"
"Jove!" muttered Farnum. "Yes; that's so. I believe your guess is
wholly right, Jack."
"Tell me about that," begged Mr. Pollard.
"One thing at a time, please," urged the boatbuilder. "Now, if that
young rascal had the drawings, did he turn them over to Don Melville
before the arranged meeting that I saw? For our prisoner had no such
papers aboard him when I searched him."
"That will have to be solved," muttered Jack, seriously. "We can't
afford to have those secret drawings in the possession of the rival
submarine boat builders."
"But what about your other news, Dave?" interposed Mr. Farnum.
"This telegram!" burst, eagerly, from the inventer, producing a yellow
envelope. "It was addressed to you, but in your absence I opened it."
While Jack struck a match, the boatbuilder read with feverish interest
showing in his eyes.
"Oh, but this is great news!" he gasped. "We've finally got the Navy
Department awake. This dispatch inquires how soon we can be ready to
run the 'Pollard' through an exhaustive trial trip with a board of
Naval officers aboard. Do you grasp it, Jack? If the trial succeeds
we'll sell our first boat to the Government and be on the high road to
success and fortune! Oh, this is the grandest news! It overshadows
everything else!"
It truly did.
CHAPTER XIII
ON TRAIL AS YOUNG EXPERTS
Very early the next morning Jacob Farnum sent the following telegram to
the Navy Department at Washington:
_"Send board of officers as soon as you desire.
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