diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/54069-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54069-0.txt | 6059 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 6059 deletions
diff --git a/old/54069-0.txt b/old/54069-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 424fe33..0000000 --- a/old/54069-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6059 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Boy Inventors' Diving Torpedo Boat, by Richard Bonner - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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 -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Boy Inventors' Diving Torpedo Boat - -Author: Richard Bonner - -Illustrator: Charles L. Wrenn - -Release Date: January 28, 2017 [EBook #54069] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BOY INVENTORS' DIVING TORPEDO BOAT *** - - - - -Produced by Roger Frank, Les Galloway and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - -[Illustration: “Why, the _White Shark_ surely is a wonderful craft!” -exclaimed Jack.—_Page 24._] - - - - - THE - BOY INVENTORS’ - DIVING TORPEDO - BOAT - - BY - - RICHARD BONNER - - AUTHOR OF “THE BOY INVENTORS’ WIRELESS TRIUMPH,” “THE - BOY INVENTORS’ VANISHING GUN,” ETC. - - - _ILLUSTRATED BY - CHARLES L. WRENN_ - - - NEW YORK - HURST & COMPANY - PUBLISHERS - - - - - Copyright, 1912, - BY - HURST & COMPANY - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. THE RUNAWAY CAR 5 - - II. THE “WHITE SHARK” 16 - - III. A WONDERFUL CRAFT 23 - - IV. MORE STRANGE DISCOVERIES 35 - - V. A WILD CHASE 44 - - VI. JACK MAKES A PROMISE 54 - - VII. THE LAUNCHING OF THE MODEL 61 - - VIII. JUPE BATTLES WITH A WATER MONSTER 71 - - IX. OFF ON THE STRANGEST CRAFT ON RECORD 85 - - X. IN DIRE DANGER 92 - - XI. TOM’S PLAN FOR RESCUE 103 - - XII. A BRITISH SKIPPER 113 - - XIII. AN IMPORTANT TELEGRAM 119 - - XIV. THE VOICE IN THE DARK 132 - - XV. THE MAN BEHIND THE MYSTERY 142 - - XVI. ADAM DUKE’S METHODS 150 - - XVII. THE TABLES ARE TURNED 159 - - XVIII. HEAVEN’S INTERVENTION 166 - - XIX. AN INSUFFICIENT DISGUISE 174 - - XX. A NAVAL ENCOUNTER 183 - - XXI. A FRESH DANGER 196 - - XXII. A NARROW ESCAPE 204 - - XXIII. THE “WHITE SHARK” AND THE SQUADRON 211 - - XXIV. A MYSTERY ADRIFT 222 - - XXV. LOST IN THE FOG 236 - - XXVI. “A PHANTOM OF LIGHT” 243 - - XXVII. LAND IS SIGHTED 250 - - XXVIII. A SINGLE CHANCE 260 - - XXIX. A FORTUNATE FIND 269 - - XXX. A FISH STORY 277 - - XXXI. FACING A SERIOUS SITUATION 286 - - XXXII. THE “WHITE SHARK” TO THE RESCUE 299 - - - - - The Boy Inventors’ Diving Torpedo Boat - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -THE RUNAWAY CAR. - - -“What’s the trouble?” - -“I don’t know. Seems to me that the car is running away.” - -“It surely does. Gracious! Feel it lurch then?” - -As he spoke Jack Chadwick, a good-looking, clean-cut lad of about -seventeen, sprang to his feet. His example was followed by his cousin, -Tom Jesson, a youth of his own age. - -But the trolley car, at the same instant, gave a bound and a side jump -that hurled the boys against each other. - -Simultaneously the motorman turned his head and gave a frightened shout: - -“She’s got away from me! We’d all better jump!” - -The car was on a steep down grade. Its speed was momentarily -increasing, and it leaped and swayed wildly as it dashed down the hill. -The motorman had hardly spoken before he made a leap from the front -platform. The two boys saw his form sprawling on the road as he landed -staggeringly. He was followed by the conductor of the car, who, more -fortunate, managed to keep his feet after his jump. - -All this happened with the rapidity of a swiftly moving motion picture -film. The two boys found themselves alone. - -When they had left Boston for High Towers, the suburban estate of -Professor Chadwick, Jack’s famous father, the car had for some -reason been almost empty. The last passenger, with the exception of -themselves, had vacated it some moments before the brakes had failed to -work and the vehicle had started on its mad career down the steep hill. - -In a flash the runaway car had passed the two operatives who had -deserted it in terror, and was dashing forward faster than ever toward -the foot of the hill. - -Jack and his chum started for the front platform. Jack had a vague idea -that perhaps he could control the runaway car. Before them they could -see, at the foot of the hill, a sharp curve of the tracks, and beyond -the flashing water of Bluewater Cove, a small but deep inlet. - -All this they had but a minute to realize. Hardly had the details -of the scene impressed themselves on their minds—scarcely had Jack -grasped the brake handle and twisted it desperately, before the car -appeared to leap into the air like a thing instinct with life. There -was an alarmed shout from both boys, which was echoed by a gray-haired -man, who rushed from an odd-looking building, abutting on the water, at -the same instant that the car left the tracks at the curve. - -The lads had just time to glimpse his overalled figure and to note his -alarm, when everything was blotted out as the car dashed into a clump -of trees and was utterly demolished. - -It was an hour or so later when Jack and his chum came back to their -senses. Their eyes opened on a scene so strange to them that they were -completely at a loss to account for their surroundings. Jack lay on a -sort of cot-bed, while his returning senses showed him Tom reclining -on a similar contrivance almost opposite him. - -The room in which they were was an unceiled, unpapered apartment. The -walls were of rough pine wood, and above them the naked rafters showed. -In one corner was a stove, and in another a well-furnished set of book -shelves. A library table which was littered with papers supported a -reading lamp as well as what appeared to be models of different bits -of machinery. Taken as a whole, the room appeared to be a section of -a large wooden shed, paneled or partitioned off to serve as a living -place. - -To Jack’s eyes, trained as they were to comprehend the details of -machinery, it was perfectly plain that whoever occupied the place was -engaged on some difficult, or at least abstruse, problems connected -with a mechanical device; although, of course, as to what the nature of -this might be, the lad could not hazard a guess. - -“Where in the world are we, Tom?” he asked, as he saw by Tom’s opened -eyes—one of which was badly blackened—that his cousin was in full -possession of his senses. - -“I don’t know. It’s a funny-looking place. Say, Jack, are you hurt?” - -“No; that is, I don’t think so.” - -Jack stretched his limbs carefully. Apparently the result of his -self-inspection was satisfactory, for the next moment he said: - -“No; I’m sound as a new dollar. How about you, Tom?” - -“All right, except that my eye feels as if it was as big as the State -House dome. Jiminy, what an almighty smash!” - -“Yes; we were lucky to get out of it alive. But where on earth are we? -That’s what I want to know.” - -At this juncture a door at one end of the room opened and the same -figure that had rushed from the waterside shed as the car left the -curve appeared. It was that of a kindly-faced man of about sixty. His -tall figure was bent and stooped, but fire and energy still twinkled -in a pair of piercing black eyes. Although the possessor of these -attributes wore overalls, it was evident that he was not a laboring -man. His face was rather that of a dreamer, of a man accustomed to deal -with mental problems. In one hand he carried a pitcher of water, while -in the other he had a stout volume bound in yellow calfskin. - -“Ah! So my young patients are better already,” he remarked as his -glance rested on the two wide-eyed lads. “You had a miraculous escape,” -he continued. “I saw you on the front platform of the car as it left -the rails and headed for a clump of trees. I did not think that there -was a possible chance of your surviving, but it appears that you did.” - -He blinked his odd, dark eyes and smiled at Jack, who was sitting up on -his couch. His coat and vest had been removed, and his head throbbed -rather wildly. - -“What happened, sir?” he asked. “I remember the car running away, -and then I made for the brakes—that was after the conductor and the -motorman jumped—but after that it’s all confused.” - -“No wonder,” was the reply. “I dragged you and this other lad out of -a mass of débris. Had it not been that a heavy beam protected you from -being crushed, you would have undoubtedly been killed.” - -“The car was smashed, then?” - -“It is a complete wreck. The conductor and the motorman were but -slightly injured so that you all came safely out of it by a miracle, as -it were.” - -“We don’t know your name, but we are deeply grateful to you for all -that you have done for us,” declared Jack. “My name is Chadwick, and -this is my cousin and chum, Tom Jesson.” - -“Chadwick?” repeated the man, with the manner of one who recalls a -familiar name. “Are you any relation of the famous Professor Chadwick, -the inventor?” - -“I am his son,” rejoined Jack, not without a ring of pride in his -voice. - -“Then you must be one of the lads who went through those extraordinary -adventures in connection with the wonderful vanishing gun which you -helped Mr. Pythias Peregrine perfect?” - -“We are the same boys,” replied Jack smilingly, “but so far as helping -Mr. Peregrine was concerned, I’m afraid we got him into more trouble -than anything else.” - -“Not from what I have heard,” rejoined the gray-haired man with -conviction; “had it not been for you the vanishing-gun device would -have been stolen, and possibly Mr. Peregrine’s life sacrificed. But -now, perhaps, it is time that I made myself known to you. My name is -Daniel Dancer.” - -“_The_ Daniel Dancer?” exclaimed Jack, astonishment appearing in his -eyes. Tom’s round and rubicund countenance was alight with the same -eager surprise as they awaited the answer. - -“I believe that I have been referred to as _The_ Daniel Dancer,” was -the quiet rejoinder. “You appear to have heard of me before.” - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE “WHITE SHARK.” - - -“Who hasn’t heard of Daniel Dancer?” cried Tom enthusiastically. “Why, -as dad used to say, your name is almost a household word in the field -of invention.” - -The gray-haired man regarded him quizzically. - -“Possibly it is,” he rejoined, “but at the present moment I am as much -at sea regarding a mechanical problem as any tyro.” - -He nodded his head in the direction of the model-bestrewn table. - -“What I meant to make the crowning achievement of my career, my diving -torpedo boat, the _White Shark_, is at present at a dead standstill.” - -The two boys regarded him wonderingly. - -“You mean that work on it is at a standstill?” inquired Jack presently. - -“Precisely so. I have to face certain mechanical problems that have—I -am free to admit it—fairly stumped me.” - -“You see,” he continued briefly, “the _White Shark_ is to be a -combination diving and ‘skimming’ boat.” - -The boys merely nodded and waited for Mr. Dancer to continue. Plainly, -developments of possibly startling interest were at hand. - -“But it is impossible for me to explain to you just what the _White -Shark_ is, and what I hope to accomplish with her, without affording -you a view of the craft,” resumed Mr. Dancer; “if you feel strong -enough I will show her to you.” - -“But it seems to me that I read in a Boston paper some time ago that -your work here was of the most secret sort,” said Jack. - -“So far as the outside public is concerned such is the case,” was the -reply, “but to my fellow laborers in the same field, as it were, I am -glad to be of service and to provide them with an interesting sight; -for I am vain enough to believe that the _White Shark_ is one of the -most remarkable craft in the world at the present time.” - -“I should like to see it above all things,” cried Jack eagerly. - -“The same here,” responded Tom, with expectant eyes, “I feel quite -recovered from my shaking up.” - -“That is good. Now if you will get up and follow me, I think I can show -you something that will surprise you.” - -So saying the inventor crossed the room to another door than the one by -which he had entered. The boys, following him, found themselves in a -big shed from which “ways” sloped down to the water’s edge. An extended -view of the ocean was not possible, for two doors of stout construction -barred the gaze of any curious person who might have tried to obtain a -view of the _White Shark_ from the sea. - -But for these details the boys had no eyes. Their gaze was riveted -on what, in outside appearance, at any rate, fully justified its -designer’s appellation: “One of the most remarkable craft in the world.” - -The _White Shark_ was secured at the top of the ways, presumably ready -to take a plunge into the element for which she was designed. She was -about seventy feet in length, and shaped like a rather stout barrel -with pointed, conical ends. - -At one end was a propeller of bronze, and at the other a long tube, -like a snout, or nose. This puzzled the boys greatly, but for the time -they refrained from asking questions. The material of which the _White -Shark_ was constructed was a mystery also. It glistened like polished -nickel and was as smooth and bright as a mirror. - -“The _White Shark_ is built throughout of Monel metal, a material that -will not tarnish or corrode, but always remains bright,” explained Mr. -Dancer. - -Jack nodded his head. - -“It’s something quite new, isn’t it?” he asked. - -“Yes. It’s the invention of a friend of mine in New Jersey. It is -almost as light and far stronger than aluminum.” - -There was a ladder leaning against the side of the odd craft and Mr. -Dancer, beckoning to the boys, signed them to follow him. He ascended -the rungs with remarkable agility for a man of his apparent age and -reached the top of the cylindrical craft long before the boys did. - -The rounded top of the diving craft was as smooth and bright as -its sides. A low rail ran round the “upper deck,” if such it could -be called, and at first sight it appeared that there was no way of -penetrating to the interior of the _White Shark_. - -Mr. Dancer bent, however, and pressed a button, at first hardly -discernible. A panel slid back noiselessly, revealing the first steps -of a flight of steep stairs. - -“One moment till I light your way,” said the inventor, “I don’t want -you to fall down stairs and get into trouble twice in one day.” - -He gave an odd, dry little laugh as he said this and reaching within, -he pressed another button. There came a sharp click, and below them -the fascinated boys saw the interior of the unique vessel illuminated -by a soft white light of intense radiance. - -“I invite you on board the _White Shark_,” said Mr. Dancer with a bow -and a wave of his hand toward the entrance; “you will be the first -outsiders to visit it.” - -With hearts that beat a little faster than usual at the idea of the -novel experience before them the two lads stepped within the opening -and began the descent of the stairs. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -A WONDERFUL CRAFT. - - -At the foot of the stairs they found themselves within a room, narrow -and high ceiled by the curved deck above, from each side of which three -doors opened. In the center, suspended from the ceiling so as to be out -of the way when not in use, a table swung, which could be lowered when -wanted. Along the walls were folding chairs and lounges of the same -description. At one end were bookshelves containing what appeared to be -scientific works. A soft carpet was on the floor and the decorations of -the chamber were handsome, but plain and solid looking. - -The light which flooded the place came from a ground-glass dome in -the ceiling. At the end of the room opposite to that occupied by the -bookshelves was a table with glittering, metallic apparatus on it. Jack -and Tom instantly recognized this as constituting an unusually complete -wireless outfit. - -“Why, the _White Shark_ surely is a wonderful craft!” exclaimed Jack -delightedly, gazing about him. - -Tom echoed his enthusiasm; but Mr. Dancer merely said: - -“Wait; I have more, much more, to show you.” - -He opened one of the doors that led off the main chamber which they had -just been examining. It disclosed a small cabin, furnished with two -Pullman bunks, one above the other. - -“There are three cabins like this,” said Mr. Dancer. “Those other two -doors open into a bathroom and kitchen respectively. The last door -leads to my private cabin.” - -In turn these rooms were shown. Mr. Dancer’s cabin was similar to -the others, but slightly larger. A writing desk and some scientific -instruments were within it. The kitchen proved to be a perfectly -equipped “ship’s galley,” clean and compact, and the bath room fixtures -were of the whitest porcelain, and included a fine shower bath. - -“Now for the engine room,” said Mr. Dancer, when the boys had expressed -their delight over the features of the _White Shark_ they had already -seen. - -He opened a metal door in the after bulkhead of the main cabin and -ushered the partially bewildered lads through it. The engine room -of the _White Shark_ was an odd looking place. Instead of pipes and -valves, wires and switches were everywhere. In the center of the metal -floor were two powerful electric motors, and at the side of each -was a dynamo which, Mr. Dancer explained, connected with the storage -batteries in which electricity was stored for practically every purpose -on the diving craft. - -“I light, cook, and drive my engines by electricity,” explained their -guide; “in fact, everything on board is done by it. Even my steering -devices and aluminum diving apparatus is electrically controlled. It is -simple, takes up but little room and is always efficient.” - -“Those must be very powerful engines,” ventured Tom, who had been -examining them with interest. - -“They can develop more than 1500 horsepower each,” was the reply, “and -weigh but very little in comparison with their efficiency. They will -drive, or so I figure, the _White Shark_ at twenty-five miles an hour -on the surface, and might be made to develop thirty and even more miles -per hour if pushed hard.” - -“But you can’t go so fast under water,” said Jack. - -“No; the resistance is, of course, much greater, but I hope to do -twenty miles under the surface of the sea.” - -“That will be faster than any submarine has ever gone?” - -The question came from Tom. - -“Yes, much faster, but then, in constructing the _White Shark_, I have -got far away from the ordinary types of diving craft.” - -“What is that long snout at the bow for?” asked Jack. - -“That takes the place of a conning tower. It is a sort of telescope -through which I can look out while running far under water. Near its -end are concealed two small, but very powerful, searchlights that -transform the perpetual darkness under the water to almost the light of -day.” - -“But on the surface,” asked Jack, who had seen submarines before at -naval maneuvers, “don’t you use a conning tower?” - -“No; we spy out our surroundings by an improved periscope, with the -general principles of which I suppose you are familiar.” - -“Yes; it’s a tube that can be raised above the surface and then -reflects that surface upon a sort of desk, where the operator of the -craft can see every detail plainly.” - -“That describes it roughly. And now let us visit the steering room and -the torpedo chamber. I also want to show you the submarine gun with -which the _White Shark_ is fitted.” - -“This surely is a wonder ship,” gasped Tom; “a submarine gun! I suppose -we’ll be introduced to a submarine lawn-mower next.” - -Passing back through the main chamber, they reached the bow. At the -front end of the conical-shaped room was what appeared to be the -mouth of a steel tube. This, the boys knew, was the lookout tube. The -inventor switched on the lights and showed the wondering lads just how -a ray of light, powerful enough to pierce the gloomy ocean depths, -could be shot out from it. He then exhibited to them the periscope -device and worked it for their benefit. By manipulating a crank the -long tube of the periscope rose from the deck above, and upon the -ground glass beneath its lower end the boys soon made out the details -of the shed outside. - -Behind the periscope attachment, and so situated that it commanded -a full view from the lookout tube, was the steering apparatus. But -instead of the customary wheel all that appeared was a row of buttons -and a switch board of polished wood. - -The whole contrivance was not unlike the desk of a telephone “central,” -which most of you boys must have seen. In fact, both Jack and Tom -thought it was a telephone switch board, and said so. - -Mr. Dancer smiled. - -“There is communication with all parts of the boat from the steersman’s -seat,” he said, “but it is by speaking tubes. I also have an automatic -annunciator which signals the engine room if I want to go fast, slow, -or to back up.” - -“I noticed it when we were in the machinery section,” said Jack. “You -have the entire boat under your control from here?” - -“Yes; I could, in an emergency, stop the engines from here. But what -I am most anxious to show you is my submarine gun and compressed-air -devices for sending torpedoes on their deadly missions.” - -He turned to what appeared to be a steel box affixed in the bow portion -of the craft alongside the sighting tube. At one side of the box were -levers, and a chute led down to it from above. - -“The torpedoes are stored overhead,” explained the inventor; “when -wanted this lever is pulled and one slides down and enters this box. -From there it is launched by compressed air, which is piped here from -the engine room. In my type of torpedo each missile carries its own -miniature engine, also propelled by compressed air. When it leaves the -side of the _White Shark_ a catch within that ‘launching box’ engages a -projection on the side of the torpedo which starts the miniature engine -in the latter.” - -“And the submarine gun?” asked Jack. - -“Right here. Doesn’t look much like a gun, does it?” - -He indicated a cylindrical object of blued, glistening steel. To be -sure, its “breech” was like that of the accepted type of modern guns -built to handle high explosives, but its barrel was almost square and -apparently projected through the skin of the _White Shark_. - -This impression was confirmed by Mr. Dancer. - -“The barrel of my gun, at least that part of it which projects outside -the submarine, is composed of flexible rungs of metal, much as a -high-pressure hose is constructed; but, of course, it is many times -stronger.” - -He went on to explain that this gun was capable of propelling an -explosive bullet half a mile under water, and that it could be aimed -in any direction by means of a system of levers and guiding ropes -controlled from the interior of the _White Shark_. - -“But you cannot use gunpowder or dynamite in the gun,” objected Jack, -who, as we know, under the tuition of Mr. Pythias Peregrine, had become -an expert on modern gunnery. - -“No; but I have substituted another force; what it is you will hardly -guess. I flatter myself that the idea is entirely original.” - -“If it’s like everything else on this wonderful craft it must be,” -assented Jack warmly. - -“The force that I use is nothing more nor less than steam,” responded -the inventor. - -“Steam?” echoed Jack. “Why, how——” - -“Wait and I’ll show you,” was the reply. - -Mr. Dancer bent over the breech of the odd-looking gun and threw it -open. - -“I am going to show you the most remarkable feature of the _White -Shark_,” he said. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -MORE STRANGE DISCOVERIES. - - -Within the breech of the gun was disclosed a chamber enclosing a small -cylinder of steel. This was ribbed by metallic strips connected with -electric wires and capable of being superheated by electrical current. -Inside this chamber was placed the explosive projectile which it was -desired to launch. - -This done, a small amount of water was admitted to the electrically -connected chamber, and a switch turned which caused the metal to become -superheated. In a flash steam, at terrific pressure, was formed, and by -a twist of a handle it could be released when desired. Simple as the -device appeared, Mr. Dancer informed the boys that in some experiments -that he had made it had proved most effective. - -With the inspection of the gun their survey of the craft practically -was over, except for the exhibition by Mr. Dancer of the anchoring -device and other minor details. - -When they stood once more on the top of the curved deck Jack exclaimed -with enthusiasm: - -“You have the finest craft of its kind I have ever seen or read of, Mr. -Dancer.” - -But, far from seeming elated, the inventor only sighed. - -“It appears all right, I know,” he said, “and it cost me almost all my -fortune to build it; but there is one fatal defect in it: the diving -devices do not work properly.” - -The boys regarded the gray-haired scientist with astonished eyes. - -“It won’t dive?” asked Jack, at length. - -“No; that is, not properly. You see, I had devised a sort of double -skin for it in parts, and I imagined that I could fill this with water -and make the craft sink when I so desired, and then pump out the water -when I wished to rise.” - -“And you did not do so?” queried Jack. - -“Yes, I equipped it with the tanks all right; but I found that I would -have to install such large pumps that it would be impracticable to work -them with the power I had; so that now, as I told you some time ago, -you find me at a standstill.” - -“You mean that you cannot think of any other plan of making your craft -ascend and descend in the water?” - -“That’s just it. I’m up against a stone wall. They call you the ‘Boy -Inventors.’ I’ve heard how you have aided other inventors in trouble. -Can you think of a way to make the _White Shark_ dive?” - -“Not off-hand,” declared Jack positively; “but I promise you we’ll give -the matter thought and do our best to help you. And now, Mr. Dancer, we -should be getting back. It is late and my father, for whom we ran into -town to purchase some electric apparatus, will be worrying about us.” - -“But the wreck of the car has blocked the road and I have no vehicle -handy that you can use.” - -“I thought I noticed a wireless apparatus on the _White Shark_; is it -working?” asked Jack. - -“Yes; but its radius is limited. You see, I had to install the aërials -inside the hull of the submarine; but with the powerful current I can -command I can send a message up to twenty miles, or even more, under -favorable conditions.” - -“If you don’t mind, then, I’ll send a message to High Towers asking -Jupe, that’s our colored man, to come right over with the automobile.” - -“What, you have a colored man who can take wireless messages?” - -“Yes indeed, Jupe learned all of that on our trip to the Gulf of -Mexico.” - -“True, I recall now reading about the colored man in some magazine -account of your adventures. You must have had a stirring trip and some -exciting times.” - -“We did, indeed,” was Jack’s reply. - -Readers of “The Boy Inventors’ Wireless Triumph,” the first volume of -this series, will agree with him. This story told of the finding of -Tom’s father, an explorer long lost in the mysterious land of Yucatan, -and also related the odd quest of Prof. Chadwick, including the -astonishing adventures of the two young inventors in a wonderful craft -of their own designing. - -After returning from this exciting trip they encountered, and aided -materially, the inventor of a vanishing gun, designed to fight -airships. Unscrupulous men tried to steal the plans of the gun, and -finally succeeded, but through the boys’ pluck and cleverness their -purposes were ultimately foiled. These experiences form a part of the -story entitled, “The Boy Inventors and the Vanishing Gun.” - -We now find them on the threshold of even stranger adventures than have -already befallen them and, having made this necessary digression, let -us follow our enterprising lads once more within the hull of the _White -Shark_, the diving craft that so far had not dived. - -Jack found the wireless of the usual type and lost no time in sending -out his call for High Towers. After some delay, Jupe answered. Jack -told him to bring the small runabout to the place, which he described, -as soon as possible. - -The colored man agreed to be with them in half an hour, and, much -relieved, the boys sauntered out of the shed with Mr. Dancer to await -the arrival of the auto. - -They were standing in the road outside the gates of the carefully -secluded workshop, when a man on a high-powered motorcycle suddenly -appeared from the direction of the grade down which the runaway car had -dashed. - -Mr. Dancer uttered an exclamation as he saw him. - -“It’s Adam Duke!” he exclaimed, in a rather perturbed tone. - -The words had hardly left his lips before the motorcycle chugged up to -where the little group was standing, and the rider swung himself from -his seat. - -When he pushed up his goggles, after alighting, the boys saw that the -newcomer was a tall, well-built man of middle age. But what might have -been a clever, good-looking face was marred by an expression of fixed -sullenness and aggression. - -“Well, what’s all this?” he muttered rather gruffly, as he stared at -the two lads. As for Mr. Dancer, even if his exclamation of recognition -had not told them, the boys would have known that he was no stranger to -the new arrival. - -“What do you want?” he exclaimed, as the man motioned inquiringly -toward the two boys. - -“A few words with you alone, Mr. Dancer.” - -Then, as the inventor hesitated: - -“Come; I’m in no mood to be trifled with.” - -Under the tan that overspread his rather wizened features the inventor -turned pale. - -“You must excuse me a minute,” he said, turning to the boys. - -Then he and the newcomer turned, the latter having leaned his -motorcycle against the fence, and they entered the territory beyond the -forbidding palings that marked the dwelling place of the _White Shark_. