“Ready,” came the reply.
“Click!”
Just this faint metallic sound and the human torpedo sped on its upward journey like a catapult.
Jack turned to Grigsby.
“You next,” he said.
Grigsby crawled into the tube.
“Ready?” asked Jack.
“Ready, sir,” came the reply.
Again the click and the second human torpedo sped on its way to safety.
And so on down the line, until there remained, besides Jack, only Frank, his chum, and Lord Hastings, his commander.