three
years before, at the age of thirteen. With the vigor that he always
displayed, he had found a home and paid for his keep and schooling,
either by doing chores, or by working at various occupations in his
native seaport town of Oakport. He had kept at school up to a few
months before the opening of this narrative. With marked genius for
machinery, he had learned many things about the machinist's trade
in odd hours in one of the local shops. He was remarkably quick at
picking up new ideas, and had shown splendid, though untrained, talent
for making mechanical drawings.

Hal Hastings, of the same age, had a stepmother who did not regard him
kindly. Hal, too, had worked at odd jobs, almost fighting for his
schooling. His father, under the stepmother's influence, paid little
heed to his doings.

For two summers both boys had done fairly well working on yachts and
other boats around Oakport. Both had learned how to handle sail craft,
to run motors and small marine steam engines.

During the spring just passed Hal Hastings had worked much of his
time for an Oakport photographer who, at the beginning of summer, had
failed. Hal, with a considerable bill for unpaid services, had taken
some photographing material in settlement of his dues.

At the beginning of summer both boys decided that Oakport did not offer
sufficient opportunity for their ambitious hopes in life. So they had
determined to take Hal's newly acquired camera outfit and "tramp it"
from town to town, earning their living by photographing and all the
while keeping their eyes open for real chances in life. Both had some
money, carefully saved and hidden, from the previous summer's work, so
that in point of attire they presented a creditable appearance.

During these few weeks of tramping from place to place they had made
somewhat more money than their expenses had amounted to. Jack Benson,
who was the treasurer, carried their entire hoard in a roll of one and
two-dollar bills.

"I tell you, Hal Hastings," Jack now wound up, "this submarine torpedo
boat business is already a great field. It's going to be bigger and
bigger, for a lot of inventors are at work. If we can hustle our way
into this Dunhaven boatyard, we may be able to--"

"Earn a very good living, I guess," nodded Hal, thoughtfully.

"Earn a living?" sniffed Jack, rather scornfully. "Hal, I've got faith
enough in both of us to believe that we could make our fortunes in a
few ye