"Pollard" moved over to her moorings, and Hal came up to aid in making
fast. Soon afterward, Jack Benson, in complete uniform, appeared on
deck.

"Now, give us just an idea of how the thing is done, Mr. Farnum," begged
one of the correspondents, turning to the boatbuilder.

"Ladies and gentlemen," replied the yard's owner, gravely, though he was
tempted to laugh over the mystery he was making, "I am certain that you
all want to know."

"We do," came the chorused answer.

"But if I were to tell you," responded Farnum, speaking as gravely as
ever, "it would be to reveal to the whole world one of the strongest
points in our plan of submarine operation. You will understand that, of
course, and will realize that we do not care to explain anything so
valuable, when that idea is not yet patented."

"I suppose you're right about that," admitted one of the journalists,
thoughtfully. "We'd like awfully to know just how the feat is
accomplished, and you have equally good reasons for not telling us."

"Have you much genius for machinery?" whispered one of the women writers
to a man beside her. "For, you know, we've been promised a chance to
visit the boat. If you keep your eyes open, very likely you can detect
how it is possible to leave the 'Pollard' when she's on the bottom--a
performance that isn't possible with any other type of submarine torpedo
boat."