ist
in executing any maneuver desired.

"Looks as if the whole side of the ship had been torn away," stated Ned,
as the submarine crept slowly past the jagged wound.

"Those torpedoes surely are powerful," agreed Frank. "I hope everybody
got away from the ship before the explosion took place."

"They probably gave the crew plenty of time to escape if this is the work
of the 'U-13'," commented Ned. "You say they gave the crew on your vessel
ample time to get safely away?"

"Yes, but the men let themselves become panic-stricken. They lost their
heads and consumed a good deal of time. Besides that, they forgot they
were civilized. One of them hit me an awful clip."

"And pretty nearly left you on board to be drowned!"

"These fellows did the same thing!" announced Jack, peering out.

"Did what?" queried Ned, wondering what the other meant.

"Left a man aboard when the ship sank," stated Jack, pointing through the
little port hole. "There he is, walking about!"

Clearly the boys saw a figure apparently crossing the deck.

CHAPTER XVII

ALONE AND HELPLESS

"Good night!" almost shrieked Frank. "That's uncanny! Whoever heard of a
man walking about at the bottom of the ocean?"

"Where did he come from, Jack?" asked Ned.

"I saw that figure come out of the companionway," stated Jack. "I thought
I was mistaken at first, because of the dim light. I looked again as you
boys were talking. Then I saw that it was the figure of a man,
apparently. He seems to be carrying something in his arms!"

"There he goes over the side of the vessel!" whispered Harry in an
awestruck voice. "What sort of deal is this, anyway?"

"Did you notice the knapsack thing he was wearing on his back?" asked
Frank. "If I was superstitious, I'd say it was the ghost of a soldier who
had been drowned and was seeking his way back home!"

"We don't take any stock in that ghost business!" declared Ned stoutly.
"Some things may look supernatural because we don't understand them, but
there's always an explanation if we seek it!"

"What is your explanation of this thing, Ned?" questioned Jack.

"Probably some mass of seaweed or some other substance got caught in a
current and lodged against the cabin on the Wanderer. When we circled
about the wreck we set up counter currents that may have released this
mass. It then floated along in the current to finally sink on the other
side of this submerged hull. That's all there is to it!"

"I wonde