“You’ll see soon enough,” was the answer. “There’s something strange going on here, boys. Grace and Mr. Sheldon could only give a hint of it. We’ll have to be on the watch. This man Klauss——”
“Cheese it!” interrupted Ned, effectively if not elegantly. “He’s coming!”
Jerry halted his remarks just in time, for the inventor of the submarine came along a second later.
“Well, boys,” he asked, in a tone he tried to make cordial, “how are you making out? Will those clothes answer until your own are dry?”
“Very well indeed, yes; thank you,” replied Jerry. “We are sorry to have to put you to so much trouble——”
“It could not be helped,” was the response of the German. “I could not leave you there to drown. Now if you will come with me I will tell you something about my ship—it is my one hobby!”
“And you will not forget about giving me a chance to get to the bottom of the sea, and capture some crabs; will you?” asked Professor Snodgrass.
“I will do what I can for you—as a fellow scientist,” said Dr. Klauss.
The boys found Grace and her father eagerly awaiting them, and a hasty midnight meal was served in the main cabin. Dr. Klauss left the little party to themselves, saying that he had to go to see about some of the mechanism.