Captain Jack, as Hal rowed close. +"Over to the other one, old fellow." + +Here, too, the cable was missing. Evidently the "Farnum" had made a clean +get-away. If there had been any accident, it must have taken place after +the new submarine boat had slipped away from her moorings. + +"Humph!" grunted Jack, scanning the sea. "No sign of the boat anywhere. +Eph may be anywhere within twenty miles of here." + +"Or within twenty feet, either," grinned Hal, looking down into the waters +that were lead-colored under the dull autumn sky. + +"What are we going to do, Captain?" inquired Jacob Farnum. "There are +Grant Andrews and three of his machinists coming down to the water." + +"I reckon, sir, we'd better put them aboard the 'Pollard' first, sir," +Benson suggested. + +Mr. Farnum nodding, the boat was rowed in to the shore and Andrews and his +men were put aboard the "Pollard" at the platform deck. Captain Jack +Benson unlocking the door to the conning tower, was himself the first to +disappear down below. When he came back he carried a line to which was +attached a heavy sounding-lead. + +"It won't take us long to sound the deep spots in this little harbor," +said the young skipper, as he dropped down once more into the bow of the +shore boat. "Row about, Hal, over the places where the submarine could go +below out of sight." + +As Hal rowed, Skipper Jack industriously used the sounding-lead. + +For twenty minutes nothing resulted from this exploration. Then, all of a +sudden, Benson shouted: + +"Back water, Hal! Easy; rest on your oars. Steady!" + +Jack Benson raised the lead two or three feet, then let it down again, +playing it up and down very much as a cod fisherman uses his line and +hook. + +"I'm hitting something, and it is hardly a rock, either," declared young +Benson. "Pull around about three points to starboard, Hal, then steal +barely forward." + +Again Benson played see-saw with his sounding-line over the boat's +gunwale. + +"If my lead isn't hitting the 'Farnum,'" declared the young skipper, +positively, "then it's the 'Farnum's' ghost. Hold steady, now, Hal." + +Immediately afterward, Benson caused the lead fairly to dance a jig on +whatever it touched at bottom. + +"What's the good of that, anyway?" demanded Jacob Farnum. + +"You don't think I'm doing this just for fun, do you, sir?" asked Captain +Jack, with a smile. + +"No; I know you generally have an object when you do anything unusual," +responded the shipbuilder, good-humoredly. + +"You know, of course, sir, that noises sound with a good deal of +exaggeration when you hear them under water?" + +"Yes; of course." + +"You also know that all three of us have been practicing at telegraphy a +good deal during the past few weeks, because every man who follows the sea +ought to know how to send and receive wireless messages at need." + +"Yes; I know that, Benson." + +"Well, sir, I guess that the lead has been hitting the top of the +'Farnum's' hull, and I've been tapping out the signal--" + +"The signal, 'Come up--rush!'" broke in Hal, with an odd smile. + +"Right-o," nodded Jack Benson. + +"How on earth did _you_ know what the signal was, Hastings?" demanded Mr. +Farnum. + +"Why, sir, I've been sitting so that I could see Jack's arm. I've been +reading, from the motions of his right arm, the dots and dashes of the +Morse telegraph alphabet." + +"You youngsters certainly get me, for the things you think of," laughed +the shipyard's owner. + +"And the 'Farnum,' or whatever it is, is coming up," called Captain Jack, +suddenly. "I just felt my lead slide down over the top of her hull. +Hard-a-starboard, Hal, and row hard," shouted young Benson, breathlessly. + +Though Hastings obeyed immediately he was barely an instant too soon. To +his dismay, Mr. Farnum saw something dark, unwieldy, rising through the +water. It appeared to be coming up fairly under the stern of the shore +boat, threatening to overturn the little craft and plunge them all into +the icy water. + +Hal shot just out of the danger zone, though. Then a round little tower +bobbed up out of the water. Immediately afterward the upper third of a +long, cigar-shaped craft came up into view, water rolling from her +dripping sides, which glistened brightly as the sun came out briefly from +behind a fall cloud. + +In the conning tower, through the thick plate glass, the three people in +the shore boat made out the carroty-topped head and freckled, +good-humored, honest, homely face of Eph Somers. The boat lay on the +water, under no headway, drifting slightly with the wind-driven ripples. +Then Eph raised the man-hole cover of the top of the conning tower, +thrusting out his head to hail them. + +"Hey, you landsmen, do you know a buoy from an umbrella?" + +"Do _you_ know the difference between a Sunday-school text and petty +larceny?" retorted Jack Benson, sternly. "What do you mean by taking the +submarine without leave?" + +"I've been experimenting--flirting with science," responded Eph, loftily. +"Say, if you landsmen know a buoy from a banana, get down to the bow +moorings of this steel mermaid, and I'll pass you the bow cable. It's a +heap easier to lead this submarine horse out of the stall, single-handed, +than it is to take him back and tie him." + +Hal rowed easily to the buoy, while Eph, returning to the steering wheel +and the tower controls, ran the "Farnum," with just bare headway, up to +where he could toss the bow cable to those waiting in the boat. A few +moments later the stern cable, also, was made fast, in such a way as to +allow a moderate swing to the bulky steel craft. + +"Now, you can take me ashore, if you feel like it," proposed Eph, standing +on the platform deck. + +"Not quite yet," returned Skipper Jack, though the small boat lay +alongside. "We've got some inspecting to do. But how did you get on board +in the first place?" + +"Why, the night watchman was in the yard for a few minutes, and I got him +to put me on board. I figured I could hail somebody else when I was ready +to go on shore." + +"But what on earth made you do such a thing?" demanded Captain Jack, in a +low tone. "It's really more than you had a right to do, Eph, without +getting Mr. Farnum's permission." + +"Why, I've known you to take the 'Pollard' and try something when Mr. +Farnum wasn't about," retorted Somers, looking surprised. + +"You never knew me to do it when I could ask permission, although, as +captain, I have the right to handle the boat. But that leave doesn't +extend to all the rest, Eph. What were you doing down there, anyway?" + +"Why, I came on board, and left the manhole open for ten minutes," +answered Somers. "Then I found the cabin thermometer standing at 49 +degrees. I wondered how much warmth could be gained by going below the +surface. I had been down an hour and five minutes when you began to signal +with that sledge-hammer--" + +"Sounding-lead," Jack corrected him. + +"Well, it sounded like a sledge-hammer, anyway," grinned young Somers. +"While I was down below I found that the temperature rose four degrees." + +"Part of that was likely due to the warmth of your body, and the heat of +the breath you gave off," hinted Benson. + +"You could have gotten it up to eighty or ninety degrees by turning on the +electric heater far enough," suggested Hal. + +"I wanted to see whether it would be warmer in the depths; wanted to find +out how low I could go and be able to do without heat in winter," Somers +retorted. + +"I could have told you that, from my reading, without any experiment," +retorted Skipper Jack. "Close your conning tower and go down a little way, +and the temperature would gradually rise a few degrees. That's because of +the absence of wind and draft. But, if you could go down very, very deep +without smashing the boat under the water pressure, you'd find the +temperature falling quite a bit." + +"Where did you read all that?" inquired Eph, looking both astonished and +sheepish. + +"Here," replied Jack, going to a small wall book-case, taking down a book +and turning several pages before he stopped. + +"Just my luck," muttered Eph, disconsolately. "Here I've been dull as +ditch-water for an hour, trying to find out something new, and it's all +stated in a book printed--ten years ago," he finished, after rapidly +consulting the title-page. + +Jacob Farnum had been no listener to this conversation. Taking the marine +glasses from the conning tower, the shipbuilder was now well forward on +the platform deck, scanning what was visible of the steam craft to the +southward. At last the yard's owner turned around to say: + +"I don't believe you young men can have things ship-shape a second too +soon. The craft heading this way has a military mast forward. She must be +the 'Hudson.' If there's anything to be done, hustle!" + +Jack and Hal sprang below, to scan their respective departments. Five +minutes later Grant Andrews hailed from the "Pollard," and Eph rowed over +in the shore boat to ferry over the machinists. + +Half an hour later Andrews and his men had put in the few needed touches +aboard the newer submarine boat. The sun, meanwhile, had gone down, +showing the hull of a naval vessel some four miles off the harbor. + +Darkness came on quickly, with a clouded sky. As young Benson stepped on +deck Grant Andrews followed him. + +"All finished here, Grant?" queried the yard's owner. + +"Yes, sir. There's mighty little chance to do anything where Hal Hastings +has charge of the machinery." + +"That's our gunboat out there, I think," went on Mr. Farnum, pointing to +where a white masthead light and a red port light were visible, about a +mile away. + +"Dunhaven must be on the map, all right, if a strange navigating officer +knows how to come so straight to the place," laughed Jack Benson. + +"Oh, you trust a United States naval officer to find any place he has +sailing orders for," returned Jacob Farnum. "I wonder if he'll attempt to +come into this harbor?" + +"There's safe anchorage, if he wants to do so," replied Captain Jack. + +While Somers was busy putting the foreman and the machinists ashore, Mr. +Farnum, Jack and Hal remained on the platform deck, watching the approach +of the naval vessel, which was now plainly making for Dunhaven. + +Suddenly, a broad beam of glaring white light shot over the water, resting +across the deck of the "Farnum." + +"I guess that fellow knows what he wants to know, now," muttered Benson, +blinking after the strong glare had passed. + +"There, he has picked up the 'Pollard,' too," announced Hastings. "Now, +that commander must feel sure he has sighted the right place." + +"There go the signal lights," cried Captain Jack, suddenly. "Hal, hustle +below and turn on the electric current for the signaling apparatus." + +Then Benson watched as, from the yards high up on the gunboat's signaling +mast, colored electric lights glowed forth, twinkling briefly in turn. +This is the modern method of signaling by sea at night. + +"He wants to know," said Benson, to Mr. Farnum, as he turned, "whether +there is safe anchorage for a twelve-hundred-ton gunboat of one hundred +and ninety-five feet length." + +Reaching the inside of the conning tower at a bound, the young skipper +rapidly manipulated his own electric signaling control. There was a low +mast on the "Farnum's" platform deck, a mast that could be unstepped +almost in an instant when going below surface. So Captain Jack's +counter-query beamed out in colors through the night: + +"What's your draught?" + +"Under present ballast, seventeen-eight," came the answer from the +gunboat's signal mast. + +"Safe anchorage," Captain Jack signaled back. + +"Can you meet us with a pilot?" questioned the on-coming gunboat. + +"Yes," Captain Jack responded. + +"Do so," came the laconic request. + +"That's all, Hal," the young skipper called, through the engine room +speaking tube. "Want to row me out and put me aboard the gunboat?" + +In another jiffy the two young chums had put off in the boat, Hal at the +oars, Jack at the tiller ropes. The gunboat was now lying to, some seven +hundred yards off the mouth of the little harbor. Hastings bent lustily to +the oars, sending the boat over the rocking water until he was within a +hundred yards of the steam craft's bridge. + +"Gun boat ahoy!" roared Hal, between his hands. Then, by a slip of the +tongue, and wholly innocent of any intentional offense, he bellowed: + +"Is that the 'Dad' boat?" + +"What's that?" came a sharp retort from the gunboat's bridge. "Don't try +to be funny, young man!" + +"Beg your pardon, sir. That was a slip of the tongue," Hal replied, +meekly, as he colored. "Are you the gunboat 'Hudson?'" + +"No; I'm her commanding officer, young man! Who in blazes are you?" + +"I'm the goat, it seems," muttered Hastings, under his breath. But, aloud, +he replied: + +"I have the pilot you requested." + +"Then why don't you bring him on board?" came the sharp question. "Did you +think I only wanted to look at a pilot?" + +"All right, sir. Shall I make fast to your starboard side gangway?" Hal +called. + +"In a hurry, young man!" + +"That's the naval style, I guess," murmured Jack to his chum. "No fooling +in the talk. I wonder if that fellow eats pie? Or is his temper due to +coffee?" + +Answering only with a quiet grin, Hal rowed alongside the starboard side +gangway. Jack, waiting, sprang quickly to the steps, ascending, waving his +hand to Hal as he went. Young Hastings quickly shoved off, then bent to +his oars. + +"Where's the pilot?" came a stern voice, from the bridge, as Jack Benson's +head showed above the starboard rail. + +"I am the pilot, sir," Jack replied. + +"Why, you're a boy." + +"Guilty," Jack responded. + +"What does this fooling mean? You're not old enough to hold a pilot's +license." + +By this time Benson was on the deck, immediately under the bridge. A half +dozen sailors, forward, were eyeing him curiously. + +"I have no license, sir," Jack admitted. "Neither has anyone else at +Dunhaven. For that matter, the harbor's a private one, belonging to the +shipyard." + +"Hasn't Mr. Farnum a _man_ he can send out?" + +"No one who knows the harbor better than I do, sir." + +"Who are you? What are you?" + +"Jack Benson, sir. Captain of the Pollard submarine boats." + +"Why didn't you tell me that before?" + +The question came sharply, almost raspingly. + +"Beg your pardon, sir, but you didn't ask me," Jack replied. + +"Come up here, Benson," ordered the lieutenant commander, in a loud voice +intended to drown out the subdued titter of some of the sailors forward. + +Jack ascended to the bridge, to find himself facing a six-footer in his +early thirties. There was a younger officer at the far end of the bridge. + +"Does Mr. Farnum consider you capable of showing us the way into the +harbor?" demanded the commanding officer of the "Hudson." + +"I think so, sir. He trusts me with his own boats." + +"Then you are--" + +"Benson, Mr. Farnum's captain of the submarine boats." + +Lieutenant Commander Mayhew gazed in astonishment for a moment, then held +out his hand as he introduced himself, remarking: + +"I was told that I would find a very young submarine commander here, but--" + +"You didn't expect to find one quite as young," Jack finished, smiling. + +"No; I didn't. Mr. Trahern, I want you to know Captain Jack Benson, of the +Pollard submarines." + +Ensign Trahern also shook hands with young Benson. + +"And now," went on the commander of the "Hudson," "I think you may as well +show us the way into the harbor." + +"You'll want to go at little more than headway, sir," Jack replied. "The +harbor is small, though there's enough deep water for you. In parts there +are some sand ledges that the tide washes up." + +"I can't allow you to pilot us, exactly, but you'll indicate the course to +me, won't you, Mr. Benson?" + +The "mister" was noticeable, now. Naval officers are chary of their +bestowal of the title "captain" upon one who does not hold it in the Army +or Navy service. + +At Mr. Mayhew's order the "Hudson" was started slowly forward, the +searchlight playing about the entrance to the harbor. + +"For your best anchorage, sir," declared Captain Jack, after he had +brought the gunboat slowly into the harbor, "you will do well to anchor +with that main arc-light dead ahead, that shed over there on your +starboard beam, and the front end of the submarine shed about four points +off your port bow." + +Mr. Mayhew slowly manoeuvred his craft, while men stood on the deck below, +forward, prepared to heave the bow anchors. + +"Go four points over to port, Mr. Trahern," instructed Mr. Mayhew. "Now, +back the engines--steady!" + +Jack Benson opened his mouth wide. Then, as he saw the way the "Hudson" +was backing, he suddenly called: + +"Slow speed ahead, quick, sir!" + +"You said--" began Mr. Mayhew. + +Gr-r-r-r! The stern of the gunboat dug its way into a sand ledge, lifting +the stern considerably. + +"Slow speed ahead!" rasped Lieutenant Commander Mayhew, sharply. + +But the gunboat could not be budged. She was stuck, stern on, fast in the +sand-ledge. + +"Benson!" uttered the lieutenant commander, bitterly, "I congratulate you. +You've succeeded in grounding a United States Naval vessel!" + + + + + + CHAPTER III: "YOU MAY AS WELL LEAVE THE BRIDGE!" + + +There was so much of overwhelming censure in the naval officer's tone that +Jack's spirit was stung to the quick. + +"It's your mistake, sir," he retorted. "You didn't follow the course I +advised. You swung the ship around to port, and--" + +"Silence, now, if you please, while men are trying to get this vessel out +of a scrape a boy got her into," commanded Mr. Mayhem, sternly. + +Jack flushed, then bit his tongue. In another moment a pallor had +succeeded the red in his face. + +He was blamed for the disaster, and he was not really at fault. + +Yet, under the rebuke he had just received, he did not feel it his place +to retort further for the present. + +Mr. Mayhew and Mr. Trahern conferred in low tones for a moment or two. + +"You may as well leave the bridge, young man," resumed Mr. Mayhew, turning +upon the submarine boy. "You are not likely to be of any use here." + +As Jack, burning inwardly with indignation, though managing to keep +outwardly calm, descended to the deck below, he caught sight of Hal +Hastings, hovering near in the rowboat. Hal signaled to learn whether he +should put in alongside to take off his chum, but Benson shook his head. + +Over on the "Farnum" the yard's owner and Eph Somers watched wonderingly. +They understood, well enough, that the new, trim-looking gunboat was in +trouble, but they did not know that Jack Benson was held at fault. + +Down between decks the engines of the "Hudson" were toiling hard to run +the craft off out of the sand. Then the machinery stopped. An engineer +officer came up from below. He and Mr. Mayhew walked to the stern, while a +seaman, accompanying them, heaved the lead, reading the soundings. + +"We're stuck good and fast," remarked the engineer officer. "We can't +drive off out of that sand for the reason that the propellers are buried +in the grit. They'll hardly turn at all, and, when they do, they only +churn the sand without driving us off." + +"Confound that ignoramus of a boy!" muttered Mr. Mayhew, walking slowly +forward. It was no pleasant situation for the lieutenant commander. Having +run his vessel ashore, he knew himself likely to be facing a naval board +of inquiry. + +Hal, finding that the shore boat was not wanted for the present, had rowed +over to the "Farnum's" moorings. Now Jacob Farnum came alongside in the +shore boat. + +"May I speak with your watch officer?" he called. + +"I am the commanding officer," Mr. Mayhew called down, in the cold, even, +dulled voice of a man in trouble. + +"I am Mr. Farnum, owner of the yard. May I come on board?" + +"Be glad to have you," Lieutenant Commander Mayhew responded. + +So Mr. Farnum went nimbly up over the side. + +"May I ask what is the trouble here, sir?" asked the yard's owner. + +"The trouble is," replied Mr. Mayhew, "that your enterprising boy pilot +has run us aground--hard, tight and fast!" + +Jacob Farnum glanced swiftly at his young captain. Jack shook his head +briefly in dissent. Jacob Farnum, with full confidence in his young man, +at once understood that there was more yet to be learned. + +"Come up on the bridge, sir, if you will," requested the commander of the +gunboat, who was a man of too good breeding to wish any dispute before the +men of the crew. "You may come, too, Benson." + +Jack followed the others, including the engineer officer of the "Hudson." +Yet Benson was clenching his hands, fighting a desperate battle to get +full command over himself. It was hard--worse than hard--to be unjustly +accused. + +Jacob Farnum wished to keep on the pleasantest terms with these officers +of the Navy. At the same time he was man enough to feel determined that +Jack, whether right or wrong, should have a full chance to defend himself. + +"I understand, sir," began Mr. Farnum, "that you attach some blame in this +matter to young Benson?" + +"Perhaps he is not to be blamed too much, on account of his extreme +youth," responded Mr. Mayhew. + +"Forget his youth altogether," urged Mr. Farnum. "Let us treat him as a +man. I've always found him one, in judgment, knowledge and loyalty. Do you +mind telling me, sir, in what way he erred in bringing you in here?" + +"An error in giving his advice," replied Mr. Mayhew. "Or else it was +ignorance of how to handle a craft as large as this gunboat. For my +anchorage he told me--" + +Here the lieutenant commander repeated the first part of Jack's directions +correctly, but wound up with: + +"He advised me to throw my wheel over four points to port." + +"Pardon me, sir," Jack broke in, unable to keep still longer. "What I +said, or intended to say, was to bring your vessel so that the forward end +of the submarine shed over there would be four points off the port bow." + +"What did you hear Mr. Benson say, Mr. Trahern?" demanded the gunboat's +commander, turning to the ensign who had stood with him on the bridge. + +"Why, sir, I understood the lad to say what he states that he said." + +"You are sure of that, Mr. Trahern?" + +"Unless my ears tricked me badly," replied the ensign, "Mr. Benson said +just what he now states. I wondered, sir, at your calling for slow speed +astern." + +Lieutenant Commander Mayhew gazed for some moments fixedly at the face of +Ensign Trahern. Then, of a sudden, the gunboat's commander, who was both +an officer and a gentleman, broke forth, contritely: + +"As I think it over, I believe, myself, that Benson advised as he now +states he did. It was my own error--I am sure of it now." + +Wheeling about, Mayhew held out his right hand. + +"Mr. Benson," he said, in a deep voice full of regret, "I was the one in +error. I am glad to admit it, even if tardily. Will you pardon my too +hasty censure?" + +"Gladly, sir," Benson replied, gripping the proffered hand. Jacob Farnum +stood back, wagging his head in a satisfied way. It had been difficult for +him to believe that his young captain had been at fault in so simple a +matter, or in a harbor with which he was so intimately acquainted. + +As for the young man himself, the thing that touched him most deeply was +the quick, complete and manly acknowledgment of this lieutenant commander. + +"Mr. Farnum," inquired the gunboat's commander, "have you any towboats +about here that can be used in helping me to get the 'Hudson' off this +sand ledge?" + +"The only one in near waters, sir," replied the yard's owner, "is a craft, +not so very much larger than a launch, that ties up some three miles down +the coast. She's the boat I use when I need any towing here. Of course, I +have the two torpedo boats, though their engines were not constructed for +towing work." + +"May I offer a suggestion?" asked Jack, when the talk lagged. + +"I'll be glad to have you, Mr. Benson," replied Mr. Mayhew, turning toward +the submarine boy. + +"Flood tide will be in in about two hours and a half, sir," Benson +followed up. "That ought to raise this vessel a good deal. Then, with the +towboat Mr. Farnum has mentioned, and with such help as the engines of the +submarines may give, together with your own engines, Mr. Mayhew, I think +there ought to be a good chance of getting the 'Hudson' afloat with plenty +of water under her whole keel. We can even start some of the engines on +shore, and rig winches to haul on extra cables. Altogether, we can give +you a strong pull, sir." + +"That sounds like the best plan to me," nodded Jacob Farnum. "I'll have a +message sent at once for that towboat." + +A white-coated steward now appeared on deck, moving near the lieutenant +commander. + +"Is dinner ready, Greers?" called Mr. Mayhew. + +"Yes, sir." + +"Lay two more plates, then. Mr. Farnum, I trust you and your young +submarine commander will sit as my guests to-night." + +This invitation the yard's owner accepted, asking only time enough to +arrange for keeping some of his workmen over-time, awaiting the coming of +flood-tide. + +So, presently, Jack and his employer found themselves seated at table in +the gunboat's handsome wardroom. Besides the lieutenant commander there +were Lieutenant Halpin, two ensigns, two engineer officers and a young +medical officer. In the "Hudson's" complement of officers there were also +four midshipmen, but these latter ate in their own mess. + +The time passed most pleasantly, Mr. Mayhew plainly doing all in his power +to atone for his late censure of the submarine boy. + +Before dinner was over the small towboat was in the harbor. At the coming +of flood tide this towing craft had a hawser made fast to the gunboat. +With the help of some of the naval machinists aboard the "Hudson," both +submarine craft were also manned and hawsers made fast. Two cables were +passed ashore to winches to which power was supplied by the shipyard's +engines. When all was ready a mighty pull was given, the gunboat's own +propellers taking part in the struggle. For two or three minutes the +efforts continued. Then, at last, the "Hudson," uninjured, ran off into +deep water and shortly afterwards anchored in safety. + +It was a moment of tremendous relief for Mr. Mayhew. + +"Call the tugboat captain aboard, and I'll settle with him at my own +expense," proposed the lieutenant commander. + +"I trust you will think of nothing of the sort," replied Jacob Farnum, +quickly. "In this harbor I wish to consider you and your vessel