The Submarine Boys on Duty | Page 8

weather these wires
carried the current for electric lights in shed and boat.
"I won't ask you aboard until the foreman and other workmen arrive,"
explained Mr. Pollard. "It'll be only a few minutes to wait."
While they were still examining the outer hull, and discussing the
submarine, Dan Jaggers, in his workman's clothes, reached the open
doorway of the shed. One look inside, and he halted short. He gathered
from the talk he heard that Jack Benson and Hal Hastings were to be
added to the "Pollard's" working gang.
"Not if I know myself--and the foreman--and I think I do!" growled the
Jaggers youth, backing away unseen.
The next of the workmen to arrive was Michael O'brien, red-haired and
about twenty-eight years of age. He was good-humored and talkative,
and the two boys took an immediate liking to him.
Through the gate of the yard came Joshua Owen, a man of forty-five, of
medium height, broad-shouldered, black-haired and with a frame that
spoke of great physical power and endurance. Yet he had restless,
rather evil-looking eyes. He did not look like the sort of man whom a

timid fellow would want for an enemy.
"Hold on there, Unc," greeted Dan Jaggers, motioning his
foreman-uncle aside. "Say, you know that cheeky young fellow I told
ye about--the tricky one that played the sneak on me, and gave me this
black eye?"
"Haven't you met him and paid him back yet?" demanded Mr. Owen.
"Hadn't seen him again, until just now," complained Dan. "What do
you think? Pollard has engaged that feller and his friend to work on the
submarine."
"Has, eh? Without speaking to me about it?" demanded Joshua Owen,
looking anything but pleased.
"Of course you'll let Pollard know that you're foreman and take on and
lay off your own gang," hinted Jaggers.
"Now, you leave me alone, Dan, boy, to know what to do," retorted Mr.
Owen. Then he stepped on toward the long shed, a very grim look on
his face. Going inside the shed, the foreman looked the two boys over
briefly.
"If you young men haven't any business in here," he ordered, "get out
and on your way. Work is about to begin here. I'm the foreman."
"Oh, Mr. Owen," hailed the inventor, "these are two very bright young
chaps, with some experience, that I've engaged to help us out with
installing the machinery in the boat."
"Couldn't you have consulted me, sir?" asked the foreman, again
looking keenly at the youngsters.
"When you've found out what they can do, Mr. Owen," replied Pollard.
"I believe you'll be rather pleased with them. They're hired only on trial,
you understand."
"I can tell whether we want 'em before we start work," grunted the

foreman. With that he began to fire all manner of machine-shop
questions at both boys. Yet Jack and Hal, paying respectful heed,
answered in a way that showed them to be quite well informed about
this class of work.
"They won't do Mr. Pollard--won't do at all," announced Foreman
Owen, turning to the inventor. "I know their kind. They're glib talkers,
and all that, but they belong to the know-it-all class of boys. I've had a
lot of experience with that kind of 'prentices, and I don't want 'em
bothering our work here. So I say, sir, the only thing for you to do is to
send them about their business."
Foreman Owen spoke as though that settled the matter. Jack Benson
and Hal Hastings felt their hopes oozing.
"I've told the boys they shall have a chance Mr. Owen," replied Pollard
quietly, yet in a tone of authority. "So of course my word must be kept
with them."
"But I'm the foreman," exclaimed Joshua Owen, irritably, "and I'm
supposed to--"
"Exactly," interposed David Pollard. "You're supposed to obey all
instructions from your superiors here, and to give your advice when it's
wanted. I have much at stake in the success of this boat, and when I
find what looks like good material for our working crew I'm going to
try out that material."
"But I don't want to be bothered with boys, like these young fellows,"
retorted the foreman, angrily. "This is no job for amateurs!"
"The boys remain until they've been well tried out," retorted Pollard,
firmly. "If they can't do our kind of work, then of course we'll let them
go."
"I'll speak to Mr. Farnum about this business," muttered Foreman
Owen, turning on his heel. Three other workmen had arrived during
this talk. Now, at the order from Owen all climbed the ladder to the

platform deck, thence disappearing through the manhole. Electric light
was turned on inside the hull by the time that Jack and Hal appeared at
the manhole opening.
Owen looked upward, from the floor of the boat, to