Dave laughed, then soon forgot the chaffing, for he was greatly interested in what he saw of the work that was being carried on. Certainly, for such a comparatively slow craft, a large area of sea surface could be covered in a forenoon.
Presently Hedgeby came back to them, and Ormsby tried once more to extract some real information.
"With the amount of speed you can command," he resumed, "what does a craft like this do, Hedgeby, if a German destroyer comes racing along after you?"
"We just shut off speed, sir, and the blooming destroyer goes by so fast that nine times hout of ten she doesn't see us at all."
"But if the destroyer sees you and stops to engage, what then?"
Once more the quizzical expression faded from the British sailorman's eyes. He stepped back, resting one hand on a light gun mounted on a swivel pedestal.
"We do hour best with this piece, sir."
"An unequal combat, Hedgeby!"
"You may well say it, sir, but hat least we come hout of the fracas as well as does the submarine that our sweep locates on the bottom."
"Have you known of any case in which a mine-sweeper had any show at all against a German destroyer?"