Boy Scouts in a Submarine | Page 4

questions
concerning the Diver as the submarine the Captain had in view was
named, and also about the object of the expedition.
"A short time ago," the Captain said, "the Cutaria, a fast mail boat,
went down in the Gulf of Tong King, carrying with her many
passengers, the United States mails, and $10,000,000 in gold consigned
to the Chinese Government. We are to search the ocean floor for the
gold, and also for information sought by the Department of State."
"Who got careless and dropped $10,000,000 on an ocean floor?" asked
Jimmie.


CHAPTER II
A CONFLICT OF AUTHORITY

The Captain gazed at Jimmie for a moment without answering. Then he
parted his thin lips and uttered the old, familiar word:

"Fawncy!"
"The Cutaria went down as the result of a collision?" Ned hastened to
ask, observing that Jimmie was growing flushed and angry.
"Yes," was the reply, "and it is asserted in the diplomatic circles of
foreign governments that she was rammed by the orders of a power
alleged to be friendly to our Government, and that our department of
state does not dare remonstrate and ask for reparation for the reason
that an investigation would reveal the fact that the $10,000,000 in gold
which was lost was not really, as alleged, on its way from the
sub-treasury in New York to the treasurer of the Chinese Empire."
"But why should Uncle Sam be sending money over there?" asked Ned.
"It is asserted that the money was sent at the command of men high in
influence in Washington who understood that it was to be seized while
in transit, after reaching Chinese soil, and used to assist the radical
fomentation now going on in China."
"An indirect way, a sly and underhand way, of assisting the
revolutionary party in China to get control of the government, eh?"
asked Ned.
"Aw, that is what is claimed," was the reply.
"And you are to have charge of the expedition?" asked Ned, quietly, his
eyes fixed keenly on the face of the visitor.
"Orders," was the slow reply.
"And the Diver has been chosen as the boat?"
"At my request, yes."
"But," Ned then said, by way of protest, "I have made all my trial trips
in the Sea Lion."
"You will soon learn to help handle the Diver," was the lofty reply.
"The Diver is no more like the Sea Lion than she is like the Ark," was
Ned's reply. "It will take me another fortnight to learn to run her, I'm
afraid."
"You can take lessons from my son on the way over," was the
unsatisfactory reply.
"Why, the submarine is not going to sail across the Pacific," said the
boy. "As I understand it, we are to take passage in a mail steamer at
San Francisco and find the submarine in some harbor of the island of
Hainan, after she arrives on the other side in a man-of-war which will
be detailed to carry her over."

"I have changed all that," said the Captain.
Ned said no more on that phase of the matter at that time, but the boys
knew that he had not given up his original intention of making the
explorations in the Sea Lion, the submarine which the Secret Service
chief at New York had placed at his disposal soon after his return from
South America.
"You will be permitted to take one of your--ah, Boy Scouts with you,"
the Captain went on. "Baby bunch, the Boy Scouts, what?" he added,
lifting his glass and surveying the boys grouped about in a manner
which brought the hot blood to their cheeks.
"I'm afraid you have never investigated the Boy--"
Ned's conciliatory remark was cut short by Jimmie.
"Will the Boy Scout who goes with him be allowed to breathe?" the
boy asked.
Captain Moore eyed the lad critically through his glass.
"You needn't concern yourself about that, bub," he said, after an
exasperating silence, "for you won't be the one to go, don't you
know--not the Boy Scout to go."
Jimmie was about to make some angry reply, but Frank seized him by
the arm and marched him to a distant part of the large room.
"You'll queer the whole thing!" Frank said.
Jimmie shook himself free of the detaining hand and faced the Captain
with flashing eyes.
"I don't care if I do!" he said. "That thing is not going to make ugly
remarks about the Boy Scouts without bein' called for it. He's an old
false alarm, anyway. I'll bet he never heard a real gun go off!"
Captain Moore heard the insulting words and arose.
"If you'll, aw, come to my office tomorrow morning," he said, to Ned,
"we'll discuss the, aw, mattah. I cawn't remain here and quarrel with
boys