"I guess that's sensible enough," nodded Mr. Farnum. "Well, get aboard,
boys. Lieutenant Danvers will be out by ten o'clock. Don't lie awake
to-night, thinking too hard of what's before you."

"Don't you expect us to, sir," smiled Captain Jack. "We need our sleep
to-night, if we've got such work ahead of us. It's big, work, sir."

"Big enough," nodded Jacob Farnum. "If we come out of this big official
test with all the points of the game, then Uncle Sam is likely to buy
all the submarine boats we can make for a couple of years to come--and
our fortunes will be made--yours, too, boys!"

This talk of the boys' fortunes being at stake was not a matter of idle
words. Jack, Hal and Eph well understood that, if they came out
successful, they would also be at least moderately well off. Messrs.
Farnum and Pollard were not of the kind to be niggardly in giving
rewards fairly won.




CHAPTER VI

JUDAS CO. INTRODUCE THEMSELVES:


Groton Bay, as every student of geography knows, is a nearly landlocked,
well sheltered body of water, some seven miles long and three wide. At
the mouth of the Groton river stands Colfax, a city of more than thirty