“There’s danger to be considered in any submarine game really worth the while,” assented Captain Jack Benson, coolly.  “Do you feel then, Mr. Danvers, that we should be satisfied to drive back to Dunhaven and content ourselves with wiring the Navy Department news of the derelict and of her present position?”

Lieutenant Danvers thoughtfully gazed at the young submarine commander’s face.

“No,” he muttered, at last.  “I think the best thing for a fellow like you, Jack Benson, will be to wade in and get your revenge!  And make it as complete as you can!”

“All right, sir,” nodded Jack.  “Thank you.  And now, we’ll see how complete a job we can make of it.  Mr. Somers!”

“Aye, aye, sir,” answered Eph, from below.

“Are you going to consult with your crew?” whispered Danvers.

“They’re not the kind of fellows who need consulting,” muttered Captain Jack.  “All they want is their orders.  Mr. Somers, bring up the sounding line.”

“Aye, aye, sir.”

In a moment more young Somers was in the conning tower, and Jack, sounding line in hand, was out on the platform deck, where Lieutenant Danvers followed him.

Eph knew, by this time, what was wanted of him.  Hal, in the engine room, was, as yet, ignorant of the game, but all Hal had to do was to obey engine room signals promptly.

Sending the submarine craft ahead at very slow speed, Eph steered as close to the bobbing masthead as the young captain deemed safe.  Jack shouted his orders back as he and Lieutenant Danvers crouched over the nose of the boat.

In the rough sea that was running their work was doubly hard.  But Eph kept the searchlight all the time turned in the direction of the top of the bobbing mast stump.  In a circle they went around it, barely thirty feet from the broken mast, Jack heaving the sounding lead.

At last he felt it rest on the deck of the sunken derelict.  The distance below was six fathoms—­thirty-six feet.

“Now, we’ve got the line of the hull,” called Benson to the lieutenant.  “Our next job is to find how far back this hull runs under the water.”

This knowledge, also, was gained, at last.  Then Jack Benson, rising, hastened back to the conning tower, followed by Danvers.  Jack himself closed the manhole, while Eph still trained the searchlight through the darkness of the night.  Stormy weather was threatening.

“Now, hustle below, Eph, and get that loaded torpedo into the tube,” commanded Skipper Jack Benson.

“My men will help you,” added Lieutenant Danvers.

Jack quickly had his figures made.  He knew where the hull lay, in what direction, and how far below the surface the deck of the sunken derelict lay.  He planned to land the torpedo twelve feet below the derelict’s deck, which, he believed, would strike a full and fair blow.

“Torpedo’s loaded, sir,” called Eph, while the “Hastings,” under slow speed astern, was gliding back to get into position for the attack.