The Cruise of the Thetis | Page 2

to be learnt of
shipbuilding and engineering in his father's establishment. A year ago,
however, Singleton senior had died, leaving his only son without a near
relation in the world--Jack's mother having died during his infancy: and
since then Jack, as the dominant partner in the firm, had been allowed
to do pretty much as he pleased. Not that he took an unwise advantage
of this freedom--very far from it: he clearly realised that, his father
being dead, there was now a more stringent necessity than ever for him
to become master of every detail of the business; and, far from taking
things easy, he had been working so hard that of late his health had
shown signs of giving way, and at the moment when we make his
acquaintance he was in London for the purpose of consulting a
specialist.
During the progress of luncheon there had been, as was to be expected,
a brisk crossfire of question and answer between the two young men, in
the course of which Montijo had learned, among other things, that his
friend Jack had been ordered by the specialist to leave business very
severely alone for some time to come, and, if possible, to treat himself
to at least six months' complete change of air, scene, and occupation.
"It fortunately so happens," said Jack, "that my position in the firm will
enable me to do this very well, since Murdock, the other partner, is, and
has been since my father's death, the actual manager of the business;
and as he has been with us for nearly thirty years he knows all that
there is to know about it, and needs no assistance from me. Also, I have

at last completed the submarine which has been my pet project for
almost as long as I can remember, and now all that I need is the
opportunity to try her: indeed, but for Oxley's strict injunctions to me to
cut business altogether, I should certainly spend my holiday in putting
the boat to a complete series of very much more thorough and
exhaustive tests than have thus far been possible. As it is, I really am at
an almost complete loss how to spend my six months' holiday."
"Do you mean to say that you have no plans whatever?" demanded
Montijo, as he and his friend rose from the table to leave the restaurant.
"None but those of the most vague and hazy description possible,"
answered Singleton. "Oxley's orders are `change of scene, no work, and
a life in the open air'; I am therefore endeavouring to weigh the
respective merits of a cruise in my old tub the Lalage, and big-game
shooting somewhere in Central Africa. But neither of them seems to
appeal to me very strongly; the cutter is old and slow, while as for the
shooting project, I really don't seem to have the necessary energy for
such an undertaking, in the present state of my health."
"Look here, Jack," observed Montijo eagerly, as he slid his hand within
his friend's arm and the pair wheeled westward toward Hyde Park, "I
believe I have the very scheme to suit you, and I will expound it to you
presently, when we get into the Park and can talk freely without the risk
of being overheard. Meanwhile, what was it that you were saying just
now about a submarine? I remember, of course, that you were always
thinking and talking about submarines while we were at Dulwich, and
also that you once made a model which you tested in the pond, and
which dived so effectually that, unless you subsequently recovered her,
she must be at the bottom of the pond still."
"Ay," answered Jack with a laugh; "I remember that ill-fated model. No,
I never recovered her, but she nevertheless served her purpose; for her
mishap gave me my first really useful idea in connection with the
design of a submarine boat. And at last I have completed a working
model which thus far has answered exceedingly well. She is only a
small affair, you know, five feet in diameter by twenty-five feet long,
but she is big enough to accommodate two men--or even three, at a

pinch. I have been as deep as ten fathoms in her, and have no doubt she
could descend to twice that depth; while she has an underwater speed
of twenty knots, which she can maintain for five hours."
"By Jove, that's splendid--very much better than anything that anyone
else has done, thus far!" exclaimed Montijo admiringly. "You ought to
make your fortune with a boat of that sort. And you are pining for an
opportunity to subject her to a thoroughly practical test? Well, my
scheme, which I will explain in full when we get into the