Produced by Suzanne Lybarger, Brian Janes and the booksmiths at http://www.eBookForge.net [Illustration: "Unbolt the door!" _Frontispiece_] Dave Darrin After The Mine Layers OR Hitting the Enemy a Hard Naval Blow By H. IRVING HANCOCK Author of "Dave Darrin at Vera Cruz," "Dave Darrin on Mediterranean Service," "Dave Darrin's South American Cruise," "Dave Darrin on the Asiatic Station," "Dave Darrin and the German Submarines," etc., etc. Illustrated P H I L A D E L P H I A HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1919, BY HOWARD E. ALTEMUS CONTENTS CHAPTER I--WEIGHING ANCHOR FOR THE GREAT CRUISE 11 Dan is a business man. Sea orders in a jiffy. Anchors a-weigh. The mine-sweepers at work. In the torpedo's path. The Hun that slipped away. An indignant neutral skipper. "You vill do vat ve you tell--yes!" CHAPTER II--"THE ACCURSED POWER OF GOLD!" 30 Dave dares Fate. A new "boss." Secret of the after-hold. Dave is disgusted. "Vat? Can't proof it you?" Sweeping for more evidence. The prize crew. The vanishing periscope. CHAPTER III--A FIGHT OF THE GOOD OLD KIND 41 A fair hit. Distant firing. A real sea fight. The "Grigsby" turns tail. "Circle!" At deadly close quarters. Dan Dalzell scores. A stern chase. With the wounded. CHAPTER IV--WHAT A FLOATING MINE DID 55 The liner in trouble. The flash of a mine. True to his trust. Seaman Streeter is busy. A deaf jacky. Not present or accounted for. Rescue work. Dan protests. Dave sets the pace. Out for sterner work. CHAPTER V--EYES THAT LOOKED DOWN FROM THE AIR 63 Why the flash was seen. The "blimp" sighted. A question out of the air. New help. The sea hornet. A narrow squeak. "Laid an egg in your path." Blimp and limp. Seaman Hedgeby enjoys himself. "British hot air," and Dave gets a pal's share indeed. The story of a capture. In deadly peril. CHAPTER VI--IN THE TEETH OF THE CHANNEL GALE 78 Dave turns real helper. "I thought we were goners!" Making the grapple again. The day's work of a mine-sweeper. In a boiling sea. Life lines up. "Commanding officer overboard!" CHAPTER VII--IN THE HOUR OF DESPAIR 84 The vanishing destroyer. Hope, then despair. The meeting of searchlights. Fighting pluck. The rope from somewhere. Looped! "Ugh!" The big sleep. The "Rigsdak." A cowboy Dane. CHAPTER VIII--DAVE MEETS THE FATE OF THE SEA 95 From the pages of the Arabian Nights. Mr. and Mrs. Launce. The shattering jar. To the boats! No enemy in sight. The gray tower. The hail and a bad time of it. Dave stands revealed. A German prisoner at last!