rican waters."

"You don't expect them to tip the Washington government off in advance, do
you?" asked Frank with a laugh.

"Hardly; but it would seem that if such a campaign had been planned it
would have been started before this."

"It wouldn't surprise me," said Frank, "to get a flash any day that a ship
had been submarined off the American coast."

Came a rap at the door.

"Come in," Frank called.

A bell boy entered. He held a tray in his hand and on the tray was a
cablegram.

"From Lord Hastings, I suppose," said Frank, taking the message and
passing it to Jack.

Jack broke the seal, spread out the paper. The message, in code, was this:

"Authentic information flotilla submarines headed for America.
Warn Navy Department at once."

Jack sprang to the telephone and got the British embassy on the wire.

"The ambassador, quick!" he said to the voice that answered his call.

There was a short pause, and then Jack recognized the ambassador's voice.

"I've just had a wireless from Lord Hastings relative to the matter which
we discussed with Secretary Daniels several weeks ago," he explained. "Can
you arrange another interview immediately?"

"I'll see," said the ambassador and rang off.

The telephone in the lads' room jangled sharply ten minutes later. Jack
sprang to the wire.

"Yes," he said in response to a query. "Ten o'clock? You'll call for us?
Very well."

He replaced the receiver and turned to Frank.

"We will see Secretary Daniels in his office at ten," he said. He looked
at his watch. "Hurry and dress. It's after nine now. The ambassador should
be here in fifteen minutes."

The lads jumped into their clothes, then went downstairs, where they
awaited the arrival of the ambassador. The latter arrived ten minutes
before ten o'clock, and the three were driven to the War and Navy
building. Secretary Daniels received them at once.

"I understand that you come on a very important matter," he said. "Pray,
what is it, gentlemen?"

For answer Jack laid before the American naval secretary the decoded
message from Lord Hastings. The secretary read it, then looked up.

"Well?" he asked.

"Why, sir," said Jack, "Lord Hastings simply wishes you to take all
precautions to prevent sinking of vessels by submarines in American
waters."

Secretary Daniels smiled.

"I don't know what we can do that has not already been done," he replied.
"The off-coast waters are mined, and American warships