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Updated: June 13, 2025
"We have the owner and the ladies safe, but we've got to take that crew to land as mutineers." "They'll fight to the last shot," declared Mr. Lawton, shaking his head. "Did you and your steward bring your revolvers with you?" asked Ennerling. "No; we tossed them into the sea as we dived," laughed Mr. Lawton. "Bringing weapons to a Naval craft is like carrying coals to Newcastle."
He was not afraid of their present rather dangerous position, but was frightfully nervous over the thought of any good showing this craft born in his brain might fail to make. "This is thirty feet lower than any submarine record I've ever heard of." "I perhaps it would be wiser for me not to say," replied Commander Ennerling.
At the end of an hour, however, the "Pollard" was signaled to lie to, the gunboat doing the same. It was time to break up the ward-room party. The visitors went down the side gangway to a small boat, and were transferred to the submarine. "The Navy has something to talk about, now, wherever officers meet for dinner, or social talk in the ward-room," declared Commander Ennerling.
"I hope this line of business works," remarked Ennerling, with a dry smile. "Toot! toot! too-oo-oot!" sounded the yacht's steam whistle, shrilly. At the same time her engines reversed. Another of the mutineers rushed to the rail, waving a white towel. "In heaven's name, don't do it!" he bellowed, hoarsely.
"I mean all I've said," rejoined Commander Ennerling, gravely. They had run some miles by this time. Captain Jack, reaching up to swing the searchlight about over the course ahead, suddenly uttered: "Look over there, sir two points off starboard. What do you make out?" Commander Ennerling instantly became absorbed as he caught sight of a steam yacht something more than a mile away.
"There's your gleeful friend, Eph Somers," announced Commander Ennerling, pointing ahead as the "Pollard" came about. A bare eighth of a mile away, directly in the track of the gunboat, sat Eph on his door. Those in the tower could not quite make him out in the night, but they could see the circles described by the lighted lantern that Eph was swinging.
Then Captain Jack's head shot above the surface. He made for the boat, hanging onto the gunwale. "It would be bad judgment to call you young fellows mermaids," said Commander Ennerling, dryly, "but you are surely merboys." A moment later Hal Hastings's head came above the surface. "Mr. Pollard and young Somers could as easily leave the boat and join us," explained Mr. Farnum.
Jack let the "Pollard" drop at a semi-dive. Just as they had barely gone under there was a steadier flash of light on the water in front of them. Jack chuckled. "Quick work," nodded Ennerling, approvingly. "The lookout on the gunboat thought they saw something here on the water, and swung the ray back to find out what it was. Now, they've doubtless concluded that they were fooled by a shadow."
"It won't take much more of this to make further trial trips of no interest to us," almost shivered Jacob Farnum. Yet Jack, true to his word, allowed the "Pollard" to sink lower and lower. He was waiting for the word or the bottom! Commander Ennerling bent forward to read the submergence gauge. "Jove, but you've really your nerve with you, Captain Benson," he declared, simply.
Commander Ennerling watched the boat's performance, and the work of the young captain for some minutes before he said: "Benson, I'll admit that the more I see of this craft the more anxious I am to see her under our Navy flag." "I'm glad to hear you say that, sir," cried Jack, his face glowing. "Yet I'm a bit puzzled, after all." "How so, sir?"
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