as my +guests." + +Again Mr. Mayhew expressed his thanks. Presently, glancing ashore through +the night, he asked: + +"What sort of country is it hereabouts?" + +"Mostly flat, as to the surface," Mr. Farnum replied. "If your question +goes further, there are some fine roads and several handsome estates +within a few miles of here. Mr. Mayhew, won't you and a couple of your +officers come on shore with me? I'll telephone for my car and put you over +quite a few miles this evening." + +"Delighted," replied the commander of the gunboat. + +One of the "Hudson's" cutters being now in the water alongside, the party +went ashore in this. Jack, after bidding the naval officers good-night, +found Hal and Eph, who had just come ashore from supper on board the +"Farnum." + +"No sailing orders yet, I suppose?" Hal asked. + +"None," Jack replied. "I reckon we'll start, all right, some time +to-morrow morning." + +"What'll we do to-night?" Eph wondered. + +"I don't know," replied Jack. "We've few friends around here we need to +take the trouble to say good-bye to. We could call on Mrs. Farnum, but I +imagine we'd run into the naval party up at the Farnum house. We want to +keep a bit in the background with these naval officers, except when they +may ask for our company." + +"Let's take a walk about the old town, then," Hal suggested. + +So the three submarine boys strolled across the shipyard. Just as they +were passing through the gate a man of middle height and seemingly about +thirty years of age quickened his pace to reach them. + +"Is this shipyard open nights?" he queried. + +"Only to some employees," Jack answered. + +"I suppose Mr. Farnum isn't about?" + +"No." + +"Captain Benson?" + +"Benson is my name." + +"This letter is addressed to Mr. Farnum," went on the stranger, "but Mr. +Pollard told me I could hand it to you." + +Captain Jack took the letter from the unsealed envelope. + +"My dear Farnum," ran the enclosure, "since you're short a good machinist +for the engine room of the 'Farnum,' the bearer, Samuel Truax, seems to me +to be just the man you want. I've examined him, and he understands the +sort of machinery we use. Better give him a chance." The note was signed +in David Pollard's well-known, scrawly handwriting. + +"I'm sorry you can't see Mr. Farnum to-night," said Benson, pleasantly. +"He'll be here early in the morning, though." + +"When do you sail?" asked Truax, quickly. + +"That you would have to ask Mr. Farnum, too," smiled Jack. + +"But, see here, Mr. Pollard engaged me to work aboard one of your +submarines." + +"It looks that way, doesn't it?" laughed the young skipper. + +"And you're the captain?" + +"Yes; but I can't undertake to handle Mr. Farnum's business for him." + +"You'll let me go aboard the craft to sleep for to-night, anyway?" coaxed +Truax. + +"Why, that's just what I'm not at liberty to do," replied the young +submarine captain. "No; I couldn't think of that, in the absence of Mr. +Farnum's order." + +"But that doesn't seem hardly fair," protested Truax. "See here, I have +spent all my money getting here. I haven't even the price of a lodging +with me, and this isn't a summer night." + +"Why, I'll tell you what I'll do," Benson went on, feeling in one of his +pockets. "Here's a dollar. That'll buy you a bed and a breakfast at the +hotel up the street. If you want to get aboard with us in time, you'd +better show up by eight in the morning." + +"But--" + +"That's really all I can do," Jack Benson hastily assured the fellow. "I'm +not the owner of the boat, and I can't take any liberties. Oh, wait just a +moment. I'll see if there's any chance of Mr. Farnum coming back +to-night." + +Jack knew well enough that there wasn't any chance of Mr. Farnum +returning, unless possibly at a very late hour with the naval officers, +but the boy had seen the night watchman peering out through the gateway. + +Retracing his steps, Jack drew the night watchman inside, whispering: + +"Just a pointer for you. You've seen that man on the street with us? He +has a letter from Mr. Pollard to Mr. Farnum, but I wouldn't let him in the +yard to-night, unless Mr. Farnum appears and gives the order." + +"I understand," said the night watchman, nodding. + +"That's all, then, and thank you." + +Jack Benson hastily rejoined the others on the sidewalk. + +"I don't believe, Mr. Truax, it will be worth your while to come here +earlier than eight in the morning. Better go to the hotel and tie up to a +good sleep. Good night." + +"Say, why did you take such a dislike to the fellow?" queried Eph, as the +three submarine boys strolled on up the street, Truax following slowly at +some distance in the rear. + +"I didn't take a dislike to him," Jack replied, opening his eyes wide. + +"You choked him off mighty short, then." + +"If it looked that way, then I'm sorry," Benson protested, in a tone of +genuine regret. "All I wanted to make plain was that I couldn't pass him +on to our precious old boat without Mr. Farnum's order." + +Truax plodded slowly along behind the submarine boys, a cunning look in +the man's eyes as he stared after Jack Benson. + +"You're a slick young man, or else a wise one," muttered Truax. "But I +think I'm smart enough to take it out of you!" + +Nor did Sam Truax go to the hotel. He had his own plans for this +evening--plans that boded the submarine boys no good. + +The three boys strolled easily about town, getting a hot soda or two, and, +finally, drifting into a moving picture show that had opened recently in +Dunhaven. This place they did not leave until the show was over. They were +half-way home when Captain Jack remembered that he had left behind him a +book that he had bought earlier in the evening. + +"You fellows keep right on down to the yard. I'll hurry back, get the book +and overtake you," he proposed. + +Jack ran back, but already the little theatre was closed. + +"I'm out that book, then, if we sail in the morning," he muttered, as he +trudged along after his friends. + +On the way toward the water front Benson had to pass a vacant lot +surrounded by a high board fence on a deserted street. He had passed about +half way along the length of the fence, when a head appeared over the top +followed by a pair of arms holding a small bag of sand. Down dropped the +bag, striking Jack Benson on the top of the head, sending him unconscious +to the ground. + + + + + + CHAPTER IV: MR. FARNUM OFFERS ANOTHER GUESS + + +Close at hand there was a loose board in the fence. Through this Sam Truax +thrust his head, peering up and down the street. Not another soul was in +sight. + +With a chuckle Truax stepped through the hole in the fence. Swiftly he +gathered up the young submarine captain, bearing him through the aperture +and dropping him on the ground behind the fence. At the same time he took +with him the small bag of sand. + +"Knocked you out, but I don't believe you'll be unconscious long," mused +Truax, standing over his young victim, regarding him critically. "There +wasn't steam enough in the blow to hurt you for long. You're sturdy, +following the sea all the time, as you do." + +With a thoughtful air Sam Truax drew a small bottle from his pocket, +sprinkling some of the contents over Jack's uniform coat. Immediately the +nauseating smell of liquor rose on the air. + +"Now, if someone finds you before you come to, you'll look like a fellow +that has been drinking and fighting," muttered Truax under his breath. "If +you come to and get back to the yard without help, you'll walk unsteadily +and have that smell about your clothes. Usually, it needs only a breath of +suspicion to turn folks against a boy!" + + [Illustration: Down Dropped the Bag.] + + Down Dropped the Bag. + + +Pausing only long enough to learn that Jack's pulses were beating, and +that the submarine boy was breathing, Truax stole off into the night, +carrying the bag of sand under his overcoat. At one point he paused long +enough to empty the sand from the bag over a fence. The bag itself he +afterwards burned in the open fireplace in the room assigned to him at +Holt's Hotel. + +For twenty minutes Jack Benson lay as he had been left. Then he began to +stir, and groan. Then he opened his eyes; after a while he managed to sit +up. + +"Ugh!" he grunted. "What's the odor? Liquor! How does that happen? Oh, my +head!" + +He got slowly to his feet, using the board fence as a means to help steady +himself. Then, though he found himself weak and tormented by the pain in +his head, Benson managed to feel his way along the fence until he came to +the opening made by the loose board. Holding himself here, he thrust his +head beyond. + +Now, Hal and Eph, having waited for some time at the shore boat, before +going out on board the "Farnum," had at last made up their minds to go +back and look for their missing leader. They came along just at the moment +that the young captain's head appeared through the opening in the fence. + +"There he is," muttered Hal, stopping short. "Gracious! He acts queerly. I +wonder if anything can have happened to him? Come along, Eph!" + +The two raced across the street. + +"Jack, old fellow! What on earth's the matter?" demanded Hal Hastings, +anxiously. + +"I wish you could tell me," responded Jack Benson, speaking rather +thickly, for he was still somewhat dazed. "Oh, my head!" + +"There has been some queer work here," muttered Hal in Eph's ear. "Don't +torment him with questions. Just help me to get him down to the yard." + +While the two submarine boys were guiding their weak, dizzy comrade out to +the sidewalk a man came by with a swinging stride. Then he stopped short, +staring in amazement. + +"Hullo, boys! What on earth has happened?" + +It was Grant Andrews, foreman of the submarine work at the yard, and a +warm personal friend of Benson's. + +"I don't believe the old chap feels like telling us just now," muttered +Hal, with a sour face. + +"Whiskey!" muttered Andrews, almost under his breath. "What does it mean? +Benson never touched a drop of that vile stuff, did he?" + +"He'd sooner drown himself," retorted Hal, with spirit. + +"Of course he would," agreed Grant Andrews. "But what is the meaning of +all this?" + +"Oh, there's some queer, hocus-pocus business on foot," muttered Hal, +bitterly. "But I don't believe Jack feels much like telling us anything +about it at present." + +In truth, Jack didn't seem inclined to conversation. He was too sore and +dazed to feel like talking. He couldn't collect his ideas clearly. The +most that he actually knew was that the pain in his head was tormenting. + +"I'll pick him right up in my arms and carry him," proposed Andrews. "I'll +take him to Mr. Farnum's office. Then I'll get a doctor. We don't want +much noise about this, or folks will be telling all sorts of yarns against +Jack Benson and his drinking habits, when the truth is he's about the +finest, steadiest young fellow alive!" + +Just as Andrews was about to carry his purpose into action, however, an +automobile turned the nearest corner and came swiftly toward them. In +another instant it stopped alongside. It contained Mr. Farnum and his +chauffeur, besides three naval officers. + +"What's wrong, Andrews?" called the yard's owner. "Why, that's Jack +Benson! What has happened to him?" + +Hal and Eph stood supporting their comrade, almost holding him, in fact. +Jacob Farnum leaped from his automobile. Lieutenant Commander Mayhew +followed him. + +"Liquor, eh?" exclaimed the naval officer, the odor reaching his nostrils. + +"No such thing," retorted Farnum, turning upon the officer. "At least, +Jack Benson has been drinking no such stuff." + +"It was only a guess," murmured Mr. Mayhew, apologetically. "You know your +young man better than I do, Mr. Farnum." + +"There is liquor on his clothing," continued the shipbuilder. "It looks as +though someone had assaulted the lad, laid him out, and then sprinkled +him. It's a wasted trick, though. I know him too well to be fooled by any +such clumsy bit of nonsense." + +"A stupid trick, indeed," agreed Lieutenant Commander Mayhew, but the +naval officer did not quite share the shipbuilder's confidence in the +submarine boy's innocence. Mr. Mayhew had known of too many cases of naval +apprentices ruined through weak indulgence in liquor. Indeed, he had even +known of rare instances in which cadets had been dismissed from the Naval +Academy for the same offense. The lieutenant commander's present doubt of +Jack Benson was likely to work to that young man's disadvantage later on. + +Others of the party left the auto. Hal and Mr. Farnum got into the +tonneau, supporting Jack there between them. Thus they carried him to Mr. +Farnum's office at the yard, Grant Andrews then going in the car after a +doctor, while the others stretched Jack on the office sofa. The naval +officers returned to the "Hudson," at anchor in the little harbor below. + +"The young man acts as though he had been struck on the head," was the +physician's verdict. "No bones of the skull are broken. The odor of liquor +is on his coat, but I can't seem to detect any on the breath." + +"Of course you can't," commented Jacob Farnum, crisply. "Will Benson be +fit to sail in the morning?" + +"I think so," nodded the doctor. "But there ought to be a nurse with him +to-night." + +"Take my car, Andrews, and get a man nurse at once," directed Mr. Farnum. +"Doctor, can the young man be moved to his berth on the 'Farnum'?" + +"Safely enough," nodded the medical man. They waited until the nurse +arrived, when Jack was put to bed on the newer submarine craft. + +Jack slept through the night, moaning once in a while. Mr. Farnum and the +Dunhaven doctor were aboard early to look at him. The surgeon from the +"Hudson" also came over. + +Under the effects of medicine Jack Benson was asleep when, at ten o'clock +that morning, the two submarine torpedo boats slipped their moorings, +following the "parent boat," the "Hudson," out of the harbor. + +Ten minutes later the motion of the sea awoke the young skipper. + + + + + + CHAPTER V: TRUAX SHOWS THE SULKS + + +"Hullo!" muttered the young submarine skipper, staring curiously about the +little stateroom aft. He had it to himself, the nurse having been put on +shore. "Under way, eh? This is the queerest start I ever made on a +voyage." + +Nor was it many moments later when Jack Benson stood on his feet. His +clothes were hung neatly on nails against the wall. One after another Jack +secured the garments, slowly donning them. + +"How my head throbs and buzzes!" he muttered, his voice sounding unsteady. +"Gracious! What could have happened? Let me see. The last I +remember--passing that high fence--" + +But it was all too great a puzzle. Benson finally decided to stop guessing +until some future time. He went on with his dressing. Finally, with his +blouse buttoned as exactly as ever, and his cap placed gingerly on his +aching head, he opened the stateroom door, stepping out into the cabin. + +Accustomed as he was to sea motion, the slight roll of the "Farnum" did +not bother the young skipper much. He soon reached the bottom of the short +spiral stairway leading up into the conning tower. Up there, in the +helmsman's seat, he espied Hal Hastings with his hands employed at the +steering apparatus. Hal was looking out over the water, straight ahead. + +"Sailing these days without word from your captain, eh?" Jack called, in a +voice that carried, though it shook. + +"Gracious--you?" ejaculated Hal, looking down for an instant. Then Hastings +pressed a button connecting with a bell in the engine room. + +"I'm going up there with you," Jack volunteered. + +"Right-o, if you insist," clicked Eph Somers, appearing from the engine +room and darting to the young skipper's side. True, Jack's head swam a bit +dizzily as he climbed the stairs, but Eph's strong support made the task +much easier. There was space to spare on the seat beside Hal, and into +this Jack Benson sank. + +"Say, you ought to sleep until afternoon," was Hastings's next greeting, +but Jack was looking out of the conning tower at the scene around him. + +The three craft were leaving the coast directly behind. About three +hundred yards away, abeam, steamed the "Hudson" at a nine-knot gait. + +"The 'Pollard' is on the other side of the gunboat, isn't she?" asked +Jack. + +"Yes," Hal nodded. + +"Naval crew aboard her?" + +"Yes; Government has taken full possession of the 'Pollard.'" + +"Who's running this boat? Just you and Eph?" + +"No; that new man, Truax, is on board, and at the last moment Mr. Farnum +put Williamson, one of the machinists, aboard, also. You can send +Williamson back from Annapolis whenever you're through with him." + +"Williamson is all right," nodded Jack, slowly. "But how about Truax?" + +"I think he's going to be a useful man," Hal responded. "He seems familiar +with our type of engines. Of course, he knows nothing about the apparatus +for submerging the boat or making it dive. But he doesn't need to. Now, +Jack, old fellow, we're going along all right. Why not let Eph help you +back to your bunk, or one of the seats in the cabin, and have your sleep +out?" + +"I've had it out," Benson declared, with a laugh. "I'm ready, now, to take +my trick at the wheel." + +"Nonsense," retorted Hal Hastings. "I've been here a bare quarter of an +hour, and I'm good for more work than that. Jack, you're nothing but a +fifth wheel. You're not needed; won't be all day, and at night we anchor +in some harbor down the coast. Go and rest, like a good fellow." + +"Can't rest, when I know I'm doing nothing," Benson retorted, stubbornly. +"Besides, this is the first time I've ever found myself moving along in +regular formation with the United States Navy. I feel almost as if I were +a Navy officer myself, and I mean to make the most of the sensation. Say, +Hal, wouldn't it be fine if we really _did_ belong to the Navy?" + +"Gee-whiz!" murmured young Hastings, his cheeks glowing and his eyes +snapping. + +"If we only belonged to the old Flag for life, and knew that we were +practising on a boat like this as a part of the preparation for real war +when it came?" + +"_Don't!_" begged Hal, tensely. "For you know, old fellow, it can't come +true. Why, we haven't even a residence anywhere, from which a Congressman +could appoint one of us to Annapolis!" + +"_One_ of us?" muttered Jack, scornfully. "Then it would have to be you. +_I_ wouldn't go, even as a cadet at Annapolis, and leave you behind in +just plain, ordinary life, Hal Hastings!" + +"Well, it's no use thinking about it," sighed Hal, practically. "Neither +one of us is in any danger of getting appointed to Annapolis, so there's +no chance that either one of us ever will become an officer in the Navy. +Let's not talk about it, Jack. I've been contented enough, so far, but now +it makes me almost blue, to think that we can only go on testing and +handling submarine craft like these, while others will be their real +officers in the Navy, and command them in any war that may come." + +Though his head throbbed, and though a dizzy spell came over him every few +minutes, Jack Benson stuck it out, up there beside his chum, for an hour. +Then, disdaining aid, he crept down the stairs, stretching himself out on +one of the cabin seats. Eph brought him a pillow and a blanket. Jack soon +slept, tossing uneasily whenever pain throbbed dully in his head. + +"Guess I'll go out and have a little look at the young captain," proposed +Sam Truax, an hour later. + +"Try another guess," retorted Eph, curtly. "You'll stay here in the engine +room. Jack Benson isn't going to be bothered in any way." + +"I'm not going to bother him; just going to take a look at him," protested +Truax, moving toward the door that separated the engine room from the +cabin. + +But young Somers caught the stranger by the sleeve of the oily jumper that +Sam had donned on beginning his work. + +"Do you know what folks say about me?" demanded Eph, with a significant +glare. + +"What do they say?" + +"Folks have an idea that, at most times, I'm one of the best-natured +fellows on earth," declared Eph, solemnly. "Yet they _do_ say that, when +I'm crossed in anything my mind's made up to, I can be tarnation ugly. I +just told you I don't want the captain disturbed. Do you know, Sam Truax, +I feel a queer notion coming over me? I've an idea that that feeling is +just plain ugliness coming to life!" + +Truax came back from the door, a grin on his face. Yet, when he turned his +head away, there was a queer, almost deadly flash in the fellow's eyes. + +Jack slept, uneasily, until towards the middle of the afternoon. As soon +as Eph found him awake, that young man brought the captain a plate of +toast and a bowl of broth, both prepared at the little galley stove. + +"Sit up and get away with these," urged Eph, placing the tray on the cabin +table. "Wait a minute. I'll prop you up and put a pillow at your back." + +"This boat isn't a bad place for a fellow when he's knocked out," smiled +Jack. + +"Any place ought to be good, where your friends are," came, curtly, from +young Somers. + +As Captain Jack ate the warm food he felt his strength coming back to him. + +"Poor old Hal has been up there in the conning tower all these hours," +muttered Captain Jack, uneasily. "He must have that cramped feeling in his +hands." + +"Humph!" retorted Eph. "Not so you could notice it much, I guess. It's a +simpleton's job up in the conning tower to-day. All he has to do is to +shift the wheel a little to port, or to starboard, just so as to keep the +proper interval from the 'Dad' boat. Besides, I've been up there on +relief, for an hour while you slept, and Hal came down and sat with the +engines. Cheer up, Jack. No one misses you from the conning tower." + +Benson laughed, though he said, warningly: + +"I reckon we'll do as well to drop calling the gunboat the 'Dad boat' +instead of the 'parent vessel.'" + +"Well, you needn't bother at all about the conning tower to-day," wound up +Eph, glancing at his watch. "It's after half-past three at this moment and +I understand we're to drop anchor about five o'clock." + +So Skipper Jack settled back with a comfortable sigh. Truth to tell, it +was pleasant not to have any immediate duty, for his head throbbed, every +now and then, and he felt dizzy when he tried to walk. + +"Who could have hit me in that fashion, last night, and for what earthly +purpose?" wondered the boy. "I've had some enemies, in the past, but I +don't know a single person about Dunhaven, now who has any reason for +wishing me harm." + +Never a thought crossed his mind of suspecting Sam Truax. That worthy had +come with a note from David Pollard, the inventor of the boats. Sam, +therefore, must be all right, the boy reasoned. + +Jack lay back on the upholstered seat. He sat with his eyes closed most of +the time, though he did not doze. At last, however, he heard the engine +room bell sound for reduced speed. Getting up, the young captain made his +way to the foot of the conning tower stairs. + +"Making port, Hal?" he called. + +"Yep," came the reply. "We'll be at anchor in five minutes more." + +Jack made his way slowly to the door of the engine room. + +"Eph," he called, "as soon as you've shut off speed, take Truax above and +you two attend to the mooring." + +"Take this other man up with you," urged Sam Truax. "I don't know anything +about tying a boat up to moorings." + +"Time you learned, then," returned Eph Somers, "if you're to stay aboard a +submarine craft." + +"Take this other man up with you," again urged Truax. + +Eph Somers turned around to face him with a good deal of a glare. + +"What ails you, Truax? You heard the captain's order. You'll go with me." + +"Don't be too sure of that," uttered Sam Truax, defiantly. + +"If you don't go above with me, and if you don't follow every order you +get aboard this boat, I know where you _will_ go," muttered Eph, +decisively. + +"Where?" jeered Sam. + +"Ashore--in the first boat that can take you there." + +"You seem to forget that I'm on board by David Pollard's order," sneered +Truax. + +"All I am sure of," retorted Eph, "is that Jack Benson is captain on board +this craft. That means that he's sole judge of everything here when this +boat is cruising. If you were here by the orders of both owners, Jack +Benson would fire you ashore for good, just the same, after you've balked +at the first order." + +"Humph! I--" + +Clang! Jangle! The signal bell was sounding. + +"Shut up," ordered Eph Somers, briskly. "I've got the engine to run on +signal from the watch officer." + +There followed a series of signals, first of all for stopping speed, then +for a brief reversing of engines. A moment later headway speed ahead was +ordered. So on Eph went through the series of orders until the "Farnum" +had been manoeuvred to her exact position. Then, from above, Captain Jack's +voice was heard, roaring in almost his usual tones: + +"Turn out below, there, to help make fast!" + +"Take the lever, Williamson," directed Eph. "Come along lively, Truax." + +"Humph! Let Williamson go," grumbled Truax. + +"You come along with me, my man!" roared Eph, his face blazing angrily. +"Hustle, too, or I'll report you to the captain for disobedience of +orders. Then you'll go ashore at express speed. Coming?" + +Sam Truax appeared to wage a very brief battle within himself. Then, +nodding sulkily, he followed. + +"Hustle up, there!" Jack shouted down. "We don't want to drift." + +Jack Benson stood out on the platform deck, holding to the conning tower +at the port side. A naval launch had just placed a buoy over an anchor +that had been lowered. + +"Get forward, you two," Jack called briskly, "and make the bow cable fast +to that buoy." + +Hal still sat at the wheel in the tower. As Eph and Truax crept forward +over the arched upper hull of the "Farnum," Hal sounded the engine room +signals and steered until the boat had gotten close enough to make the bow +cable fast. Then the stern cable was made fast, with more line, to another +buoy. + +"A neat hitch, Mr. Benson," came a voice from the bridge of the "Hudson," +which lay a short distance away. Jack, looking up, saw Lieutenant +Commander Mayhew leaning over the bridge rail. + +"Thank you, sir," Jack acknowledged, saluting the naval officer. + +The parent vessel and her two submarine charges now lay at anchor in the +harbor at Port Clovis, one of the towns down the coast from Dunhaven. This +mooring overnight was to be repeated each day until Annapolis should be +reached. + +Within fifteen minutes the craft were surrounded by small boats from +shore. Some of these contained merchandise that it was hoped sailors would +buy. Other boats "ran" for hotels, restaurants, drinking places, amusement +halls, and all the varied places on shore that hope to fatten on Jack +Tar's money. + +"I'd like to go ashore, sir," announced Sam Truax, approaching Captain +Jack. + +"When?" + +"Now." + +"For how long?" + +"Until ten o'clock to-night." + +"Be back by that hour, then," Jack replied. "If you're not, you'll find +everything shut tight aboard here." + +Truax quickly signaled one of the hovering boats, and put off in it. Eph +watched the boat for a few moments before he turned to Captain Jack to +mutter: + +"Somehow, I wouldn't feel very badly about it if that fellow got lost on +shore!" + + + + + + CHAPTER VI: TWO KINDS OF VOODOO + + +On the second day of the cruise Jack Benson returned to full duty. + +For four nights, in all, the submarine squadron tied up at moorings in +harbors along the coast. On the fifth night, as darkness fell, the +squadron continued under way, in Chesapeake Bay, for Annapolis was but +three hours away. + +Immediately after supper Captain Jack took his place in the conning tower. +He concerned himself principally with the compass, his only other task +being to keep the course by the "Hudson's" lights, for the parent boat +supplied in its own conduct all the navigation orders beyond the general +course. The "Farnum's" searchlight was not used, the gunboat picking up +all the coast-marks as they neared land. + +"Annapolis is the place I've always wanted to see," Jack declared, as Hal +joined him in the conning tower. + +"It's the place where I've always wanted to be a cadet," sighed Hal. "But +there's no chance for me, I fear. Jack, I'd rather be an officer of the +Navy than a millionaire." + +"Same here," replied Jack, steadily. "It's hard to have to feel that I'll +never be either." + +As she entered the mouth of the Severn River the "Hudson" signaled to the +submarines to follow, in file, the "Pollard" leading. A little later the +three craft entered the Basin at the Academy. While the gunboat anchored +off the Amphitheatre, the two submarine boats were ordered to anchorage +just off the Boat House. Then a cutter came alongside. + +"The lieutenant commander's compliments to Mr. Benson. Will Mr. Benson go +aboard the 'Hudson'?" asked the young officer in command of the cutter. +Captain Jack lost no time in presenting himself before the lieutenant +commander. + +"Mr. Benson," said Mr. Mayhew, after greeting the submarine boy, "your +craft will be under a marine guard to-night, and at all times while here +at the Naval Academy. If you and your crew would like to spend the night +ashore, in the quaint little old town of Annapolis, there's no reason why +you shouldn't. But you will all need to report back aboard, ready for +duty, by eight in the morning." + +Jack thanked the naval commander, then hastened back to the "Farnum" to +communicate the news. + +"Me for the shore trip," declared Eph, promptly. All the others agreed +with him. + +"I'll come back by ten o'clock to-night, though," volunteered Sam Truax. +"One of the crew ought to be aboard." + +"We'll stay ashore," decided Jack, "and return in the morning." + +"I'm coming back to-night," retorted Truax. + +"Keep still, and follow orders," muttered Eph, digging his elbow into +Truax's ribs. "The captain gives the orders here." + +Jack, however, had turned away. Within five minutes a boat put off from +shore, bringing two soldiers of the marine guard alongside. With them, in +the shore boat, was a corporal of the guard. + +"Any of your crew coming back to-night, sir?" asked the corporal. + +"None," Benson answered. "Will you instruct the sentries to see that none +of the crew are allowed aboard during the night?" + +"Very good, sir." + +The shore boat waited to convey them to the landing. Before going, young +Captain Benson closed and locked the manhole entrance to the conning +tower. A sullen silence had fallen over Truax. The instructions to the +corporal of the guard, and the prompt acceptance of those instructions, +told Sam, beyond any doubt, that he was _not_ coming back on board that +night. + +Truax followed the others as they passed through the Academy grounds. +Beyond the large, handsome buildings, there was not much to be seen at +night. Lights shone behind all the windows in Cadet Barracks. Nearly all +of the cadets of the United States Navy were in their quarters, hard at +study. Here and there a marine sentry paced. A few naval officers, in +uniform, passed along the walks. That was all, and the submarine party had +crossed the grounds to the gate through which they were to pass into the +town of Annapolis. + +"Coming with us, Truax?" asked Williamson, as the party passed out into a +dimly lighted street. + +"No," replied the fellow, sullenly. "I'll travel by myself." + +"You're welcome to," muttered Eph, under his breath. + +The others climbed the steps to the State Capitol grounds, continuing +until they reached one of the principal streets of the little town. + +"Say, but this place must have gone to sleep before we got ashore," +grumbled Eph. "Hanged if I don't think Dunhaven is a livelier little +place!" + +"There isn't much to do, except to wander about a bit, then go to the +Maryland House for a good sleep on shore," Jack admitted. + +For more than an hour the submarine boys wandered about. The principal +streets contained some stores that had a bright, up-to-date look, and in +these principal streets the evening crowds much resembled those to be +found in any small town. There were other streets, however, on which there +was little traffic. In some of these quieter streets were quaint, +old-fashioned houses built in the Colonial days. + +"Annapolis is more of a place to see by daylight, I reckon," suggested +Hal. "How about that sleep, Jack?" + +"The greatest fun, by night, I guess, consists in finding a drug-store and +spending some of our loose change on ice cream sodas," laughed the young +submarine skipper. + +This done, they found their way to the Maryland House. Jack and Hal +engaged a room together, Eph and Williamson taking the adjoining one. + +"As for me, in an exciting place like this," grimaced Eph, "I'm off for +bed." + +Williamson followed him upstairs. For some minutes Hal sat with his chum +in the hotel office. Then Jack went over and talked with the night clerk +for a few moments. + +"There's a place near here, Hal, where a fellow can get an oyster fry," +Benson explained, returning to his chum. "With that information came the +discovery that I have an appetite. Come and join me?" + +"No," gaped Hal. "I reckon I'll go up and turn in." + +"I'll be along in half an hour, then." + +Jack found the oyster house readily. As he entered the little, not +over-clean place, he found himself the only customer. He gave his order, +then picked up the local daily paper. As he ate, Jack found himself +yawning. The drowsiness of Annapolis by night was coming upon him. Little +did he dream how soon he was to discover that Annapolis, in some of its +parts, can be lively enough. + +As he paid his bill and stepped to the street, a young mulatto hurried up +to him. + +"Am Ah correct, sah, in supposin' yo' Cap'n Jack Benson?" + +"That's my name," Jack admitted. + +"Den Ah's jes' been 'roun' to de hotel, lookin' fo' yo', sah. One ob yo' +men, Mistah Sam Truax, am done took sick, an' he done sent me fo' yo'." + +"Truax ill? Why, I saw him a couple of hours ago, and he looked as healthy +as a man could look," Jack replied, in astonishment. + +"I reckon, sah, he's mighty po'ly now, sah," replied the mulatto. "He done +gib me money fo' to hiah a cab an' take yo' to him. Will yo' please to +come, sah?" + +"Yes," agreed Jack. "Lead the way." + +"T'ank yo', sah; t'ank yo', sah. Follow me, sah." + +Jack's mulatto guide led him down the street a little way, then around a +corner. Here a rickety old cab with a single horse attached, waited. A +gray old darkey sat on the driver's seat. + +"Step right inside, sah. We'll be dere direckly. Marse Truax'll be +powahful glad to see yo', sah." + +"See here," demanded Jack, after they had driven several blocks at a good +speed, "Truax hasn't been getting into any drinking scrapes, has he? +Hasn't been getting himself arrested, has he?" + +For young Benson had learned, from the night clerk at the hotel, that, +quiet and "dead" as Annapolis appears to the stranger, there are "tough" +places into which a seafaring stranger may find his way. + +"No, sah; no, sah," protested the mulatto. "Marse Truax done got sick +right and proper." + +"Why, confound it, we're leaving the town behind," cried Jack, a few +moments later, after peering out through the cab window. + +"Dat's all right, sah. Dere ain' nuffin' to be 'fraid ob, sah." + +"Afraid?" uttered Jack, scornfully, with a side glance at the mulatto. The +submarine boy felt confident that, in a stretch of trouble, he could +thrash this guide of his in very short order. + +"Ah might jess well tell yo' wheah we am gwine, sah," volunteered the +mulatto, presently. + +"Yes," Benson retorted, drily. "I think you may." + +"Marse Truax, sah, he done hab er powah ob trouble, sah, las' wintah, wid +rheumatiz, sah. He 'fraid he gwine cotch it again dis wintah, sah. Now, +sah, dere am some good voodoo doctahs 'roun' Annapolis, so Marse Truax, he +done gwine to see, sah, what er voodoo can promise him fo' his rheumatiz. +I'se a runnah, sah, for de smahtest ole voodoo doctah, sah, in de whole +state ob Maryland." + +"Then you took Truax to a voodoo doctor to-night?" demanded Jack, almost +contemptuously. + +"Yes, sah; yes, sah." + +"I thought Truax had more sense than to go in for such tomfoolery," Jack +Benson retorted, bluntly. + +The mulatto launched into a prompt, energetic defense of the voodoo +doctors. Young Benson had heard a good deal about these clever old colored +frauds. In spite of his contempt, the submarine boy found himself +interested. He had heard about the charms, spells, incantations and other +humbugs practised on colored dupes and on some credulous whites by these +greatest of all quacks. The voodoo methods of "healing" are brought out of +the deepest jungles of darkest Africa, yet there are many ignorant people, +even among the whites, who believe steadfastly in the "cures" wrought by +the voodoo. + +While the mulatto guide was talking, or answering Jack's half-amused +questions, the cab left Annapolis further and further behind. + +"Yo' see, sah," the guide went on, "Marse Truax wa'n't in no fit +condition, sah, to try de strongest voodoo medicine dat he called fo'. So, +w'ile de voodoo was sayin' his strongest chahms, Marse Truax done fall +down, frothin' at de mouth. He am some bettah, now, sah, but he kain't be +move' from de voodoo's house 'cept by a frien'." + +"I'll get a chance to see one of these old voodoo frauds, anyway," Jack +told himself. "This new experience will be worth the time it keeps me out +of my bed. What a pity Hal missed a queer old treat like this!" + +When the cab at last stopped, Benson looked out to find that the place was +well down a lonely country road, well lined with trees on either side. The +house, utterly dark from the outside, was a ramshackle, roomy old affair. + +"Shall Ah wait fo' yo'?" asked the old colored driver. + +"Yes, wait for me," directed Jack, briefly. + +"Yeah; wait fo' de gemmun. He's all right," volunteered the mulatto. + +"Mebbe yo' kin see some voodoo wo'k, too, ef yo's int'rested," hinted the +guide, in a whisper, as he fitted a key to a lock, and swung a door open. +In a hallway stood a lighted lantern, which the guide picked up. + +"Now, go quiet-lak, on tip-toe. Sh!" cautioned the guide, himself moving +stealthily into the nearest room. Jack Benson began to feel secretly +awestruck and "creepy," though he was too full of grit to betray the fact. + +At the further end of the room the guide, holding the lantern behind his +body as though by accident, threw open another door. + +"Pass right on through dis room, ahead ob me, sah," begged the guide, +respectfully. + +But Jack drew back, instinctively, out of the darkness. + +"Don' yo', a w'ite man, be 'fraid ob ole voodoo house," advised the +mulatto, still speaking respectfully. + +Afraid? Of course not. Relying on his muscle and his agility, Jack stepped +ahead. By a sudden jerk of his arm the mulatto guide shook out the flame +in the lantern. + +"Here, you! What are you about?" growled Jack Benson, wheeling like a +flash upon his escort. + +"Go 'long, yo' w'ite trash!" jeered the mulatto. He gave the boy a sudden, +forceful shove. + +Jack Benson, under the impetus of that push, staggered ahead, seeking to +recover his balance. Without a doubt he would have done so, but, just +then, the floor under his feet ended. With a yell of dismay, the submarine +boy tottered, then plunged down, alighting on a bed of soft dirt many feet +below. + + + + + + CHAPTER VII: JACK FINDS SOMETHING "NEW," ALL RIGHT + + +Jack Benson was on his feet in an instant. An angrier boy it would have +been hard to find. + +From overhead came the sound of a loud guffaw. + +"Oh, you infernal scoundrel!" raged the submarine boy, shaking his fist in +the dark. + +"W'at am de matter wid yo', w'ite trash?" came the jeering query. + +"Let me get my hands on you, and I'll show you!" quivered Benson. + +"Yah! Listen to yo'! Yo' wait er minute, an' Ah'll show yo' a light." + +Gr-r-r-r! Gr-r-r-r! That sound from overhead was not pleasant. Jack, in +the few seconds that were left to him, could only guess as to the cause of +the sounds. Then, some fifteen feet over his head, a tiny flame sputtered. +This match-end was carried to the wick of the lantern that the yellowish +guide had been carrying, and now the light illumined the place into which +Jack Benson had fallen. + +That place was a square-shaped pit, with boarded sides. Up above, on a +shelf of flooring, knelt the late guide, grinning down with a look of +infernal glee. On either side of the mulatto stood a heavy-jowled +bull-dog. Both brutes peered down, showing their teeth in a way to make a +timid man's blood run cold. + +"Put those dogs back and come down here," challenged Jack, shaking his +fist. "Come down, and I'll teach you a few things, you rascal!" + +"Don' yo' shake yo' fist at me, or dem dawgs will sure jump down and +tackle yo'," grinned the guide, gripping at the collars of the brutes, +which, truly, showed signs of intending to spring below. + +Jack fell back, his hands dropping to his sides. Had there been but one +dog, the submarine boy, with all his grit forced to the surface, might +have chosen to face the brute, hoping to despatch it with a well-aimed +kick. But with two dogs, both intent on "getting" him, young Benson knew +that he would stand the fabled chance of a snow-flake on a red-hot stove. + +"Dat's right, gemmun, yo' keep cool," observed the mulatto, mockingly. + +"You've decoyed me--trapped me here with a mess of lies," flung back +Captain Jack, angrily. "What's your game?" + +"Dis am a free lodgin' house--ho, ho, ho!" chuckled the late guide. "Ah's +gwine gib yo' er place to sleep fo' de night. Yo' sho'ly must feel +'bleeged to me--ho, ho, ho!" + +"You lied to me about Sam Truax!" + +"Yeah! Ah done foun' dat was de name ob a gemmun in yo' pahty dat wasn't +wid yo'. Truax do as well as any odder name--yah! Now, Ah's gwine leab yo' +heah t' git a sleep. Ah'll toss down some blankets. 'Pose yo'se'f and +gwine ter sleep, honey. Don't try to clim' up outer dat, or dem dawgs'll +sho'ly jump down at yo'. Keep quiet, an' go ter sleep, an' de dawgs done +lay heah an' jest watch. But don' try nuffin' funny, or de dawgs'll sho'ly +bring trubble to yo'. Dem is trained dawgs--train' fo' dis business ob +mine. Ho, ho, ho!" + +Mulatto and light vanished, but enraged, baffled, helpless Captain Jack +could hear the two dogs moving about ere they settled down on the shelf of +flooring overhead. + +"No matter how much of a liar that rascal is, he didn't lie to me about +the dogs," reflected Jack, his temper cooling, but his bitterness +increasing. "They're fighting dogs, and one wrong move would bring them +bounding down here on me--the two together. Ugh-gh!" + +After a few moments the mulatto reappeared with a light and tossed down +three heavy blankets. + +"Now, Ah's gwine leave yo' fo' de night," clacked the late guide. "Ef yo' +done feel lonesome, yo' jes' whistle de dawgs down to yo'. Dey'll come!" + +While the light was still there Benson, in raging silence, gathered the +blankets and arranged them. + +"Roll up one fo' a pillow, under yo' haid," grinned the mulatto. "Dat's +all right, sah. Now, good night, Marse Benson. Ef yo' feel lonesome, Marse +Benson, jes' whistle fo' de dawgs. _Dey'll come!_" + +The light vanished while the mulatto's sinister words were ringing in the +boy's ears. Would the dogs jump down? Jack knew they would, at the first +false move or sound on his part. He huddled softly, stealthily, on the +blankets, there in the darkness. + +As he lay there, thinking, Benson's sense of admiration gradually got to +the surface. + +"Well, of all the slick man-traps!" he gasped. "I never heard of anything +more clever. Nor was there ever a bigger idiot than I, to walk stupidly +into this same trap! What's the game, I wonder? Robbery, it must be. And I +have a watch, some other little valuables and nearly a hundred and fifty +dollars in money on me. Oh, I'm the sleek, fat goose for plucking!" + +Lying there, in enforced stillness, Jack Benson, after an hour or so, +actually fell asleep. A good, healthy sleeper at all times, he slumbered +on through the night. Once he awoke, just a trifle chilled. He heard one +of the dogs snoring overhead. Crawling under one of the blankets, Benson +went to sleep again. + +"Hey, yo', Marse Benson. It am mawnin'. Time yo' was wakin' up an' movin' +erlong!" + +It was the voice of the same mulatto, calling down into the pit. Again the +rays of the lantern illumined the darkness. Both bull-dogs displayed their +ferocious muzzles over the edge of the pit. Jack sat up cautiously, not +caring to attract unfriendly interest from the dogs. + +"Ah want yo' to take off all yo' clothes 'cept yo' undahclothes, an' den +Ah'll let down a string fo' yo' to tie 'em to," declared the mulatto, +grinning. "Yo' needn't try ter slip yo' wallet, nor nuffin' outer mah +sight, cause Ah'll be watchin'. Now, git a hurry on, Marse Benson, or +Ah'll done push dem dawgs ober de aidge ob dis flooring." + +Jack hesitated only a moment. Then, with a grunt of rage, he began +removing his outer garments. Down came a twine, to the lower end of which +the boy made fast his garments, one after another. His money and valuables +went up in the pockets, for the sharp eyes of the mulatto could not have +been eluded by any amateur slight-of-hand. + +"Now, yo' cap an' yo' shoes," directed the grinning monster above. + +These, too, Benson passed up at the end of the cord. The mulatto +disappeared, leaving the two dogs still on guard. At last, back came the +light and the yellowish man with it. + +"Yo' sho' is good picking, Marse Benson," grinned the guide of the night +before. "Yo' has good pin feathers. Ah hope Ah'll suttinly meet yo' +again." + +"I hope we do meet at another time!" Jack Benson flared back, wrathily. +The cool insolence of the fellow cut him to the marrow, yet where was the +use of disobeying a rascal flanked by two such willing and capable dogs? + +"Now, yo' jes' put dese t'ings on, Marse Benson, ef yo' please, sah," +mocked the mulatto, tossing down some woefully tattered, nondescript +garments, and, after them, a battered, rimless Derby hat and a pair of +brogans out at the toes. + +"I'll be hanged if I'll put on such duds!" quivered Jack. + +"Jes' as yo' please, ob co'se, Marse Benson," came the answer, from above. +"But, ef yo' don' put dem t'ings on, yo'll sho'ly hab ter gwine back ter +'Napolis in yo' undahclo's. An' yo's gwine back right away, too, so, ef +yo' wants ter gwine back weahin' ernuff clo'es--" + +"Oh, well, then--!" ground out the submarine boy, savagely enough. + +He attired himself in these tattered ends of raiment. Had he not been so +angry he must have roared at sight of his comical self when the dressing +was completed. + + + + + + CHAPTER VIII: A YOUNG CAPTAIN IN TATTERS + + +"Now, yo'll do, Ah reckons." + +With that, the mulatto guide of the night before threw down one end of an +inch rope. + +"Ah reckon yo's sailor ernuff to clim' dat. Come right erlong, 'less yo' +wants de dawgs ter jump down dar." + +"But they'll tackle me if I come up," objected Jack Benson. + +"No, dey won't. Dem dawgs is train' to dis wo'k. Ah done tole yo' dat. +Come right erlong. Ah'll keep my two eyes on dem dawgs." + +It looked like a highly risky bit of business, but Jack told himself that, +now he had been deprived of his valuables, this yellow worthy must be +genuinely anxious to be rid of the victim. So he took hold of the rope and +began to climb. The mulatto and the dogs disappeared from the upper edge +of the pit. + +As his head came up above the level of the flooring Benson saw the mulatto +and the dogs in the next room, the connecting door of which had been taken +from its hinges. + +"Come right in, Marse Benson. Dere ain' nuffin' gwineter hu't yo'," came +the rascal's voice reassuringly. Jack obeyed by stepping into the next +room, though he kept watch over the dogs out of the corners of his eyes. + +"Now, yo' lie right down on de flo', Marse Benson," commanded the master +of the situation. "Ah's gotter tie yo' up, befo' Ah can staht yo' back ter +'Napolis, but dere ain' no hahm gwine come ter yo'." + +Making a virtue of necessity, Captain Jack lay down as directed, passing +his hands behind his back. These were deftly secured, after which his +ankles were treated in the same fashion. Immediately the mulatto, who was +strong and wiry, lifted the boy and the lantern together. The dogs +remaining behind, Jack was carried out into the yard, where he discovered +that daylight was coming on in the East. He was dumped on the ground long +enough to permit his captor to lock the door securely. Then the submarine +boy was lifted once more, carried around the corner of the house and +dumped in the bottom of a shabby old delivery wagon. A canvas was pulled +over him, concealing him from any chance passer. Then the mulatto ran +around to the seat, picking up the reins and starting the horse. + +It seemed like a long drive to the boy, though Benson was certainly in no +position to judge time accurately. At last the team was halted, along a +stretch of road in a deep woods. The mulatto lifted the submarine boy out +to the ground. + +"Now, w'en yo's got yo' se'f free, yo' can take de road in dat +direckshun," declared the fellow, pointing. "Bimeby yo' come in sight ob +de town. Now, Marse Benson, w'at happen to yo' las' night am all in de +co'se ob a lifetime, an' Ah hope you ain't got no bad feelin's. Yo' +suttinly done learn somet'ing new in de way ob tricks. Good-bye, sah, an' +mah compliments to yo', Marse Benson." + +With that the guide of the night before swiftly cut the cords at Jack's +wrists, then as swiftly leaped to the seat of the wagon, whipping up the +horse and disappearing in a cloud of dust. + +Jack, having now no knife, and the bonds about his ankles being tied with +many hard knots, spent some precious minutes in freeing his feet. At last +he stood up, fire in his eyes. + +"Oh, pshaw! There's no sense in trying to run after that rascal and his +wagon," decided the young submarine skipper. "I haven't the slightest idea +what direction he took after he got out of sight, and--oh, gracious! I'm +under orders to be aboard the 'Farnum' at eight this morning. And on Mr. +Farnum's business, at that!" + +Clenching his hands vengefully, Jack started along in the direction +pointed out by his late captor. Brisk walking wore some of the edge off +his great wrath. Catching a comprehensive glimpse of himself, Jack could +not keep back a grim laugh. + +"Well, I certainly am a dandy to spring myself on the trim and slick Naval +Academy!" he gritted. "What a treat I'll be to the cadets! That is, if the +sentry ever lets me through the gate into the Academy grounds." + +As he hurried along, Jack Benson decided that he simply could not go to +the Naval Academy presenting any such grotesque picture as he did now. Yet +he had no money about him with which to purchase more presentable clothes +in town. So he formed another plan. + +Within a few minutes he came in sight of Annapolis. Hurrying on faster, he +at last entered the town. The further he went the more painfully conscious +the boy became of the ludicrous appearance that he made. He saw men and +women turn their heads to look after him, and his cheeks burned to a deep +scarlet that glowed over the sea-bronze of his skin. + +"The single consolation I have is that not a solitary person in town knows +me, anyway," he muttered. Then he caught sight of a clock on a church +steeple--twenty-five minutes of eight. + +"That means a fearful hustle," he muttered, and went ahead under such +steam that he all but panted. At last he came to the Maryland House, +opposite the State Capitol grounds. Into the office of the hotel he +darted, going straight up to the desk. + +A clerk who had been on duty for hours, and who was growing more drowsy +every moment, stared at the boy in amazement. + +"See here, you ragamuffin, what--" + +"My name is Benson," began the boy, breathlessly. "I'm a guest of the +house--arrived last night. I--" + +"You, a guest of _this_ house?" demanded the clerk of the most select +hotel in the town. "You--" + +That was as far as the disgust of the clerk would permit him to go in +words. A score of well-dressed gentlemen were staring in astonishment at +the scene. The clerk nodded to two stout porters who had suspended their +work nearby. + +It had been Jack Benson's purpose to go to his room and keep out of sight, +while despatching one of the colored bell-boys of the hotel with a note to +Hal Hastings, asking that chum to send him up a uniform and other articles +of attire. However, before the young submarine captain fully realized what +was happening, the two porters had seized him. Firmly, even though gently, +they hustled him out through the entrance onto the street. + +"Scat!" advised one of the pair. + +Jack started to protest, then realized the hopelessness of such a course. +In truth, he did not blame the hotel folks in the least. + +"Oh, well," he sighed, paling as soon as the new flush of mortification +had died out, "there's nothing for it but to hurry to the Academy. I hope +the sentries won't shoot when they see me," he added, bitterly. + +Across the State Capitol grounds he hurried, then down through a side +street until he arrived at the gate of the Academy grounds. + +"Halt!" challenged a sentry, as soon as Jack showed his face through the +gateway. + +Young Benson stopped, bringing his heels together with a click. + +"What do you want? Where are you going?" demanded the marine. + +"I know I look pretty tough," Jack admitted, shamefacedly. "But I belong +aboard the 'Farnum,' one of the submarines that arrived last night. And +I'm due there at this minute. Please don't delay me." + +"All right," replied the sentry, after surveying the boy from head to foot +once more. Then he added, in a lower tone, with just the suspicion of a +grin showing at the corners of his mouth: + +"Say, friend, for a stranger, you must have had a high old frolic in the +town last night." + +Jack frowned. The sentry's grin broadened a bit. As he did not offer to +detain the boy longer, Benson hurried on along one of the walks. He took +as short a course as he could making straight for the Basin, where he made +out the "Hudson" and the two submarines. + +"Hey! There's the captain!" shouted Eph, wonderingly, for Somers's eyes +were sharp at all times. + +Out of the conning tower sprang Hal Hastings, looking eagerly in the +direction in which Eph Somers pointed: + +"Eh?" muttered another person, lounging near the rail of the gunboat. Then +Lieutenant Commander Mayhew, after a keen, wholly disapproving look at the +hard-looking figure of a young man at the landing, started, as he +muttered: + +"Benson, by all that's horrible! How did he come to be in that fearful +shape? He must have been in one of the worst resorts within miles of +Annapolis!" + +"This isn't the first time the young man has come back the worse for +wear," the lieutenant commander continued, under his breath. "His friends +were loyal enough to him, that time. I wonder if they can be, to-day?" + +One of the shore boats, waiting about in the Basin, put young Benson +aboard the "Farnum" as soon as he explained who he was. Hal and Eph stood +awaiting the coming of their young commander, their faces full of concern +and anxiety. Both gripped Jack's hand as soon as he gained the platform +deck of the submarine. + +"Come below," whispered Hal. "We'll talk there. You need a bath and to get +into a uniform as quickly as you can." + +This need Jack Benson proceeded to realize without an instant's delay. +While he washed himself off, in one of the staterooms aft, he talked +through the door, which had been left ajar. He continued his story while +he dressed. + +"We were fearfully anxious this morning," Hal confessed. "I went to sleep +last night, and didn't know of your absence until this morning. Then Eph +and I decided to come on down to the boat to see if you were here. We were +just planning to send quiet word to the Annapolis police when Eph spotted +you coming." + +"And Truax?" inquired Captain Jack. + +"He and Williamson are forward in the engine-room, now, at breakfast." + +"Oh, well, Truax wouldn't know anything about the scrape, anyway," +returned Jack. "His name was learned and used--that's all." + +"Are you going to try to find that place, catch the mulatto and force the +return of your money?" demanded Eph Somers. + +"I've got to think that over," muttered Jack, as he drew on a +spick-and-span uniform blouse. "I don't know whether there'll be any use +in trying to find that mulatto. I haven't the least idea where his place +is. Even if I found it, it's ten to one I wouldn't find the fellow there." + +"'Farnum,' ahoy!" roared a voice alongside, the voice coming down through +the open conning tower. + +Eph ran to answer. When he returned, he announced: + +"Compliments of Lieutenant Commander Mayhew, and will Mr. Benson wait on +the lieutenant commander on board the parent boat?" + +"I will," assented Jack, with a wry face, "and here's where I have to do +some tall but truthful explaining to a man who isn't in the least likely +to believe a word I say. I can guess what Mr. Mayhew is thinking, and is +going to keep on thinking!" + + + + + + CHAPTER IX: TRUAX GIVES A HINT + + +It was a tailor-made, clean, crisp and new-looking young submarine +commander who stepped into the naval cutter alongside. + +Jack Benson looked as natty as a young man could look, and his uniform was +that of a naval officer, save for the absence of the insignia of rank. + +Up the side gangway of the gunboat Jack mounted, carrying himself in the +best naval style. On deck stood a sentry, an orderly waiting beside him. + +"Lieutenant Commander Mayhew will see you in his cabin, sir," announced +the orderly. "I will show you the way, sir." + +Mr. Mayhew was seated before a desk in his cabin when the orderly piloted +the submarine boy in. The naval officer did not rise, nor did he ask the +boy to take a seat. Jack Benson was very well aware that he stood in Mr. +Mayhew's presence in the light of a culprit. + +"Mr. Benson," began Mr. Mayhew, eyeing him closely, "you are not in the +naval service, and are not therefore amenable to its discipline. At the +same time, however, your employers have furnished you to act, in some +respects, as a civilian instructor in submarine boating before the cadets. +While you are here on that duty it is to be expected, therefore, that you +will conform generally to the rules of conduct as laid down at the Naval +Academy." + +"Yes, sir," replied Jack. + +"As I am at present in charge of the submarine purchased by the United +States from your company, and at least in nominal charge of the 'Farnum,' +as well, I am, in a measure, to be looked upon, for the present, as your +commanding officer." + +"Yes, sir," assented the boy. + +"You came aboard your craft, this morning, in a very questionable looking +condition." + +"Yes, sir." + +Jack Benson's composure was perfect. His sense of discipline was also +exact. He did not propose to offer any explanations until such were asked +of him. + +"Have you anything to say, Mr. Benson, as to that condition, and how you +came to be in it?" + +"Shall I explain it to you, sir?" + +"I shall be glad to hear your explanation." + +Thereupon, the submarine boy plunged into a concise description of what +had happened to him the night before. The lieutenant commander did not +once interrupt him, but, when Jack had finished, Mr. Mayhew observed: + +"That is a very remarkable story, Mr. Benson. Most remarkable." + +"Yes, sir, it is. May I ask if you doubt my story?" + +Jack looked straight into the officer's eyes as he put the question +bluntly. An officer of the Army or of the Navy _must not_ answer a +question untruthfully. Neither, as a rule, may he make an evasive answer. +So the lieutenant commander thought a moment, before he replied: + +"I don't feel that I know you well enough, Mr. Benson, to express an +opinion that might be wholly fair to you. The most I can say, now, is that +I very sincerely hope such a thing will not happen again during your stay +at the Naval Academy." + +"It won't, sir," promised Jack Benson, "if I have hereafter the amount of +good judgment that I ought to be expected to possess." + +"I hope not, Mr. Benson, for it would destroy your usefulness here. A +civilian instructor here, as much as a naval instructor, must possess the +whole confidence and respect of the cadet battalion. I hope none of the +cadets who may have seen you this morning recognized you." + +Then, taking on a different tone, Mr. Mayhew informed his young listener +that a section of cadets would board the "Farnum" at eleven that morning, +another section at three in the afternoon, and a third at four o'clock. + +"Of course you will have everything aboard your craft wholly shipshape, +Mr. Benson, and I trust I hardly need add that, in the Navy, we are +punctual to the minute." + +"You will find me punctual to the minute before, sir." + +"Very good, Mr. Benson. That is all. You may go." + +Jack saluted, then turned away, finding his way to the deck. The cutter +was still alongside, and conveyed him back to the "Farnum." + +"Mr. Mayhew demanded your story, of course?" propounded Hal Hastings. +"What did he think?" + +"He didn't say so," replied Jack Benson, with a wry smile, "but he let me +see that he thought I was out of my element on a submarine boat." + +"How so?" + +"Why, it is very plain that Mr. Mayhew thinks I ought to employ my time +writing improbable fiction." + +"Oh, Mayhew be bothered!" exploded Eph. + +"Hardly," retorted Jack. "Mr. Mayhew is an officer and a gentleman. I +admit that my yarn _does_ sound fishy to a stranger. Besides, fellows, Mr. +Mayhew represents the naval officers through whose good opinion our +employers hope to sell a big fleet of submarine torpedo boats to the +United States Government." + +"Then what are you going to do about it?" asked Hal, as the three boys +reached the cabin below. + +"First of all, I'm going to rummage about and get myself some breakfast." + +"If you do, there'll be a fight," growled Eph Somers. "I'll hash up a +breakfast for you." + +"And, afterwards?" persisted Hal. + +"I'm going to try to win Mr. Mayhew's good opinion, and that of every +other naval officer or cadet I may happen to meet." + +"Why the cadets, particularly?" asked Eph Somers. + +"Because, for one business reason, the cadets are going to be the naval +officers of to-morrow, and the Pollard Submarine Boat Company hopes to be +building craft for the Navy for a good many years to come." + +"Good enough!" nodded Hal, while Eph dodged away to get that breakfast +ready. + +Sam Truax lounged back in the engine room, smoking a short pipe. With him +stuck Williamson, for Eph had privately instructed the machinist from the +Farnum yard not to leave the stranger alone in the engine room. + +"Why don't you go up on deck and get a few whiffs of fresh air?" asked +Truax. + +"Oh, I'm comfortable down here," grunted the machinist, who was stretched +out on one of the leather-cushioned seats that ran along the side of the +engine room. + +"I should think you'd want to get out of here once in a while, though," +returned Truax. + +"Why?" asked the machinist. "Anything you want to be left alone here for?" + +"Oh, of course not," drawled Truax, blowing out a cloud of tobacco smoke. + +"Then I guess I'll stay where I am," nodded Williamson. + +"Sorry, but you'll have to stop all smoking in here now," announced Eph, +thrusting his head in at the doorway. "There'll be a lot of cadets aboard +at eleven o'clock, and we want the air clear and sweet. You'd better go +all over the machinery and see that everything is in applepie order and +appearance. Mr. Hastings will be in here soon to inspect it." + +"Just what rank does _that_ young turkey-cock hold on board?" sneered +Truax, when the door had closed. + +"Don't know, I'm sure," replied Williamson. "All I know is that the three +youngsters are aboard here to run the boat and show it off to the best +advantage. My pay is running right along, and I've no kick at taking +orders from any one of them." + +"This is where I go on smoking, anyway," declared Truax, insolently, +striking a match and lighting his pipe again. Williamson reached over, +snatching the pipe from between the other man's teeth and dumping out the +coals, after which the machinist coolly dropped the pipe into one of his +own pockets. + +"If you go on this way," warned Williamson, "Captain Benson will get it +into his head to put you on shore in a jiffy, and for good." + +"I'd like to see him try it," sneered Sam Truax. + +"You'll get your wish, if you go on the way you've been going!" + +"Humph! I don't believe the Benson boy carries the size or the weight to +put me ashore." + +"He doesn't need any size or weight," retorted Williamson, crisply. "If +Captain Benson wants you off this boat, it's only the matter of a moment +for him to get a squad of marines on board--and you'll march off to the +'Rogues' March.'" + +"So that's the way he'd work it, eh?" demanded Sam Truax, turning green +and ugly around the lips. + +"You bet it is," retorted the machinist. "We're practically a part of the +United States Navy for these few days, and naval rules will govern any +game we may get into." + +On that hint things went along better in the engine room. When Hal +Hastings came in to inspect he found nothing to criticise. + +At the minute of eleven o'clock a squad of some twenty cadets came +marching down to the landing in front of the boat house. There Lieutenant +Commander Mayhew and one of his engineer officers met them. Two cutters +manned by sailors brought the party out alongside, where Jack and Hal +stood ready to receive them. + +A very natty looking squad of future admirals came aboard, grouping +themselves about on the platform deck. It was rather a tight squeeze for +so many human beings in that space. + +After greeting the submarine boys, Mr. Mayhew turned to the cadets, +calling their attention to the lines and outer construction of the +"Farnum." Then he turned to the three submarine boys, signing to them to +crowd forward. + +"These young gentlemen," announced the lieutenant commander, "are Mr. +Benson, Mr. Hastings and Mr. Somers. All three are thoroughly familiar +with the Pollard type of boat. As the Navy has purchased one Pollard boat, +and may acquire others, it is well that you cadets should understand all +the working details of the Pollard Submarine Company's crafts. A few of +you at a time will now step into the conning tower, and Mr. Benson will +explain to you the steering and control gear used there." + +Half a dozen of the cadets managed to squeeze into the conning tower. Jack +experienced an odd feeling, half of embarrassment, as he explained before +so many attentive pairs of eyes. Then another squad of cadets took the +place of the first on-lookers. After a while all had been instructed in +the use of the conning tower appliances. + +"Mr. Benson," continued the lieutenant commander, "will now lead the way +for all hands to the cabin. There he will explain the uses of the diving +controls, the compressed air apparatus, and other details usually worked +from the cabin." + +Down below came the cadets, in orderly fashion, without either haste or +lagging. Having warmed up to his subject, Jack Benson lectured earnestly, +even if not with fine skill. At last he paused. + +"Any of the cadets may now ask questions," announced Lieutenant Commander +Mayhew. + +There was a pause, then one of the older cadets turned to Jack to ask: + +"What volume of compressed air do you carry at your full capacity?" + +"Mr. Benson's present status," rapped Mr. Mayhew, quickly, "is that of a +civilian instructor. Any cadet who addresses Mr. Benson will therefore say +'sir,' in all cases, just as in addressing an officer of the Navy." + +The cadet so corrected, who was at least twenty-one years old, flushed as +he glanced swiftly at sixteen-year-old Jack. To say "sir" to such a +youngster seemed almost like a humiliation. Yet the cadet repeated his +question, adding the "sir." Jack quickly answered the question. Then two +or three other questions were asked by other cadets. It was plain, +however, that to all of the cadets the use of "sir" to so young a boy +appealed, at least, to their sense of humor. + +Through the engine room door Sam Truax and Williamson stood taking it all +in. Sam saw a flash in the eye of one big cadet when the question of "sir" +came up. + +Presently the squad filed into the engine room. Here Hal Hastings had the +floor for instruction. He did his work coolly, admirably, though he asked +Jack Benson to explain a few of the points. + +Then the questions began, directed at Hal. This time none of the cadets, +under the watchful eyes of Mr. Mayhew, forgot to say "sir" when speaking +to Hastings. + +Sam Truax edged up behind the big cadet whose eyes he had seen flash a few +moments before. + +"Go after Benson, good and hard," whispered Truax. + +The cadet looked keenly at Truax. + +"You can have a lot of fun with Benson," whispered Truax, "if you fire a +lot of questions at him, hard and fast. Benson is a conceited fellow, who +knows a few things about the boat, but you can get him rattled and +red-faced in no time." + + + + + + CHAPTER X: A SQUINT AT THE CAMELROORELEPHANT + + +The big cadet wheeled upon Jack. + +"Mr. Benson, how long have you been engaged on submarine boats, sir?" + +"Since July," Jack replied. + +"July of this year?" + +"Yes." + +"And it is now October. Do you consider that enough time, sir, in which to +learn much about submarine boats?" + +"That depends," Skipper Jack replied, "upon a man's ability in such a +subject." + +"Is it long enough time, sir, for a boy?" + +That was rather a hard dig. Instantly the other cadets became all +attention. + +"It depends upon the boy, as it would upon the man," Jack answered. + +"Do you consider, Mr. Benson, that you know all about submarine boats, +sir?" + +"Oh, no." + +"Who does, sir?" + +"No one that I ever heard of," Jack answered. "Few men interested in +submarine boats know much beyond the peculiarities of their own boats." + +"And that applies equally to boys, sir?" + +"Yes," Jack smiled. + +"Do you consider yourself, sir, fully competent to handle this craft?" + +"I'd rather someone else would say it," Jack replied. "My employers, +though, seem to consider me competent." + +"What is this material, sir?" continued the cadet, resting a hand on a +piston rod. + +"Brass," Benson replied, promptly. + +"Do you know the specific gravity and the tensile strength of this brass?" + +Before Jack could answer Mr. Mayhew broke in, crisply: + +"That will do, Mr. Merriam. Your questions appear to go beyond the limits +of ordinary instruction, and to partake more of the nature of a +cross-examination. Such questions take up the time of the instruction tour +unnecessarily." + +Cadet Merriam flushed slightly, as he saluted the naval officer. Then the +cadet's jaws settled squarely. He remained silent. + +A few more questions and the hour was up. + +Lieutenant Commander Mayhew gave the order for the cadets to pass above +and embark in the cutters. He remained behind long enough to say to the +three submarine boys: + +"You have done splendidly, gentlemen--far better than I expected you to do. +If you manage the sea instruction as well, in the days to come, our cadets +will have a first-class idea of the handling of the Pollard boats." + +"I wish, sir," Jack replied, after thanking the officer, "that the cadets +were not required to say 'sir' to us. It sounds odd, and I am quite +certain that none of the young men like it." + +"It is necessary, though," replied Mr. Mayhew. "They are required to do it +with all civilian instructors, and it would never do to draw distinctions +on account of age. Yes; it is necessary." + +When the second squad of cadets arrived, in the afternoon, the three +submarine boys found themselves ready for their task without misgivings. +Eph took more part in the explanations than he had done in the forenoon. +Then came a third squad of cadets, to be taken over the same ground. The +young men of both these squads used the "sir" at once, having been +previously warned by one of the naval officers. + +"That will be all for to-day, Mr. Benson, and thank you and your friends +for some excellent work," said Lieutenant Commander Mayhew, when the third +squad had filed away. + +"Say, for hard work I'd like this job right along," yawned Eph Somers, +when the three were alone in the cabin. "Just talking three times a +day--what an easy way of living!" + +"It's all right for a while," agreed Jack. "But it would grow tiresome +after a few weeks, anyway. Lying here in the Basin, and talking like a +salesman once in a while, isn't like a life of adventure." + +"Oh, you can sigh for adventure, if you wish," yawned Eph. "As for me, +I've had enough hard work to appreciate a rest once in a while. Going into +the town to-night, Jack?" + +"Into town?" laughed the young skipper. "I went last night--and some of the +folks didn't do a thing to me, did they?" + +"Aren't you going to report the robbery to the police?" demanded Hal, +opening his eyes in surprise. + +"Not in a rush," Jack answered. "If I do, the police may start at once, +and that mulatto and his friends, being on the watch, will take the alarm +and get away. If I wait two or three days, then the mulatto's crowd will +think I've dropped the whole thing. I reckon the waiting game will fool +them more than any other." + +"Yes, and all the money they got away from you will be spent," muttered +Eph. + +Jack, none the less, decided to wait and think the matter over. + +Supper over, the submarine boys, for want of anything else to do, sat and +read until about nine o'clock. Then Jack looked up. + +"This is getting mighty tedious," he complained. "What do you fellows say +to getting on shore and stretching our legs in a good walk?" + +"In town?" grinned Eph, slyly. + +Jack flushed, then grinned. + +"No!" he answered quietly; "about the Academy grounds." + +"I wonder if it would be against the regulations for a lot of rank +outsiders like us to go through the grounds at this hour?" + +"'Rank outsiders'?" mimicked Jack Benson, laughing. "You forget, Hal, old +fellow, that we're instruct--hem! civilian instructors--here." + +"I wonder, though, if it would be in good taste for us to go prowling +through the grounds at this hour?" persisted Hal. + +"There's one sure way to find out," proposed Benson. "We can try it, and, +if no marine sentry chases us, we can conclude that we're moving about +within our rights. Come along, fellows." + +Putting on their caps, the three went up on the platform deck. The engine +room door was locked and Williamson and Truax had already turned in. There +was a shore boat at the landing. Jack sent a low-voiced hail that brought +the boat out alongside. + +"Will it be proper for us to go through the Academy grounds at this hour?" +Jack inquired of the petty officer in the stern. + +"Yes, sir; there's no regulation against it. And, anyway, sir, you're all +stationed here, just now." + +"Thank you. Then please take us ashore." + +At this hour the walks through the grounds were nearly deserted. A few +officers, and some of their ladies living at the naval station, were out. +The cadets were all in their quarters in barracks, hard at study, or +supposed to be. + +For some time the submarine boys strolled about, enjoying the air and the +views they obtained of buildings and grounds. Back at Dunhaven the air had +been frosty. Here, at this more southern port, the October night was +balmy, wholly pleasant. + +"I wonder if these cadets here ever have any real fun?" questioned Eph +Somers. + +"I've heard--or read--that they do," laughed Hal. + +"What sort of fun?" + +"Well, for one thing, the cadets of the upper classes haze the plebe +cadets a good deal." + +"Humph! That's fun for all but the plebes. Who are the plebes, anyway?" + +"The new cadets; the youngest class at the Academy," Hal replied. + +"What do they do to the plebe?" Eph wanted to know. + +"I guess the only way you could find that out, Eph, would be to join the +plebe class." + +"Reckon, when I come to Annapolis, I'll enter the class above the plebe," +retorted Somers. + +The three submarine boys had again approached the cadet barracks building. + +"Here comes a cadet now, Eph," whispered Jack. "If he has the time, I +don't doubt he'd be glad to answer any questions you may have for him." + +Young Benson offered this suggestion in a spirit of mischief, hoping the +approaching cadet, when questioned, would resent it stiffly. Then Eph +would be almost certain to flare up. + +The cadet, however, suddenly turned, coming straight toward them, smiling. + +"Good evening, gentlemen," was the cadet's greeting. + +"Good evening," was Jack's hearty reply. + +"You've never been here before, have you, sir?" + +"Never," Jack confessed. + +"Then I take it you have never, sir, seen the camelroorelephant?" + +"The cam--" began Eph Somers. + +Then he stopped, clapping both hands to his right jaw. + +"Won't you please hand that to us in pieces?" begged Eph, speaking as +though with difficulty. + +The cadet laughed heartily, then added: + +"Don't try to pronounce it, gentlemen, until you've seen the +camelroorelephant. It's a cadet joke, but it's well worth seeing. Shall I +take you to it?" + +"Why, yes, if you'll be good enough," Jack assented, heartily. + +The cadet glanced quickly about him, then said in a low voice: + +"This way, please, gentlemen." + +He led the strangers quickly around the end of barracks to an open space +in the rear. Here he halted. + +"Gentlemen, I must ask you to close your eyes, and keep them closed, on +honor, until I ask you to open them again. You won't have to keep your +eyes closed more than sixty seconds before the camelroorelephant will be +ready for inspection. Now, eyes closed, please." + +Lingering only long enough to make sure that his request had been met, the +cadet stole noiselessly away. + +Nor was it many seconds later when all three of the submarine boys began +to feel suddenly suspicious. + +"I'm going to open my eyes," whispered Eph. + +"You're on honor not to," warned Jack Benson, also in a whisper. + +"I didn't give my word," retorted Eph, "and I'm going to--oh, great shades +of Santiago!" + +The very genuine note of concern in Eph's voice caused Jack and Hal to +open their own eyes instantly. + +Nor could any of the three repress a quick start. + +From all quarters naval cadets were advancing stealthily upon them. +Something in the very attitude and poise of the young men told the +submarine boys that these naval cadets were out for mischief. + +"We're in for it!" breathed Jack, in an undertone. "We're in for something +real and startling, I reckon. Fellows, brace up and take your medicine, +whatever it is, like men!" + + + + + + CHAPTER XI: BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED! + + +Nor was Jack's guess in the least wrong. + +Even had the submarine boys attempted to bolt they would have found it +impossible. They were surrounded. + +The cadets closed quickly in upon them. There were more than thirty of +these budding young naval officers. + +It was Cadet Merriam