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -A WILD CHASE. - - -“That’s odd,” remarked Jack, as the two men vanished. - -“What’s odd?” - -“Why, if ever I saw a man badly worried, it was Mr. Dancer. What do you -suppose is the matter?” - -“No idea. He’s in debt, perhaps.” - -“No, that man didn’t look like a bill collector.” - -“I didn’t like his looks much, anyway. Wonder who he can be?” - -“Well, there’s his name on a name plate on that motorcycle,—Adam Duke.” - -“That’s the name that Mr. Dancer used when he came up. By the way, what -do you think of Mr. Dancer, Jack?” - -“A fine type of man. He is rather dreamy and impracticable, as only too -many inventors are apt to be.” - -“He has some wonderful features embodied in that submarine, though.” - -“Indeed he has. But a submarine that won’t dive isn’t much good.” - -“No more use than a motor that won’t mote,” coincided Tom with alacrity. - -“Have you any ideas to help him out, Jack?” he continued. - -There was a far-away look in Jack’s eyes before he replied. Then came -his answer: - -“Yes, Tom, I have thought of something, but whether it would be -practicable or not I don’t know yet.” - -“Well, if you’ve thought of anything, I’ll bet you’ll manage to work it -out some way,” quoth Tom with admiring conviction. - -“I wish that I could be as sure of that as you, Tom,” was the -rejoinder; “but hark! what’s that?” he broke off suddenly. “It seems to -me that we can be of aid to Mr. Dancer right now, Tom.” - -“Gracious, yes! Listen, there it goes again!” - -The sound both boys referred to was a sharp cry for help coming from -beyond the palings. - -“Help!” shouted a voice that they had no difficulty in recognizing as -Dancer’s, and then again came the cry for aid, sharp and thrilling in -its urgent need. - -“Help! Help!” - -“Come on, Tom!” - -“I’m right with you, Jack!” - -Together the two boys dashed through the gate which had been left open -when Mr. Dancer and the man they knew as Adam Duke entered it. - -Once inside they paused for an instant. Nobody was in sight, but a -cry issuing from a small building told them that it was within that -structure that they were needed, and needed in a hurry. Simultaneously -both lads ran toward the building, a small shed, apparently used as an -office. - -As they neared it, a figure darted from the door. It was Adam Duke. - -“What’s the trouble?” demanded Jack. - -“Nothing,” snarled Duke with an effort at self-control; but his face -was flushed and his eyes wild; and then he shouted: - -“Take that, you young cub!” - -A massive fist shot out, and Jack, taken utterly unawares, was knocked -from his feet into the dust. - -Before he could recover himself, Duke was darting for the gate, but -with Tom clinging to him like a bulldog to a cat. - -“Good for you, Tom!” shouted Jack, gathering himself together and -regaining his feet. - -He was about to follow Tom and the man Duke when a moan from within the -shed from which Duke had darted arrested him. - -“Mr. Dancer or somebody is in pain or injured,” he exclaimed. “My first -duty is to him.” - -Flinging a quick word of encouragement to Tom, the boy ran into the -shed. - -“Mr. Dancer! Mr. Dancer! Are you there?” he cried as he entered the -place which was in semi-darkness. - -“Who is it? Oh, who is it?” came in a moaning, broken voice from some -corner of the dark shed. - -“It’s Jack Chadwick! I’ve come to help you,” rejoined Jack as his eyes, -growing more accustomed to the gloom, made out a figure huddled in a -half shapeless mass in one corner of the place. - -“I fear you are too late, my lad. The scoundrel Duke has—has——” - -“Yes?” urged Jack, bending over the recumbent man. - -But Mr. Dancer’s eyes closed and he sank back unconscious. It was not -till then that Jack felt that his hands were wet, and realized that the -inventor was bleeding from a wound on the head, apparently inflicted -with some blunt instrument. - -“The man Duke has wounded, perhaps fatally injured him!” was his -thought as he hastily sought for some means of staunching the blood, -which was flowing copiously. - -A pitcher of water stood on the desk, and Jack hastily soaked his -handkerchief in it. Then, returning to Mr. Dancer’s side, he bathed the -ugly wound. - -Almost immediately he was rewarded by Mr. Dancer opening his eyes and -gazing at him in a somewhat dazed way. - -“Can you tell me what has happened?” asked Jack. - -“Yes; it was Duke struck me. He has a sort of hold on me, a monetary -one. I can’t explain now, but he has stolen papers from that desk.” - -“Important ones?” - -“Yes; in a way they are important.” - -“Hold on, I may be able to catch him yet!” cried Jack, darting from the -shed. - -[Illustration: “LOOK!” CRIED TOM; “HE’S THROWING SOMETHING AWAY.”] - -His quick ear had caught the sound of an approaching auto, which he -recognized as his own from the noise of the exhaust. - -Sure enough, as he reached the gate in the palings, his red racing -runabout, designed by himself along new lines, was pulling up to the -sidewalk. - -“Fo’ de lan’s sake!” Jupe shouted as he pulled up; “what’s all dis hyah -bobbin’ an’ flummery?” - -As the colored man shouted the words, making up expressions in his own -peculiar way when his vocabulary failed him, Jack saw that Tom was -lying at the roadside while Duke was making a jump for his motorcycle. -He had just time to take in all this when Tom scrambled to his feet. At -the same instant Duke sprang to the seat of his motorcycle and was off -like a flash. - -“After him!” shouted Tom, running toward Jack and the red motor car. -“Don’t let him escape!” - -“Then you are not hurt, Tom?” - -“No; but he managed to fling me off and I hit the road with a pretty -hard bump.” - -“Good—I mean it’s good you weren’t hurt. Start her up, Jupe; don’t let -that fellow ahead escape.” - -Both boys leaped into the car, and as they chugged off Tom asked Jack -if he had heard anything of the cause of the attack on Mr. Dancer. - -“He said something about ‘papers’ when he regained consciousness,” -rejoined Jack, “but I didn’t question him further.” - -“Gollygumption, ef you boys ain’t allers in some sort of conniption -fits,” sputtered Jupe; “what’s de conflaggerationous matter now?” - -“Just this, Jupe, that by chance we met Mr. Dancer, an inventor. A -short time after, he was brutally attacked by that man ahead of us on -the motorcycle. The man also stole some papers. We must catch him if -possible.” - -“We cotch him or bust up dis yar Red Raben!” declared Jupe, using the -odd name he had devised for the small but speedy red runabout. - -The car roared and swayed as Jupe “opened it up.” It sprang forward -with a jump like that of a live thing. - -The man on the motorcycle glanced back over his shoulder. He saw that -the fast little automobile was overhauling him, and instantly speeded -up his machine. - -It was a grim race and promised to be a long one, for the motorcycle -appeared to be a speedy one, and Duke apparently intended to spare no -efforts to escape. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -JACK MAKES A PROMISE. - - -Both pursuers and pursued were hampered by the rather steep up-grade. -But it was not long before they reached the summit, and then began an -even more hair-raising exhibition of speed than before. The red auto -appeared to rush through the air, the fences and trees on either side -whizzed by in a blur, while the road unrolled like a white ribbon as -they burned up space. - -“Gracious, we’re going!” gasped Tom. - -“So is that chap ahead,” rejoined Jack with grim humor; “let her out -some more, Jupe.” - -“Golly to goodness, Marse Jack, ah daren’t,” panted Jupe, the words -coming out of his lips between gasps. “De littlest bit mo’ ob dis an’ -we am all busted to smithereens, fo’ sho’.” - -“Well, do the best you can then.” - -“We’s doin’ dat right now,” Jupe assured his young employer. - -For a few minutes more the chase continued in stern silence. -Fortunately, no vehicles or pedestrians were encountered, as the road -was a more or less lonely one. - -Suddenly Tom gave a yell of triumph. - -“Hurray! He’s slackening speed, Jack.” - -“Sure enough he is. Something’s the matter with his machine. Hit it up, -Jupe.” - -“Look!” cried Tom the next instant; “he’s throwing something away.” - -“So he is; a bundle of papers.” - -“They’re the ones he stole! I reckon he knows we’d soon catch him if -his machine broke down, and he has thrown them away to cause us to stop -and pick them up. Are you going to?” - -“Yes; they must be more important than capturing the man. Slow up, -Jupe, we’ll pick up those papers.” - -“I hate to lose the chance of catching that rascal.” - -“Well, maybe we can catch up with him again,” rejoined Jack. - -The machine came to a stop and Jack jumped out. A glance at the papers -showed him that they were covered with carefully drawn plans and -calculations. He readily guessed that they must be the articles for -which they were in search. - -“That came out finely,” he said as he revealed the contents of the -bundle to Tom; “we’ve recovered Mr. Dancer’s work without half as much -trouble as I expected.” - -“Yes, but we’ve lost that man,” declared Tom. - -He pointed ahead. Far down the road a dot was rapidly disappearing in -the distance. Somehow the motorcycle had recovered its speed and was -now so far ahead that catching up to it seemed impossible. - -This being the case, there was nothing to be done but to turn back and -make with all haste for the inventor’s plant. They reached it without -further event and found the inventor awaiting them outside the palings. -He had bound a white cloth around his wound, which he declared did not -hurt him much. - -“We have good news for you,” cried Jack, waving the papers; “I guess -we’ve recovered what that rascal took.” - -A brief examination showed Mr. Dancer that the papers recaptured were -the identical ones taken from his desk. He explained that he had once -been associated in the machinery business with Duke, but that the -latter had proved dishonest and that he had closed all negotiations and -dealings with him. Duke in revenge had made one or two attacks on him -before, and this time had almost succeeded in injuring him seriously, -besides stealing the plans of the diving torpedo boat. - -“He must have known, however, that they would be useless to him,” the -inventor continued, “for most of my ideas are patented and I used a -secret method of calculation of my own. Without the key nobody could -understand what was on the papers.” - -“And in any event the boat is not yet completed?” - -“No,” sighed the inventor, “I am afraid that all my time and expense -has gone for naught unless some means of making the boat dive can be -found.” - -“Well, I will promise to do all I can,” Jack promised him; “I’ll lay -the case before my father to-night.” - -“Thank you very much,” was the rejoinder; “there is nothing like -putting a fresh young mind to work on such problems. Often the very -fact that one has devised a thing makes one blind to its defects and -thus unable to remedy them.” - -“I hope we shall hit on a way of solving your difficulties,” struck in -Tom. “By the way, we pass a police station on our way home; do you wish -us to ask them to send protection to you to-night?” - -“No, I have no fear of Duke returning. But if he should do so, I -shall have my assistant, Silas Hardtack, with me to-night, and as he -is a former man-o’-war’s man and afraid of nothing, I shall be well -protected.” - -“At least lock those papers in that iron safe I noticed in your -office,” urged Jack. - -“I shall do so. Thank you for what you have done. Good-night!” - -“Good-night!” hailed the boys, “we’ll see you to-morrow.” - -“I hope so, and I hope you will bring with you some solution of my -difficulties.” - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE LAUNCHING OF THE MODEL. - - -That night in the library of the Chadwick home, two boys and a -dignified looking man, who wore a nut-brown beard slightly tinged with -gray, sat poring over a pile of books and papers, their work illumined -by a strong electric reading lamp. - -The eldest of the party was, of course, Mr. Chester Chadwick, and the -two lads, his son and nephew. Tom’s father, Mr. Jesson, was absent in -the Northwest, making a collection of the flora of the region. - -“It is plain enough,” Mr. Chadwick was saying, “that your friend’s -craft, owing to its construction, cannot be equipped with the usual -tanks employed in submarine designing. What we have to do, is to find -out some other way of forcing it beneath the surface and keeping it -there, if necessary.” - -Jack, who had been busy with a sheet of paper for the last twenty -minutes, looked up. - -“I think I’ve got an idea,” he said; “of course, although it looks all -right on paper, it might not work out in practice.” - -“Let’s see it, my boy,” said Mr. Chadwick. - -The rough sketch that Jack had made showed the _White Shark_ equipped -with peculiar looking paddle-wheels of spiral design instead of the -ordinary type. - -“My idea is,” he said modestly, “that of the Archimedian screw. When -on the surface these spirals could be set level, but a slight tilt -would drive the _White Shark_ down toward the bed of the sea. To rise, -you would simply have to reverse the process.” - -Mr. Chadwick nodded thoughtfully. - -“Your idea sounds by no means impossible of being put into practice,” -he said after a moment’s consideration and a swift scrutiny of Jack’s -rough sketch. - -“We would have to test it out with a model, of course,” said Tom. - -“Of course. But the engines in the _White Shark_ are not so placed that -they would drive propellers of this character, for, you know, there -would be one on each side, on the principle of paddles instead of stern -propellers.” - -“That was my idea,” said Jack; “but I think it would be a simple -matter to alter the position of the motors and install all the -necessary driving shafts and gears.” - -The subject was discussed till late and they parted for the night -determined to put Jack’s idea to a test in the morning. There was -much apparatus of various character about the workshops attached to -High Towers, and they anticipated that the work of constructing a -rough model would not take long. As readers of the other volumes of -this series know, High Towers was a big estate embracing a lake and -surrounded by a high fence, insuring privacy. - -Mr. Chadwick had grown rich from his many inventions and could afford -to indulge in the luxuries of his science. But, in spite of the idea of -the young enthusiasts that it would not take long to construct a model, -it consumed more than a week. The work of installing the Archimedian -screws, so that they would be worked properly, was especially tedious. - -But at last it was done. The complicated model of the _White Shark_ was -very like its original, only it was built on a scale of an inch and a -half to the foot. It was an odd looking thing, with its two screw-like -fins attached to the sides. Inside it were electric motors, and Jack -had devised a system of controlling it from the shore with electric -wiring; for it had been previously decided to test it in the lake at -High Towers. To sum up its appearance in a homely simile, the _White -Shark_ looked like a cigar-shaped bottle with corkscrews on each side. - -It was an excited group that on the morning of the test emerged from -the workshop in which the young inventors had wrought out their ideas. -Mr. Dancer was one of the group, for, during the construction of the -model, he had been a constant visitor at High Towers and had displayed -much interest in the work. He had almost recovered from the cut on his -head, which proved to be only a flesh wound probably inflicted with a -blackjack. Nothing more had been heard of Duke, although the police had -been notified and a hunt was on for the inventor’s assailant. - -The united efforts of the party were required to place the model on a -hand truck preparatory to wheeling it down to the lake, where a sort -of launching platform had been built. The eyes of all were bright with -anticipation, though, and in the general excitement and enthusiasm -there was no complaint of the work, which was really hard. - -High Towers Lake was a body of water partly artificial and partly -natural. Thick brush grew round its edges and it was indented by many -small bays or coves. - -When they reached the water’s edge, they found the electric apparatus -which was to control the diving model already in place and the wires -ready to be connected. This did not take long, and then came a -momentary pause before the ceremony of launching. - -“We ought to give it a name,” declared Jack before he cut the cord -which held the model in place. - -“By all means,” said Mr. Chadwick; “come, Tom, think up one.” - -“I have already thought of one,” was the reply. - -“The _Mister T. Jesson_, I suppose,” scoffed Jack. - -“No, not that, nor the _J. Chadwick_, either,” retorted Tom; “my name -was _White Shark, Jr._” - -“Very good, indeed,” said Mr. Chadwick with a laugh, “the _White Shark, -Jr._, it shall be.” - -“Let’s hope it proves a good example to its parent,” chimed in Jack. - -“Well, the child is father to the man, as they say in the copy books,” -smiled Mr. Dancer, “so let’s hope that the rule will work out in the -case of a submarine.” - -“Oughtn’t we to christen it?” asked Tom. - -“In what way?” demanded Jack. - -“By breaking a bottle of wine over the bow, of course.” - -This came from Tom. - -“Well, we have none of that sort of stuff here,” said Mr. Chadwick, -“so I would propose that, as the native element of the model is to be -under the water, we let her ‘christen’ herself as she dives into it.” - -All agreed that this was a good plan, and then as everything was ready -Jack drew his knife across the cord. The little craft slid down the -ways just like what Tom called “a regular ship.” - -It struck the water in a cloud of spray and Mr. Chadwick shouted: - -“I hereby christen thee _White Shark, Jr._” - -“Hurrah!” shouted Tom, furnishing the applause proper on such occasions. - -“Don’t holler till you see how it works,” remarked Mr. Dancer, -cautiously; “put on the power, Jack.” - -As the model submarine rose to the surface after its dive, Jack pressed -the button that started the motors going. The spark flashed along the -wire and the tiny craft’s propellers flew round with a whirring sound. - -“Now for the real test,” said Mr. Dancer after a breathless pause, -during which the _White Shark, Jr._, sped around in a circle, for Jack -had set the rudder so that the craft could not get too far from shore. - -The boy obeyed and at the same instant everyone uttered an undignified -yell of triumph. As the concealed machinery tilted the screws downward, -the _White Shark, Jr._, vanished from sight! Five seconds later Jack -brought the little craft to the surface again, and then put it through -a series of diving and rising evolutions that showed that his invention -worked perfectly. - -“If my dream is ever realized it will be solely owing to you!” cried -Mr. Dancer, glowing with the fire of success and warmly clasping the -boy inventor’s hand. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -JUPE BATTLES WITH A WATER MONSTER. - - -It was while congratulations were still being showered on Jack,—for -his father denied all credit save for his occasional aid in the -construction of the model,—that a peculiar accident occurred. - -The wires controlling the machinery of the diving torpedo boat were -wound on reels, there being about two hundred feet of wire to each -reel. This, of course, made it necessary to restrict the _White Shark, -Jr._, to a limited radius of operations. Suddenly, however, instead of -continuing to circle in an orderly way as the model had been doing, -it darted off straight across the lake at lightning speed. Before -Jack could do anything to stop it, it reached the limit of the wires, -snapped them like so much thread, and was off like an arrow over the -water. - -It was just at this instant that Jupe pulled out in a small rowboat -used for fishing—for the lake was kept stocked—from one of the small -coves already mentioned. He did not see the _White Shark, Jr._, dashing -across the pond straight at him. The party on shore yelled warnings; -but Jupe, who was slightly deaf, did not hear them. - -Instead he kept right on rowing. - -“Wow! Look out for fireworks in about two seconds!” shouted Tom, who -could not control his merriment. The others had to laugh, too. - -In the meantime Jupe—supremely unconscious of the fate that was rushing -down upon him at express speed—stopped rowing from some impulse and -looked about him. - -“Gollyumptions!” they heard him yell as he saw the model submarine -racing straight at him, “by de trumpet ob Jubel, what kin’ of a fish am -dat?” - -“It’s a shark!” yelled Tom at the top of his lungs, “the _White Shark, -Jr._” - -“A shark! Fo’ de Lawd! Ah’s a gone coon!” bellowed Jupe in real dismay. - -“It’s a submarine!” yelled Tom in return, “get out of its way!” - -“It’s bin’ eatin’ beans and hay!” shouted Jupe, “but it’s still hungry, -Great Gumptions to Goodness!” - -Crash! - -The runaway submarine model struck the rowboat full in the side. Jupe, -who had risen to his feet, was knocked overboard in a flash by the -impact of the blow. But the _White Shark, Jr._, never stopped going. -Shoving the boat before it, it sped on toward the opposite shore. - -Jupe came to the surface—fortunately he could swim—and grasped the side -of the boat. It was the opposite side to the one the model diving boat -had struck, and Jupe could find no explanation for the fact that his -craft was moving. - -“Clar’ ter goodness!” he yelled, “dat shark mus’ be towin’ me to shore!” - -But he clung on till he felt his feet touch ground, and then, yelling -for help at the top of his voice, he dashed off into the bushes in an -effort to get as far from the shark-haunted lake as possible. It was -not until half an hour later that he ventured back, hearing voices near -where he had come ashore. - -They were those of Mr. Chadwick and his companions. Although the model -was almost wrecked in the bow, they could not find words to blame -Jupe, so elated were they over the unqualified success the trial had -proved. The model was placed in the boat and rowed back to its starting -point. - -“I can patch it up so that we can use it again,” declared Jack as they -carried it ashore and made an examination. - -“Marse Chadwick,” begged Jupe, “you gib me a lil’ medicine for my -insides. I declar’ I’se plum scared inter a stomach-ache by dat dar -shark.” - -“I’ve a good mind to give you a good scolding, you rascal,” laughed Mr. -Chadwick, “and as for the sort of medicine you want, you won’t get any -from me.” - -“Not jes’ a teeny drop, Marse Chadwick? Ah sho’ does feel po’ful -po’ly.” - -“Not a drop, Jupe. Now be off and catch some fish for dinner.” - -“And look out you don’t get run over by a whale this time,” chuckled -Tom. - -“Gollygumption! An ole whale, de daddy uv all de whalesses in de seas, -couldn’ hev scared me no wusser dan dat contraption,” declared Jupe as -he shuffled off. - -It was something like a month after this incident that a group stood -in Mr. Dancer’s workshop surveying the original _White Shark_. The -addition of the Archimedian screws on her sides had materially altered -her appearance, and made her look more like some sort of fish than -ever. A long period of difficult and disheartening work had been -concluded but an hour before, and now the finishing touches were -complete. - -“My! my! Things hev changed since I sailed on the old _Ohio_!” -sighed Silas Hardtack, a grizzled old veteran of the Seven Seas, as -the party which consisted of Jack, his father, Tom, and Mr. Dancer, -stood regarding their finished work, in which all had had a share, -“when I went to sea we’d hev called such do-dads as thet ‘floating -tea-kettles.’” - -“And a few years from now, submarines and fast cruisers driven by crude -oil engines in place of cumbrous machinery will be the backbone of the -navy,” prophesied Mr. Chadwick. - -Old Silas has already been mentioned as Mr. Dancer’s assistant and -factotum. He had a great habit of perpetually recalling the way things -were done when he “sailed on the old _Ohio_.” In fact, if one believed -all that he attributed to the craft of his youth, there never was such -another ship. - -“Well, now that our work is done, I’m anxious to try if the _White -Shark, Sr._, works as well as her _Junior_ type,” said Mr. Chadwick. -“Are you ready for a test, Dancer?” - -“There are some last adjustments to the machinery that I want the boys’ -help on,” was the response, “and then I think everything will be in -readiness for the supreme test.” - -His face paled as he spoke and he clenched and unclenched his hands -nervously. A few short hours would prove now if he had squandered his -fortune and his time or actually produced the most efficient type of -submarine known. - -As for the boys, they were half crazy with excitement. As they looked -at the odd craft before them, it was hard for them to realize that in -it they were, within a short time, to make a test that might be of the -most dangerous order. - -For not one of the party had any assurance, except their faith in -their handiwork, that, once submerged, the _White Shark_ would rise -again. It was not a cheerful thought to dwell upon—this suspicion that -danger of the gravest sort, a death at the bottom of the sea, might lie -before them. - -But in the last hours of work on the machinery all such thoughts were -forgotten. Every bit of machinery was gone over, lubricated, and -adjusted. The screws were worked from a geared shaft, which ran across -the ship and was connected with the motors by powerful gearing. Levers -at the right and left of the engine room controlled the pitch of the -screws. In general appearance the engine room was but little changed, -except in small details, from its condition when we last saw it. - -Then came the moment when everything was declared ready down to the -last detail. - -“The _White Shark_ is now as perfect as human hands can make her,” -declared Mr. Dancer with—for him—a rare touch of oratory. - -At five-thirty in the evening, an hour when the sun was declining to -the horizon, for the time was in early fall, the last of the party that -was to make the adventurous trip was on board. The group gathered on -the curved upper deck consisted of the inventor himself, Mr. Chadwick, -Silas Hardtack, the two boys, and Jupe. - -For an instant before the time came for the final plunge, they stood -in silence. Then each went to the place assigned to him previously. -Jack and Tom went to the engine room and Mr. Dancer to the steersman’s -place, while Mr. Chadwick, Silas, and Jupe remained on deck to attend -to the last details of the momentous start. - -The great doors which barred the opening of the construction shed had -been opened, the “ways” were greased to facilitate the _White Shark’s_ -slide to the water, and the last ropes that held the craft in place -were wound round the stern “bitts” on the after deck. - -“Ready?” hailed Mr. Chadwick through the open panel. - -“Ready!” came back from the steersman’s seat, booming through the mouth -of the deck speaking-tube, which opened just below the panel. - -Jupe, his ebony arms bared, stood above the retaining ropes, axe in -hand. By his side stood Silas Hardtack. - -Mr. Chadwick’s hand dropped—the preconcerted signal. - -“Now, my hearty!” yelled Silas, slapping Jupe on the back. The darky’s -axe fell and the ropes parted like pack thread. - -For one molecule of time there ensued a breathless pause. Then came a -start and a trembling throughout the structure of the wonderful diving -craft. - -But this was only for the space of a breath. The next instant the slide -toward the water began. At the same time, Silas reverently broke out on -a stern flagstaff the splendid emblem of Old Glory. - -“Whee, Jack, we’re off!” exclaimed Tom below in the engine room, oil -can in hand. - -“Yes, off on an unknown voyage,” softly whispered Jack, his hand on the -starting lever, awaiting with keen intensity the signal to start the -engines on which so much depended. - -Mr. Chadwick’s watch told off just ten seconds between the start of -the _White Shark_ and the instant she struck the water in a cloud of -foam. Holding on to the rail with both hands, the party on deck barely -escaped being hurled off at the violence of the impact. - -“Whoopee! She’s afloat!” bellowed Silas Hardtack as soon as he caught -his breath. - -“Gollyumption, I hope she stays that way!” responded Jupe, his eyes -rolling in his ebony countenance. - -The sea was as calm as a mill pond. Far off on the horizon lay the -smoke of a steamer. But except for that, the expanse of water before -them was as solitary as a desert. - -All at once a tremor, a feeling of life ran through the structure of -the craft. - -The novel propellers had begun their work. - -Gracefully as a floating swan the _White Shark_ moved off on her maiden -trip. - -“So far without a hitch,” breathed Mr. Chadwick, “but will she -dive—and if she does, will she come up again?” he added. - -Possibly that was the question which each soul on board the newly -launched craft was asking himself. