Jaggers didn"t finish in words, but, taking a firm hold on the back of the chair, he suddenly pulled it out from under Benson. So swiftly was the thing done that Jack went down on all fours on the porch. But, thoroughly aroused, and his eyes flashing indignantly now, that boy was quickly on his feet. Dan, however, with a satisfied grin, had dropped into the chair.
"Going to get up out of that, Jaggers?" challenged Jack Benson.
"Not as I know of," rejoined Dan, with a broader grin. "Why?"
"Because I"d hate to hit you while you"re sitting down," replied Jack so quietly that his voice sounded almost mild.
"What"s that?" demanded Jaggers, with a guffaw of laughter.
"You heard what I said," Jack insisted. "You"d better get up."
"Spoiling for a fight, are ye?" questioned the bully.
"Not at all," Jack replied, still keeping his temper in check. "I never go about looking for trouble. I suppose you didn"t know any better than to do what you did."
"What"s that?" scowled Dan Jaggers.
"If you want to apologize, and get out of the chair, I"ll let it go at that," pursued Jack, coolly.
"Hey?" demanded Dan Jaggers, aghast. "_Me_--apologize?"
He sprang up suddenly, resting a broad paw heavily on Jack"s shoulder.
But Benson, without flinching, or drawing back, returned the ugly look steadfastly.
"You"re behaving like a pretty poor grade of tough," spoke Jack, in deep disgust.
"I am, hey?" roared Dan. He drew back, aiming a heavy fist for Benson"s chest. It was a mistake, as he quickly realized, for Jack Benson, from much practice in boxing, was as agile and slippery as a monkey and an eel combined. Jack dodged, then came up under with a cleanly aimed though not hard blow on Jaggers"s chin.
"I"ll learn ye!" roared Dan, returning two ponderous blows in quick succession. To his intense astonishment Jack wasn"t in the way of either blow, but came in with a neck blow on Jaggers"s left side that sent the bully reeling to the gravel beyond the porch.
"Come right down here!" challenged the bully, hoa.r.s.ely. "We"ll find out about this."
Jack Benson hesitated. He did not care about fighting. Yet, seeing that Jaggers meant to have a final encounter, Jack dropped nimbly down to the gravel.
Dan Jaggers rushed at him, both fists up on guard, his whole att.i.tude more cautious since he had had a taste of the smaller youth"s quality.
Jack was about two inches shorter and fully thirty pounds lighter, but he made one think of a dancing master as he skipped away before the big fellow"s rushes.
"Stand still, won"t ye, drat ye?" roared Dan, driving in another heavy blow.
But Benson dodged, then came in under the bully"s guard, landing a stinging blow on the tip of his nose. Under punishment Dan let out a noise resembling the bellow of an angry bull. Glowering, he stood uncertain, for a moment, but Jack was tantalizingly just out of his reach, smiling confidently. Then Jaggers leaped forward, hopeful of winding his arms around this foe and crushing him into submission.
A second later, however, Dan fell backward, yelling with pain, for Jack Benson had landed a left handed blow just under his opponent"s right eye, partly closing it. Dan bent over double, still groaning.
"Well, I swan!" said the astonished Jabez Holt, in the doorway of his hotel.
Jack stood his ground a few moments, watching until he felt sure that his enemy did not intend to carry the affair further. Then the younger boy stepped lightly back to the porch, standing just before the chair from which he had lately been evicted.
"Just bear in mind, I"ll git square with ye for this!" uttered Jaggers, wrathfully, glaring at young Benson with his undamaged eye. Then he turned and stalked away, muttering under his breath.
"Well, I swan!" remarked Jabez Holt again, now stepping out onto the porch. "I guess that sartain done Dan Jaggers some good. He needs some of that medicine, friends. An" say, here"s Josh Owen coming up from Farnum"s boatyard."
Jack and Hal both turned quickly to gaze down the road at a man just coming out through the gate of Farnum"s yard.
"He"s the man we want to meet," cried Jack Benson, breathlessly.
"I dunno," replied Mr. Holt, shaking his head, ominously. "I dunno as it"ll do ye much good, now. Dan Jaggers is Josh Owen"s nephew and favorite!"
