ou will be willing to help us further, will you not?"

"Of course I shall, sir."

"Very good. Now you look around the ship to your heart's content, while I
hold a conference with my officers."

"Very well, sir."

The boy walked away. Jack held a consultation with his officers on the
bridge.

"If the boy is telling the truth," he said, "and I have no doubt of it, we
are in luck. It may be that we can capture this German crew ashore and
then take possession of the submarine."

"But, sir," protested Lieutenant Hetherton, "if the submarine were to come
to the surface now and catch sight of the Essex it would never come back
again."

"I had thought of that," replied Jack, "and I have a plan that will offset
it. You see that projecting reef there?" and Jack pointed to the north.
The others signified that they did. "Well," Jack continued, "back of that
is as cosy a little harbor as you would care to see. I noticed it as we
came by. We'll take the Essex there, and she will be hidden well enough."

"Unless the submarine should chance to come to the surface there," was
Frank's objection.

"We'll have to leave something to chance," declared Jack.

"In which event your plan is as good as any I can conceive," said Frank.
"But after we get the Essex there, then what?"

"Why," said Jack, "I'll take a party of half a hundred men or so and
surround the house of this Cutlip boy. When the Germans arrive we'll nab
'em. After that we can find the submarine."

"Hasn't it struck you, sir," Frank asked of Jack, "that maybe the men who
accosted this boy and his father were merely bluffing? That they may not
return to-night?"

"It has," Jack replied, "but at the same time there is a chance that they
will. Therefore, in lieu of any other clue as to the whereabouts of the
submarine, I deem it well to act on what information, we have."

"It won't hurt anything, that's sure, sir," was Lieutenant Hetherton's
comment.

In this the other officers agreed.

"Very well then," said Jack. "It shall be as I suggested. Mr. Chadwick,
will you shape your course for the point I have mentioned."

"But the boy, sir?" said Frank. "Shall we not put him over the side
first?"

"No; we'll take him with us," Jack decided.

As the destroyer began to forge ahead, the Cutlip boy grew alarmed and
hurried to Jack's side.

"You are not taking me away, are you, sir?" he asked fearfully.

"No," replied Jack, and outlined the situation as fully as he d