Here the captain shrugged his shoulders, spreading his hands palm upward, and extending them with a final toss aloft to indicate the hopelessness of a situation such as he intimated might befall them.
“Can’t we dodge a mine?” queried Jimmie.
“Sure, if vhe can see id!” declared von Kluck.
“That’s the trouble,” explained Ned. “These mines float deep and before a ship can know of its danger—Bang!”
“Well, Ned,” announced Jimmie with a grin, as he wrinkled his freckled nose, “I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll bet you my old hat that if we do hit a mine and get blown up I go higher than you do!”
“All right,” agreed Ned, laughing in spite of the seriousness of the situation. “We’ll ask von Kluck to be the judge.”
“Von Kluck don’t seem to be very much worried over the prospect of hitting a mine!” declared Jimmie. “I guess we’re all right!”
“Und now,” announced the captain, “come to der cabin und eat!”
The boys needed no second invitation. They were soon seated about the little table, where they found great slabs of cheese set out on a plate. Loaves of hard, black bread were placed upon the table by the steward, who withdrew to presently reappear bearing a great pot of steaming coffee. Von Kluck refreshed himself with a glass of his beloved “schnapps,” then fell to heartily upon the bread and cheese, motioning to the boys to do likewise.
With considerable relish the lads made a good lunch off the bread and cheese and coffee. Hard and dark, but possessing considerable nutriment, the bread was not at all unpleasant to the taste. It had been plentifully seasoned with small seeds, which lent an appetizing flavor.