“Our radio was going yesterday. That was unavoidable. We may be attacked. How soon do you think it may come?”
“They seem quite a distance away. It may be several hours yet,” Sally replied thoughtfully.
“Several hours? I hope so. By that time we shall be in waters that are within striking distance of powerful land-based planes in England. When we’re sure the attack is to be made we’ll radio for aid. Those big planes will blast the subs from the sea!”
“But do you think they will come right in as they did before—the subs, I mean?” Sally asked.
“Why not?” he asked, seeming a little surprised.
“Perhaps they have been warned. They may try some new trick,” Sally suggested.
“It’s hard to imagine what that might be. Certainly they can’t sink our ships without coming in where we are. Keep a sharp watch. Stick to that radio of yours and report to Riggs every hour.”
Sally returned to her cabin with grave misgiving. That the enemy would repeat the performance of that other day seemed improbable. There was, of course, a fair chance that they did not know of the catastrophe that had befallen that other sub pack.
“It seems to me that we have had enough for one trip,” Nancy said when Sally told her what was happening.
“In war no one ever has enough trouble,” was Sally’s sober reply. “There is no such word as enough in the war god’s dictionary. It is always more and more and more. I’ve heard that we’re losing two hundred ships a month. No one seems to know for sure. One thing is certain, we haven’t lost any and we’re about two days from England.”