There were three officers and a crew of eight aboard the boat, which was quickly brought long-side the rock on which Fred was standing. As the officers leaped ashore, the young lieutenant saluted and was saluted in return. Then Fred told who he was and again asked the men if they were United States officers.
“If you’ve got a German prisoner, and you know he is really a German sympathizer, you had better take us to him at once,” said one of the men, and, turning back his coat, he exhibited his badge.
Feeling that the craft was one really belonging to our government and that the officers were Secret Service men, Fred told his story, at the same time leading the way to where he had left Jack, Gif, and the prisoner.
“Bailey was right, after all,” said one of the Secret Service men to his fellow officers. “He always declared that that wrecked submarine was in hiding somewhere around these waters.”
“Then you know about the submarine?” queried Fred quickly.
“If it’s the craft we think it is,” was the reply. “That U-boat had an encounter with one of our submarine destroyers, and in trying to escape we think she hit some of the rocks on the reef beyond here. Some of the naval people were of the opinion that she had gone down, but others thought she had escaped to some base, which, of course, was unknown to our authorities. We have always had a suspicion that there was some sort of a base around here. We were cruising to-day trying to locate it.”
It was decided that the Secret Service men should take charge of matters, and that they would sail to the nearest town on the bay so that they might obtain additional help with which to round up all the Germans and those in league with them.
“This will prove a very important capture,” said Mr. Blarcomb, who was the head officer of the crowd. “And you, young men, can rest assured that you will get full credit for what you have done.”
“If you don’t mind, I wish you would drop us off at our camp,” said Jack. “It will save us a whole lot of tramping.”
“We’ll do that willingly.”