s much as anyone in the United States on the special
subject of submarine boat handling.

Be that all as it might, it was known to every man, woman and child at
Spruce Beach that the "Benson" was due to arrive on this December day
and the whole picnicking population was out to watch the incoming from
the sea of the strange craft.

More than that, the United States gunboat, "Waverly," had been for two
days at anchor in the little, somewhat rockbound harbor just north of
the beach. It was to be the pleasant duty of the naval officer
commanding the "Waverly" to extend official welcome to the "Benson" as
soon as that craft pointed its cigar-shaped nose into the harbor.

The first boat built by the submarine company had been named, after the
inventor, the "Pollard." The second had been named the "Farnum," in
honor of the enterprising young shipbuilder who had financed this big
undertaking. And now Spruce Beach was awaiting the arrival of the
company's third boat, the "Benson," so-called in recognition of the hard
and brilliant work done by the young skipper himself.

That this was to be something of a social and gala occasion, even on
board the gunboat, was evident from the fact that on the naval vessel's
decks there now promenaded some two score of ladies and their escorts
from shore, and on the hurricane deck lounged musicians from hotel
orchestras on shore, these men of music having been combined to form a
band, in order to make the occasion more joyous.

"Look at that shore, black with people!" cried a woman to one of the
naval officers on the deck of the "Waverly."

"There must be at least ten thousand people in that crowd," laughed
Lieutenant Featherstone. "I wonder whether they're more interested in
the boat, or its boy officers?"

"Are Captain Benson and his comrades really as clever as some of the
newspapers have made them out to be?" asked the woman doubtfully.

"Judging by letters I've had from friends who are officers at the Naval
Academy," replied Lieutenant Featherstone, "the young men must be very
well versed, indeed, in all the arts of their peculiar profession."

A cheer went up from the principal throng over at the beach. Smoke had
been sighted off on the eastern horizon, and this must come from the
long expected craft.

From boat to boat the news passed, and so it traveled to the deck of
the "Waverly," where the sailors received it with broad smiles. The
leader of the impromptu band raised