"Take Williamson with you, for use in the engine room," advised Mr. Farnum. "That will allow you to take the boat through with two watches above and below. Which boat will you take?"
"The 'Spitfire,' unless you'd rather have us take the other one," young
Benson replied.
"Take the 'Spitfire,' by all means," nodded the owner.
Twenty minutes later, Williamson having been found, the crew was all ready for the start for Craven's Bay.
Eph and Williamson cast off from moorings while Hal Hastings, down below at the gasoline motors, started the twin propellers as soon as Jack Benson, at the deck wheel, signaled for speed ahead.
Right after the start, Williamson, a grown man and machinist, dropped below. Eph Somers stood beside the young submarine captain.
For some minutes both boys gazed out over the waters. Then Eph remarked:
"Well, we got away without being overhauled by a Jap or a Russian, didn't we?"
"I don't know," smiled Jack, unsuspectingly. "See that launch over to port? Hanged if she doesn't seem to be putting toward us."
"She does," admitted Eph, solemnly. "Oh, well, with a few more turns of the screw we can easily get away from that launch."