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -OFF ON THE STRANGEST CRAFT ON RECORD. - - -It was not long after the start, that word was sent on deck by means -of the speaking tube located near the panel, that it was time to come -below. The flag was lowered and one by one those who had lingered on -the whale-like back of the diving boat descended. - -Mr. Chadwick was the last to enter the craft. As he did so, he pressed -the controlling button and the panel slid into place with a metallic -clang. The interior of the _White Shark_ was filled with the buzz and -hum of machinery, her lights glowed brightly and the air was as sweet -and fresh as that of the outside world. - -Considering the power of her engines and the amount of machinery -within the metal hull, there was wonderfully little vibration. The -craft glided along almost as smoothly as a limited express. But before -long, as they left the quiet waters of the little bay, the diving craft -began to pitch and roll to the motion of the Atlantic swell. - -Mr. Chadwick was standing beside the inventor at the steering device, -Jack and Tom, of course, were in the engine room, while Silas and Jupe -were occupied in putting everything to rights in the cook’s galley, -this and the storeroom forming Jupe’s department. - -“Well, the time has come for the _White Shark_ to make her first dive,” -announced Mr. Dancer at length. - -The inventor was keeping rigid control over himself; but, despite his -efforts to force a firm voice his lips quavered as he pronounced his -decision. - -“Very well. I think we are all ready, Dancer,” responded Mr. Chadwick, -who appeared as cool as an icicle. In one hand he held his watch, for -it was the intention of the heads of this unique experience to record -in minute detail all that occurred on the _White Shark’s_ first voyage. - -“I’m going to give the signal now, Chadwick.” - -“Whenever you see fit,” was the response. - -The inventor’s lean, nervous fingers flew to the engine-room signaling -appliance. - -“DIVE!” - -That was the word that flashed up before the boys’ eager, waiting eyes. - -“It’s come at last,” murmured Jack. - -As for Tom, he could say nothing. But his heart seemed to be beating -till it shook his frame. His face was pale under its wholesome tan. -As Jack’s hands sought the levers, Tom clutched his comrade’s shoulder -with a grip that almost made Jack flinch. - -“Steady, Tom, old boy,” warned Jack, noting his comrade’s agitation. - -“I-I’m all right, Jack, b-b-b-but it _is_ kind of creepy, you know, -isn’t it?” - -“I don’t know, I haven’t had time to think,” Jack began, when he broke -off with a cry. - -“Tom—Tom, old boy, give us your hand! She’s—she’s——” - -“_Going down!_” - -The words broke from Tom’s lips with a sort of sigh. - -Then came a shout from Jack. - -“Hold fast, all!” - -It was well that he gave the cry. That is, it was well for Silas and -Jupe. As for the rest, they knew what to expect and had gripped fast to -some handhold. - -Jack glanced at the engine room indicator. - -The _White Shark_ was being driven toward the bottom of the sea at an -angle of thirty-five degrees. When it is considered that a grade of -twenty-five degrees is called steep, one can form some appreciation of -the position of things on board. - -From the galley came suddenly a yell of anguish and a sound as of -smashing crockery. In the cabins, loose articles could be heard -tumbling about, while a deep voice boomed out: - -“Shiver my timbers, but this beats heavy weather on the old _Ohio_!” - -Jupe’s voice rang out in anguish: - -“Gollyumption, dere goes dat buf’ly soup I had fo’ suppah! Good land -alive, de butter’s done got mixed up wid de onions! Dar goes anudder -plate! Say, lemme off’n dis cantamperous contraption ob a floating -oil-stove!” - -“Jupe’s in trouble,” grinned Jack, “how do _you_ like it, Tom?” - -“Um—um, well, I suppose it’s all right, Jack.” - -“Well, we’re going down, aren’t we?” - -“Yes, but how about coming up? Hullo, Mr. Dancer’s put her on an even -keel. How deep are we?” - -Jack glanced at the depth indicator on the metal wall above him. - -“Seventy fathoms.” - -“Gracious, four hundred and twenty feet!” - -“That’s right, but the _White Shark_ is constructed to bear at least -ten times the amount of pressure we are withstanding.” - -“But if we ever went too deep?” - -“We’d be crushed flat as a pancake.” - -“Humph!” was Tom’s sole remark. - -In the face of what Jack had just said, he could think of nothing more -suitable to reply than this unsatisfactory exclamation! - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -IN DIRE DANGER. - - -“Cl-a-a-a-ng!” - -The signal, twice repeated, crashed out from the bronze gong under the -engine room telegraph. - -“What’s the order, Jack?” - -Tom gazed anxiously at the young chief engineer of the diving boat as -he put the question. - -“Rise!” - -The two boys exchanged glances. This meant that the instant had arrived -that was to prove the success or failure of the invention. Once more -Jack’s agile fingers busied themselves with levers and wheels. - -“You have set the propellers to a rising position?” - -“Yes, Tom; a few seconds now will tell the story.” - -The _White Shark_, which had been forging ahead on an even keel almost -on the bed of the ocean, continued to proceed in that manner for a -short time. Then, as the twin propellers affixed to her sides “bit” -into the water, she slowly raised her bow toward the surface. - -“Clang! clang!” - -The gong resounded again. But this time it was not an order recorded on -the face of the signaling dial that it indicated, but a summons to the -speaking tube. - -Jack sprang toward the bell-shaped mouth of the tube. - -“Hullo!” he cried. - -“Hullo! Engine room?” came back the query. - -“It’s Mr. Dancer,” breathed Jack over his shoulder; and then—“Yes, sir!” - -“Congratulations. The _White Shark_ is a success.” - -“I knew it, sir; I felt it, that is. We’ve done a wonderful thing.” - -“You may well say that, Jack,” came another voice, that of his father; -“I’m proud of you, lad. It was your skill that did it.” - -“Father, I——” began Jack, when something occurred that placed a check -on his further speech. - -He had barely time to seize a handhold to keep from being flung off his -feet to the metal floor of the engine room. - -“What in the world?” - -“Great jumping gollyumptions!” - -“Shiver my mizzenmast!” - -“We’ve struck something!” - -The exclamations recorded above came in a volley from Tom, Jupe, Silas, -and Jack. - -The progress of the diving craft had been suddenly checked. Preceding -the startling cessation of motion there had come a grinding, rasping -shock that ran through the submarine’s structure from stem to stern. -The boys had only time to exchange glances when there came a summons -from the signal gong. - -“Back up!” - -“Oh, if we only knew what had happened!” cried Tom, starting for the -door that led, by way of the main cabin, to the fore part of the craft. - -In a flash Jack was after him, pausing only to set the lever that was -expected to carry out the hastily signaled orders. - -“Hold on, Tom!” - -The words snapped out like so many pistol shots. - -“But, Jack, we may be damaged! Sinking!” - -“That makes no difference; your place is here. Stand by that lever.” - -The crisp, incisive tones of his chum’s voice brought Tom out of his -panic in a jiffy. - -“All right, Jack; which one?” - -“That one to the port side. I’ll stand by this.” - -With throbbing pulses and strained muscles they waited nervously the -next order. But none came. The _White Shark_ shook and quivered as her -engines reversed with every ounce of power they possessed; but still -she did not move. - -Then came another order. This time through the speaking tube: “Drop -everything and come forward.” - -The power was shut off, and, followed by the curious and beseeching -glances of Silas and Jupe respectively, the boys made their way through -the interior of the hull to the steersman’s section. - -They found Mr. Chadwick and Mr. Dancer anxiously peering out through -the observation tube. - -“What is it? What’s happened?” demanded Jack anxiously. - -“Are we in any danger of sinking?” asked Tom. - -“No, I think not. But we are in a bad fix,” was Mr. Chadwick’s -response; “look out through the observation tube and tell me what you -see.” - -The two boys pressed forward, taking the places of their elders. The -searchlights concealed in the mouth of the tube were turned on at full -power. The bright rays pierced the black subwaters of the Atlantic like -a gleaming sword of flame. But at first the two lads could see nothing, -just emerging as they had from the bright light of the engine room. - -But after a while their sight became clearer. Before them, like some -scene viewed by vivid moonlight, they saw the depths of the sea. Fish -swam to and fro seemingly fascinated, like moths about candles, by the -brilliant rays of the searchlights. Looking down they could make out -rocks with fantastic fronds of seaweed waving from them. - -And then suddenly something else loomed into view—a long, -writhy-looking black object right across the bows of the _White Shark_. - -“It’s a serpent! A big sea snake!” cried Tom. - -“I only wish it were,” sighed Mr. Dancer, “but it’s worse than that. -It’s the anchor cable of some large ship.” - -“Can’t we cut through it?” asked Jack. - -“No, I fear we are hopelessly tangled in it. When you backed the boat -she refused to leave the cable.” - -“How did we come to run into it?” - -The question came from Tom. - -“You may well ask that, my boy, in view of the fact that the -searchlights show up the ocean for quite a distance.” - -“It was an accident,” struck in Mr. Chadwick, “an unavoidable accident.” - -“Yes,” continued Mr. Dancer, “you see, we were coming along at a fine -clip when suddenly in front of me I saw an anchor flash downward.” - -“Some big craft is at anchor above?” asked Jack. - -“There must be. I had no time to avoid this entanglement before the -anchor was hard and fast in the ocean bed.” - -“We’ve got to get loose,” declared Tom. - -“Of course, unless we wish to remain here below till the craft above us -up-anchors, which may not be for days or may take place in an hour.” - -In rejoinder to Mr. Dancer, Jack’s father said: - -“That is too uncertain. By the way, Dancer, how long will the air -remain pure in the _White Shark?_” - -“For twenty-four hours. I have an emergency oxygen device which -increases that supply by some five hours, but the quality of air would -be bad.” - -“It does not seem any too good right now,” said Jack, aside to Tom. -Then he added: - -“How are we caught, sir?” addressing his query to Mr. Dancer. - -“I think that a projection on the observation tube has become entangled -in the rope.” - -“In that case we are in a bad fix?” - -“About as bad as it can be,” was the reply; “there’s no way of getting -out there and cutting the obstruction loose, even if we had diving -dresses, which we haven’t.” - -Mr. Dancer looked about him despairingly as he spoke. - -“Too bad that such an accident should have marred our first trip,” -he said with that placid submission to circumstances which was -characteristic of him. - -“The only thing to do is to think of some way to release ourselves,” -declared Mr. Chadwick energetically. - -“Obviously; but what to do, my friend?” - -The question was put bluntly and Mr. Chadwick had no reply for it. Tom -broke the silence that followed. - -“I think I’ve got a scheme,” he said. - -They pressed about him eagerly while from the main cabin came a loud -wail. - -“Golly ter gracious, ah knowed suthin’ lak dis yar ’ud happen. De idea -ob dis yar diving’ ’bout lak fishes ain’t right. Now we’s all gone -coons.” - -“Silence!” roared the voice of Silas Hardtack. “I’ve been on the old -_Ohio_ in worse holes than this ‘un, and I’ll bet my bottom dollar -we’ll get out of this some way. But if you’ve got to die, ‘cookie,’ die -like men did on the old _Ohio_—without a squeal or whimper.” - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -TOM’S PLAN FOR RESCUE. - - -The words of the old salt were an inspiration to the anxious group in -the steersman’s section of the craft. - -“What’s your plan, Tom?” asked Mr. Dancer, bravely banishing all trace -of alarm from his voice. - -“Just this. We’ll see if we can’t shoot ourselves loose.” - -“Shoot ourselves loose!” - -The others looked at Tom Jesson as if he had gone suddenly crazy. But -he returned their glances without a trace of embarrassment. - -“I mean just what I said,” he repeated steadily. - -In his voice there was a ring that compelled respectful attention to -his next words. - -“We have a submarine gun?” - -“Yes,” responded Mr. Chadwick eagerly. - -“Well, now’s the time to use it.” - -“In what way?” - -It was Mr. Dancer’s turn to ask questions. - -“To cut that rope.” - -“Jove! Chadwick, the boy’s right!” - -The inventor clapped Tom on the shoulder. - -“You take charge of this,” he said; “anyhow, you know the details of -the gun as well as I do by this time.” - -“I’m not saying that my plan will be successful, mind,” warned Tom. - -“Carry it out on your own lines. I’ll depend upon you absolutely.” - -Thanks,” said Tom, half laughing, “but I’ll need help.” - -“You shall have it,” agreed the inventor instantly. - -“Whom do you wish to aid you?” inquired Mr. Chadwick. - -“Silas and Jupe,” was the reply; “Silas knows the gun almost as well as -I do. Jupe can carry ammunition.” - -“Silas! Jupe!” - -The two summoned by Mr. Dancer appeared. Silas’s weatherbeaten -countenance betrayed no signs of emotion. Jupe, on the other hand, -evidenced every variety of fear. - -“Fo’ de lub ob de Holy Poker, Marse Jack!” he cried, “what kin’ ob new -trubbel am dis?” - -“Why, you are not scared, Jupe?” - -“Not scared? Gorryme! Fust mah soup am spilled, ah’m scal-dead, an’ -ebberyting knocked galley west, den ah heahs dat we am stuck at de -bottom ob de sea!” - -Jupe threw his hands above his head. - -“Lan’s sakes and Moses pipes!” he cried, “what you tink ah am? Annuder -Jonah at de bottom ob de ullibguitous ocean, swallowed up in de tummy -ob a ombliferous whale?” - -Even in their predicament they could not help laughing at the old -negro’s perturbation. - -“Cheer up and get to work, Jupe, and stop enriching the English -language,” urged Mr. Chadwick. - -“Yep, ef he don’t stow that guff I’ll treat him as we did landlubbers -on the old _Ohio_,” growled Silas, with a meaning look at the shaking -Jupe. - -“Ah don’t want nuffin’ lak dat; ’deed I don’t, Marse Siltack,” he -wailed; “wha’ you want me to do, sah?” - -“I’ll show you, you fountain-pen-colored moke, jes as soon as I get my -sailing orders,” roared Silas. - -“That won’t be long,” declared Jack. “Fire away, Tom.” - -“I want some ammunition for the submarine gun and then I want you to -help me handle it,” said Tom. - -“Bully for you, my hearty!” cried Silas. “I used to was first mate back -on the old _Ohio_—first gunner’s mate, I mean. Ever hear the song: - - “‘There was Bill Smith and me! - In our country’s navee; - We served ’em on the sea; - Wet or dry; yo-ho! - And we—— ’” - -“That will do, Silas,” broke in Mr. Dancer, “take Jupe and bring that -ammunition at once.” - -“Aye, aye, sir!” declared Silas in what he would have called -“man-o’-war fashion.” - -“Come on, you black imp of Satan,” he concluded to Jupe; “let’s get -some pills fer that gun.” - -“Pills!” cried Jupe. “Fo’ de lan’s sake, Marse Silas, sah! We got stuck -on de bottom ob de sea and you talks ‘bout givin’ de gun medicine! -I resigns mah commission as chief cook and bottle washah ob dis yar -packet jes’ as soon as we gits asho’—ef we ebber do.” - -“And if not?” Tom teased him. - -“Wa’al, sah, den I ’signs it anyhow.” - -A few minutes later Silas and Jupe had brought the ammunition for the -submarine gun from the steel-walled magazine in which it was kept. -Naturally, steam being the driving power for the projectile, there was -no powder necessary. In fact, the explosive bullet used looked much -like the missile hurled from a four-inch, quick-firing gun. - -It was highly polished, and at its extremity had a sort of -mushroom-shaped tip. This was the “bow,” so to speak, of this submarine -death craft. It was made broad so that it was not likely to miss -anything at which it was aimed. The idea of the projectile was that -as soon as it struck an object the mushroom-shaped tip drove down on -a mercurial cap, which exploded the charge of high explosive when it -detonated. - -The gun was sighted through a small tube with an illuminated “eye” at -its extremity. Through this tube it was possible to see outside the -metal walls of the diving boat, and to sight the object to be aimed at -in the glow cast from the searchlights in the observation tube. - -Many times during the weeks of work on the _White Shark_ Tom had -experimented with the gun, and now there was no hesitation in his -manner as he placed an explosive shell within the breech of the gun -and closed it. This done he sighted the weapon carefully and then, with -compressed lips and grim, determined manner he pressed the lever that -admitted the water to the superheated chamber. - -A small wheel was then turned which closed the water chamber. When it -had been thus sealed, Tom’s next act was to press the button which set -the electric current to its work of turning the water into superheated -steam. - -“One! two!” he counted, and then, with a quick nod as of assurance that -he would succeed, he bent over the gun and suddenly twisted a small -handle. - -There was not a sound, but every one standing in the chamber knew that -the gun had been fired. It was almost uncanny, this idea of releasing -a giant force without there being the faintest sound to show that the -projectile had sped on its way through the water. - -Following the discharge of the gun came a moment of intense anxiety, -and then a cry from the inventor: - -“Hurray! It’s succeeded!” - -“Good shot, my boy!” cried Mr. Chadwick. - -Peering through the observation tube, they had seen the snake-like line -of the rope part as the projectile struck it and exploded, turning the -water all about into thick white obscurity. This condition lasted only -an instant after the explosion. It then became clear that the _White -Shark_ was once more free. - -Jack and Tom scampered to the engine room as soon as they saw that the -dangling rope no longer menaced the safety of the ship. - -“Rise at full speed!” came the shouted order from Mr. Dancer. - -The motors whirred and the _White Shark_ shot toward the surface. - -It was not till then that Jack said in a speculative voice: - -“Shouldn’t wonder if there’ll be trouble when that ship up above finds -out we’ve cut her anchor line.” - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -A BRITISH SKIPPER. - - -Not more than five minutes after her propellers had been set in the -rising position the _White Shark_ emerged on the surface. As soon as -she reached it, power was shut down and the panel slid back. Then all -emerged on deck, where an odd sight met their eyes. - -Through the twilight gloom they made out the form of a bluff-bowed, -square-rigged ship. Over her rail forward leaned the figures of several -sailors, while aft, a bearded man, whom they easily guessed to be the -captain, was regarding the sudden appearance of the submarine with -amazement. - -In a voice that proclaimed him a dyed-in-the-wool Britisher, he hailed -them: - -“‘Oo in the bloomin’ world may you be?” cried the astonished tar. - -“Simply a party of experimenters,” rejoined Mr. Chadwick. “As you see, -this is a submarine.” - -“Ho yuss,” came in a voice of intense sarcasm, “h’and does yer call -h’it h’experimentin’ ter carry away my bloomin’ anchor cable? I comes -to anchor here to wait for a pilot an’ you h’ups and cuts my rope. -‘Oo’s goin’ ter pay fer h’it? That’s what h’I want ter know.” - -“I guess we can come to an amicable arrangement on that,” declared Mr. -Chadwick; “how much do you want for it?” - -“Ho! I don’t suppose you’ll mind jus’ forkin’ over a ’undred pounds.” - -“You’ve got another guess coming, my friend,” was Mr. Chadwick’s -rejoinder. “I happen to know something about the cost of cables myself. -I’ll give you sixty dollars for that rope, and even that’s too much.” - -“‘Ow much is sixty dollars in your bloomin’ money?” inquired the -skipper of the square rigger, after he had turned to and ordered his -crew to lower another anchor. - -“Twelve pounds,” rejoined Mr. Chadwick. - -“H’all right, I suppose I ‘ave to toik h’it; but h’I never thought -that Halbert Jenkins ’ud live ter ’ave his bloomin’ cable cut by a -submarine. H’I suppose that the next thing that ’appens, my royals ’ull -be carried h’off by a h’airship.” - -“A hair ship,” grinned Tom. “They must use barber poles for masts on a -craft of that kind.” - -“H’I didn’t mean the ’air of the ’ead; h’I meant the h’air of the -h’atmosphere,” responded Captain Jenkins with dignity. “You bloomin’ -h’American kids h’are too fresh, by a jolly sight.” - -“We get that from living in the fresh h’air,” remarked Tom in a low -voice to Jack who, like the rest of the submarine’s crew, was on the -broad grin at the British skipper’s indignant explanation. - -“If you young men will go below and start the engines we’ll run -alongside and pay for the damage we’ve done,” said Mr. Chadwick. “We -don’t want to become entangled in any international complications.” - -As the boys dived below, followed by Mr. Dancer, they heard the British -captain confiding to Mr. Chadwick that a “good spanking would do them -kids a lot of good.” - -With her propellers moving at slow speed, the whale-like form of the -submarine was ranged up alongside the big, black bulk of the British -ship. Mr. Chadwick handed up a roll of bills to the skipper of the old -craft and expressed his regret over the accident. - -“H’ih, that’s all right,” grinned the seaman with airy good nature as -he counted the money with a wetted thumb, “h’it h’aint h’everybody wot -gets bumped by a submarine, guv’ner. It’ll be a rare yarn ter tell the -moites when h’I gets back to h’old h’England.” - -Shortly afterward the submarine was put at full speed and headed for -the shore. The return voyage was made without incident and soon after -darkness had fallen, the odd craft lay once more at her moorings just -outside the construction shed. - -To reach the shore they tumbled into a small boat that had been left -at the moorings, and with long, strong strokes Silas wielded the oars. -As the bow of the boat grazed the piles of the landing place, Mr. -Chadwick, his face glowing, turned to the inventor. - -“Dancer, let me congratulate you on a brilliant success.” - -“I reckon the boys here have contributed as much to it as I have,” he -said dryly. - -“I wish we could get a chance to take a really long cruise on the -_White Shark_,” sighed Jack, hurrying on to prevent more compliments -from the grateful inventor. - -“Perhaps we shall have an opportunity,” rejoined Mr. Dancer, little -imagining that in the near future his words were to prove prophetic. