As the door was floated on the water alongside, Eph stepped out onto it, squatting.  He had with him a lantern, three rockets and a box of wind matches.

“Don’t forget I’m here, if I’m overlooked by the other people,” called Eph, with a wave of his hand, as he floated slowly astern.

“And don’t let ’em know where you came from, or what’s up,” called back Jack Benson.

“Say, do you think I’m as foolish as I look?” blurted Eph, half-indignantly.  Those were the last words exchanged, for the “Pollard,” now moving slowly forward, had left its detached door astern.

With only a couple of feet of the conning tower above surface, the “Pollard” began to make good submerged time forward.  Presently the little craft dropped below the water altogether.  Ten minutes later the tower flashed above the water for just a moment.

The Naval commander quickly brought the night glass into play.

“That’s the ‘Massapequa,’” he declared, laying down the glass.

“There, they’ve picked us up,” cried Jack, as the light passed over the top of the conning tower.

“They won’t be sure after just that brief flash at us,” rejoined Ennerling.  “Drop out of sight.”

Jack let the “Pollard” drop at a semi-dive.  Just as they had barely gone under there was a steadier flash of light on the water in front of them.  Jack chuckled.

“Quick work,” nodded Ennerling, approvingly.  “The lookout on the gunboat thought they saw something here on the water, and swung the ray back to find out what it was.  Now, they’ve doubtless concluded that they were fooled by a shadow.”

“The next time we come up we’ll have passed the ‘Massapequa’ and be astern of her,” predicted Jack.

“Good enough, if you can calculate correctly the distance.  The gunboat, of course, has no searchlight aft.”

For some minutes the “Pollard” ran under water.

“I’m sure we’re a little astern, now,” said Captain Jack.  “I’ll take a lift up into the atmosphere.”

With that the “Pollard,” which had been running not more than five feet below the surface of the water, rose gently.

“Jove!” murmured Commander Ennerling.

“Did you work by calculation, Benson, or guesswork?”

“I calculated the distance as nearly as I could,” replied Jack Benson quietly.

“Then you’re a marvel, lad,” cried Commander Ennerling, admiringly.

It was little wonder that the Naval officer was astounded.  For the “Pollard” had emerged barely a hundred feet to the starboard of the gunboat’s line of course, and barely two hundred feet astern.

“The rest is going to be easy,” laughed Captain Jack, confidently.  “The trick is as good as played on the ‘Massapequa.’”

He gave the wheel a hard turn to bring the nose of the submarine about.

“There’s your gleeful friend, Eph Somers,” announced Commander Ennerling, pointing ahead as the “Pollard” came about.