me the knowledge of distance traveled."

"That's just the way it is done," agreed Danvers. "After all, it's just
a matter of accurate boat handling, and being able to judge distances
by the eye alone. And now, Mr. Benson, if you'll run over yonder,
carefully, we'll pick up the dummies. After that, we've got to make
as good a shot, with a real torpedo, and sink the scow."

"And, if you don't, sir--?" smiled the young submarine skipper.

"Then we'll be guilty of poor shooting, and have to try the second
loaded torpedo," replied the naval officer. "If we miss with the
second, then we'll have to contrive either to tow the scow, or to sink
her somehow. If either of the loaded torpedoes fails to explode, we'll
have to pick it up, at all hazards. If we left a loaded torpedo
floating on the surface of the water, here in the paths of coast
navigation, it would sink the first ship that struck the war-head of
the torpedo."

The sea, by this time, was rough and whitecapped, and a brisk wind was
blowing down from the north-east. It was no easy task to get a rope
around first one dummy torpedo, and then the other. Yet at last this
was done, and the heavy objects were hoisted aboard and stored below.

"Now, we'll get off and sink the scow, before dark," muttered Lieutenant
Danvers.

"Are you going to let me fire the torpedo at her, sir?" demanded Skipper
Jack Benson, eagerly.