all boat floated alongside the two German officers who clambered in. Frank an

North Sea?" asked one of the officers in great surprise

nk by one of your blamed torpedo bo

quired the officer

seems to me th

said the German officer. "We'll sink them one

ning to smile to himself, for he saw th

they go?" deman

eplied Jack, with a note of

the officer, sta

ttom," Jac

"One British ship couldn't sink

s only one," said Jack

the German officer heate

or three," sai

e German officer the size

al minutes and then he said: "Why didn'

replied Jack, with

fist into the palm of his lef

arly for every German sh

yly, "but it won't be a Germ

Lieutenant Stein, you forget yourself, sir. And as for

k. "I wouldn't have said anyt

ein was equal

ietly to Jack. "I should

," said Jack. "I was

oke into the

to the low-lying bulk of the submarine,

nant Stein, "where, until we put into

y to the entrance through the combined bridge and conning tower, and all went b

d Lieutenant Stein to the captain, indicating the t

stened to intro

the captain gruffly. "You are my prisoners until I put in

ition of their fate. The capta

he prisoners are wel

in your

as the first time either had been inside a submarine vessel, and both felt a trifle squeami

up luxuriously. There were several bunks in the

me. I guess there is no danger of your attempting to escape. However, you

, and le

confided to Jack. "It's all right as long as we remain on the surface

all have to make the best of a bad situation. Then, too, perha

They found Captain von Cromp not half so gruff as he had been when they first came aboard. They w

the commander granted the lads pe

r; how it rose again by forcing the water from the compartment by means of compressed air; how the air

em to peer through, although there was no ne

the vessel. Peering over the waves, it reflects what it sees into the watching human eye in

s the one weak spot i

an

nd so gain its bearings. But in the midst of battle it would probably mean certain destruction; for when it ro

ruded above the vessel. A large lens at the top turned off as does an elbow in a stove pipe. This portion, when necessar

utenant explained, "thus guarding against the danger of being hit. The officer in

just how it work

ith a pair-thus if one is shot away the other can be put in immediate use. At the upper end of the shaft is a mirror lens. Upon this mirror lens is reflected the su

o the manner in which a submarine fights

a small tube. There is this advantage in favor of the battleship, however: the submarine is a slow craft. It is slower than the slowest battleship when it proceeds under water. When it gets to the surface its speed is doubled, but then it is an easy target for the guns of the threatened battleship a

tly," s

ting," said Frank. "C

e protection of torpedo boats and the weakness of the periscope-there

do nets-?" int

torpedo net. These are meshes of strong steel which are dropped down from the side of

't they?"

Why, most of our submarines are equipped with a formidable device for cutting these nets. This device, in one form, resembles an enormous pair of sheers which cut through the nets like paper

ne breath, and Frank added: "I don't just

dive down into the depths where there is no movement of the waves, and it can remain under water for fourteen hours continuously. This is accomplished by tanks which can be filled with water and, overcoming what

tion," said Frank, when the lieute

t is," ag

action," smiled the lieutenant. "I am

told us regarding the deadliness of submarines, I believe

X-9, for I do not believe Captain Von Cromp will return to port until he has a

t if he tries it!"

ant with good natured tolerance,

, "I still could not wi

t glanced at

. "You are a brave lad. But come

; "and thanks for the trouble you h

reply, and they all made their way to the officer's