Page:Cruise of the Dry Dock.djvu/316

 little details of life went calmly on even when life itself was threatened with extinction. As Madden went below to his meal, he met Malone who came from below, looking as black as an Ethiopian. The mate had been directing the firing in this extreme necessity.

The two fell in together as they walked to the wash room.

“I daresay those fellows wish they had sunk the Vulcan when they had her,” observed the American.

“They needed 'er theirselves,” explained the mate in a matter-of-fact way. “Those German cruisers 'ave captured a whole flotilla of prizes lately, and they needed th' tug to 'andle 'em for 'em.”

“And they didn't need the Minnie B?”

“Oh, no, not at all.”

“Why didn't they sink her at once?”

“Her cap'n told me she carried more copper than one submarine could reship, so they 'ad to wait for another, as they didn't want to throw no copper away.”

Madden nodded. “It was the second submarine I saw on the night she foundered.” He