“There’s only one thing we can do, Hal,” proposed Jack.  “That is, to show Mr. Mayhew, by long-continued good action, that we’re just the sort of fellows our friends believe us to be.”

“Mr. Mayhew doesn’t know us,” Hal assented.  “To a stranger our yarn does have a fishy sound.”

“If it weren’t for the restriction against our going ashore,” hinted Jack, “we’d certainly hustle to land and find out all we could about that fellow Curtis since he has been living in Blair’s Cove.”

“I’m under no promise, or orders, either,” bristled Eph, ready to do battle for his friends.  “I can go on shore.”

“No, you can’t, Eph!” negatived Jack, with decision. “You might be the very next one to get into a big scrape.  Then how would things look for the whole of us?”

“Humph!  I’d have my eyes open,” grunted Somers.

“We thought we had ours open,” smiled Hal Hastings.

“No one of our crowd will go ashore, unless ordered there by Mr. Mayhew,” declared Benson, with emphasis.  “We’re not taking another solitary chance.”

“We’ve got all we can do to take our present medicine,” muttered Hal, making a wry face.

But they did take it, and, as is always the case, with benefit to their general sense of discipline.  In fact, when ordered aboard the gunboat, before eight o’clock the next morning, Jack Benson and Hal Hastings, in their best uniforms, and looking as natty as could be, appeared quite the ideal of young submarine officers.

Passing scores of cadet midshipmen, they were ushered into Lieutenant Commander Mayhew’s cabin.  Doctor McCrea, the gunboat’s surgeon, sat with the commanding officer.

“I was anxious to see how you looked this morning,” smiled Mr. Mayhew, as the two naval officers rose.  “How do you feel?  Thoroughly clear-headed and steady?”

“We feel fine, sir,” Jack answered.

“They look in the pink of condition,” agreed Doctor McCrea.

“If you don’t feel wholly up to the mark,” urged Mr. Mayhew, “say so.  For, if you put out to-day, it is my intention to take the cadets through drills below the surface.”

Jack’s eyes sparkled at the thought.  This meant that he and Hal were to be taken back fully into the confidence of the Navy!

“We’re ready, sir—­ready at the word of command.”

“Very good, then,” replied the gunboat’s commander.  “You will receive sixteen of our young men on board within an hour.  Ensign Trahern will come with them.”

Jack started, flushing.

“Oh, you will be in command of your boat, Mr. Benson,” continued Mr. Mayhew, noting the start and interpreting it correctly.  “Mr. Trahem may make some suggestions, if he thinks them necessary, but you will command, sir, and you will instruct the midshipmen.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“That is all, Mr. Benson.”

Jack and Hal saluted, turned and left the cabin.