"Ach! So? Of course."

"Now, what do you propose to do with us in your navy?" Jack went on.
"Are you going to make officers of us?"

"Officers?" repeated Herr Professor Radberg, slowly. "Well, no, Herr
Benson. We could not exactly do that. Our officers are, as you will
understand, very--what is your English word?--aristocratic. They
could not be quite persuaded to take American commoners as their brother
officers. That you would not expect, of course."

"Certainly not," young Benson agreed. If there was a slight tinge of
sarcasm in his it was lost on the German, whose brow cleared as he went
on, heavily:

"No, no, my young friend; not officers. But you shall all three have
very honorable positions, and handsome sums of money to pay you for
entering our service. We in Germany know the rank which you young men
have won as submarine experts, and we shall not be niggardly, for we
have determined to have you in our service."

"I hope you'll pardon me," proposed young Benson. "There is just one
point that has been overlooked. You tell me that you are authorized
to come to Dunhaven and kidnap my friends and myself. But, really,
how do I know that you have such authority from your own side of the
water?"

Radberg looked a bit puzzled, for a moment. Then, as he seemed to
begin to comprehend, he replied, heavily: