The Boy Allies with Uncle Sams Cruisers | Page 4

foam.
"Far out on the prow stood a man with a coil of rope. Ames sent a man
to our stern. The sweeper had come close. The man in the prow swung
his rope and let the coil fly. It fell across our stern. There wasn't much
left to make it fast to, but we did it somehow and the sweeper started to
tow us out of that particular part of the water.
"Our guns continued to bark at the destroyer, which was gaining on us.
Some of our shots went home. The little old tugboat was hit once, but
her master stuck to his task; and he undoubtedly saved our lives.
"Gradually we were pulled back, till at length we were under the
protection of the guns of our fleet. From the flagship, signals were
being flashed for our benefit. Ames read the flags through his glasses."
"'Congratulating us?' I asked.
"'Blast him, no!' shouted Ames. 'He wants to know why in blazes we
didn't come out when we had a chance. Well, he wouldn't have come
out himself had he been here, and I've been on the flagship, so we
needn't feel sensitive about it!'
"And that's about all," Jack continued, "except for the fact that the raid
by the battle fleet was given up. We cruised about for several days, in
spite of our crippled condition. The ship's carpenter put us in condition
to stay afloat, but at last we returned. I came here the moment I had
landed."
"Well, you had a pretty strenuous time, if you ask me," declared Frank.
"Too bad, though, that the raid couldn't have been made. We might
have captured Heligoland."
"The Germans might capture Gibraltar," said Jack, with a vein of
sarcasm in his voice, "but I don't think they will -- not right away."

"It can be done, though," declared Frank.
"What? The Germans capture Gibraltar?"
"No, I mean the British can take Heligoland. Wait until Uncle Sam gets
in the war, he'll show you a few things."
"Maybe so," said Jack, "but what's all this talk I hear about the United
States declaring war on Germany?"
"It's only talk, so far," said Frank, "but it seems certain to come. In fact,
the war resolution already has passed the house and is being debated in
the senate. It wouldn't surprise me if the senate passed it today. Then all
that is needed is the signature of President Wilson."
"Well, let's hope there is no hitch," said Jack fervently.
"I don't think there will be. Come, let's go to our room and wait for
Lord Hastings."
The two boys went upstairs, and while they are awaiting the arrival of
Lord Hastings, a few words will be necessary to introduce them more
fully.
Frank Chadwick was an American lad of possibly nineteen.
He had been in Italy when the great European war broke out, and
through a misfortune had been shanghaied aboard a sailing vessel.
After some adventures he fell in with Jack Templeton, a young
Englishman, who had spent most of his life on the north coast of Africa.
Together the lads had disposed of the crew of the vessel.
They became fast friends. Fortune threw them in the path of Lord
Hastings, British nobleman and secret service agent, and they had gone
through all kinds of troubles with him. Lord Hastings had commanded
several vessels during the course of the war, and Jack and Frank upon
these occasions had been his first officers.
Both lads spoke German and French fluently, and both had a smattering

of several other tongues. Jack was huge in stature and of enormous
strength for one of his age. Frank, on the other hand, was rather small,
but what he lacked in physical strength he more than made up in
courage.
Frank's greatest accomplishment, and one that had caused Jack much
envy, was shooting. He could hit almost anything with a rifle, and
revolvers in his hands were no less deadly.
Frank's chief trouble was his hot-headedness and more than once this
had gotten him into such trouble that it took all Jack's resourcefulness
to extricate him.
Both lads had seen service in many parts of the world since they had
met Lord Hastings. Their commander recently had lost his vessel and
the three had been on indefinite leave of absence.
The day before Jack's return Frank had been informed by Lord
Hastings that they were about to put to sea again.
"Well," said Frank, when the two were in the room always reserved for
their use when they were in London, "Lord Hastings will be glad to see
you back again. He has been anxious, especially now that he has been
ordered again on active service. He has been wondering where he
would get a first