"On me, I'm afraid," pronounced the watch lieutenant, with a half-groan.
"Don't feel badly about it, gentlemen," laughed Commander Ennerling.
"Jack Benson is the same lad who stole up under the battleship '_Luzon_,'
and painted the name, 'Pollard,' in sixfoot letters on the hull of the
battleship as a reminder of his call. The lad is a sea-joker of the
first order."
"He ought to be in the Navy," retorted Braylesford, then turned, with a
smile, to offer his hand to the submarine boy.
"Oh, he will be, surely enough, if war-times ever come upon us again,"
replied the commander.
Word was now sent to conduct Eph aft.
"Get aboard your own craft and dress; then come on board and join us in
the ward-room," invited Braylesford.
"I'm afraid the lad can't," said Commander Ennerling. "He and one
other, Hastings, are the only members of the crew that will be left on
the submarine if you keep Benson here to talk with him."
Within two minutes the two craft were on their way south. The members
of the Naval board, Messrs. Farnum and Pollard and Captain Jack were
entertained in the ward-room of the gun-boat, while Hal and Eph ran the
submarine along some two hundred yards to the westward. It was a jolly
time, indeed, in the "_Massapequa's_" ward-room, for Naval officers are
keen to enjoy a good joke, and Jack's exploit was voted a prime one.
At the end of an hour, however, the "Pollard" was signaled to lie to,
the gunboat doing the same.
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