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<h1><span style="font-size: 173%">CHAPTER XIV: THE </span><span class="tei tei-q" style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 173%">“</span><span style="font-size: 173%">POLLARD</span><span style="font-size: 173%">”</span></span><span style="font-size: 173%"> GOES LAME</span></h1>
<p>
<span class="tei tei-q">“The submarine boats when out in the
Bay will keep abreast of the 'Hudson,'
two hundred yards off on either
beam. The speed will be fourteen knots when
the signal is given for full speed. The general
course, after leaving the mouth of the Bay will
be East.”</span></p>
<p>Such were the instructions called from the
rail of the gunboat, through a megaphone,
Monday forenoon.</p>
<p>On each of the submarine craft were sixteen
cadet midshipmen, out for actual practice in
handling a submarine in diving and in running
under water. On board the gunboat were eighty
more cadets. Thus a large class of the young
men were to receive instruction during the
cruise, for the detachments aboard the submarines
could be changed at the pleasure of
Lieutenant Commander Mayhew, who was in
charge of the cruise.</p>
<p>Captain Jack, his own hands on the conning
tower wheel, ran the <span class="tei tei-q">“Farnum”</span> out into the
river, first of all. Then the <span class="tei tei-q">“Pollard,”</span> under
command of a naval officer, followed. Both
backed water, then waited for the <span class="tei tei-q">“Hudson”</span> to
come out, for the gunboat was to lead the way
until the Bay was reached. Then the formation
ordered would be followed.</p>
<p>Though it was nearing the first of November,
the day, near land, was ideally soft and balmy.
As many of the midshipmen as could sought the
platform deck of the <span class="tei tei-q">“Farnum.”</span> Those, however,
who belonged to the engineer division were
obliged to spend the greater part of their time
below.</p>
<p>By the time that the three craft were in the
ordered formation, abreast, and well started
down Chesapeake Bay, the parent vessel signaled
that the designated cadets were to take
charge of the handling of the submarine
boats.</p>
<p>Jack Benson cheerfully relinquished the wheel
to Cadet Midshipman Merriam, and stepped out
on to the platform deck. At need, as in case of
accident or misunderstanding of signals or
orders, Benson was still in command. While all
ran smoothly, however, Mr. Merriam enjoyed
command.</p>
<p>Hal, being likewise relieved in the engine
room, came also out on deck.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Where's Eph?”</span> inquired the young commander
of the <span class="tei tei-q">“Farnum.”</span></p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“In the engine room,”</span> smiled Hal. <span class="tei tei-q">“He said
I could leave, if I wanted, but that he'd be
hanged if he'd let Truax out of his sight while
I was away.”</span></p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Eph seems to have Truax on the brain,”</span>
laughed Jack.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Well, Truax <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">is</span></span> a queer and surly one,”</span> Hal
admitted. <span class="tei tei-q">“This morning he gives one the impression
of peeking over his shoulder all the
time to see whether he's being watched.”</span></p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“So Eph means to humor him by watching
him, eh?”</span> asked Jack.</p>
<p>Hal laughed quietly.</p>
<p>Some of the cadets who were familiar with
the landmarks of Chesapeake Bay pointed out
many of the localities and sights to the two
submarine boys.</p>
<p>At last, however, Eph was obliged to call for
Hal.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“You know, Hal, old fellow, I've got to look
out for the feeding of a lot of boarders to-day,”</span>
complained Eph, whimsically.</p>
<p>This task of Eph's took time, though it was
not a hard one. The food for the cadets had
been sent aboard. Eph had to make coffee and
heat soup. For the rest, cold food had to do.
The young men, on this trip, were required to
wait on themselves.</p>
<p>Hal found Sam Truax sitting moodily in a
corner of the engine room, though there was
something about the fellow's appearance that
suggested the watchfulness of a cat.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Why don't you go on deck a while, Truax?”</span>
asked Hal, kindly.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Don't want to,”</span> snapped the fellow, irritably.
So Hal turned his back on the man.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Doesn't that part need loosening up a bit,
sir?”</span> asked the cadet in charge of the engineer
division.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Yes,”</span> replied Hastings, after watching a
moment; <span class="tei tei-q">“it does.”</span></p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“I'll do it, then,”</span> proposed Truax, roughly.
