THE FIGHTING CHANCE
"My type of torpedo boat is going to rule the seas in naval warfare,"
declared David Pollard, his eyes a-kindle with the enthusiasm of the
sincere inventor.
"I'm sure of it," replied Jack Benson, quietly. "That's why, Mr.
Pollard, Hal and I are so anxious to get into this work. Mr. Pollard,
when your type of submarine diving torpedo boat is understood by the
United States Government you'll need some reliable and intelligent
experts. Take us in now. Let us learn the work with you. Let us
go ahead, keeping pace with the progress in Pollard torpedo boats,
and you will never be sorry you have two young fellows you can depend
upon."
"That's so, if you can come near to making as good as you promise,"
admitted the inventor, thoughtfully. "But you're pretty young."
"And that's the only fault with the Pollard submarine boat," rejoined
Jack Benson, artfully. "You've got to buck your boat against all the
older types that the Government already takes an interest in. Yet you
feel sure that you can do it. You don't believe the Pollard diving
boat is too young. Give us the same show you ask for your boat."
"Well, I've never seen any of your work--except these drawings,"
replied Mr. Pollard, indicating some sheets that lay on the table
before them.
The chums had succeeded in making the inventor's acquaintance through
the aid of the landlord. It was now eleven o'clock at night. Jack and
Hal had been in the inventor's room for the last three hours. Benson
had done most of the talking, though Hal had now and then put in some
effective words.
David Pollard was now thirty years of age, tall, lean and of pallid
countenance. He was a graduate of a technical school. Though not a
practical mechanic, he had a rather good lot of theory stored away in
his mind. He had inherited some money, soon after leaving school, but
this money had vanished in inventions that he had not succeeded in
marketing. Now, all his hopes in life were centered in the submarine
torpedo boat that was nearly completed. Pollard had had no money of
his own to put into the craft. Jacob Farnum was his friend and
financial backer.
No one could grasp how much success with his submarine boat meant to
this wearied yet hopeful inventor. For years all his schemes had been
laughed at by "practical" men. It was success, more than mere fortune,
for which David Pollard hungered. The officials of the Navy Department,
at Washington, had promised to inspect and try the boat, when finished,
but that was all the encouragement that had come from the national
capital.
If the "Pollard," as the new craft was at present named, should prove a
failure, then the inventor felt that he would be "down" indeed in the
world. Also, he must feel that he had buried one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars of the money of his loyal friend, Farnum.
In his present anxious, worried frame of mind, with few real believers
in the possible success of his boat, it was little wonder that David
Pollard was grateful for any intelligent interest or faith in his plans.
These two friends were but boys, nor had they had any experience in
submarine boat construction. Yet they had shown the inventor that they
knew much about machinery and marine engines in general, and Jack, with
his handy knack of sketching machinery, had made a decided hit with
poor Pollard.
"Just put us in as apprentices," begged Benson. "We'll be just the
plainest sort of helpers, fetching and lifting, and that sort of thing,
until we learn how to do more."
"Well, you see, for one thing, boys," replied Pollard, "this building
of a submarine boat is very important and confidential work. Now,
while I like the looks and talk of you both, I really don't know a thing
about either of you."
"Of course you don't," Jack Benson admitted, frankly. "And it's highly
important that you should. I know that. But you can telegraph the
principal of the school we attended in Oakport, and you can telegraph
the minister of our church, too. We'll abide by just what they say
about us. And"-- here Benson brought his little roll of bills once
more into sight--"we'll pay for the telegrams and the answers."
"That looks right," nodded Mr. Pollard, with a slight smile. "There
is just one more point. The superintendent of the yard, Mr. Partridge,
isn't having anything to do with the building of the 'Pollard.' After
the steel workers and the riveters had finished on the hull, then
the inside work, including the fitting of the machinery, was turned
over to Mr. Owen, our present foreman. Sometimes he's a crotchety
fellow, and he might take a dislike to you youngsters."
"I've got to tell you about something that I think _will_ make him
take a dislike to us," spoke up Jack Benson, candidly. Then he recounted
the afternoon's affair with Dan Jaggers.
"Yes, that certainly will stir up some feeling," replied Mr. Pollard.
"In fact, it will make it very difficult for you to get along with
Owen, for he thinks a lot of that disagreeable, bullying nephew of his.
Yet, Benson, I like you a whole lot better for your honesty."
The inventor was silent for some moments, puffing slowly at a pipe, and
then he removed the stem from between his teeth and continued:
"You've made a good impression upon me, both of you, and particularly
with what you say about giving young fellows and young boats a chance
to prove themselves. You talk like youngsters with some experience and
some ideas in the matter of machinery. I admire your honesty. I also
like what you say about the need Farnum and I will have, in the future,
of young men who will understand our boats thoroughly. I don't know
what you can do until we try you out."
