One of the “Hudson’s” cutters being now in the water alongside, the party
went ashore in this. Jack, after bidding the naval officers good-night,
found Hal and Eph, who had just come ashore from supper on board the
“Farnum.”

“No sailing orders yet, I suppose?” Hal asked.

“None,” Jack replied. “I reckon we’ll start, all right, some time
to-morrow morning.”

“What’ll we do to-night?” Eph wondered.

“I don’t know,” replied Jack. “We’ve few friends around here we need to
take the trouble to say good-bye to. We could call on Mrs. Farnum, but I
imagine we’d run into the naval party up at the Farnum house. We want to
keep a bit in the background with these naval officers, except when they
may ask for our company.”

“Let’s take a walk about the old town, then,” Hal suggested.

So the three submarine boys strolled across the shipyard. Just as they
were passing through the gate a man of middle height and seemingly about
thirty years of age quickened his pace to reach them.

“Is this shipyard open nights?” he queried.

“Only to some employees,” Jack answered.

“I suppose Mr. Farnum isn’t about?”