The night to follow was an anxious one, both for Oscar Pelham and his faithful friend, Andy Greggs.
Would the government accept the offer?
At ten the next morning came a telephone message from the Navy Department.
"We are willing to appropriate half a million dollars if that submarine boat, to be called the new Holland, can be built inside of one month."
Even Oscar was staggered at this.
"A month!" he gasped. "But I'll do it if I have to set every shipyard and every steel plant at work to push it through."
For thirty days Oscar Pelham hardly ate, drank or slept.
He was here, there and everywhere, now inspecting this work done, now that work done, and anon sending telegrams and telephone messages in every direction.
Some refused to do any work for him, thinking him mad. But when his orders were indorsed by the Navy Department, owners of shipyards and steel plants quickly changed their minds.
Work went on night and day, without interruption, and on the afternoon of the twenty-ninth day the new Holland was slid into the waters of New York bay and a telegram was sent to Secretary Short that the vessel was ready for service.