But Jack joined his own party at once. Through the rest of the evening he did not encounter either the young woman or M. Lemaire. The latter, in fact, had made himself practically invisible of late.
The next afternoon, early, a launch from the gunboat brought off the pleasure party that was to make the trip on the submarine boat.
Mr. Farnum and David Pollard were ash.o.r.e at this time. Captain Jack and Eph Somers stood on the platform deck to receive and welcome the party.
The first young woman to whom Benson extended his hand to help her aboard held up a camera for him to take first of all.
"Thank you," responded the young skipper, gravely. "We will send this camera to the engine room. It will be returned to you at the end of the trip."
As he spoke, he slipped the camera box back to Eph, who started for the conning tower with it.
"But I wish to take some photographs with it," cried the young woman, indignantly. "Especially, a flashlight when we are below the surface of the ocean."
"I am most sorry, madam," Captain Jack replied, politely, "but it is wholly out of the question for any photographs to be made aboard the boat."
"No cameras! No photographs?" cried two other young women, in something like consternation. Then one of them added:
"But we want two or three photos as souvenirs--Mr. Kimball, we appeal to you."
"I am wholly powerless in the matter," replied the lieutenant commander, gravely. "Mr. Benson commands aboard this boat, and enforces the rules.
I may add, however, that am wholly in sympathy with his decision. You will understand, ladies, that there are many secrets in the handling of a submarine craft like this, It would be absolutely out of the question to allow anyone to carry away photographs of the interior or the working parts of the "Benson.""
With that, two more cameras were pa.s.sed up. Eph as quickly handed them through the conning tower to Hal, who took them down to the engine room.
Then Jack helped his visitors aboard, while Eph slipped forward to let go the moorings at the order.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen," announced Captain Jack, "I think there will be room for all on deck. If it pleases you, therefore, I propose that all remain on the platform deck while we make our run out to sea. Then, when it comes time to dive and run under the surface, we can go below."
This plan appeared to suit nearly everyone.
"But I believe I"ll go below, now," proposed one tall, blond, strongly built young woman who looked somewhat Swedish. "I am afraid of too much chill air on the sea."
"Then, if it please the rest, we will all go below," Jack answered amiably.
There was instantly a chorus of dissent. The tall, blond young woman had already made her way to the conning tower, accompanied by a young man of English appearance. But Eph unconcernedly barred their way.
"Step aside, if you please, young man," urged the Englishman. "The lady wishes to go below."
"Captain"s permission necessary, sir," replied Somers, quietly.
"You see, ladies and gentlemen," Jack explained, "it won"t be quite possible to let visitors roam at will over the boat. It would be against my instructions from the owner. Either all must remain on deck, or all must go below."
As he spoke the young skipper thought he saw a swift look pa.s.s between the young Swedish woman and her English escort.
"Oh, well," replied the young woman, shrugging her shoulders, "I do not intend to be disagreeable. If the others wish to remain on deck, I will do so, too."
"Very good, Miss Peddensen," murmured the young Englishman.
Jack Benson took his place at the deck wheel, and Eph, after Hal had come to the conning tower opening, hurried forward once more to cast off the moorings. Then speed was called for, and the "Benson" made a graceful sight as she swept out of the little harbor with such a brilliant, interested company aboard.
The submarine continued until she was three miles out at sea.
"Now, if it pleases the company," Captain Jack called out, "we will go below and dive. Then you, will know what it feels like to be running under the surface."
From the ladies came a few little gasps of excitement. Some of them, now that the moment had come, almost wished they had remained ash.o.r.e.
"No one need be afraid," smiled Jack. "This boat has been thoroughly tested. We shall go below the surface, true, but we shall come up again the instant that the proper devices are applied to our machinery.
Let no one be afraid. There is not even a particle of danger."
"Not a particle," repeated Lieutenant Commander Kimball. "This is an even safer sport than automobiling."
"Let the Navy officers go below first, please," urged Jack, as the ladies began to crowd about the conning tower. He wanted this done in, order that both Mr. Kimball and Mr. Featherstone might be able to use their eyes on the guests below.
At last all had pa.s.sed down the iron staircase save Eph, who remained by the wheel in the conning tower.
"Pa.s.s directly aft, everybody, please," called Jack, quietly.
"What"s that for?" asked Miss Peddensen.
"We cannot allow anyone except naval officers to see how our diving apparatus is worked", replied Jack. "Some of you step into the staterooms, on either side, please. All of the visitors must be aft of this curtain."
The extreme after end of the cabin had been rigged with a heavy curtain that could be dropped into place.
"Why, I feel as if we were all being penned up here and held for the slaughter," gasped one American girl, in a tone of fright.
"Yes, indeed!" protested Miss Peddensen. "This is going too far."
"It strikes me as being a good deal like an outrage," blurted the young Englishman. "Mr. Kimball, can"t you--won"t you interfere in this matter?"
"I am very sorry," replied the lieutenant commander, "but I cannot.
This step is necessary, in order to prevent anyone from having an improper view of the working of the craft. I am going behind the curtain with you. Mr. Featherstone will remain out in the cabin to aid in the handling of the boat. You need none of you feel any uneasiness."
Both Miss Peddensen and the Englishman ceased their objections. But Jack, remembering the glance that had pa.s.sed between the pair on deck, remained behind the curtain, too, as he dropped it.
"Go ahead, Hal!" he called. "Fifty feet under the surface. Dive gently."
"O-o-o-oh!" came in little screams of alarm as the guests felt the floor on which they stood inclining at a sloping angle.
"We"re going below the surface now," young Benson informed them. "We"ll soon be running on an even keel."
"All below," called Hal Hastings in a few moments.
"And all clear?" asked Jack.
"All clear, Captain."
"Jack Benson threw aside the heavy curtain, come forward, slowly ladies and gentlemen, and take seats," was Jack"s invitation. "I am sorry I shall have to ask you all to remain seated, but we cannot have any serious shifting of weight while we are running under the water."
Though Eph was at the tower wheel Hal Hastings was now virtually in command of the boat, by previous arrangement, for young Benson meant to keep a sharp, though covert, eye on pa.s.sengers.