He attempted to crowd his way past Hal, but the
latter refused to be crowded, and stood his
ground until the midshipman passed him a
wrench. Then Hastings loosened up the part.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“You might let me do a little something,”</span>
growled Sam Truax, in a tone intentionally
offensive.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Don't forget, Truax, that I'm in command
in this department,”</span> retorted Hal, in a quieter
tone than usual, though with a direct, steady
look that made Sam Truax turn white with
repressed wrath.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“You won't let me forget it, will you?”</span>
snarled the fellow.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“No; for I don't want you to forget it, and
least of all on this cruise,”</span> responded Hal Hastings.</p>
<p>
<span class="tei tei-q">“You don't give me any chance to—”</span></p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Silence!”</span> ordered Hal, taking a step toward
him.</p>
<p>Sam Truax opened his mouth to make some
retort, then wisely changed his mind, dropping
back into his former seat.</p>
<p>The noon meal was served to all hands. By
the time it was well over the mouth of the Bay
was in sight, the broad Atlantic rolling in
beyond.</p>
<p>The sea, when reached, proved to be almost
smooth. It was ideal weather for such a cruise.</p>
<p>Then straight East, for an hour they went,
getting well out of the path of coasting vessels.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Hullo! What in blazes does that mean?”</span>
suddenly demanded Hal, pointing astern at
starboard.</p>
<p>The <span class="tei tei-q">“Pollard”</span> lay tossing gently on the
water, making no headway. Hardly ten seconds
later the <span class="tei tei-q">“Hudson”</span> signaled a halt.</p>
<p>Then followed some rapid signaling between
the gunboat and the submarine that had
stopped. There was some break in the <span class="tei tei-q">“Pollard's”</span>
machinery, but the cause had not yet
been determined.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Blazes!”</span> muttered Jack, uneasily. <span class="tei tei-q">“It
couldn't have happened at a worse time. This
looks bad for our firm, Hal!”</span></p>
<p>The <span class="tei tei-q">“Farnum”</span> now lay to, as did the <span class="tei tei-q">“Hudson,”</span>
for the officer in command of the <span class="tei tei-q">“Pollard”</span>
signaled that his machinists were making
a rapid but thorough investigation of the unfortunate
submarine's engines.</p>
<p>Finally, a cutter put off from the <span class="tei tei-q">“Hudson,”</span>
with a cadet midshipman in charge. The small
boat came over alongside, and the midshipman
called up:</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“The lieutenant commander's compliments,
and will Mr. Benson detail Mr. Hastings to go
over to the 'Pollard' and assist?”</span></p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“My compliments to the lieutenant commander,”</span>
Jack replied. <span class="tei tei-q">“And be good enough
to report to him, please, that Mr. Hastings and
I will both go.”</span></p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“My orders, sir, are to convey you to the
'Pollard' before reporting back to the parent
vessel,”</span> replied the midshipman.</p>
<p>The cutter came alongside, taking off the two
submarine boys, while Eph Somers devoted himself
to watching Sam Truax as a bloodhound
might have hung to a trail.</p>
<p>Arrived on board the good, old, familiar
<span class="tei tei-q">“Pollard,”</span> Jack and Hal hurried below.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“The machinery is too hot to handle, now,
sir,”</span> reported one of the naval machinists, <span class="tei tei-q">“but
it looks as though something was wrong right in
there”</span>—pointing.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Put one of the electric fans at work there, at
once,”</span> directed Hal. <span class="tei tei-q">“Then things ought to be
cool enough in half an hour, to make an examination
possible.”</span></p>
<p>After seeing this done, the two submarine boys
left for the platform deck, for the engine room
was both hot and crowded.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“How long is it going to take you, Mr. Hastings?”</span>
asked the naval officer in command of the
<span class="tei tei-q">“Pollard.”</span></p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Half an hour to get the parts cool enough
to examine, but I can't say, sir, how long the
examination and repairs will take.”</span></p>
<p>So the officer in command signaled what
proved to be vague and unsatisfactory information
to Lieutenant Commander Mayhew.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“This is a bad time to have this sort of thing
happen,”</span> observed the naval officer in charge.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“A mighty bad time, sir,”</span> Jack murmured.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“And the engines of the 'Pollard' were supposed
to be in first-class condition.”</span></p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“They <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">were</span></span> in A-1 condition, when the boat
was turned over to the Navy,”</span> Jack responded.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Do you imagine, then, Mr. Benson, that
some of the naval machinists have been careless
or incompetent?”</span></p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Why, that would be a wild guess to make,
sir, when one remembers what high rank your
naval machinists take in their work,”</span> Jack
Benson replied.</p>
<p>
<span class="tei tei-q">“And this boat was sold to the Navy with the
strongest guarantee for the engines,”</span> pursued
the officer in charge.</p>
<p>Jack and Hal were both worried. The sudden
break had a bad look for the Pollard boats,
in the success of which these submarine boys
were most vitally interested.</p>
<p>At last, from below, the suspected parts of
the engine were reported to be cool enough for
examination. The naval officer in charge followed
Jack and Hal below.</p>
<p>Taking off his uniform blouse and rolling up
his sleeves, Hal sailed in vigorously to locate the
fault. Machinists and cadets stood about, passing
him the tools he needed, and helping him
when required.</p>
<p>At last, after disconnecting some parts, Hal
drew out a long, slender brass piston.</p>
<p>As he held it up young Hastings's face went
as white as chalk.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Do you see this?”</span> he demanded, hoarsely.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Filed, crazily, and it also looks as though the
inner end had been heated and tampered with,”</span>
gasped Jack Benson.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“This, sir,”</span> complained Hal, turning around
to face the naval officer in charge, <span class="tei tei-q">“looks like a
direct attempt to tamper with and damage the
engine. Someone has done this deliberately,
sir. It only remains to find the culprit.”</span></p>
<p>
<span class="tei tei-q">“Then we'll find out,”</span> retorted the naval officer,
<span class="tei tei-q">“if it takes a court of inquiry and a court
martial to do it. But are you sure of your
charge, Mr. Hastings?”</span></p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Am I sure?”</span> repeated Hal, all the soul of
the young engineer swelling to the surface.
<span class="tei tei-q">“Take this piston, sir, and examine it. Could
such a job have been done, unless by sheer
design and intent?”</span></p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Will the lieutenant permit me to speak?”</span>
asked the senior machinist, taking a step forward
and saluting.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Yes; go ahead.”</span></p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Yesterday morning, sir,”</span> continued the
senior machinist, <span class="tei tei-q">“we thought the engines
needed some overhauling by someone more accustomed
to them than we were. We saw one
of the machinists of the 'Farnum,' sir, hanging
about on shore. So we invited him aboard and
asked him to look the engines over.”</span></p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Describe the man,”</span> begged Jack.</p>
<p>The senior machinist gave a description that
instantly denoted Sam Truax as the man in
question.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Did you leave him alone in here, at any
time?”</span> demanded Hal.</p>
<p><span class="tei tei-q">“Let me see. Why, yes, sir. The man must
have been alone in here some three-quarters of
an hour.”</span></p>
<p>
Jack and Hal exchanged swift glances.</p>
<p>There seemed, now, very little need of carrying
the investigation further.</p>
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