The Submarine Boys and the Middies The Prize Detail at Annapolis

the first of t

o a run, heading for the na

ed Jacob Farnum, darting afte

ated back over

t's at th

," Captain Jack shouted back as he halted at the wat

as he, also, reached the beach. Hal, who wa

cruise all alone?-that he has come t

not going to worry a mi

etorted Jack

dded Hal Hastings. "He rarely falls into an

away," objected the owner of the yard. "The 'Hudson' may be he

anned the horizon away to

e, now, and not many mi

s not, be smoke from

ed Captain Jack Benson, as Hal t

ping into a seat at the stern of the boat

ber, the air was keen and brisk. There had been frost for seve

buoy," declared Captain

other one,

clean get-away. If there had been any accident, it must have taken p

scanning the sea. "No s

ere within twent

Hal, looking down into the waters that we

o, Captain?" inquired J

e of his machinists co

tter put them aboard th

n sug

d" at the platform deck. Captain Jack Benson unlocking the door to the conning tower, was himself the firs

young skipper, as he dropped down once more into the bow of the shore boat. "R

Jack industriously u

ted from this exploration. Then,

Easy; rest on yo

hen let it down again, playing it up and down ve

er," declared young Benson. "Pull around about three

aw with his sounding-line

ared the young skipper, positively, "then it'

sed the lead fairly to dance a ji

that, anyway?" dem

doing this just for f

ack, with

ct when you do anything unusual," resp

es sound with a good deal of exagger

of c

a good deal during the past few weeks, because every man who follows th

now that,

hat the lead has been

nd I've been tappi

p-rush!'" broke in H

nodded Ja

know what the signal w

Fa

arm. I've been reading, from the motions of his right ar

e, for the things you think of,

k, suddenly. "I just felt my lead slide down over the top of her hull.

omething dark, unwieldly, rising through the water. It appeared to be coming up fairly under the ster

mmediately afterward the upper third of a long, cigar-shaped craft came up into view, water rolling f

eckled, good-humored, honest, homely face of Eph Somers. The boat lay on the water, under no headway, drifting slightly with th

do you know a buoy

t and petty larceny?" retorted Jack Benson, sternly. "W

om a banana, get down to the bow moorings of this steel mermaid, and I'll pass you the bow cable. It's a heap

m," with just bare headway, up to where he could toss the bow cable to those waiting in the boat. A few moments

you feel like it," proposed Eph

all boat lay alongside. "We've got some inspecting to

utes, and I got him to put me on board. I figured I co

tain Jack, in a low tone. "It's really more than you had a

take the 'Pollard' and

," retorted Somers,

captain, I have the right to handle the boat. But that leave doesn't

cabin thermometer standing at 49 degrees. I wondered how much warmth could be gained by going below

ad," Jack co

a sledge-hammer, anyway

I found that the tempera

armth of your body, and the heat of t

or ninety degrees by turning on the ele

epths; wanted to find out how low I could go and be

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

t?" inquired Eph, looking b

wall book-case, taking down a book and

ter for an hour, trying to find out something new, and it's all stated in a bo

conning tower, the shipbuilder was now well forward on the platform deck, scanning what was

too soon. The craft heading this way has a military mast forward.

. Five minutes later Grant Andrews hailed from the "Pollard," a

hes aboard the newer submarine boat. The sun, meanwhile, had gone dow

ouded sky. As young Benson stepped

e, Grant?" querie

ghty little chance to

charge of t

. Farnum, pointing to where a white masthead light

strange navigating officer knows how to come s

y place he has sailing orders for," returned Jacob Farn

, if he wants to do so,

r. Farnum, Jack and Hal remained on the platform deck, watching the ap

hite light shot over the water, res

ts to know, now," muttered Benson, bli

" announced Hastings. "Now, that commander m

k, suddenly. "Hal, hustle below and turn on the

gnaling mast, colored electric lights glowed forth, twinkling brie

ned, "whether there is safe anchorage for a twelve-hundre

gnaling control. There was a low mast on the "Farnum's" platform deck, a mast that could be unstepped almost i

your d

teen-eight," came the answer

," Captain Jack

a pilot?" questioned

tain Jack

me the laco

through the engine room speaking tube. "Want

nboat was now lying to, some seven hundred yards off the mouth of the little harbor. Hastings bent lustily to t

. Then, by a slip of the tongue, and wholly in

the 'Da

rt from the gunboat's bridge. "D

f the tongue," Hal replied, meekly, as h

g officer, young man!

ttered Hastings, under his b

pilot you

?" came the sharp question. "Did you t

I make fast to your s

ca

rry, you

his chum. "No fooling in the talk. I wonder if tha

gway. Jack, waiting, sprang quickly to the steps, ascending, waving his hand

came a stern voice, f

howed above the

lot, sir," J

you're

" Jack r

an? You're not old enough

diately under the bridge. A half dozen sa

has anyone else at Dunhaven. For that matter, the

rnum a man he

the harbor bette

you? What

Captain of the Poll

t before!" The question cam

r, but you didn't as

ommander, in a loud voice intended to drown out

ing a six-footer in his early thirties. There wa

howing us the way into the harbor!" demand

He trusts me wit

you

m's captain of the

nishment for a moment, then held out his

find a very young subma

ind one quite as young,

ant you to know Captain Jack Be

lso shook hands

the "Hudson," "I think you may as we

ed. "The harbor is small, though there's enough deep water for y

actly, but you'll indicate the cou

chary of their bestowal of the title "captain" upon

tarted slowly forward, the searchlight p

the harbor, "you will do well to anchor with that main arc-light dead ahead, that shed over there

while men stood on the deck below, for

o port, Mr. Trahern,"

the engin

Then, as he saw the way the "Huds

d ahead, q

-" began

at dug its way into a sand ledge

asped Lieutenant Comm

budged. She was stuck, ster

itterly, "I congratulate you. You've succeede