Part 6 (1/2)
”This seems like old times,” chuckled Williamson, as he seated himself with the boys.
”Yes; because you don't have to cook,” grimaced Eph. ”Wait until after breakfast, when you have to clear away and wash dishes!”
”Even so, I have the best of it,” laughed the machinist, good-humoredly.
”I have something in my stomach to work on.”
”I always do get the tough end of any job, don't I?” grumbled Eph, resignedly, then buried his troubles under a plateful of steak and fried potatoes.
”You hoisted the signal, 'N.D.', yesterday afternoon,” laughed Captain Jack, laying down his coffee cup. ”If you don't watch out, Eph, I'll hoist the 'N.G.' flag over this table.”
”Breakfast no good?” demanded Eph, looking much offended.
”No; 'N.G.' will stand for 'no grouch.'”
Somers joined heartily in the laugh that followed.
Just as they were finis.h.i.+ng a really good meal, for which every breakfaster had a royal, salt-water appet.i.te, a steamer's whistle was heard, not far off to port.
”I'll bet that's the Army tug!” muttered Captain Jack, rising hastily from the table. ”Tell you what, fellows, we've got to begin to have something like Navy discipline aboard this craft. In that case, we'd have had breakfast over an hour ago.”
Jack was off up the steps as though pursued. Eph went after him as soon as that youth with the sun-kissed hair had time to pull on his visored cap and b.u.t.ton his blouse. No matter what the need of haste, Somers never appeared on deck looking less natty than a veteran naval officer.
Forward, on the tug, stood a major of engineers, a young lieutenant beside him.
”Good morning, Mr. Benson,” hailed Major Woodruff. ”We're going to try to come in close enough to put a gang-plank over. Can you take a bow line from us?”
”Yes, sir,” Captain Jack saluted the Army officer, and Eph hurried to receive the line.
In less than two minutes Major Woodruff and Lieutenant Kline were on the platform deck of the ”Spitfire.”
”This is the first one of your craft we've seen,” declared the major, as Eph cast off the bow line, and the tug backed water. ”Will you show us over?”
This the submarine boys gladly did, as the Army shares with the Navy in the defense of the country.
”You see what you have to do, Kline,” said Major Woodruff, presently.
Then the older officer turned to Jack to say:
”Mr. Benson, since Mr. Farnum has been kind enough to place you and the boat at our orders, Kline is going to remain on board, today, during the tests. He will give Mr. Somers whatever orders are necessary in order to make the tests most successful.”
”Why not give the orders to me, sir?” Jack asked.
”Why, you see, Mr. Benson,” replied the major, ”I plan for you to be on sh.o.r.e, out on the neck, to make certain observations regarding the work of your craft. Those observations you will turn in to me.”
”Very good, sir. The neck, I take it, is the narrow strip of land that separates this part of the bay from the ocean?”
”Quite right, Mr. Benson.”
It was to be observed that the major, like naval officers, addressed Jack by the t.i.tle of ”mister,” not ”captain.” This was because, in the military service, Army and Navy t.i.tles are not recognized unless conferred by government appointment or commission. Hence, though young Benson was ”captain” to his crew and to civilians, officers of the United Service could address, him only as ”mister.”
”The neck, Mr. Benson,” continued Major Woodruff, ”is the land best suited for watching our work from to-day. And now, I will state what the object of to-day's tests is. This morning our tug will be engaged in planting certain submarine mines. Mr. Somers will watch our work of planting. Of course the mines will contain no explosives. You young men have, I understand, solved the problem of leaving a submarine boat while it lies on the bottom? You are also able to enter the submarine again from the surface?”
”Quite right, Major,” Jack nodded.