“Have you anything to say, Mr. Benson, as to that condition, and how you came to be in it?”

“Shall I explain it to you, sir?”

“I shall be glad to hear your explanation.”

Thereupon, the submarine boy plunged into a concise description of what had happened to him the night before.  The lieutenant commander did not once interrupt him, but, when Jack had finished, Mr. Mayhew observed: 

“That is a very remarkable story, Mr. Benson.  Most remarkable.”

“Yes, sir, it is.  May I ask if you doubt my story?”

Jack looked straight into the officer’s eyes as he put the question bluntly.  An officer of the Army or of the Navy must not answer a question untruthfully.  Neither, as a rule, may he make an evasive answer.  So the lieutenant commander thought a moment, before he replied: 

“I don’t feel that I know you well enough, Mr. Benson, to express an opinion that might be wholly fair to you.  The most I can say, now, is that I very sincerely hope such a thing will not happen again during your stay at the Naval Academy.”

“It won’t, sir,” promised Jack Benson, “if I have hereafter the amount of good judgment that I ought to be expected to possess.”

“I hope not, Mr. Benson, for it would destroy your usefulness here.  A civilian instructor here, as much as a naval instructor, must possess the whole confidence and respect of the cadet battalion.  I hope none of the cadets who may have seen you this morning recognized you.”

Then, taking on a different tone, Mr. Mayhew informed his young listener that a section of cadets would board the “Farnum” at eleven that morning, another section at three in the afternoon, and a third at four o’clock.

“Of course you will have everything aboard your craft wholly shipshape, Mr. Benson, and I trust I hardly need add that, in the Navy, we are punctual to the minute.”

“You will find me punctual to the minute before, sir.”

“Very good, Mr. Benson.  That is all.  You may go.”

Jack saluted, then turned away, finding his way to the deck.  The cutter was still alongside, and conveyed him back to the “Farnum.

“Mr. Mayhew demanded your story, of course?” propounded Hal Hastings.  “What did he think?”

“He didn’t say so,” replied Jack Benson, with a wry smile, “but he let me see that he thought I was out of my element on a submarine boat.”

“How so?”

“Why, it is very plain that Mr. Mayhew thinks I ought to employ my time writing improbable fiction.”

“Oh, Mayhew be bothered!” exploded Eph.

“Hardly,” retorted Jack.  “Mr. Mayhew is an officer and a gentleman.  I admit that my yarn does sound fishy to a stranger.  Besides, fellows, Mr. Mayhew represents the naval officers through whose good opinion our employers hope to sell a big fleet of submarine torpedo boats to the United States Government.