t meal.

Lieutenant Jack Benson, however, appeared to take the news very
coolly.

"May I ask," he inquired, "whether any of you young gentlemen
noticed anything unusual in our motion during the last two or
three minutes?"

All six of the midshipmen glanced at him quickly, then at Darrin
the other five looked, as though appointing him their spokesman.

"No, sir; we didn't note anything," replied Dave. "We were too
busy with our food and with listening to the talk."

"But now you notice something?"

"Yes, sir."

"What?"

"That the boat appears motionless, as though speed had been stopped."

"And that is the case," smiled Benson. "Mr. Somers, soon after
the soup was placed on the table, came in from the deck with the
one man of his watch, closed the tower and signaled for changing
to the electric motors. Then he filled the forward tanks and
those amidships, at last filling the tanks astern. We came below
so gently that you very intent young men never noticed the change.
We are now on the bottom---in about how many feet of water, Mr.
Somers?"

"About forty, sir," replied Eph.

The six midshipmen stared at one another, then felt a somewhat
uncomfortable feeling creeping over them.

"Had it been daylight," smiled Benson, "you would have been warned
by the disappearance of natural light and the increased brilliancy
of the electric light here below. However, your experience serves
to show you how easily up-to-date submarines may be handled."

"What do you think of the way the trick was done?" asked Hal Hastings,
looking up with a quiet smile.

"It was marvelous," replied Midshipman Farley promptly.

"I would like to ask a question, sir, if I may," put in Midshipman
Jetson.

"Go ahead, sir."

"Were submarines ever handled anywhere near as neatly before you
three gentlemen began your work with the Pollard Company?"

"We didn't handle them as easily, at all events," replied Jack
with a smile. "It has required a lot of work and practice, night
and day. Steward, a plate for Mr. Somers."

"This is the way we generally manage at meal times," smiled Ensign
Eph, as he took his place at table. "There's no use in keeping
an officer and a man on deck, or a tender at the engines, unless
we're going somewhere, in a hurry. So, in a case like this, where
the deck officer wants his meal, we just sink into the mud and
rest easy until the meal is over."

"Are you giving instruction, or merely seeking to amuse