“Well, boys, you seem to think there is something strange in my new quest,” remarked Professor Snodgrass, looking from one to the other of the motor boys. “Don’t you care to go off on expeditions with me any more? I know you used to be fond of traveling. And now, when I come to you with this proposition, you seem to think it is too much.
“As soon as I received the commission to get a hermit crab—one that lives in the shell of some mollusk—I thought of you boys. I said to myself that you were not afraid to sail through the air, so naturally you wouldn’t back out when it came to going under water. And now——”
“It isn’t that, Professor,” interrupted Jerry, respectfully. “It’s just the suddenness of it, and a peculiar coincidence. We haven’t thought much about a submarine, though I’m sure we could manage one if we tried. It’s just a certain happening that occurred yesterday that made us seem so surprised. We’ll tell you all about it.”
“One moment!” exclaimed Mrs. Hopkins. “I didn’t object very much, Jerry, when you wanted to take up aeroplaning, though I was very anxious. But I am afraid I must draw the line at submarines. I am so afraid of them. Professor Snodgrass, if I had known this was the nature of your new quest, I’d never have let you mention it to the boys,” and she playfully shook her finger at him.
“There will be no danger—no danger in the least, I assure you, Mrs. Hopkins,” said the little scientist, with an old-fashioned bow. “I know the boys are brave and if we do go to the bottom of the sea in a submarine we will come back safely. Don’t worry.”
“I just can’t help it,” Mrs. Hopkins rejoined. “But I feel sure that it will be a long time before the boys will be able to build a submarine and go down in it.”
“I don’t know about that,” answered Jerry, with a smile. “But, Professor, let us tell you how strangely your quest fits in with a little experience we passed through yesterday.”
Then, by turns, each adding something, the boys told of the sight of the submarine, and of the storm through which they had passed.
“Hum! Yes,” said Mr. Snodgrass, when Ned had spoken of reading about the German boat. “I also recollect that. The man’s name is Klauss, I believe.”
“And is his boat really so wonderful?” asked Bob.
“Yes, from the brief accounts I saw of it I should say it was the last word in submarines,” replied the scientist. “I wish I had an opportunity to examine it, and if it is in this country, which seems to be the case, we may get a chance.”
“Not if he acts the way he did when we saw him,” commented Jerry. “He didn’t seem to want to be interviewed, and dived down as soon as he could.”
“Oh, well, maybe he was afraid of the coming storm,” went of Mr. Snodgrass. “Even the best submarine can’t stand being filled with water, you know, and they have very little free-board when running awash. However, let us now consider this new quest of mine. I really must make an attempt to get some of these rare hermit crabs, and the only way I know how to do it is to get to the bottom of the sea in a submarine. If you boys have no idea of making one perhaps I can get someone else. But I would rather go with you.”
“And I think we’d like to go!” cried Jerry, looking about to make sure his mother did not hear him. He knew she would let him go when the time came, after she had been assured of the comparative safety of the cruise.
“Then it’s all settled!” cried the professor, as if that was all that was necessary. “I’ll leave the details to you boys. When you have the submarine ready we will go. Meanwhile, I can be collecting other specimens. At present I must put away this rare lady bug that I got from Susan. It is really quite valuable, and I must make some notes concerning it before I forget them.”
He went into Jerry’s house, where he was always a welcome guest, leaving the boys to stare in surprise at one another.
“Well, if he isn’t the limit!” exclaimed Ned. “He tells us to let him know when the submarine is ready, just as though it was only a call to a meal.”
“Or as if we could produce a submarine at a minute’s notice, the way the magician in the show brings a rabbit out of a hat,” added Jerry. “The professor expects us to do wonders. A submarine, and we haven’t even so much as a ballast tank!”
“Well, maybe we could buy a second-hand submarine, if we could not have one made,” suggested Bob.
“Ha! Chunky is getting up his spunk,” spoke Ned. “Well, we’ll have to think this over. Meanwhile I guess I’d better be getting on home. Come on, Jerry, we’ll put away the Comet and to-morrow, or next day, we can talk over this latest stunt. I’m rather for it, myself.”
“So am I,” said the tall lad.
But the boys were not destined to immediately consider ways and means of obtaining a submarine. Hardly had Jerry and his chums put away the airship in the big shed than the storm through which they had passed, out near Boston, reached Cresville. The blow began gently enough, and for a time it seemed that there would be no special disturbance. But, as the day advanced, the fury of the gale grew until the wind had attained the force of a hurricane.
“Say, we seem to be taking a special course in storms,” remarked Jerry to his mother and the professor that afternoon, when one or two shutters had been blown from the Hopkins house. “This is almost as bad as the one at sea when we saw the submarine.”
But the professor was oblivious to everything but writing out facts concerning the rare lady bug, and with making memoranda concerning the hermit crabs, of which he soon hoped to start in search.
Jerry was kept busy tying back window blinds, and in mending a rain-pipe leader that had become displaced, letting the water flood the cellar.
Attired in a raincoat and rubber boots, the tall lad was working away when Ned came splashing through the storm. He seemed much excited.
“What’s the trouble?” panted Jerry, ceasing from his labors.
“Say, this is a fearful blow!” burst out Ned. “Two or three houses in town have been unroofed, and when I came past the newspaper office just now I saw a bulletin to the effect that out at sea it was much worse. It is feared that a number of ships have been sunk.”
“Then I’m glad we’re safe on land,” remarked Jerry. “Say, lend me a hand for a minute, Ned; will you? Just hold that piece of pipe until I slip this section into it. The wind blew it out of the fastenings.”
“This wind would do almost anything!” cried Ned, as he helped his chum. “I could hardly walk up the street. The chimney blew off the roof of Mr. Black’s house, and some of the bricks just missed me.”
“‘A miss is as good as a mile’,” quoted Jerry with a laugh. “But it sure is some blow, all right! I’m glad we’re not out in it in the Comet.”
“Same here. Whew! That was a fierce one!” cried Ned as a blast of wind almost tore the rain pipe from his grasp.
“Look out!” cried Jerry. “Duck!” and he pushed his chum aside just in time, as a slate from the roof sailed past them and crashed to pieces on the stone walk at their side. Ned turned a little pale.
“Thanks, old man,” he said quietly. “You saved me from a bad cut.”
“I saw it just in time,” returned Jerry. “So the bulletin says the storm is even worse out at sea; eh?”
“It does, and say—Bob’s uncle and cousin! They must be out in it. He said their boat would arrive in a day or so!”
“By Jove!” cried Jerry. “I never thought of that. It may be bad for the Sheldons. I wish we could help them, but I don’t see how we can. Poor old Bob will worry, and——”
“Here he comes now!” interrupted Ned, as he saw a figure splashing along the street. “He acts as though he had news, too!”