THE MYSTERIOUS ORDER COMES
That night a machinist was stationed aboard the "Hastings" to watch the
in-coming of water through the slight leak, and to apply the pump
occasionally.
In the morning the submarine was hauled up into an improvised drydock
and her hull plates examined. It was Lieutenant Danvers's first chance
to realize how superbly these Pollard boats were built and put together.
He examined the hull with unbounded enthusiasm. Then a gang of workmen
started in to replace the two injured plates.
For the next three days the "Benson" was used in target practice. Jacob
Farnum scurried up and down the coast, finding and buying suitable old
craft for targets.
All three of the submarine boys had ample practice in the firing of
torpedoes. After it was all over there were but four of the loaded
torpedoes left in the shed labeled "Danger."
"If you could only have a little more practice," grumbled Williamson,
good-humoredly, "this would soon be a safe town for a fellow to take a
quiet smoke in."
The "Hastings" was now in the water once more, as sound and staunch as
on the first day she was launched.
Then came a few days of idleness. Lieutenant Danvers left Dunhaven,
intending apparently to return soon. Ewald and Biffens, the two sailors,
were quartered at the hotel at government expense, and were likely to
enjoy themselves until orders came.
Eph went home for two or three days. Jack and Hal slept on board the
"Benson," while Williamson quartered himself aboard the "Hastings,"
which craft no longer carried any torpedoes.
One afternoon, as Jack Benson was strolling through the shipyard, Jacob
Farnum, in the doorway of the office building, called to the young
skipper.
"I suppose both boats are ready, Jack?" asked the shipbuilder.
"Quite, sir," nodded Benson.
He did not inquire for what they were expected to be ready. Jacob
Farnum was one who liked to plan by himself, and to announce a new move
only when he was ready for it.
"All right, lad," nodded Farnum. "Keep both boats ready for any instant
move that may be required of them. That's all."
Again young Benson nodded, then strolled on out of the yard. Up on the
Main street of the village he encountered his chum.
"There's something in the wind, Hal, for the boats," Jack announced.
"All right," nodded Hal. "We're ready when needed."
Nor did either one of them waste any time in wondering what the new move
was to be. When Jacob Farnum wanted them to know he would tell them and
not before.
The chums visited a moving picture show for an hour. Then, tiring of
that, they came out into the street. The first, man they encountered,
almost, was Lieutenant Danvers, in citizen dress.
"Back from your trip, sir?" Jack asked.
"Yes. Has Farnum told you what's in the wind?"
"He has only given us a hint, sir, that something may happen."
"Oh!" replied the naval officer, next adding: "That's rather queer on
the whole."
"Not at all, sir," replied young Benson. "Mr. Farnum has a habit of
telling us things only when he's ready."
"Yet when--" began Danvers, but checked himself.
"No matter what is in the wind, Mr. Danvers, there's no real need of
posting us about anything until the time comes. Suppose Mr. Farnum
wants us to start for China within an hour? The galley cupboard is
already as full of provisions as it will hold. Both boats are in the
best possible trim. We need only time, perhaps, to fill the gasoline
tanks as full as they'll hold. Then we're ready to cast off and sail
far the first stopping place on the route."
"You're great fellows for system, then. So I understand why Mr. Farnum
doesn't have to post you far in advance."
"He certainly doesn't have to," Jack relied.
"Where are you going? Down to the yard?"
"Not yet. Mr. Farnum hasn't given us any instructions about hanging
around."
"Oh!" responded Lieutenant Danvers, with a quizzical smile. "Well, I
must be leaving you, now."
Hal gazed after the shore-bound naval officer for a few moments, then
observed, dryly:
"I'm not a bit curious. Are you, Jack?"
"Of course not," smiled the young skipper. "All I want to know is what's
in the air so suddenly."
"Going back to the yard earlier?"
"No; later," retorted Benson. "What is the use of letting folks suppose
they have our curiosity aroused?"
In fact, when evening came on, instead of going to the "Benson" for
supper, Jack and Hal stopped at the hotel.
Ewald and Biffens were there, at one of the tables, but the sailors
seemed to be eating in more haste than usual. Then, as they left the
dining room, they saluted the young captain and engineer.
"Hurrying back to the yard, sir?" asked Ewald.
"No," said Jack, quietly.
"That's queer. Them's our orders. We're going now, sir," replied Ewald.
"You and I appear to be the only two in Dunhaven who don't know what is
up," observed Hal Hastings, dryly.
"I don't believe Ewald or Biffens know what is on hand," Jack answered.
"They've orders to report back in haste. That's all."
"Then hadn't we better hurry back to the yard, too?" inquired Hastings.
"No; we haven't any orders."
"But Mr. Farnum may be wondering where we are."
"Then the sailors can tell him; they know."
Jack dawdled over his supper.
"Going back to the yard now?" asked Hal.
"No; to the bookstore."
"Hm!" muttered Hal. "I begin to think you're going to keep Mr. Farnum
guessing, to pay him back in his own coin."
"No; I'm going up to the store to pick out a small stack of books. Hal,
I believe we're going on a cruise, and I mean to have something to
read."
"I wonder if you know more than you've told me?" mused Hal, aloud.
"Not a blessed thing. I'm on the guessinglist, and I'm doing the best
I know how at guessing."
Hal didn't say any more, but accompanied his chum to the book-store.
There was a package for each of them to carry when they came out. Then
they headed down, toward the shipyard.
It was well on toward one o'clock by the time that the chums stepped
through the gate into the yard.
"Mr. Farnum is still at his office. That's late for him," remarked Hal.
"Maybe some one has him on the guessinglist, too," laughed Benson
The night watchman came forward out of a shadow.
"Boss wants to see you young gentlemen," announced the watchman.
So Jack and Hal turned in there. As they entered the office a scene of
"solid comfort" met their eyes. Shipbuilder and naval officer were
lounging in easy chairs, smoking Havanas until the air was thick and
white with the smoke.
"Sailing orders, Jack," announced Farnum.
"All right, sir," nodded the young skipper, looking at his watch. "I can
pull out inside of twelve minutes."
"But you don't have to," laughed Farnum. "You have until morning.
Where do you suppose you're going?"
"I don't know, sir."
"Curious, Jack?"
"I don't care where we're going," Benson smiled back. "When it's a
matter of business all parts of the earth look alike to me."
Lieutenant Danvers laughed heartily.
"Benson, lad," exclaimed the naval officer, "you've got the real make-up
to serve in the Navy. It's a pity we had to lose you."
"Don't be too sure yet, sir, that the Navy has escaped having me,"
smiled back Skipper Jack.
"You don't start until eight in the morning," went on the shipbuilder.
"Pollard got back this evening, and he goes with us. We take both the
'Benson' and the 'Hastings.' Eph will have to command one of the boats,
I suppose?"
"Yes, sir; and he'll have to be notified at once, too," replied the
young 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 kind to be niggardly in giving
rewards fairly won.