who stepped straight up to Jack, giving him a +grotesque and exaggerated salute, as he rumbled out: + +"Good evening, SIR!" + +Like a flash Jack Benson comprehended. These cadets intended fully to even +up matters for having been obliged to say "sir" to these very youthful +"civilian instructors." + +"Good evening," Jack smiled. + +"You have come to see the camelroorelephant, SIR?" + +"We've been told that we might have that pleasure," Jack responded, still +smiling. + +"Perhaps you may," retorted Cadet Merriam, "though, first of all, it will +be necessary to prove yourselves worthy of the privilege, SIR." + +"Anything within our power," promised Jack. + +"Then, SIR, let me see you all three stand 'at attention.'" + +"At attention" is the rigid attitude taken by a United States soldier or +sailor when in the presence of his officers. Jack had already seen men in +that attitude, and did his best to imitate it in smart military manner. +Eph and Hal did likewise. + +"No, no, no, you dense blockheads!" uttered Cadet Midshipman Merriam. "'At +attention' upside down--on your hands!" + +The other cadet midshipmen now hemmed in closely about the three. Jack +thought he caught the idea. He bent over, throwing his feet up in the air +and resting on his hands. Unable to keep his balance, he walked two or +three steps. + +"I didn't tell you to walk your post, blockhead!" scowled Mr. Merriam. +"Stand still when at attention." + +Jack tried, but of course made a ludicrous failure of standing still on +his hands. So did Hal and Eph. The latter, truth to tell, didn't try very +hard, for his freckled temper was coming a bit to the surface. + +"You're the rawest recruits, the worst landlubbers I've ever seen," +declared Cadet Midshipman Merriam, with severe dignity. "Rest, before you +try it any further." + +The smile had all but left Jack Benson's lips, though he tried to keep it +there. Hal Hastings made the most successful attempt at looking wholly +unconcerned. Eph's face was growing redder every minute. It is a +regrettable fact that Eph was really beginning to want to fight. + +"See here," ordered Mr. Merriam, suddenly, taking Jack by the arm, "you're +a horse, a full-blooded Arab steed--understand!" + +He gave young Benson a push that sent that youngster down to the ground on +all fours. + +"You're General Washington, out to take a ride on your horse," announced +Mr. Merriam, turning to Hal. "It's a ride for your health. Do you +understand? It will be wholly for your health to take that ride!" + +Hal Hastings couldn't help comprehending. With a sheepish grin he sat +astride of Jack Benson's back as the latter stood on all fours. + +"Go ahead with your ride, General," called Mr. Merriam. + +Jack pranced as best he could, on all fours, Hal making the load of his +own weight as light as he could. Over the ground the pair moved in this +nonsensical ride, the cadets following and grinning their appreciation of +the nonsense. + +Two of the young men followed, holding Eph by the arms between them. Mr. +Merriam now turned upon the unhappy freckled boy. + +"Down on all fours," ordered Mr. Merriam. "You're the measly dog that +barked at General Washington on that famous ride. Bark, you wretched +yellow cur--bark, bark, _bark_!" + +Though Eph Somers was madder than ever, he had just enough judgment +remaining to feel that the wisest thing would be to obey instructions. So, +on all fours, Eph raced after Jack, barking at him. + +"See how frightened the horse is," muttered one of the midshipmen. + +Taking the hint, Jack shied as well as he could. + +"That's all," said Mr. Merriam, at last. "All of that, at least." + +As the three submarine boys rose, each found himself gently held by a pair +of cadet midshipmen. It was a more or less polite hint that the ordeal was +not yet over. Mr. Merriam turned to whisper to one of the cadets, who +darted inside the barracks building. He was back, promptly, carrying a +folded blanket on his arm. + +A grin spread over the faces of the assembled cadet midshipmen. The bearer +of the blanket at once unfolded it. As many of the cadets as could got +hold of the edges, bending, holding the blanket spread out over the +ground. + +Jack Benson's two captors suddenly hurled him across the length of the +blanket with no gentle force. Instantly the cadets holding the blankets +straightened up, jerking it taut. Up into the air a couple of feet bounded +Jack. As his body came down the cadets holding the blanket gave it a still +harder jerk. This time Jack shot up into the air at least four feet. It +was the same old blanket-tossing, long popular both in the Army and Navy. +Every time Jack landed the blanket was given a harder jerk by those +holding it. Benson began to go higher and higher. + + [Illustration: Eph Raced After Jack, Barking at Him.] + + Eph Raced After Jack, Barking at Him. + + +And now the cadets broke into a low, monotonous chant, in time to their +movements. It ran: + + Sir, sir, surcingle! + Sir, sir, circle! + Sir, sir, with a shingle-- + Sir, sir, sir! + +As regular as drumbeats the cadets ripped out the syllables of the +refrain. At each word Jack Benson's body shot higher and higher. These +young men were experts in the gentle art of blanket-tossing. Ere long the +submarine boy was going up into the air some eight or nine feet at every +tautening of the blanket. + +As for escape, that was out of the question. No sooner did the submarine +boy touch the blanket than he shot skyward again. Had he desired to he +could not have called out. The motion and the sudden jolts shook all the +breath out of him. + +"Ugh! Hm! Pleasant, isn't it?" uttered Hal Hastings, grimly, under his +breath. + +"If they try to do that to me," whispered Eph, hotly, under his breath, +"I'll fight." + +"More simpleton you, then!" Hal shot back at him in warning. "What chance +do you think you stand against a crowd like this?" + +Just as suddenly as it had begun the blanket-tossing stopped. Yet, hardly +had Jack been allowed to step out than Hal Hastings was unceremoniously +dropped athwart the blanket. The tossing began again, to the chant of: + + Sir, sir, surcingle! + Sir, sir, circle! + +Right plentifully were these cadet midshipmen avenging themselves for +having had to say "sir" to these young submarine boys that day. + +"Woof!" breathed Jack, as soon as breath entered his body again. Eph +clenched his fists tightly, as Hal continued to go higher and higher. But +at last Hastings's ordeal was over. + +"I suppose they'll try that on me!" gritted Eph Somers to himself. "If +they do--" + +That was far as he got, for Eph was suddenly flung upon the blanket. + + Sir, sir, surcingle! + +Then how Eph _did_ go up and down! It was as though these cadet midshipmen +knew that it would make Eph mad, madder, maddest! These budding young +naval officers fairly bent to their work, tautening and loosening on the +blanket until their muscles fairly ached. + +It was lofty aerial work that Eph Somers was doing. Up and up--higher and +higher! Without the need of any effort on his own part young Somers was +now traveling upward at the rate of ten or eleven feet at every punctuated +bound. + +Then, suddenly, there came a sound that chilled the blood of every young +cadet midshipman hazer present. + +"_Halt!_ Where you are!" + +Under the shadow of the barracks building a naval officer had appeared. He +now came forward, a frown on his face, eyeing the culprits. + +It is no merry jest for cadet midshipmen to be caught at hazing! And here +were some thirty of them--red-handed! + + + + + + CHAPTER XII: JACK BENSON, EXPERT EXPLAINER + + +At the first word of command from the officer several of the cadet +midshipmen who were near enough to an open doorway vanished through it. + +As the officer strode through the group of startled young men a few more, +left behind his back, made a silent disappearance. + +There were left, however, as the officer looked about him, sixteen of the +young men, all too plainly headed and led by Cadet Midshipman Merriam. + +"Young gentlemen," said the officer, severely, "I regret to find so many +of you engaged in hazing. It is doubly bad when your victims are men +outside the corps. And, if I mistake not, these young gentlemen are here +as temporary civilian instructors in submarine work." + +Mr. Merriam and his comrades made no reply in words. Nor did their faces +express much. They stood at attention, looking stolidly ahead of them, +though their faces were turned toward the officer. It was not the place of +any of them to speak unless the officer asked questions. + +Severe as the hazing had been, however, Jack and Hal, at least, had taken +it all in good part. Nor was Jack bound by any of the rules of etiquette +that prevented the cadets from speaking. + +"May I offer a word, sir?" asked Jack, wheeling upon the officer. + +"You were one of the victims of a hazing, were you not?" demanded the +officer, regarding Jack, keenly. + +"Why, could you call it that, sir?" asked Jack, a look of innocent +surprise settling on his face. "We called it a demonstration--an +explanation." + +"Demonstration? Explanation?" repeated the officer, astonished in his +turn. "What do you mean, Mr.--er--?" + +"Benson," Jack supplied, quietly. + +"I think you would better tell me a little more, Mr. Benson," pursued the +unknown naval officer. + +"Why, it was like this, sir," Jack continued. "My two friends--Hastings and +Somers--and myself were talking about the West Point and Annapolis hazings, +of which we had heard and read. We were talking about the subject when a +cadet came along. I suggested to Somers that we ask the cadet about +hazing. Well, sir, to make a long story short, some of the cadets +undertook to show us just how hazing is--or used to be--done at Annapolis." + +"Oh! Then it was all thoroughly good-natured, all in the way of a joke, to +show you something you wanted to know?" asked the naval officer, slowly. + +"That's the way I took it," replied Jack. "So did Hastings and Somers. +We've enjoyed ourselves more than anyone else here has." + +This was truth surely enough, for, in the last two minutes, not one of the +cadet midshipmen present could have been accused of _enjoying_ himself. + +"Then what took place here, Mr. Benson, really took place at your +request?" insisted the naval officer. + +"It all answered the questions that we had been asking," Jack replied, +promptly, though, it must be admitted, rather evasively. + +"This is your understanding, too, Mr. Hastings?" demanded the officer. + +"Surely," murmured Hal. + +"You, Mr. Somers?" + +"I--I haven't had so much fun since the gasoline engine blew up," protested +Eph. + +"We entered most heartily into the spirit of the thing," Jack hastened on +to say, "and feel that we owe the deepest thanks to these young gentlemen +of the Navy. Yet, if our desire to know more about the life--that is, the +former life--of the Academy is to result in getting our entertainers into +any trouble, we shall never cease regretting our unfortunate curiosity." + +For some moments the naval officer regarded the three submarine boys, +solemnly, in turn. From them he turned to look over the cadet midshipmen. +The latter looked as stolid, and stood as rigidly at attention, as ever. + +"Under this presentation of the matter," said the officer, after a long +pause, "I am not prepared to say that there has been any violation of +discipline. At least, no grave infraction. However, some of these young +gentlemen are, I believe, absent from their quarters without leave. Mr. +Merriam?" + +"I have permission to be absent from my quarters between nine and ten, +sir." + +"Mr. Caldwell?" + +"Absent from quarters without permission, sir." + +So on down through the list the officer ran. Nine of the young men proved +to have leave to be away from their quarters. The other seven did not have +such permission. The names of these seven, therefore, were written down to +be reported. The seven, too, were ordered at once back to their quarters. + +Having issued his instructions, the naval officer turned and walked away. +Jack and his comrades, too, left the scene. + +Yet they had not gone far when they heard a low hail behind. Turning, they +saw Cadet Midshipmen Merriam hastening toward them. + +"Gentlemen," he said, earnestly, as he reached them, "it may not be best +for me to be seen lingering here to talk with you. But my comrades wanted +me to come after you and to say that we think you bricks. You carried that +off finely, Mr. Benson. None of us will ever forget it." + +"It wasn't much to do," smiled Jack, pleasantly. + +"It was quick-witted of you, and generous too, sir," rejoined Mr. Merriam, +finding it now very easy to employ the "sir." "Probably you agree with us +that no great crime was committed, anyway. But, just the same, hazing is +under a heavy ban these days. If you hadn't saved the day as you did, sir, +all of our cadet party might have been dismissed the Service. Those absent +from quarters without leave will get only a few demerits apiece. We have +that much to thank you for, sir, and we do. All our thanks, remember. Good +night, sir." + +"My courage was down in my boots for a while," confessed Hal Hastings, as +the three chums continued their walk back to the Basin. + +"When?" demanded Eph, grimly. "When your boots--and the rest of you--were so +high up in the air over the blanket?" + +"No; when the cadets were caught at it," replied Hal. + +"Say, Jack," demanded Eph, "do you ever give much thought to the future +life?" + +"Meaning the life in the next world?" questioned Benson. + +"Yes." + +"I sometimes give a good deal of thought to it," Jack confessed. + +"Then where do you expect to go, when the time comes?" + +"Why?" + +"After the whoppers you told that officer?" + +"I didn't tell him even a single tiny fib," protested Jack, indignantly. + +"Oh, you George Washington!" choked Eph Somers. + +"Well, I didn't," insisted Jack. "Now, just stop and think. Weren't we all +three discussing hazing?" + +"Yes." + +"Then that part of what I told the officer was straight. Now, Eph, when we +saw that first cadet come along, didn't I suggest to you to ask him about +hazing?" + +"Ye-es," admitted Somers, thoughtfully. + +"Then, didn't the cadet midshipmen offer to show us all about hazing +pranks, and didn't they do it?" + +"Well, rather," muttered Eph. + +"Now, young man, that's all I told the officer, except that we enjoyed our +entertainment greatly." + +"_Did_ we enjoy it, though?" demanded Eph Somers, bridling up. + +"I did," replied Jack, "and I spoke for myself. I enjoyed it as I would +enjoy almost any new experience." + +"So did I," added Hal, warmly. "It was rough--mighty rough--but now I know +what an Annapolis hazing is like, and I'm glad I do." + +"Well, I want to tell you I didn't enjoy it," blazed Eph. "It was a mighty +cheeky--" + +"Then why did you let the officer imagine you enjoyed it?" taunted Jack. + +While Hal put in, slyly: + +"Eph, you're too quick to talk about others fibbing. From the evidence +just put in, it's evident that you're the only one of the three who fibbed +any. Won't you please walk on the other side of the road? I never did like +to travel with liars." + +"Oh, you go to Jericho!" flared Eph. But, as he walked along, he blinked a +good deal, and did some hard thinking. + +"I'll tell you," broke out Jack, suddenly, "who thanks us even more than +the cadets themselves do." + +"Who?" queried Hal. + +"That officer who caught the crowd at it." + +"Do you think he cared?" + +"Of course he did," said Jack, positively. "He'd rather have gone hungry +for a couple of days than have to report that bunch for hazing." + +"Then why was he so infernally stiff with the young men?" + +"He had to be; that's the answer. That officer, like every other officer +of the Navy detailed here, is sworn to do his full duty. So he has to +enforce the regulations. But don't you suppose, fellows, that officer was +hazed, and did some hazing on his own account, when he was a cadet +midshipman here years ago? Of course! And that's why the officer didn't +question us any more closely than he did. He was afraid he might stumble +on something that would oblige him to report the whole crowd for hazing. +_He_ didn't want to do it. That officer, I'm certain, knew that, if he +questioned us too closely, he'd find a lot more beneath the surface that +he simply didn't want to dig up." + +"Would you have told the truth, if he had questioned you searchingly, and +pinned you right down?" demanded Eph Somers. + +"Of course I would," Jack replied, soberly. "I'm no liar. But I feel +deeply grateful to that officer for not being keener." + +Before nine o'clock the next morning news of the night's doings back of +barracks had spread through the entire corps of cadet midshipmen. + +With these young men of the Navy there was but one opinion of the +submarine boys--that they were trumps, wholly of the right sort. + +As a result, Jack, Hal and Eph had hundreds of new friends among those who +will officer the Navy of the morrow. + +Not so bad, even just as a stroke of business! + + + + + + CHAPTER XIII: READY FOR THE SEA CRUISE + + +For the next ten days things moved along without much excitement for the +submarine boys. + +During that time they had an average of four sections a day of cadet +midshipmen to instruct in the workings of the Pollard type of submarine +torpedo boat. + +During the last few days short cruises were taken on the Severn River, in +order that the middies might practise at running the motors and handling +the craft. At such times one squad of midshipmen would be on duty in the +engine room, another in the conning tower and on the platform deck. + +Of course, when the midshipmen handled the "Farnum," under command of a +Navy officer, the submarine boys had but little more to do than to be on +board. Certainly they were not overworked. Yet all three were doing fine +work for their employers in making the Navy officers of the future like +the Pollard type of craft. + +After waiting a few days Jack Benson reported to the Annapolis police his +experience with the mulatto "guide." The police thought they recognized +the fellow, from the description, and did their best to find him. The +mulatto, however, seemed to have disappeared from that part of the +country. + +There came a Friday afternoon when, as the last detachment of middies +filed over the side into the waiting cutter, Lieutenant Commander Mayhew +announced: + +"This, Mr. Benson, completes the instruction desired in the Basin and in +the river. To-morrow and Sunday you will have for rest. On Monday, at 10 +A.M., a section will report aboard for the first trip out to sea. Then you +will show our young men how the boat dives, and how she is run under +water. As none of our cadet midshipmen have ever been below in a submarine +before, you will be sure of having eager students." + +"And perhaps some nervous ones," smiled Skipper Jack. + +"Possibly," assented Mr. Mayhew. "I doubt it, though. Nervousness is not a +marked trait of any young man who has been long enrolled at the Naval +Academy." + +"Can we have a slight favor done us, Mr. Mayhew?" Jack asked. + +"Any reasonable favor, of course." + +"Then, sir, we'd like to spend a little time ashore, as we've been +confined so long aboard. If I lock up everything tight on the boat until +Sunday night, may we know that the 'Farnum' will be under the protection +of the marine guard?" + +"I feel that there will not be the slightest difficulty in promising you +that," replied Mr. Mayhew. "I will telephone the proper authorities about +it as soon as I go on shore." + +All hands on board were pleased over the prospect of going ashore, with +the exception of Sam Truax. + +"You don't need any guard on the boat," he protested. "I don't want to go +ashore. Leave me here and I'll be all the guard necessary." + +"We're all going ashore," Jack replied. + +"But I haven't any money to spend ashore," objected Truax. + +"I'll let you have ten dollars on account, then," replied Jack, who was +well supplied with money, thanks to a draft received from Jacob Farnum. + +"I don't want to go ashore, anyway." + +"I'm sorry, Truax, but it doesn't really make any difference. The boat +will be closed up tight, and there wouldn't be any place for you to stay, +except on the platform deck." + +"You're not treating me fairly," protested Sam Truax, indignantly. + +"I'm sorry you think so. Still, if you're not satisfied, all I can do is +to pay you off to date. Then you can go where you please." + +"I'm here by David Pollard's order. Do you forget that?" + +"He sent you along to us, true," admitted Jack, "but I have instructions +from Mr. Farnum to dismiss anyone whose work on board I don't like. Now, +Truax, you're a competent enough man in the engine room, and there's no +sense in having to let you go. You're well paid, and can afford the time +on shore. I wouldn't make any more fuss about this, but do as the rest of +us are going to do." + +"Oh, I'll have to, then, since you're boss here," grumbled Truax, sulkily. + +"I don't want to make it felt too much that I _am_ boss here," Jack +retorted, mildly. "At the same time, though, I'm held responsible, and so +I suppose I'll have to have things done the way that seems best to me." + +Sam Truax turned to get his satchel. The instant his back was turned on +the young commander Sam's face was a study in ugliness. + +"Oh, I'll take this all out of you," muttered the fellow to himself. "I +don't believe, Jack Benson, you'll go on the cruising next week. If you +do, you won't be much good, anyway!" + +Ten minutes later a shore boat landed the entire party from the submarine +craft. + +"Going with the rest of us, Truax?" inquired Jack, pleasantly. + +"No; I'm going to find a boarding-house. That will be cheaper than the +hotel." + +So the other four kept straight on to the Maryland House, giving very +little more thought to the sulky one. + +It was not until after supper that Eph turned the talk back to Sam Truax. + +"I don't like the fellow, at all," declared young Somers. "He always wants +to be left alone in the engine room, for one thing." + +"And I've made it my business, regular," added Williamson, the machinist, +"to see that he doesn't have his wish." + +"He's always sulky, and kicking about everything," added Eph. "I may be +wrong, but I can't get it out of my head that the fellow came aboard on +purpose to be a trouble-maker." + +"Why, what object could he have in that?" asked Captain Jack. + +"Blessed if I know," replied Eph. "But that's the way I size the fellow +up. Now, take that time you were knocked senseless, back in Dunhaven. Who +could have done that? The more I think about Sam Truax, the more I suspect +him as the fellow who stretched you out." + +"Again, what object could he have?" inquired Benson. + +"Blessed if I know. What object could anyone have in such a trick against +you? It was a state prison job, if the fellow had been caught at the +time." + +"Well, there's one thing Truax was innocent of, anyway," laughed Captain +Jack. "He didn't have any hand in the way I was tricked and robbed by the +mulatto." + +"Blamed if I'm so sure he didn't have a hand in that, too," contended Eph +Somers, stubbornly. + +"Yet Mr. Pollard recommended him," urged Jack. + +"Yes, and a fine fellow Dave Pollard is--true as steel," put in Hal +Hastings, quietly. "Yet you know what a dreamer he is. Always has his head +in the air and his thoughts among the stars. He'd as like as not take a +fellow like Truax on the fellow's own say-so, and never think of looking +him up." + +"Oh, we've no reason to think Truax isn't honest enough," contended Jack +Benson. "He's certainly a fine workman. As to his being sulky, you know +well enough that's a common fault among men who spend their lives +listening to the noise of great engines. A man who can't make himself +heard over the noise of a big engine hasn't much encouragement to talk. +Now, a man who can't find much chance to talk becomes sulky a good many +times out of ten." + +"We'll have trouble with that fellow, Truax, yet," muttered Eph. + +"Oh, I hope not," Jack answered, then added, significantly: + +"If he _does_ start any trouble he may find that he has been trifling with +the wrong crowd!" + +Very little more thought was given to the sulky one. The submarine boys +and their companion, Williamson, enjoyed Saturday and Sunday ashore. + +All of them might have felt disturbed, however, had they known of one +thing that happened. + +The naval machinists aboard the first submarine boat, the "Pollard," now +owned by the United States Government, found something slightly out of +order with the "Pollard's" engine that they did not know exactly how to +remedy. + +Sam Truax, hanging around the Basin that Sunday forenoon, was called upon. +He gladly responded to the call for help. For four hours he toiled along +in the "Pollard's" engine room. Much of that time he spent there alone. + +The job done, at last, Truax quietly received the thanks of the naval +machinists and went ashore again. + +Yet, as he turned and walked toward the main gate of the grounds, there +was a smile on Sam Truax's face that was little short of diabolical. + +"Now, if I can only get the same chance at the 'Farnum's' engines!" he +muttered, to himself. "If I can, I think Mr. Jack Benson will find himself +out of favor with his company, for his company will be out of favor with +the Navy Department at Washington!" + + + + + + CHAPTER XIV: THE "POLLARD" GOES LAME + + +"The submarine boats when out in the Bay will keep abreast of the +'Hudson,' two hundred yards off on either beam. The speed will be fourteen +knots when the signal is given for full speed. The general course, after +leaving the mouth of the Bay will be East." + +Such were the instructions called from the rail of the gunboat, through a +megaphone, Monday forenoon. + +On each of the submarine craft were sixteen cadet midshipmen, out for +actual practice in handling a submarine in diving and in running under +water. On board the gunboat were eighty more cadets. Thus a large class of +the young men were to receive instruction during the cruise, for the +detachments aboard the submarines could be changed at the pleasure of +Lieutenant Commander Mayhew, who was in charge of the cruise. + +Captain Jack, his own hands on the conning tower wheel, ran the "Farnum" +out into the river, first of all. Then the "Pollard," under command of a +naval