Still the man didn't come. His right hand was trembling but he held on to the cards.
"Oh," said Peter, "you win if that's what you're waiting for. For God's sake, come on."
Peter didn't have the courage to be the first man out of the smoking-room. He walked slowly enough to let two players pass him. Going to his room he found a life preserver and put it on clumsily. Outside in the hall a very white-faced steward was saying over and over again, "There is no danger. There is no danger." Coming out on deck a passenger almost ran into Peter. He was dashing up and down the deck shouting, "Don't get excited." Peter saw his poker friend standing beside the rail and took his place alongside him.
"There she is," said the man, pointing to a thing about a mile away which looked like a stray beanpole thrust into the ocean. "It's the periscope," he explained. The gun on the Espagne went "bang!" once more.
"If we don't get her, she'll get us, won't she?" asked Peter.
The man nodded. The beanpole disappeared. "She'll come up some other place," he told Peter.
They both stared at the ocean, looking for the sprouting of the weed. Peter kept silent for at least two minutes. He held on to the rail because his right leg was shaking. The man must not know that he was afraid.
"What did you have?" asked Peter. "What did you have?" he repeated.
"How's that?"
"A minute ago when I dropped. What did you have?"