ightly
submerged, and evidently the removable hand rail had not been stowed and
it was that on which his feet had caught and which had caused his
inglorious aquatic somersault. He had walked, or stumbled, over the
submerged deck and now stood, a drenched and astonished figure, beneath
his rescuers--or his captors.

The man lowered a rope which had something like a horse's stirrup
hanging to it and into this Tom put his foot, at the same time grasping
the rope, and was helped up somewhat roughly.

Upon the top was a little hatch in which the man was standing, like a
jack in the box, and now he went down an iron ladder with Tom after him.

"You off der _Montauk_, huh?" he said.

"Yes, sir," said Tom, "I fell off."

"Vell, you haf' good loock."

Tom did not know whether to consider himself lucky or not, but it
occurred to him that the domineering manner of his captors might not be
an indication of their temper. And the realization of this was to prove
useful to him afterward for he found that with the Germans a not
unkindly intention was often expressed with glowering severity. He made
up his mind that he would not be afraid of him.

The iron ladder descended into a compartment where there was much
electrical apparatus, innumerable switches, etc., and two steering
gears. In front of each of these was a thing to look into, having much
the appearance of a penny in the slot machine, in which one sees
changing views. These he knew for the lower ends of the two periscopes.
There was an odor in the place which made him think of a motorcycle.

A door in the middle of this apartment, forward, led into a tiny,
immaculate galley, with utensils which fitted into each other for
economy in space, like a camping outfit. Here a parrot hung in a
cage--strange home for a bird of the air!

Another door, midway in the opposite side of the galley, opened into a
narrow aisle which ran forward through the center of the boat, with
berths on either side, like the arrangement of a sleeping-car. In one of
these squatted two men, in jumpers, playing a card game.

The length of this aisle seemed to Tom about half the length of a
railroad car. Through it his rescuer led him to a door which opened into
a tiny compartment, furnished with linoleum, a flat desk, three
stationary swivel chairs and a leather settee. It was very hot and
stuffy, with an oily smell, but cosy and spotlessly clean.

Directly across this compartment was another centr