“Why, I belong to the Army,” replied Major Woodruff, hauling out his watch, “and this is a Navy matter.  However, since one of you youngsters knows Gray by sight, and you’re all of you familiar with this business, I imagine the Secretary of the Navy wants to put you out to sea on one of the country’s gunboats, to aid in the chase.  For any real information, however, you’ll have to apply in person to the Secretary of the Navy himself.  Are you going to Washington?”

“Are we going—­” Jack started to repeat, with mild irony, when a knock at the door interrupted him.  Major Woodruff opened the door, to receive another telegram.

“Washington wakes up quickly,” he laughed.  “Here you are, Mr. Benson—­a despatch from our other fighting department at the Nation’s capital.”

Clearing his throat, Major Woodruff read: 

"Send description of schooner ‘Juanita,’ and of suspect, Gray, as mentioned in your telegram Secretary War.  Are submarine boys leaving to-night to report in morning?  Secretary of Navy."

“Here you are, and you see you’ve got to make up your minds quickly,” said the major.  “The night train south for Washington leaves in a little more than an hour from now.”

“Why, there’s only one answer possible, sir,” cried Captain Jack Benson, his eyes shining.  “Of course we’ll take to-night’s train and report to the Secretary of the Navy in the morning.  When it’s for the Flag I don’t even have to consult my comrades, or look their way.  I know their answer as well as I know my own.”

“Good enough, young man,” applauded Major Woodruff, while Lieutenant Ridder gave Jack a hearty slap across the shoulders.  “But, to go to the Navy Department, you’ll want citizen’s clothes—­not your present uniforms, which are not official.  I can send my auto to your boat, and you can be back here in forty minutes, if you dress quickly.”

“Ready for the word, ‘forward,’ sir,” responded Captain Jack, saluting.  Hal and Eph also raised their hands to their foreheads.

It was a swift trip, with some hurried dressing on board the “Spitfire,” but Major Woodruff landed them at the railway station ten minutes ahead of train time.

“Good fortune, gentlemen,” wished Major Woodruff, pressing the hand of each when the train was ready.  “Don’t be scared when you find yourselves face to face with so big a man as the Secretary.”

It is not to be wondered at if the minds of all were in a bit of a whirl as they made for their berths in a sleeping-car.

“After all,” muttered Jack, to himself, as he undressed in his berth, “it’s strange how some fellows get the cream of things.  Here we get the trip to Washington, while Lieutenant Ridder will have only the fun of going out to the cliff above Cobtown to-morrow to have a look at what is left of Millard’s mine.”

Their train brought the submarine boys into Washington just before seven in the morning.  There was time for a good breakfast.  Then, being strangers at the national capital, the youngsters engaged a cab to take them to the imposing building that shelters the State, War and Navy Departments.