"You an' your Kismet," he said scornfully. "Look 'ere, now. This is
Gospel, and _I'm_ tellin' of yer. S'pose there _is_ a bullet about
with your name on it, but s'posing you shoot the other ---- first, and
there's to 'ell with yer Kismet. Gawd 'elps those that 'elp
themselves, I say. S'pose we 'it a Fritz now, under water--'oo's
Kismet is it? Never mind 'oo's arranged it or 'oo's down in the book
to go through it, the bloke that gets 'is doors closed first and 'as
the best trained crew is goin' to come 'ome and spin the yarn about
it. I say it may be written down as you say, but there's Someone
'oldin' the book, an' 'e says: 'Cross off that boat this time,' 'e
say. 'They've got the best lot aboard of 'em,' 'e'd say. Is it Kismet
if yer thrust collars go? Are you goin' to stop oilin' 'em because
it's in the book an' you can't alter it? Yer talkin' through yer neck.
Call it luck, if yer like. It's luck if we 'it a mine, and it's luck
if we don't; but if we met a Fritz to-night an' poop off the bow gun
an' miss--that's goin' to be our blanky fault, an' you can call it
any blanky name, but you won't alter it."
"But you don't understand," said the Artificer. "I didn't----"
"_Action Stations--Stand by all tubes._" The voice rang clearly from
the mouth of the voice-pipe, and the group leapt into activity. For
sixty seconds there was apparent pandemonium--the purr of the motors
rose to a quick hum, and the long tunnel of the hull rang with noises,
clatter and clang and hiss. The sounds stopped almost as suddenly as
they had begun, and the voices of men reporting "Ready" could be heard
beyond the high-pitched note of the motors.
The big Torpedoman stretched across his tube to close a valve, and
caught the eye of the fourth participant in the recent debate. "Say,
Dusty," he whispered, "'_ere's_ Someone's Kismet--in this blanky tube,
an' I reckon I ain't forgot the detonator in 'er nose, neither."
* * * * *
The Captain lowered the periscope, his actions almost reverent in their
artificial calm. He looked up at the navigating officer a few feet away
and smiled. "Just turning to east," he said. "We'll be in range inside
three minutes." He glanced fore and aft the boat and then back at his
watch. "By gum," he said, "it's nice to have a good crew. I haven't had
to give a single order, and I wouldn't change a man of 'em."