"I peen an American mit a Dutch agsent," protested Carl, "und I t'ink so mooch oof der Shdars und Shdripes as anypody. I vould schust as soon shtep on der Pritish lion's tail as anyt'ing vat I know."
"If you step on the British lion's tail, and I find it out, matey," laughed Dick, "I'll have you hauled up and fined for cruelty to animals. One of these days I'm going to write to the kaiser and tell him about you."
"Vat I care for der kaiser?" snorted Carl. "He iss a pooty goot feller, aber he ain'd so big like der Bresident oof der land oof der free und der home oof Modor Matt."
"Fine-o!" chuckled Dick.
"A dandy sentiment, Carl!" exclaimed Glennie. "What do you think of that, Matt?"
"Why," returned Matt, "I think that if the lot of us don't stop joshing and attend more to watching our immediate neighborhood that the land of the free and the home of the brave is liable to be minus one submarine and a lot of motor boys. That Jap boat is a particularly noiseless craft; she came close enough to us to launch a torpedo, and close enough to tangle me up in a rope and pull me into the ocean. If she did it once, she can do it again. We've got to keep sharp eyes forward, aft, and on both sides. Dick, you'll be the bow lookout, and Glennie can go aft; you watch the port side, Carl, and I'll watch the starboard. Can you steer for the rest of the night, Speake?" he added to the man in the conning tower.
"I guess I can stand this extra duty if you can, Matt," replied Speake, "considering what you've been through."
"A dip in the ocean and a ride on a torpedo doesn't count," said Matt, dropping his wet clothes down the hatch; "it's what may happen to us if we don't keep on our guard that bothers me. This boat is going to be delivered at Mare Island, Japs or no Japs."
"Und righdt site oop mit care, you bed you!" cried Carl, dropping down on the port side of the conning tower. "I feel so easy in my mindt as oof I vas alretty pack in der best gountry vat efer vas."
"Carl is full of patriotism to-night, mates," observed Dick, from the bow.