FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101  
102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   >>  
p forward. Then she settled down to a more rapid, steady gait. Just inside the conning tower Jacob Farnum stood again. In his right hand he clutched a doubled-up handkerchief, with which he made frequent dabs at his face. The shipbuilder knew that the present speed, with its dangerous overheating of the engines, spelled blank disaster if continued for long. Hal Hastings, down below, standing like a white wraith beside his engines, realized the same thing. So, too, did Jack Benson, the young skipper, for whom, in this mad moment, there was but one word in the language--"win!" Eph didn't stop to realize it. He was worrying about straight steering, and he couldn't worry about more than one thing at a time. Lieutenant Danvers must have known what was patent to every other mind but he neither said nor did anything. He was a Navy officer, trained not to display emotion. "Good!" came from Captain Jack's lips. Yet, in the intensity of his strain it was a groan, rather than a note of exultation. "We're cutting into the 'Thor's' water." A few moments more, and Benson found his craft slantingly across the Rhinds boat's course, well ahead. "Now, we'll show you!" quavered Jack Benson, as he briefly shook his fist back at the wicked rivals. "If we don't blow the lid off this sea-turtle!" muttered young Somers, to himself. At the youthful captain's sharp order Eph swung the course around. "Now, drive straight toward the derelict, Eph!" breathed the young commander, his eyes glittering. "I leave the deck in your hands for a minute. You're broadside on, now. Keep driving, steady, as you are!" As Farnum saw young Benson dashing his way the shipbuilder understood and darted down the stairs. After him plunged Jack Benson. Below, both became cooler, for the task in hand must not be bungled. On one of the trucks they dragged a torpedo forward, fitting it in the tube. As he closed the after port behind the torpedo, Jack bent over to place Jacob Farnum's hand on the firing lever. "Stand there, sir, till you've done it!" quavered Captain Jack. "Will you signal the order?" "No, sir! You'll get it by voice." As Benson wheeled, dashing away, he had an instant's glimpse, sideways, of Hal Hastings's face. Great as Jack's haste was, that look at his chum's face haunted him. There was no time for sentiment, now, though. It was literally do or die! The "Thor" was now three hundred yards aste
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101  
102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   >>  



Top keywords:

Benson

 

Farnum

 

torpedo

 
Hastings
 
dashing
 

Captain

 
quavered
 

straight

 

engines

 

shipbuilder


steady
 

forward

 

commander

 

glittering

 

breathed

 
driving
 

derelict

 

minute

 

broadside

 
literally

sentiment

 
hundred
 

rivals

 

turtle

 

haunted

 

captain

 

youthful

 
muttered
 

Somers

 

closed


fitting

 

dragged

 

wicked

 

wheeled

 

signal

 

firing

 

trucks

 

plunged

 

stairs

 

understood


darted

 

bungled

 

sideways

 

cooler

 

glimpse

 

instant

 
standing
 

wraith

 

continued

 

spelled