CHAPTER VI

Judas Co.  Introduce themselves: 

Groton Bay, as every student of geography knows, is a nearly landlocked, well sheltered body of water, some seven miles long and three wide.  At the mouth of the Groton river stands Colfax, a city of more than thirty thousand inhabitants.

This was about all that the submarine boys knew of their destination, until they arrived in the bay on the afternoon of the day after they left, Dunhaven.

Their run down had been a continuous one.  Jack had had Biffens to relieve him at the wheel, while Mr. Farnum had helped Hal in the engine room.  Besides, Besides, Lieutenant Danvers had stood a few tricks at the wheel.

While Jack came in the “Benson,” which carried the two remaining loaded torpedoes, Eph had handled the “Hastings,” with Ewald as relief.  Williamson had handled the engines of the latter boat.  David Pollard standing relief engine room watch.

The work had been hard and confining.  It was a relief to all hands when they found themselves heading into Groton Bay.

Not far from the city water front lay two United States gunboats, the “Chelsea” and the “Oakland.”  Near the gunboats a fleet of seven other submarine craft lay at moorings.

“We’re not the only crowd, then,” mused Jacob Farnum, “that has seen fit to enter more than one boat.  I shall have to get busy in the hunt for information.”

“I’m not much worried about the triumph of the Pollard boats over competitors,” declared Danvers, generously.  “And, if anything can win for you, Mr. Farnum, it’s the having of such enthusiasts as your submarine boys to handle your boats in the official tests.”

“Oh, I can depend upon my boys,” replied Jacob Farnum, quickly.  “I know all about them.”

Yet, as the shipbuilder gazed from the conning tower at the rival submarines actual drops of cold sweat oozed out on his forehead.  Success meant so much to this shipbuilder, who had all his capital, to the last penny, invested in this submarine game.

“The worst of it is, we’ve got to keep on the lookout for dirty tricks!” groaned the shipbuilder, to himself.  “We are willing to play fair to the last gasp.  No doubt some of the other competing submarine builders feel the same way about it.  Yet, with so many rivals in the field, there are sure to be one or two rascally fellows who won’t consider any trick too low to give them an advantage.”

Though Mr. Farnum had no particular rival, or rivals, in mind, his fears, as was afterwards proven, were only too well founded.

“Take the wheel, please, Mr. Farnum,” Jack, begged.  He ran down the steps to call: 

“On deck, Biffens!”

“Aye, aye, sir!” replied the sailor, scrambling to obey.

Jack was out on the platform deck, megaphone in hand, by the time that his employer ran up rather close to the “Chelsea.”