The Dreadnought Boys on a Submarine

by John Henry Goldfrap

From being a place which had little existence besides a name on the map, Grayport had suddenly blossomed out into quite a celebrated spot. Naturally, Hargraves’s story of the attack on the submarine experimenters, and the stories of the other men concerning the interesting tests, excited a great deal of attention. All sorts of people began to flock to Grayport. Among them came several cranks. All day long quite a flotilla of small boats maneuvered about the submarine as she lay at anchor, but nobody was allowed aboard. Even the newspaper correspondents, after they had been given that first story, were barred.

For two days following the adventures of the night of Mr. Lockyer’s abduction, the Lockyer lay idle at her moorings. But within her steel shell, things were anything but idle. Incessant work was going forward on the engines, getting them to the highest possible state of efficiency. The reason for this was, at present, a mystery to the boys, but it lay in the fact that Lieutenant Parry’s report had been so favorable that the Government had decided to send a special board to Grayport to investigate the little diving vessel.

So it came about, that on the morning of the third day, when Mr. Lockyer was completely recovered, and his usual active, nervous self once more, a trim-looking gunboat steamed into Grayport harbor, and cast anchor not far from the little vessel. Lieutenant Parry, calling his crew together, then made an announcement which thrilled them all. That evening, in all probability, they would start on a long trial spin with the members of the board as passengers. He impressed them all that he wished the Lockyer to be put through her best paces. Mr. Lockyer thanked him with a look for his words. So far, the submarine had done all that she should, but the crucial test, under keen, impartial eyes, remained.

Shortly afterward, Lieutenant Parry, in a shore boat, left the Lockyer for the gunboat—the Louisville. He was on his way to pay his respects to Captain McGill, the president of the testing board, and his brother officers. When he returned on board again before noon, it was with the five officers comprising the party of investigation. All wore their uniforms and made an imposing array.

The Lockyer, too, with the naval members of her crew in blue uniform, was decked out like a fighting ship. From her stern fluttered the Stars and Stripes. From her forward mooring-bits, to the last bolt on her keelson plate, she had been scoured and polished.

“A smart-looking little craft,” commented Captain McGill, after he had been introduced to Mr. Lockyer. The inventor colored with pleasure.

“I hope to prove to you, sir, that she is as smart as she looks,” he rejoined.

The officers now took possession of the cabin, and the boys and the remainder of the crew were banished to the engineers’ quarters. They were rather cramped, and Ned was not sorry when it came to the turn of himself and Herc to take watch on deck.

They were kept busy enough up there, answering questions and fending off too-inquisitive boats, whose occupants were eager to come on board. After an inspection of the vessel, the naval party went ashore in the gunboat’s launch to send some despatches to Washington. This done, they embarked once more to take council with Captain McGill on board the Louisville.