“He’ll be more than afraid, to-night,” vaunted Jack Benson, proudly.  “More than afraid, sir.  When the figures of to-day’s distance speed course are in John C. Rhinds will be frozen cold!”

“If we have to turn on gasoline and run the engines so hot we blow the whole deck off!” confirmed Hal Hastings, explosively.

“If I should be inclined to forget to-day,” growled Eph Somers, “I have a pain in my head, from a crack I received last night, that will put me in mind of the whole outrage, and keep me strictly on the job of vengeance!”

“I guess you youngsters have the winning fire all right, for to-day,” smiled Jacob Farnum, grimly.

“Are you going to enter both boats in to-day’s race?” asked Jack, more thoughtfully.

“We can’t,” replied the shipbuilder.  “Captain Magowan told me, last night, that, since the Rhinds people and ourselves are the only makers who have more than one boat here, today’s race will be confined to one craft representative of each make.  So, which boat do you prefer to take out to-day, Jack?”

“It doesn’t make a bit of difference which one,” returned young Captain Benson.  “Between the ‘Hastings’ and the ‘Benson’ there isn’t a hair’s breadth to choose.  But with either boat, sir, I believe that, to-day, we can run any Rhinds boat off the surface of the ocean!”

It was all very good to have such confidence in their boat.  Yet was it to be justified?

* * * * * * * * * *

Almost immediately came the first blow.  A telegram came on board, addressed to Williamson.  The latter’s brother was seriously ill at home, and the machinist had to leave at once, going north by the next train.  As it happened, the brother speedily recovered, but this incident for the time left the Farnum forces the losers of a highly useful man in the engine room.

CHAPTER X

John C. Rhinds advocates fair sport!

Boom!  From over the port rail of the “Oakland” a dense cloud of grayish white smoke belched out.

Through it flashed a streak of red.

As the “Oakland” was the temporary flagship of this fleet of two gunboats, this gunfire was the signal for the submarines to move on out of the bay.

Lieutenant Danvers had already come over to the “Benson” from the flagship.  Danvers bore with him the orders of the naval board.  Moreover, the lieutenant was to remain on the Pollard craft that day.  Each submarine that was entered for the race had a naval officer on board, who was to give directions, at need, and to act as judge of conduct.

“Just get under way easily, and move out, Mr. Benson,” advised Danvers.  “Eight or nine miles will be fast enough to go.”

Jack and the naval officer stood by the platform deck steering wheel as the “Benson” left her moorings.