nto the bright rays from the searchlights.

"We have two of your men in here," shouted the leader of the party,
who was evidently an officer of the sunken warship. At the same
time two boys well to the stern waved their arms frantically toward
the group on the conning tower of the _Dewey_.

"Here I am, Jack, and Bill Witt is right with me," came the familiar
voice of Ted Wainwright.

"Hurrah!" the cry arose from the deck of the American submersible.
Overcome with joy, Jack could scarce restrain his emotions as he
clutched the periscope pole and shielded his eyes with his other
hand to make sure that his ears had not deceived him. Yes, it was
Ted---and there was Bill just behind him!

Making its way clumsily forward, the boat finally drew up alongside.
Willing hands helped Ted and Bill up the steep side of the _Dewey_
and they were tendered such a reception as they had never known before.
Then ensued a parley between the petty officer of the sunken gunboat
Strassburg and the commander of the _Dewey_.

"We are very happy to be your prisoners, under the circumstances,"
began the German officer in his best English.

"I thank you for rescuing my men," said McClure. "Sorry I can't take
you aboard, but I'll tow you to the Dutch coast or transfer you to the
first inbound trader. Satisfactory?"

"Thank you, sir," said the German.

Before making fast the towline from the lifeboat to the stern of the
_Dewey_ for the journey toward the coast McClure had Jean Cartier and
his commissary assistant bring up pots of steaming hot coffee and dole
it out to the forlorn Teutons.

Jack went below with Ted and Bill Witt to hear the story of their
escape. It appeared that they had floated around together in the
dark; had witnessed the sinking of the gunboat Strassburg and, when
it went down, had been caught in the swell of the water and carried
far from the lights of the _Dewey_. They had seen the submarine when
it turned on its powerful searchlights.

"Bill and I thought we were done for," said Ted between gulps of
coffee. "We had just about given up for good. We tried to swim,
but our clothes and the life-belts weighed us down, and our legs
and arms were so cramped we couldn't make any headway. Then while
we were trying to keep our eyes on the faint lights of the _Dewey_,
what should we see but a boat steering right at us! Without any
words, the Germans stooped right down and dragged us into their boat.
None of us coul