"Breakfast--nothing!" retorted Jacob Farnum, sharply. "Our young men
are missing. We went to their rooms this morning, and could get no
answer. We've had their doors opened with pass-keys--our three young
submarine officers haven't been in their beds all night long!"

John C. Rhinds allowed his face to express more surprise than concern
over this news.

"Oh, well," he remarked, "boys will be boys, you know--especially when
they're sailors."

"Our boys are not that sort," retorted Mr. Farnum, sharply. "They are
not hoodlums or racketers."

"Then of course you'll find 'em safe on one of your boats," proposed Mr.
Rhinds, innocently. "Just two minutes, and I'll go down to breakfast
with you."

Radwin, too, joined them. He also expressed surprise, artfully. All
four went to the breakfast room together. Messrs. Farnum and Pollard
ate well enough, though they seemed badly worried.

"There's just one thing about it, of course," sighed Jacob Farnum, as
the party left the table. "If our youngsters are not on one of our boats,
then we've got to lose the speed race to-day. None of us can handle the
boats the way they do."

"Oh, you'll find the boys all right on one of the boats," asserted Fred
Radwin, confidently.