"That's what I did," added the lad. "I wasn't going to
have any one steal the secret of the submarine if I could
help it."

"Quite right! Quite right!" exclaimed Mr. Berg. "But my
purpose was an open one. As you know, Mr. Swift, I represent
the firm of Bentley & Eagert, builders of submarine boats
and torpedoes. They heard that you were constructing a craft
to take part in the competitive prize tests of the United
States Government, and they asked me to come and see you to
learn when your ship would be ready. Ours is completed, but
we recognize that it will be for the best interests of all
concerned if there are a number of contestants, and my firm
did not want to send in their entry until they knew that you
were about finished with your ship. How about it? Are you
ready to compete?"

"Yes," said Mr. Swift slowly. "We are about ready. My
craft needs a few finishing touches, and then it will be
ready to launch."

"Then we may expect a good contest on your part,"
suggested Mr. Berg.

"Well," began the aged inventor, "I don't know about
that."

"What's that?" exclaimed Mr. Berg.

"I said I wasn't quite sure that we would compete," went