Weddigen was soon forgotten in the plans for going aboard the _Jules Verne_ and testing her out on the initial voyage. Captain Austin, meeting the three lads near the drydock, told them they should report for duty at seven o'clock the next morning. Jay had heard that they would go out that same afternoon; but now their chief executive told them it would be morning before they would get their first peek at the new salvage ship. The hours dragged slowly, so impatient were the youths to see the _Jules Verne_ at last. They had heard so much about her and speculated so much on the kind of ship that it might be and how it would operate. Even carefree Larry Seymour, not much given to the serious side of life, avowed for once all this secrecy had "got his goat." "Must be something wonderful's all I can say," he laughed with a toss of the head. "And tomorrow we're to find out all about it," Jay could hardly wait. Morning found the three youths on hand early. Fismes, the war dog, accompanied them to the yard. Jay had wanted to take the pet along on the _Nemo_ as a mascot, but it had been decided there was no space on the under-water craft for a dog. Now it might be different; for the _Jules Verne_ was a surface cruising craft from which under-water operations were conducted--that much the boys had wormed out of Captain Austin. "Cap" himself was waiting to greet the lads and escort them aboard the _Jules Verne_. "Ho! Ho! what have we here?" interposed Captain Austin as he wheeled to look the dog over. "Some tramp dog that followed you fellows in?" Jay was quick to tell the story of the famous dog of war, and to introduce Fismes formally to the Bridgeford Yard official. "Good enough, old boy," was Cap's greeting as he took the extended paw of the dog. "And now you shall come right aboard the _Jules Verne_ with us. We need a mascot for this new ship. I know of none better, and forthwith propose you as a member of the crew. What do you say, boys?" Jay and Dick, who shared the pet between them, heartily agreed, and Jay told how he had really wanted to take Fismes along on the _Nemo_, but had desisted, knowing there would not be room. "But there's plenty of room on the _Jules Verne_. Come along, fellows; let's be on our way." So saying, the four deep-sea navigators set out for the new craft, closely pursued by a shaggy brown dog, who, stiff and proud, walked like an animal all conceited over new honors heaped upon him. "Here she is all ready for us," announced Captain Austin as they came at last in sight of the _Jules Verne_. Both Brighton lads stopped short in their tracks. They had expected to see something pretentious. Instead, here was anchored a flat wide-beamed vessel that at first glance looked for all the world like a car-float with the superstructure of a ferry boat. It might have been a houseboat at one time in its career.