officer, followed. Both backed water, then waited for the "Hudson" +to come out, for the gunboat was to lead the way until the Bay was +reached. Then the formation ordered would be followed. + +Though it was nearing the first of November, the day, near land, was +ideally soft and balmy. As many of the midshipmen as could sought the +platform deck of the "Farnum." Those, however, who belonged to the +engineer division were obliged to spend the greater part of their time +below. + +By the time that the three craft were in the ordered formation, abreast, +and well started down Chesapeake Bay, the parent vessel signaled that the +designated cadets were to take charge of the handling of the submarine +boats. + +Jack Benson cheerfully relinquished the wheel to Cadet Midshipman Merriam, +and stepped out on to the platform deck. At need, as in case of accident +or misunderstanding of signals or orders, Benson was still in command. +While all ran smoothly, however, Mr. Merriam enjoyed command. + +Hal, being likewise relieved in the engine room, came also out on deck. + +"Where's Eph?" inquired the young commander of the "Farnum." + +"In the engine room," smiled Hal. "He said I could leave, if I wanted, but +that he'd be hanged if he'd let Truax out of his sight while I was away." + +"Eph seems to have Truax on the brain," laughed Jack. + +"Well, Truax _is_ a queer and surly one," Hal admitted. "This morning he +gives one the impression of peeking over his shoulder all the time to see +whether he's being watched." + +"So Eph means to humor him by watching him, eh?" asked Jack. + +Hal laughed quietly. + +Some of the cadets who were familiar with the landmarks of Chesapeake Bay +pointed out many of the localities and sights to the two submarine boys. + +At last, however, Eph was obliged to call for Hal. + +"You know, Hal, old fellow, I've got to look out for the feeding of a lot +of boarders to-day," complained Eph, whimsically. + +This task of Eph's took time, though it was not a hard one. The food for +the cadets had been sent aboard. Eph had to make coffee and heat soup. For +the rest, cold food had to do. The young men, on this trip, were required +to wait on themselves. + +Hal found Sam Truax sitting moodily in a corner of the engine room, though +there was something about the fellow's appearance that suggested the +watchfulness of a cat. + +"Why don't you go on deck a while, Truax?" asked Hal, kindly. + +"Don't want to," snapped the fellow, irritably. So Hal turned his back on +the man. + +"Doesn't that part need loosening up a bit, sir?" asked the cadet in +charge of the engineer division. + +"Yes," replied Hastings, after watching a moment; "it does." + +"I'll do it, then," proposed Truax, roughly. He attempted to crowd his way +past Hal, but the latter refused to be crowded, and stood his ground until +the midshipman passed him a wrench. Then Hastings loosened up the part. + +"You might let me do a little something," growled Sam Truax, in a tone +intentionally offensive. + +"Don't forget, Truax, that I'm in command in this department," retorted +Hal, in a quieter tone than usual, though with a direct, steady look that +made Sam Truax turn white with repressed wrath. + +"You won't let me forget it, will you?" snarled the fellow. + +"No; for I don't want you to forget it, and least of all on this cruise," +responded Hal Hastings. + +"You don't give me any chance to--" + +"Silence!" ordered Hal, taking a step toward him. + +Sam Truax opened his mouth to make some retort, then wisely changed his +mind, dropping back into his former seat. + +The noon meal was served to all hands. By the time it was well over the +mouth of the Bay was in sight, the broad Atlantic rolling in beyond. + +The sea, when reached, proved to be almost smooth. It was ideal weather +for such a cruise. + +Then straight East, for an hour they went, getting well out of the path of +coasting vessels. + +"Hullo! What in blazes does that mean?" suddenly demanded Hal, pointing +astern at starboard. + +The "Pollard" lay tossing gently on the water, making no headway. Hardly +ten seconds later the "Hudson" signaled a halt. + +Then followed some rapid signaling between the gunboat and the submarine +that had stopped. There was some break in the "Pollard's" machinery, but +the cause had not yet been determined. + +"Blazes!" muttered Jack, uneasily. "It couldn't have happened at a worse +time. This looks bad for our firm, Hal!" + +The "Farnum" now lay to, as did the "Hudson," for the officer in command +of the "Pollard" signaled that his machinists were making a rapid but +thorough investigation of the unfortunate submarine's engines. + +Finally, a cutter put off from the "Hudson," with a cadet midshipman in +charge. The small boat came over alongside, and the midshipman called up: + +"The lieutenant commander's compliments, and will Mr. Benson detail Mr. +Hastings to go over to the 'Pollard' and assist?" + +"My compliments to the lieutenant commander," Jack replied. "And be good +enough to report to him, please, that Mr. Hastings and I will both go." + +"My orders, sir, are to convey you to the 'Pollard' before reporting back +to the parent vessel," replied the midshipman. + +The cutter came alongside, taking off the two submarine boys, while Eph +Somers devoted himself to watching Sam Truax as a bloodhound might have +hung to a trail. + +Arrived on board the good, old, familiar "Pollard," Jack and Hal hurried +below. + +"The machinery is too hot to handle, now, sir," reported one of the naval +machinists, "but it looks as though something was wrong right in +there"--pointing. + +"Put one of the electric fans at work there, at once," directed Hal. "Then +things ought to be cool enough in half an hour, to make an examination +possible." + +After seeing this done, the two submarine boys left for the platform deck, +for the engine room was both hot and crowded. + +"How long is it going to take you, Mr. Hastings?" asked the naval officer +in command of the "Pollard." + +"Half an hour to get the parts cool enough to examine, but I can't say, +sir, how long the examination and repairs will take." + +So the officer in command signaled what proved to be vague and +unsatisfactory information to Lieutenant Commander Mayhew. + +"This is a bad time to have this sort of thing happen," observed the naval +officer in charge. + +"A mighty bad time, sir," Jack murmured. + +"And the engines of the 'Pollard' were supposed to be in first-class +condition." + +"They _were_ in A-1 condition, when the boat was turned over to the Navy," +Jack responded. + +"Do you imagine, then, Mr. Benson, that some of the naval machinists have +been careless or incompetent?" + +"Why, that would be a wild guess to make, sir, when one remembers what +high rank your naval machinists take in their work," Jack Benson replied. + +"And this boat was sold to the Navy with the strongest guarantee for the +engines," pursued the officer in charge. + +Jack and Hal were both worried. The sudden break had a bad look for the +Pollard boats, in the success of which these submarine boys were most +vitally interested. + +At last, from below, the suspected parts of the engine were reported to be +cool enough for examination. The naval officer in charge followed Jack and +Hal below. + +Taking off his uniform blouse and rolling up his sleeves, Hal sailed in +vigorously to locate the fault. Machinists and cadets stood about, passing +him the tools he needed, and helping him when required. + +At last, after disconnecting some parts, Hal drew out a long, slender +brass piston. + +As he held it up young Hastings's face went as white as chalk. + +"Do you see this?" he demanded, hoarsely. + +"Filed, crazily, and it also looks as though the inner end had been heated +and tampered with," gasped Jack Benson. + +"This, sir," complained Hal, turning around to face the naval officer in +charge, "looks like a direct attempt to tamper with and damage the engine. +Someone has done this deliberately, sir. It only remains to find the +culprit." + +"Then we'll find out," retorted the naval officer, "if it takes a court of +inquiry and a court martial to do it. But are you sure of your charge, Mr. +Hastings?" + +"Am I sure?" repeated Hal, all the soul of the young engineer swelling to +the surface. "Take this piston, sir, and examine it. Could such a job have +been done, unless by sheer design and intent?" + +"Will the lieutenant permit me to speak?" asked the senior machinist, +taking a step forward and saluting. + +"Yes; go ahead." + +"Yesterday morning, sir," continued the senior machinist, "we thought the +engines needed some overhauling by someone more accustomed to them than we +were. We saw one of the machinists of the 'Farnum,' sir, hanging about on +shore. So we invited him aboard and asked him to look the engines over." + +"Describe the man," begged Jack. + +The senior machinist gave a description that instantly denoted Sam Truax +as the man in question. + +"Did you leave him alone in here, at any time?" demanded Hal. + +"Let me see. Why, yes, sir. The man must have been alone in here some +three-quarters of an hour." + +Jack and Hal exchanged swift glances. + +There seemed, now, very little need of carrying the investigation further. + + + + + + CHAPTER XV: ANOTHER TURN AT HARD LUCK + + +When he could trust himself to speak Hal Hastings addressed the naval +officer. + +"I think Mr. Benson and myself understand, sir, how it happened that this +damage was done. There are extra parts in the repair kit. In twenty +minutes, sir, I think we can have the engines running smoothly once more." + +The naval officer was wise enough not to press the questioning further +just then. Instead, he went on deck. + +Working like beavers, and with the assistance of others standing about, +Jack and Hal had the piston replaced and all the other parts in place +within fifteen minutes. Then, once more, Hal turned on the gasoline, set +the ignition, and watched. + +The engine ran as smoothly as ever. + +"There won't be any more trouble, unless someone is turned loose here with +files and a blast lamp," pronounced Hal. Then he and his chum sought the +deck, to report to the officer in charge. + +"You think we're in running order, now?" asked that officer. + +"If you give the speed-ahead signal, sir, I think you'll feel as though +you had a live engine under your deck," Hal assured him. + +The signal was given, the "Pollard" immediately responding. She cut a wide +circle, at good speed, returning to her former position, where the +propellers were stopped. + +"You suspect your own machinist, who was aboard?" asked the naval officer, +in a low tone, of the submarine boys. + +"If you'll pardon our not answering directly, sir," Captain Jack replied, +"we want to have more than suspicions before we make a very energetic +report on this strange accident. But we shall not be asleep, sir, in the +matter of finding out. Then we shall make a full report to Mr. Mayhew." + +"Success to you--and vigilance!" muttered the naval officer. + +The gunboat's cutter came alongside, transferring Jack and Hal back to the +"Farnum." + +Hal went directly below to the engine room. + +"You fixed the trouble with the 'Pollard'?" demanded Eph Somers, eagerly. + +"Yes," Hal admitted. + +"What was wrong?" + +"Why, I don't know as I'd want to commit myself in too offhand a way," +replied Hal, slowly, as though thinking. + +"What appeared to be at the bottom of the trouble?" + +"Why, it _may_ have been that one of the naval machinists, not +understanding our engines any too well, allowed one of the pistons to get +overheated, and then resorted to filing," Hal replied. + +"What? Overheat a piston, and then try to correct it with a file?" cried +young Somers, disgustedly. "The crazy blacksmith! He ought to be set to +shoeing snails--that's all he's fit for." + +"It looks that way," Hal assented, smiling. + +Artful, clever Hal! He had carried it all off so coolly and naturally that +Sam Truax, who had been closely studying Hastings's face from the +background, was wholly deceived. + +"This fellow, Hastings, isn't as smart as I had thought him," muttered +Truax, to himself. + +The interrupted cruise now proceeded, the parent vessel signaling for a +temporary speed of sixteen knots in order to make up for lost time. + +Twenty minutes later came the signal from the "Hudson:" + +"At the command, the submarines will dash ahead at full speed, each making +its best time. During this trial, which will end at the firing of a gun +from the parent vessel, all cadets will be on deck." + +Word was immediately passed below, and all the cadets of the engineer +division came tumbling up. + +To these, who had been in the engine room constantly for hours, the cool +wind blowing across the deck was highly agreeable. + +For the speed dash Captain Jack Benson had again taken command. He passed +word below to Eph Somers to take the wheel in the conning tower. + +Eph, therefore, came up with the last of the cadets from below. In the +excitement of the pending race it had not been noticed by any of the +submarine boys that Williamson was already on deck, aft. That left Sam +Truax below in sole possession of the boat's engine quarters. + +The gunboat now fell a little behind, leaving the two submarines some four +hundred yards apart, but as nearly as possible on a line. + +"Look at the crowd over on the 'Pollard's' decks," muttered Hal. "They're +all Navy folks over there." + +"And they mean to beat such plain 'dubs' as they must consider us," +laughed Captain Jack, in an undertone. + +"Will they beat us, though?" grinned Hal Hastings. "You and I, Jack, +happen to know that the 'Farnum' is a bit the faster boat by rights." + +Suddenly the signal broke out from the gunboat. + +"Race her, Eph!" shouted Captain Jack. + +"Aye, aye, sir!" + +Eph Somers's right hand caught at the speed signals beside the wheel. He +called for all speed, the bell jangling merrily in the engine room. + +A little cheer of excitement went up from the cadets aboard the "Farnum" +as that craft shot ahead over the waters. The cadets were catching the +thrill of what was virtually a race. At the same time, though, these +midshipmen could not help feeling a good deal of interest in the success +of the "Pollard," which was manned wholly by representatives of the Navy. + +In the first three minutes the "Farnum" stole gradually, though slowly, +ahead of the "Pollard." Then, to the disgust of all three of the submarine +boys, the other craft was seen to be gaining. Before long the "Pollard" +had the lead, and looked likely to increase it. Already gleeful cheers +were rising from the all-Navy crowd on the deck of the other submarine. + +Behind the racers sped the "Hudson," keeping just far enough behind to be +able to observe everything without interfering with either torpedo craft. + +From looking at the "Pollard" Captain Jack glanced down at the water. His +own boat's bows seemed to be cutting the water at a fast gait. The young +skipper, knowing what he knew about both boats, could not understand this +losing to the other craft. + +"The Navy men must know a few tricks with engines that we haven't +guessed," he observed, anxiously, to young Hastings. + +"I don't know what it can be, then," murmured Hal, uneasily. "There aren't +so confusingly many parts to a six-cylinder gasoline motor. They aren't +hard engines to run. More depends on the engine itself than on the +engineer." + +"But look over there," returned Captain Jack Benson. "You see the +'Pollard' taking the wind out of our teeth, don't you?" + +"Yes," Hal admitted, looking more puzzled. + +"Do you think our engines are doing the top-notch of their best?" asked +Benson. + +"Yes; for Williamson is a crackerjack machinist. He knows our engines as +well as any man alive could do." + +"Do you think it would do any good for you to go below, Hal?" + +"I will, if you say so," offered Hastings. "Yet there's another side to +it." + +"What?" + +"Williamson might get it into his head that I went below because I thought +he was making a muddle of the speed. As a matter of fact, he knows every +blessed thing I do about our motors, and Williamson is loyal to the core." + +"I know," nodded Captain Jack. "I'd hate to hurt a fine fellow's feelings. +Yet--confound it, I _do_ want to win this burst of speed. It means, +perhaps, the quick sale of this boat to the Navy. If we're beaten it +means, to the Secretary of the Navy, that he already has our best boat, +and he might not see the need of buying the 'Farnum' at all." + +"Give Williamson two or three minutes more," begged Hal. "You might tell +Eph, though, to repeat, and repeat, the signal for top speed. That'll show +Williamson we're losing." + +Jack Benson walked to the conning tower, instructing Eph Somers in a low +tone. + +"I've signaled twice, since the first time," Eph replied. "But here goes +some more." + +"I wonder what's going wrong with our engines, then," muttered Captain +Jack, uneasily. + +"It ain't in careless steering, anyway," grumbled Eph. "I'm going as +straight as a chalk line." + +"I noticed that," Captain Jack admitted. + +He continued to look worried, for, by this time, the "Pollard" was at +least a good two hundred and fifty yards to the good in the lead. + +"I'm afraid," muttered Hal, rejoining Benson, "that I'll simply have to go +below." + +"I'm afraid so," nodded Jack. "We simply can't afford to lose this or any +other race to the 'Pollard.'" + +"Williamson knows that fully as well as we do, though," Hal Hastings went +on. "And Williamson--" + +Of a sudden Hal stopped short. He half staggered, clutching at a rail, +while his eyes stared and his lips twitched. + +"Why--why--there's Williamson--aft on the deck!" muttered Hastings. + +"What!" + +Jack, too, wheeled like a flash. Back there in a crowd of cadets stood the +machinist upon whom the submarine boys were depending for the best showing +that the "Farnum" could make. + +"Williamson up here!" gasped Hal. "And--" + +"That fellow, Truax, all alone with the motors!" hissed Captain Jack. +Then, after a second or two of startled silence: + +"Come on, Hal!" + +The naval cadets were too much absorbed in watching the race to have +overheard anything. Williamson, too, standing at the rail, looking out +over the water, had not yet discovered that Hal Hastings was up from the +engine room. + +Jack Benson stole below on tip-toe, though with the machinery running so +much stealth was not necessary. Right behind him followed Hal. + +As the two gained the doorway of the engine room Sam Truax had his back +turned to them, and so did not note the sudden watchers. + +There was a smile of malicious triumph on Truax's face as he turned a +lever a little way over, thus decreasing the ignition power of the motors. + +Both Jack and Hal could see that the gasoline flow had been turned on +nearly to the full capacity. It was the poor ignition work that was making +the motors respond so badly. A little less, and a little less, of the +electric spark that burned the gasoline and air mixture--that was the +secret of the gradually decreasing speed, while all the time it looked as +though the "Farnum" was doing her level best to win the race. + +Whistling, as he bent over, Sam Truax caught up a long, slender steel bar. +With this he stepped forward, intent upon his next wicked step. + +"Gracious! The scoundrel is going to run that bar in between the moving +parts of the engine and bring about a break-down!" quivered Hal. + +Sam Truax stood watching for his chance to thrust the steel bar in just +where it would inflict the most damage. Then raising the bar quickly, he +poised for the blow. + +"Stop that, you infernal sneak!" roared Jack Benson, bounding into the +engine room. + + + + + + CHAPTER XVI: BRAVING NOTHING BUT A SNEAK + + +"You--here?" hissed Truax, wheeling about. + +He had not had time to make the thrust with the steel bar. + +Instead, as he wheeled, he raised it above his head, drawing back in an +attitude of guard. + +As he did so, a vile oath escaped Truax's lips. + +"Put that bar down!" commanded Jack Benson, standing unflinchingly before +the angry rascal. + +"I'll put it down on your head, if you don't get out of here!" snarled the +wretch. + +"Put it down, and consider yourself off duty here, for good and all," +insisted Jack. + +"Are you going to get out of here, or shall I brain you?" screamed Truax, +his face working in the height of his passion. + +"Neither," retorted Captain Jack, coolly. "I command here, and you know +it. Put that bar down, and leave the engine room." + +"Come and take the bar from me--if you dare!" taunted the fellow, a more +wicked gleam flashing in his eyes. + +"Hal!" called Jack, sharply. + +"Aye!" + +"Call two or three of the cadets down here. Don't make any noise about +it." + +This order was called without Benson's turning his head. He still stood +facing the sneak while Hal sped away. + +"Now, I've got you alone!" gloated Truax. "I'll finish you!" + +A scornful smile curled Jack's lips as he gazed steadily back at his foe. + +"Truax, you're a coward, as well as a sneak." + +"I am--eh?" + +With another nasty oath Truax stepped quickly forward, the steel bar +upraised. + +He took but one step, however, for Captain Jack Benson had not retreated +an inch. + +Nor did Jack have his hands up in an attitude of guard. + +"Are you going to put that bar down, Truax?" the young skipper demanded, +in a voice that betrayed not a tremor. + +"No." + +"Then you'll have to make good in a moment, for we're going to attack +you." + +"Bah! I can stave in two or three heads before any number of you could +stop me," sneered the fellow, in an ugly voice. + +"You could, but you won't dare." + +"I won't?" + +"Not you!" + +At that instant rapid steps were heard. Hal Hastings returned with three +of the midshipmen, behind them Williamson trying to crowd his way into the +scene. + +"Just tell us what you want, Mr. Benson," proposed Cadet Merriam, amiably. + +"This fellow has been 'doping' our engines," announced Captain Jack. "And +now he's threatening to stand us off. We'll close in on him from both +sides. If he tries to use that steel bar on any of us--" + +"If he does, he'll curse his unlucky star," declared Midshipman Merriam. +"Come on, gentlemen. We'll show him some of the Navy football tactics!" + +The three midshipmen approached Truax steadily from the right. Jack, Hal +and Williamson stepped in on the left. + +With a yell like that of a maniac Sam Truax swung the bar. + +Having to watch both sides at once, however, he made a fizzle of it. The +bar came down, but struck the floor. + +Then, with a yell, the midshipmen leaped in on one side, Jack leading the +submarine forces on the other. Mr. Merriam's trip and Jack's smashing blow +with the fist brought Truax down to the floor in a heap. + +"Now, cart this human rubbish out of here!" ordered Jack Benson, sternly. +"Don't hit him--he isn't man enough to be worthy of a blow!" + +Swooping down upon the prostrate one, Hal and the midshipmen seized Sam +Truax by his arms and legs, carrying him bodily out of the engine room. + +"Williamson," commanded Captain Jack, "stop the speed." + +"In the race, sir. We--" + +"Stop the speed," repeated Benson. + +"You're the captain," admitted Williamson. Grasping the twin levers of the +two motors he swung them backward. + +"Disregard any signal to go ahead until we've had a chance to inspect the +motors," added Captain Jack. + +Then the submarine skipper darted out into the cabin. + +Sam Truax lay sprawling on the floor. Midshipman Merriam, a most cheerful +smile on his face, sat across the fellow, while Hal and the other two +midshipmen stood by, looking on. + +"Hold him please, until I can have the wretch taken care of," requested +Captain Jack, making for the spiral stairway to the conning tower. + +Just as the young skipper stepped out on deck he heard the "Hudson's" +bow-gun break out sharply in the halting signal. + +Taking a megaphone, Benson stood at the rail until the gunboat ranged up +alongside. + +"Have you broken down?" came the hail from the gunboat's bridge. + +"I thought it best to stop speed, sir. We'll have to look over our engines +before it will be safe to attempt any more speed work," Captain Jack +answered. "I've caught a fellow tampering with our machinery. We hold him +a prisoner, now. Can you take him off our hands, sir?" + +"One of _your own_ men?" came back the question. + +"Of course, sir." + +"We'll send a marine guard to take him, on your complaint, Mr. Benson." + +"Thank you, sir." + +The gunboat's engines slowed down. Ere long her port side gangway was +lowered. Jack saw not only two marines and a corporal come down over the +side, but Lieutenant Commander Mayhew appeared in person. That officer +came over in the cutter. + +"You've had treachery aboard, have you?" asked the lieutenant commander, +as he climbed up over the side. + +"Rather. A new machinist, taken aboard just before we sailed from +Dunhaven. The same fellow who must have played the trick on the +'Pollard's' engines yesterday," Benson replied. + +"I'll be glad to have a fellow like that in irons in the brig aboard the +'Hudson,' then," muttered Mr. Mayhew. "I couldn't understand, Mr. Benson, +how you were doing so badly in the full speed ahead dash." + +"The prisoner below is the answer, sir," Captain Jack replied. He then led +the corporal and two marines below. The corporal produced a pair of +handcuffs, which he promptly snapped over Truax's wrists. + +"You'll be sorry for this, one of these days," threatened Truax, with a +snarl that showed his teeth. + +"Some day, then, if you please, when I have more leisure than I have now," +Jack retorted, dryly. "This man is all yours, corporal." + +Truax was foolish enough to try to hang back on his conductors. A slight +jab through the clothing from one of the marines' bayonets caused the +prisoner to stop that trick. He was taken on deck and over the side. + +"Coxswain, return for me after you've taken the prisoner to the 'Hudson,'" +directed Mr. Mayhew. "Now, Mr. Benson, I would like to see what has been +done to your engines." + +"That's just what I want to know, too," responded Jack. + +They found Hal and Williamson hard at work, inspecting the motors. + +"The ignition power was lowered, and that may have been the most that the +fellow did," said Hal. "Yet, at the same time, before putting these +engines to any severe test, I believe they ought to be cooled and looked +over." + +Lieutenant