oung submarine commander.

"He's on one of the craft now," replied Mr. Farnum. "Lieutenant Danvers
goes with us, but he's a guest, only, and will not have to help in
handling the boats. His two men, Ewald and Biffens, will take steering
turns. We've a four hundred and eighty mile sail before us, down to
Groton Bay."

"I know of the place, sir," nodded Jack, without emotion or enthusiasm.
But Jacob Farnum's next words all but lifted the submarine boys from
their feet.

"Jack, my boy, and you, too, Hal, at Groton Bay you will have to make
the very efforts of your lives. We're to go through an official test
for the United States Government. We shall be in competition with five
other types of submarine boats--the Rhinds, the Seawold, the Griffith,
and the Blackson and Day. We shall have to meet--and I hope,
vanquish--all the recognized types of submarine boats made in the
United States."

"And we will beat them, too!" glowed Jack Benson, his eyes flashing and
his fists clenching.

"By the way, Jack," continued Mr. Farnum, "I had two applications for
work this afternoon, from men who appear to know all about gasoline
marine engines. As we'll be shorthanded for such a long cruise, do you
suppose it would be worth while to look these fellows over and make up
our minds about them?"

"Great Dewey--no!" burst, vehemently, from the young submarine captain.
"If we're going into the test of our lives--for our very lives, I might
say--then we don't want aboard any strangers who show up looking for
jobs at the last moment. No, sir; I won't have them aboard--that is,
not if I go, too!"

"I guess that's sensible enough," nodded Mr. Farnum. "Well, get aboard,
boys. Lieutenant Danvers will be out by ten o'clock. Don't lie awake
to-night, thinking too hard of what's before you."

"Don't you expect us to, sir," smiled Captain Jack. "We need our sleep
to-night, if we've got such work ahead of us. It's big, work, sir."

"Big enough," nodded Jacob Farnum. "If we come out of this big official
test with all the points of the game, then Uncle Sam is likely to buy
all the submarine boats we can make for a couple of years to come--and
our fortunes will be made--yours, too, boys!"

This talk of the boys' fortunes being at stake was not a matter of idle
words. Jack, Hal and Eph well understood that, if they came out
successful, they would also be at least moderately well off. Messrs.
Farnum and Pollard were not of the kin