or, just beyond, was another battleship, also under good headway. The
"Pollard" was between the two. To go ahead meant a collision with the
second battleship, while to reverse speed meant to back into the
battleship just passed.

To turn and run between them in either direction might have been feasible,
but the battleships, seeing the trouble of the little submarine, were
sounding conflicting signals.

It was a situation that had to be met and solved in a second.

Jack Benson's heart seemed to stop beating; he felt ill, and a cold
perspiration beaded his face all at once.

"Hold fast!" he roared down the stairway.

Then he did the only thing that could be done in a second.

Without waiting to shut off the gasoline power, he reached out for the
conning tower controls. Like a flash, and with high nervous energy, he
operated the mechanism that would fill the diving tanks in an instant.

In rushed the water, faster than it had ever done before. Down dived
the "Pollard" like a lump of lead. To the startled onlookers on other
ships she seemed almost to stand on her nose. Those on the decks of
the two nearest battleships saw the "Pollard's" propellers uppermost
of all, and revolving fast.

Then out of sight went the little submarine. Those below in her cabin
and engine room had been pitched forward on their faces. Captain Jack
fairly sprawled over the wheel.

Down went the little boat to a depth of some seventy feet. Then Captain
Jack had the presence of mind to bring her to an even keel. A couple
of hundred yards he ran under water. Then, shutting off the motive
power, he called below to turn the compressed air slowly into the water
compartments.

"For I want to rise mighty gently," he called down, in explanation.
"Then, if we come up under some craft's keel, we won't hurt them
or ourselves."

By this time the deck rails and rigging of many a naval vessel were
crowded with officers and men, all anxious to know the fate of the
plucky, or foolhardy, crew of the submarine.

A few moments passed. Then the conning tower emerged from the water.
Next, the boat appeared, and rode at her proper amount of freeboard
over the water.

What a deafening din of cheers filled the air. Men, everywhere, were
waving uniform caps. Four of the big ships blew their whistles in harsh
salute to this latest dash of Yankee bravery.

"Let us up on deck," cried David Pollard, excitedly. "We want to
acknowledge some of tha