s. "The fire is in the Melville boatyard!"

The volunteer firemen beat down the big gate of the yard with lusty
blows and rolled the hand engine inside and, coupling the hose, threw
a stream of water on a fiercely burning shed. Jack Benson, relieved of
his task of pulling the engine, went toward the big shed where the
submarine was under construction--at least, there was no other place on
the premises that such work could be carried on.

Just as Jack reached the big shed some firemen battered down the door
in order to turn a stream of water on the fire there. The flames
lighted up the place with an intensive light, leaving no corner
unilluminated. Jack, on the _qui vive_ with interest and curiosity,
looked within.

"Empty, oh-ho! What do you know about that!"

Hal Hastings came up just then and Jack said:

"See that, Hal? The Melvilles have been putting up a show of building
a submarine to beat ours. This fire betrays the fact that no boat is
being built here. Nothing here but iron plates and the hammers with
which the workmen have been beating every day!"

"Of all idiotic things!" exclaimed Hal.

The three submarine boys came upon Mr. Farnum standing in the watching
crowd and gleefully told him of the empty shed.

"That might have helped a week ago," said the boatbuilder. "I fear
we're beyond help now, boys." He had already told them in confidence
of the financier's threat.

Just then Melville came along. Mr. Farnum and the boys would have
ignored him, but he stepped up to the group and snapped:

"You're a fine bunch! Some of my workmen tell me that you young rascals
were sneaking about my yards and set fire to the sheds."

"That will do, Mr. Melville. We'll listen to no such talk," and before
the boys could speak or Melville reply Mr. Farnum pushed the boys before
him out of the crowd.

"All those fellows heard him say that, and some of them will believe
it!" cried Hal.

"That's bluff on his part, and silly bluff, at that," said Jack. "These
firemen can say where we were when the alarm came in."

"But not where we were when the fire started," grumbled Eph.

"The fire's practically out; we'd all better go home now," said Mr.
Farnum.

CHAPTER XX

CONCLUSION

The next afternoon Commander Ennerling of the United States Navy reported
to Messrs. Farnum and Pollard that the naval board had witnessed the
tests of the submarine and were ready to report to the authorities. They
did