our feet."

"I suppose so. However, ordinarily, as you know, they won't attack a
battleship. It's too risky. If they miss with the first torpedo, the
chances are they will be sunk."

"Well, we sunk a few," said Frank.

"I know we did; but we took long chances."

"The Germans take long chances, too."

"You must have a little German blood in you, Frank," said Jack, with a
smile. "If I didn't know you better, I would think you were sticking up
for them."

"No, I'm not sticking up for them; but they do things we seem to be
afraid to do. To my way of thinking, we should have gone and cleaned up
Heligoland a long time ago."

"By Jove! You want the enemy to win this war quickly, don't you?"

"No, but----"

"Come, now. You know very well what would have happened if we had tried
to take a fleet into Heligoland. They would have blown us out of the
water."

"Well, such things have been done," grumbled Frank. "I can tell you a
couple of cases. At Mobile Bay----"