cabin. Mr. Hastings, give us eight miles ahead
from the electric motors."

"Yes, sir," came the word from Hal.

"Pass the word to Mr. Surles to keep to the course," added Benson.

Under the impetus from the electric motors, which were used when going
under water, the propeller shafts began to throb.

"We're going down, now, gentlemen," called Jack. "Observe the shifting
record on the depth gauge, as we go lower and lower. Also, look out
for your footing, for we dive on an inclined plane. Now--here we go!"

The next instant they shot below, going down at so deep an angle that
it made many of the middies reach for new footing.

"The gauge registers sixty feet below," announced Jack Benson, in a
tone to be heard above the murmurs of some of the young men. "Now--!"

In another moment, by the quick flooding of some of the compartments
astern, the young skipper brought the boat on an even keel.

"Someone ask the men up in the tower how far they can see through the
water," proposed Jack.

"Can't see a blessed thing," came down the answer. "Except for the
binnacle light over the compass we might think ourselves at the bottom
of a sea of ink."

"That's one of the peculiarities of submarine boating," explained Jack
Benson. "A good many land-lubbers imagine we use powerful searchlights
to find our way under water, but a light powerful enough to show us
twenty feet ahead of our own bow hasn't yet been made by man. So, when
you dive beneath the surface, you simply have to go it blind. As a
result, you take your bearings and guess your distance before you dive.
That guess is all you have to go upon in judging where to come up to
strike at an enemy's hull. But that guess can be made with splendid
accuracy when you understand your work well enough."

After having finished the prescribed distance under water, Captain Jack
turned on the compressed air to expel the water gradually from the
compartments. So easily was this done that there was no real
sensation of rising. Suddenly the conning tower appeared above water.
There was a quick rush upward for the platform deck. None of these
middies ever having been below before, in a submarine boat, several of
them had been on tenterhooks of anxiety. Not one of them, however,
by word or gesture had betrayed the fact.

Two minutes later the "Pollard" emerged from the water, several hundred
yards away. Those on the deck of the "Farnum" had a splendid view of
the other