rch
of the enemies of Great Britain and her allies.

Frank Chadwick was an American youth of some eighteen years. Separated
from his father in Naples at the outbreak of the great war, he had been
shanghaied aboard a sailing vessel when he had gone to the aid of a man
apparently in distress. There he was made a prisoner.

Some days later he had been rescued by Jack Templeton, a young
Englishman, who had boarded the vessel off the coast of Africa, seeking
payment for goods he had sold to the mutinous crew. The two lads had
been instrumental in helping Lord Hastings, a British nobleman, put
through a coup that kept Italy out of the war on the side of Germany
and Austria. Lord Hastings had become greatly attached to the lads, and
when he had been put in command of a vessel, he had both boys assigned
to his ship.

Through gallant service Frank and Jack had won their lieutenancies.
Later Lord Hastings had assumed command of a submarine and had made
Jack his first officer and Frank his second officer.

Through many a tight place the lads had gone safely, though they had
faced death more than once, and faced it calmly and bravely. Also, at
this period of the war, they had seen service in many seas. They had
been engaged in the first battle of the North Sea, when Great Britain
had struck her first hard blow; they had participated in the sinking of
the German Atlantic squadron near the Falkland islands, off the coast
of Argentina, in South America; they had fought in Turkish waters and
in the Indian Ocean, and also had been with the British land forces
when the Japanese allies of the English had won the last of the German
possessions in China.

In stature and disposition the boys were as different as could be.
Frank, though large for his age, looked small when alongside of Jack.
The latter, though no older than his friend, was a huge bulk of a boy,
standing well over six feet. He was built proportionately. Strong as an
ox, he was, and cool of head.

Here he differed from Frank, who had something of a temper and was
likely to do something foolish on the spur of the moment if he became
angry. Jack had served as a damper for his friend's anger and
enthusiasm more than once.

That they could fight, both boys had shown more than once. Jack,
because of his huge bulk and great strength, was, of course, harder to
beat in a hand-to-hand struggle than was Frank; but what the latter
lacked in this kind of fighting, he more than mad