"Gracious! What could have happened? Let me see. The last
I remember--passing that high fence--"

But it was all too great a puzzle. Benson finally decided to stop
guessing until some future time. He went on with his dressing. Finally,
with his blouse buttoned as exactly as ever, and his cap placed gingerly
on his aching head, he opened the stateroom door, stepping out into
the cabin.

Accustomed as he was to sea motion, the slight roll of the "Farnum" did
not bother the young skipper much. He soon reached the bottom of the
short spiral stairway leading up into the conning tower. Up there, in
the helmsman's seat, he espied Hal Hastings with his hands employed at t
he steering apparatus. Hal was looking out over the water, straight
ahead.

"Sailing these days without word from your captain, eh?" Jack called,
in a voice that carried, though it shook.

"Gracious--you?" ejaculated Hal, looking down for an instant. Then
Hastings pressed a button connecting with a bell in the engine room.

"I'm going up there with you," Jack volunteered.

"Right-o, if you insist," clicked Eph Somers, appearing from the engine
room and darting to the young skipper's side. True, Jack's head swam a
bit dizzily as he climbed the stairs, but Eph's strong support made the
task much easier. There was space to spare on the seat beside Hal, and
into this Jack Benson sank.

"Say, you ought to sleep until afternoon," was Hastings's next greeting,
but Jack was looking out of the conning tower at the scene around him.

The three craft were leaving the coast directly behind. About three
hundred yards away, abeam, steamed the "Hudson" at a nine-knot gait.

"The 'Pollard' is on the other side of the gunboat, isn't she?" asked
Jack.

"Yes," Hal nodded.

"Naval crew aboard her?"

"Yes; Government has taken full possession of the 'Pollard.'"

"Who's running this boat? Just you and Eph?"

"No; that new man, Truax, is on board, and at the last moment Mr. Farnum
put Williamson, one of the machinists, aboard, also. You can send
Williamson back from Annapolis whenever you're through with him."

"Williamson is all right," nodded Jack, slowly. "But how about Truax?"

"I think he's going to be a useful man," Hal responded. "He seems
familiar with our type of engines. Of course, he knows nothing about
the apparatus for submerging the boat or making it dive. But he doesn't
need to. Now, Jack, old fellow, we're going along all righ