CONCLUSION
Within two hours John C. Rhinds had his head up once more.
He felt as though the battle had been already won. There was nothing
to fear from Farnum pushing the situation that had been created against
the owner of the "Thor," for Farnum had promised. It was strange that
John Rhinds, who had no regard for the moral value of his own given
word, felt certain that Jacob Farnum would not break a promise.
Rhinds even telephoned for the reporters, and, when they came, gave
out an interview in which he stated that Mr. Farnum was satisfied that
no blame over the torpedo incident could be attached to the owner of
the "Thor." Farnum, when questioned by the same reporters, declared
that he had nothing to say.
That night Rhinds was almost cheerful. He dined in the public dining
room of the hotel, with his wife and daughter, and both appeared to be
wholly proud of the man.
One thing, however, worried Rhinds a good deal. Congressman Simms did
not come near him again. Later in the evening Rhinds sought the
Congressman, though wholly in vain.
Rhinds breakfasted with his family, the next morning, in their rooms.
So he was still behind his private doors when a summons reached him to
go to the wharf and take the launch to the "Oakland."
"What can it mean, John?" demanded his wife.
"If they want you as a witness before the investigation, you'll be able
to clear yourself quickly." predicted Helen.
"I'll soon find out why I'm wanted," declared Rhinds, jauntily.
In fact, he was almost cheerful as he boarded the launch at the wharf.
Rhinds was at least self-possessed when he was shown into a cabin where
Captain Magowan was seated at a desk.
"Oh, good morning, Mr. Rhinds," was the greeting of the president of the
naval board, as he rose. "My business will take but a very few moments.
I have received definite orders from the Navy Department by wire this
morning. Here is a copy of the telegram."
Rhinds took the message, and read:
_"Inform John C. Rhinds that the Department will give no further
consideration, this year, to the purchase of any boats from the Rhinds
Submarine Company."_
"What does this mean!" demanded Rhinds, paling, then flushing with
anger.
"Just what it says," replied Captain Magowan, coolly.
"There has been some underhanded work here!" began the old man,
wrathfully.
"None in the Navy Department, at all events," replied Magowan, coolly.
"I will not detain you longer, Mr. Rhinds. Good morning."
Captain Magowan, bowing, opened the door. A marine sentry stood on post
just outside. There was no use in making a row. John C. Rhinds stepped
out like one in a daze, and remained so until he reached the wharf and
stepped ashore.
To the railway station went Rhinds. He was ruined. The order from
Washington meant that all his capital had been expended on boats that
could not be sold. There might be a chance with foreign governments,
but creditors would step in and seize the Rhinds shipyards before a good
trade could be made abroad.
At the station Rhinds counted the money he had about him. At a bank in
another city was a thousand dollars or so more. Rhinds took the train
and was borne away. His wife and daughter. The former had a small
private fortune of her own; wife and daughter would not starve. So the
coward ran away.
That same forenoon Farnum and his submarine boys were summoned to police
headquarters. There they were confronted with a rather pretty though
almost poorly dressed girl.
"Is this the young woman whom you rescued at a street corner, and whom
you were escorting when attacked by a gang of rowdies?" asked Chief
Ward.
"I don't know," smiled Eph. "The young woman I was walking with had on
a veil."
"Oh, that's all right," laughed the police chief. "This young woman is
Katharine Pitney. She has told me the whole story, and I am satisfied
that she has told me everything honestly. Miss Pitney is not a prisoner.
She has made a little mistake in becoming engaged to the wrong sort of
fellow--the 'Tom' from whom you tried to defend her. Now, it seems
that 'Tom'--which isn't his name, had persuaded her to help him in
playing a joke, as he explained it to her. So Miss Pitney was foolish
enough to agree. She is wholly sorry, now she knows that it was a
crime, not a joke in which she helped. And 'Tom' has received his
walking papers so far as Miss Pitney is concerned."
"But I beg you'll forgive me, Mr. Somers," spoke up the girl, anxiously.
"I honestly believed it was a joke that I was helping in. As soon as
Mr. Ward found me, I told him the whole truth about the matter."
"You certainly did, Miss Pitney," confirmed the chief.
"Why, I haven't anything to forgive," laughed Eph. "It was a joke,
the way it turned out."
Chief Ward escorted Miss Pitney from the room, then returned to
explain:
"That's a wholly good girl, but her fancy was too easily won by the
fellow, 'Tom.' She knows better, now, and will have to know a whole
lot more about the next man she allows to capture her affections. Now,
I have another pair to show you. They're in cells. Come downstairs,
please."
Through a corridor underneath the chief led his visitors, halting,
at last, before a barred door of iron.
"Look through, and see who it is," smiled the police chief.
"Why, that's Walter C. Hodges, who sent us off on a pleasure trip in
that doctored automobile!" exclaimed Jack.
