"Aye, aye, sir!" Captain Jack responded.

"It was a shame, really, to ask that question," laughed Mr. Farnum,
turning to his companions. "Benson was all but born aboard a boat, and
he's a genuine old maid for having things aboard in apple-pie order.
His two friends are just like him in that respect."

Upon being signaled two workmen of the yard came hastily down to the
water's edge. They seated themselves at the oars of a large yawl, while
Mr. Farnum and his guests stepped into the boat.

"Give way, and lay us alongside of the 'Pollard,'" directed the
boatbuilder.

Captain Jack, Hal Hastings and Eph Somers still remained standing at
ease on the platform deck of the submarine craft. They were but a few
weeks older than when they appeared before the readers of the first
volume in this series, "_The Submarine Boys On Duty_." Readers of that
volume are familiar with the story of how Jack Benson and Hal Hastings
appeared in Dunhaven; how they made the acquaintance, first of David
Pollard, the submarine's inventor, and then of Jacob Farnum, the boat's
builder and financial backer. Readers of the first volume also remember
how Eph Somers appeared unexpectedly on the scene, and just how he
coolly put himself into the submarine picture, securing his place
aboard that wonderful craft. Those who read the first volume are
familiar with the way in which the boys met and vanquished the savage
hostility of Josh Owen and Dan Jaggers; they remember the desperate
battle, in the ocean's depths, with the crazy boatswain's mate. They
recall the dashing, laughable prank that Captain Jack played on one of
the big battleships of the Naval maneuvers fleet, and remember the
pretty romance, in which the submarine boys aided greatly, through
which Mr. Farnum secured beautiful Grace Desmond as his bride. Our
readers who have pored over the pages of the preceding volume, in fact,
will recall all the many adventures through which Jack, Hal and Eph
passed with daring and credit.

All the people in the world move forward--or backward--a bit every
day. And so, while, our young friends were still aboard the "Pollard,"
and happy, affairs were shaping that might alter the whole current of
their lives, their ambitions and their hopes. Convinced that he could,
by the use of sufficient energy and capital, equip a larger yard and
sell the United States Government a solid, efficient fleet of submarine
torpedo boats that would constitute a fea