“Gee-whiz!” murmured young Hastings, his cheeks glowing and his eyes snapping.

“If we only belonged to the old Flag for life, and knew that we were practising on a boat like this as a part of the preparation for real war when it came?”

“Don’t!” begged Hal, tensely.  “For you know, old fellow, it can’t come true.  Why, we haven’t even a residence anywhere, from which a Congressman could appoint one of us to Annapolis!”

“One of us?” muttered Jack, scornfully.  “Then it would have to be you. I wouldn’t go, even as a cadet at Annapolis, and leave you behind in just plain, ordinary life, Hal Hastings!”

“Well, it’s no use thinking about it,” sighed Hal, practically.  “Neither one of us is in any danger of getting appointed to Annapolis, so there’s no chance that either one of us ever will become an officer in the Navy.  Let’s not talk about it, Jack.  I’ve been contented enough, so far, but now it makes me almost blue, to think that we can only go on testing and handling submarine craft like these, while others will be their real officers in the Navy, and command them in any war that may come.”

Though his head throbbed, and though a dizzy spell came over him every few minutes, Jack Benson stuck it out, up there beside his chum, for an hour.  Then, disdaining aid, he crept down the stairs, stretching himself out on one of the cabin seats.  Eph brought him a pillow and a blanket.  Jack soon slept, tossing uneasily whenever pain throbbed dully in his head.

“Guess I’ll go out and have a little look at the young captain,” proposed Sam Truax, an hour later.

“Try another guess,” retorted Eph, curtly.  “You’ll stay here in the engine room.  Jack Benson isn’t going to be bothered in any way.”

“I’m not going to bother him; just going to take a look at him,” protested Truax, moving toward the door that separated the engine room from the cabin.

But young Somers caught the stranger by the sleeve of the oily jumper that Sam had donned on beginning his work.

“Do you know what folks say about me?” demanded Eph, with a significant glare.

“What do they say?”

“Folks have an idea that, at most times, I’m one of the best-natured fellows on earth,” declared Eph, solemnly.  “Yet they do say that, when I’m crossed in anything my mind’s made up to, I can be tarnation ugly.  I just told you I don’t want the captain disturbed.  Do you know, Sam Truax, I feel a queer notion coming over me?  I’ve an idea that that feeling is just plain ugliness coming to life!”

Truax came back from the door, a grin on his face.  Yet, when he turned his head away, there was a queer, almost deadly flash in the fellow’s eyes.

Jack slept, uneasily, until towards the middle of the afternoon.  As soon as Eph found him awake, that young man brought the captain a plate of toast and a bowl of broth, both prepared at the little galley stove.