Going on deck, Captain Jack signaled for a shore boat, which was quickly alongside.  Landing, the young captain walked slowly up to the yard office, thinking deeply all the time.

Just as the young submarine commander entered the outer office Jacob Farnum stepped out from his private, inner office.  He was smoking a cigar, and looked as though he had come out to stretch his legs.

“Hullo, Jack,” he greeted the young man, pleasantly.  “Say, I hope you haven’t come to talk business.  Say something foolish, won’t you, lad?  I’m just in the mood for nonsense.  All forenoon I’ve had my head crammed to bursting with figures and business, and now I’m in the mood for something reckless.  You see, Melville is in a position to command a lot of capital, and we need it to expand this business.  He’s in there, now, with another capitalist, a lawyer and an accountant.  But I had to break away.  What do you know that’s reckless?”

Jacob Farnum was not playing any part of treachery, or deception, in not telling his submarine boys about the proposed shifting of command to Don Melville’s shoulders.  The fact was that George Melville, after that first hint, had said nothing more about the subject, but was now craftily laying the wires for securing gradual control of the shipyard’s enterprises.

“Why, I am glad to find you at leisure, and willing to be amused,” smiled Captain Jack, quietly.  “Will it be too much like business if I ask you down to the water to watch a little demonstration that we want to make with the ’Pollard’?”

“Is it something brand-new?” laughed Mr. Farnum, resting an arm on the young captain’s shoulder.

“So far as I know, it’s shiningly new,” laughed Jack Benson.

“What is it?”

“If you don’t mind, Mr. Farnum, I’d rather show it to you first.”

“How long will the demonstration take?”

“It ought not to require more than fifteen or twenty minutes, sir.”

“I’ll take you up, then,” agreed Mr. Farnum, pleasantly.

Just at that moment the inner door opened.  Mr. Melville came out, followed by his lawyer, Don bringing up the rear of the file.

“I guess you’d better come along with me, gentlemen,” called Mr. Farnum.  “Captain Benson has just invited me to witness something new in the submarine line.”

“What is it?” questioned Mr. Melville.

“I don’t know,” admitted Jacob Farnum.

“What is it, boy?” demanded Mr. Melville, turning upon Jack.  The very tone in which the word “boy” was uttered was meant to reduce the youthful captain to confusion, but it had the opposite effect.  Though it brought a quick flush to Jack’s cheeks, he answered, courteously: 

“It is intended, principally, as a surprise to Mr. Farnum.  If I were to tell, now, it would rob him of much of the pleasure of being astonished.”

To this George Melville did not deign to reply, though he compressed his lips grimly enough.  Don flashed a sneering look at Jack, then observed: