oat!"

"Then he'd surely gobble you up!" laughed Lieutenant Danvers. "But be
careful, lad! Don't let vengeful thoughts get into your head and stick
to-day. You've got to keep yourself cool and your nerve steady. Look
out, now, for the second gun!"

All five of the submarines were manoeuvering for the starting line.

Boom! The second gun roared out, and the six hours' speed and endurance
test was on!

CHAPTER XI

THE STRAIN OF RED-HOT METAL

First over the line passed the "Zelda," but it was a fair get-away. How
her propellers churned the foam now!

Just as it happened, and through no fault of handling, Jack Benson got
the Pollard craft over the line third. At the outset, therefore, his
boat was distanced some twenty-four seconds by the leader.

"Steady, now!" called Jacob Farnum, in low tones. "We've six hours in
which to make up a few seconds."

If Captain Jack heard, he gave no sign.

For the next few minutes the youthful commander seemed to forget
everything but the wheel under his hand, and the course and speed of the
craft he commanded.

That the "Benson" was slowly losing was not, at first, clear to anyone
on board. It took time to draw out the increasing lead of the other
craft, but, after a while, it became more and more evident.

True, the "Benson" was second in the line--but the "Zelda" was first.

At the end of an hour there were drops of clammy ooze on Captain Jack's
forehead. He was steering as well as he had ever steered in his life.
Hal had sent up word that the "Benson's" engines were doing all that
could fairly be required of them.

That troublesome hour up, Captain Jack called to Eph to take the helm.

A few moments later the youthful commander appeared again on the platform
deck, carrying a range-finder on a tripod. Through the telescope he took
some rapid sights, then did some quick figuring. When he looked up
Benson saw Jacob Farnum standing within four feet of him. The
shipbuilder's face looked gray and haggard.

"How much?" asked Jacob Farnum.

"Shade more than a quarter of a mile in the lead of us, sir," Jack
replied.

"Have you been down to talk to Hal?"

"What's the use, sir?" demanded Jack. "Hal Hastings knows how much
depends on speed. He's doing everything that his engineer's conscience
will allow. Besides, David Pollard is there with him, sir."

"I've no orders to give," Jacob Farnum sighed, stepping back. "You
youngsters know what you're a