“Right you are,” agreed Jack. “All we have to do is to figure the distance from here to a point where, being sure it is not mined, we wish to rise. Then, calculating our speed, we shall know just when to come up safely.”
“Perfectly simple,” said Lord Hastings with a smile, “if we don’t hit a mine before we get there.”
“Don’t you think, sir, that by going beneath the mines we will be successful?”
“If I didn’t I wouldn’t make the attempt,” said Lord Hastings dryly. “I remember how you did it when you sank that Turkish cruiser in the Dardanelles.”
“And had we had this vessel at our disposal,” said Jack, “we could have done considerable more damage. As it was we had to get back before we exhausted our air supply.”
“We have an advantage in that respect. There can be no question about that,” said Lord Hastings.
“Well, when shall we start, sir?” asked Frank.
“Immediately,” was the reply.
The three turned their eyes over the sea to where the British fleet, retiring, could be seen moving toward the west. One of the large cruisers, the Tiger, was being towed by a torpedo boat.
“Hope she is not badly damaged,” said Jack, noticing how the British cruiser staggered.