The Submarine Boys' Lightning Cruise / The Young Kings of the Deep

ph's word during th

ates so badly sprang that pumping would not drive out the water as fast as i

in to those aboard would

aboard, and with these, offic

en miles to swim to mainland through an ever-roughening sea, it was almos

son did not desert his post by the steering wheel. Some one m

th Benson, duplicating, in those aw

ently came running up

etween two plates about twelve feet abaft of the bow, sir. But Mr. Somers believes

e did, Jack Benson stood ready to accept that repor

ee the lea

s,

you think

agree with

d take a look at the leak,

I'll keep the searchlight steadily on wha

p on in towa

insulted in this fashion by an old derelict, I don't bel

ried down the stairs, then followed Ewald through a steel tr

minutes Mr. Danve

the leak threatens to become serious, unless

oung captain replied, quietly, "afte

k together and admire each oth

ogether in this work. No one of the three knows anything

k about not letting the derelict off t

hat old sunken hulk," retorted Captain Jack,

an that we ought to

e Navy, sir, that ge

y Department always sends out

hink we answer the description of a vessel fitted for destroying a derelict?" sm

business," muttered D

vy's work, isn't it?"

that you want to make a sure-enou

e searchlight. "And over there, three hundred yards yonder, I can still m

ht, the Navy isn't going to feel chilled and run away," laughed Danvers, shortly.

o," nodded C

derelict. You can't just hang off like this over her

ll that," said

's your pl

must also get an idea of the length of the hull. Then, having gotten our figures, we'll have to glide back a little way, so as to give a right-angle broadside on at the hull of the derelict. Bef

sunken hull in order to locate it and make your soundings. Now, you run a big chance of running plumb on to some other stump of a mast. The

Benson, coolly. "Do you feel then, Mr. Danvers, that we should be satisfied to drive back to Dunhaven

fully gazed at the young s

a fellow like you, Jack Benson, will be to wade in and

you. And now, we'll see how complete

," answered Ep

nsult with your crew

ng," muttered Captain Jack. "All they want is thei

aye,

er, and Jack, sounding line in hand, was out on the

he engine room, was, as yet, ignorant of the game, but al

to the bobbing masthead as the young captain deemed safe. Jack shouted his

all the time turned in the direction of the top of the bobbing mast stump. In a circle th

f the sunken derelict. The distance b

e of the hull," called

d how far back this hul

e conning tower, followed by Danvers. Jack himself closed the manhole, while Eph still t

that loaded torpedo into the tube

p you," added Li

ar below the surface the deck of the sunken derelict lay. He planned to land the torpedo tw

e "Hastings," under slow speed astern, was gl

firing lever, then," cal

the instant that he g

ubmerging apparatus. D

e, then report i

aye,

ntly watching, listening, and digesting Benson's pl

of the "Hastings" began t

r-and-stopped!" sh

fire!" J

aye,

ir

it is,

Somers?" rolled down

s,

pressed air, and brin

aye,

ning tower stood up, dri

ight again. Slow speed

the waters before them the surface of the sea a

anvers, jubilantly. "Everything about that old der

inquired Jack Benson, respectfully, for this trained

archlight as they sailed through a sea littered with small wreckage. "That derelict will

sk, then, in sailing back and fort

e swung the searchlight in a new direction. "There's that submerg

en derelict had been efficiently blown up. That water-logged ghos

nscience," chuckled Lieutenant Danvers. "And, while you're doi

" the first few miles

mers to the wheel and

d made moorings. The night watchman of the yard rowed out to meet them, bringing the news that Mr

went inside. There they found Jacob Farnum at his

a roughening up every minute. They lost their fishing smack. Their boat struck on the stump of a mast of a sunken derelict. The smack sprung a big leak, this morning, and went down. I've just written a telegram

at the telegram, and then h

ir?" demanded Jacob

naval officer, with a smile. "We encountered that same