"Can one of the marines fire a shot to stop those fellows?" asked Eph
Somers.
"In the air, do you mean, sir?" asked the midshipman. "Certainly."
"Then I wish he'd do it."
Bang! The discharge of the rifle sounded sharply on the night air.
"It ain't stopping 'em any," muttered Eph, after a few seconds had gone
by.
"Nothing would, unless fired into them," volunteered Midshipman Terrell.
It did not take long, however, to run the submarine up alongside of the
sloop, at a distance of about one hundred yards.
"Now, we want you men to stop," called Midshipman Terrell, between his
hands. "We are United States naval forces, from the gunboat, and you will
regard this as an order that you must obey. No!" thundered the midshipman,
suddenly, as the bearded one started to step down into the cabin. "You
will both keep on deck. Otherwise we shall be obliged to fire into you. We
mean business, remember!"
"What do you want to board us for?" demanded Curtis, pausing.
"We will explain when we come aboard."
"How are you coming, aboard? You've no small boat."
"We can land this submarine right up beside you," responded the
midshipman, "if you keep straight to your present course.
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