Part 17 (1/2)

Messrs Farnuht well be Should the Rhinds boat carry away the honors on that day and on the subsequent days of the present tests, then Farnum and Pollard, who had their entire fortunes invested in this business, would have on their hands only so much scrap steel, brass and iron

Nor would Jack and his comrades fare any better If the boys were vanquished, Farnum and Pollard would have no more work for them No other submarine company would want the services of losers

”Keep your nerve to-day, won't you, Benson?” asked Lieutenant Danvers, in a low tone

”Why?” queried Jack, with the ghost of a slanced into the naval officer's face ”Have I been showing any nervousness?”

”Not yet, and I don't want you to”

”Are you as interested as that in us, Mr Danvers?”

”I like you, Benson--like you frole point in the game That's all”

Eph Somers came on deck, presently

”Hal says he doesn't need me below for the present, Jack, so I came up to relieve you at the wheel I don't want to see your steering wrist going stale when the race starts, so you'd better let me have the wheel, while you keep yourself fresh for the real work”

”As the race hasn't begun yet,” broke in Lieutenant Danvers, ”there is no i the wheel out to the start, if you'll trust hed Jack Benson, flashi+ng a sratitude at the lieutenant ”That's a funny idea to suggest”

Danvers took the wheel silently, then devoted his whole thought, apparently, to the--for him--simple task that he had in hand

Outside the bay the ”Chelsea” signaled to the subunboat unboat's bow and the lighthouse on Groton Point, to the northward, was to furnish the i subunfire, cross as nearly together as possible There were penalties, of course, for any one boat trying to steal a lead over the rest

By this tiunboat ”Oakland,” which had a safe speed of twenty-four knots an hour, under forced draught, lay to, some two miles further out The ”Oakland's” task was to stick close to the leaders, and, at the end, to decide which craft had won

_Booun sounded over the starboard side of the ”Chelsea”

In five un would thunder out--and the racers would be off!

Such a scurrying as there was then a these five little craft of war!

Captain Jack Benson had the wheel again Henceforth, Lieutenant Danvers was to be but a spectator--a judge, at need, and on his honor, as an officer of the United States Navy, to show no partiality to those on whose boat he found hiht be needed on deck, at any instant, he stood leaning against the conning tower

David Pollard was one below, had taken off his coat, and was standing in shi+rt-sleeves, ready to render any possible aid to Hal Hastings, the young chief engineer on whom so much depended in the six hours to come

Now that one of the supreme moments in his career had come, Jacob Farnum hardly dared breathe He said not a word to Eph, who, just as anxious, stood at his elbow

As the sub its best place for a start over the line, the ”Zelda” caside for aat the rail of his own craft, as intended to be a smile his face, waved his hat wildly at Jacob Farnum

”Good luck to you, Farnum--and to us!” bellowed Rhinds ”Of course, I'd like to win today, but if you've the better boat, go ahead and leave us at the finish May the best craft win, no hard feelings!