Commander Mayhew frowned. + +"These delays eat up our practice cruise time a whole lot," he grumbled. + +"I'll put the engines through their paces, and chance mischief having been +done to them, if you wish, sir." + +"No; that won't do either, Mr. Hastings," replied the naval officer. "This +craft is private property, and I have no right to give orders that may +damage private property. I'll hold the fleet until you've had time to +inspect your engines properly. By that time, however, we'll have to put +back to the coast for the night, for our practice time will be gone." + +"In the days to follow, sir," put in Benson, earnestly, "I think we can +more than make up for this delay. We won't have the traitor aboard after +this." + +"What earthly object can the fellow have had for wanting to damage your +motors?" demanded the naval officer, looking hopelessly puzzled. + +"I can't even make a sane guess, sir," Jack Benson admitted. + +An hour and a half later the "Hudson" and the two submarines headed back +for a safe little bay on the coast. Here the three craft anchored for the +night. + + + + + + CHAPTER XVII: THE EVIL GENIUS OF THE WATER FRONT + + +It was nearly eight in the evening when the three craft were snug at +anchor. + +The bay was a small one, hardly worthy of the name. The only inhabited +part of the shore thereabouts consisted of the fishing village known as +Blair's Cove, a settlement containing some forty houses. + +Hardly had all been made snug aboard the "Farnum" when Jack, standing on +the platform deck after the cadets had been transferred to the "Hudson" +for the night, saw a small boat heading out from shore. + +"Is that one of the new submarine crafts?" hailed a voice from the bow of +the boat. + +"Yes, sir," Jack answered, courteously. + +No more was said until the boat had come up alongside. + +"I thought maybe you'd be willing to let me have a look over a craft of +this sort," said the man in the bow. He appeared to be about forty years +of age, dark-haired and with a full, black beard. The man was plainly +though not roughly dressed; evidently he was a man of some education. + +"Why, I'm mighty sorry, sir," Captain Jack Benson replied. "But I'm afraid +it will be impossible to allow any strangers on board during this cruise." + +"Oh, I won't steal anything from your craft," answered the stranger, +laughingly. "I won't be inquisitive, either, or go poking into forbidden +corners. Who's your captain?" + +"I am, sir." + +"Then you'll let me come aboard, just for a look, won't you?" pleaded the +stranger. + +Such curiosity was natural. The man seemed like a decent fellow. But Jack +shook his head. + +"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm positive our owners wouldn't approve of our +allowing any strangers to come on board." + +"Had any trouble, so far, with strangers?" asked the man. + +"I didn't say that," Jack replied, evasively. "But the construction of a +submarine torpedo boat is a secret. It is a general rule with our owners +that strangers shan't be allowed on board, unless they're very especially +vouched for. Now, I hate to appear disobliging; yet, if you've ever been +employed by anyone else, you will appreciate the need of obeying an +owner's orders." + +"You're under the orders of the boss of that gunboat?" asked the stranger, +pointing to the "Hudson." + +"On this cruise, yes, sir," Jack nodded. + +"Maybe, if I saw the fellow in command of the gunboat, then he'd give me +an order allowing me to come on board." + +"I'm very certain the lieutenant commander wouldn't do anything of the +sort," Benson responded. + +The stranger gave a comical sigh. + +"Then I'm afraid I don't see a submarine boat to-night--that is, any more +than I can see of it now." + +"That's about the way it looks to me, also," Jack answered, smiling. "Yet, +believe me, I hate awfully to seem discourteous about it." + +"Oh, all right," muttered the stranger, nodding to the two boatmen, who +had rowed him out alongside. + +"Good!" grunted Eph. "I'm glad you didn't let him on board, Captain. On +this cruise our luck doesn't seem to run with strangers." + +"It doesn't, for a fact," laughed Jack Benson. + +"Hi, ho--ah, hum!" yawned young Somers, stretching. "It will be mine for +early bunk to-night, I reckon." + +At this moment a boat was observed rounding the stern of the "Hudson." It +came up alongside, landing a marine sentry. + +"Anybody on the 'Farnum' want to go ashore to-night?" hailed a voice from +the gunboat's rail. "The shore boat will be ready in five minutes." + +"I believe I would like to take just a run through the village," declared +Jack, turning to his chum. "Do you feel like a land-cruise with me, Hal?" + +"I think I'd better go," laughed Hastings. "You seem to get into trouble +when you go alone." + +"All right, then. And, Eph since you're so sleepy, you can turn in as soon +as you want. The boat will be under sufficient protection," Jack added, +nodding toward the marine slowly pacing the platform deck. + +Williamson was called too, but declared that he felt like turning in +early. So, when the shore boat came, it had but two passengers to take +from the submarine. There were a few shore-leave men, however, from the +gunboat. + +"This boat will return to the fleet, gentlemen, every hour up to +midnight," stated the petty officer in charge, as Jack and Hal stepped +ashore at a rickety little wharf. + +"Judging from what we can see of the town from here, we'll be ready to go +back long before midnight," Jack Benson laughingly told his companion. + +"All I want is to shake some of the sea-roll out of my gait," nodded +Hastings. "It surely doesn't seem to be much of a town." + +By way of public buildings there turned out to be a church, locked and +dark, a general store and also a drug-store that contained the local +post-office. But the drug-store carried no ice cream or soda, so the +submarine boys turned away. + +There was one other "public" place that the boys failed to discover at +once. That was a low groggery at the further end of the town. Here two of +the sailors who had come on shore leave turned in for a drink or two. They +found a suave, black-bearded man quite ready to buy liquor for Uncle Sam's +tars. + +Three-quarters of an hour later Jack and Hal felt they had seen about as +much of the town as they cared for, when a hailing voice stopped them. + +"Finding it pretty dull, gentlemen?" + +"Oh, good evening," replied Captain Jack, recognizing the bearded man whom +he had refused admittance to the "Farnum." + +"Pretty stupid town, isn't it, Captain?" asked the stranger, holding out +his hand, which Jack Benson took. + +"As lively as we thought it would be," Hal rejoined. "We just came ashore +to stretch ourselves a bit. Thought we might lay a course to an ice-cream +soda, too, but failed." + +"These fishermen don't have such things," smiled the stranger. "They are +content with the bare necessities of life, with a little grog and tobacco +added. Speaking of grog, would you care to try the best this town has, +gentlemen?" + +"Thank you," Jack answered, politely. "We've never either of us tasted the +stuff, and we don't care to begin." + +"Drop into the drug-store and have a cigar, then?" + +"We don't smoke, either, thank you," came from Hal. + +"You young men are rather hard to entertain in a place like this," sighed +the stranger, but his eyes twinkled. + +"We are just as grateful for the intention," Jack assured him. + +"Tell you what I can do, gentlemen," proposed the stranger, suddenly. "I +might invite you down to my shack for a little while, and show you my +books and some models of yachts and ships that I've been collecting. I'm +quite proud of my collection in that line. Won't you come?" + +Anything in the line of yacht or ship-models interested both of these +sea-loving boys from the shipyard at Dunhaven. Jack graciously accepted +the invitation for them both. + +"And, though I have no soda fountain," continued the bearded one, "I can +offer you some soft drinks. I always keep some about the place." + +"How do you come to be living in a place like this, if I'm not too +inquisitive?" queried Benson, as the three strolled down the street. + +"Doctor's orders," replied the bearded one. "So I've rented the best old +shack I could get here, down by the water. I spend a good deal of my time +sailing a sloop that I have. Curtis is my name." + +Jack and Hal introduced themselves in turn. + +Curtis's shack proved to be well away from the village proper, and down +near the waterfront. A light shone from a window near the front door as +the three approached the small dwelling. + +"I think I can interest you for an hour, gentlemen," declared the bearded +one, as he slipped a key in the lock of the door. + +He admitted them to a little room off the hallway, a room that contained +not much beyond a table and four chairs, a side-table and some of the +accessories of the smoker. + +"Just take a seat here," proposed Curtis, "while I get some sarsaparilla +for you. I'll be right back in a moment." + +It was four or five minutes before Curtis came back, bearing a tray on +which were three tall glasses, each containing a brownish liquid. + +"The stuff isn't iced, yet it's fairly cold," the bearded one explained. +"Well, gentlemen, here's to a pleasant evening!" + +Hal, who was thirsty, took a long swallow of the sarsaparilla, finding the +flavor excellent. Jack drank more slowly, though he enjoyed the beverage. + +"If you don't mind," suggested Curtis, "I will light a cigar. And say, by +the way, gentlemen, what if we take a little walk down to my beach? Before +showing you the models I spoke of, I'd like to have your opinion of the +lines of my sloop." + +"We'll go down and take a look with great pleasure," Jack Benson agreed, +rising. "And I'm glad, sir, that you're able to show us more courtesy than +we were able to offer you to-night." + +"Oh, that was all right," declared their host, smiling good-humoredly. +"Rules are rules, and you have your owners to please. No hard feelings on +that score, I assure you." + +Curtis led the way through a dark yard down to a pier. Moored there lay a +handsome white sloop, some forty-two feet in length--a boat of a good and +seaworthy knockabout type. + +"This is a sloop, all right," Jack agreed, cordially. "Rather different +from the lumbering fishing craft hereabouts." + +"Oh, hah, yum!" yawned Hal, at which Curtis shot a quick glance at him. + +"Come on board," invited Curtis, stepping down to the deck of the craft. +"Let me show you what a comfortable cruising cabin I have." + +"Hi, oh, yow!" yawned Hal, again. "Jack, I think I shall enjoy my rest +to-night." + +"Same case here," agreed Benson, stifling a yawn that came as though in +answer to Hal's. + +"I won't keep you long, gentlemen, if I am boring you," agreed their host, +amiably. "Now, I'll go below first and light up. So! Now, come down and +take a look. Do you find many yacht cabins more comfortable than this +one?" + +It was, indeed, a cozy place. Up forward stood a miniature sideboard, +complete in every respect with glass and silver. In the center of the +cabin was a folding table. There were locker seats and inviting looking +cushions. The trim was largely of mahogany. On either side was a broad, +comfortable-looking berth. + +"Just get into that berth and try it, Mr. Hastings," urged the bearded +one. + +"I--I'm afraid to," confessed Hal, stifling another yawn. + +"Afraid?" + +"Very sure thing!" + +"Why?" + +"I'm--hah-ho-hum!" yawned Hal Hastings. "I'm afraid I'd--yow!--abuse your +hospitality by going to sleep." + +Jack Benson leaned against the edge of the opposite berth, feeling +unaccountably drowsy. + +"Oh, nonsense," laughed Curtis. "Just pile into that berth for a moment, +Hastings, and see what a soft, restful place it is. I'll agree to pull you +out, if necessary." + +Not realizing much, in his approaching stupor, Hal Hastings allowed +himself to be coaxed to stretch himself at full length in the downy berth. + +Almost immediately he closed his eyes, drifting off into stupor. + +"Why, your friend _is_ drowsy, isn't he?" laughed the bearded one, turning +to the submarine skipper. + +Jack Benson's own eyelids were suspiciously close together. + +"Why--what--ails you?" + +Curtis spoke in a low, droning, far-away voice that caused Jack Benson's +upper eyelids to sink. Curtis stood watching him, in malicious glee, for +some moments. Then, at last, he took hold of the young skipper. + +"Come, old fellow," coaxed the bearded one, "you'll do best to join your +friend in a good nap. Get up in the berth." + +"Lemme alone," protested the boy, thickly, feeling that he was being +lifted. Jack struggled, partly rousing himself. + +"Come, get up into the berth. You'll be more comfortable there." + +"Lemme alone. What are you trying to do?" demanded Jack, swinging an arm. + +Curtis dodged the light blow, then gripped Jack Benson resolutely. + +"Now, see here, young man," hissed the bearded one, "I'm not going to have +any more nonsense out of you. Up into the berth you go! Do you want me to +hit you?" + +Another man thrust his head down the cabin hatchway, showing an evil, +grinning face. + +"Got 'em right?" demanded the one from the hatchway. + +"Yes," snapped the bearded one, then turned to give his attention to Jack +Benson, who was putting up an ineffectual fight while Hal slumbered on. +"Now, see here, Benson, quit all your fooling!" + +"You lemme up," insisted the submarine boy, in a low, dull voice, though +he swung both his arms in an effort to assert himself. "'M not goin' t' +stay here. Lemme up, I say! 'M goin' back to--own boat." + +"The submarine?" jeered the bearded man. + +"Yep." + +"Guess again, son," laughed Curtis, jeeringly. "You're not going back +aboard the submarine to-night." + +"Am so," declared Benson, obstinately, though his tone was growing more +drowsy every instant, and his busy hands moved almost as weakly as an +infant's. + +"Listen, if you've got enough of your senses left," growled the bearded +men. "You're not going back to the 'Farnum'--neither to-night, nor at any +other time during the next few months. You're bound on a long cruise, but +not on a submarine boat. I am the captain here, and I'll name the cruise!" + + + + + + CHAPTER XVIII: HELD UP BY MARINES + + +It was barely a minute afterward that Jack Benson lapsed into a very +distinct snore. + +"No more trouble from this pair," laughed the bearded one to his companion +at the hatchway. "Now, I'll douse the cabin light, and then we'll cast +off. This thing has moved along very slickly." + +Eph, after having made up his mind to turn in early, had found his sleepy +fit passing. He read for a while in the cabin, then pulled on a reefer and +went up on deck. Williamson was already in a berth, sound asleep. + +"It would be a fine night if there was a moon," Eph remarked to the marine +sentry on deck. + +"Yes, sir." + +The marine--"soldier, and sailor, too"--not being there for conversational +purposes, continued his slow pacing, his rifle resting over his right +shoulder. + +As Eph strolled about in the limited space of the platform deck he heard a +distant creaking. It was a sound that he well knew--the hoisting of sail. + +"I wonder if the local fishermen start out at this time of the night?" Eph +Somers remarked, musingly, to the sentry. + +"It may be so, sir; I don't know," replied the marine. + +Presently Eph made out the lines and the spread of canvas of a handsome +knockabout sloop standing on out of the harbor. + +The course being narrow, the sloop was obliged to sail rather close to the +fleet. + +"That's no fisherman!" muttered Somers, watching, his hands thrust deep in +his pockets. + +Presently the sloop's hull was lost to Eph's sight beyond the gunboat. +Then the boy heard a voice from the "Hudson's" deck roar out: + +"Look alive, you lubber! Do you want to foul our anchor chain?" + +"No, sir," came from the sloop's deck. "We'll clear you all right." + +"See that you do, then!" + +Then the sloop's hull came into view again, as the craft headed out toward +the open water beyond. + +"That's the kind of a craft Jack would give a heap to be on," thought Eph. +"Queer that he should spend all his time on gasoline peanut-roasters when +he's so fond of whistling for a breeze behind canvas." + +As the sloop neared the mouth of the little bay, and her lines became +rather indistinct in the darkness, Eph Somers turned to resume his pacing +of the deck. + +"Hullo," muttered the submarine boy, two or three minutes later. "Here's +the shore boat coming on its regular trip. I wonder if Jack and Hal are in +it? It's about time for them to be coming on board." + +But the shore boat, instead of coming out to the submarine, lay in at the +side gangway of the gunboat opposite, and Eph discovered that his two +comrades were not in the boat. + +"I say," hailed Eph, "have you seen Mr. Benson and Mr. Hastings on shore!" + +"No, sir," replied the petty officer in charge. + +Then one of the sailors in the boat spoke in an undertone. + +"This man says, sir," continued the petty officer, "that he saw your +friends, sir, going aboard a white knockabout sloop." + +"He did, eh?" demanded the astonished Eph. "How long ago was that?" + +"Only a few minutes ago, sir," replied the sailor. + +"You're sure you saw Mr. Benson and Mr. Hastings?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"That's queer," reflected Eph. "It wouldn't be like them to go sailing at +this time of the night, and without notifying me, either. But, then, I +didn't see anything of 'em aboard that sloop, either." + +Eph was silent for a few moments, thinking. Then, suddenly, he leaped up +in the air, coming down flat-footed. + +"Crackey!" ejaculated Eph Somers. + +For a moment or two his face was a study in bewilderment. + +"Mighty strange things have been happening all through this cruise," Eph +muttered, half-aloud. "Especially happening to Jack! Now, the two of them +go aboard that sloop, and immediately after the boat puts out to sea in +the dead of night. What if Jack and Hal have been shanghaied on that +infernal sloop?" + +Cold chills began to chase each other up and down the spine of Eph Somers. +He was not, ordinarily, an imaginative youth, but just now the gruesome +thought that had entered his mind persisted there. + +He began to pace the platform deck in deep agitation. + +"Anything wrong, sir?" questioned the marine sentry, halting and throwing +his rifle over to port arms. + +"That's just what I'd give a million dollars and ten cents to know!" +exploded Eph. + +"Gunboat, ahoy!" he shouted, some twenty seconds later. + +"'Farnum,' ahoy!" + +"I half believe, sir," Eph rattled on, "that my two comrades, Mr. Benson +and Mr. Hastings have been tricked, in some way, and carried out to sea on +that knockabout. They'd have been back from shore by this time, if nothing +had happened." + +"What do you want to do, Mr. Somers?" + +"Want to do, sir?" retorted Eph. "I know what I'm going to do. I'm going +to slip moorings and chase after that knockabout. What I wish to know from +you, sir, is whether you'll send another marine or two on board, so that I +can back up my demand to find my friends?" + +"I'll have to ask the lieutenant commander about that, Mr. Somers." + +"Can you do it, now, sir?" asked Eph, energetically. + +"Instantly. I'll let you know the decision as soon as it's made." + +Eph, hanging at the rail in the silence that followed, had no notion of +whether his request had been a correct one. All he knew was that his +suspicions had surged to the surface, and were threatening to boil over. +It was a huge relief to the boy when Mr. Mayhew's voice sounded from the +rail of the gunboat. Somers swiftly answered all questions. + +"Your craft and crew are in a measure under our protection and orders," +decided Mr. Mayhew. "I think we may properly extend you some help. I will +send some men to you, and a cadet midshipman who will have my +instructions." + +"Will you send them quickly, sir?" begged Eph. + +"I'll have men on board of you by the time that your engines are running," +promised the lieutenant commander. + +"Engines?" That word came as a fortunate reminder to the submarine boy. He +darted below, almost yanking Williamson from his berth, nearly pulling the +machinist into his clothes. By the time that Williamson was really wide +awake he found himself standing by the motors forward. + +Then young Somers darted onto deck again, just in time to see the boat +coming alongside. It brought two more marines, one of them a corporal. +There were also two sailors. A cadet midshipman commanded them. + +"Mr. Somers," reported the cadet midshipman, "I am not intended to +displace you from the command of this boat. I am here only with definite +instructions in case you succeed in overhauling that white sloop." + +"What--" began Eph. Then he paused, with a half-grin. "Really," he added, +"I ought to know better than to quiz you about your instructions from your +superior officer." + +"Yes, sir," assented the midshipman, simply. + +Eph turned on the current to the search-light, swinging the ray about the +bay. Then, too impatient to sit in the conning tower, the submarine boy +took his place by the deck wheel. + +"Will your seamen cast loose from the moorings?" Somers asked. + +"Yes, sir," replied the midshipman. + +"If there's anything wrong, good luck to you," sounded the cool voice of +Lieutenant Commander Mayhew, from the gunboat's rail. + +"Thank you, sir." + +No sooner had the moorings been cast loose from than Eph sounded the slow +speed ahead bell. Within sixty seconds the propellers of the "Farnum" were +doing a ten-knot stunt, which was soon increased to fourteen. + +One of the seamen now stood by to swing the searchlight under Eph's +orders. + +By the time that the submarine reached the mouth of the bay the light +faintly picked up a spread of white sail, off to the East. + +"That's the knockabout," cried Eph, excitedly. "Now, see here, keep that +ray right across the boat as soon as we get half a mile nearer." + +"It'll show the boat that you're chasing 'em, sir," advised the +midshipman. + +"I know it," admitted Eph. "But it will also keep the rascals from dumping +my friends overboard without our catching 'em at it." + +"What do you think the men in charge of that boat are, sir--pirates?" + +"They're mighty close to it, if they've shanghaied Mr. Benson and Mr. +Hastings and put to sea with 'em," rejoined Eph. Then he rang for more +speed. Down below, Williamson almost instantly responded. The "Farnum" now +fairly leaped through the water. + +"Turn the light on the knockabout, now, and keep it there," directed the +submarine boy. + +There was a seven-knot breeze blowing. At the speed at which the submarine +boat was traveling the distance was soon covered. + +And now the searchlight revealed two men in the standing-room of the +sloop, one of whom, a bearded man, was looking backward over his wake much +of the time. + +"Can one of the marines fire a shot to stop those fellows?" asked Eph +Somers. + +"In the air, do you mean, sir?" asked the midshipman. "Certainly." + +"Then I wish he'd do it." + +Bang! The discharge of the rifle sounded sharply on the night air. + +"It ain't stopping 'em any," muttered Eph, after a few seconds had gone +by. + +"Nothing would, unless fired into them," volunteered Midshipman Terrell. + +It did not take long, however, to run the submarine up alongside of the +sloop, at a distance of about one hundred yards. + +"Now, we want you men to stop," called Midshipman Terrell, between his +hands. "We are United States naval forces, from the gunboat, and you will +regard this as an order that you must obey. No!" thundered the midshipman, +suddenly, as the bearded one started to step down into the cabin. "You +will both keep on deck. Otherwise we shall be obliged to fire into you. We +mean business, remember!" + +"What do you want to board us for?" demanded Curtis, pausing. + +"We will explain when we come aboard." + +"How are you coming, aboard? You've no small boat." + +"We can land this submarine right up beside you," responded the +midshipman, "if you keep straight to your present course." + +"And scrape all the paint off our side," objected Curtis. + +"That has no bearing on my instructions, sir. I direct you to keep +straight to your present course. We will come up alongside." + +"What if we don't do it?" demanded Curtis, with sudden bluster. + +"Then your danger will be divided between being shot where you stand and +having your craft cut in two by the bow of our craft," retorted Mr. +Terrell. "You will realize, I think, that there can be no parleying with +our orders." + +The bearded one swore, but the corporal and his two marines stood at the +rail with their rifles ready, waiting only the midshipman's order to aim +and fire. + +Eph allowed the "Farnum" to fall back a little way. Then he exerted +himself to show his best in seamanship as he ran the submarine up to board +the sloop by the starboard quarter. The two boats barely touched. Mr. +Terrell, his three marines and two seamen leaped to the standing room of +the yacht. Eph, all aquiver, let the nose of the "Farnum" fall back +slightly. Then he trailed along, under bare headway. + +Then a shout came from the sloop, as the two seamen reappeared, bearing +the forms of Jack and Hal. + +"We've found them aboard, Mr. Somers," shouted Terrell. "Drugged, I think, +sir. Will you come alongside, sir." + +Eph quickly rang the signal, then did some careful manoeuvring. As he +touched, one of the marines leaped back to the platform deck, then passed +a line to Mr. Terrell. The two craft were held together until Jack and Hal +had been passed, still unconscious, over the side. The naval party quickly +followed, then cast loose from the sloop. + +"This whole proceeding is high-handed," growled Curtis, as soon as he saw +that he was not to be molested. + +"Oh, you shut up, and keep your tongue padlocked," retorted Midshipman +Terrell, in high disgust. "You're lucky as it is. Now, Mr. Somers, are you +going back to the bay, sir?" + +"Aren't you going to take those two--body-snatchers?" demanded Eph, glaring +venomously at the pair on the sloop. + +"My instructions don't cover that, sir," replied the cadet midshipman. + +"Then hang your orders!" muttered young Somers, but he kept the words +behind his teeth. Eph veered off, next headed about, while the two seamen +bore Jack and Hal below to their