“Your proposal is in good faith, boy,” interrupted his commander, “but it strikes me as a foolhardy proposition.  We are down here more than eighty feet and, even though you got up to the surface, the chances of your gaining the attention of that vessel are mighty slim.”

Jack stepped forward eagerly.  “It has been done before and I’m willing to take that chance,” he urged.  “If we stay here we are done for.  Unless we find some way of floating the Dewey within the next twenty-four hours we’ve all got to take our chances on getting out of here.  Let me go now.  It might as well be now as later on.  We’ve got to act quickly.”

For a moment Mcclure stood motionless surveying the intrepid youngster.  It seemed such a desperate chance, and yet, under the circumstances, something had to be done.

“You are a brave boy, Jack,” said Mcclure finally, springing forward and grasping the hand of his aide.  “If you are willing I’ll let you do it, for, under the circumstances, we are forced to resort to some heroic measures.  God bless you, lad!  And now let react quickly.”

In short order the entire party repaired to the torpedo room forward where Jack was to attempt his hazardous experiment.  Taking off his coat and shoes, which he fastened around his neck, Jack stood ready for the ordeal.  Mike Mowrey had opened the upper port chamber and with the aid of his crew run out the torpedo that had been placed therein ready for firing.  All was in readiness for the youth to crawl through the breech cap and stretch himself out like a human torpedo.

Lieutenant Mcclure was sure that the prow of the Dewey lay free of the sand bar on which the vessel was poised, and that there was no obstruction in front of the bowcap.  But to make doubly sure he ordered the discharge of a torpedo from the lower starboard chamber.  It left the bowcap free and with full power, giving assurance that no obstacle intervened beyond the mouth of the torpedo tubes.

Jack saluted his lieutenant, signifying his readiness to go.

“So longs Ted!” was his jaunty sally as he turned for an instant to his old Brighton chum.  For a few seconds the two boys gazed full into each other’s eyes, their hands clasped in a farewell.

“Good luck to you, old man!” said Ted, with a gulp in his throat.

“All ready now!” smiled Jack, as he turned first to his commander and then inserted his head in the mouth of the torpedo tube, motioning with his hands for his comrades to thrust him into the chamber.

CHAPTER XVI

IN THE WIRELESS STATION

In less time than it takes to tell, Jack was bundled into the long steel case, his arms stretched over his head well forward toward the bowcap.  So tightly was he wedged in the aperture that his shoulders rubbed against both sides of the tube.  Before climbing into the chamber he had hastily crammed a handful of waste inside his hat to act as a cushion for the water pressure against his skull that would be inevitable once his body was thrust out into the sea.