commander. Under the magnifying effect of the eyepiece lens Benson
could see the beach, the flag-bedecked hotels, and the moving masses of
people on the shore. Yet, all this time, he was out at sea, more than
a mile from the beach. The periscope itself, if seen from a boat an
eighth of a mile away, would undoubtedly have been taken for a floating
bottle.

"Let me have a peep," demanded Somers.

Eph looked briefly, then chuckled:

"Must be thousands of people over yonder, wondering what on earth has
happened to us!"

"Do you make out the gunboat, at anchor to the north of the hotel
section?" inquired Captain Jack.

"Oh, yes. Say, they'll have an awakening on that gray craft, won't
they?"

"If we don't make any slip in our calculations," answered Benson,
gravely.

"Well, we're not going to make any slip," asserted Eph Somers, stoutly.

"Now, keep quiet, please, old fellow. I want to do a little calculating
before we take the last, desperate step."

All this time the conning tower of the submarine was just a bit below
the surface. Nothing but the slender shaft and the small head of the