t."

"Glad I started down the slope just when I did," nodded Skipper Jack,
dryly. "If I hadn't--well, what's the use of talking about it?"

Forcing Millard to get upon his feet, the boys inspected, first the
magneto battery, to which was attached wire buried in the ground.
Then up the slope they went, to find a miniature crater, some ten feet
deep and at least fourteen feet across, where the mine had been
exploded.

"Say, it's hard, even yet, to understand why I wasn't killed," muttered
Jack Benson. "But here we are, standing here, thinking about ourselves,
when that fellow, Gray, is getting away with a package that we ought to
have. Come along, fellows! And you, Millard, if you try to bold back
on us, you'll learn some new things in the way of discomfort!"

Thus warned, and realizing that his determined young captors were in
a savage frame of mind, the long-legged one didn't try to lag. All
four appeared in the village in which Eph had prowled for information.
The appearance of the handcuffed prisoner stirred up a lot of curiosity.
Eph, however, showed his written authorization for taking Millard in
the name of the United States government, so no one offered the captive
any aid or sympathy.

But the submarine boys met with disturbing news. They heard that a
little more than a half an hour before, Gray, still carrying a big
package, had embarked on his chartered schooner, and had put to sea.

"Had we better charter something and go in chase?" wondered Hal.

"What's the use?" demanded one of the fishermen. "The 'Juanita' is
four miles or more out to sea, by this time, and the night's dark you
couldn't see her. And there's no craft hereabouts fast enough to catch
the 'Juanita.'"

"Besides," whispered Jack, in his chum's ear, "we have no power to
overhaul a craft at sea."

So, making the best of the situation, the submarine boys hired a driver,
horse and wagon at the village, and started on their return to town.

CHAPTER XI

FACING THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY

Jack was the first to enter Lieutenant Ridder's room at the hotel. The
young engineer officer jumped up out of his chair, looking somewhat
angry.

"Look here, Benson," expostulated the lieutenant, "what sort of way is
this to use me? Here I've been loafing about here for hours, and you
haven't sent or brought me word of any kind. You--"

"We've brought you something better," smiled Jack Benson, throwing the
door further open. "Here