The flying submarine (Venture books for boys)

CONTENTS:

SUB-LIEUTENANT HOLMSBY HAS TO INVESTIGATE
THE OUTRAGE ON THE HIGHWAY
THE MYSTERY DEEPENS
CHECKMATE
THE SECOND NIGHT
THE THIRD NIGHT
DON MIGUEL O'ROURKE
A MODERN MAGICIAN
THE "AMPHIBIAN"
THE WONDERFUL NUTSHELL
HOLMSBY GAINS HIS POINT
THE "AMPHIBIAN" TO THE RESCUE
AN EXCHANGE OF SHOTS
DICK TRESILLIAN'S ESCAPE
THE TALPICAN AEROPLANES
A SWOOP FROM THE SKY
"WE HAVE STILL THE SUBMARINE"
DON MIGUEL TAKES THE FIELD
THE VINDICATION OF THE PRESIDENT
TREACHERY IN THE AIR
THE PRESIDENT'S CHOICE
THE PERILS OF THE ABYSS
THE AIRSHIP THAT PASSED IN THE NIGHT
HOLMSBY'S RAID
A TRAITOR'S DOOM
A BLOODLESS VICTORY
"I GIVE YOU ONE MINUTE TO DECIDE"
DON MIGUEL'S REVENGE
HOLMSBY'S RETURN
THE "AMPHIBIAN" HAULS DOWN HER ENSIGN

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A excerpt from the beginning of:

CHAPTER I
SUB-LIEUTENANT HOLMSBY HAS TO INVESTIGATE

"No, no, Wapping. I don't think we need take action. Hang it all, man, what with all these tin-pot scares about foreign spies, we shall be run off our feet."
"But don't you think this is something out of the ordinary?" asked Captain Douglas Wapping, M.V.O., R.N., of his chief.

"Out of the ordinary? Yes, quite—a letter written by a gimcrack hare-brained pensioner, with the evident idea of gaining notoriety prior to calling attention to some grievance real or imaginary. I know their game. Who is this Lieutenant Haslar?"

"I've looked him up in the Navy List, sir. Retired on pension. He was a ranker, promoted for meritorious service in the Bangwan River affair."

"Oh yes, I remember the man. Garrulous as an old washerwoman."
"But he states sufficient in the letter to justify investigation——"

"Well, well, Wapping, have your way then: you always do, somehow or other. Hang it, man, if I had your powers of persuasion I would have received Flag rank long before I did."

That morning Rear-Admiral Pennington had received a letter from an obscure Cornish fishing-hamlet, stating that the writer, Lieutenant Haslar, R.N. (retired), had reason to believe that a mysterious submarine, owned apparently by a foreign power, had been seen cruising in the waters of St. Ives Bay, and that, moreover, a huge airship, that must have its headquarters in the vicinity, was in the habit of making nocturnal passages overland in the direction of Plymouth.

"Send one of the youngsters," continued the Chief Director. "Have you anyone in view?"
"There's Herne, sir, or Bircham, or——"
"How about Holmsby?"
"Well, sir——"
"What?"
"I'm afraid I cannot recommend him."
"Why not?"
"Personally I know little of him, but James has reported unfavourably upon him more than once."
"A fig for James, Wapping. You let that fellow lead you by the nose, as I've told you before."
"You have, sir," admitted Rear-Admiral Pennington's subordinate humbly.
"As a matter of fact, I know something of young Holmsby. A bit high-spirited, perhaps, but after all, is that a failing? Moreover, he came here with an excellent report from the captain of the Tremendous. Send him in to me, and we'll give him his sailing orders."
Accordingly a messenger was dispatched to summon Sub-Lieutenant Reginald Holmsby to report himself in the chief's sanctum, and in a few minutes the young officer was standing as straight as a dart in front of his superiors.
Recently it had been the practice of the Admiralty to appoint junior officers to the Naval Intelligence Department to assist the commanders and marine captains who had hitherto comprised the combatant personnel of this branch at Whitehall. It was purely an experiment, but since these juniors could be entrusted with missions of minor importance, and would gain experience to enable them to tackle more intricate matters, the scheme bid fair to prove a success.
Sub-Lieutenant Reginald Holmsby was a fine active specimen of the British naval officer. Standing five feet eleven inches in his socks, broad yet wiry in body, and with a powerful-looking face that betokened courage and sagacity, he still retained an almost boyish expression...