aks on the campus, or up in the dormitories,
the boys were assembled again for the fall term.

But this was not the time for backward glances. Grim work lay ahead
of them.

An hour later preparations were made to ascend and repair the damaged
periscopes. In response to a query from the ship's commander, Sammy
Smith said he could find no trace of any nearby or approaching vessels,
although he had given the submarine telephone its best test.

Gradually the _Dewey_ came to the surface as the ballast tanks were
emptied. The hatch was thrown open and the _Dewey's_ commander raised
himself to get a line on his surroundings.

A dense fog had commenced to settle over the water, blotting out the
stars and making a mist that hung over the sea like a great gray
blanket.

"Could not be better for our purposes had it been made to order,"
smiled McClure, as he gave orders for the repair crew to haul out the
reserve periscopes and get busy.

It was impossible to see more than a hundred yards from the sides
of the _Dewey_ in any direction, and there appeared nothing but the
rolling swell of the ocean. Nevertheless, overlooking no precaution,
McClure gave orders for all lights to be dimmed amidships. In the
darkness the crew went to work to substitute the new "eyes" of the
ship for the damaged tubes, climbing out on the superstructure and
working energetically.

Just as the forward periscope was being lowered into position and
secured, Commander McClure, supervising the work, was startled by a
voice out of the fog, a stentorian challenge through a megaphone, that
seemed almost on top of the submarine.

"What ship is that?" came the call in German.

For a moment it seemed that some one on the deck of the submarine must
be playing a prank on his friends. But Bill Witt, who was doing
lookout duty forward, declared that the cry was right at hand and
apparently from the deck of a warship.

Whispering to the repair crew to go quickly below McClure addressed
himself to the unknown voice in his best Deutsch.

"Dis iss das unterseeboot nein und zwanzig."

For a moment there was a deathless silence. Then again the heavy voice
to port:

"You speck not the truth. U-boat 29 is in der Kiel Canal. You are
English or Yankee. We call on you to surrender!"

McClure's answer was to slam down the lid of the conning tower and ring
for full speed in the engine room. Instantly he switched the rudder
to starboard as the _Dewey's_