he continent. Thousands of ships pass and repass
that zone which reaches from the southern part of Ireland to the western
coast of France, and it was remarkable that the submarine was able to
move along up to this time on the surface without being detected.

Before the sun had gone down that night, however, they were compelled to
submerge twice, and then the mantle of night shrouded the vessel and it
moved along with more boldness. On this the fourth night of captivity,
they were not locked in their prison.

"I cannot account for it," said the captain. "Possibly the commander
has some little human sympathy left, and does not want to drown us like
rats in a cage."

Neither the captain nor the boys slept much that night. They were too
much occupied with constantly watching the manoeuvers necessary on the
part of the commander and his crew to prevent detection as they passed
up the Channel.

"I have spent years on the Channel as a navigating officer and in charge
of various types of ships in the merchant service, as well as on our own
naval vessels, and I know, probably, better than the lieutenant in
charge of the submarine, what the dangers are. It is my belief that the
lieutenant has come over this course before, and probably knows a safe,
or measurably safe route, and has taken the chances of returning, but no
one, however skilful a navigator he may be, can be sure of making
exactly the same course twice. The tides may be against him; he may be
out of his reckonings hundreds of feet, and that is too big a margin,
where a hundred feet in width is the limit through which his vessel may
pass in safety."

The captain thus, in general terms, set forth the perils of the route
that the commander of the submarine had taken, and stated also, very
plainly, that they must now be prepared to meet the greatest of all
dangers. Sleep, therefore, could not be considered.

The long and weary night at last came to an end, and the appetizing
odors of the morning meal were wafted to them. Their toilets were
exceedingly simple affairs, a small cake of soap, warm water, and a
long towel serving for the three. They had no trouble in dressing, for
their clothing had not been removed. They were obliged to dispense with
the bath, for, although all these boats are provided with comforts of
that kind, none of them was available to the captain and the boys, and
they did not ask that any privileges be extended to them.

No sooner had breakfa