The Submarine Boys Lightning Cruise | Page 5

"However, my delay in getting here was due entirely to delay in official
orders. I am now on the ground, however, and ready for prompt--"
At this moment the outer door shot open with a bang. Hal looked out
into the corridor to see what had caused the disturbance.
"Look a-here!" sounded the voice of machinist Williamson, in an
injured tone. "Here I am, looking about for a quiet place for a five
minutes' smoke. Captain Benson sends me out to the 'Hastings,' telling
me that it will be all right there. So I light my pipe on the platform deck
and go below. Great Jehosh! The first thing I run on to is a couple of
torpedoes, about a mile long and two hundred yards thick, loaded up
with gun-cotton or pistol-satin enough to blow the ocean up into the
sky. And I haven't had my smoke yet!"
"That's all right," called Hal, quietly, as the machinist's somewhat
shaking voice died out. "You're always safe, man, in following any lead
that Captain Jack Benson gives you. Go back on the 'Hastings' and have
your smoke out."
"But those two torpedoes, loaded up to the muzzles with artillery-felt,
or some other exploding kind of dry-goods!" protested the machinist.
"Those two torpedoes are dummies," laughed Hal Hastings. "They're
aboard just for dummy torpedo practice. There isn't a kick in a dozen of
'em. Go back and get your smoke, man!"
Hal must have looked at the machinist with unusual sharpness, for
Williamson went promptly out through the door, closing it after him.

"I'm ready to go aboard, Mr. Benson," proposed Lieutenant Danvers,
"and make a start whenever you're so inclined."
"We'd better put it off for half an hour," proposed Skipper Jack, with a
laugh. "That'll give Williamson a chance to have that smoke of his over
with."
"That'll suit me," agreed the naval officer, cheerfully. "In fact, Mr.
Benson, if you won't think me too much like cold molasses"--Jack
winced--"I would propose that we start at a little after one o'clock this
afternoon. Even at that, we'll be out long enough between that time and
dark."
"Any arrangement that suits you, Lieutenant, suits me," nodded Jack
Benson. "You're going with us to-day, aren't you, Mr. Farnum?"
"Don't you believe, for a moment," retorted the shipbuilder, "that I'd let
anything keep me from the first torpedo practice on one of our boats.
And I'm almost ashamed of Dave Pollard. That fellow, instead of being
here, is away somewhere in hiding, dreaming about a new style of
clutch for the after end of the torpedo tube. Oh, yes, I'll be with you!"
"Hallo!" muttered Eph, stepping to a window that looked out on the
yard near the street gate. "What's this coming? A hundred people, at
least, and they look like a mob!"
There was, in truth, a goodly inpouring of people, and fully a dozen of
these new-corners seemed to be trying to talk at the same time.
CHAPTER II
TORPEDO PRACTICE AT LAST
"Perhaps they're coming to make a row about having so much
gun-cotton stored close to the village," hinted Lieutenant Danvers.
The same thought was in Captain Jack Benson's mind. However, they
were not long to be kept in doubt, for Jacob Farnum had moved hastily

to the outer door.
"Good day, friends!" called the shipbuilder, as he pulled the outer door
open, for he recognized most of the faces of men and women in the
crowd. "What's wrong, friends!"
At the very doorstep the leaders of the crowd halted.
"The 'Mary Bond' isn't in yet, Mr. Farnum," called one of the men.
That was the name of a fishing smack that put out from Dunhaven at
regular intervals through the winter. She carried a Dunhaven captain
and mate, and, altogether, fourteen men and boys.
"When should she have been in!" queried Mr. Farnum. The crowd had
halted, now, and all but their chosen speaker remained silent.
"Yesterday morning, sir," replied the spokesman.
"Do you people fear that harm has come to the 'Mary Bond!" queried
the shipbuilder.
"Why, it must be so, sir. For the smack wasn't due to go out more'n
some forty miles. With the winds we've been having lately she could
come in, any time, within a few hours."
"Perhaps the captain had a poor run of luck," suggested Mr. Farnum.
"He may be staying out longer than usual."
"No, sir, for all the reports that have come in off the sea are of big
catches. The ocean has been swarming with fish these last few days,"
replied the spokesman.
"Then, friends, I take it there's something you want me to do. What is
it?" demanded Jacob Farnum.
"We've come to ask you, sir, if you won't have one of your torpedo
boats put out and