IMAGINE the surprise of the boys the next morning when they appeared at the Emerson wharf to report to Captain Austin to find a trim little submarine craft hugging the quay, her hatches open forward and aft to admit her crew, the exhaust of her gasoline engines fluttering from the rear.
"Must be some mistake here; I never knew they explored the bottom of the sea from a submarine," exclaimed Dick in some surprise.
The boys had expected to find some craft of an altogether different nature. The submarine was a new one on them.
"It's the Nemo, all right," said Jay, pointing out the name of the vessel on the prow.
Captain Austin was standing near the conning tower directing various members of the crew as they prepared to cast off and head out of the harbor.
"Good morning, boys, come right aboard," he called out, noting the arrival of the new members of his crew.
Jay and Dick were soon on deck chatting with their captain, noting that Larry Seymour had already arrived. The three boys were assigned to the diving work exclusively and so had nothing to do with the navigation of the craft. In turn Captain Austin introduced the new arrivals to other divers aboard.
"This is Mr. Weddigen—Carl Weddigen—also a new man," said the captain as a huge hulk of a fellow lurched forward when his turn came.
Jay was almost too dumbfounded to speak. The fellow facing him was none other than the big bully he had knocked down the previous afternoon in the corridor of Superintendent Brown's office.