The stranger gave a comical sigh.
"Then I'm afraid I don't see a submarine boat to-night—that is, any more than I can see of it now."
"That's about the way it looks to me, also," Jack answered, smiling.
"Yet, believe me, I hate awfully to seem discourteous about it."
"Oh, all right," muttered the stranger, nodding to the two boatmen, who had rowed him out alongside.
"Good!" grunted Eph. "I'm glad you didn't let him on board, Captain.
On this cruise our luck doesn't seem to run with strangers."
"It doesn't, for a fact," laughed Jack Benson.
"Hi, ho—ah, hum!" yawned young Somers, stretching. "It will be mine for early bunk to-night, I reckon."
At this moment a boat was observed rounding the stern of the "Hudson."
It came up alongside, landing a marine sentry.
"Anybody on the 'Farnum' want to go ashore to-night?" hailed a voice from the gunboat's rail. "The shore boat will be ready in five minutes."
"I believe I would like to take just a run through the village," declared
Jack, turning to his chum. "Do you feel like a land-cruise with me,
Hal?"