“Look!” shouted Eph Somers.  “The fire is in the Melville boatyard!”

The volunteer firemen beat down the big gate of the yard with lusty blows and rolled the hand engine inside and, coupling the hose, threw a stream of water on a fiercely burning shed.  Jack Benson, relieved of his task of pulling the engine, went toward the big shed where the submarine was under construction—­at least, there was no other place on the premises that such work could be carried on.

Just as Jack reached the big shed some firemen battered down the door in order to turn a stream of water on the fire there.  The flames lighted up the place with an intensive light, leaving no corner unilluminated.  Jack, on the qui vive with interest and curiosity, looked within.

“Empty, oh-ho!  What do you know about that!”

Hal Hastings came up just then and Jack said: 

“See that, Hal?  The Melvilles have been putting up a show of building a submarine to beat ours.  This fire betrays the fact that no boat is being built here.  Nothing here but iron plates and the hammers with which the workmen have been beating every day!”

“Of all idiotic things!” exclaimed Hal.

The three submarine boys came upon Mr. Farnum standing in the watching crowd and gleefully told him of the empty shed.

“That might have helped a week ago,” said the boatbuilder.  “I fear we’re beyond help now, boys.”  He had already told them in confidence of the financier’s threat.

Just then Melville came along.  Mr. Farnum and the boys would have ignored him, but he stepped up to the group and snapped: 

“You’re a fine bunch!  Some of my workmen tell me that you young rascals were sneaking about my yards and set fire to the sheds.”

“That will do, Mr. Melville.  We’ll listen to no such talk,” and before the boys could speak or Melville reply Mr. Farnum pushed the boys before him out of the crowd.

“All those fellows heard him say that, and some of them will believe it!” cried Hal.

“That’s bluff on his part, and silly bluff, at that,” said Jack.  “These firemen can say where we were when the alarm came in.”

“But not where we were when the fire started,” grumbled Eph.

“The fire’s practically out; we’d all better go home now,” said Mr. Farnum.

CHAPTER XX

CONCLUSION

The next afternoon Commander Ennerling of the United States Navy reported to Messrs. Farnum and Pollard that the naval board had witnessed the tests of the submarine and were ready to report to the authorities.  They did not conceal the fact that the boat had made a favorable impression, then they continued: 

“You have a crew of experts, though they are very young.  John Benson especially is a genius.”

“We are well aware of that, gentlemen,” replied Mr. Farnum beamingly.