Mr. Somers, give up the wheel."
"Aye, aye, sir," and Ensign Eph, who had been sitting at the tower
wheel since the start, moved away and came on deck.
"Mr. Darrin, take the wheel," directed Benson. "Are you familiar
with the Bay?"
"Not sufficiently, sir, to be a pilot."
"Then I will give you your directions from time to time. How does
this craft mind her wheel?"
"With the lightest touch, sir, that I ever saw in a wheel."
"The builders of the 'Dodger' have been working to make the action
of the steering wheel progressively lighter with each boat that
they have built. Men on a submarine craft must have the steadiest
nerves at all times, and steady nerves do not go hand in hand with
muscle fatigue."
Lieutenant Jack walked to the entrance to the conning tower.
"Mallock!" he called down to one of the crew.
"Aye, aye, sir."
"My compliments to Mr. Hastings, and ask him to crowd the speed
of the boat gradually."
"Aye, aye, sir."
The "Dodger" had been moving down the bay at a ten-knot pace.
Suddenly she gave a jump that caused Midshipman Dave Darrin to
wonder. Then the submarine settled down to a rushing sixteen-knot
gait."
"I didn't know, sir," ventured Farley, "that submarines could
go quite so fast."
"The old types didn't," Lieutenant Jack answered. "However, on
the surface a capable submarine must be able to show a good deal
of speed."
"For getting away, sir?"
"Oh, no.
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