ems like old times," chuckled Williamson, as he seated himself
with the boys.

"Yes; because you don't have to cook," grimaced Eph. "Wait until after
breakfast, when you have to clear away and wash dishes!"

"Even so, I have the best of it," laughed the machinist, good-humoredly.
"I have something in my stomach to work on."

"I always do get the tough end of any job, don't I?" grumbled Eph,
resignedly, then buried his troubles under a plateful of steak and
fried potatoes.

"You hoisted the signal, 'N.D.', yesterday afternoon," laughed Captain
Jack, laying down his coffee cup. "If you don't watch out, Eph, I'll
hoist the 'N.G.' flag over this table."

"Breakfast no good?" demanded Eph, looking much offended.

"No; 'N.G.' will stand for 'no grouch.'"

Somers joined heartily in the laugh that followed.

Just as they were finishing a really good meal, for which every
breakfaster had a royal, salt-water appetite, a steamer's whistle was
heard, not far off to port.

"I'll bet that's the Army tug!" muttered Captain Jack, rising hastily
from the table. "Tell you what, fellows, we've got to begin to have
something like Navy discipline aboard this craft. In that case, we'd
have had breakfast over an hour ago."

Jack was off up the steps as though pursued. Eph went after him as soon
as that youth with the sun-kissed hair had time to pull on his visored
cap and button his blouse. No matter what the need of haste, Somers
never appeared on deck looking less natty than a veteran naval officer.

Forward, on the tug, stood a major of engineers, a young lieutenant
beside him.

"Good morning, Mr. Benson," hailed Major Woodruff. "We're going to try
to come in close enough to put a gang-plank over. Can you take a bow
line from us?"

"Yes, sir," Captain Jack saluted the Army officer, and Eph hurried to
receive the line.

In less than two minutes Major Woodruff and Lieutenant Kline were on the
platform deck of the "Spitfire."

"This is the first one of your craft we've seen," declared the major, as
Eph cast off the bow line, and the tug backed water. "Will you show us
over?"

This the submarine boys gladly did, as the Army shares with the Navy in
the defense of the country.

"You see what you have to do, Kline," said Major Woodruff, presently.
Then the older officer turned to Jack to say:

"Mr. Benson, since Mr. Farnum has been kind enough to place you and the
boat at our orders, Kline is going to remain on bo