The Dreadnought Boys in Home Waters
the submarines, already on board the diving craft, took their stations. "Cap
rc ascended to the bridge. They found Midshipman Kenworth ther
ing the steam steering gear, was a small house in which th
rd,[Pg 68] and drew him into the doorway of the structure. There was a small port in th
Herc. "I don't like this spying busi
t wish to spy on the young man; I merely w
nchored. Beyond this island, the boys, somewhat to their surprise, saw that there was still quite an expa
ker color of the channels that threaded the numerous shallow places alternated with b
ed Herc; "about as bad a pla
ound of their voices. Kenworth was looking straight ahead. From time to time they could see him
annel perfectly, however, winding among th
this work," said Ned in a
as been in and out of here a hundred times. A
is companion wi
g
ant peace and harmony on thi
red Herc. "All right; from now on, I'm the
entary shock of surprise. Rankin appeared on the bridge. There was nothing extraordinar
explain, felt that more than that lay in this sudden conjunction of
ulsive red-headed youth was about, apparently, to break for
between them. Kenworth greeted him with an easy nod, and then, after giving some directions to the man
boys heard him say, "I don't want
hey merely stood close back against its metal wall. They had taken up positio
oached the steering-gear structure, he grabbed Herc and drew him down. Now they crouched quietl
ling tone; "a couple of snips that aren't dry behind the ears been set
e two interlopers succeeded
they started in the nav
olis. I'd like to know what the service is coming to when g
in coming down. They've no use for me, I fancy. I wish I
joinder, in a tone which wa
g
e wh
scheme to discredit them with th
ahead
up. Ned also ventured to steal a look through the port. He saw the shoal the hel
e was only one way to save
bounded out of the steering-gear hous
ought Boy, with a sinking sense of dread, guessed somehow that already the conspiracy[Pg 74] a
entleness. He turned and gazed after the figure of the young officer
" Ned heard K
he circumstances, would bring the bow of t
ver! For your life
recognizing the superior autho
ver to "Full speed astern." With a grating, jarring succession of bumps, the Seneca, Ned's first command
of failure and disgrace, even at the very out