The next minute the boat was alongside the craft, and scrambling onto her decks the boys gazed about with interest.
They had been on this same underseas boat before, but then she had been tied up to a dock in the Navy Yard and only curiosity to see what she contained had filled their minds. But now she was riding on the waters in the West Indies, she was manned and ready to sail and the boys were wildly excited at the thoughts of adventures to come and of sailing on a real submarine under the sea.
CHAPTER IV—RADIO MAGIC
“It appears to me there’s one point you’ve overlooked,” remarked Mr. Pauling as he glanced about. “I thought your main idea in using this submarine was that if sighted by any of those we are after they would recognize it and their suspicions would not be aroused. With this disguise they would never know the boat.”
Rawlins laughed. “Oh, I’ve kept that in mind,” he responded. “This is just a camouflaged camouflage.”
Then, before Mr. Pauling could ask for an explanation, he turned to the members of his crew, gave an order and, to the amazement of Mr. Pauling and his party, the men commenced to strip a layer of painted canvas from the submarine.
“By Jove!” exclaimed Mr. Henderson, “that’s cleverly done. I never realized it was not painted upon the vessel herself. You’re some artist, Rawlins.”
As soon as the canvas disguise had been removed, preparations were made to get under way and all entered the hatch in the superstructure.
“How about the destroyer?” inquired Mr. Pauling. “Did you arrange with Disbrow to be near in case of need?”
“Yes,” replied Rawlins. “We simply have to give him our position and he’ll be within an hour’s run.”