“My compliments to the lieutenant commander,” Jack replied. “And be good enough to report to him, please, that Mr. Hastings and I will both go.”
“My orders, sir, are to convey you to the 'Pollard' before reporting back to the parent vessel,” replied the midshipman.
The cutter came alongside, taking off the two submarine boys, while Eph Somers devoted himself to watching Sam Truax as a bloodhound might have hung to a trail.
Arrived on board the good, old, familiar “Pollard,” Jack and Hal hurried below.
“The machinery is too hot to handle, now, sir,” reported one of the naval machinists, “but it looks as though something was wrong right in there”—pointing.
“Put one of the electric fans at work there, at [pg 148] once,” directed Hal. “Then things ought to be cool enough in half an hour, to make an examination possible.”
After seeing this done, the two submarine boys left for the platform deck, for the engine room was both hot and crowded.
“How long is it going to take you, Mr. Hastings?” asked the naval officer in command of the “Pollard.”
“Half an hour to get the parts cool enough to examine, but I can't say, sir, how long the examination and repairs will take.”
So the officer in command signaled what proved to be vague and unsatisfactory information to Lieutenant Commander Mayhew.