Captain Jack moved the speed wheel around to the six-mile notch. The
twin propellers aft began to churn the water lazily, causing the
"Pollard" to slip away from her moorings. Ere they had gone a hundred
yards Jack swung on much more speed. By the time that the submarine
reached the mouth of the little harbor she was traveling at eighteen
miles an hour, her bow nosing into the waves and throwing up a fine
spray, some of which reached the platform, deck. Astern, her propellers
were tossing the water into a milky foam. Truly, she made a gallant
sight!

For half a mile Captain Jack kept out to sea. Then he turned the
craft's nose northward. For another hour the "Pollard" was kept at
the same speed, behaving handsomely. Then Captain Jack turned the
wheel over to big Bill Henderson, going below to have his supper with
builder and inventor.

"As soon as the other watch have had supper," proposed Mr. Farnum,
"I think, Captain, we'll drop fifty feet below the surface and run
for an hour or more. The Navy men will want an even sterner test
than that. We want to make sure that everything about the craft is
running at the top notch of perfection. A fortune for Pollard, and
another for myself, are at stake on what we show the Navy in the next
three days."

"Oh, we can easily show them anything that any submarine craft can do,"
smiled Jack Benson, confidently. "And I'm certain we can show the
Navy officers an ease of handling that isn't reached by any other
submarine in the world."

"It's a good thing to have a confident captain," smiled David Pollard.
"A confident captain, aboard a reliable boat, spells victory."

When the meal was over Captain Jack went back above to the wheel. There
was no moon this night, but the stars shone brightly over the water.
It was a warm night, with a gentle breeze, and only the gentlest swell
to the water. The "Pollard" had been slowed down to twelve miles an
hour, but there was still speed enough for the motion to be exhilarating.

"Oh, it's great to be captain of probably the most powerful and dangerous
sea-terror in the world!" throbbed the boy, looking up at the stars.
"How little I dreamed of this, a few months ago!"

"Going to be ready, now, for the dive and the hour's run under water,
captain?" inquired Mr. Farnum, coming up on deck.

"In about ten minutes, sir," replied Jack, pointing forward over the
port bow, "we'll be abreast of Point Villars light. Why not dive