"Eat a little toast, if you want, and drink some weak tea," he suggested.
"After that, eat nothing more until to-night."
"But the day"s work-?" hinted Jack.
"I don"t know," replied the doctor, shrugging his shoulders. "I"m not a line officer, and therefore know nothing about the fleet"s manuvres."
That reply, however, was quite enough to send Jack Benson"s suspicions aloft.
"Eph," he cried, wheeling upon his friend the moment Doctor McCrea was gone, "there"s something you haven"t told us."
"Such as-what?" asked Somers, doing his best to look mighty innocent.
"Doctor McCrea as good as admitted that we won"t have anything to do to-day. What"s wrong?" Then, after a brief pause: "Good heavens, does Mr.
Mayhew believe we"ve been acting disgracefully? Are we barred out of the instruction work?"
Hal had been raising a gla.s.s of cold water to his lips. The gla.s.s fell, with a crash. He wheeled about, then clutched at the edge of the cabin table, most unsteadily.
"We-e-ll," admitted Somers, reluctantly, "Mr. Mayhew said he would want to question you some, perhaps, this morning."
"What did he say? Out with it all, Eph!"
A moment before Jack Benson had been pallid enough. Now, two bright, furious spots burned in either cheek.
The red-haired boy, however, was spared the pain of going any further, for, at that moment, a heavy tread was heard on the spiral staircase. Then Lieutenant Commander Mayhew, holding himself very erect, one hand resting against the scabbard of the sword that he wore at his side, came into view below.
Many were the questions that the naval officer put to the victims of the night"s mishap.
"Well, gentlemen," Mr. Mayhew said at last, rising, "your story is strange. Yet, I believe you are young men of honor. I"m sorry we have not in custody the men who sailed that sloop."
"Pardon me, sir!" burst out Eph.
"Well, Mr. Somers?"
"Perhaps, sir, if you should question Truax you could learn something from him. I tell you, sir, there"s a scheme to ruin Jack Benson; and that"s only part of a bigger plot to discredit our company with the Navy!"
Mr. Mayhew, looking thoughtful, replied:
"I"ll find some way of questioning Truax. And now, Mr. Benson, since you and Mr. Hastings are not fit to instruct the cadets to-day, I"ll send out sections under Lieutenant Halpin on board the "Pollard" only. To-morrow you should be in shape to resume your duties. Meanwhile, I must make one condition."
"It will not be necessary, sir, to make any conditions with us," Jack replied. "Your instructions will be sufficient."
"While you are on this present tour of duty, I shall ask Mr. Benson and Mr. Hastings not to leave the "Farnum" without my consent."
As soon as Mr. Mayhew had left the "Farnum" Eph Somers cried bitterly:
"You heard the verdict in the case! A great verdict! Not guilty-but don"t do it again!"
At half past eight the next morning a section of cadets, under the command of Ensign Trahern, came aboard the "Farnum."
"The lieutenant commander sends word, with his compliments," reported Trahern, "that after leaving the bay the formation will be as usual. The signal to halt and be ready for the tour of instruction will be given when we"re about ten miles off sh.o.r.e."
Six of the cadets, of the engineer division, went below to the engine room. To one of the ten left on deck Jack turned and said:
"You will take charge, Mr. Surles. a.s.sume all the responsibilities of the officer of the deck."
In all, five of the midshipmen had commanded briefly before the laying-to signal was given. Hal Hastings then appeared on deck.
"Captain Benson," Hal stated, saluting, "I have inspected all the submerging machinery, and I find everything in good order. We can go below the surface at any time."
"Thank you, Mr. Hastings. All below!" ordered Jack crisply.
After the cadets and the ensign had filed below, Jack, having seen that all was in order, followed. He made all fast in the conning tower, then called Midshipman Surles up the stairway to the tower wheel.
"Do you think you can head due east and keep to that course under water, Mr. Surles?"
"Yes, sir."
Going down to the cabin floor, Jack ordered two more midshipmen to the tower as observers.
"The rest crowd about me and ask questions while I handle the submerging machinery."
Under the impetus from the electric motors, the propeller shafts began to throb. The next instant the submarine shot below, going down at so steep an angle that many of the middies were forced to reach for new footing.
"The gauge registers sixty feet below," announced Jack.
In another moment, by the quick flooding of some of the compartments astern, the young skipper brought the boat to an even keel.
Having finished the prescribed distance under water, Captain Jack turned on the compressed air to expel the water from the compartments. The conning tower soon rose above the water, and a moment later the "Pollard"
also emerged.
Other cadets were transferred from the gunboat to the submarines, and the instruction proceeded. The manuvers for the day were ended with a half-hour run under water.
"By the way, sir, did you question Truax to see what you could learn about his reasons for acting as he did on the "Farnum"?" asked Jack Benson the next day. Jack and Doctor McCrea were talking with Mr. Mayhew.
"I had him before me last night, and again this morning," replied Mr.
Mayhew. "He said he hadn"t an idea what I meant, and that is all I could get out of him."
Jack looked thoughtfully at Doctor McCrea for a moment before he exclaimed:
"Doctor, if I had anything like your chance, I"d have Sam Truax talking!"
"How?" Doctor McCrea looked interested.
"Why, I"d-" Jack hesitated, glancing toward the gunboat"s commanding officer.
"I"d better go and see how the midshipmen are doing," laughed Mr. Mayhew, rising.
For some minutes Jack talked with Doctor McCrea. As the medical officer listened, he grinned, then laughed unrestrainedly.