Page:Arthur B Reeve - The Dream Doctor.djvu/295

 you, sir," he welcomed, clasping Craig's hand in both of his—a fine figure as he stood erect in the light of the portecochére. "What's the news from Washington, Burke? Any clues?"

"I can hardly tell," replied the secret service man, with assumed cheerfulness. "By the way, you'll have to excuse me for a few minutes while I run back into town on a little errand. Meanwhile, Captain, will you explain to Professor Kennedy just how things, are? Perhaps he'd better begin by seeing the Turtle herself."

Burke had not waited longer than to take leave.

"The Turtle," repeated the captain, leading the way into the house. "Well, I did call it that at first. But I prefer to call it the Z99. You know the first submarines, abroad at least, were sometimes called A1, A2, A3, and so on. They were of the diving, plunging type, that is, they submerged on an inclined keel, nose down, like the Hollands. Then came the B type, in which the hydroplane appeared; the C type, in which it was more prominent, and a D type, where submergence is on a perfectly even keel, somewhat like our Lakes. Well, this boat of mine is a last word—the Z99. Call it the Turtle, if you like."

We were standing for a moment in a wide Colonial hall in which a fire was crackling in a huge brick fireplace, taking the chill off the night air.

"Let me give you a demonstration, first," added the captain. "Perhaps Z99 will work—perhaps not."

There was an air of disappointment about the old veteran as he spoke, uncertainly now, of what a short time ago he had known to be a certainty and one of