e
that has been blowing this day. I don't see how they managed it."

"Throw them a line," directed Mr. Farnum, who had just come out on deck.

Jack made the cast, doing it cleverly. The long, light rope lay across
the overturned hull. But the younger man of the wet pair, in reaching
for the line, pushed it off into the water.

"Clumsy!" muttered Jack, under his breath. "And look there! They have
life preservers on. It must have been a leisurely capsizing to give them
time for that."

"It _does_ look queer," agreed Jacob Farnum.

Having rapidly hauled in the line, Jack made another cast.

"Try to get that," he shouted. Yet once more, in some unaccountable
way, the younger man on the capsized boat managed to bungle so with
the line that it went overboard into the water.

"I can put a stop to that," muttered Jack Benson, pulling off cap
and coat and dropping them down through the manhole. "I'm going to
swim over there. When I get there, Hal, throw me a line."

With that the young submarine boy stepped over the rail, poised his
hands at the side and dived. An excellent swimmer, it was not long
before he touched the overturned hull. Neither of those whom he sought
to rescue offered him a hand. But Jack climbed up out of the water,
seated himself on the keel between the strange pair, and stared hard
at them, each in turn.

The older man appeared to be about fifty years of age. He wore a
closely-cropped beard that had in it a sprinkling of gray. The younger
man, who appeared to be about twenty-five years of age, was smooth-faced
and sulky-looking. Both were dressed well, and looked like people of
means. Jack guessed that they must be father and son.

"Well, have you got through looking at us?" demanded the younger man.

"I guess so," nodded Benson. "I was thinking that your boat must have
taken several minutes in doing the capsizing trick. You both had time
to adjust life-preservers nicely, and you, sir," turning to the older
man, "must have found time to pack the satchel that you're holding so
carefully."

The older man's jaw dropped. He looked haggard. But the younger
one demanded, fiercely:

"Is all this any of your business?"

"Not a bit," admitted Jack Benson. "All I'm here to do is to rescue
you, or help in it."

"Humph!" grunted the younger man.

"Heave a line, Hal!" shouted the submarine boy, signaling with one
hand. "Drive it straight. I'll get it."

Swish! Whirr--rr! It