afterwards
anchored in safety.

It was a moment of tremendous relief for Mr. Mayhew.

"Call the tugboat captain aboard, and I'll settle with him at my own
expense," proposed the lieutenant commander.

"I trust you will think of nothing of the sort," replied Jacob Farnum,
quickly. "In this harbor I wish to consider you and your vessel as my
guests."

Again Mr. Mayhew expressed his thanks. Presently, glancing ashore
through the night, he asked:

"What sort of country is it hereabouts?"

"Mostly flat, as to the surface," Mr. Farnum replied. "If your question
goes further, there are some fine roads and several handsome estates
within a few miles of here. Mr. Mayhew, won't you and a couple of your
officers come on shore with me? I'll telephone for my car and put you
over quite a few miles this evening."

"Delighted," replied the commander of the gunboat.

One of the "Hudson's" cutters being now in the water alongside, the
party went ashore in this. Jack, after bidding the naval officers
good-night, found Hal and Eph, who had just come ashore from supper
on board the "Farnum."

"No sailing orders yet, I suppose?" Hal asked.

"None," Jack replied. "I reckon we'll start, all right, some time
to-morrow morning."

"What'll we do to-night?" Eph wondered.

"I don't know," replied Jack. "We've few friends around here we need to
take the trouble to say good-bye to. We could call on Mrs. Farnum, but
I imagine we'd run into the naval party up at the Farnum house. We want
to keep a bit in the background with these naval officers, except when
they may ask for our company."

"Let's take a walk about the old town, then," Hal suggested.

So the three submarine boys strolled across the shipyard. Just as they
were passing through the gate a man of middle height and seemingly about
thirty years of age quickened his pace to reach them.

"Is this shipyard open nights?" he queried.

"Only to some employees," Jack answered.

"I suppose Mr. Farnum isn't about?"

"No."

"Captain Benson?"

"Benson is my name."

"This letter is addressed to Mr. Farnum," went on the stranger, "but
Mr. Pollard told me I could hand it to you."

Captain Jack took the letter from the unsealed envelope.

"My dear Farnum," ran the enclosure, "since you're short a good machinist
for the engine room of the 'Farnum,' the bearer, Samuel Truax, seems to
me to be just the man you want. I've examined him, and he understands
the sort of m