"Exactly 1,142 feet, from mooring to mooring," he called up through the manhole, presently.
"If you've got the distance down as fine as that," laughed back Mr.
Farnum, "good enough!"
"Are you going to try to play Benson's trick, then?" asked the inventor, reappearing on deck.
"I'm inclined to think," replied the boatbuilder, "that I am. It seems like too good a thing to miss."
On board the "Pollard" the cabin lights burned late that evening. Once the plan invented by Captain Jack was explained to the others all hands turned to, in great glee, to make preparations.
Ships of any size always carry, as a part of the cruising supplies, a stock of paints and brushes. The submarine craft was so provided.
Jack caused to be brought from one of the lockers a can of prepared white paint. This was thinned with oil and tested for the business in hand. Then the best brush for the purpose was picked out. To this was fitted a long handle. Two short sticks had to be spliced to make a handle of sufficient length.
"How are you on lettering, Captain?" guffawed Mr. Farnum, while preparations were thus being made.
"Nothing extra," Jack admitted. "But I guess I can at least make legible letters."
All was in readiness long before need came. At about quarter past eleven o'clock that night the "Pollard" noiselessly slipped from her moorings. At that time none of the searchlights of the fleet at anchor happened to be turned toward the submarine boat.