"See that, Hal? The Melvilles have been putting up a show of building a submarine to beat ours. This fire betrays the fact that no boat is being built here. Nothing here but iron plates and the hammers with which the workmen have been beating every day!"
"Of all idiotic things!" exclaimed Hal.
The three submarine boys came upon Mr. Farnum standing in the watching crowd and gleefully told him of the empty shed.
"That might have helped a week ago," said the boatbuilder. "I fear we're beyond help now, boys." He had already told them in confidence of the financier's threat.
Just then Melville came along. Mr. Farnum and the boys would have ignored him, but he stepped up to the group and snapped:
"You're a fine bunch! Some of my workmen tell me that you young rascals were sneaking about my yards and set fire to the sheds."
"That will do, Mr. Melville. We'll listen to no such talk," and before the boys could speak or Melville reply Mr. Farnum pushed the boys before him out of the crowd.
"All those fellows heard him say that, and some of them will believe it!" cried Hal.
"That's bluff on his part, and silly bluff, at that," said Jack. "These firemen can say where we were when the alarm came in."
"But not where we were when the fire started," grumbled Eph.