as inspired by the grand old song and steeled
to die bravely for Old Glory if necessary and uphold the fair
traditions of the U.S. Navy.

From that moment the mental atmosphere within the _Dewey_ was cleared.
Inspired by the national anthem, every man resolved that now, do or
die, he would perform his part bravely.

"Where do we go from here, boys?" Bill started to play, and immediately
a dozen lusty voices joined in the rag-time refrain.

So the merriment continued over evening mess and into the evening. Ted
had strolled into the torpedo room absent-mindedly and was leaning
with one arm over one of the torpedoes in the starboard rack when
suddenly there flashed through his mind a wild inspiration. Instantly
he straightened and gazed about him. One at a time he counted the
torpedoes in the hold of the _Dewey_. There were three loaded in the
tubes and two more in the port and starboard racks.

"I'll do it, I'll do it," he shouted aloud and raced aft immediately
to the control chamber where his commander sat writing at an improvised
table.

Lieutenant McClure turned as Ted stopped and came to a salute.

"If you please, sir," Ted began, "I've been hatching a crazy kind of
a notion in my mind. I'd like to offer it in the way of a suggestion,
if you don't mind, sir."

"Go ahead, lad," said "Little Mack" with a show of interest.

"All right, sir," replied Ted. "There are five torpedoes aboard the
_Dewey_. It occurred to me that you might load all four tubes. Start
the engines and reverse them and then when we are tugging with all our
might shoot out the four torpedoes one after the other in rapid
succession. We'll lighten our load a lot and the kick of the firing
may drag us off. That's all, sir, but it was just an idea and I
couldn't help telling you, sir."

The captain of the _Dewey_ sat bold upright in his chair.

"I never thought of trying such a plan. I'll try it---I'll try it,"
he shouted.

"Little Mack" jumped to his feet and pressed the buzzer for his
executive officer. In a moment Officer Cleary appeared and the plan
was unfolded to him.

In quicker time than it takes to relate it, the _Dewey's_ commander
had sent orders forward for Mike Mowrey to load the torpedo tubes
and for Chief Engineer Blaine to get his engines in motion.

"What's up?" cried Bill Witt as Ted came bouncing into the torpedo
room.

"Wait a moment and you'll see," replied Ted.

From the engine room aft came the pur