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“Father,” whispered Mrs. Bushnell, “it’s the fish David has been all summer catching.”

“Fish!” ejaculated Mr. Bushnell, “it’s more like a turtle.”

“That’s good!” spoke up Dr. Gale, from within. “Turtle it shall be.”

“It is the first submarine boat ever made–a grand idea, wrought into substance,” slowly pronounced Dr. Franklin; “let us have it forth into the river.”

“And run the risk of discovery?” suggested David, pleased that his work approved itself to the man of science.

“We meant to try it last night, but failed,” said Ezra Bushnell.

“There, now, father, don’t you wish we had staid at home?” whispered Mrs. Bushnell.

“No!” growled the father. “They would have killed themselves getting it down alone.”

He stepped within and laid his hand on the machine, saying:

“Anna, you keep watch, and, if any boat heaves in sight, let us know. Does the Turtle snap, David?” he questioned, putting forth his hand and laying it cautiously upon the animal.

“Never, until the word is given,” replied the son, and then ten strong hands applied the strength within them to lift the curious piece of mechanism and carry it without.

The seine-house was close to the river-bank, and in a half-hour’s time the American Turtle was in its native element.

Madam Anna Bushnell kept strict watch over the shores and the river, but not a sail slid into sight, not an oar troubled the waters of the tide, as it tossed back the tumble of the down-flowing river.

It was a hard duty for the mother to perform; for, at a glance toward the bank, she saw David step into the machine, and the brass cover close down over his head. She felt suffocating fears for him, as, at last, the thing began to move into the stream. She saw it go out, she saw it slowly sinking, going down out of sight, until even the brass head was submerged.

Then she forsook her post, and hastened to the bank to keep watch with the rest.

One, two, three minutes went by. The men looked at the surface of the waters, at each other, grew thoughtful, pale; the mother gasped and dropped on the salt grass, fainting; the brother gave to Lady Fenwick a running push, bounded on board, and clutched the oars to row swiftly to the spot where David went down.

Mr. Bushnell filled his hat with water, and sprinkled the pale face in the sedge.

” There! there! ” cried Dr. Franklin, with distended eyes and eager outlook.

” Where? where? ” ejaculated Dr. Gale, striving to take into vision the whole surface of the river, at a glance.

“It’s all right! He’s coming up plump !” shouted Ezra, from his boat, as he rowed with speed for the spot where a brass tube was rising, sun-burnished, from the Connecticut.

Presently the brass head, with its very small windows, emerged, even the oaken sides were rising,–and Mr. Bushnell was greeting the returning consciousness of his wife with the words:

“It’s all right, mother. David is safe.”

“Don’t let him know,” were the first words she spoke, “that his own mother was so faithless as to doubt!”

And now, paddle, paddle, toward the river-bank came the Turtle, David Bushnell’s head rising out of its shell, proud confidence shining forth from his eyes, as feet and hands busied themselves in navigating the boat that had lived for months in his brain, and now was living, in very substance, under his control.

As he neared the bank a shout of acclamation greeted him.

He reached the island, was fairly dragged forth from his seat, and carried up to the spot where his mother sat, trying to overcome every trace of past doubt and fear.

“Now,” said Dr. Gale, “let us give thanks unto Him who hath given this youth understanding to do this great work.”

With bared heads and devout hearts the thanksgiving went upward, and thereafter a perfect shower of questions pelted David Bushnell concerning his device to blow up ships: how he came to think of it at all– where he got this idea and that as to its construction–to all of which he simply said: