"To the bottom," Jack repeated.

"Impossible!" cried the officer. "One British ship couldn't sink
four German torpedo destroyers."

"I didn't say there was only one," said Jack. "We some
assistance."

"You must have had," said the German officer heatedly. "How
many? A dozen?"

"There were two or three," said Jack briefly,

He had no mind to tell the German officer the size of the British
squadron.

The German officer was silent for several minutes and then he
said: "Why didn't you tell me this in the first place?"

"You didn't ask me," replied Jack, with a tantalizing laugh.

The German brought his right fist into the palm of his left hand
with a resounding smack.

"You English will pay dearly for every German ship stink," he
exclaimed.

"Maybe so," replied Jack, dryly, "but it won't be a German fleet
that makes us pay."