“The other fellows,” replied the young captain.

“Jack’s idea, mostly,” broke in Eph, “although Hal Hastings and I have been allowed to butt in some.”

“It’s splendidly done, as far as you’ve gone,” glowed the inventor, full of unselfish admiration.  “And you’ve made it plain just how you expect to attach this device and make it work automatically.  What are you going to do with it, now?”

“We thought, perhaps, Mr. Pollard,” explained Captain Jack, “that you might think it worth while to take the device up at this point, and work over it until you find out where the hitch is in the idea.  If you succeed, it will make the ‘Pollard’ absolutely perfect in her class.”

“But it would seem mean of me to take your idea, so nearly finished, and go ahead with it,” protested the inventor.

“Well, you see, sir,” Jack replied, earnestly, “we don’t care who brings the idea through provided it makes the ‘Pollard’ a world-beater.  Do you care to take this in hand, Mr. Pollard, and try to perfect it?  For we’ll admit we’re stuck fast and can’t get any further with it.”

“Do I care to?” repeated the inventor.  “Why, boys, I’ll be delighted to work over it.  It’ll be better than sleep to me for many a night to come.  But I hate to take it out of your hands, since you originated it.”

“Take it and welcome,” begged Hal Hastings.  “The only thing we want is to see it work.”

“And the sooner the better,” grunted Eph Somers.

“Then thank you, I will,” cried the inventor, earnestly.  “But you boys, if the device can be made to work, shall have your full share of the credit.”

“Hullo, boys,” greeted Jacob Farnum, coming out from the inner office, a letter in his hands.  “By the way, here’s something that may interest you.  I’ve a letter from a man who writes about the new trick of leaving a submerged boat.  He refers to you boys as our young experts.”

“He doesn’t know, does he,” chuckled Jack, “that we’re only three apprentices, and rather raw, at that?”

“No, you’re not,” retorted Mr. Farnum.  “My correspondent is pretty near right in referring to you as young experts.”

“If we’re going to get that reputation,” muttered Benson, more than half seriously, “we’ll have a heap to do in ‘making good.’”

“Just look here, Farnum, at what these boys have been at work on,” begged the inventor, calling attention to the partly-finished model.

In an instant the boatbuilder became absorbed in the idea as shown by model and drawings.

“Can this be made perfect, Dave?” he asked, eagerly, turning to the inventor.

“I think it can,” answered Mr. Pollard.  “The boys have been good enough to ask me to try.”