ame later.

"Is it possible that the United States will go to war?" asked Ralph.

"The United States is now at war," replied the captain.

"What? do you mean to say that the President has declared war?" asked
Alfred in astonishment.

"No; it is not necessary that America should declare war. Germany has
done so by torpedoing your ships, and killing your citizens; that is an
act of war; for every nation, and Germany itself, knows that its
submarine war is illegal, and without any standing in International Law.
It is no justification to say that to give notice makes it legal. If a
man wished to commit murder it would not make him less a murderer if he
had given notice of his intention beforehand," said the captain.

"Then I'm not going back to New York," said Alfred.

"Nor I; we've been in it from the first, and we might as well stick it
out;--if I only knew that mother was safe," concluded Ralph with a
shadow across his face.

Within an hour the boys saw a faint streak of peculiar gray to the left,
far ahead.

"That must be land," said Alfred.

"And that looks like a town, away in the distance," remarked Ralph.

"You are right; that is the coast of France, and the houses you see
belong to the town of Fecamp, a seaport and watering place, 22 miles
from Havre," said the navigating officer.

Every minute brought them nearer the city of Havre. How they longed to
hear some news of their parents, now that all excitement had died away,
and they were permitted to think of home and those dear to them.

Vessels began to accumulate on all sides of them, indications that they
were now within the safety zone. For a period of eight days they had not
known what absolute quiet and rest meant. First, the terrible suspense
within the hull of a submarine, the trying experience attending the
capture of the vessel, the unquiet feeling that they had desperate men
below who might do anything to gain their liberty, the explosion and
sinking of the submarine, their rescue, and then the last sinking,
seemed to form a chapter of misadventures which constantly kept them on
the alert.

It was such a different feeling now, and, as such things generally do,
caused a reaction. They actually felt ill, and Alfred, especially, after
the last accident, felt too weak to remain on deck.

They retired to the cabin assigned to them in the officers' quarters,
and were soon asleep. The captain, missing them, made a search and soon
found them. He