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -AN IMPORTANT TELEGRAM. - - -“Hyah’s a telegram fo’ you, sah. De boy says no answer.” - -Jupe handed Mr. Chadwick the yellow missive just at the conclusion -of breakfast at High Towers, the morning after the trial trip of the -_White Shark_. - -The boys watched curiously as he opened the envelope. Telegrams were -no uncommon things at High Towers. Anxious manufacturers and inventors -in quandaries of various kinds were in the habit of summoning Mr. -Chadwick, post haste, to solve their mechanical problems. - -But in the present instance Jack felt a conviction that this telegram -was of unusual import. His conviction became a certainty a minute -later when Mr. Chadwick uttered an exclamation. - -“Jack,” he said, turning to his son, “I want you to look up the next -ship sailing for Cuba. You will find a list in the shipping column of -the morning papers.” - -“All right, dad. Come on, Tom,” said Jack, rising from the table and -hurrying to the library. - -“What’s in the wind now?” he said excitedly, as they sped along a -passage. - -“You mean about Cuba?” - -“Of course. Wonder why the governor wants to know about a vessel for -that island.” - -“He wants to go there, I suppose,” rejoined the practical Tom. - -“I don’t see what could take him there, except that iron mining -property he bought recently, not far from Santiago.” - -“Well, whatever it is, it’s something urgent. I saw his color change -when he read that wire, and anyway, a telegram always means a rush -order somewhere.” - -By this time they were in the library, and turning to the shipping -columns of the papers. - -“Nothing for Cuba for a week,” declared Jack after a prolonged scrutiny -of the sailing list. “Well, that settles—— Whew! Tom, maybe this sheds -some light on the subject.” - -He pointed to a glaring headline on the opposite page: - - “AMERICANS IN DANGER IN CUBA. REVOLUTION IN SONORA PROVINCE.” - -“‘Sonora Province,’ why that’s where dad’s mine is located,” rushed on -Jack breathlessly. “Depend upon it, that’s what’s up.” - -“Gee whiz! Don’t I wish we could go there!” breathed Tom as they sped -back to the dining room. - -“Nothing sailing for Cuba for a week, dad,” Jack announced. “Did you -see about the trouble in Sonora Province?” he went on with an artless -glance. - -Mr. Chadwick laughed. - -“I knew you were dying to know what was in this telegram,” he said, -“and you have certainly adopted a clever way of eliciting that -information. I suppose you read of the revolution in the papers?” - -Jack nodded. - -“They say that property down there is in danger,—lives, too.” - -“You might have placed the lives first, my boy. But apparently the -papers are right. Here is the source of my information. Read it out -aloud.” - -He handed the telegram to Jack, who took it and read for his cousin’s -benefit: - - “Revolution started here. Rebels strong. No troops at hand. The mine - in risky position. Come at once if possible. Native helpers and - workmen fled. - - JAMESON.” - -“Jameson is my superintendent at the mine,” explained Mr. Chadwick. “We -have been experimenting with a new method of smelting the ore on the -spot. Hitherto all Cuban ore has had to be shipped to this country for -refinement. We save by using my processes and doing it at the mine.” - -“And all that machinery is installed there?” asked Jack. - -“Yes; it is worth considerable, too. Of course Jameson may be -exaggerating the danger, but as he is a long-headed sort of Scotchman, -I hardly think so. I ought to be there as quickly as possible.” - -“How long does it take to get there?” inquired Jack. - -“Five days from New York. There are no fast craft running on that line. -Twelve knots is about the best they can do.” - -“Then, with no steamer sailing for a week, it would be almost a -fortnight before you could get there?” - -“Yes; and the _Sea King_ is being refitted with new boilers.” - -The _Sea King_ was Mr. Chadwick’s yacht. She has already figured in one -portion of the boys’ adventures, namely, those related in “The Boy -Inventors’ Wireless Triumph.” - -“Too bad; the _Sea King_ would have made the trip in no time. Isn’t -there some other way?” - -“I might charter a yacht; but it is a long job sometimes to find one -that suits and is ready to start at once.” - -“A small craft wouldn’t do?” asked Tom. - -“No. It’s coming on to the hurricane season down in those waters. In -case of bad weather no small craft could ride such seas.” - -Jack had been knitting his brow. Suddenly his expression cleared. - -“No small craft could ride them,” he echoed; “but,” and he threw deep -emphasis into his voice, “I know of a small craft that could weather -any sort of hurricane.” - -“I confess I don’t understand you, my boy,” rejoined his father, -knitting his brows. - -“The sort of vessel I’m thinking of wouldn’t stay on top at all,” -replied Jack; “it would sink to a safe depth out of the hurly-burly, so -to speak, and stay there till the storm blew over.” - -“You mean the _White Shark_?” asked his father. “Jove! that is an idea.” - -“I wasn’t sure that you’d think it a practicable one,” rejoined Jack, -“but I don’t see why it shouldn’t be entirely feasible.” - -“This looks like the trip we were talking about last night, the one Mr. -Dancer said he’d like to take.” - -“I wonder if he would charter the _White Shark_ for such a voyage,” -said Mr. Chadwick thoughtfully. - -“I’m sure he would,” rushed on Jack eagerly. “I know he hasn’t got -much money. The building of the _White Shark_ has made him a poor man.” - -“I could offer him a good figure. Such a voyage would be worth it,” -continued Mr. Chadwick. “Besides, I would like to help out a brother -inventor in difficulties.” - -The latter part of this speech was characteristic of Mr. Chadwick. -Unknown even to his closest friends, his hand was often in his pocket -for needy investigators in the field of science. Although the public -does not know it, it was his liberality in this regard that gave to the -world the Chalmers Patent Steel Refining Process, the Walworth Tubular -Boiler and half a dozen other almost epoch-making inventions. - -“Tell you what,” cried Jack, “we’ll take the car and spin over and see -him about it.” - -Tom skipped about, hardly able to contain his joy. - -“A trip to Cuba under the sea, and revolutionists and—and, oh, -everything that’s jolly.” - -“Nothing very jolly about a revolution,” rejoined Mr. Chadwick, -somewhat grimly, “they’re no fun, I can tell you. But, seriously -speaking, I think your suggestion a good one, Jack. We could live on -board the _White Shark_ in case of serious fighting ashore, and such -a craft would afford a far swifter means of reaching Cuba than any -steamer.” - -It was half an hour later that two excited boys and a graver, more -thoughtful senior, were discussing the proposal with Mr. Dancer. Mr. -Chadwick’s liberal offer for the use of the _White Shark_ for his -proposed trip had almost literally taken Mr. Dancer off his feet. - -“I hardly know how to thank you, Chadwick. It’s a great chance, a great -chance,” he exclaimed, “but it is too much, really——” - -“I shall feel offended if you won’t consent to take us,” put in Mr. -Chadwick. - -“That’s not the difficulty,” said Mr. Dancer quickly. “I want to make -the voyage. It will give the _White Shark_ a testing out that will try -her every rivet. But there may be danger. Your young folks here——” - -Jack and Tom exchanged anxious glances. Perhaps, after all, the plans -that had looked so rosy were to fall through. - -“I haven’t the slightest doubt after what I have seen of her that the -_White Shark_ can survive any test that may be placed upon her. The -fact that I am willing to take my lads along should prove my faith in -your craft.” - -“Thank you, Chadwick,” said the inventor with grateful eyes, “then the -last objection on my part is removed. But when I have sold my craft to -some government—I hope to Uncle Sam’s—I must repay you——” - -Mr. Chadwick waved his hand as if brushing aside the idea. - -“You have repaid me far more than I can ever give you by affording me -such an opportunity, Dancer,” he said earnestly. - -“So then it’s all settled,” cried Tom with shining eyes. - -Moved by a common impulse the boys, glowing with excitement, clasped -hands and a wild war dance took place. - -As they paused, out of breath from their exertions, Mr. Chadwick, in -business-like tones, asked: - -“When can you be ready to sail?” - -“By midnight,” said the inventor after a rapid mental calculation. - -“Then you boys had better stop capering about and get busy on making -a list of all we shall need. Then you can go to town to purchase the -necessary articles.” - -“Will we get busy?” cried Jack, sitting down at the desk and drawing up -a sheet of paper and poising a pen above it: - -“First article, please.” - -After that the provisioning and stocking of the _White Shark_ for what -was to prove a long and adventurous period, went forward rapidly. After -lunch the boys in their red runabout set out for Camwell, a suburb -of Boston, where they were sure to be able to purchase everything -necessary. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE VOICE IN THE DARK. - - -“Hush a minute, Tom! What was that?” - -Jack, who was driving the little red flyer, brought the car and Tom’s -tongue to a simultaneous halt. - -It was after dark and the two lads were returning from Camwell with -the car loaded down with what they had purchased. In fact, both of -them were perched on the summit of a pile of boxes and bundles, every -available nook and cranny being filled with articles for which their -lists had called. - -The spot where the car was brought to such an abrupt halt by Jack was a -lonely one. On one side of the road, thick brush with tall, melancholy -trees beyond, grew close down to the right of way. On the other, the -outlines of a fair-sized barn bulked up black against the surrounding -darkness, for the night was starless. - -The two lads had set out from Camwell an hour before. Purchasing such a -lengthy list of articles as their orders called for had proved no light -task. To their annoyance, too, the magnitude of their purchases and -the way in which they hastened from store to store, had caused quite -a stir in Camwell, a small manufacturing place mainly devoted to the -production of steel and similar industries. - -In fact, at six o’clock, the hour at which the factories suspended -the work of the “day shift,” a small crowd had followed them from one -place of business to another. The bolder ones in the crowd had even -made inquiries as to their business. The boys had, of course, answered -evasively, and flattered themselves that no one in Camwell was aware of -their identity. They were careful in the extreme to avoid any reference -to the object of their purchasing expedition—or foraging raid, it might -almost be called. But, nevertheless, both had been glad when their -car chugged merrily out of Camwell, leaving behind a residue of rumor -concerning the descent on that uneventful town of “the millionaire -kids.” - -As the car came to a halt at the roadside, both boys listened intently. -At first there was no repetition of the sound that had caused Jack’s -exclamation. - -Then suddenly it came again, a weird sort of moan. - -“Sounds like some one in pain,” ventured Tom. - -“It does,” agreed Jack, “perhaps some one has been struck by a car; -or——” - -He broke off abruptly as a figure sprang from the dark bushes at the -side of the road opposite the barn. - -“Hullo, who’s that?” hailed Jack. - -“Hullo, yourself,” came back a rough voice in reply; “who are you?” - -“Two boys in a big hurry. What’s the trouble here?” - -“Yes, we thought we heard a moan,” came from Tom. - -“I’m glad you’ve stopped. I’ve got my friend back in the brush there. -We was walking from Camwell to Boston when a car struck him. I guess -he’s badly hurt.” - -The man’s voice appeared to hold genuine regret. - -“What’s the trouble with him?” asked Jack. - -“Dunno. I ain’t got enough education fer that, boss. He jes’ lies there -an’ groans.” - -“That’s what we heard,” murmured Jack. - -“That’s what you heard,” repeated the man in the road. - -Then he went on in an odd, hesitating voice, as if hardly daring to ask -a favor from the two well-dressed young automobilists. - -“Say, guv’ners both, would you mind takin’ a look at him? Then maybe if -he’s badly cracked you could git a doctor with that benzine buggy of -yourn.” - -“I don’t know much about surgery,” confessed Jack; “but we’ll help you -out if we can. At any rate, we can carry him to the machine and take -him to the doctor’s.” - -“That’s the stuff, mate. You’re a good feller, I kin see that.” - -Somehow the whining, fawning tones of the man’s voice annoyed Jack; but -nevertheless he was not the kind of lad to pass by any one who was -injured or in distress. So he asked Tom to detach one of the oil lamps -and prepared to make an investigation. - -“Where is he?” asked Jack when Tom had the lantern off and ready -for use. It cast a good, strong light, and as its rays fell on the -countenance and general outline of the man who had summoned their aid, -Jack was impressed still more unfavorably than he had been by the -fellow’s voice. - -He was a short, thick-set, roughly dressed individual, with a crop of -unshaven beard on his chin that stood out like the bristles on an old -toothbrush. On his head was a battered cap. His eyes were small and -blinky, and as evasive as a rat’s. - -“Poor Jim is right back in there, guv’ner,” he declared in answer to -Jack’s question, motioning toward the bushes. “I carried him there -after he got hit,” he explained. - -“Why didn’t you leave him on the roadside?” asked Jack. - -Somehow, for some reason he could not explain, he was suspicious of -this man with the bristly chin and the blinky, red-rimmed eyes. - -But the fellow answered glibly enough, momentarily disarming the boy’s -suspicions. - -“You see, poor Jim’s head was cut. I thought there might be water back -there, so’s I could ‘a’ bathed it a bit,” he declared. - -“Right this way, guv’ner,” he went on, pushing his way into the brush. -“Hark! That’s poor Jim now!” - -As if his voice was meant to guide them, the injured man at this -instant gave a heartrending groan. If Jack had felt any hesitation -in following the rough-looking customer who had apprised them of the -accident, all doubt left him now. The man who uttered that moan must be -badly hurt. - -The blinky-eyed man reached a small opening in the brush. Tom flashed -the rays of the detached oil lantern hither and yon against the -background of closely growing bushes and scrub timber. - -“I don’t seem to see any one,” he was beginning, when Jack detected a -sudden footstep behind him. - -“There he is, guv’ner, poor old Jim, right there,” urged Blinky, -pointing in the direction opposite that from which Jack had heard the -footfall. - -Tom pressed forward; but Jack, prompted by some impulse he could not -explain, disregarded Blinky’s instructions and turned about. It was -well for him that he did so. As he turned his head a dark figure -bounded toward him from behind. - -Jack felt a club, or some other weapon, “swis-s-s-s-s-h!” by his ear. - -A fierce growl broke from the man as his blow missed. Before he could -poise the implement for another, Jack had closed with him. - -At the same instant, from beyond, came another voice. Even in Jack’s -predicament he realized that this new tone held something familiar. But -he had little time to think of that. - -“Blinky! Duggan! Have you got ’em?” hailed the new voice. - -“Not yet, but in a jiffy,” came from Jack’s assailant as he wrested -himself free of Jack’s grip and, with a roar like a wild bull, intended -to frighten the lad, launched his bulky form full at the boy. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -THE MAN BEHIND THE MYSTERY. - - -With doubled up fists, firmly planted in a scientific attitude of -defence, Jack awaited the onslaught. - -“I’ll teach you a lesson!” bellowed his assailant. - -Jack said nothing, but stood his ground firmly. However burly his -opponent was, he had never been taught even the rudiments of what has -been called the “noble art” of self-defense. - -His tactics were those of a wild bull. He swung his arms wildly, and -even in the darkness Jack could see the gleam of his clenched teeth. -All this the boy rightly judged to be, like the yells which had been -directed at him, part of a plan to frighten him. - -But while Jack was alarmed, it is true, he was not so easily scared -as all that. At school he had been one of the best fellows in the -“gym” with the gloves. His muscles, what with right living and lots of -exercise, were like so many bundles of steel cords under his healthy -skin. - -On the other hand, the road agent, or highwayman, for Jack felt that -he could be nothing else, was big, but flabby. As again and again Jack -met his onrushes with swift and skillful side steps and ducks, he -generally managed, too, to leave some memento of his athletic skill on -one portion or another of his opponent’s anatomy. - -In the meantime, what of Tom? - -Like Jack, he was no unskilled novice in the art which Jack was -practicing with such good effect. Like his cousin, too, he had no lack -of courage; but it must be confessed that as he heard Jack’s shout of -warning and realized that they had been trapped for no good purpose, -his heart gave a frightened bound. - -But he had no time in which to dwell on his sensations. As the voice -which had struck Jack as familiar boomed out, Blinky made a rush at Tom -not unlike the other rogue’s onslaught. But Blinky was more skillful -with his fists than his companion. - -Tom speedily found that it was all he could do to defend himself, -strive as he might with every ounce of trained strength in him. He -defended his face to good purpose against a tornado-like rain of blows. -Blinky could not beat down his guard there. - -Nevertheless, all about his body the rascal’s fists played like -lightning. Tom pluckily defended himself, his grit rising as the odds -against him grew more desperate. But at last, in warding off a heavy -blow aimed at his ribs, he, for an instant, relaxed his guard on his -face. - -Instantly, with the snake-like swiftness of a fencer’s foil, Blinky’s -burly arm shot forward. But if it had the swiftness and precision of a -sword, it had also the force of a battering ram. Tom was lifted right -off his feet and fell blunderingly into a patch of brush. It was lucky -for him that the tangle of bushes broke his fall, saving his head from -coming in contact with the ground. - -“He’s safe for a while,” muttered Blinky, examining poor Tom’s white -face and closed eyes by the light of the lantern which had been knocked -over but not extinguished. - -“Hey, Blinky! Gimme a hand here! This kid’s too much for me,” came from -the rascal’s companion, who was busily engaged now, not in attack, but -in defending himself. - -The owner of the voice which had urged Blinky and his companion on, -was not in evidence. Perhaps he thought discretion the better part of -valor, and kept himself carefully out of the fray. However that may -have been, he was not to be seen. - -At his companion’s appeal for aid, Blinky, with a haste worthy of a -better cause, hurried to his side. - -“Rush him!” he cried. - -Together they charged on Jack like the forward rush of a football team -sweeping across the gridiron. - -“It’s all off now,” flashed through Jack’s mind. - -There was not time to turn and run, not a second in which to think up -a line of defence. Besides, had Jack been able to run, he certainly -would not have fled and left Tom’s fate in uncertainty. - -It was all over in an instant, and it could have had no other -conclusion. Jack found himself lying on his back one minute and the -next he was turned on his face and his hands tied behind him. - -“What’s the meaning of all this?” he managed to gasp out indignantly. -“I am Jack Chadwick. You fellows are going to get in a lot of trouble -over this.” - -“Oh, I guess not. Master Chadwick,” came a low, sneering voice not far -from Jack’s ear, “I guess not.” - -It was the familiar voice that Jack knew he had heard before. But -where? For the life of him he could not imagine. Nor indeed was his -mind in a condition right then to be at its clearest. - -“Who are you?” demanded the boy. “What have you attacked us for?” - -“Partly to get even for a certain occasion in which you interfered with -my plans, and partly to trouble you for that money you have in your -shoes.” - -As a flash of lightning illumines a whole landscape, so did the first -words of the other instantly recall to Jack why his voice had sounded -so puzzlingly reminiscent. “A certain occasion on which you interfered -with my plans!” - -“You’re Adam Duke!” he gasped out. - -“Confound you! So you recognize my voice, do you? I didn’t mean you to. -But, after all, it doesn’t much matter. By the time you rejoin your -friends again I’ll be far away. Take his shoes off, Blinky.” - -Jack flushed with indignation. - -“What for?” he asked angrily. “What do you expect to find?” - -“About five hundred dollars, and a similar sum in your friend’s shoes.” - -Jack’s heart sank. How Duke had obtained his information he could not -imagine, but it was true. He and Tom had decided to draw that sum -each from their substantial deposits in the Camwell bank. Fearful of -carrying such a large sum in bills of big denomination on their persons -in ordinary fashion, they had decided to conceal them in their shoes. - -It was not hard to hide the five one hundred dollar bills, placing -three in one shoe and two in the other. - -How could the man Duke have guessed where they carried their valuables, -and how came he to know the route that they would take home—not the -usual one between Camwell and their destination? - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -ADAM DUKE’S METHODS. - - -As if Duke had guessed the boy’s thoughts, he broke into a harsh laugh. -Had it been light, the boy would have been able to see the yellow, -puckered skin about the man’s nervous jowls quiver with merriment. - -“I don’t forget easily,” he chuckled, “and when I saw you in Camwell, -everything came back to me. I’m telling you all this so that any time -you feel inclined to get into trouble with me again you’ll think twice.” - -“Well?” demanded Jack, face downward in the dusty patch of cleared -ground among the rank growth of weeds. - -“You don’t recall seeing me at the bank, I guess?” - -“I certainly do not. I should otherwise have been on guard against -you,” was the indignant reply. - -“As if a lad like you could match me in craftiness! Well, I was in -the bank to deposit some funds of the Camwell Steel Company. It may -interest you to know that I am now their trusted employee and chemical -expert. I saw you and recognized you, though you did not, of course, -recall me, for since our encounter, you see, I wear a beard.” - -From Jack’s position he could not see this, but he fully recognized -the fact that to escape the vigilance of the authorities Duke must -have disguised himself, for full descriptions of him had been sent -out, following the outrage committed on Mr. Dancer. He said nothing, -however, and Duke resumed. - -“I’m telling you this to flaunt you. To show you what a fool a lad who -thinks himself smart can prove to be. I heard you draw your money at -the bank, and slipped into another machine, a small car belonging to -the company. - -“I saw you talking in low voices and then, as you rounded a corner -beyond which was a factory blank wall, I saw you place the money in -your shoes. Of course I was out of the machine then, but I guessed what -you were going to do and hid behind a big pile of steel rails. Maybe -you recall seeing them? Or were you too busy transferring your bills?” - -Jack did indeed recall now the pile of steel rails, rusted and -neglected, lying piled against the factory wall. The place had appeared -deserted, for he had given it careful scrutiny for signs of life -before he and Tom produced their money and transferred it to its new -abiding place. How he wished now that he had looked behind that pile of -rails! - -“So now that you see there is no use of trying evasion with me, I’ll -have Blinky and Duggan take off your shoes and relieve you of your -wealth. It’s too much coin for a young chap like you to have, anyhow.” - -At this stroke of humor the two individuals mentioned broke into a -harsh laugh. In fact, they appeared to think it the best joke in the -world. As for Jack, in his bitter chagrin, he said nothing. If only -they had taken out the money the last thing before they left town, he -thought. But then he recalled, as a partial palliation of his bitter -feelings, that the bank had closed long before they could, by any -possibility, have concluded the marketing for their voyage. - -He felt Blinky and his companion draw off his shoes and rifle them of -his money. - -“Now the other,” ordered Duke. - -“All right, boss, but I guess he’ll give less trouble than this kid,” -growled Blinky. - -“You mean that you hit him pretty hard?” - -“Well, so hard that he wasn’t saying nothing when I left him,” was the -brutal reply. - -Jack’s flesh crept. Could they mean that Tom, bravely defending -himself, had been badly hurt by this ruffian? But the next minute he -experienced at least some partial measure of relief. - -“Don’t be scared, boss,” (Duke’s face must have looked anxious in -the yellow lantern light), “it was just a love tap; but young -whippersnappers like him ain’t used to such.” - -“Well, get the money and then bring it here,” ordered Duke. - -As he spoke, Jack caught the sound of the rustle of bills. Evidently -then the money had been transferred to Duke for division with his -satellites later. The footsteps of Blinky and Duggan could be heard -trampling off in the brush. - -“What are they going to do with us?” Jack wondered. “Poor old Tom,” was -his next thought, “knocked down—and—out by that rascal! I wish I was -free, although,” he admitted with a sigh, “I couldn’t do much against -this bunch.” - -Suddenly the boy heard a slight spatter on the dusty ground in front of -him. - -“Confound it, rain coming up,” he heard Duke explain to himself. - -Then the man who stood over Jack’s recumbent form must have looked up -at the sky. - -“We’re going to get a storm, too,” Jack heard him mutter. - -The drops began to fall faster and faster. Out of the distance came a -low growl of thunder. - -“Hurry up!” Jack heard Duke urge. “Bring that other kid here and tie -him. We’ll put ’em both in that old barn. They’re too young to get wet -and it is going to be a sharp storm.” - -“All right, boss,” came back Blinky’s voice, “we’ve got the money.” - -“Well, you know what to do with it. Bring it here,” responded Duke -peremptorily. - -“You ain’t going to forget us, boss?” came in Duggan’s voice. - -“Not likely; when I told you to follow me from the factory and help in -this little job I knew I’d have to pay you to keep your mouths shut.” - -“Oh, all right! All right!” hailed back Blinky. “We know you’re all -right, boss.” - -A few minutes later Jack heard Tom’s unconscious form being dragged up. -Then he himself was laid hold of by Duggan, while Duke aided Blinky -with Tom. - -The lightning was now flashing incessantly and the angry growling of -the thunder was getting momentarily closer. - -“They ought to thank us for getting them out of the wet,” remarked Duke -with grim humor as he aided Blinky to drag Tom across the road toward -the barn. As for Duggan, he easily handled Jack, tied as the lad was. - -As Duggan raised him to hurl him into the barn a bright flash showed -Jack that the place was a gaunt, rat-haunted old structure, half filled -with hay near the door. - -“I’ve slept in lots worse places,” remarked Blinky as he saw the -accommodations. - -“Jail, for instance,” thought Jack, “and nobody ever deserved it -better.” - -But he kept his thoughts to himself. