e German sank in his chair and slipped
to the floor, the revolver rolling off the table with a loud clatter.

Pausing only long enough to note that his captive was completely
knocked out by the blow, the Yankee lad sprang to the wireless and
opened the key. Now he was grateful for the wireless instruction
good old Sammy Smith had given him back there on the _Dewey_.

"Z-z-z-z-z-z!" the wires snapped with their message, as he flashed
forth the code call of the United States fleet.

Would he be heard? Was there any vessel within range that would
pick up his random call. For five minutes the boy rattled away
and then closed the key to listen. What was his joy to get an almost
immediate response. It was the U.S.S. _Farragut_, a destroyer,
reporting her position and asking what was wanted.

In rapid-fire reply Jack related the sinking of the _Dewey_, gave her
latitude and longitude, and urged immediate assistance.

"But where in the world are you sending your radio message from?" came
the query out of the sky.

"In a German wireless station on the Belgian coast just about six miles
south-----"

But the message was never finished, for at that moment Jack heard a
slight movement behind him and turned to look into the revolver of a
bulky German who, in broken English, commanded the American to surrender!

CHAPTER XVII

UP FROM THE DEPTHS

Back in the hold of the sunken submarine whence Jack Hammond had made
his miraculous escape, stirring scenes were being enacted. Not a man
in the crew but envied Jack in his daring attempt to get away; every
man realized that soon it would be his turn. Either he must follow
the example of the one who had gone or face the alternate of a slow
and horrible death.

Ted Wainwright and Bill Witt were speculating on the fate of their chum.

"I hope he made it all right," sighed Ted after a long period of
silence that had followed the discharge of the "human torpedo."
Gloom pervaded the chamber of steel; every man was at the point of
despair.

"He's a good swimmer; he proved that when he plucked 'Little Mack'
out of the sea the day we ran afoul of that floating German mine,"
countered Bill. "If we are as near the land as Lieutenant Mcclure
thinks we are, then Jack will make it sure as anything."

Chief interest centered in the wireless room where Sammy Smith was
listening at the microphone. If, perchance, Jack had made the surface
and succeeded in arresting the atten