a stairway down into the sub-cellar below.

Here they came upon Hal and Eph, both securely bound and gagged, and
lying on piles of old rags. It was not long ere the two submarine boys
were free and on their feet, wholly overjoyed.

"Great Scott! How did you ever find us here?" quivered Eph Somers.

"I'll tell you when we get away from here," smiled Skipper Jack.

Up the stairs they went. One of the police party, in the meantime, had
gone out to telephone for a covered police van. Into this the four
prisoners were hustled and locked securely in.

Those of the police party who did not go with the van soon vanished, all,
save Chief Ward.

"Now, Captain Benson," muttered the chief of police, "I want to
congratulate you on your clever wit and sound judgment. I also want to
thank you for enabling me to run down a gang like that. I fully
understand that in the morning, you have to be away on a very important
submarine test, and that it would be wholly inconvenient for you to have
to appear in court. So I won't expect you. On the testimony that my
men and I can give the judge will continue the case until such time as
you can appear. My men already understand that none of the prisoners are
to be allowed to communicate with outside friends to-night or to-morrow
morning. So you may be sure that no news of their arrest will leak out.
And now, good-night, boys. Congratulations, again, and thanks!"

Nor were Jack Benson and his friends long in vanishing, either. They
did not go back at all by the way of the Somerset House. They went down
to the water-front by a different route. Yet they were fortunate enough
to find a shore boat that put them out on board the "Benson."

"And now, Jack, old fellow," exploded Eph, as they sat in the snug
security of their little cabin, "don't you dare think of anything else
until you tell us how you brought a seeming miracle about."

"Oh, that was easy," laughed Jack Benson, gleefully. "In the first
place, it was mighty queer, Eph, that we left you on that corner--and
you vanished. Then we left Hal on that same corner--and the earth
swallowed him up. Then two fake sailors stopped me at that very same
corner--"

"How did you know they were fake sailors?" broke in Hal. "I never
suspected their genuineness."

"Why, see here," glowed Jack, "a United States Man-of-warsman has
respect for an officer's uniform drilled into him twenty-four hours in
the day. We're not officers of