“That’s the way it strikes me, too. Are you through changing? Yes—so am I. Come on, we’ll get Lieutenant Parry aside and tell him about it.”
When they emerged into the cabin once more the two rescued men were seated on a divan, talking to the naval officer. Ned noticed that they were both dark, foreign-looking fellows, one of whom had a particularly sinister face, the evil expression of which was not relieved by a livid scar running down one side of his countenance, from his temple to his chin.
Both looked the very picture of dejection. Just as miserable and forlorn-appearing as two men might have been expected to be who had just lost a valuable boat. The better to act their part, they were speaking about demanding damages as the boys came up. Nor had they forgotten to express a proper amount of surprise at finding themselves on board a submarine craft.
But, as our readers will suppose, their plight created no sympathy in the hearts of Ned and Herc. In fact, it was all the red-headed lad could do—he admitted afterward—to restrain himself from jumping on the scarred man and giving him a sound thrashing.
“Can we speak to you a moment, sir?” asked Ned, saluting as they came up.
“Certainly, Strong,” said the officer, facing around and looking rather surprised; “what is it?”
“Something to do with the machinery, sir. Can you step this way a minute?”
Seeing by the look in Ned’s eyes that he had something of importance to communicate, the officer followed the boys across the cabin and through the bulkhead door separating it from the engine room.
“Now, Strong, what is it?” he asked as Ned carefully closed the door behind them and led the way to a leather-covered divan, on which the engineer was wont to sit in the intervals of his duty. Just now, however, both he and his crew were busy about the engines, and paid little attention to the intruders in their realm.
“It’s about those two men, sir.”