"You consent to our going aboard your
boat, of course, Mr. Rhinds?"
Had there been any reasonable way of preventing it, Rhinds would not
have agreed, but he saw that he must comply with the request.
Admiral Townsley raised a hand in signal. Out of the background came
Jacob Farnum and his three submarine boys.
"These people can't come aboard my boat!" protested Rhinds.
"They must, if we do," retorted the admiral, crisply. "These are the
human beings who were placed in deadly peril by the torpedo that has yet
to be accounted for."
Rhinds no longer objected. All his force, all his will appeared to
have departed. He moved along, now, like a puppet.
Down at the water-front a naval launch was in waiting. In this the
entire party was taken out to the "Thor." Captain Driggs received the
callers on the platform deck, and Admiral Townsley stated the object
of the visit.
"Why, Admiral," replied Captain Driggs, honestly, "I have no knowledge
that there was an extra torpedo aboard. Yet, of course, there's a
place where such a thing might have been hidden.
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