The Submarine Boys for the Flag | Page 9

"N" and "D." These he

strung to the halliard of the short signal mast forward. Nor was he
ahead of time, for by this time the launch had described part of a circle,
and was coming up alongside.
In the bow of the launch stood the Japanese, smiling, and holding a
megaphone in his hand.
"Submarine, a-ho-o-o-oy!" came the hail. "Will you slow down? I have
something to say to you."
Up flew the signal flags, fluttering in the breeze. Then Eph snatched up
a megaphone, holding the smaller end to his mouth.
"Launch ahoy!" he shouted back. "Just tell your folks that you saw our
signal!"
The Japanese read the fluttering flags, then called back:
"N.D.? What does that mean?"
Hoarsely Eph Somers bellowed back:
"Nothing doing!"
CHAPTER III
THE MAN WHO MARKED CHARTS
It was a little before midnight when the "Spitfire" came to anchor in
Craven's Bay, after having been piloted to anchorage by a
quartermaster's tug that put off from Fort Craven on signal.
"Fine place, if your searchlight is keen enough," yawned Eph, gazing
off into the darkness.
Eph and Williamson had slept through the evening, after supper, and
were now to take the night watch tricks, the machinist's deck watch
beginning at once and lasting until four in the morning.

About an hour after daylight, Eph Somers deserted the deck, except for
occasional intervals. After a while the odor of coffee and steak was in
the air. Then, snatching up a bugle, Somers sounded the reveille
tumultuously through the small cabin of the submarine torpedo boat.
Not long did the other members of the crew take to turn out and dress.
They came out into the cabin to find Eph trotting between table and
galley, putting things on the table.
"This seems like old times," chuckled Williamson, as he seated himself
with the boys.
"Yes; because you don't have to cook," grimaced Eph. "Wait until after
breakfast, when you have to clear away and wash dishes!"
"Even so, I have the best of it," laughed the machinist, good-humoredly.
"I have something in my stomach to work on."
"I always do get the tough end of any job, don't I?" grumbled Eph,
resignedly, then buried his troubles under a plateful of steak and fried
potatoes.
"You hoisted the signal, 'N.D.', yesterday afternoon," laughed Captain
Jack, laying down his coffee cup. "If you don't watch out, Eph, I'll hoist
the 'N.G.' flag over this table."
"Breakfast no good?" demanded Eph, looking much offended.
"No; 'N.G.' will stand for 'no grouch.'"
Somers joined heartily in the laugh that followed.
Just as they were finishing a really good meal, for which every
breakfaster had a royal, salt-water appetite, a steamer's whistle was
heard, not far off to port.
"I'll bet that's the Army tug!" muttered Captain Jack, rising hastily from
the table. "Tell you what, fellows, we've got to begin to have something
like Navy discipline aboard this craft. In that case, we'd have had

breakfast over an hour ago."
Jack was off up the steps as though pursued. Eph went after him as
soon as that youth with the sun-kissed hair had time to pull on his
visored cap and button his blouse. No matter what the need of haste,
Somers never appeared on deck looking less natty than a veteran naval
officer.
Forward, on the tug, stood a major of engineers, a young lieutenant
beside him.
"Good morning, Mr. Benson," hailed Major Woodruff. "We're going to
try to come in close enough to put a gang-plank over. Can you take a
bow line from us?"
"Yes, sir," Captain Jack saluted the Army officer, and Eph hurried to
receive the line.
In less than two minutes Major Woodruff and Lieutenant Kline were on
the platform deck of the "Spitfire."
"This is the first one of your craft we've seen," declared the major, as
Eph cast off the bow line, and the tug backed water. "Will you show us
over?"
This the submarine boys gladly did, as the Army shares with the Navy
in the defense of the country.
"You see what you have to do, Kline," said Major Woodruff, presently.
Then the older officer turned to Jack to say:
"Mr. Benson, since Mr. Farnum has been kind enough to place you and
the boat at our orders, Kline is going to remain on board, today, during
the tests. He will give Mr. Somers whatever orders are necessary in
order to make the tests most successful."
"Why not give the orders to me, sir?" Jack asked.
"Why, you see, Mr. Benson," replied the major, "I plan for you to be on

shore, out on the neck, to make certain observations regarding the work
of your craft. Those observations you will turn in to me."
"Very good, sir. The neck, I take it,