"Yes; you're right," sighed the prisoner. "I've been cornered, and
I've admitted it."
"But that fellow's daughter?" asked Jack, as the chief led them away.
"Hodges hasn't any daughter," replied Chief Ward. "We found the young
woman, but we let her go. She is an idle, vain young woman. Hodges
told her the same old story--a joke he was playing, and persuaded the
young woman to go along and pretend to be his daughter. In payment he
bought her the fine clothes she was wearing when you saw her. And now,
here's some one you may like to see here!"
For a moment or two not a word was uttered as the submarine people found
themselves gazing between bars at--Fred Radwin.
Radwin did not look depressed, but, on the contrary, jaunty and defiant.
"He's the one I'm best pleased of all to have," chuckled Chief Ward.
"The four ruffians who attacked you boys, and held two of you in that
deserted house before Benson led our party to the place, have confessed
that they were acting for Radwin. And Hodges has confessed, too, that
Radwin employed him, and that, between them, they put the doctored axle
in the auto."
While Chief Ward was speaking Fred Radwin turned pale.
"You didn't know all this until just this moment, did you, Radwin?"
smiled the chief.
"Oh, you needn't think you can down me too easily," snarled the prisoner.
"I have money to fight with."
"I know," nodded Ward. "You have a little over twenty thousand dollars,
Radwin. I also know where the money is. An attorney acting for the
chauffeur that was hurt so badly in the automobile smash-up has already
started in to attach that money in a suit for damages by the chauffeur."
* * * * * * * * * *
It is time to turn from too disagreeable a picture. The four roughs
first hired by Fred Radwin were sent to the penitentiary for a year
each.
Hodges, in consideration of furnishing useful state's evidence, was
sentenced to the penitentiary for two years and a half for his share
in the automobile plot.
Radwin, for conspiracy in setting on the roughs, was sentenced to three
years in the penitentiary; for his part in the automobile affair five
years more were added. It will be a long time, yet, ere Radwin will
breathe the air as a free man.
John C. Rhinds vanished completely. True, one returned traveler reported
having seen Rhinds at Nice, performing paltry services for American
tourists in return for paltry "tips."
Mrs. Rhinds and her daughter, having decided to make the best of matters,
are now living quietly and happily in a western town. They believe
John C. to be dead.
The mystery of that torpedo has never been officially cleared. In naval
circles, however, there is no doubt whatever felt as to the guilt of
Rhinds and Radwin; but it is also felt that both have been suitably
punished for their dastardly conduct. The three Rhinds torpedo boats
were seized, under court orders, and sold to satisfy the claims of
creditors of the Rhinds Company.
The chauffeur recovered twenty thousand dollars damages through the
attachment of Radwin's funds and the subsequent civil suit. Besides
which, after a few months, the chauffeur had practically recovered from
his painful injuries.
David Pollard was out of hospital in three weeks. In twice that length
of time he felt as well as ever.
Later on, the Pollard Submarine Boat Company received from the United
States Government orders for eighteen torpedo boats in all, the "Benson"
and "Hastings" included. One of the new ones, under this order, was
named the "Somers." The Navy has accepted all three names, and the
boats are now known in the service by these names. Later on the fortunes
of the three submarine boys were materially increased by these sales.
One of the first pleasures experienced by David Pollard, after his
discharge from hospital, was that of joining the rest of the Farnum
party in dining with the members of the naval board and the gunboat's
officers in the messroom of the "Oakland."
In the course of a little speech after dinner Captain Magowan referred
in glowing terms to the splendid work of the submarine boys on that
Lightning Cruise, and their success in being first to reach the derelict
and torpedo it.
The president of the board was followed by Lieutenant Danvers, who,
among other things said:
"The performances of Captain Benson and of his brother officers on
the Pollard boats have, indeed, been wonderful. 'Wonderful' may not
be quite the word, but, at this moment, I am so carried away with
enthusiasm that I cannot cruise about for mere words." (Laughter and
applause.) "The other day, a naval comrade, in talking with me about
the performances of Jack Benson and his friends, told me be considered
them to be wizards of the deep." (More applause.)
"But I took exception to my comrade's well meant remarks. A wizard,
as we understand one nowadays, is a mere pretender, a sleight-of-hand
man--a jack at cards. I would offer a more fitting title--and in
all sincerity--when I allude to Jack Benson, Hal Hastings and Eph
Somers as the Young Kings of the Deep!" (Tremendous applause.)
* * * * * * * * * *
Here we will leave the submarine boys briefly, but we shall come upon
them again in their next succeeding adventures--adventures that make
a fitting climax, in the next volume, which will be entitled:
"_The Submarine Boys for the Flag; Or, Deeding Their Lives to Uncle
Sam_."