an't make himself
heard over the noise of a big engine hasn't much encouragement to talk.
Now, a man who can't find much chance to talk becomes sulky a good many
times out of ten."

"We'll have trouble with that fellow, Truax, yet," muttered Eph.

"Oh, I hope not," Jack answered, then added, significantly:

"If he _does_ start any trouble he may find that he has been trifling with
the wrong crowd!"

Very little more thought was given to the sulky one. The submarine boys
and their companion, Williamson, enjoyed Saturday and Sunday ashore.

All of them might have felt disturbed, however, had they known of one
thing that happened.

The naval machinists aboard the first submarine boat, the "Pollard," now
owned by the United States Government, found something slightly out of
order with the "Pollard's" engine that they did not know exactly how to
remedy.

Sam Truax, hanging around the Basin that Sunday forenoon, was called upon.
He gladly responded to the call for help. For four hours he toiled along
in the "Pollard's" engine room. Much of that time he spent there alone.

The job done, at last, Truax quietly received the thanks of the naval
machinists and went ashore again.

Yet, as he turned and walked toward the main gate of the grounds, there
was a smile on Sam Truax's face that was little short of diabolical.

"Now, if I can only get the same chance at the 'Farnum's' engines!" he
muttered, to himself. "If I can, I think Mr. Jack Benson will find himself
out of favor with his company, for his company will be out of favor with
the Navy Department at Washington!"

CHAPTER XIV: THE "POLLARD" GOES LAME

"The submarine boats when out in the Bay will keep abreast of the
'Hudson,' two hundred yards off on either beam. The speed will be fourteen
knots when the signal is given for full speed. The general course, after
leaving the mouth of the Bay will be East."

Such were the instructions called from the rail of the gunboat, through a
megaphone, Monday forenoon.

On each of the submarine craft were sixteen cadet midshipmen, out for
actual practice in handling a submarine in diving and in running under
water. On board the gunboat were eighty more cadets. Thus a large class of
the young men were to receive instruction during the cruise, for the
detachments aboard the submarines could be changed at the pleasure of
Lieutenant Commander Mayhew, who was in charge of the cruise.

Captain Jack