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -THE TABLES ARE TURNED. - - -Amidst a continuous roar and rattle of thunder and flashing of vivid -lightning, Jack and the still unconscious Tom were thrown, none too -gently, into the old barn. Luckily, the soft nest of hay saved them -from bruises. - -“Now let’s be getting back to the car,” exclaimed Duke. - -“How about splitting that money right now?” growled Duggan. - -“That will wait.” - -“It won’t.” - -“Well, I say it will.” - -There came a blinding glare of lightning. Jack, who was now lying -on his side, saw Duke’s face, even as a flashlight illumines the -countenances of a party waiting to have their pictures taken in a dark -room. It was livid and evil, but determined. - -“Oh, you do, eh, Mister Duke?” - -There was a panther-like snarl in Blinky’s voice. - -“I do, yes.” - -“Well, we don’t. You split it right here and now.” - -“That’s right; do as Blinky tells yer.” - -This time the menace in Duggan’s tone was unveiled. He made a step -toward Duke. The other recoiled. It was plain then that he feared his -desperate employees. - -“Hold on, Duggan,” warned Blinky, who appeared the more pacific of the -two. - -“What for? We were chumps ever to have given him the money.” - -“How do ye mean?” - -“Why, couldn’t we have knocked him on the head and got away with it, -eh? That’s what I’d like to know.” - -Duggan’s voice held a high, angry note. - -“I wish they’d all get to fighting among themselves,” thought Jack. -“What’s that old saying, ‘When thieves fall out, honest men come into -their own’?” - -“Come, Duke, give us our money. Then you take your car—the one you -brought us here in ahead of the boys—and get out.” - -“Yes, the car’s hidden in the bushes yonder. Give us our money, go -start your car, and then we’ll go our way and you yours. You won’t see -us again.” - -“In any case,” growled Duggan. - -“What do you mean by ’any case’?” snarled Duke. - -It was plain enough to Jack that he had planned to make dupes of the -two men and take all the money. Now that his plans were frustrated, he -was by turns humble and threatening. - -“None of your impudence,” he growled; “aren’t you under me in the -works? Don’t your jobs depend on me?” - -“No more than yours depends on our keeping our mouths shut,” ground out -Blinky. - -“Aw, stow all this lip.” - -Duggan shot out the words with menace. His eyes blazed. - -“Look here, Duke, yes or no? Play or quit? Money or no money? Ah, you -would, would you?” - -Duke, as if by magic, had produced a pistol and was leveling it at -the others. But Duggan was fully his match. A quick jab of his fist, -a twist of his wrist, and the revolver went flying out of his hand. -It spun through the air toward Jack, landing in the hay close beside -the boy. Before any of the three quarreling men knew exactly what had -occurred, Jack was facing them, the pistol just knocked out of Duke’s -clasp in his hand. - -It did not waver as it swept the semi-circle of desperadoes. Blank -astonishment was written on their faces as a flash showed them their -boyish defier and the formidable weapon—it was an automatic of the -latest type—that he grasped. - -“Confound you, how did you get that pistol?” bellowed Duke irately. - -The others, their late troubles forgotten, made as if to beat a retreat. - -“Look out. I’m nervous and my hand might shake,” warned Jack, a -mischievous sense of humor overcoming him at their panic. “If it ever -did,” he went on, “ten shots would come out of this gun—all at once!” - -“You—you—young——” sputtered Duke impotently. He almost appeared to foam -at the mouth. “Your hands were tied. How did you get them free, you -young jackanapes?” - -“No conjurer is bound to tell the secret of his tricks, Mr. Duke,” -rejoined Jack, who was actually beginning to enjoy the humor of the -situation. “Isn’t it enough that I have got them free, and that you -threw me your pistol? That was real kind of you.” - -“I—I didn’t throw it to you, you young rascal. Those scoundrels, Blinky -and Duggan, jerked up my arm.” - -“I’ll take the deed for the will,” declared Jack with perfect -coolness. “Don’t move, any of you. I’d hate to discharge this thing.” - -Duggan sputtered like a dumb animal, mad with fury. He was past speech. - -“It all comes from meddling with these ’Boy Inventors,’” he growled. -“I’ve heard of ’em before. Nobody ever got ’em dead to rights yet.” - -Flash! Bang! A blinding flash; an ear-splitting crash! The earth -seemed to be suddenly bathed in blue flame, while the air sizzled with -crackling electricity. Then came a deafening explosion and a still -brighter flash of light. - -Jack thought he heard a cry, but before he could make certain he -himself toppled over. - -A bolt of lightning had struck the old barn, felling also all three -actors in the drama at which we have been onlookers. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -HEAVEN’S INTERVENTION. - - -Luckily, Jack had received but a small portion of the electric fluid. -It was only a few minutes after the bolt had struck the barn with such -a deafening crash and such startling results, that he opened his eyes. - -“What on earth has happened?” were his first thoughts. “Where am I? Oh, -I know, in that old barn. They threw us in here and by good luck I cut -my finger slightly on an old grass hook which had been left on top of -the hay. That gave me an idea and I easily cut my bonds by leaning back -against its sharp edge and gently sawing. - -“Then that gun came flying through the air and I grabbed it up. I -guessed that Duke was the only one in the party that had one, and knew -it, too, for he had no fear in threatening his two accomplices. Then -came that thunderbolt. My! how my head aches and——” - -He broke off short. Smoke puffed in his face and the hay behind him -broke into a lurid flame. The light showed that the bolt had ripped a -hole in the roof of the barn and had then buried itself in the hay not -ten feet from where Jack and Tom lay, setting fire to it. - -The flames had hardly made themselves manifest before they were -shooting up brightly toward the roof. - -“My! That bolt must have struck mighty close to me!” thought Jack. “I’m -lucky to be alive.” - -“I’ve got to get out of here,” he added the next instant; “that fire’s -burning like a box factory. Come on, Tom!” - -He shook his comrade’s shoulder, but the other only moaned. - -“That brute struck him a terrible blow,” exclaimed Jack; “but thank -goodness, he appears to have some color in his face now, though he must -have been mighty pale for a time. Well, that’s a good sign.” - -He bent over his comrade, and while the flames crackled and roared -furiously upward he dragged Tom out of their reach, across the -door-sill of the barn and out into the fresh air. As he did so, he -stumbled over a recumbent form near the door. - -It was Blinky. Close by were the insensible bodies of Duggan and Duke. - -“I’ve got to get Tom to a safe and comfortable place before I bother -about them,” thought Jack. - -The flames were leaping up through the hole in the roof, lighting up -the whole neighborhood as plain as day. By their glare Jack found a bed -of soft fern and laid his chum’s still form upon it. Then he went back -for the other victims of the lightning, for he knew that if they lay -where they were the flames would soon become hot enough to scorch them. - -One by one the boy pluckily dragged the heavy forms of the men who a -short time since were trying to do him harm, to a place of safety. By -the time he had finished, there was a glare coming from the burning -barn that was as bright as the blaze of a thousand arc lights. Glancing -over toward Tom, Jack was overjoyed to see his cousin sitting up with -his eyes open and gazing somewhat dazedly about him. - -“Thank goodness you’re better, Tom,” he cried, hastening toward his -chum, for he had ascertained that Duke and his cronies were only -insensible and probably would recover possession of their faculties -shortly. - -Pending this time, Jack had bound their hands and feet securely with -some light rope he had found on a fence near the barn. - -“What’s happened?” gasped Tom, gazing about him in the glow of the -flaming barn. “What’s on fire? Where are we?” - -“Not a hundred yards from where we stopped the machine, Tom. Those -rascals lying bound yonder knocked you insensible and overpowered me. -They had found out about the money in our shoes. By the way, one of -them is our old friend Duke.” - -“Gracious! Adam Duke?” - -“The same.” - -“But how did he come to be here?” - -“Struck by lightning like that barn was, and like I was, I guess.” - -“No; but I mean how did he come to be at the place he was when we were -attacked?” - -“The old fox saw us draw our money and drove ahead of us to this lonely -place in a machine that belongs to a workshop that employs him.” - -“He trailed us in Camwell, then?” - -Tom appeared to be still a bit dazed, and Jack decided to defer the -details of the story to some more appropriate time and place. - -“I’ll tell you all about it later on,” he said hastily; “right now I -want to recover some stolen property from the inside coat pocket of our -friend, Mr. Duke, who, I perceive, is beginning to move.” - -This was true. As well as his bonds would permit him, Duke was -stirring uneasily. Presently his two companions began to move, too. At -first they were too confused in their ideas to notice that they were -bound. - -“Where are we—in jail?” demanded Blinky. - -“I dunno,” replied Duggan in a flat, weak voice, “what d’you think?” - -Plainly, and quite believably, both were not unfamiliar with the -state’s free lodging house to which they had reference. - -“No; you’re not in jail, you rascals, though you richly deserve to be,” -exclaimed Jack, stepping forward. “Duke, give me those bills you stole -from us.” - -“Don’t you do it,” warned Duggan. - -“Pay no attention to him,” retorted Jack, “it will be best for you to -give them up at once.” - -“And if I don’t?” - -“You are bound fast and tight and cannot escape. If you refuse to tell -me whereabouts they are on you, I shall summon the authorities, leaving -my cousin to guard you with the pistol you were kind enough to present -to me.” - -“You’ll smart for this! See if you don’t! I’ll fix you sooner or later. -I’ll——” warned Duke furiously. - -A quick, certain footstep sounded behind them. - -Then came a sharp, imperative voice, with a marked New England twang. - -“What in ’tarnation’s all this yar?” - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -AN INSUFFICIENT DISGUISE. - - -Jack turned quickly and found himself facing a tall, lanky, -sharp-featured man dressed in homespun clothes and cowhide boots. On -his chin was a fine specimen of the type of facial adornment popularly -known as a billy-goat. On his chest flashed a huge nickel star. - -“Stand where ye are, by gosh!” he warned. - -“Why,” began Jack, “I’ve——” - -“No lip, young feller!” - -The constable, for such he evidently was, drew out a huge old-fashioned -revolver and flourished it. - -“Look out what you’re doing with that,” warned Tom, whose sense of -humor had come back again with his recovered good health, and who was -now an interested spectator of the scene. - -The constable glared at him, as if undecided whether or no he was being -made fun of. The boys now saw what they had not noticed before, that -quite a crowd, made up of farming folks attracted by the glare of the -flames, had assembled. No effort was made to put out the fire. It had -gone too far for that. The barn’s heaviest timbers showed now like a -row of blackened, stumpy fangs against the red glare of the flames -within. The roof had fallen in long since. - -“Wall, I swan to goodness!” demanded one old gaffer in the crowd, -“what’s all this, Officer Hake?” - -“By hemlock, I don’ jes’ know, Squar’,” came the reply. “I seen ther -flames same as you did, an’ hitched up ole Bess yonder ter drive out -hyar.” - -“Go on, officer,” said the old man who had been addressed as “Squar’,” -with judicial coolness. - -“Wa’al, I found ther barn all on fire—it’s Gus Davis’s, Squar’,—an’ -these two young fellers lookin’ about dazed-like, while them three -characters yonder lay bound on ther ground.” - -The squire expectorated profusely. - -“Great Doctors!” he exclaimed, “I’ll call court right hyar an’ inquire -inter this. Young feller, in ther name of ther great an’ sov’ran -commonwealth of Massachusetts, do you—wa’al, what yer got ter say fer -yerself?” - -“Just this, sir,” and Jack related a plain, straightforward story, -while in that odd, flame-lit courtroom the rugged-faced farm men and -women pressed eagerly about. - -The judge appeared impressed. - -“Got ther numbers of them thar notes?” he asked sharply, referring to -Jack’s declaration that they were in Duke’s pocket. - -“Yes, sir.” - -Jack produced a memorandum and read off the numbers of the stolen -notes. The old squire checked them off as Jack read them, in a battered -old sealskin wallet with silver trimmings worn with age. - -“Orf’cer Hake.” - -The order came as Jack finished reading, repeating each number to make -sure that the squire jotted them down right. - -“Go look in that feller’s pockets an’ see if you kin find them -banknotes.” - -While Duke, pale as ashes, struggled and swore, he was rigidly -searched. The notes were found in his inside pocket just as Jack had -said they would be. - -“Wa’al, by gum, young feller,” said the squire as the rural constable -handed the bundle to him for inspection, “that part of yer story’s -right. Now for the next.” - -He adjusted his spectacles and glanced rapidly at each note, checking -them off as he went along. As he concluded, he turned to Jack. - -“Gimme your hand, young feller,” he said warmly, “thet’s a right smart, -slick bit o’ work you done.” - -“Thanks,” said Jack, “but there’s more to be said yet, your honor. That -man lying yonder from whom the notes were recovered, is Adam Duke, a -fugitive from justice.” - -“It’s a lie!” howled Duke, beside himself with fright. - -“You told me so yourself,” went on Jack calmly. “Besides, I recognized -your voice.” - -“What, that thar feller’s Adam Duke!” exclaimed the constable -incredulously. “Why, I got ther circular hyar what describes him. Duke -had a moustache, this fellow has a beard.” - -“I half suspect it’s false,” declared Jack. - -There was still a ruddy light from the fire and the squire decided to -test this part of Jack’s story, even though he had already determined -to hold the man on suspicion. Besides, in any event, there was the -highway robbery charge against him. - -“It’s a lie! All a lie, I tell you!” roared Duke as they examined his -glossy, luxuriant beard. It did indeed seem too close to the real -article for an assumed imitation. - -“By heck, young feller, that beard’s as gen-u-ine an article as my -goatee,” declared the constable. - -Several others echoed this opinion. Even the village barber, for the -burned barn was close to a small hamlet named Hexham, declared that he -would stake his professional reputation on the veracity of the bound -man’s whiskers. - -But alas for all these wiseacres! The heavy rain accompanying the storm -had done what nothing else could have accomplished, without design on -Duke’s part. - -It had loosened the foundation which stuck the hairy growth to his -face. Jack, determined in his own mind from Duke’s frightened look that -he had hit the right nail on the head, gave the whiskers a good tug. - -They peeled off like a porous plaster, while the crowd yelled and Duke -swore. Stripped of his disguise, Duke’s face was instantly recognized -from the portrait which adorned the police circular. Two hours later he -and his cronies were in the Hexham lock-up, waiting to be taken to the -county seat for trial. - -It may as well be set down here that at the subsequent proceedings, -inasmuch as the chief complainants did not appear, all three got light -sentences, the judge remarking that they were extraordinarily lucky. - -But while that trial was going on our young friends were facing -dangers and difficulties in tropic waters to which all that had gone -before appeared tame. Their return with their supplies to Mr. Dancer’s -workshop and their stories of the night’s events, had resulted only in -the _White Shark’s_ not clearing on her adventurous cruise till early -dawn. Otherwise their start for Cuba was made as previously planned. - -Nobody saw the dull white form of the diving boat slip seaward and then -head due south. Had any persons witnessed the departure, they would not -have had long in which to watch it, nor could they have explained the -phenomenon of the queer form slipping through the quiet sea and then -suddenly vanishing from view. - -Had they attempted it, another “sea-serpent story” might have enlivened -the columns of the newspapers, for, as the _White Shark_ got beyond -shallow water, she dived like one of her vicious namesakes—the tigers -of the deep—and the waters closed over her. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -A NAVAL ENCOUNTER. - - -“Jack, this is glorious!” - -“You may well say that, Tom. I’m enjoying myself as much as if I were -on a vacation.” - -At twenty-five knots an hour the _White Shark_ was cutting along on her -voyage to the south. The sea was smooth, but it rippled just enough for -the brisk, salt-laden breeze to blow an occasional shower of brine over -the two lads standing on the rounded back of the novel submarine craft. - -It was the morning of the second day out. So far everything had gone -without a hitch. The machinery was running so smoothly that Silas -Hardtack had been left on watch in the engine room, while the boys -came up on deck to inhale a whiff of the fresh sea breeze. - -Mr. Chadwick was busy over some problems connected with a new type of -threshing machine he was evolving for the use of the government in -experimental work. Jupe was busy in his galley. From time to time, -through a ventilator which was kept open while the _White Shark_ was on -the surface in fair weather, there floated up to the boys the rattle of -dishes and the appetizing smells of the dinner that Jupe was preparing. - -“I’ve got an appetite like a horse, Jack.” - -“So have I. Nothing like what poets call the ‘balmy breeze’ to give you -that.” - -Through the open hatchway appeared another figure, that of Silas -Hardtack. The old man was a practical navigator, and as he came on deck -he brought with him his sextant. - -“Eight bells,” he announced, “I’m going to shoot the sun.” - -“Fire away,” chuckled Jack, “but don’t shoot it out.” - -Old Silas raised the sextant to his eye and aimed it at the sun. Then -he gazed at the marked arc of the instrument and made a swift mental -calculation. - -“How are we getting along?” inquired Jack. - -“Wait till I get it worked out, Master Jack,” responded the old -salt, “but we’ve been making twenty-five miles an hour for the last -forty-eight hours. I only hope this weather lasts.” - -“Same here; it’s important we should make a rapid run.” - -“Yes; from what I know of those Cubans, they’re a bad lot when they get -scrapping. But bless you, if we had the old _Ohio_ along we could blow -the whole island into the water if we wanted to.” - -“I hope we wouldn’t want to do anything like that,” exclaimed Tom, “it -must be a very interesting place to visit.” - -“I read up on its history a bit before we left home,” put in Jack. - -“Ah, and what do the books say about it?” asked Silas. “They’re mostly -wrong, I suppose.” - -“I’ll tell you what I remember, if you like,” volunteered Jack. - -“All right, heave ahead, my hearty, but don’t make it too long; I’ve -got to get back and give them engines a good drink of oil.” - -“Cuba is the largest of the West Indian Islands,” began Jack. “It is -very mountainous, but possesses few rivers of any size. The coasts are -said to be very bad. Long reefs run far out to sea.” - -“Aye, aye, I’ve been aground on one of ’em on the old _Ohio_,” struck -in Silas. - -“I hope we’ll not get into any trouble of that kind,” said Tom. - -“The island, which is 43,500 square miles in area, was discovered by -Columbus in 1492. The Spanish occupation dates from a short period -after that time. There have been numerous revolutions. In fact, the -history of the island appears to be one of unrest; but since 1898, when -the United States intervened and freed Cuba, there has been much less -trouble. Still, as you know from the papers, there has been plenty of -unrest from time to time.” - -“Are there any wild animals there?” asked Tom, who liked hunting. - -“Very few. Wild pigs and a few deer. There are boa constrictors, -though, and large lizards of various kinds.” - -“How about gold or silver?” - -“Very little. Not enough to make it profitable to prospect or mine for -either of them. There is plenty of iron, though, most of the mines -being located near to Santiago, at the mouth of which harbor, as you -know, Uncle Sam’s navy licked the Spaniards off the face of the map.” - -“I wish the old _Ohio_ could have been there,” sighed Silas; “she’d -have shown how Yankees can fight. Well, thank you, lad, for your yarn. -Now I’ll get below. Don’t forget you relieve me in a short time.” - -“We won’t forget, Silas. We’re anxious to see how far we’ve come.” - -When they went below they found out. In the forty-eight hours or more -that she had been under way, the _White Shark_ had made twelve hundred -miles, which Silas declared was a “bumper” run. - -While he hastened forward to communicate the results of his -observations to Mr. Dancer, Tom and Jack examined the chart which was -still spread out. It showed that they were about off the “Capes.” - -“It seems to me I read something about the Atlantic fleet being ordered -to Europe before long,” said Jack. “What if they should be steaming out -from the Capes now? You know they rendezvoused at Newport News.” - -“Let’s get a glass and go on deck and see if we can sight anything,” -suggested Tom. “If they are steaming to sea we ought to be able to see -them.” - -“All right. Just wait till I find out if everything is running smoothly -and I’ll go with you. We don’t have to stand by for orders now.” - -A thorough investigation was made by the young engineer, the result -of which showed that everything was running in fine shape. Armed with -the binoculars, the two boys went on deck. Tom was the first to gaze -westward. Then came Jack’s turn. - -Of course the shore was invisible, for their course compelled them to -be many miles out at sea, but Jack thought he saw a dark blur on the -horizon. - -“Take a look, Tom,” he urged, “and see what you make it out to be. It -looks like a steamer’s smoke.” - -Tom took the glasses and gazed long and steadily in the direction Jack -had indicated. - -“It is smoke,” he announced presently. “Gee whiz, Jack, whatever is -making it is coming toward us, too. What if they should be Uncle Sam’s -ships steaming eastward!” - -“In that case,” said a quiet voice behind them, “I think we should be -justified in heading toward them and giving them a chance to look us -over.” - -“Well, that’s one way of putting it,” laughed Jack, for the newcomer -was Mr. Chadwick, who had seen the boys going on deck with the -binoculars and had arrived in time to overhear Tom’s last words. - -“There are several columns of smoke,” cried Tom, after another long -look. - -“That appears to make it conclusive that it is the fleet,” said Mr. -Chadwick. “I know they were to sail for the Mediterranean station about -this time. Boys, we ought to have a fine marine spectacle. I’ll go -below and consult Mr. Dancer.” - -While he was below, the boys kept the glasses busy, focusing them on -what were now, beyond a doubt, as many as a dozen columns of black -smoke. Before long they could make out dark hulls and odd-looking masts -rising above the horizon. - -“Go below and tell them the news,” cried Jack, “and, oh, Tom, bring up -the flag.” - -He referred to the ensign which could be fitted into a socket astern -when it was desirable to fly “Old Glory.” - -Tom soon reappeared with Mr. Chadwick and old Silas. Mr. Dancer would -not leave the wheel of his craft even to see a naval parade under such -unique conditions. Of course the periscope afforded him a limited view -of the inspiring sight. - -Before long the monster war dogs were plainly visible and the glasses -were no longer needful. There were eight of the ships—huge, formidable -craft, painted the dull gray that is Uncle Sam’s fighting color. At the -bow of each, as they came on, a creamy wave of foam curled up, and at -the rails of the bridge of the foremost craft a group of officers could -be seen pointing at the strange object their glasses had just “picked -up,” and which “strange object” was, of course, the submarine _White -Shark_. - -The battleships were steaming “in column,” that is, in single file. -Each preserved its correct distance from the other, varying hardly an -inch as they progressed. - -Right up alongside the leader of the column ran the little _White -Shark_. From the vast, lofty decks of the battleship she must have -looked like some marine monster with—by some Jonah-like miracle—a crew -of men and boys on her curved back. - -The jackies lined the rails in crowds as the big vessel drew up closer. -Every one on board appeared to be aware of the presence of the -submarine. Bright colored flags appeared in strings signaling from ship -to ship the news. - -Mr. Dancer ran the _White Shark_ into what appeared to be quite -dangerous proximity to the big craft. But fast as the battleships -were steaming, the _White Shark_ kept pace with them. From the bridge -inquiries were showered as to the nature of the submarine and whither -she was bound. To these, evasive answers were returned, as it was not -deemed advisable for the destination of the submarine to be known. - -All at once, as the tiny metal chip of a _White Shark_ rushed along by -the side of the huge leviathan of naval warfare, an object clothed in -white fell from the stern deck. Like a flash it darted downward. - -For an instant the watchers on the deck of the submarine thought -something had been thrown overboard from the cook’s or quartermaster’s -section of the ship. - -But a moment later a booming, roaring cry ran along the battleship’s -crowded decks. Her steam siren shrieked like the wail of a lost soul. - -“What’s the matter?” demanded Jack. - -“It’s a man overboard!” cried Silas. “That’s what it is!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -FRESH DANGER. - - -“Man overboard!” - -The cry that never fails to thrill the heart of every sailor rang out -on the deck of the submarine, as old Silas rightly interpreted the -uproar on the battleship. Far above them boats were swung out and crews -rushed into them. From the stern of the big fighting ship life belts -and lines were tossed. - -But long before any of the man-o’-war’s boats could touch the water, -the submarine was headed about and rushed at full speed toward a tiny -black object bobbing on the water far astern of the cumbrous battleship. - -That object, looking no bigger than a shoe button, was a man fighting -for his life in the wake of the ship from which he had been lost. -Mr. Dancer, in the steering section of the _White Shark_, had seen -the accident reflected in the periscope. His mind was made up in -an instant. Using the emergency appliances he had for handling the -engines, he had brought the _White Shark_ around in incredibly short -time and had headed for the drowning man. - -Up on deck Jack and Tom had their shoes and their coats off, ready -to leap after the castaway if necessary. Mr. Chadwick had seized a -life-saving buoy from its hook just inside the hatch and stood ready to -hurl it. As for old Silas, he shouted: - -“Hold on, mate! We’re comin’! Hold on!” - -The sea was not in itself rough, but in the wake of the speeding -battleship it was decidedly so. The _White Shark_ rolled and plunged -like an empty bottle as, at express speed, she cut through the boiling -mass of foam and angry, choppy waves. - -“He’s still afloat!” cried Tom, as the _White Shark_ rose on the top of -a wave and they saw the head of the swimmer they were going to save, if -human aid could do it. - -“And making a brave fight for his life, too,” cried Jack. “Fight on, -old fellow, we’re coming.” - -The man waved a hand as the _White Shark_ ranged close to him. Before -any of those on deck knew what he was going to do, Jack was overboard. -In a few strong strokes he was alongside his man. The next minute they -saw Jack clutched with the desperate grip of the drowning, and dragged -under water. - -“He’ll drown!” cried Tom despairingly, and the next instant he, too, -was overboard and striking out for the spot where the two swimmers who -had vanished had last been seen. - -Suddenly they flashed to the surface, and Tom saw, to his huge delight, -that Jack had broken the other’s grip and was now swimming with an -unconscious burden. - -“I had to almost knock his head off before he’d let go,” panted Jack, -as Tom swam up. - -“Where’s the _White Shark_? You can’t hold him up much longer.” - -“Here she comes! Hurray!” - -The submarine slowly ranged up to the group in the water, and Mr. -Chadwick threw the life belt. Tom caught it and the two boys thrust -it over the unconscious man’s head. Then, while they swam alongside, -holding on to the belt, Mr. Chadwick and Silas hauled in on the line -attached to it. In this way they reached the side of the submarine and -were pulled on deck almost exhausted. - -They had hardly reached safety when Mr. Chadwick gave a cry of alarm. - -“Look!” he shouted, “look!” - -Coming right at them was something they had quite forgotten. The second -battleship in the long column of sea fighters! - -She was close enough to them to make her bow look like a steel cliff. -They could almost hear the roar of her cutwater as it cleaved its way -through the sea. - -“Come below instantly! Close the panel! It’s our only chance!” - -The voice was Mr. Dancer’s. It came from the mouth of the speaking tube -situated in the hatch for purposes of communicating with the deck from -below. - -[Illustration: MR. CHADWICK THREW THE LIFE BELT.] - -Without stopping to take another look at the huge menace bearing down -upon them, the boys, assisted by Silas, picked up the unconscious form -of the man they had rescued and carried him below. All this was done -with lightning speed. Anxiety, cold panic, made them move like those -who dream, but still with promptitude. - -As the metal door clanged to Jack shuddered; it sounded almost as if -the steel bow of the battleship was cutting into them at the moment, -cleaving them in two and sending the _White Shark_ and her crew to an -unmarked grave in the bed of the ocean. - -The diving boat gave a sickening plunge the next instant. It seemed as -if she were making an almost perpendicular dive to the depths. Those -in the cabin who had rushed from the deck in the nick of time were -thrown in a bruised mass at one end of the main cabin. As for Jupe, -only a wild yell proceeded from his regions. He had no idea of what was -happening. - -It appeared to him that the _White Shark_ was taking her last plunge. -It seemed that way to the others, too. Huddled together, they turned -white, questioning faces on each other. Not even the unconscious man -was more deadly pale. - -Nobody spoke, but each knew without resorting to words, of what the -other was thinking. - -Had the dive come too late to carry the _White Shark_ safely under the -keel of the battleship driving down upon them? - -Suddenly there came a grating, grinding shock that seemed to shake the -_White Shark_ to the last rivet of her fabric. - -“Great heaven! They’ve struck us!” cried Silas in a terrible voice. - -“We’re going to the bottom!” shouted Tom beside himself with terror. - -The submarine hesitated for an instant, and then turned slowly on one -side. - -“It’s the end!” cried Mr. Chadwick. