"Yes; and Benson is a real submarine expert, too, even if he is
a boy," Dave went on.
"Then he is only a boy?"
"He's seventeen or eighteen."
"Then how can he be a lieutenant?" demanded Dalzell, looking more
bewildered.
"He isn't," Dave answered simply.
"But the O.C. introduced him that way."
"And quite properly," answered Darrin, whereat his companions
stared at him harder than ever.
"Let's walk along," proposed Dave, "and I'll tell you the little
that I know, or think I know, about the matter. Of course, you
fellows all know about the Pollard submarine boats? The government
owns a few of them now, and is going to buy a lot more of the
Pollard craft."
"But that kid officer?" insisted Dan.
"If you'll wait I'll come to that. Benson, his name is; Jack
Benson he's commonly called. He and two boy friends got in on
the ground floor at the Farnum shipyard. They were boys of
considerable mechanical skill, and they found their forte in the
handling of submarine boats. They've done some clever, really
wonderful feats with submarines. Farnum, the owner of the yard,
trusted these boys, after a while, to show off the fine points of
the craft to our Navy officers and others."
"But what has that to do with giving Benson a commission in the
Navy?" demanded Farley.
"I'm coming to that," Dave replied. "As I've heard the yarn,
Benson and his two boy friends attracted attention even from the
European governments.
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