in a low tone.

"Why?" queried Jack, with the ghost of a smile, as he glanced into the
naval officer's face. "Have I been showing any nervousness?"

"Not yet, and I don't want you to."

"Are you as interested as that in us, Mr. Danvers?"

"I like you, Benson--like you from the deck up, and I don't want to
see you lose a single point in the game. That's all."

Eph Somers came on deck, presently.

"Hal says he doesn't need me below for the present, Jack, so I came up
to relieve you at the wheel. I don't want to see your steering wrist
going stale when the race starts, so you'd better let me have the wheel,
while you keep yourself fresh for the real work."

"As the race hasn't begun yet," broke in Lieutenant Danvers, "there is
no impropriety in my taking the wheel out to the start, if you'll trust
me to handle your boat."

"Trust a naval officer?" laughed Jack Benson, flashing a smile of
gratitude at the lieutenant. "That's a funny idea to suggest."

Danvers took the wheel silently, then devoted his whole thought,
apparently, to the--for him--simple task that he had in hand.

Outside the bay the "Chelsea" signaled to the submarine boats to slow up.