"Yet you--"

Mr. Melville stopped right there, for Jacob Farnum, his eyes turned in a
steady look out over the water, suddenly emitted an incredulous whoop.
Then, without explanation, the boatbuilder broke into a dead run that
carried him along the shore to the northern edge of the little harbor.

Nor was Mr. Farnum's astonishment to be wondered at, for he had just
caught sight of Jack Benson's head, above the water at the point where
the submarine had gone down. And now, Captain Jack, after blowing out
a mouthful of water, had started to swim ashore with long, easy strokes.

Not quite catching the great significance of it all, the Melvilles and
the lawyer hurried after the builder.

Captain Jack Benson, clad only in a bathing suit, stepped out of the
water and stood laughing before his employer.

"Jack, how on earth did you--" began Farnum, then stopped, overpowered
by another wave of amazement.

"What's the meaning of all this?" demanded the elder Melville, pantingly,
as he reached the scene.

"Mr. Melville, and gentlemen," cried the boatbuilder, wheeling upon his
guests, "do you even begin to grasp the importance of the marvel you have
just witnessed? One of the great indictments found against the
submarine torpedo boat is that, when one sinks and cannot be brought to
the surface again, the crew must miserably perish. Very humane people
shudder at the very idea of ordering men into a craft that may go to the