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The Submarine Boys on Duty / Life on a Diving Torpedo Boat

Chapter 4 THE TRICK OF THE FLASHLIGHT

Word Count: 2149    |    Released on: 01/12/2017

hing of Owen, since

he crew, under the new foreman, Andrews, was busy

pt to his chum, Jack Benson to

n't get near the boat. Partridge took the precaution of getting the keys back from Owen yes

," put in young Mr. Farnum, who happened to be aboard. "Owen is an ugly fellow, and

ed Jack, coolly. "At the same time,

n't believe he has very much saved. Of course, he can't get any work in his line in Dunhaven, now th

n, but I shan't lose

-too confidently, a

watchful and understanding his trade thoroughly. He was something of a driver, as t

oreman from the start, Andr

be called at any time," replie

have any trouble with Benson or

ct, young as they are, they are a long

them forward,

ith them, and couldn't have done so, because he's a nagger, and no self-respecting workman will stand for a n

willing to work hard and tackle new problems, were learning much. Even before the "Pollard" was launched and sent o

to be on the lookout for any outside work with their camera outfit. So it happened that, one evening after supper, Jack and Hal, carrying their outfit, set out on a walk of more than two miles. Th

leven o'clock at night when the two submarine boys left the cottage to tramp back to Dunhaven. As they neared the village they heard the town

ame around a corner of the fence, Hal, who was slightly in t

take a sly peep around the corner. Look up

ok, exposing very little of his head, whil

Jack. "By Jove, there he goes. He has a good

could mean little els

came instantly

bmarine

ze him?" whisper

sides, he was too quick. But we

e yard," Hal replied. "He

," Jack replied. "Hal, old fellow,

the fence as well as

the camera up as soon as I get to the top of the fence. W

f the ten-foot fence. Bending down he took camera and flashlight "gun." Hal hurriedly followed. Down in the yard, they started spee

ing, young Benson, who was in the lead, s

ll right, that the fel

peeped. "Make him out

ng and throwing the pa

ake out who

But he gave

a tremulous whisper. "There, he's gone inside. Come on, H

th. Whatever Josh Owen-if it was truly he-was doing in the submarine shed, the youn

wards discovered that the watchman, who sometimes drank liquor, was at this moment sound asleep in one of t

the submarine's shed, Jack, who w

hull. Benson signaled, and his friend followed him, stealthily, a step or

ols came to the ears of the boys. Their nerves were on the kee

y. Almost in the same flash they rea

d, Owen, with two or three tools, was swiftly, wickedly tampering with one of th

ollard" to lurch and then go, nose-first, to the bottom. It was wholly possible, too, that a capable

ece of cowardly treachery. His fingers itched to lay hold of Josh O

a Comanche yell, and then dart forward into the fray, ins

rm for silence, Jack

ra for universal focu

came Hal's low,

ke lightn

ose patent affairs, arranged to fire a charge of magnesium p

stinct, half by guess. While he did so, Jack fixed a

ave been heard in a silent room was drowned by the tap-ta

rn, the ex-foreman half-turned his head,

quickly to nod the signal

! F

side of the shed for a brief instant. It was as th

n let out a yell of fear, rose up and leaped back

t was that?"

that followed the flash

rcumstances, Josh Owen tremblingly felt for his momentarily useless lantern. It took him some moments to fin

. More than that, Jack held in his hand the p

door and lock him in there until we can

were hiding behind the c

cked him in there, and he knew he had to be caught, he'd do thousands of dollars' worth of damage. A

the shed. He shut off the light from his dark lantern, then stole

Mr. Andrews, and let him decide whether to rouse

at the boarding house, and had been made

and call Dave Pollard. Then

new foreman. Together they hurried to the Farnum yard, unlocked the

gs, Josh Owen had not had time to inflict more damage

enson that the 'Pollard' would dive to the bottom and stay there," e

new foreman. "Until your craft is launched, sir, I'll sl

ound the drunken night watchman, who was still asleep.

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