Melville is aroused over our refusal to let him
in to this enterprise, and he's starting an opposition. He can command
a great deal of money, and I understand that he has a good many
influential friends in Washington. If he can carry on the most
successful rivalry, he may do us a great deal of harm. For instance,
if he can build so fine a boat that he can put ours in the shadow.
In fact, while I don't mean to be a quitter or a skulker, I'll admit
that Melville may possibly be able to dig a hole and drop us into it.
If he produces a type of boat that goes far ahead of ours, then the
Government is likely to buy his, overlook ours and leave me stranded
financially. About all I'm worth is tied up in the present 'Pollard'
and in the new torpedo submarine that I'm now building."
"He can't invent or build a finer submarine than the 'Pollard,'" declared
Captain Jack, with conviction.
"Nor get as fine a crew to handle his craft," added David Pollard.
"Don't be too sure of that," warned Jack, Soberly. "I think we fellows
have done fairly well with your boat, up to date. But suppose Mr.
Melville should be able to get a lot of experienced submarine men, and
even, perhaps, an officer, from the United States Navy. We boys could
hardly beat such a combination as that."
"I'm not so sure that you're right on this point, Jack," clicked Mr.
Farnum. "I'll say this much: It would make me more uneasy to lose the
services of you boys than it would to hear that Melville has a Navy crew
for the boat he's building.
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