berths. + +"Will you take the wheel, Mr. Terrell?" asked Eph, edging away, with one +hand on the spokes. + +"Yes, sir." + +Eph hurried below to the port stateroom. Jack lay in the lower berth, Hal +in the upper. The two seamen, after feeling for pulse, stood by looking at +the unconscious submarine boys. + +"What's been done to them?" demanded Eph. + +"The same old knockout drops, sir, that sailors in all parts of the world +know so well, sir, I think," answered one of the men, with a quiet grin. + +"Humph!" gritted Eph, bending over Jack's face. "Smell his breath." + +"Yes, sir," said the sailor, obeying. + +"There's no smell of liquor, there, is there?" + +"No, sir," admitted the sailor, looking up, rather puzzled. + +"There is some infernally mean trick in all this," growled Eph. "I am +mighty sorry we didn't bring those rascals back with us." + +When he went on deck again the submarine boy relieved Mr. Terrell at the +wheel, completing the run in to moorings. + +"Did you find your comrades aboard the sloop, Mr. Somers?" hailed the +lieutenant commander, from the gunboat. + +"Yes, sir." + +"Are they all right?" + +"Drugged, sir." + +"Hm! Mr. Terrell and his detachment will return to this vessel." + +The boat took them away. It was five minutes later when the boat returned, +bringing the lieutenant commander, Doctor McCrea, the surgeon, and a +sailor belonging to the hospital detachment aboard the "Hudson." Eph +conducted them below. + +"Drugged," announced the medical officer, after a brief examination. + +"Humph!" uttered Mr. Mayhew. "That sort of trick isn't played on folks in +any decent resort on shore. I don't understand Mr. Benson's conduct. I +remember his mishap at Dunhaven. I remember the plight he got into at +Annapolis; and now he and Mr. Hastings are found in this questionable +shape. I am very much afraid these young men do not conduct themselves, on +shore, in the careful manner that must be expected of civilian instructors +to cadets." + +Eph Somers felt something boiling up inside of him. + + + + + + CHAPTER XIX: THE LIEUTENANT COMMANDER'S VERDICT + + +"Let me try to get at your meaning, sir, if you please," begged Somers, +after standing for a few seconds with clenched fists. "Do you mean that my +friends have been going into tough resorts on shore?" + +"Where else do sailors usually get drugged?" inquired Mr. Mayhew. "What +kind of people usually feed sea-faring men with what are generally known +as knock-out drops?" + +"How should I know?" demanded Eph, solemnly. + +"You see your friends, and you see their condition." + +"Smell their breaths, sir. There isn't a trace of the odor of liquor." + +The surgeon did so, confirming Eph's claim. + +"But I remember that Mr. Benson came aboard, at Dunhaven, with a very +strong odor of liquor," continued the lieutenant commander. + +"That had been sprinkled on his clothes, sir," argued Somers. + +"Perhaps. But then there was the Annapolis affair." + +"Mr. Benson explained that to you, sir." + +"It's very strange," returned the lieutenant commander, "that such things +seem to happen generally to Mr. Benson when he gets on shore. I know I +have been ashore, in all parts of the world, without having such things +happen to me." + +"There is something behind this, sir, that doesn't spell bad conduct on +the part of either of my friends," cried Eph, hotly. "There's some plot, +some trick in the whole thing that we don't understand. And we might +understand much more about it, sir, if your midshipman had arrested that +pair of blackguards on the sloop, and brought them back with us." + +"Had Mr. Benson and Mr. Hastings been members of the naval forces we could +have done that," replied Mr. Mayhew. "Probably you don't understand, Mr. +Somers, how very careful the Navy has to be about making arrests in times +of peace, when the civil authorities are all-supreme. We carried our right +as far as it could possibly be stretched when we boarded and searched that +sloop for you." + +"I don't care so much about that," contended Eph, warmly. "But it does jar +on me, sir, to have you take such a view of my friends. You don't know +them; you don't understand them as Mr. Farnum and Mr. Pollard do." + +"Perhaps you wouldn't blame me as much for my opinions," replied Mr. +Mayhew, "if you could look at the matter from my viewpoint, Mr. Somers. I +am in charge of this cruise, which is one of instruction to naval cadets, +and I am in a very large measure responsible for the conduct and good +behavior of young men who have been selected as instructors to the cadets. +If you were in my place, Mr. Somers, would you be patient over young men +who, when they get ashore, get into one unseemly scrape after another? Or +would you wonder, as I do, whether it will not be best for me to end this +practice cruise and sail back to Annapolis, there to make my report in the +matter?" + +"For heaven's sake don't do that," begged Eph Somers, hoarsely. "At least, +not until you have talked with Mr. Benson and Mr. Hastings. You'll wait +until morning, sir?" + +"I'm afraid I shall have to, if I want to talk with your friends," replied +the lieutenant commander, smiling coldly. "And now, Mr. Somers, you and I +had better leave here. The doctor and his nurse will want the room cleared +in order to look after their patients. I hope your friends will be all +right in the morning," added the naval officer, as the pair gained the +deck. + +"Now, see here, sir," began Eph, earnestly, all over again. "I hope you'll +soon begin to understand that, whatever has happened, there are no two +straighter boys alive than Jack Benson and Hal Hastings." + +"I trust you're right," replied Mr. Mayhew, less coldly. "Yet, what can +you expect me to think, now that Benson has been in such scrapes three +different times? And, in this last instance, he drags even the quiet Mr. +Hastings into the affair with him." + +"I see that I'll have to wait, sir," sighed Eph, resignedly. + +"Yes; it will be better in every way to wait," agreed the lieutenant +commander. "It is plain justice, at the least, to wait and give the young +men a chance to offer any defense that they can." + +"Now, of course, from his way of looking at it, I can't blame him so very +much," admitted Eph Somers, as he leaned over the rail, watching Mr. +Mayhew going back through the darkness. "But Jack--great old Jack!--having +any liking at all for mixing up in saloons and such places on shore! Ha, +ha! Ho, ho!" + +Williamson, now able to leave his motors, came on deck, asking an account +of what had happened. The machinist listened in amazement, though, like +Eph, he needed no proof that the boys, whatever trouble they had +encountered, had met honestly and innocently. + +"Of course that naval officer is right, too, from his own limited point of +view," urged Williamson. + +"Oh, yes, I suppose so," nodded Somers, gloomily. "I've been trying to +tell myself that. But it would be fearful, wouldn't it, if the 'Farnum' +were ordered away from the fleet, and Jack disgraced, just because of +things he really didn't do." + +"It's a queer old world," mused the machinist, thoughtfully. "We hear a +lot about the consequences of wrong things we do. But how often people +seem to have to pay up for things they never did!" + +"Oh, well," muttered Eph, philosophically, "let's wait until morning. A +night's sleep straightens out a lot of things." + +Williamson, however, having had some sleep earlier in the night, was not +drowsy, now. He lighted a pipe, lingering on the platform deck. Eph, not +being a user of tobacco, went below to find that Doctor McCrea, from the +gunboat, was sitting in the cabin, reading a book he had chosen from the +book-case. + +"I've brought the young men around somewhat," reported the physician. +"I've made them throw off the drug, and now I've left some stuff with the +nurse to help brace them up. They'll have sour stomachs and aching heads +in the morning, though." + +"But you noticed one thing, Doctor?" pressed Somers. + +"What was that?" + +"That there were no signs of liquor about them? Those boys never tasted a +drop of the vile stuff in their lives!" + +"I'm inclined to believe you," nodded the surgeon. "They have splendid, +clear skins, eyes bright as diamonds, sound, sturdy heart-beats, and +they're full of vitality. I've met boys from the slums, once in a +while--beer-drinkers and cigarette-smokers. But such boys never show the +splendid physical condition that your friends possess." + +"You know, then, as well as I do, Doctor, that neither of my chums are +rowdies, and that, whatever happened to them to-night, they didn't get to +it through any bad habits or conduct?" + +"I'm much inclined to agree with you, Mr. Somers." + +"I hope, then, you'll succeed in impressing all that on Lieutenant +Commander Mayhew in the morning." + +With that the submarine boy passed on to the starboard stateroom. He would +have given much to have stepped into the room opposite, but felt, from the +doctor's manner, that the latter did not wish his patients disturbed. + +Eph slept little that night. Though Jack and Hal fared better in that +single respect, Somers looked far the best of the three in the morning. + +Jack and Hal came out with bandages about their heads, which buzzed and +ached. + +The two, however, told their story to Somers and Williamson as soon as +possible. + +"Just as I supposed," nodded Eph, vigorously. + +"Why, how did you guess it all?" asked Benson, in astonishment. + +"I mean, I knew you hadn't been in any low sailor resorts." + +"Who said we had?" demanded Jack, flaring in spite of his dizziness. + +"Some of the Navy folks didn't know but you had," replied Eph, then bit +his tongue for having let that much out of the bag. + +Doctor McCrea came aboard early. He looked the boys over. + +"Eat a little toast, if you want, and drink some weak tea," he suggested. +"After that, eat nothing more until to-night." + +"But the day's work--?" hinted Jack. + +"I don't know," replied the doctor, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm not a +line officer, and therefore know nothing about the fleet's manoeuvres." + +That reply, however, was quite enough to send Jack Benson's suspicions +aloft. + +"Eph," he cried, wheeling upon his friend the moment Doctor McCrea was +gone, "there's something you haven't told us." + +"Such as--what?" asked Somers, doing his best to look mighty innocent. + +"Doctor McCrea as good as admitted that we won't have anything to do +to-day. What's wrong?" Then, after a brief pause: "Good heavens, does Mr. +Mayhew believe we've been acting disgracefully? Are we barred out of the +instruction work?" + +Hal had been raising a glass of cold water to his lips. The glass fell, +with a crash. He wheeled about, then clutched at the edge of the cabin +table, most unsteadily. + +"We-e-ll," admitted Somers, reluctantly, "Mr. Mayhew said he would want to +question you some, perhaps, this morning." + +"What did he say? Out with it all, Eph!" + +A moment before Jack Benson had been pallid enough. Now, two bright, +furious spots burned in either cheek. + +The red-haired boy, however, was spared the pain of going any further, +for, at that moment, a heavy tread was heard on the spiral staircase. Then +Lieutenant Commander Mayhew, holding himself very erect, one hand resting +against the scabbard of the sword that he wore at his side, came into view +below. + +Many were the questions that the naval officer put to the victims of the +night's mishap. + +"Well, gentlemen," Mr. Mayhew said at last, rising, "your story is +strange. Yet, I believe you are young men of honor. I'm sorry we have not +in custody the men who sailed that sloop." + +"Pardon me, sir!" burst out Eph. + +"Well, Mr. Somers?" + +"Perhaps, sir, if you should question Truax you could learn something from +him. I tell you, sir, there's a scheme to ruin Jack Benson; and that's +only part of a bigger plot to discredit our company with the Navy!" + +Mr. Mayhew, looking thoughtful, replied: + +"I'll find some way of questioning Truax. And now, Mr. Benson, since you +and Mr. Hastings are not fit to instruct the cadets to-day, I'll send out +sections under Lieutenant Halpin on board the 'Pollard' only. To-morrow +you should be in shape to resume your duties. Meanwhile, I must make one +condition." + +"It will not be necessary, sir, to make any conditions with us," Jack +replied. "Your instructions will be sufficient." + +"While you are on this present tour of duty, I shall ask Mr. Benson and +Mr. Hastings not to leave the 'Farnum' without my consent." + +As soon as Mr. Mayhew had left the "Farnum" Eph Somers cried bitterly: + +"You heard the verdict in the case! A great verdict! Not guilty--but don't +do it again!" + +At half past eight the next morning a section of cadets, under the command +of Ensign Trahern, came aboard the "Farnum." + +"The lieutenant commander sends word, with his compliments," reported +Trahern, "that after leaving the bay the formation will be as usual. The +signal to halt and be ready for the tour of instruction will be given when +we're about ten miles off shore." + +Six of the cadets, of the engineer division, went below to the engine +room. To one of the ten left on deck Jack turned and said: + +"You will take charge, Mr. Surles. Assume all the responsibilities of the +officer of the deck." + +In all, five of the midshipmen had commanded briefly before the laying-to +signal was given. Hal Hastings then appeared on deck. + +"Captain Benson," Hal stated, saluting, "I have inspected all the +submerging machinery, and I find everything in good order. We can go below +the surface at any time." + +"Thank you, Mr. Hastings. All below!" ordered Jack crisply. + +After the cadets and the ensign had filed below, Jack, having seen that +all was in order, followed. He made all fast in the conning tower, then +called Midshipman Surles up the stairway to the tower wheel. + +"Do you think you can head due east and keep to that course under water, +Mr. Surles?" + +"Yes, sir." + +Going down to the cabin floor, Jack ordered two more midshipmen to the +tower as observers. + +"The rest crowd about me and ask questions while I handle the submerging +machinery." + +Under the impetus from the electric motors, the propeller shafts began to +throb. The next instant the submarine shot below, going down at so steep +an angle that many of the middies were forced to reach for new footing. + +"The gauge registers sixty feet below," announced Jack. + +In another moment, by the quick flooding of some of the compartments +astern, the young skipper brought the boat to an even keel. + +Having finished the prescribed distance under water, Captain Jack turned +on the compressed air to expel the water from the compartments. The +conning tower soon rose above the water, and a moment later the "Pollard" +also emerged. + +Other cadets were transferred from the gunboat to the submarines, and the +instruction proceeded. The manoeuvers for the day were ended with a +half-hour run under water. + +"By the way, sir, did you question Truax to see what you could learn about +his reasons for acting as he did on the 'Farnum'?" asked Jack Benson the +next day. Jack and Doctor McCrea were talking with Mr. Mayhew. + +"I had him before me last night, and again this morning," replied Mr. +Mayhew. "He said he hadn't an idea what I meant, and that is all I could +get out of him." + +Jack looked thoughtfully at Doctor McCrea for a moment before he +exclaimed: + +"Doctor, if I had anything like your chance, I'd have Sam Truax talking!" + +"How?" Doctor McCrea looked interested. + +"Why, I'd--" Jack hesitated, glancing toward the gunboat's commanding +officer. + +"I'd better go and see how the midshipmen are doing," laughed Mr. Mayhew, +rising. + +For some minutes Jack talked with Doctor McCrea. As the medical officer +listened, he grinned, then laughed unrestrainedly. + +"Mr. Benson, you're certainly ingenious!" + +"Will you do what I've suggested?" + +"Why, I--er--er--" Doctor McCrea hesitated. "I--well, I'll think it over." +Again Doctor McCrea roared with laughter. + + + + + + CHAPTER XX: CONCLUSION + + +Sam Truax sat in the brig, between decks on the "Hudson," his scowling +face turned toward the barred door, when the marine guard, taking a turn, +peered in. + +"Good heavens, man! What ails you?" demanded the marine. + +"I'm all right," growled the prisoner. + +"I'll be hanged if you look it." + +"What are you talking about!" demanded the prisoner angrily. + +"Man alive, I wish you could see your face!" + +Three minutes later a sailor halted at the door, looked at Truax, then +wheeled about to the marine. + +"Say, what ails that man? What's the matter with his face?" + +"Don't know. Looks fearful, doesn't he?" + +"Awful! Ought to have the doctor." + +Sam shifted uneasily. + +Five minutes later a sailor wearing on one sleeve the Red Cross of the +hospital squad came along. + +"Say," said the marine, "I wish you'd look at the feller in the brig." + +The hospital man showed his face at the grating and looked at Truax +keenly. + +"Wow! The sawbones officer has got to look at this chap!" + +Sam Truax sprang to his feet, but his legs wobbled. He felt his +heart-beats racing and his face flushing. + +"I felt all right a little while ago, but I certainly feel queer now," he +muttered. + +Doctor McCrea soon hurried below. + +"Sentry, unlock the door! Let me in there!" + +Doctor McCrea made a brief examination. + +"How long have you been feeling ill?" + +"N-not long," faltered Truax. + +"Hospital man!" called Doctor McCrea. + +"Aye, aye, sir!" + +"Have the stretcher brought here at once." + +"Aye, aye, sir!" + +The stretcher was brought, and the attendants put Truax on it. + +"I can walk, Doctor," he protested feebly. + +"Can't risk it! To the 'sick bay,' men." + +"What's wrong, Doctor?" Truax asked, when he was lifted from the stretcher +and placed in one of the berths. + +"Don't talk, my man. Just lie quietly and let us get you on your feet--if +we can," he added under his breath, but not so softly but that Sam Truax +heard him. + +The attendant came with a glass of liquid. + +"Drink this," ordered the surgeon, "and in a few minutes you'll feel +better." + +"I--I feel awful," Truax groaned. + +The dose was repeated, but the patient continued to grow worse. His nausea +was overwhelming and he vomited over and over. In an interval of quiet the +doctor leaned over him. + +"Have you anything on your mind, man? Any wrong you'd like to set straight +before--before--" + +A look of fright came into Truax's eyes. + +"Doctor, I--I wonder if Jack Benson would come to see me?" + +"I'll see," replied the doctor, rising and leaving the "sick bay." + +Ten minutes later the naval surgeon returned with Benson. Hal Hastings, +Mr. Mayhew and Ensign Trahern followed Jack and the doctor. + +"Here's Mr. Benson, Truax," announced Doctor McCrea. "If there's anything +you wish to confess, the rest of us can bear witness and help straighten +matters out if you've done any wrong that you now regret." + +Sam Truax feebly stretched out a hand that was hot and dry. + +"Benson, will you give me your hand?" + +"Certainly." + +"Can you ever forgive me?" moaned the man. + +"Why, what have you done?" asked Jack. + +"That assault back in Dunhaven--" + +"Was it you who knocked me out there?" demanded Benson sharply. + +"Yes." In a shaking voice Truax confessed the details of the affair and +from that passed to Jack's trip to the suburbs of Annapolis. + +"I found the mulatto in a low den. I told him you carried a lot of money +and that he could have it all if he'd decoy you somewhere, keep you all +night, and send you back to the Naval Academy looking like a tramp." He +then added the name of the mulatto. + +"But why have you done this?" demanded Jack. "What have you against me?" + +"I didn't do it on my own account. I did it for Tip Gaynor, a salesman for +Sidenham." + +"The Sidenham Submarine Company?" cried Jack, deeply interested. "The +Sidenham people are our nearest competitors in the submarine business!" he +exclaimed. + +"Yes; and they wanted to get the business away from the Pollard Company. +They told Tip Gaynor it would be worth ten thousand dollars to him for +each Sidenham boat he could sell to the Government. Tip hired me--" + +"One moment, please," interrupted Jack. "Did the Sidenham officials know +that Gaynor intended to use such methods?" + +"I don't believe they did," replied Truax. + +"Humph! So Gaynor hired you to do all you could to disgrace me in the eyes +of the naval authorities and to injure the machinery in the engine room of +the submarine!" + +"Yes. Tip said it was highly important that the Pollard boats should break +down while under the eyes of all Annapolis, so that it would seem that +they could not be depended upon." + +Truax here became so ill that his audience had to wait until he could +proceed. Then Jack asked: + +"What sort of looking fellow is Gaynor?" + +"He was the black-bearded man who shanghaied you in the white knockabout. +He doesn't usually wear a beard. He grew it for the occasion." + +"So, acting for Tip Gaynor, you undertook to ruin us all and the good name +of our boats! You even met Dave Pollard and got him to take you on as a +machinist for our boats!" + +"Tip knew a man who was willing to introduce me to Mr. Pollard." + +"It was like kindly, unsuspicious Dave Pollard to be taken in by a rascal +like that," muttered Jack to himself. + +Sam Truax added a few more details to his confession, then said: + +"I couldn't die without telling you this, Benson. I hope you forgive me." + +Before Jack Benson could reply Lieutenant Commander Mayhew stepped +forward. + +"Truax, have you told us the exact truth?" + +"I have." + +"You thought it would be easy to get the better of a boy like Benson, I +suppose." + +"Easy enough," admitted Sam. "So did Tip." + +"You shot far below the mark in guessing at Benson's ingenuity and +brains," remarked Doctor McCrea, laughing. "It was he who suggested this +way of inducing you to make this confession after you had refused to +answer the lieutenant commander's questions." + +"What?" demanded Truax harshly. + +"When I was first called in to you, you were not sick, only scared by the +remarks of others. After we got you in here, we dosed you with ipecac. +That started your stomach to moving up and down." + +"What? You poisoned me?" + +"The ipecac was my choice. It isn't poison. The general idea was Captain +Benson's. With a lad like him you haven't a chance." + +"Benson, you infernal cheat, you!" muttered Truax, and started to get out +of the berth. But he was weak, and the attendant had no difficulty in +thrusting him back. + +"In view of what you've been telling us, you'd better not sprinkle bad +names about," said the surgeon, turning on his heel. He was followed by +the others, all chuckling. + +"Mr. Benson," said Doctor McCrea, when the party was in the cabin, "are +you my friend?" + +"I certainly am, sir," cried Jack warmly. + +"Thank you," said the doctor, making a comical face. "With your head for +doing things, Mr. Benson, I feel safer with your friendship than I should +if I had your enmity." + +While they were still chatting in the cabin of the gunboat a shot sounded +on deck. Then a corporal of marines rushed in, saluting. + +"The prisoner, Truax, sir, escaped while walking under guard on deck. He +dived headlong, sir. The marine guard fired after him through the +darkness, sir. The officer of the deck sends his compliments, sir, and +wants to know if Truax is to be pursued in a small boat." + +"At once, and with all diligence," ordered the lieutenant commander. + +Though a thorough search was made, Truax was not found. It was thought +that the fellow had been drowned. But months later it was learned that he +was skulking in Europe with Tip Gaynor, who had received word in time to +make his escape also. + +For two days more the instruction continued at sea. Then, the tour of +instruction over, the little flotilla returned to the Academy at +Annapolis. From there Captain Benson wired Mr. Farnum for further orders. +Without delay came back the dispatch: + +"Navy Department requests that for present 'Farnum' be left at Annapolis. +You and crew return by rail when ready." + +Soon after this Jack was informed that the Annapolis police had run down +the mulatto who had decoyed the young submarine skipper on that memorable +night. Jack's money, watch and other valuables were later recovered and +returned to him. + +Just before Jack and his mates were to leave the "Farnum" for the last +time, Lieutenant Commander Mayhew came aboard, followed by Ensign Trahern +and three of the midshipmen who had been under submarine instruction. + +"Mr. Benson and gentlemen," said Mr. Mayhew, "I shall not make a set +speech. What I have to say is that the cadet midshipmen who have been +under your capable and much-prized instruction of late wish each of you to +take away a slight memento of your stay here." + +Machinist Williamson had not been omitted. Each of the four received from +the lieutenant commander a small box, each containing a small gold shield. +In the center was the coat of arms of the United States Naval Academy. At +the top of each pin was the name of the one to whom it was given. Across +the bottom were the words: + + FROM THE + BATTALION OF NAVAL CADETS + IN KEEN APPRECIATION + OF ADMIRABLE INSTRUCTION + +"I think," said Mr. Mayhew, "that none of you will hesitate to wear this +pin on vest or coat lapel. The gift is a simple one, but it practically +makes you honorary members of the United States Navy of the future, and I +am glad of it." + + + + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SUBMARINE BOYS AND THE MIDDIES*** + + + +CREDITS + + +December 2005 + + Project Gutenberg Edition + Roger Frank, Taavi Kalju + Online Distributed Proofreading Team + +June 2006 + + Added PGHeader/PGFooter. + Joshua Hutchinson + + + +A WORD FROM PROJECT GUTENBERG + + +This file should be named 17756-0.txt or 17756-0.zip. + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + + + http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/7/7/5/17756/ + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one -- the old editions will be +renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one +owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and +you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission +and without paying copyright royalties. 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