FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39  
40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   >>   >|  
ang quickly to the steps, ascending, waving his hand to Hal as he went. Young Hastings quickly shoved off, then bent to his oars. "Where's the pilot?" came a stern voice, from the bridge, as Jack Benson's head showed above the starboard rail. "I am the pilot, sir," Jack replied. "Why, you're a boy." "Guilty," Jack responded. "What does this fooling mean? You're not old enough to hold a pilot's license." By this time Benson was on the deck, immediately under the bridge. A half dozen sailors, forward, were eyeing him curiously. "I have no license, sir," Jack admitted. "Neither has anyone else at Dunhaven. For that matter, the harbor's a private one, belonging to the shipyard." "Hasn't Mr. Farnum a _man_ he can send out?" "No one who knows the harbor better than I do, sir." "Who are you? What are you?" "Jack Benson, sir. Captain of the Pollard submarine boats." "Why didn't you tell me that before?" The question came sharply, almost raspingly. "Beg your pardon, sir, but you didn't ask me," Jack replied. "Come up here, Benson," ordered the lieutenant commander, in a loud voice intended to drown out the subdued titter of some of the sailors forward. Jack ascended to the bridge, to find himself facing a six-footer in his early thirties. There was a younger officer at the far end of the bridge. "Does Mr. Farnum consider you capable of showing us the way into the harbor?" demanded the commanding officer of the "Hudson." "I think so, sir. He trusts me with his own boats." "Then you are--" "Benson, Mr. Farnum's captain of the submarine boats." Lieutenant Commander Mayhew gazed in astonishment for a moment, then held out his hand as he introduced himself, remarking: "I was told that I would find a very young submarine commander here, but--" "You didn't expect to find one quite as young," Jack finished, smiling. "No; I didn't. Mr. Trahern, I want you to know Captain Jack Benson, of the Pollard submarines." Ensign Trahern also shook hands with young Benson. "And now," went on the commander of the "Hudson," "I think you may as well show us the way into the harbor." "You'll want to go at little more than headway, sir," Jack replied. "The harbor is small, though there's enough deep water for you. In parts there are some sand ledges that the tide washes up." "I can't allow you to pilot us, exactly, but you'll indicate the course to me, won't you, Mr. Benson?" The "mister"
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39  
40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Benson

 
harbor
 

bridge

 
replied
 

commander

 

Farnum

 
submarine
 

Hudson

 

forward

 

sailors


quickly

 
Captain
 

Trahern

 

Pollard

 

officer

 

license

 

captain

 
Lieutenant
 

thirties

 

astonishment


footer

 

Mayhew

 

Commander

 

commanding

 

capable

 
demanded
 
moment
 

showing

 
trusts
 

younger


headway
 

mister

 

ledges

 

washes

 
expect
 

finished

 

introduced

 

remarking

 
smiling
 

submarines


Ensign

 
lieutenant
 

curiously

 

eyeing

 

admitted

 
Neither
 

matter

 
private
 

Dunhaven

 

immediately