boat?" demanded Jack, his eyes agleam
with sudden interest.

"Ye-es," admitted Mr. Holt, slowly. "A boat that'll drown its score
of men, I reckon, an' then lay somewhere an' eat itself out with rust."

"A submarine boat, isn't it?" continued Jack, quickly.

"Yep; submarine torpedo boat: One of them crazy craft that men _will_
build against all sense of what's decent on salt water."

"Why, I've read about _that_ boat;" Jack ran on, eagerly. "And, from
what the newspapers said, I've gathered the idea that David Pollard's
boat is going to put the United States completely ahead of all other
nations at sea."

"That's the way Dave Pollard talks," returned Mr. Holt, grimly. "But
folks 'round Dunhaven, I must say, don't think over an' above of him
or his boat. They--"

"Oh, bother the folks around Dunhaven!" broke in Jack Benson,
impatiently. "If the place is the best they know how to do in the way
of a town, I don't care a heap about their ideas of boats. And--but I
beg your pardon, Mr. Holt. My tongue's running a bit ahead of my
manners, I guess. So this is where that famous submarine torpedo boat
is being built? And she's a diving boat, at that?"

"Well, I guess mebbe she'll dive, all right," chuckled Jabez Holt. "But
as to her comin' up again, I reckon the 'Pollard' ain't goin' to be so
certain."

"Where are they building her? Farnum's shipyard, you said?"

"Right over yonder," explained Mr. Holt, pointing to a high board fence
that enclosed a space down by the water front. Farnum's "boatyard,"
as thus seen, was about an eighth of a mile from the little hotel, and
looked as though it might be considerable of a plant.

"Who's in charge of the boat?" was Jack's next question.

"Well, now, that's a conundrum," replied Jabez Holt, pondering. "Jake
Farnum owns the yard. Jake is a young man, only a few years out of
college. He inherited the business from his father, who's dead. Jake
is considered a pretty good business man, though he don't know much
'bout boats, an' can't seem to learn a heap, nuther. So Jake leans on
Asa Partridge, the superintendent, who was also superintendent under
old man Farnum. However, old man Farnum's line was building sailing
yachts, small schooners, and, once in a while, a tug-boat. That's in
Asa Partridge's line, but he won't have nothin' much to do with new
schemes like diving torpedo boats."

"Then--" hinted Jack.

"I'm a-comin' on with the yarn," replied Jabez Kol