“Oh, I’ll have to, then, since you’re boss here,” grumbled Truax, sulkily.

“I don’t want to make it felt too much that I _am_ boss here,” Jack
retorted, mildly. “At the same time, though, I’m held responsible, and so
I suppose I’ll have to have things done the way that seems best to me.”

Sam Truax turned to get his satchel. The instant his back was turned on
the young commander Sam’s face was a study in ugliness.

“Oh, I’ll take this all out of you,” muttered the fellow to himself. “I
don’t believe, Jack Benson, you’ll go on the cruising next week. If you
do, you won’t be much good, anyway!”

Ten minutes later a shore boat landed the entire party from the submarine
craft.

“Going with the rest of us, Truax?” inquired Jack, pleasantly.

“No; I’m going to find a boarding-house. That will be cheaper than the
hotel.”

So the other four kept straight on to the Maryland House, giving very
little more thought to the sulky one.

It was not until after supper that Eph turned the talk back to Sam Truax.

“I don’t like the fellow, at all,” declared young Somers. “He always wants
to be left alone in the engine room, for one thing.”