“What’s that?” asked Anderson eagerly. “Do you know them?”
“No,” rejoined Gradbarr, “I don’t know them and I don’t much care to, from what you’ve told me about them. But I’ve got to be going on. Say,” he continued, in a whisper, bending over till his mouth was quite close to Anderson’s ear, “do you want to be put in the way of revenging yourself on Lockyer and that whole bunch?”
“Do I?” Anderson’s eyes lit up with a vicious flare. He involuntarily clenched his fists.
“Well, walk up the street with me a way and I’ll tell you how to get even.”
For a moment Anderson wavered. After all, this man was a stranger to him. It might be a trap to draw him out and discover if he cherished any harm to the submarine. But then his evil, vindictive nature asserted itself. He ached and palpitated with his every sense to avenge himself on the man who had humiliated him before the whole crew of workmen, and particularly was he desirous of making Ned Strong and his companion smart for the indignities they had thrust upon him.
“All right,” he said. “I’m with you.”
“A tool ready to my hand,” was the thought that flashed across Gradbarr’s mind as, arm in arm, the two worthies strolled from the hotel and slowly walked up the village street.
That evening, as the Dreadnought Boys and their weather-beaten comrade were returning to the hotel, they encountered Zeb Anderson. They would have avoided him if they could, but as he planted himself in their path there was no way of escaping a meeting. But that they were not anxious to court such an encounter, our party was showing by hurrying on, when Anderson caught Ned by the arm.
“I s’pose you think you and me had a brush and you win,” he said in a voice harsh with hate. “Well, just you wait. Our score ain’t evened up yet. You’re going ter sea on that old submarine I hear. Well,” he said, raising his voice, “I know more about her than you do. You’ll all go to the bottom every last man of you and leave your bones rotting there. That’s what I hope and that’s what will be.”
With this amiable prophecy, Anderson strode off down the street, casting back ever and anon a glance of hatred at the naval party.