But Billy declined to carry his bluff any further. “Tell you what I will do, though,” he hedged. “I’ll take ’em now and wear ’em the day we march into Berlin!”
“Nothing doing, old man. I want to live to see it. What’s the Wanderer? Mine-layer?”
“No, coast patrol,” answered Billy. “We bust a shaft the other day chasing a U-boat and are in for repairs.”
“Chasing a U-boat? Sounds exciting. Catch her?”
“We would have, but she wasn’t there,” replied Billy gravely. “Are you up at the submarine base? Do they allow folks in there?”
“Yes. And they don’t. But if you want to look us over I’ll fix it for you. What are you doing now? Want to run up and see us? I’ll give you transportation.” He nodded at a vividly blue roadster automobile at the curb. “That’s my boat, and if you don’t mind squeezing a bit——”
“Phew!” exclaimed Billy. “Do they supply you with those dinguses? Guess I’ll transfer to the submarine branch and get me one.”
The car was a handsome affair of a world-famous foreign make. Their new acquaintance laughed.
“No, I had that and brought it with me. We’re about three miles from town and it’s a long way to walk. What do you say? Want to take a ride?”
“Surest thing you know,” agreed Billy. “Who gets in first?”