some of the severest trials that could be invented, yet the trials
through which the builders and the submarine boys passed were far
greater. Yet, in the end, just as Mr. Farnum and his associates were
about to go to the wall, financially, the Navy Department purchased
and paid for the "Pollard." In this volume was also told how Jack and
his friends were the first to discover a simple, yet seemingly
mysterious, method of leaving and entering a submarine boat at will when
it lay on the bottom of the ocean.

Then, in "_The Submarine Boys and the Middies_," was related how Captain
Jack and his chums secured the prize detail of going to Annapolis with
the company's new boat, the "Farnum," there to teach the midshipmen of
the Naval Academy how to operate boats of this class. That narrative
was unusually full of adventures, including the laughable recital of how
Eph innocently brought down upon the trio a first-class sample of hazing
by Uncle Sam's naval cadets. Captain Jack had many startling adventures
with the secret agent of a rival submarine company, who sought to
discredit and disgrace the young commander of the submarine boys.

In the volume preceding this, entitled "_The Submarine Boys and the
Spies_," the third of the company's boats, the "Benson," named in
honor of the young captain, was discovered in Florida waters. This
newest submarine had been sent to Spruce Beach, in December, to undergo
some tests and to give an exhibition, the U.S. gunboat, "Waverly"
being on hand to act as host. In this volume it was related how Captain
Jack's very life was at stake, from the foreign spies gathered at
Spruce Beach to pry into the secrets of the mysterious submarine.
Here the United States Secret Service officers were called in to aid,
yet it was Captain Jack and his friends who contributed to the full
success of the government sleuths. At this period of his career