Page:Barbour--For the freedom from the seas.djvu/317

 know, though, it why the sub didn't submerge when they saw us coming up. It wasn't a bit like their usual style."

"We got all that," said Tip. "If there's anything you wish to know, sir, enquire within. It seems the sub didn't submerge for the excellent reason that it couldn't. Someone"

"The American, of course," interrupted Martin. "They've got him back in the Old Man's quarters now. Sure to have been him. What would you have done under the"

"Quite so, old dear, quite so! That was their mistake, wasn't it? Took an American prisoner aboard, Troy, as a member of the crew. Funny thing, I say, but I heard months ago that they were having a hard time manning the subs. Well, he cooked their goose for them, what?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Nelson. "Do you mean that there was an American aboard that boat?"

"Just so! And he did something to their tanks"

"Broke the valves, probably," corrected Martin. "Don't see just how he could, either. Still, they say he did. If he had"

"You mean he fixed the boat so it couldn't dive?" 292