" he suggested.

"Take the log from this minute," requested Captain Jack, for, as soon as
he saw the Naval officers adjusting the log, he had quietly passed word
by Eph to Hal Hastings, who was in the engine room, to crowd on every
revolution of the twin shafts that the gasoline motor would stand.

For an hour there was nothing to do but to steer straight ahead. Part
of the time some of the officers spent below smoking, though always at
least one of them remained on deck, to make sure that the log record was
not tampered with.

At exactly the end of the hour the indicator of the log was read off.

"Twenty-one and four tenths knots!" cried commander Ennerling, with an
expression of amazement. "Whew! I knew we were traveling fast, but I
didn't imagine we were doing quite as well as this."

"You're satisfied with your test, aren't you?" inquired Mr. Farnum.

"Yes, for the log was carefully standardized for us before we came."

Hal Hastings was called on deck to be complimented for this performance.

"The motor can be improved so as to beat that speed," declared Hal,
flushed and happy, for he had nursed that motor along during the hour!

"As it stands, the twenty-one-spot-four record beats anything of the
kind with any other submarine boat in the United States, doesn't it?"
inquired David Pollard.

"I--I--it may do. It's a very excellent record for speed, anyway;
very remarkable," admitted the president of the board, cautiously.

"Now, gentlemen, what test will you have next?" asked Mr. Farnum.

"Suppose," replied Commander Ennerling, after glancing at his associates,
"that you submerge the boat, on even keel, and let us see how many feet
under water you dare to go with this craft?"

"It shall be done," nodded Mr. Farnum. Accordingly the ventilators were
shipped, all hands went below, and the conning tower manhole was closed.
Everything was in readiness for the drop below the surface. The
gasoline engine was shut off, the electric motor being started. At
Captain Jack's order Eph stepped up to take the conning tower wheel,
while the young commander stood by the diving controls.

"Even keel, if you please," again requested Commander Ennerling.

Jack began to flood, slowly, the water tanks, the "Pollard" sinking
gradually. With the young captain at one side of the gauge, Messrs.
Farnum and Pollard took their posts at the other side, to watch the
readings.

"How many feet down do you want to go?" asked