"Unless we can find a duplicate plate---and that appears
impossible---the 'Dodger' is wholly unable to help herself."
"If the outlook is as black as it appears, gentlemen," spoke Jack
Benson from behind their backs, "I'm extremely sorry that such
a disaster should have happened when we had six such promising
young Naval officers aboard."
"Oh, hang us and our loss!" exploded Dave Darrin forgetting that
he was addressing an officer. "I guess the country won't miss
us so very much. But it surely will be a blow to the United States
if the Navy's three best submarine experts have to be lost to
the country to satisfy a discharged enlisted man's spite."
Eph Somers had come down from the tower. He, too, looked extremely
grave, though he showed no demoralizing signs of fear.
As for the six midshipmen, they were brave. Not a doubt but that
every one of them showed all necessary grit in the face of this
fearful disaster. Yet they could not conceal the pallor in their
faces, nor could they hide the fact that their voices shook a
little when they spoke.
"Make a thorough search, Mr. Hastings," directed Lieutenant Jack
Benson, in a tone as even as though he were discussing the weather.
"It's barely possible that the duplicate plates have been only
mislaid---that they're in another drawer."
Hal Hastings turned with one of his quiet smiles. He knew that
the system in his beloved engine room was so exact that nothing
there was ever misplaced.
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