The Boy Allies Under the Sea | Page 2

a piece of news for you."
The two lads stepped forward eagerly.
"Are we to go on active service again, sir?" asked Frank anxiously.
"It's about time we did," mumbled Jack, half to himself.
Lord Hastings smiled as he saw the eager looks upon the faces of both.
"Well, we have a little work cut out for us," he replied quietly.
"Hooray!" cried Frank.
A pleased expression fluttered across Jack's face, but he gave voice to no exclamation; he was never as effusive as his chum.
"I'm glad you're pleased," returned Lord Hastings. "Yes, we shall see active service, at once."
"When do we start, sir?" asked Frank, his face shining.
"In the morning."
Frank's face fell.
"I was in hopes it was to-night," he replied.
"Scouting, submarine or what?" demanded Jack.
"You will have to wait for an answer to that question," said Lord Hastings. "In the meantime, it would be well this afternoon to get whatever equipment you may need. Your other things, together with mine, are at the bottom of the sea with the old D-16."
"And perhaps," said Frank slyly, glancing at Lord Hastings, "before our present work is over we may know something of the mystery"--he lowered his voice--"of the vanishing submarines."
Lord Hastings eyed him somewhat coldly.
"Perhaps," he said, and, turning on his heel, left the room.
"You shouldn't have said that, Frank," declared Jack, when they were left alone. "You remember what he said about the walls having ears."
"I know it," said Frank, with sincere regret. "It just slipped out."
"If you'll take my advice, you'll see that it doesn't slip out again," advised Jack.
"I'll be mum from now on," said his chum with a slight smile. "But now I guess we may as well get what things we may need."
"All right," said Jack.
They picked up their caps and made their way from the house.
And while they are engaged in the task of out-fitting themselves for the coming expedition, a few words concerning the two chums may well be written.
Jack Templeton was an English boy some eighteen years of age. Born in the British Isles, he had nevertheless spent most of his life in Africa, his father having conducted a small trading station upon the coast of that continent. Jack's father was a scholar and from him the boy had acquired a good education.
Jack's father died, leaving the boy as a legacy nothing but the little African trading store; and Jack set about to make his own living there and to put by enough so that within a few years he would be able to return to the land of his birth.
And then fate took a hand in shaping his career.
A party from a passing schooner stopped for supplies at Jack's store, and, in the lad's absence, departed without paying for the provisions. Jack set forth to collect. He climbed aboard the schooner before it hove anchor, and, payment being refused by the schooner's crew, a fight ensued.
Jack was forced to take refuge in the hold, while the ship got under way. He succeeded in making his way to the next compartment, where he was surprised to find two other prisoners. These he released, and they proved to be a British secret service agent and Frank Chadwick.
Frank was an American boy. He had been separated from his father, and while seeking him in Naples had been shanghaied aboard the schooner, and there he was, following a mutiny among the crew, as Jack found him. By some resourcefulness and not a little fighting, the lads overcame the crew and made their way back to Jack's home, taking the other prisoner with them.
Here they joined an expedition in which the secret service agent was implicated, and in this manner met Lord Hastings. The latter took an interest in them at once, and, after they had proved their mettle, the British nobleman took them aboard his own vessel as midshipmen.
Then followed a series of exciting adventures, which had led them to many parts of the world. They had been instrumental in the first big victory of the British fleet off Heligoland; they had taken part in the pursuit of the German cruiser Emden, "the terror of the seas," and had been in at the death; they had been with the British fleet that had sunk the last German squadron upon the oceans--off the Falkland Islands; they had taken part in many and dangerous other exploits, having more than once been in the heart of the enemy's territory; and always they had returned safely.
But there was once when it seemed that all--Lord Hastings, Frank and Jack--had come to their end. It came about in this wise: After a long cruise, which resulted in great successes, their submarine, D-16, had come to grief in the Dardanelles. They were caught below and it seemed that all must perish.
Then Jack had decided that it was futile for all