“Have they torpedoes, sir?”
“Only the Bolivar. She is, in fact, a semi-torpedo boat. The others were being equipped with tubes when the revolution broke out, and the crews mutinied.”
“The Bolivar, then, is the only one that can plump a Whitehead at us?”
“That’s it, but she carries a good supply.”
“And so do we, don’t we?”
“I am sorry to say not. The last shipment of Whiteheads from your country was delayed. We have on board now not more than four.”
“Hum, that’s bad,” mused the middy. “However, captain, we have a first-rate armament, and I guess we’ll be able to give a good account of ourselves.”
“I sincerely hope so,” rejoined the other, with a dubious intonation that, in spite of his courage, made cold chills run down the middy’s spine, “but it is three against one——”
“Lame duck!” laughed Stark, throwing off his nervousness with an effort. “Do you intend to put your strategy into effect at once?”
“No, I think the best plan would be to cruise off here for a time. There is always a chance that they may send out one of the vessels alone to reconnoiter. In that case we could cut her off and have her at our mercy.”