Yet, ship after ship became aware of closer unity.
All on our knees on all the ships together we prayed thereafter thrice a day, our British officers standing bareheaded beneath the upper awnings, the chin-strap marks showing very plainly on their cheeks as the way of the British is when they feel emotion.

We prayed, sahib, lest the war be over before we could come and do our share.

I think there was no fear in all that fleet except the fear lest we come too late.

A man might say with truth that we prayed to more gods than one, but our prayer was one.

And we received one answer.
One morning our ship got up anchor unexpectedly and began to enter the canal ahead of all the ships bearing Indian troops.