CHAPTER II
THE FIGHTING CHANCE
"My type of torpedo boat is going to rule the seas in naval warfare,"
declared David Pollard, his eyes a-kindle with the enthusiasm of the sincere inventor.
"I"m sure of it," replied Jack Benson, quietly. "That"s why, Mr.
Pollard, Hal and I are so anxious to get into this work. Mr. Pollard, when your type of submarine diving torpedo boat is understood by the United States Government you"ll need some reliable and intelligent experts. Take us in now. Let us learn the work with you. Let us go ahead, keeping pace with the progress in Pollard torpedo boats, and you will never be sorry you have two young fellows you can depend upon."
"That"s so, if you can come near to making as good as you promise,"
admitted the inventor, thoughtfully. "But you"re pretty young."
"And that"s the only fault with the Pollard submarine boat," rejoined Jack Benson, artfully. "You"ve got to buck your boat against all the older types that the Government already takes an interest in. Yet you feel sure that you can do it. You don"t believe the Pollard diving boat is too young. Give us the same show you ask for your boat."
"Well, I"ve never seen any of your work--except these drawings,"
replied Mr. Pollard, indicating some sheets that lay on the table before them.
The chums had succeeded in making the inventor"s acquaintance through the aid of the landlord. It was now eleven o"clock at night. Jack and Hal had been in the inventor"s room for the last three hours. Benson had done most of the talking, though Hal had now and then put in some effective words.
David Pollard was now thirty years of age, tall, lean and of pallid countenance. He was a graduate of a technical school. Though not a practical mechanic, he had a rather good lot of theory stored away in his mind. He had inherited some money, soon after leaving school, but this money had vanished in inventions that he had not succeeded in marketing. Now, all his hopes in life were centered in the submarine torpedo boat that was nearly completed. Pollard had had no money of his own to put into the craft. Jacob Farnum was his friend and financial backer.
No one could grasp how much success with his submarine boat meant to this wearied yet hopeful inventor. For years all his schemes had been laughed at by "practical" men. It was success, more than mere fortune, for which David Pollard hungered. The officials of the Navy Department, at Washington, had promised to inspect and try the boat, when finished, but that was all the encouragement that had come from the national capital.
If the "Pollard," as the new craft was at present named, should prove a failure, then the inventor felt that he would be "down" indeed in the world. Also, he must feel that he had buried one hundred and fifty thousand dollars of the money of his loyal friend, Farnum.
In his present anxious, worried frame of mind, with few real believers in the possible success of his boat, it was little wonder that David Pollard was grateful for any intelligent interest or faith in his plans.
These two friends were but boys, nor had they had any experience in submarine boat construction. Yet they had shown the inventor that they knew much about machinery and marine engines in general, and Jack, with his handy knack of sketching machinery, had made a decided hit with poor Pollard.
"Just put us in as apprentices," begged Benson. "We"ll be just the plainest sort of helpers, fetching and lifting, and that sort of thing, until we learn how to do more."
"Well, you see, for one thing, boys," replied Pollard, "this building of a submarine boat is very important and confidential work. Now, while I like the looks and talk of you both, I really don"t know a thing about either of you."
"Of course you don"t," Jack Benson admitted, frankly. "And it"s highly important that you should. I know that. But you can telegraph the princ.i.p.al of the school we attended in Oakport, and you can telegraph the minister of our church, too. We"ll abide by just what they say about us. And"-- here Benson brought his little roll of bills once more into sight--"we"ll pay for the telegrams and the answers."
"That looks right," nodded Mr. Pollard, with a slight smile. "There is just one more point. The superintendent of the yard, Mr. Partridge, isn"t having anything to do with the building of the "Pollard." After the steel workers and the riveters had finished on the hull, then the inside work, including the fitting of the machinery, was turned over to Mr. Owen, our present foreman. Sometimes he"s a crotchety fellow, and he might take a dislike to you youngsters."
"I"ve got to tell you about something that I think _will_ make him take a dislike to us," spoke up Jack Benson, candidly. Then he recounted the afternoon"s affair with Dan Jaggers.