y
in no position to judge time accurately. At last the team was halted,
along a stretch of road in a deep woods. The mulatto lifted the
submarine boy out to the ground.

"Now, w'en yo's got yo' se'f free, yo' can take de road in dat
direckshun," declared the fellow, pointing. "Bimeby yo' come in sight
ob de town. Now, Marse Benson, w'at happen to yo' las' night am all
in de co'se ob a lifetime, an' Ah hope you ain't got no bad feelin's.
Yo' suttinly done learn somet'ing new in de way ob tricks. Good-bye,
sab, an' mah compliments to yo', Marse Benson."

With that the guide of the night before swiftly cut the cords at Jack's
wrists, then as swiftly leaped to the seat of the wagon, whipping up
the horse and disappearing in a cloud of dust.

Jack, having now no knife, and the bonds about his ankles being tied
with many hard knots, spent some precious minutes in freeing his feet.
At last he stood up, fire in his eyes.

"Oh, pshaw! There's no sense in trying to run after that rascal and
his wagon," decided the young submarine skipper. "I haven't the
slightest idea what direction he took after he got out of sight,
and--oh, gracious! I'm under orders to be aboard the 'Farnum' at eight
this morning. And on Mr. Farnum's business, at that!"

Clenching his hands vengefully, Jack started along in the direction
pointed out by his late captor. Brisk walking wore some of the edge off
his great wrath. Catching a comprehensive glimpse of himself, Jack
could not keep back a grim laugh.

"Well, I certainly am a dandy to spring myself on the trim and slick
Naval Academy!" he gritted. "What a treat I'll be to the cadets! That
is, if the sentry ever lets me through the gate into the Academy
grounds."

As he hurried along, Jack Benson decided that he simply could not go to
the Naval Academy presenting any such grotesque picture as he did now.
Yet he had no money about him with which to purchase more presentable
clothes in town. So he formed another plan.

Within a few minutes he came in sight of Annapolis. Hurrying on faster,
he at last entered the town. The further he went the more painfully
conscious the boy became of the ludicrous appearance that he made. He
saw men and women turn their heads to look after him, and his cheeks
burned to a deep scarlet that glowed over the sea-bronze of his skin.

"The single consolation I have is that not a solitary person in town
knows me, anyway," he muttered. Then he caught sig