Captain Jack Benson and his crew of two were on the platform deck to receive the visitors from Washington.  As Jack’s hand met Lieutenant McCrea’s the submarine boy said only: 

“I am very glad to see you again, sir.  I hope we shall have something worth showing to you.”

“Get away from moorings, Captain Benson,” directed Mr. Farnum.  “Then, when we get out on the broad ocean, we’ll be ready for any tests that these gentlemen want.”

Within a very few minutes more the “Pollard” was a mile off shore, heading almost due east and traveling at nearly her full speed.

“We’ll see how fast you can log the knots off for an hour,” proposed Commander Ennerling, picking up a satchel that he had brought with him.  With McCrea’s help he adjusted a patent log that he had brought along with him, casting the line over the rail into the water.

“Now, let me know how soon you are ready to have the record of your speed begin,” he suggested.

“Take the log from this minute,” requested Captain Jack, for, as soon as he saw the Naval officers adjusting the log, he had quietly passed word by Eph to Hal Hastings, who was in the engine room, to crowd on every revolution of the twin shafts that the gasoline motor would stand.

For an hour there was nothing to do but to steer straight ahead.  Part of the time some of the officers spent below smoking, though always at least one of them remained on deck, to make sure that the log record was not tampered with.

At exactly the end of the hour the indicator of the log was read off.

“Twenty-one and four tenths knots!” cried commander Ennerling, with an expression of amazement.  “Whew!  I knew we were traveling fast, but I didn’t imagine we were doing quite as well as this.”

“You’re satisfied with your test, aren’t you?” inquired Mr. Farnum.

“Yes, for the log was carefully standardized for us before we came.”

Hal Hastings was called on deck to be complimented for this performance.

“The motor can be improved so as to beat that speed,” declared Hal, flushed and happy, for he had nursed that motor along during the hour!

“As it stands, the twenty-one-spot-four record beats anything of the kind with any other submarine boat in the United States, doesn’t it?” inquired David Pollard.

“I—­I—­it may do.  It’s a very excellent record for speed, anyway; very remarkable,” admitted the president of the board, cautiously.

“Now, gentlemen, what test will you have next?” asked Mr. Farnum.

“Suppose,” replied Commander Ennerling, after glancing at his associates, “that you submerge the boat, on even keel, and let us see how many feet under water you dare to go with this craft?”

“It shall be done,” nodded Mr. Farnum.  Accordingly the ventilators were shipped, all hands went below, and the conning tower manhole was closed.  Everything was in readiness for the drop below the surface.  The gasoline engine was shut off, the electric motor being started.  At Captain Jack’s order Eph stepped up to take the conning tower wheel, while the young commander stood by the diving controls.