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -A NARROW ESCAPE. - - -For one sickening instant the diving craft shuddered and shivered like -a stricken live thing. All the while the dull whirr of the engines, the -thrill of the cylinder of metal in which six human lives were at stake, -continued. - -To the huddled mass piled together in inextricable confusion at one -end of the main cabin, the brief space of time that ensued between the -crash of the battleship’s impact and the slow, shuddering recovery of -the submarine, appeared to be hours. In reality it was but minutes. - -Any one of them, except perhaps Jupe, would have willingly faced death -on land had it been inevitable. But penned in a metal cylinder under -the depths of the ocean, things were very different. - -However, forward in the steering compartment was the guiding spirit -of the occasion. Not for an instant did Daniel Dancer, dreamer and -inventor, swerve from his post or his duty. With quick, sure fingers he -manipulated the emergency machinery following the crash. For aught he -knew, at any instant through a wound in the side of the almost human -craft he had created the water might come pouring in. - -But although his face was deathly pale he controlled the machinery with -a heavy hand. When the crash came his heart had bounded to his mouth. -Like Mr. Chadwick he had murmured to himself: - -“It is the end!” - -With indomitable pluck he stuck to his post, but his pale lips moved as -if in prayer. - -One! two! three minutes passed, and still came no sign that the blow -dealt the _White Shark_ had been a mortal one. Her engines buzzed -steadily on. Glancing almost fearfully at the array of indicators in -front of him, the inventor manipulated the devices which he knew would -show the slightest injury to the craft they controlled. - -But one after another they responded. The _White Shark_ was in perfect -control. - -“Can it be possible, after that fearful blow?” breathed Daniel Dancer, -half afraid to believe the good fortune which investigation showed him -must be his. - -He set the craft on an even keel and hailed the others. - -Mr. Chadwick’s voice came back: - -“How is it, Dancer? Tell us the worst.” - -“The best, you mean,” cried the joyous inventor. “By a stroke of -miraculous fortune, that battleship only struck us a glancing blow, -although if it had been a fraction of an inch nearer——” - -His voice trailed off hesitatingly. He could not trust himself to -speak. Men who have looked into their tombs and then beheld themselves -snatched back to earth again, are not given to much speech. - -The others came crowding into the steering chamber. Wonder was on every -face and a sort of reverent look, too. Each felt that only divine -Providence could have saved them in that fearful moment. - -“The _White Shark_ is not damaged at all?” demanded Mr. Chadwick -incredulously. - -“Not a bit. Hark at her engines. I expect our back is dented, but -outside of that I anticipate finding no considerable damage.” - -“Den we ain’t done drownded at de bottom ob de sea?” - -The voice came in a plaintive wail from the door of the steering -chamber. In it was framed the white-aproned form of Jupe. His face was -gray and his eyes rolled like saucers. - -“Not yet, Jupe,” laughed Mr. Chadwick happily, such was his relief over -their salvation from a fearful death, “we’re still in the ring.” - -“Das right, boss;” grinned Jupe, “and de dinner am still on de wing. -I was jes’ goin’ ter call you alls when gollyumptions, dar come dat -cantankerous smash! - -“Fo’ de lub ob goodness, boss,” he went on, “what was dat hit us? -Granddaddy whale or suthin’?” - -“Neither, Jupe; but a battleship.” - -Jupe threw up his hands. - -“A battleship! Good lan’ ob Goshen, ah done heah ob a locusmocus -buttin’ ah niggah’s haid, but I nebber heard tell ob a battleship -hitting a peanut like dis yar.” - -“Peanut!” cried Jack with mock indignation. - -“Ah jes’ means a menagerie peanut, Marse Jack.” - -“That’s where you find them, as a rule—in a menagerie.” - -“Oh, I don’ mean dat peanut what you _eat_. Ah mean, compahed wid dat -battling ship dis yar _White Shark_ ain’ as big as a peanut to a whale, -no sah. But ah am certingly grossly ‘xaggerated ter fin’ dat we am -still in de water and not undah it,” concluded Jupe, shuffling off to -repair the damage in his kitchen. - -Luckily, most of the “china” was agate ware, and the majority of the -movable articles, including the kitchen utensils, were designed so to -remain stationary, so the damage was not as great as might have been -anticipated; but it was bad enough. - -“And now for the surface,” declared Mr. Dancer; “and, in the meantime, -Chadwick, you had better look at that half-drowned man. You’ll find the -medicine chest in my cabin.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -THE “WHITE SHARK” AND THE SQUADRON. - - -Mr. Dancer worked on his odd-looking collection of levers and buttons, -and the _White Shark_ obediently shot upward, but, of course, not at -so sharp an angle as that at which she had descended to escape the -battleship’s prow. In a few seconds she was near the surface, as the -periscope indicated. - -To avoid the danger of coming up under another battleship, which has, -by the way, destroyed dozens of submarines, Mr. Dancer rose to the -surface on a long, slanting course. As he glanced at the periscope -indicator he saw that they were by no means too far off for safety—that -is, had the fleet been in motion. But the periscope disclosed it lying -motionless, while small boats dotted the water in every direction. - -“Chadwick, how’s your patient?” called out Mr. Dancer. - -“Oh, better. He is sitting up. When we are ready we can transfer him -back to his ship.” - -“That was a white thing you did for me, mates,” declared the sailor, -who told them that his name was Jim Harding. “I’ll never forget it, -either, see if I do.” - -“That’s all right,” declared Jack; “glad to get you out safe and sound. -But how did you come to go overboard?” - -“I dunno exactly. I was standing on the deck rail with some of my -mates, when all of a sudden two fellers, skylarking behind me, bumped -into me. I guess I was too much interested in your craft here to pay -much attention to what I was doing. The first thing you know I found -myself in the water. My! That was an awful struggle! I guess I came -pretty near taking you down with me, too,” he went on, addressing Jack. - -“Well, if you did, I gave you a good sound crack on the head,” laughed -Jack; “it was the only thing to do.” - -“Course it was, mate,” rejoined the other. “I wondered what made my -head so sore there.” - -“Pigeon’s egg on it, eh?” - -“All of that. Feels more like a turkey’s. Say, this craft’s got any of -our navy submarines beat.” - -At this instant Mr. Dancer’s voice came again. - -“We are in the middle of the fleet,” he hailed. “I’m going to play a -trick, or, rather, I have played it.” - -“What is it?” inquired Mr. Chadwick. - -“Why, I’m running submerged with only just the tip of the periscope out -of the water. One would have to have sharp eyes to see it yet. Although -we are twenty-five feet down, I can see all that is on the surface of -the water.” - -“Yes, but what’s the trick?” urged Jack. - -“Have the panel ready to slide back. Then you all get under it. When -the companion way register points to ‘Open!’ you operate the machinery -that slides it back.” - -“Very well,” said Mr. Chadwick, “what are your next instructions?” - -“As soon as the panel is open, run out on deck and give a good, hearty -cheer. I’ll join you.” - -They congregated under the panel. - -“All right!” came Mr. Dancer’s voice after a short interval. - -Click! Back slid the panel. In rushed fresh air and sunlight. - -“Now, boys, remember the instructions,” was Jack’s father’s warning as -they stumbled up the steel steps toward the parallelogram of air and -light. - -With great self-control the boys held back their enthusiasm till -ordered to “cut loose.” It was the more hard to do this, as from every -ship came a deep, roaring and booming of cheers for the plucky little -submarine craft and her brave ship’s company. - -All about lay men-o’-war boats, ordered out on a search, doubtless, and -each huge battleship lay motionless. It made a wonderful picture to the -group that stood on the drenched decks of the submarine that had just -risen from the depths, to which not many minutes ago it had appeared -that she was consigned forever. - -Practically every battleship in the squadron knew by wireless and -signaling of what had occurred. They had learned how the men on -the leading battleship, _Manhattan Island_, had seen the submarine -apparently rammed and sunk by the craft second in line, the _San -Francisco_. The reappearance of the small diving craft was deemed -wonderful, because several of the keenest sighted officers had been -prepared to swear that they saw the actual impact. - -Wonderful enough, Old Glory, drenched and dripping from the dive, still -hung at the stern of the _White Shark_. - -“Jack, hustle astern and get those colors!” cried Mr. Chadwick. - -The boy hastened aft and released the flagpole from its socket. -Reverently he bore the colors forward. - -“Now wave them with all your might!” came the order. - -As Jack, with all the power his muscular young arms could command, -waved the colors, strenuously renewed cheers came from the battleships. -They were in response to a burst of cheers from the company of the -_White Shark_, among whom Jim Harding stood waving to his shipmates,—a -man literally snatched from a double grave. - -Across the back of the submarine, almost amidships, was a deep dent; -but no other harm had been done. The battleship had struck her a -glancing blow just as she dived, but had it come an inch closer the -injury would have proved fatal to the career of the _White Shark_ and -its crew. - -“Come aboard!” bellowed an officer of the _Manhattan Island_ as the -_White Shark_ moved ’longside the gangway to send the sailor Harding -back on board. - -“No time. Thanks just the same,” rejoined Mr. Chadwick. - -“Can we do anything for you?” - -“Nothing at all, thanks. Good-bye!” - -“Jove, you are brave men, and those boys are the salt of the earth,” -came from another officer on the bridge. - -“You had a jolly close shave, though,” reminded another. “We thought -you were gone for a minute.” - -“So did we,” laughed Mr. Chadwick in response—“for a minute.” - -Surrounded by his mates, Harding made his way up the gangway and on -board, after bidding a grateful farewell to those who had risked their -lives to save his. For half an hour pleasant chat was exchanged, -and the officers of the _San Francisco_ came rowing up and offered -apologies for having almost ended the _White Shark’s_ existence. - -They were accepted freely. Mr. Chadwick and Mr. Dancer fully -understood that to check the way of a big battleship, or even to alter -her course, is not the work of an instant. It was due to this that the -near-casualty had occurred, the lookouts on the _San Francisco_ not -having seen the inconspicuous part of the _White Shark_ which appeared -above water till almost above her. It was then too late. - -The shock which had shaken the _White Shark_ to its bed plates had -not been felt on the battleship any more than a mosquito would be -noticeable to a mammoth. Even had the submarine been cut in two, the -shock would not have been perceptible on the _San Francisco_. - -“That just shows you that a ship might hit us at night and they’d never -know they’d sent us to the bottom,” cried Tom in dismay. - -“You’re a cheerful talker,” struck in Jack, who was one of the group; -“but come, there go the signals to get under way. The boats are in, and -look at the smoke and steam pouring from the funnels! Goodness, what a -formidable-looking fleet! Uncle Sam has no reason to be ashamed of his -navy.” - -“I should say not,” struck in Silas Hardtack; “but on the old _Ohio_ we -thought we were pretty good; and I guess we were, too,” he concluded -modestly. - -Amidst waving and cheering and mutual shouts of good will, the fleet -swept by, the crew of the _White Shark_ standing respectfully at -salute as one after another the great vessels glided past in stately -procession. - -At length the last of the column swept by, and then, and only then, did -the _White Shark_ head round once more on her course. - -“We lost some time,” declared Mr. Chadwick as they stood gazing after -the fast diminishing outlines of the battleships, “but it was worth it.” - -“An’ now, gents, am you comin’ to dat dinner, or am yo’ gwine ter spite -yo’ stomachs till supper time?” - -It was not till then that they recalled that they had eaten nothing, -all thoughts of food having been swept aside by the excitement of the -scenes they had just gone through. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -A MYSTERY ADRIFT. - - -That night the watches at the steering appliance were divided into -four. Mr. Dancer who, with the exception of a few brief snatches -of sleep, had been at the controls of the _White Shark_ almost -continuously since the voyage had started, went to his cabin right -after supper. - -Then came Tom’s watch, lasting from eight till midnight. Jack’s -followed, from midnight till 4 A. M., and Silas Hardtack’s from that -hour till 8 A. M., when Mr. Dancer insisted that he would be able to -resume control. - -This arrangement put at least one person who understood the engines in -the engine room constantly. Mr. Chadwick watched while Jack steered, -sleeping from time to time; for it will be recalled that the engines -were controllable from the steering compartment, so that actually all -the engineer was compelled to do was to “stand by” for signals and see -that the motors were properly lubricated and kept in order. - -At eight o’clock, when the signal sounded for every one to turn out, -Mr. Dancer emerged from his cabin, looking, as Tom put it, “as fresh as -a daisy.” Each in turn took a salt water shower in the bathroom, while -the appetizing aroma of Jupe’s bacon and coffee and hot biscuits filled -the main cabin. - -Through the night the submarine had been run at a distance of fifty -feet below the surface of the water, so as to avoid all risk of -striking floating objects or passing vessels. At such a depth the craft -was safe from the risk of contact with the keels of even the largest -ships. - -It had seemed odd to the boys as they stood their “tricks” at -the wheel to think, as they alternately eyed the compass and the -observation tube, that above them vessels might be passing “on their -lawful occasions,” wholly unconscious of the “man-fish” cruising below -them in the quiet depths. - -One thing, too, the boys noticed was the immense amount of fish -attracted by the glare from the observation searchlights. Through -the green, pellucid water, illuminated by the bright light from the -observation tube, it at times appeared as if they were gazing into a -show tank in some vast aquarium. Like most boys, Jack and Tom had both -read “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” but even that fascinating -history of life in deep waters had failed to give them any idea of the -immense amount of life that goes on in the submarine depths. - -Of course, at the speed the _White Shark_ kept up—for time was -imperative—it was impossible to see much more of the fish than their -fleeting forms, like flocks of birds seen from a train window. But even -this was interesting. You may be inclined to ask how the _White Shark_ -was kept on her course without danger in the depths. - -The answer is that she was guided just like any other ship in the dark -night, by her compass. Before turning the watch over to the next man, -each occupant of the steering chair gave him the direction in which -Silas Hardtack, the ship’s navigator, had ordered the prow to be kept. -The course was due south, and this made it doubly easy to keep the -_White Shark_ on her true line of progress. - -As to depth, the chart showed ample water everywhere, even should the -_White Shark_ traverse the underwaters at a depth of two hundred feet. -But there was nothing to be gained by doing this, as, at such great -depths, pressure and friction would be so increased as to seriously -impede the submarine craft’s progress, and haste was a necessity. - -After this digression concerning the night, we will follow the boys up -to the deck after breakfast, for at dawn the _White Shark_ had been -driven to the surface and the ventilators opened. While the air was not -foul, still it was a relief to open everything that could be opened, -and set in motion fans that drew the stale air out of the interior of -the craft. - -As soon as their morning meal had been dispatched, both boys hastened -on deck. The sea was still and calm, the air cool and clear and the sky -cloudless. - -They were in the gulf stream, and the water was of an intense blue. At -the sides where the Archimedian screws were biting steadily into the -water, it had a hue of the most transparent turquoise. Great patches -of yellow gulf-weed floated everywhere, and as the _White Shark_ nosed -through these, flying fish flew from them in whole coveys. - -It seemed as if the boys could not tire of watching these strange fish, -which, of course, do not “fly” at all in the true sense, but skim the -water, supported by their broad fins. - -“Hullo!” - -“Hullo, yourself, Tom; what’s up?” - -“Look yonder there, Jack. Don’t you see some object?” - -“I do, floating off to the eastward.” - -“What can it be?” - -“Don’t know. Looks as if it might be a boat.” - -“I’ll get the glasses. We’ll soon see.” - -Tom dived below and reappeared with the binoculars. A short scrutiny -convinced them that their eyes had not played them false. The object -on the horizon was a boat, a small craft like a rowing skiff—at least, -that was as well as they could make out. - -“Shall I tell Mr. Dancer?” - -The question came from Tom. - -“Yes; do so at once. It may be some shipwrecked sailor adrift. At any -rate, we ought to look into it.” - -Both Mr. Dancer and Mr. Chadwick agreed with this. For the second time -in forty-eight hours the _White Shark_ was diverted from her course, -and headed toward the drifting object. As they drew closer it became -evident enough, however, that the boat was empty, or at least if it had -an occupant that he was past sitting up. - -“May be some poor fellow overcome by the heat and thirst,” suggested -Mr. Dancer. “We’d better take a closer look.” - -Accordingly, the _White Shark_ was run right up alongside the drifting -boat. As they drew near, all hands held their breaths. They did not -know upon what tragedy of the ocean they might be going to stumble. But -the boat—a small white one, like a ship’s dinghy—was empty. Nor did it -bear any evidence of having been occupied recently. - -Above the stern seat was a name board, “Mary Gloster, Liverpool.” -Except for a coil of rope and some fishing lines, there was nothing to -show where the boat came from or what she had been last used for. The -fishing lines gave a clew, however. - -“Somebody’s been fishing and got adrift and been picked up by a passing -vessel which did not bother to load on the dinghy,” said Mr. Chadwick. - -“That looks reasonable,” agreed Mr. Dancer. “At any rate, we’ve done -all we can do and time is precious.” - -“Can’t we tow it?” asked Tom. “It’s a dandy little boat, and it seems a -shame to leave it behind.” - -“It does; but how can a submarine tow a boat except to Davy Jones’ -locker?” laughed Mr. Chadwick quizzically. - -“Well, hold this rope till I get into it and examine it for more -clews,” said Tom, who loved a mystery and scented one here. - -“Very well, Master Tom, Jack can make the boat fast to the rail, but -when the engines start you’ll have to come on board.” - -Tom nodded and jumped into the boat which was bumping alongside. -He threw the line in its bow to Jack, who made it fast around the -submarine’s deck rail. - -“Go ahead, old Sherlock Holmes,” he grinned, “get a clew.” - -“All right. I might find a bag of gold,” retorted Tom. - -“Yes; and you might find a bag of cookies, but you won’t.” - -Back and forth flew the raillery, but Tom patiently dug around the -floor of the drifting boat, in which, to make it more odd, were a pair -of oars. - -“I guess it’s just a mystery of the sea,” he said at length, “and wow! -this sun’s hot. I’ll come on board and get a drink of water. I’m dying -of thirst.” - -“Well, your enthusiasm soon petered out,” scoffed Jack. - -“Wish we could go fishing, though. That’s a dandy boat for that. -Wouldn’t you like to?” - -“Like to what?” - -“Go fishing, of course,” responded Tom. - -Mr. Dancer’s head appeared above the hatchway. - -“Go fishing, eh? Well, you can if you like. Something’s wrong with the -reverse gear. It may take some time to find the trouble and fix it.” - -“Do you want help?” asked Tom, hoping the answer would be in the -negative. - -“No, thank you. You boys go on and see if you can’t catch a mess of -nice fresh red snapper for dinner. It will make a pleasant change.” - -Tom flew below to get some stale meat from Jupe for bait, and broad -shady hats for himself and Jack. - -He was radiant when he reappeared. - -“Hurray, Jack, we’ll have a regular picnic. See, I got Jupe to fix us -up a lunch, and here’s a jug of water. We might get thirsty.” - -“Don’t go too far,” warned Mr. Chadwick, who had come on deck to see -the fishing expedition off. - -“No danger of that. We’ll be within call. Blow the whistle if you want -us.” - -Jack referred to the compressed air whistle within the hatch. Its tone -was loud and carried far, and it was designed to be used when the -_White Shark_ was going through crowded waters on the surface. - -“All right, three blasts will be the signal that we are ready.” - -“All right, dad. Good-bye!” - -“Good-bye. Careful now.” - -“Oh, sure we will; it’s like a lake this morning.” - -With Jack at the oars the boys rowed around a bit and dropped their -lines over from time to time with fair success. - -“I guess we’ve not got the right kind of bait, Tom,” declared Jack at -length; “they don’t seem to be biting right.” - -“Well, let’s pull around a bit and then try our luck again.” - -“All right. You do the pulling, though. It’s too warm for one chap to -do all the work.” - -“Rowing’s my middle name; give me the oars.” - -“Here they are. Don’t fall overboard in changing seats. I fancy I saw a -shark’s fin cruising round here.” - -“Now I’ll show you how to row.” - -Tom bent to the oars and pulled with a will. The small boat cut over -the water merrily. - -After a while Tom paused. They looked about them. - -“My, Tom, we’re a long way from the _White Shark_,” exclaimed Jack. - -“Well, didn’t I tell you I was a strong rower? I must have pulled your -lazy anatomy a good four miles.” - -“Well, let’s try fishing. If they signal us we can hear it from here.” - -“Oh, sure. Come on; bet you I get the first fish.” - -“Bet you a doughnut you don’t. Ah, see there!” - -Tom drew aboard a fine red snapper. It lay flapping in the bottom of -the boat, its bright golden scales glinting, while the boys gazed at it -admiringly. - -And all the time a danger they never dreamed of was sweeping down on -them like a thief in the night, silent and unseen. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -LOST IN THE FOG. - - -After that, the fish bit fast and furiously. It seemed that the boys -had nothing to do but to bait their hooks, throw them over and pull in -a fish. There were all varieties, many of them strange to the two lads. -Suddenly Tom’s hook was seized by something that gave a tug that almost -pulled the boy out of the boat into the water. - -“Wow!” yelled Tom. “I’ve got a whale!” - -He twisted his line about a thwart, for whatever had caught the other -end of the line almost pulled his arms out when he attempted to hold it -unaided. - -“You mean the whale’s got you,” shouted Jack, laughing. - -But the next instant his laughter turned to a shout of dismay. - -“Your whale’s running away with us.” - -This was true. The creature that had hold of Tom’s line was darting off -at a rapid rate and pulling the boat behind him. - -They skimmed over the water at great speed, Tom enjoying the fun hugely. - -“This beats motor boating,” he declared, “no engine to bother with and -just as fast. Guess I’ll catch this critter when he gets tired out and -introduce him at home as a new form of motive power.” - -“You’ll do nothing of the sort, Tom. Cast him off. Here’s my knife. Cut -the line.” - -“Why? Let’s go on a bit further,” begged Tom. - -“It would be all right if your fish motor would tow us toward the -_White Shark_, but look back there!” - -Tom turned and saw the _White Shark_ terribly far off. He thought -of the long pull back to her, and his muscles fairly ached in -anticipation. Hesitating no longer, he took Jack’s proffered knife and -slashed the line. As he did so, a few yards ahead a huge barracuda gave -a leap into the air, landing back with a mighty splash and darting off -at a mile-a-minute gait. - -“There, that’s what gave us a tow away out here,” declared Tom, as -the huge fish, which must have weighed two or three hundred pounds, -vanished. “Wouldn’t it have been great if we could have induced him to -turn round and tow us back to the _White Shark_? I’d have begged him a -bucketful of bait for the kindness.” - -“Well, quit talking rot and pick up the oars,” admonished Jack. - -He had been looking about him and noticing a curious effect in the -atmosphere. A sort of filmy haze had grown up between them and the -_White Shark_, almost obscuring the latter. - -[Illustration: HESITATING NO LONGER—HE SLASHED THE LINE.] - -Tom picked up the oars, grumbling as he did so. - -“Huh! I wish we’d never made fast to that fish.” - -“I told you to cut loose sooner,” rejoined Jack; “just for that you’ll -do some extra pulling.” - -Under what sailors term an “ash breeze”—namely, the power of a pair of -oars—the boat moved but slowly. - -“It seems to me that we are going twice as slow as when we came out,” -muttered Tom, the perspiration pouring down his face from his exertions. - -“It does seem so,” agreed Jack; “maybe there is some sort of ocean -current hereabouts.” - -After that there was silence for a time. Tom pulled steadily while Jack -looked about him at the weather. The odd mist or haze he had noticed -had grown thicker. Presently the whole sea began to steam. It was as if -the water was boiling and giving off great clouds of vapor. - -“Crickets!” cried Jack anxiously. “We’re in for it now, Tom!” - -“Why, what’s up? They’ll wait for us.” - -“Yes, if we can find them. Look about you.” - -Tom gave over rowing for a time and looked up. - -“Gracious!” he exclaimed in dismay. “Fog!” - -“Yes, that’s what it is, all right.” - -“Then we’re lost!” - -Tom’s voice was quavery with sudden alarm, but Jack kept a steady head. - -“Now, don’t get rattled,” he admonished. “Keep cool, just as you would -if you were lost in the woods.” - -The haze grew momentarily thicker. In white, wraith-like folds it -encompassed them, beating in softly all about them, like the waves of a -vaporous sea. - -“Let’s see,” mused Jack, “the _White Shark_ lay off that way, didn’t -she, when we saw her last?” - -He pointed out into the steamy white smother. - -“But are you sure she did?” asked Tom, whose pluck was coming back now -that the first shock was over. - -“Almost certain. At any rate, we’ll pull in that direction. Give me one -oar and you take the other; we shall get along faster so.” - -With one boy at each oar the boat did get through the mist faster. They -pulled till they were fairly exhausted, but at last Jack paused. - -“If we are coming in the right direction the _White Shark_ must be -close at hand now,” he declared. “Let’s try shouting.” - -The boys yelled and shouted with full lung power, but no answering -shout came back out of the mist. At last they were compelled to give -in. Their throats were raw and cracked from their vocal exercise. - -They exchanged blank looks. - -“Well?” demanded Tom flatly. - -“There’s no use blinking the fact, Tom,” was Jack’s rejoinder, “we are -lost.” - -“Can’t we do anything?” - -“Nothing, except make the best of it, like the Indian who was found -wandering about by a party of hunters. ‘Are you lost?’ they asked him. -‘No,’ replied the noble red man, ‘me not lost, wigwam lost.’ That’s -about the way we’ve got to look at our situation, Tom, old boy.” - -Jack tried hard to make his voice cheerful and confident, but somehow -Tom did not smile at his companion’s story. And all about them the fog -shut in ever closer and closer. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -“A PHANTOM OF LIGHT.” - - -For a long time Jack tried to keep Tom’s spirits up by joking and -laughing. But jokes in a situation like the one that encompassed the -two boys are but sorry things, and at length Jack gave over. - -“Is there anything we can do?” asked Tom mournfully. - -“We might cut holes in the fog and climb to the top,” laughed Jack, and -then more seriously he continued: “I don’t know what there is to do, -Tom, old boy, except to wait. ‘Wait till the clouds roll by, Nellie,’ -you know.” - -“That may not be for days.” - -“Don’t let’s discuss that. Are you hungry?” - -“Pretty well. But I think we had better go easy on what food we have; -we may need it before long.” - -“All right, we’ll put off the lunch part of it, then. But I must have -some water; I’m awfully dry after that row.” - -“So am I; but we must be careful of the water, too.” - -The boys each took a sparing drink from the stone bottle, letting the -water first moisten their mouths and then trickle down their parched -throats. This done they looked about them once more. But if they had -expected to discern a single ray of hope, they were disappointed. The -fog was as dense as ever, denser, if anything. The outlook, to say the -least of it, was not encouraging. - -Hour after hour wore on thus. During the afternoon they ate sparingly, -and took turns lying in the bottom of the boat and taking a nap. At -last darkness shut down on them, and then they began to be really -panic-stricken. - -Not a sound had come to them out of the fog, and, for all they knew, -they might be miles from the _White Shark_. The ocean was full of -currents thereabouts; that, Jack knew full well. Possibly they had -been caught in one of those and were being carried farther and farther -from their friends. At any rate, it seemed certain that if they were -anywhere near the submarine they would have heard the sound of the -whistle; for Jack knew that those on board that craft must be worried -half distraught by the nonappearance of the young fishermen. - -“I wish this old boat had been at the bottom of the sea before we ever -found her,” muttered Tom disconsolately. - -“So do I. But wishing will do no good. It’s action that counts in this -world.” - -“Of course; but how are you going to get action when there is no field -for it?” - -“You’re right, Tom; but waiting about like this, not knowing what’s -going to become of us, or even being able to see a foot ahead, is -tough.” - -“Wonder what they are doing on board now?” - -Tom’s words brought up a vision of the snug cabin of the submarine with -all its comforts, and the table spread with Jupe’s excellent cooking. - -“Don’t,” groaned Jack, “don’t make me think of it. They must be -terribly worried, Tom.” - -“I wish their worry would bring them to find us,” rejoined Tom; “but, -of course, they couldn’t do that in this mess. It’s a regular game of -blindman’s buff.” - -“Yes, and we are _it_, I’m afraid.” - -The night wore on. It was deathly silent there in the dense fog. In -the pauses of the conversation they bravely tried to keep up, they -could hear the lapping of the little waves against the side of the -boat. This made Jack think what a good thing it was that a gale had not -sprung up instead of a fog. In such case, their position would have -been even worse. - -All at once, far off in the fog, came a peculiar sound—a throbbing like -the beating of some titanic heart. - -“A steamer!” exclaimed Jack. - -This suggested a fresh peril. In the fog they might be run down by the -unseen ship. Clearly, judging by the increasing sound of the throbbing -propeller, she was coming toward them. - -“We must get out of her path!” cried Tom. - -“Of course; but how are we to tell just where she is, in this fog? I -can’t locate sound at all.” - -“No more can I. I only wish it was possible to attract her attention in -some way.” - -“Why? I don’t see that that would do us much good. We could get out of -her way quicker than she could out of ours.” - -“That’s true; but she might pick us up.” - -“What good would that do? You couldn’t expect them to heave to and go -hunting for the _White Shark_, especially if she is a mail boat. The -best she could do would be to land us in some port, and—— G-g-g-great -S-s-cott, Tom, _pull for your life_!” - -Both boys snatched up the oars and pulled for all they were worth, -digging the oar blades deep into the water. - -A spot of light loomed up through the fog. A huge bow towered blackly -above them. With the sweat starting from every pore, the boys pulled -frantically. They just managed to avoid the vessel which, like a ghost, -glided past in the smother. Bright beams came from her portholes and -she seemed like a phantom of light as she swept by. - -For a minute she shone glitteringly through the mist, and then was gone -as quickly as she had appeared. Through the fog came the sound of music -and laughter. She was a passenger ship, and there was a gay dance going -forward on board. But not one of the dancers so much as dreamed that -they had passed almost within a handshake of two lost and miserable -boys, adrift on the broad Atlantic in a cockleshell of an open boat. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -LAND IS SIGHTED. - - -The vanishing of the steamer for some reason left with the boys a -feeling of blankness and loneliness that had not, with all their -distress, been there before. - -“Just think of everybody on board that steamer having a good time, and -here we are so close to them and so wretched,” grumbled Tom. - -“Getting sore about it won’t make things any better, Tom,” admonished -Jack. “Let’s be cheerful.” - -“Cheerful? Huh!” - -“Well, try to be as cheerful as we can, then. Getting in the dumps -about it won’t help matters any.” - -But Tom sat silently in the stern of the boat until he grew so sleepy -that Jack told him to lie down and cover himself with the sail and take -a nap. - -“I’ll tell you when to relieve guard,” he said. - -Tom looked ashamed of himself. Jack’s tenderness touched him and made -him realize how cross and selfish he had been, while Jack was trying to -bear up amidst their troubles. - -“I’m sorry, Jack,” he said contritely, holding out his hand. - -That was all, but Jack understood and clasped the proffered hand warmly. - -“Now lie down, old chap, and get some sleep. Let’s hope that by the -time you wake up things will have improved.” - -Tom crawled under the canvas of the sail and in a jiffy was off in -dreamland. It appeared to be not more than ten minutes later that he -was aroused by somebody throwing a bucket of water over his head. At -least that was the way it appeared to Tom. He sat up angrily, not at -first realizing where he was. - -He saw Jack regarding him amusedly. The fog had gone and in its place a -brisk breeze blew, whipping the sea into small waves. One of these had -just broken in spray against the bow and given Tom his morning bath in -such an unceremonious manner. - -“Any sign?” asked Tom, as he saw what appeared to be a look of hope on -Jack’s face. - -“No, not a sign,” rejoined Jack, understanding without further words -just what Tom meant. - -“But you look sort of—sort of——” - -“Cheered up?” - -“Yes, that’s it. What makes you so?” - -By way of rejoinder Jack ordered Tom to “look there,” pointing off over -the port bow of the dancing cockleshell. Tom followed the direction of -Jack’s finger with his eyes. He saw, as the boat rose on the crest of -a wave, a small patch that appeared to be a cloud of a delicate purple -hue. - -“Well, what of that?” he inquired, not seeing much interest in a cloud. - -“That’s land over yonder; I’m sure of it,” declared Jack. - -“What sort of land?” Tom appeared skeptical. - -“Why, an island, of course. One of the Bahamas, I imagine. We’re about -in that latitude.” - -“Never mind the island a minute; just where are we, and where’s the -_White Shark_?” - -“I’ll have to say ‘don’t know’ to both questions. I’ve no more idea -than you have.” - -“But we didn’t row during the night, and we can’t have been so awfully -far from her. In that case, why is it that we see no sign of her?” - -“My theory is that we got caught in one of the ocean currents—may be in -it yet—and were dragged from the vicinity of the submarine during the -night. Then, too, we may have rowed in the wrong direction last night -when first we discovered that we were lost.” - -“That being the case, I don’t see what you have to look cheerful over.” - -“You don’t? Well, I do. Suppose that’s an island over yonder. We can -get up the sail and be there in a few hours.” - -“What will we find when we get there? Sand and monkeys, I suppose.” - -“There are no monkeys in the Bahamas, Tom, and so far as the island -being a barren one is concerned, we shall have to take our chance on -that.” - -“I guess it’s worth trying, anyhow. We might as well do that as toss -about out here.” - -“Let’s hoist the sail then.” - -This was quickly done, the canvas being of the leg-o’-mutton variety. -Under the small sheet the little boat flew skimmingly over the waves. - -Had the circumstances been different, the boys would have thoroughly -enjoyed the exhilarating sport. But in their case, it was more business -than sport that occupied their thoughts. If the distant speck which -Jack believed was an island should prove to be an uninhabited one, -their position would be about as bad as bad could be. They ate their -last provisions for breakfast, and a sorry meal it made, and drank -almost the last of their precious water, only leaving a small quantity -for emergencies. - -As they flew along it soon became evident that Jack’s surmise was a -correct one. The distant land was an island, and upon it was something -that at first puzzled them. This was what looked like a tall, leafless -tree. - -“I wonder what it is?” murmured Tom as they gazed at it. - -“A royal palm, perhaps, with its top blown off in the last hurricane,” -hazarded Jack. - -But Tom suddenly burst into a joyous exclamation. - -“Royal palm, nothing, Jack! It’s—it’s a lighthouse!” - -“Hurray! Then the island _is_ inhabited, and we are all right!” cried -Jack, his relief showing in his glowing face. - -“Hold on. Don’t go too fast,” counseled Tom, “we’re not there yet, you -know.” - -As if in answer to his words, at almost the same instant a big wave -flopped over the bow of the boat. Jack, who was steering, had let the -craft veer to a little, not being very skillful at steering with an -oar, which he had to use, there being no rudder in the boat. - -“Jiminy! Do you want to sink us?” remonstrated Tom, starting to bale -out the water with the tin can in which they had brought their bait. -This kept him busy so long that he had not much time to notice his -surroundings, but presently, raising his head above the bulwarks, he -was alarmed to see that the sea had increased in violence till it was -really rough. The wind, too, was freshening and blowing harder every -minute. - -The boat was riding the big rolling seas like a duck, and Jack was -handling her with real skill, but at any moment he might let the little -craft fall off and then there was every chance of a big sea boarding -and swamping her. - -“Goodness, we seem to get out of one trouble only to tumble into -another,” exclaimed Tom. “Easy there!” - -A shower of spray flew high over the small boat, drenching its -occupants to the skin. - -“This would be all right sailing near home,” said Jack, shaking the -water out of his curls, “but right now it strikes me that we could do -with a little less sea.” - -“Do you think she’ll last till we get to land?” asked Tom uneasily. - -“If it doesn’t blow any harder, we ought to do all right.” - -“But if not?” - -“Then we are going to have a pretty tough time in making port.” - -For an interval after that, neither of them spoke. It took all Jack’s -skill to handle the boat, while Tom kept his eyes riveted on the island -which every moment grew more distinct in outline. - -You are not to think, though, that the boy could gaze continuously at -the island. At times the boat would plunge down into a watery valley -from which it seemed impossible she could ever rise. Again, topping a -wave crest, Tom was able to view the island for a flash. - -It was a low, sandy islet with a few stunted wind-blown palms at one -end. At the other stood the lighthouse—a tall, thin tower painted in -broad red and white bands alternately. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -A SINGLE CHANCE. - - -The sea grew rougher as the wind freshened, just as Jack had feared it -would. The little boat fairly flew along now, at times almost burying -her lee gunwale. It was at such moments that Jack showed his skill as -a sailor. One fraction of a mistake in his handling of the small craft -and she would have keeled over a particle of an inch too far and filled -up. - -But with a closer view of the island a disconcerting fact was -discovered. There appeared to be no place to land. The surf could be -seen in great white clouds rising from the white beach, on which the -big rollers crashed with a noise like thunder. - -“How in the world are we going to land there?” Tom asked in dismay, -gazing at the surf as it was tossed ten feet into the air. The thunder -and roar of it could be plainly heard. - -“We’d be smashed up in a second in those rollers,” declared Jack. “We -must find some other landing place, that’s all.” - -At the risk of swamping the boat, he headed her on a course that would -carry them around the lighthouse end of the island. Flying along, half -buried in foam, the little craft made good weather of it. But they now -had a beam sea, and she was more difficult to manage. - -Suddenly, from a small tin-roofed house that nestled under the tall -lighthouse, a man came running at top speed. He had seen the boat and -now shouted something, pointing to the other side of the island. Jack -rightly guessed that he meant that there was a harbor on that side. - -Hurling spray high over her, the little boat dashed around the end -of the islet. On the other side the sea was just as high, but a sort -of reef ran out at one point, behind which natural breakwater lay the -harbor of which the lighthouse keeper had tried to tell them. - -The waves broke on the reef with terrific violence, and at first Jack -looked in vain for an opening. At last, however, he saw one. But it -looked terribly narrow. To get through it he would have to run his boat -almost in the shadow of the big breakers, any one of which would have -smashed boys and boat like eggshells. Yet he knew that he must make -that opening to reach the smooth water beyond. - -Luffing up, he went about on another tack. In his eagerness he stood -half upright in the stern, crouching forward above his steering oar, -guiding the plunging boat as a skilled horseman controls a restive -animal. Tom, who was huddled in the bottom of the boat so as to give -her more stability, saw the opening. He glanced back at Jack with a -look that said: - -“Dare we chance it?” - -Jack’s lips were set in a grim line. His muscles stood out like -whipcords on his arms. The wind blew back his curls above his high -forehead. He was a picture of strong, confident, American youth. But in -reality there was in his heart anything but confidence that he could -make that opening. It could not have been more than twelve feet or so -across, and on either side the cruel fangs of the reef showed when the -rollers broke over them. - -On flew the boat like a runaway horse with the bit in its teeth. But -Jack had her under perfect control. Twice he tacked; once, in executing -the maneuver, he almost swamped his small craft. But she recovered and -once more headed up for that pitifully small opening between the teeth -of the reef. - -This time Jack did not tack. Gripping his steering oar with one hand, -and the sheet rope of the sail with the other, he made straight for the -opening. Grimly he told himself that he must force the boat through. It -was that or the alternative of being pounded to death on the reef. - -And now the opening was quite close. With fascinated eyes and beating -heart Tom gazed at it and then stole a backward look at Jack. The -figure he saw gave him confidence that, come what might, Jack would not -lose his nerve in a situation where the slightest hesitancy might mean -death for both of them. - -Almost at the same instant the reef was on them. Tom almost uttered a -cry as he saw the boat headed for what appeared to mean annihilation. -But with a quick, skillful twist of his oar, Jack headed her off, and -like an arrow she shot for the opening. - -As she flew through it, Tom could have reached out and touched the -reef with his left hand, by so close a margin of safety did they gain -entrance. But the daring trip was made in surety, and the next instant -the reefs were thundering behind them and they were skimming over calm -water inside the natural breakwater, formed by the outer rim of rocks. - -“I never thought you could do it, Jack,” exclaimed Tom, fixing admiring -eyes on his chum. “It was the cleverest bit of boat handling I’ve ever -seen.” - -“Oh, it wasn’t so very hard,” rejoined Jack modestly; “it was getting -on a tack that would bring me flying through, that was the hard part.” - -“I was scared stiff, I can tell you. I thought sure we’d be battered to -a pulp on those rocks.” - -“All the more credit to you for not making a holler. Luckily I had too -much to do to think of getting scared. But it’s all over now, and I’m -not a bit sorry, I can tell you. All the skin is off my hands. But—— -Hullo! there comes the lightkeeper down to meet us.” - -The same man whom they had seen run out on the beach was now coming -down to a sort of rough wharf which stretched out into the lagoon. He -was a tall chap, thin and lanky, with an unhealthy-looking complexion. -As they drew closer they saw that his face was streaked with shadows -and drawn in tense lines. His eyes were sunken and blurred. Apparently -he was not far off from a breakdown. - -“Oh, but I’m glad you’ve come!” he exclaimed in a voice that was half -hysterical. “My partner has been gone for more than two days! I guess -that fog delayed him getting back, and the light’s gone bad—she’s -gone bad. Last night she wouldn’t shine, and there are big reefs that -stretch out for miles that her light warns of.” - -The boys tied the boat and climbed up a flight of rough steps to reach -the surface of the wharf. The man greeted them with open hands. - -“I should have gone crazy if you had not come!” he exclaimed. “I should -have gone crazy!” - -“What’s the matter with the light?” asked Jack. - -“I don’t know. The boss is the mechanic. He could have fixed it, but he -went away on the supply ship. He should have been back last night, but -he didn’t come. Oh, I have had a terrible night!” - -“Surely something can be done,” said Tom, really distressed by the -man’s excitement. - -“I don’t know. I can’t tell what is the matter,” was the rejoinder. - -“Well, I have some little mechanical skill,” replied Jack. “Suppose we -go up to your house and have some breakfast, of which you seem to be in -need and we certainly are, and then I and my cousin, Tom Jesson here, -will go to work on your light.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -A FORTUNATE FIND. - - -The lighthouse keeper’s hut was well furnished and provisioned, and -they partook of a good meal. While they ate, enjoying to the full the -hot coffee and crisp bacon with which their host served them, they -listened to his tale of his life. - -He had been an orange grower in Florida, but a frost had wiped out -all his plantation in a single night. A ruined man, he was compelled -to seek any sort of employment, and through a friend had secured a -position as assistant keeper at this lonely lighthouse. The name of the -island on which the boys had landed was Nacassa, and it was one of the -most easterly of the Bahama group. - -The light had been placed on Nacassa by the British government, to -whom all the Bahama Islands belong, to warn ships of the dread Nacassa -reefs, which, it appeared, were once celebrated for the annual harvest -of wrecked ships they gathered in. - -By the time the keeper had concluded his story the boys had finished -eating, and Jack declared that he was ready to see if he could find out -what ailed the light. - -They entered the tower by a small door and began climbing winding -stairs that coiled round and round inside the narrow limits of the -lighthouse. At last they reached the top. The light was run by a -clockwork mechanism, which, in its turn, was operated by weights which -were drawn to the top of the tower every day. It was their gradual -descent during the night that made the clockwork run and the light -revolve. - -Jack examined the machinery with interest. He wound up the weights -and carefully listened to the “click-click” of the mechanism as they -descended. He was puzzled to locate what was wrong for a while, but -at last he found it. Like most such troubles it was a very small one, -which was just what made it so hard to find. - -A screw head had worked loose and allowed a cogwheel to shift. This is -what had caused the whole trouble. With a screwdriver and a new screw -Jack soon had the mechanism running as well as ever. - -“And so that’s all that was the matter with it,” cried the man of -the tower. “Why, I could have fixed that myself, and I don’t know a -monkey-wrench from a handsaw. I guess, though, it’s like Columbus’s egg -trick—easy when you know how, and blamed hard when you don’t.” - -“Perhaps that’s it,” said Jack, with an enigmatic smile. He knew, but -didn’t say so, that only long experience and a deft hand for mechanics -had enabled him to locate the trouble at all, it was such a very -obscure one. - -“At any rate, I’m ever so grateful to you lads,” the man said -fervently. “How to thank you, though, I don’t just know.” - -“Oh, that’s all right,” said Jack. “The best way you could repay for -any help we have been fortunate enough to give you, would be to tell us -some way to find our friends.” - -The man puckered his brow in thought. The boys had told him their -story, and he was really anxious to help them. What with Jack’s -mechanical skill and his clever handling of the boat, the assistant -keeper’s admiration for the lad was tremendous. - -“Tell you what,”, began the keeper suddenly, but he broke off abruptly -again. - -“No, that wouldn’t do, either,” he concluded, shaking his head. - -“What wouldn’t do?” asked Jack. - -“We’ll try anything, however impossible it seems,” struck in Tom. - -“Well, but neither of you kids could work wireless?” demanded the man. - -“Wireless! Why, that’s my middle name. Have you got one on the island?” - -“Sure. Dick Fennell, that’s my mate, he installed one by way of amusing -himself. I don’t know how good he is at it, but he’s got a likely -looking set of doo-dads and things.” - -The boys could hardly keep from bounding down the spiral stairway three -steps at a time. - -“Here’s a bit of luck,” exclaimed Jack, “if only that wireless is -working we may be able to get into communication with the _White -Shark_.” - -Yes, if she’s on the surface,” rejoined Tom, who, as has been seen, -was somewhat of a pessimist. - -“Oh, she’s sure to be,” rejoined Jack, “I’ll bet they’re cruising -about looking for us now. By the way,” he broke off, addressing the -lightkeeper, “is there any sort of an ocean current that sets toward -this island?” - -“Yes, there’s the Great Bahama current that would land you here if you -drifted from the northward.” - -“Depend upon it then, Tom, it was just as I thought, a current that -separated us from our friends,” said Jack as they descended the stairs -_en route_ for the wireless plant of the senior lightkeeper. - -It was odd that they had not observed the web-like aërials before, for -now that Zeb Carter, the assistant, pointed them out, they were plain -enough, stretched between the lighthouse itself and a dead palm tree. -The room which housed the instruments was more of a rough shed than -anything else, and was roofed with palm leaves. - -Carter pulled a rubber cloth, designed to keep the instruments from -moisture, off the table that held them. The boys regarded the set -approvingly. It was a powerful one of the latest type. Evidently -Fennell had not stinted himself on the price of his hobby. - -Power was furnished from a dynamo run by a small gasoline engine. -Fennell, so Carter said, had complained of trouble with this engine. -Before starting it, therefore, Jack looked it over. He soon located the -trouble—in the timer—and adjusted it. Then he started the engine. Soon -the dynamo began to buzz loudly. - -“Now then, I guess we’re all ready,” said Jack. - -He sat himself down at the sending lever, first setting the switch, -and then began sending out the submarine’s secret call. - -“_W-S! W-S! W-S!_” - -The spark crackled and blazed as it leaped across its terminals, but -that was the only sound in the place except the distant roar of the -surf. Again and again, for half an hour or more, Jack continued to -call, stopping every now and then to adjust his receiver and listen for -a reply. - -Once he caught an answer, but it was only a steamer on her way to the -West Indies. - -Suddenly Jack gave a cry of triumph. - -“What a double-dyed idiot I am!” he exclaimed. “I haven’t even had the -sense to adjust this instrument to the same wave lengths as those of -the _White Shark’s_ set!” - -Bending forward, he quickly made the necessary adjustments in the -condenser. Then once more he sent the call vibrating into the caverns -of space. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -A FISH STORY. - - -Then came the same breathless pause for an answer. But this time the -suspense was not regardless. To Jack’s ears came a tiny ticking in -reply. - -“_Who wants the WHITE SHARK?_” - -Jack uttered a yell which apprised the others that he had at last -caught the connection he was after. The boy’s hands flew as he switched -to the sending key. - -“_Jack Chadwick and Tom Jesson. Who is this?