Boy Scouts in a Submarine | Page 3

the important daily newspapers of the metropolis. Jack Bosworth's
father was a prominent corporation lawyer, while Harry Stevens, a lad
with a historical hobby, was a prominent automobile manufacturer.
Ned Nestor, the boy just now trying to entertain the very formal
Captain Moore, was a member of the Wolf Patrol, also of New York, as
was also Jimmie McGraw, who had been a Bowery newsboy before
joining fortunes with Ned.
As is well known to most of our readers, Ned had, at one time and
another, undertaken and successfully accomplished delicate and
hazardous enterprises for the United States Government. Accompanied
by Frank, Jack, Jimmie, Harry, and other members of the Boy Scout
Patrols of the United States, he had visited Mexico, the Canal Zone, the
Philippines, the Great Northwest, had navigated the Columbia river in a
motor boat, and had covered the continent of South America in an
aeroplane.
He was now about to enter upon, perhaps, the most important mission
ever assigned to him by the Secret Service department. The story of the
quest upon which he was about to enter will best be told in the
conversation which now took place in the clubroom of the Black Bear
Patrol on this evening of the 11th of September.
Presently Captain Moore transferred his gaze from the apartment to the
boys gathered about the table and grouped about the place. As a matter
of course all conversation in the room had ceased on the arrival of the
Captain. While the boys who were not fortunate enough to be planning
on the trip in the submarine were too courteous to openly stare at their
guest of the moment, it may well be believed that his every look and

word was closely noted.
Concluding his rather rude observations, Captain Moore dropped his
glass, shrugged his shoulders, which were heavily padded, and gave
utterance to his feelings in the one word of comments which he had
twice used before:
"Fawncy!"
Ned said not a word, but waited for the visitor to lead out in the talk.
Captain Moore was in no haste to begin, but he finally broke the silence
by asking:
"You are Ned Nestor?"
Ned bowed stiffly. He did not like the man he was supposed to do
business with, and did not try to conceal the fact.
"The Ned Nestor who undertook the Secret Service work in the Canal
Zone and South America?"
Ned nodded again.
"Fawncy!"
"You said that before?" broke in Jimmie, who was fuming under the
idea that the Captain was not treating his chum with proper courtesy.
The Captain brought his glass into use again and looked the boy over,
much as he would have inspected a curio in a museum. Jimmie glared
back, and the eyes of the two fenced for a moment before a twinkle of
humor appeared in those of the Captain.
"You are Jimmie, eh?" the latter demanded.
Jimmie would have made some discourteous reply only for the tug Ned
gave at his sleeve. As it was he only nodded.
"Aw, I've heard of you!" the Captain said, then. "Quite
remarkable--quite extraordinary!"
"You came to deliver instructions regarding the submarine trip?" Ned
asked, feeling revolt in the air of the room.
Unless something was done, the boys, all resenting the manner of the
Captain, would be beyond control, and then the Secret Service man
would be likely to leave the place in anger.
This, in turn, might endanger the adventure already planned and
prepared for, for the chief of the department might see fit to adopt
whatever recommendations Captain Moore made in the matter.
The visitor might have sensed the hostility, for he hastened to take from
a pocket a sheaf of papers and place them on the table. The next

moment the boys all saw that they had not gained a correct estimate of
the Secret Service man.
The instant he began talking of the matter which had brought him to the
clubroom his manner changed. He was no longer the drawling,
supercilious naval officer in resplendent uniform. He was a keen-
brained mechanical expert, questioning Ned regarding his knowledge
of submarines.
"You are fairly well up in the matter," the Captain said, going back to
his old drawl, in a few moments. "I shall not object to your going on
the Diver with me."
The boys all gasped. So their worst fears were coming true! The
Captain was indeed going with them! He would be the commander, and
Ned would be obliged to work under his orders if he went at all!
Would Ned do this? Would he submit to the authority of another while
practically responsible for the results of the trip? Frank, Jack, and
Jimmie saw their cherished plans go glimmering.
Ned made no reply whatever. Instead he began asking