He took a few more thoughtful pulls at his pipe and resumed: "See here,
you come to the yard at eight o'clock in the morning, ready to do
anything that's wanted of you. I won't wire, but I'll write, to-night,
to the references you've given. If we find you're not of much use
we'll drop you. If your references don't turn out to be unusually good,
out you go! But, if you make good, you'll have your chance. It's just
your fighting chance, you understand. I'll fix the matter with Mr.
Farnum."
"And the foreman?" smiled Jack, wistfully.
Mr. Pollard looked grave as he answered:
"Look out not to invite any trouble with Joshua Owen, and avoid trouble
with Jaggers, who works in the boat-fitting crew. I think we can get
over the effects of your little trouble this afternoon. And now, boys,
give me the addresses of your references, and I'll write at once."
A few moments later the chums bade the inventor good night, then hurried
to their own room, though not to retire at once.
"Well!" demanded Jack Benson, his face radiant, as he thought of their
"fighting chance."
"It was the way you put the whole matter to Pollard," replied Hal
Hastings. "Jack, you're a wonder with your tongue. I believe you could
talk a hole through a thick board fence."
"We've got our chance, anyway. And, oh, Hal! I believe it's going to
be our real chance in life!"
"You'll soon be as wild about the 'Pollard' as the inventor himself,"
laughed Hastings, good-naturedly.
"It isn't going to be just the one boat, Hal," urged his chum, seriously.
"It's the whole big problem of submarine warfare. It's going to be _the_
warfare of the future, old chum! And, starting this early, we may
become Pollard's real experts--his leading men when he's famous,
successful and rich! We may even become his partners, through getting
up improvements on his ideas. Hal, boy, we may even put through our own
design of submarine boat one of these days."
"It'll be huge fun, anyway, if we can get a chance to cruise on a
submarine boat-under water and all!" glowed young Hastings. "Say,
there must be a wonderful thrill to going down deep in the ocean."
Thus they talked for another hour. It was very late when the two
turned in, nor did they go to sleep at once. Yet, when the half-past
six call came in the morning, both boys turned out in a jiffy. Excitement
took the place of rest with them. They breakfasted with appetite.
Shortly after half-past seven, though the yard was so near, Jack and
Hal set out for their first day's work at boat building.
The gate was open, though the yard, as they stepped inside, had a
deserted look. The partly finished hulls of two schooners lay on the
ways down by the water front. There were half a dozen sloops in
various stages of completion. There were two houses, close to the
water's edge in which, as the boys afterwards learned, motor boats
were built. But it was a rough shed, more than twenty feet high, and
at least one hundred and twenty feet long, running down to the shore,
that instantly caught Jack Benson's glance.
"There's where they must be putting the 'Pollard' in shape," he cried,
eagerly, as he pointed. Both youngsters hurried toward that shed. As
they reached it the inventor came into sight around the end. He was
hollow-eyed, though alert; he looked even more worried than he had looked
the night before.
"Ah, good morning, boys," was his greeting. "Early on hand, I see."
"When a fellow's whole heart is set on a thing, he isn't likely to lie
abed until the last moment, is he, Mr. Pollard?" inquired Benson.
That speech impressed the inventor most favorably. _He_ could appreciate
enthusiasm.
"Come inside, and I'll show you something," he said, producing a key and
leading the way to a door in the side of the shed.
Through the long, high windows of the shed an abundance of light fell.
But Jack, once inside the door, halted, looking with lips parted and
eyes wide open.
"O-o-o-oh!" he murmured.
"What is it?" inquired the inventor, curiously.
"The very, wonder of the thing," replied Benson, frankly, looking over
the whole length of the "Pollard" as she lay propped up on the sturdy
ways.
Nor did that simple speech make the inventor think any less of the
boy. Though Hal Hastings remained silent for some time, his fascinated
gaze rested steadily on the strange-looking outlines of the cigar-shaped
bull of the boat.
The outer hull was of steel plates, carefully riveted into place.
The entire length of the boat was about one hundred and ten feet,
which in point of size placed her just about in the class of boats
of this type which are being constructed to-day.
Near the center of the boat, on the upper side, was the conning tower,
about nine feet in outside diameter, and extending some four feet
above the sloping deck of the craft. Around the conning tower extended
a flat, circular "platform" deck.
At the bow of the boat the torpedo tube projected a short distance. At
the stern the rudder was in place, and all was in readiness for placing
the propeller shaft and the propeller itself. On the floor of the
shed, near the middle of this strange, dangerous boat, lay
miscellaneous small pieces of machinery and fittings.
At the starboard side of the boat stood a ladder that ascended to the
platform deck. In the top of the conning tower a man-hole cover stood
propped up. It was through this opening that the workmen entered or
left the boat.
From outside the shed several wires ran in. In dark weather these
wires carried the current for electric lights in shed and boat.
"I won't ask you aboard until the foreman and other workmen arrive,"
explained Mr. Pollard. "It'll be only a few minutes to wait."
While they were still examining the outer hull, and discussing the
submarine, Dan Jaggers, in his workman's clothes, reached the open
doorway of the shed. One look inside, and he halted short. He gathered
from the talk he heard that Jack Benson and Hal Hastings were to be
added to the "Pollard's" working gang.
"Not if I know myself--and the foreman--and I think I do!" growled
the Jaggers youth, backing away unseen.
The next of the workmen to arrive was Michael O'brien, red-haired and
about twenty-eight years of age. He was good-humored and talkative, and
the two boys took an immediate liking to him.
Through the gate of the yard came Joshua Owen, a man of forty-five, of
medium height, broad-shouldered, black-haired and with a frame that
spoke of great physical power and endurance. Yet he had restless,
rather evil-looking eyes. He did not look like the sort of man whom
a timid fellow would want for an enemy.
"Hold on there, Unc," greeted Dan Jaggers, motioning his foreman-uncle
aside. "Say, you know that cheeky young fellow I told ye about--the
tricky one that played the sneak on me, and gave me this black eye?"
"Haven't you met him and paid him back yet?" demanded Mr. Owen.
"Hadn't seen him again, until just now," complained Dan. "What do you
think? Pollard has engaged that feller and his friend to work on the
submarine."
"Has, eh? Without speaking to me about it?" demanded Joshua Owen,
looking anything but pleased.
"Of course you'll let Pollard know that you're foreman and take on
and lay off your own gang," hinted Jaggers.
"Now, you leave me alone, Dan, boy, to know what to do," retorted Mr.
Owen. Then he stepped on toward the long shed, a very grim look on
his face. Going inside the shed, the foreman looked the two boys
over briefly.
"If you young men haven't any business in here," he ordered, "get
out and on your way. Work is about to begin here. I'm the foreman."
"Oh, Mr. Owen," hailed the inventor, "these are two very bright young
chaps, with some experience, that I've engaged to help us out with
installing the machinery in the boat."
"Couldn't you have consulted me, sir?" asked the foreman, again looking
keenly at the youngsters.
"When you've found out what they can do, Mr. Owen," replied Pollard.
"I believe you'll be rather pleased with them. They're hired only
on trial, you understand."
"I can tell whether we want 'em before we start work," grunted the
foreman. With that he began to fire all manner of machine-shop questions
at both boys. Yet Jack and Hal, paying respectful heed, answered in
a way that showed them to be quite well informed about this class
of work.
"They won't do Mr. Pollard--won't do at all," announced Foreman Owen,
turning to the inventor. "I know their kind. They're glib talkers,
and all that, but they belong to the know-it-all class of boys. I've
had a lot of experience with that kind of 'prentices, and I don't want
'em bothering our work here. So I say, sir, the only thing for you to
do is to send them about their business."
Foreman Owen spoke as though that settled the matter. Jack Benson
and Hal Hastings felt their hopes oozing.
"I've told the boys they shall have a chance Mr. Owen," replied Pollard
quietly, yet in a tone of authority. "So of course my word must be kept
with them."
"But I'm the foreman," exclaimed Joshua Owen, irritably, "and I'm
supposed to--"
"Exactly," interposed David Pollard. "You're supposed to obey all
instructions from your superiors here, and to give your advice when it's
wanted. I have much at stake in the success of this boat, and when I
find what looks like good material for our working crew I'm going to try
out that material."
"But I don't want to be bothered with boys, like these young fellows,"
retorted the foreman, angrily. "This is no job for amateurs!"
"The boys remain until they've been well tried out," retorted Pollard,
firmly. "If they can't do our kind of work, then of course we'll
let them go."
"I'll speak to Mr. Farnum about this business," muttered Foreman Owen,
turning on his heel. Three other workmen had arrived during this talk.
Now, at the order from Owen all climbed the ladder to the platform deck,
thence disappearing through the manhole. Electric light was turned on
inside the hull by the time that Jack and Hal appeared at the manhole
opening.
Owen looked upward, from the floor of the boat, to scowl at them, but,
as Mr. Pollard was right behind them, the foreman said nothing at that
moment.
Last of all came Dan Jaggers. As he caught sight of the two newcomers
he shot at them a look full of hate.
"I thought ye said those fellers couldn't work here," he muttered
to his uncle.
"Keep quiet and watch out," whispered Joshua Owen. "They're not going
to work here. I'll fix that!"