_” - -“_Your father_,” came flashing back through space the next instant. -“_Good heavens, boy, we had given you up for lost. Where are you?_” - -“_Don’t just know, right now_,” flashed back Jack; “_will tell you in a -second._” - -“_Where have you been?_” came crackling back impatiently. “_We have -passed a dreadful night of anxiety._” - -“_It’s too long a story now. I will tell it to you when we meet. Is the -engine fixed?_” - -“_Yes; it was mended just after that fog shut down. We didn’t miss you -till then._” - -Jack turned to the lighthouse keeper. - -“What latitude and longitude is this island in?” he asked. - -“27° 31’ N. by 79° 5’ W.“ - -The reply was written on a scrap of paper and handed to Jack. He -flashed it over the waves of space to the operator so anxiously waiting -in the cabin of the submarine. - -”_Why, you are not more than a hundred miles from us_,“ came the -reply; ”_we’ll come there at top speed._” - -“Tell him the harbor is on the southeast side of the island,” prompted -Tom. - -“_The harbor is on the southeast side of the island_,” flashed Jack. -“_Anchor off there and we will come out to you._” - -“_Very good, my boy. Thank heaven, we have found you_,” was Mr. -Chadwick’s fervent reply. Then; came the good-bye and the keys were -closed; but the boys had a vivid mental picture of the scene on the -_White Shark_. How the engines would be relentlessly driven in an -effort to break a record to reach Nacassa Island! - -“It ought to take them about four hours to get here,” Jack figured. - -“I can hardly wait till they arrive,” said Tom impatiently. “I wish I -had something to occupy my time to keep my mind off the waiting.” - -“Try fishing,” suggested Carter. - -Both boys broke into a laugh. - -“I guess we’ve had enough fishing to last us a hundred years,” declared -Tom. - -“I wouldn’t go as far as that,” rejoined Jack; “but I guess we’ve had a -sufficiency for a while. As the Dutchman said, ’Too much is enough.’” - -“I had a great experience out here with a big fish,” said the -lightkeeper. - -The boys saw at once that a story was coming, and as it would help pass -the time they settled back to listen. They were sitting in deck chairs -just within the shadow of the little hut. - -“What was it?” asked Jack. - -“I don’t know that it will interest you, but it will pass the time -anyhow,” said Carter, “so here goes: - -“Well, I was fishing off that wharf, the one you just landed at, when -I saw the biggest barracuda I had ever seen. He was all of eight feet -long—the dictionary tells of ’em being twelve—thick as a telegraph pole -and as steely looking as a big torpedo. - -“‘Good land,’ thinks I, ‘if I could only land that fish and have him -mounted, he’d sell for a good figure to some of those inter-tourists -who come to Florida to go back with big fish stories.’ To tell the -story right, they have to take the fish to prove it; and lots of -fellows make a tidy living selling big fish to big men who wouldn’t -know a barracuda from a porgie if they saw them in an aquarium. - -“Well, I starts in on my preparations to land Mr. Barracuda. I saw -him cock up a knowing eye at me and then sink down, down, down out of -sight. But I knew somehow that he would come back, and I just sat and -waited. It was funny to watch all the different kind of fish down in -that water. First a flock of parrot fish, pink and white striped like -zebras, would float by. Then come a striped shark, yellow and black, -like a tiger, with maybe a string of young sharks—‘puppies,’ they call -’em—following her. - -“Next thing would be a big old devil fish, snapping his beak, and then -a school of small fry, swimming for their lives to get away from some -barracuda. But, though while I waited I saw a lot of barracuda, I -didn’t see the one I called mine. - -“Well, I came there every day for a week, and I tried every kind of -bait I could think of, but Old King Cole, as I had come to call the big -fish, was always absent on pressing business. It ran along like this -for maybe a month before I saw him again. I ran hot foot to the shack. -Got my rod and two hundred yards of stout line. Then I baited up with -live bait and went after Old King Cole. - -“Well, sir, he must have been hungry, for he took my bait like a flash, -and then the fight began. Gracious, how that fish fought! Just when I -thought I had him tired out, he’d start again. But the funny thing was -that the harder I’d fight him the livelier he seemed to get. Finally I -yelled to Dick, who was up by the light, to get me a revolver quick. - -“‘What you got there?’ he hollers. - -“‘The biggest fish in the world; and if I don’t get him he’ll get me, -by thunder!’ I yells back. - -“Dick he came on the run with that gun. - -“I told him to watch and I’d play the fish near the surface. Well, I -gave him line and then, Ginger! on he came like a locomotive. ‘Now!’ -yells I, and Dick fired. Again I called, and Dick let him have two -more. The weight on the line grew dead all of a sudden and the water -turned crimson. When it cleared I looked down into it and could hardly -believe my eyes. There, in the shallow water, lay dead a fish three -times the size of my barracuda! At first I couldn’t realize that it was -a dead shark lying there, I was so astonished. - -“‘All that trouble over a shark!’ grumbles Dick. - -“‘I tell you I hooked a barracuda,’ I protested. - -“Dick gave me a queer look. But we rigged a block and tackle and got -the shark out. Well, sir, what do you think we found?” - -The boys shook their heads. - -“That shark had swallowed my barracuda, and the barracuda had stuck in -his throat! We had to cut him open to get my fish out, and then we had -a tussle to kill the barracuda. What do you think of that?” - -“That you’re wasting your time here,” grinned Tom. - -“How’s that?” - -“Why, you ought to be writing for one of the outdoor magazines. They’d -pay you big prices!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -FACING A SERIOUS SITUATION. - - -“Cuba!” - -The word came from Mr. Chadwick as, two days after the events narrated -in our last chapter, the dim outline of a rugged coast came into view -from the deck of the _White Shark_. The submarine had arrived on time -at Nacassa, and the boys, having witnessed the arrival of the supply -steamer with Fennel on board, had rowed out to the diving boat. - -But after all their adventures in her, they had hated to part with the -little boat in which they had weathered such a terrific sea, and so, in -response to their earnest solicitations, the craft was hoisted on board -and lashed securely to the deck ring bolts. - -“Remember, if it is swept away when we dive, don’t blame me,” said Mr. -Dancer, and the boys promised that they wouldn’t. Privately, though, -they thought it was secure against anything. - -“How long before we come in sight of your mine?” asked Jack. - -“Oh, Sonora is quite a way down the coast. I don’t expect to sight it -before this evening. By the way, I cabled Jameson before we left that -if all was well he was to hoist a white light. If not, two red ones.” - -“You don’t anticipate any real trouble, do you?” asked Mr. Dancer, who -was taking an airing on deck while Silas did a “trick” at the wheel. - -“I don’t know. These rebels are inflamed against Americans. They think -that the Cuban government grants them favors. Then, too, some them -have an idea that by destroying American property they can force the -intervention of the United States.” - -“So that is the case. In that event I suppose things might prove to be -serious. Is the Cuban army a strong one?” - -“It consists mostly of rurales, a sort of rough-and-ready cavalry. But -they have a few troops of infantry.” - -By lunch time, the bold and rugged outline of Cape Maysoi, the eastern -extremity of Cuba, was visible. The coast here rises in barren, -rocky terraces, and Jack was able to tell the others that these odd -geological formations were caused by the gradual receding of the sea as -ages passed by. - -All the afternoon they swept along the coast, which was exceedingly -lonely and barren. Only a few cattle grazers’ huts could be seen as a -sign of human habitation, and the rugged, stark mountains that formed -the background only enhanced the sterile, wretched look of the grim -coast. - -One noteworthy sight was theirs when they passed Guantanamo Bay, the -rendezvous of Uncle Sam’s fighting ships for battle practice every -winter. - -“Well, they could shoot at that shore every day and not hurt anything,” -commented Jack. - -Night had fallen when Mr. Chadwick declared that they were in the -vicinity of Sonora. The chart showed plenty of water close into the -coast, and they crept in as near as they dared. The mountains here -towered precipitously up from the sea. At their feet were many caves -formed by the ceaseless wash of the waves in the basal formations. - -These caves exist all along that coast of Cuba, and some of them -are known to run many miles underground. But nobody has ever fully -explored them. - -Anxiety and suspense grew keen as they neared Sonora. The cliffs rose -blackly and forbiddingly against the star-spattered sky, but as yet -there was no sign of a light ashore. Suddenly, from the base of one of -the cliffs, the expected signal came. But it was not the white light -that they had hoped for,—the light that would have meant that all was -well. - -Like two drops of blood on a black velvet curtain, two scarlet lamps -flamed out against the dark background of the cliffs. - -“Good heavens!” exclaimed Mr. Chadwick, “that means the worst. Jameson -is not a man who would get alarmed unnecessarily. Jupe, get a red lamp -from below and swing it to and fro twice.” - -“Y-y-y-yes, sah,” stuttered Jupe, who had no great stomach for -fighting. To him the mysterious proceedings of the night seemed fraught -with direness also. - -“H-h-h-ere you am, sah,” he stammered, coming on deck and handing the -lantern to Mr. Chadwick. - -“I told you to wave it, Jupe.” - -“Y-y-y-y-yes, sah; but am you shuh dat wha’eber dat contraption am -asho’ ain’t a gwine ter shoot jes’ as soon as ah wabe?” - -“So you wouldn’t mind me being shot, eh?” said Mr. Chadwick, smiling -despite his very real anxiety. “All right, Jupe, give it to me.” - -The lantern was waved twice. The signal was answered from shore. - -“What now?” whispered Jack. - -Somehow the impulse to speak in whispers was almost irresistible. What -with the darkness of the night and the mystery of their errand, it -seemed that danger was lurking everywhere. - -“We’ll wait here,” rejoined Mr. Chadwick; “the mine is at the top of -that cliff, a little bit back from the edge. It is an old one worked -long ago by the Spaniards, and is as full of galleries and passages as -a rabbit warren. If those rascally rebels once got into it, it would -make a fine hiding place for them.” - -“Is Mr. Jameson going to row out?” asked Jack, knowing that this was -the only way by which the superintendent could reach them. - -“Yes; we keep a boat further down the coast. See, he must have got out -of the mine in some way and reached the boat and then rowed to this -spot. He is a daring fellow.” - -“Here he comes now,” whispered Tom, pointing to a red light which began -to move over the water toward them. - -“Tut! He ought to have put that lantern out,” exclaimed Mr. Chadwick. -“Ah! I thought so!” - -A red flash from the top of the cliff split the night. A report -followed and then the whole top of the cliff blazed fire. The red light -vanished, but whether extinguished by a bullet, or by Jameson’s hand, -it was impossible to tell. - -“Confound it, the rascals keep a good lookout. I hope they haven’t -injured Jameson. He ought to have had better sense than to leave that -light as a mark for them to aim at.” - -A few minutes later, however, anxiety for Jameson was alleviated. A -boat drew alongside out of the darkness. - -“Are you all right, Jameson?” hailed Mr. Chadwick anxiously. - -“Aye, I’ll be bonny, thank ’ee, Mr. Chadwick,” came a voice with a -strong tinge of a burr in it; “yon callants thocht they’d finish me -the noo, but they dinna ken James Jameson.” - -“Well, come on board at once. You must have much to tell me.” - -“Oh, aye,” rejoined Jameson, lifting his huge bulk out of the boat. “I -hae that; I hae that.” - -He clambered on board, securing his boat. His narrative was brief, but -succinct. Two days before the rebels had surrounded the mine and were -now encamped in great force outside the stockade. Only ten men remained -inside the stockade on guard duty. - -All the rest had deserted. Provisions were running low, and a spring -which supplied water had, in some way, been cut off from the outside. - -“I reckon the scallywags count on starving us out,” concluded Mr. -Jameson. - -“But how did you get out to reach the boat? It was kept a mile up the -coast.” - -“Oh, aye. Well, I climbed over the stockade, d’ye ken, and made me way -to the bit boat wi’oot trouble.” - -Thus did Jameson describe what must have been an act fraught with -peril, for he had had to pass through the rebel lines. Mr. Chadwick -felt this. - -“I wish you would tell us all, James Jameson,” he said. - -“Hoot, toot! I tole ye all. No use wasting words, mon.” - -“So that is the situation?” mused Mr. Chadwick. “Well, that’s about as -bad as it can be. When do you think they will make the attack?” - -“I dinna ken; but I think to-night. They ken there is gold in the safe, -for it would be pay day the noo. But then they ken we hae a machine -gun, too, and they’re canny afraid of thot, I’m thinkin’.” - -“I’m glad of that. But where are the regulars?” - -“There are some troops above Santiago, Mr. Chadwick, but not enough to -fight their way through that boilin’ of rebels. The callants all hae -Remingtons, too, and some of the regular troops haven’t even guns.” - -“That’s bad. Then the men inside are penned in without much hope of -getting out alive unless we bring relief.” - -“That’s the situation in a nutshell.” - -“But how is it going to be done?” asked Mr. Chadwick with a trace of -irritation in his voice at the calmness of the Scot superintendent. “We -cannot leave those men in there to perish.” - -“No, eets no to be thoct of.” - -“But the troops are not strong enough to cut their way through the -rebel ranks?” - -“I’m no sayin’ they aren’t, and I’m no sayin’ they are.” - -“Upon my word, Jameson, can’t you suggest something except just to -stand there and negative suggestions?” - -“I’m thinkin’ I’ve done some work to-night, Mr. Chadwick,” was the -dignified reply. - -“You’re right, you have,” exclaimed Mr. Chadwick contritely; “forgive -me, Jameson, but I’m overwrought and nervous. But can’t we try the -troops from the outside?” - -“Eet would be of no use whatever, Meester Chadwick, and that’s the -Laird’s own truth. There’s one way to drive those rascally rebels to -the woods, though.” - -“And how is that?” - -“To get the government troops on the inside. We could cut the rebels -up a bit wi’ the machine gun and put the fear of the Laird in their -hearts, and then charge ’em from inside the stockade.” - -“Yes; but how are you going to march your troops through the rebel -ranks? You admit yourself that it is impossible.” - -“It is impossible to get them inside by marching through the rebel -ranks; but,” he paused impressively as if to give his words weight, -“there’s another way, d’ye ken?” - -“Another way of getting inside the stockade?” - -“Aye, that’s what I’m tellin’ you, mon. Long, long ago, d’ye ken, the -Spaniards worked that mine. They worked it pretty thoroughly, too, in -their primitive way; that cliff is fair honeycombed wi’ passages an’ -such.” - -“Yes, yes, go on, Jameson; every minute is precious.” - -They all leaned forward eagerly as the raw-boned Scot, not in the least -perturbed, went leisurely on. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -THE “WHITE SHARK” TO THE RESCUE. - - -Not to try our reader’s patience as sorely as Jameson tried that of his -auditors, we will put his narrative in brief form. In exploring the -abandoned passages of the mine workings, he one day came upon a flight -of steps cut in the rock. He followed them up and found that they led -from the summit of the cliff down into the interior of one of the big -basalt caves. The mouth of the cave was large, for he could see the -gleam of green water framed by the black rock, but the free space above -the entrance was hardly large enough to admit a rowboat at high tide. -Being naturally of a curious disposition, he made soundings and found -that the water in the cave was very deep, as deep as it was outside, in -fact. - -“I’m no guessin’ what the old Spaniards used the cave for,” he -concluded; “to drown slaves that had been cantankerous, maybe—I’ve -heard o’ such things. But we can use it to a better purpose the -night—to save human lives.” - -“I confess I don’t quite understand,” said Mr. Chadwick. - -“Hoot, mon, ye fash me. This bit boat is a divin’ boat, is she nae?” - -“She surely is,” spoke up Jack. - -“Weel, then, you run doon the coast to the barracks above Santiago, -pack your soldier laddies in this cabin when you get to the cave mouth, -and then dive into it.” - -“Jove, Jameson man, I see your plan!” cried Mr. Chadwick excitedly. -“You mean to get the soldiers inside the cave and then rush them into -the stockade by means of the secret stairway.” - -“Preecisely.” - -“Then let’s start at once. Dancer, you think the plan is feasible?” - -“If there is sufficient water,” was the reply. - -“I’ll answer for thot,” Jameson promised him. “I made thorough -soundings.” - -“Let’s start right off, then. Every instant counts. Dancer, will you go -below to the wheel?” - -“Yes; I’ll take it. It will be a delicate task getting into that cave, -but luckily, our searchlight observation tube will help us.” - -“How long will it take us to run down the coast to the barracks, -Jameson?” asked Mr. Chadwick. - -“Not more than an hour. How fast can ye go?” - -He was told. - -“Then ye’ll do it in less time than that in the bonnie bit divin’ boat.” - -The engines were started at once, and at top speed they set off for -the barracks where the regular troops were quartered. - -“I wish we had a dozen marines off the old _Ohio_,” grumbled old Silas -as they sped along, “they’d lick all the rebels that ever breathed.” - -“What, all of them, Silas?” asked Tom, winking at Jack. - -“Well, they wouldn’t leave more than a corporal’s guard at any rate,” -declared Silas confidently. - -At last the light that marked the entrance of the harbor where the -barracks were located came in sight. Mr. Jameson went below to help -pilot the craft in. They came to anchor and summoned the attention -of the sentry by three harsh toots of the whistle. A sharp challenge -followed, which the superintendent answered in Spanish. - -Jameson’s boat had been towed along, and it now came in handy to take -Mr. Chadwick and the superintendent ashore. In less than fifteen -minutes it was back, loaded down dangerously close to the bulwarks -with Cuban soldiers under a very young and voluble officer. They were -odd-looking chaps to the boys’ eyes, accustomed to associate the name -soldier with smart uniforms and well-drilled figures. The Cubans were -slouchy and badly drilled and disciplined, talking back to their -officers freely. But they looked wiry and were no doubt well adapted -for the type of fighting they were called on to do. - -The boat made three trips ashore and back, and at the end of her last -trip there was packed on board the submarine a complement of twenty men -under three officers. - -These were all that could be spared, for the garrison itself was in -fear of an attack by the rebels, who had become heated by several -recent victories. No time was lost in making a start back. The Cubans -paled a little at the idea of making a trip in a submarine, but their -officers reassured them that all was well. - -Jameson bent over Mr. Dancer as they neared the spot where the entrance -to the cave was located. At last they reached it. Word was given to -close the sliding hatch and make everything fast. - -Some of the Cubans who understood a little English turned green and -shook visibly from fright as they heard these orders given. They knew -that they were about to dive under the sea for some purpose, but for -what they luckily didn’t guess, or they might have been even more -frightened. Their officers reassured them with sharp words of command. - -“Gee! what a seasick-looking lot of monkeys,” commented Silas Hardtack -with disgust as he elbowed his way forward among their packed ranks. - -“Every man to his trade, Silas,” admonished Mr. Chadwick, who had -overheard. - -“Ready for a dive!” - -“Aye! aye!” boomed back from the engine room in response to the hail -from the steering compartment. - -“Stand by, everybody!” roared Silas in a voice that had weathered many -a gale. “You monkeys better grab something,” he said to the Cubans, “or -you’ll get something you don’t expect.” - -The next instant came the motion with which all on board but the Cubans -were now thoroughly familiar. Down shot the _White Shark_. - -Down! Down! Down! - -A wail of terror went up from the Cubans. Shouts to the saints and -their friends rent the air. - -“We are sinking, Jose!” yelled one. - -“Well, you didn’t think you was going up in a balloon, did you?” grated -out Silas. - -“Muerto! I am killed!” cried another in agonized tones. - -The officers stood firm amidst all the yells and lamentations, but -their eyes blinked a little and they looked anything but comfortable. -Nor can they be altogether blamed. Picture yourself, reader, routed out -of a comfortable bed to go on a diving expedition in a boat that you -had no means of knowing would ever reappear on the surface. - -But at length the diving motion ceased and the _White Shark_ came up on -an even keel. - -“Clang! Clang!” - -“Stop her!” boomed out in the engine room. - -“Back her!” - -“Come ahead—slow!” - -“Stop!” - -“Thank gracious that’s over,” breathed Jack as he shut down the motors -and wiped his hands on a bit of waste, “I expected every minute to feel -us hit the side of the cave as we dived, and then—good night!” - -“It reminded me of coming through that hole in the reef.” - -“Almost as uncomfortable,” agreed Jack, “but hark! There’s Silas -opening the hatch. We’re not needed here, let’s go on deck.” - -They found the _White Shark_ lying in an immense pool of water almost -crystal clear. Above them rose the rocky dome of a huge cave. All this -was illumined by a powerful light which Silas had been ordered to carry -on deck. - -The _White Shark_ lay against a sort of platform of stone from which -the stairs upon which Mr. Jameson had blundered appeared quite plainly -leading up to regions above. “Well, we’ve been in some queer places,” -declared Jack, “but this has it a little bit on all of them. Look at -those stalactites hanging from the roof. They’re as big as telegraph -poles.” - -“Young telegraph poles,” reproved Tom, laughing at Jack’s exaggeration. - -The soldiers were quickly disembarked and right glad they were to get -their feet on dry land again, although some of them looked misgivingly -about them at their odd surroundings. They chattered like so many -monkeys till ordered to fall in by their officers. - -“What’s he telling them to do?” asked Tom of Silas, who understood some -Spanish. - -“He’s telling ’em to fall in. On the old _Ohio_——” - -“Fall in? Fall in where?” demanded Tom with a cherubic look of -innocence. - -“Into the pool,” supplemented Jack with a wink at Tom. But Silas had -stalked off full of offended dignity. - -As he went he muttered something about what was done to “fresh kids” on -the old _Ohio_. - -Under Mr. Jameson’s guidance the troops marched off up the old stairway -which, as Jameson had hinted, the Spaniards had used for dark purposes. -The rest followed behind. The two boys, half wild with excitement, -brought up the rear, having been admonished by Mr. Chadwick to keep -out of danger. As for Jupe, he lay under his bunk. The red lights, the -soldiers and the mysterious cave had been too much for him. - -As they emerged into the stockade, the haggard-faced defenders of the -place looked at them as if they had been angels from heaven. One of -the men stated that through a peephole in the stockade he had seen the -rebels outside massing as if to make a charge. - -“Then we are just in time, laddie,” said Mr. Jameson. “Some of you -mount the machine gun and open fire, then the troops will follow up. -Give a few cheers, just to show them outside that you’ve got plenty of -heart left in you.” - -The machine gun stood on a platform just inside the stockade. Only its -muzzle projected, but as quite a big hole had been cut so as to give it -plenty of “range,” the operator was protected by a steel “barbette.” -As the cheer died down the gun began to bark. It roared and spat like -a packet of fire crackers. Howls and yells told of the dismay of the -rebels. - -“Now!” roared Jameson, who had been looking through the peephole. - -The gates were flung open and out dashed the troops, while white fire -was burned to illumine the scene. But the sight of the troops was -enough. Unable to understand how the regulars had got within the -stockade, the superstitious rebels saw something supernatural in it. -They broke and fled in all directions, while the regulars, with a great -hullabaloo and show of ferocity, chased them. - -And after all, nobody was killed. The machine had wounded a few of the -rebels, but these had been carried off by their friends. In fact, the -rebels had taken good care to keep out of the machine gun’s way. That -was not their style of fighting. - -It was the next day after the _White Shark_ had been backed out of the -cave successfully that the cruiser _Dixie_ appeared, having steamed -full speed from Santiago, where her officers had learned of the attack -on the mine. Twenty marines were landed further down the coast and -placed in defense of the workings till the revolution was over, which -event was not far off. - -With her mission accomplished and her every faculty tested, the _White -Shark_ shortly thereafter left Cuba for the United States. On board she -carried a happy, contented crew who had gone through much excitement -and some hardship. But not one was the worse for it. All enjoyed -radiant health and spirits. - -When Mr. Dancer returned home, it was to find that glorious news -awaited him. It concerned the _White Shark_ and her type of submarine, -and from that day on the name of Daniel Dancer became one of the most -famous in the history of his particular line of work. Moreover, he—but -that is another story. - -You may rest assured that our friends did not lose sight of each other -at the conclusion of a voyage which as even Jupe declared had been -“conlubrious fo’ all consarned in the contraption”; meaning probably -“salubrious for all concerned in the transactions.” - -And now the time has come to say good-bye once more to our Boy -Inventors. But of their further activities and adventures you may -read in a forthcoming volume which will deal with other experiments -and inventions. For, not content with what they had already achieved, -the cousins determined to convert their already famous automobile -into a machine of triple power and purpose. Their success, and the -utterly unexpected experiences incident to it, is recorded in “The Boy -Inventors’ Flying Ship.” - - - THE END. - - * * * * * - -Transcriber's Notes - -Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. All other -spelling and punctuation remains unchanged. - -Italics are represented thus _italic_. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Boy Inventors' Diving Torpedo Boat, by -Richard Bonner - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BOY INVENTORS' DIVING TORPEDO BOAT *** - -***** This file should be named 54069-0.txt or 54069-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/0/6/54069/ - -Produced by Roger Frank, Les Galloway and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world 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 www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - |