“Frankly, I’m afraid that’s just what will be in the present case,” admitted Jacob Farnum.

“Then,” grumbled Captain Jack, making a rather wry face, “it would seem that being a foreign spy, in this country, provides one with a calling that is a good deal safer than being just a lightning rod peddler or a bill collector.”

“Yes; it’s really so,” admitted the shipbuilder, thoughtfully.

“If that is the case,” muttered Captain Jack, “the spies here at Spruce Beach will probably keep a bit quiet until they see how things are going to turn out.  As soon as their minds are made easy by our generous government, then they’ll plot their next moves.  If they can’t accomplish anything more, they may content themselves with a general revenge of some sort on the whole lot of us.”

“You’re not afraid of their vengeance, are you?” asked Mr. Farnum, looking up, and into the eyes of his young captain.

“I’m not afraid, of anything, sir,” retorted Jack.  “The master of a submarine boat has no right to be afraid of things.  Even if these scoundrels should get me, in the end, all I can to is to smile, and say:  ‘So be it.’”

Then, in the next breath, Benson added, earnestly: 

“It doesn’t matter so much if these rascals get me, but I don’t want them to work any mischief to the submarine.”

“Bravo!” nodded David Pollard, looking on with a smile.

It is a fact that life in a constant atmosphere of danger renders the average man all but indifferent to fear.  Those who meet perils daily grow to consider danger as all a part of the day’s work.  Perils which, a year before, would have kept Jack Benson awake with dread for a week now appeared to him as not worth thinking about until they happened.

Jack remained ashore until half-past nine.  He hoped to hear some word of what the Secret Service men might have learned, or of what these representatives of Uncle Sam were doing.  But no word came, so the submarine boy went down to the beach.  There was but one harbor boat in sight.

“Ah done thought yo’d be gwine back to do little ship, sah, so Ah done waited fo’ you’,” explained the negro in the boat.  “Any mo’ ob yo’ pahty to go abo’d to-night, sah?”

“No,” Jack answered.  “I’ll be the last one to put off to-night.”

Nor did he forget to reward the darkey’s enterprise by handing him rather more than the usual boat hire.

As he stepped aboard Jack found Hal pacing the platform deck.

“Keeping deck watch, old fellow?  I’m glad see that,” Captain Jack said, commendingly.

“Yes; I’m on until midnight.  Then Williamson stands watch until three-thirty in the morning.  After that Eph comes up and takes the trick until it’s time to call us all.”

“When do I come on watch?” asked Jack.

“I never heard the captain of a craft had to stand watch in port,” laughed Hal Hastings “Besides, old fellow, we couldn’t be sure you’d be aboard to-night.  So the watches are all arranged.  Anyway, you’d better turn in and get a full night’s sleep, for you’ve more on your mind than the rest of us.”