d to be niggardly in giving
rewards fairly won.
CHAPTER VI
JUDAS CO. INTRODUCE THEMSELVES:
Groton Bay, as every student of geography knows, is a nearly landlocked,
well sheltered body of water, some seven miles long and three wide. At
the mouth of the Groton river stands Colfax, a city of more than thirty
thousand inhabitants.
This was about all that the submarine boys knew of their destination,
until they arrived in the bay on the afternoon of the day after they
left, Dunhaven.
Their run down had been a continuous one. Jack had had Biffens to
relieve him at the wheel, while Mr. Farnum had helped Hal in the engine
room. Besides, Besides, Lieutenant Danvers had stood a few tricks at
the wheel.
While Jack came in the "Benson," which carried the two remaining loaded
torpedoes, Eph had handled the "Hastings," with Ewald as relief.
Williamson had handled the engines of the latter boat. David Pollard
standing relief engine room watch.
The work had been hard and confining. It was a relief to all hands when
they found themselves heading into Groton Bay.
Not far from the city water front lay two United States gunboats, the
"Chelsea" and the "Oakland." Near the gunboats a fleet of seven other
submarine craft lay at moorings.
"We're not the only crowd, then," mused Jacob Farnum, "that has seen fit
to enter more than one boat. I shall have to get busy in the hunt for
information."
"I'm not much worried about the triumph of the Pollard boats over
competitors," declared Danvers, generously. "And, if anything can win
for you, Mr. Farnum, it's the having of such enthusiasts as your
submarine boys to handle your boats in the official tests."
"Oh, I can depend upon my boys," replied Jacob Farnum, quickly. "I know
all about them."
Yet, as the shipbuilder gazed from the conning tower at the rival
submarines actual drops of cold sweat oozed out on his forehead.
Success meant so much to this shipbuilder, who had all his capital, to
the last penny, invested in this submarine game.
"The worst of it is, we've got to keep on the lookout for dirty tricks!"
groaned the shipbuilder, to himself. "We are willing to play fair to
the last gasp. No doubt some of the other competing submarine builders
feel the same way about it. Yet, with so many rivals in the field,
there are sure to be one or two rascally fellows who won't consider
any trick too low to give them an advantage."
Though Mr. Farnum had
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