dangerous."

"Mr. Farnum won't know what it is until it's been done," responded young
Captain Benson, with a light laugh, as he rose from the table. "Fellows,
I'm going on shore for a little while. Look the electric motor over,
and test the compressed air apparatus. We want to be sure that
everything is working right."

"Let me go ashore with you," suggested Hal, also rising.

"Not this time," laughed Jack. "You might try to say something to Mr.
Farnum to queer my plan. Stay here. You and Eph make mighty sure that
everything is in running order."

Going on deck, Captain Jack signaled for a shore boat, which was quickly
alongside. Landing, the young captain walked slowly up to the yard
office, thinking deeply all the time.

Just as the young submarine commander entered the outer office Jacob
Farnum stepped out from his private, inner office. He was smoking a
cigar, and looked as though he had come out to stretch his legs.

"Hullo, Jack," he greeted the young man, pleasantly. "Say, I hope you
haven't come to talk business. Say something foolish, won't you, lad?
I'm just in the mood for nonsense. All forenoon I've had my head
crammed to bursting with figures and business, and now I'm in the mood
for something reckless. You see, Melville is in a position to command
a lot of capital, and we need it to expand this business. He's in
there, now, with another capitalist, a lawyer and an accountant. But I
had to break away. What do you know that's reckless?"

Jacob Farnum was not playing any part of treachery, or deception, in not
telling his submarine boys about the proposed shifting of command to
Don Melville's shoulders. The fact was that George Melville, after that
first hint, had said nothing more about the subject, but was now craftily
laying the wires for securing gradual control of the shipyard's
enterprises.

"Why, I am glad to find you at leisure, and willing to be amused,"
smiled Captain Jack, quietly. "Will it be too much like business if I
ask you down to the water to watch a little demonstration that we want
to make with the 'Pollard'?"

"Is it something brand-new?" laughed Mr. Farnum, resting an arm on the
young captain's shoulder.

"So far as I know, it's shiningly new," laughed Jack Benson.

"What is it?"

"If you don't mind, Mr. Farnum, I'd rather show it to you first."

"How long will the demonstration take?"

"It ought not to require more than fifteen or twenty minutes, sir."