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Updated: June 28, 2025
"Under present ballast, seventeen-eight," came the answer from the gunboat's signal mast. "Safe anchorage," Captain Jack signaled back. "Can you meet us with a pilot?" questioned the on-coming gunboat. "Yes," Captain Jack responded. "Do so," came the laconic request. "That's all, Hal," the young skipper called, through the engine room speaking tube.
Several occupants of the schooner became alarmed, and threw themselves into the water, fearing an explosion of dynamite. The gunboat's crew seized rifles and began shooting, killing three men. Several others reached shore. "Three men were aboard the schooner when it was overhauled, and they surrendered without resistance. Among them was Owen Milton, editor of the Key West Mosquito.
The Dutch gunner appeared on the forecastle of the Bonito, and with him a couple of men. They stood looking at the coast, and Jasper lost himself in a loverlike trance. The deep-toned blast of the gunboat's steam-whistle made him shudder by its unexpectedness. Slowly he looked about. Swift as lightning he leaped from where he stood, bounding forward along the deck.
It was little wonder that the Naval officer was astounded. For the "Pollard" had emerged barely a hundred feet to the starboard of the gunboat's line of course, and barely two hundred feet astern. "The rest is going to be easy," laughed Captain Jack, confidently. "The trick is as good as played on the 'Massapequa." He gave the wheel a hard turn to bring the nose of the submarine about.
The light shifted and wavered from one to the other as the ship swayed: garments swung; the empty berths yawned cavernous. I could imagine the forecastle filled with the desperate men who had beaten off the Oyama. The story is told that they had swept the gunboat's decks with her own rapid-fires, turned in. No one knew where we were going, nor why.
Lund glanced at the geyser of spray where the shell from the pursuing gunboat had fallen short, and then at the bank of mist ahead. They were in the narrows of Bering Strait, between the Cape of Charles and Prince Edward's Point, the gold aboard, a full wind in their sails, making eleven knots to the gunboat's fifteen.
"Anybody on the 'Farnum' want to go ashore to-night?" hailed a voice from the gunboat's rail. "The shore boat will be ready in five minutes." "I believe I would like to take just a run through the village," declared Jack, turning to his chum. "Do you feel like a land-cruise with me, Hal?" "I think I'd better go," laughed Hastings. "You seem to get into trouble when you go alone."
A moment later the submarine was on the safe haven of the bottom with 100 feet of solid protecting water between it and hostile shells. "That was pretty ticklish," said Frank, drawing a breath when they were out of reach of the gunboat's fire. "It was," was the commander's response, "and we are not safe yet by any means." "Why ?" began Frank.
A minute later there came from Eph the sound of another smothered explosion. The picture of Hal Hastings's indignant astonishment had once more been conjured up before young Somers's face. Poor Eph was red in the face with all the effort of keeping back his laughter. "I fear you must have caught some cold, standing watch on the gunboat's bridge," said the Secretary, sympathetically.
"Then may I make a suggestion, sir?" "Of course," nodded young Benson. "At your direction I will have Mr. Hastings and Mr. Somers shown to their cabins. Then I will send for the one other young man left of the gunboat's old equipment of officers, and present him to you. After that I would suggest, sir, that I have the crew piped to quarters for brief inspection by the new commanding officer."
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