"Hi, Manuelo" (this to a Philipino mess boy who stood looking on with impassive curiosity), "save three more breakfasts."
"Anything go for you?"
"Well, if here isn't our old Bump!"
The crowd gathered round Captain John who had established contact (this is military term quite out of place in a work on the Navy) with the eagerly sought, horribly elusive German.
"Go on, John, give us an earful. What time did you say it was?"
"About 5 A.M.," answered the captain. He stood leaning against a door and the fine head, the pallor, the touch of fatigue, all made a very striking and appealing picture. "Say about eight minutes after five. I'd just come up to take a look-see, and saw him just about two miles away on the surface, and moving right along. So I went under to get into a good position, came up again and let him have one. Well, the bird saw it just as it was almost on him, swung her round, and dived like a ton of lead."
The audience listened in silent sympathy. One could see the disappointment on the captain's face.
"Where was he?"
"About so and so."
"That's the jinx that got after the convoy sure as you live."