true. Why, we haven’t even a residence anywhere, from which a Congressman
could appoint one of us to Annapolis!”

“_One_ of us?” muttered Jack, scornfully. “Then it would have to be you.
_I_ wouldn’t go, even as a cadet at Annapolis, and leave you behind in
just plain, ordinary life, Hal Hastings!”

“Well, it’s no use thinking about it,” sighed Hal, practically. “Neither
one of us is in any danger of getting appointed to Annapolis, so there’s
no chance that either one of us ever will become an officer in the Navy.
Let’s not talk about it, Jack. I’ve been contented enough, so far, but now
it makes me almost blue, to think that we can only go on testing and
handling submarine craft like these, while others will be their real
officers in the Navy, and command them in any war that may come.”

Though his head throbbed, and though a dizzy spell came over him every few
minutes, Jack Benson stuck it out, up there beside his chum, for an hour.
Then, disdaining aid, he crept down the stairs, stretching himself out on
one of the cabin seats. Eph brought him a pillow and a blanket. Jack soon
slept, tossing uneasily whenever pain throbbed dully in his head.

“Guess I’ll go out and have a little look at the young captain,” proposed
Sam Truax, an hour later.

“Try another guess,” retorted Eph, curtly. “You’ll stay here in the engine
room. Jack Benson isn’t going to be bothered in any way.”

“I’m not going to bother him; just going to take a look at him,” protested
Truax, moving toward the door that separated the engine room from the
cabin.