ecautions."

The British ambassador left the lads at their hotel, and they returned at
once to their rooms, where for several hours they discussed the situation.

"There is no use talking about it," said Frank at last. "Let's go to bed."

They undressed.

Just before extinguishing the light, as was his custom, Frank raised the
window. As he looked out he saw below a crowd of excited men and women
moving about the street.

"Hey, Jack!" he called. "Come here."

Jack joined him at the window.

"Now what's up, do you suppose?" asked Frank.

"Too deep for me," declared Jack, "but something surely. Let's go down and
find out."

Hurriedly they slipped back into their clothes, and went down stairs. They
stepped out of the hotel and mingled with the people on the streets, quite
a crowd for Washington at that hour of the night.

The stream of people led toward Eleventh and Pennsylvania avenue, where a
larger crowd was gathered in front of a bulletin board in the window of a
newspaper office.

"Big news of some kind," said Jack as they hurried along.

"And not good news, either," Frank declared. "There'd be some cheering if
it were."

"You're right," said Jack.

By main force they wormed their way through the crowd, until they were
close enough to read the bulletin board. Then Jack uttered an exclamation
of alarm.

"I knew it!" he cried.

For what he read was this:

"Navy Department announces sinking of two freight vessels off New Jersey
coast by German submarines."

"I knew it!" Jack said again.

CHAPTER XIII

THE SUBMARINES GROW BOLDER

The boys returned to their rooms.

"Now what?" asked Frank.

"I don't know," was Jack's reply. "I hate to sit here quietly when the
whole American navy, or what part of it is still here, is in chase of the
Germans, but what are we going to do about it?"

"Search me," replied Frank.

"Our instructions," Jack continued, "are to stay here pending further
orders."

"Maybe we'll get them soon," said Frank.

"Yes; and maybe we won't."

"Then we'll just have to sit tight."

"That's what worries me."

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Frank called.

A bell boy entered with a second cablegram.

Jack tore it open hastily.

"Hurray!" he cried.

"What's up?" demanded Frank.

He arose and peered over his chum's shoulder. What he read was this:

"Offer your services and the services of the Essex to the U.S. Navy
Department at once."

"Fine