The words of the old salt were an inspiration to the anxious group in the steersman’s section of the craft.
“What’s your plan, Tom?” asked Mr. Dancer, bravely banishing all trace of alarm from his voice.
“Just this. We’ll see if we can’t shoot ourselves loose.”
“Shoot ourselves loose!”
The others looked at Tom Jesson as if he had gone suddenly crazy. But he returned their glances without a trace of embarrassment.
“I mean just what I said,” he repeated steadily.
In his voice there was a ring that compelled respectful attention to his next words.
“We have a submarine gun?”
“Yes,” responded Mr. Chadwick eagerly.
“Well, now’s the time to use it.”