“And how does the little town like the idea!” demanded Williamson, beginning to smile as his color slowly returned.

“Why, the people can’t expect to have very much to say,” Jack replied.  “We have a permit to store the explosive, and it’s at the request of the United States Government.  You’re not afraid to be near so much rockety stuff are you?”

Williamson gazed at the young skipper reproachfully.

“Now, what have I ever done, Captain, or what have I failed to do, that should make you think me only forty per cent. good on nerve?  Though I’ll admit that my appetite for smoking won’t be good when I’m near this shed.  How long is the stuff going to stay here?  That is, if some idiot doesn’t play with matches in that shed.”

“I expect it will about all be used, after the Navy officer gets on the scene, and drills us in using torpedoes,” Captain Benson answered.  “It isn’t intended to keep that sort of stuff stored here all the time.”

“Oh!  Then I reckon I won’t toss my job into the harbor,” grinned the machinist.  “How soon are you going to want me?”

“You can go aboard the ‘Hastings’ at once,” replied Skipper Jack.  “It won’t do any harm to have the machinery of the new boat looked over with a most critical eye.”

“Any gun-cotton, rack-a-rock wool or dynamite silk stored on board the new craft?” inquired Williamson, with a look of mock anxiety.

“Nothing more dangerous than gasoline,” Captain Jack smiled.

“Oh, I don’t mind that stuff,”. chuckled the machinist.  “I want a smoke.  That’s why I’m particular about not going to work near any stuff that has such a big idea of itself that it swells up every time a match or a lighted pipe comes around.  I’ll go aboard now.”

With this statement, Williamson strolled down to the beach, untying a small skiff and pulling himself out to the newer of the pair of very capable submarine torpedo boats that lay at moorings out in the little private harbor.

Hal, in the meantime, had quietly swung the shed door to and locked it.  The great white word, “Danger,” was once more in plain view.

“What are you going to do now!” asked young Hastings of his chum.

“I reckon I’ll spend my time wondering where the Navy man is,” laughed Captain Jack.

“Let’s go up to the office, then.  Mr. Farnum may have had some word in the matter.”

As they neared the door of the office building, Eph Somers, who was a combination of first officer, steward and general utility man on board the Pollard boats, came in through the gate, joining his friends at once.