He gave a hoarse cry, and in another moment a big gun spoke. "Boom!" The D-16 staggered. One more huge wave she climbed, and when she settled into the trough of the sea with it, she went deeper. She seemed to turn on her beam ends as she dived, but suddenly she righted herself. Officers and crew picked themselves up from the positions into which they had been flung, and rushed for their posts. "Look at the tanks!" cried Lord Hastings, and Jack rushed to obey. He came running back an instant later. "A miracle," he cried. "The tanks are full. That is what brought us down." Lord Hastings stared at him in surprise. "Impossible," he said. "How could the tanks be full?" "I don't know, sir," replied Jack, "but they are." Lord Hastings thought hard and fast. "Where did the shell strike us?" he asked at length. "Just forward of the tanks, sir." "That may have had something to do with it," mused the commander, "although I can't see how. Give the command to rise two fathoms, Mr. Templeton." Jack obeyed. Once, twice, thrice he gave it, with no result. Then the man who had answered the signal came running into the cabin. "Something wrong, sir," he said quietly. "I can't budge her, sir." "You mean you cannot force out the water?" asked Lord Hastings quietly. "Yes, sir." "It is as I feared," said the commander. He turned to officers and crew who had gathered about. "It is all over," he said quietly. "We are done for. If we cannot force the water from the tanks, we cannot go to the surface. It is impossible to fix the break beneath the water. That is all, men." As the men started slowly from his cabin, Lord Hastings raised a hand. "One moment," he said quietly. "There is a chance for all but one of us. As I am the commander of this vessel, and should be the last to leave, that one shall be me." "What do you mean, sir?" asked one of the men, stepping forward. "The torpedo tubes," said Lord Hastings quietly. "All but one of us can be shot to the surface by means of the torpedo tubes." The face of every member of the crew lighted up with hope. "Are we still moving ahead?" asked Lord Hastings. "Yes, sir," replied Jack. "Good, at what speed?" "Fifteen knots, sir." "All right. In another three quarters of an hour we will be beneath our own fleet. There we shall stop. Then, one at a time, you men will climb into the torpedo tubes and I will launch you safely. This has been done more than once, and in spite of some slight pain and inconvenience, there is no danger." "But you, sir?" asked Frank. "How will you get out, if you remain to send us?" "Why," said Lord Hastings quietly, "being the last man, I shall not get out." Jack jumped to his feet. "I'll not hear of it!" he exclaimed. "If you stay, I stay." "And I, too!" declared Frank, taking his place by his friend's side. Lord Hastings opened his lips to protest, but Jack took the words out of his mouth. "It's no use, sir, we mean it," he said firmly.