"Oh, bother the folks around Dunhaven!" broke in Jack Benson,
impatiently. "If the place is the best they know how to do in the way
of a town, I don't care a heap about their ideas of boats. And--but I
beg your pardon, Mr. Holt. My tongue's running a bit ahead of my
manners, I guess. So this is where that famous submarine torpedo boat
is being built? And she's a diving boat, at that?"

"Well, I guess mebbe she'll dive, all right," chuckled Jabez Holt. "But
as to her comin' up again, I reckon the 'Pollard' ain't goin' to be so
certain."

"Where are they building her? Farnum's shipyard, you said?"

"Right over yonder," explained Mr. Holt, pointing to a high board fence
that enclosed a space down by the water front. Farnum's "boatyard,"
as thus seen, was about an eighth of a mile from the little hotel, and
looked as though it might be considerable of a plant.

"Who's in charge of the boat?" was Jack's next question.

"Well, now, that's a conundrum," replied Jabez Holt, pondering. "Jake
Farnum owns the yard. Jake is a young man, only a few years out of
college. He inherited the business from his father, who's dead. Jake
is considered a pretty good business man, though he don't know much
'bout boats, an' can't seem to learn a heap, nuther. So Jake leans on
Asa Partridge, the superintendent, who was also superintendent under
old man Farnum. However, old man Farnum's line was building sailing
yachts, small schooners, and, once in a while, a tug-boat. That's in
Asa Partridge's line, but he won't have nothin' much to do with new
schemes like diving torpedo boats."