king a
swallow from the bottle.

"About the only pleasure I could get from watching you," retorted the
boy ironically, "would be if I could see you swinging from the end of
a rope that was tied in a tight noose around your neck!"

"Perhaps that will happen to you--yet," hinted Gaston, looking keenly
at the boy.

"Humph!" muttered Jack. "How would that help your rascally crowd?"

It was plain that the chauffeur didn't really want to eat or drink, but
that he had been tormenting the captive. Now Gaston carefully placed
the sandwiches and the bottle of water where young Benson couldn't
possibly reach them.

"You've been having too pleasant a time here," glared the Frenchman,
bending over the boy. "You haven't yet suffered enough to be ready for
the plans that we have for you."

With that the chauffeur threw himself a-top of the boy, striking him
a blow in the face.

"You lean, long-legged coward!" sneered Jack, angrily. "You know about
how much punk you'd have if I had my hands and legs free, and stood
before you on even terms. How you'd beg, you wretched craven!"

For answer the chauffeur clutched with both hands at Jack's hair, giving
a hard pull. Jack gritted his teeth, panting, until at last the
torment forced him to utter a pain-wrung "ouch!"

"Perhaps you will soon learn better than to insult me," leered Gaston.

"You wretched dog," shot back the submarine boy, "you're past insult
by any decent man!"

"Careful," warned the Frenchman, "or I will soon make you shriek your
apologies to me. I can do what I please with you, and sometimes I have
an ugly temper. But listen. I come for one purpose only--to find out
what answer am to take to my master, M. Lemaire."

"Take him," retorted Jack, dryly, "the assurance of my undying contempt
for him and all of his kind."

"You will be left here another twenty-four hours, without food or drink,
if you do not give me a better answer to take," warned Gaston, leering
down savagely into the boy's face. "Now, consider! Will you send word
that you will be glad to see M. Lemaire in the morning?"

"Yes; if he's going to be in state prison," mocked Benson, "and locked
in a cell, as he should be."

"Will you see him here?"

"I can't help myself."

"If M. Lemaire comes, will you be sensible? Will you tell him all that
he wants to know about your boat and your work?"

"Not if I'm in my right mind!"

"If you continue stubborn, Captain Benson, you will die he