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diff --git a/41774-0.txt b/41774-0.txt index c0b4d3e..fa53313 100644 --- a/41774-0.txt +++ b/41774-0.txt @@ -1,27 +1,4 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Pincher Martin, O.D., by H. Taprell Dorling - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Pincher Martin, O.D. - A Story of the Inner Life of the Royal Navy - -Author: H. Taprell Dorling - -Illustrator: C. Flemming Williams - -Release Date: January 4, 2013 [EBook #41774] -Last updated: February 1, 2013 - -Language: English - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PINCHER MARTIN, O.D. *** - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41774 *** Produced by sp1nd and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from @@ -13421,360 +13398,4 @@ Edinburgh: Printed by W. & R. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Pincher Martin, O.D. - A Story of the Inner Life of the Royal Navy - -Author: H. Taprell Dorling - -Illustrator: C. Flemming Williams - -Release Date: January 4, 2013 [EBook #41774] -Last updated: February 1, 2013 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PINCHER MARTIN, O.D. *** - - - - -Produced by sp1nd and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from -images generously made available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - [Illustration: 'That's 'er.' - ''Oo?' - PAGE 1.] - - - - -Pincher Martin, O.D. - -A STORY OF THE INNER LIFE OF THE ROYAL NAVY - - -By - -'TAFFRAIL' -Author of 'Carry On,' &c., &c. - - -ILLUSTRATED BY - -C. Fleming Williams - - -LONDON: 38 Soho Square, W. -W. & R. CHAMBERS, LIMITED -EDINBURGH: 339 High Street -1916 - -Edinburgh: -Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -This story was written in rather difficult circumstances, and subject -to frequent interruption. Indeed, when the first chapters appeared -in _Chambers's Journal_ early in 1916 the narrative was barely -half-finished. Sometimes I almost despaired of ever completing it, -for it can perhaps be understood that writing on board a small ship -actually at sea in time of war is impossible for more reasons than one. - -The reader is cautioned against accepting the story as an official -account of the part played by a certain section of the Navy during the -war. Incidents described are true; but, for reasons which must be -obvious, it has been necessary to give them fictitious colouring. It -also seems desirable to add that all my characters are fictitious, and -that each chapter was submitted to the censors at the Press Bureau -before publication. - -It should be added that a considerable amount of matter is contained -in this volume which did not appear in _Chambers's Journal_ when the -story appeared in serial form. - -More than ever am I deeply sensible of the very real debt which I owe -to my wife, both for her help in revising and correcting the proofs, -and for her many suggestions for improvements. - -TAFFRAIL. - -1916. - - - - -TO MY WIFE. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - -CHAPTER PAGE - - I. HIS FIRST SHIP 1 - - II. THE DAILY ROUND 12 - - III. WORK AND PLAY 30 - - IV. THE STRENUOUS LIFE 50 - - V. THE OFFICERS 67 - - VI. 'THE 'ORRIBLE DEN' 84 - - VII. AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART 101 - - VIII. A FAIR SKY 124 - - IX. THE CLOUD 151 - - X. WAR 171 - - XI. BLACK FRIDAY 191 - - XII. H.M.S. 'MARINER' 212 - - XIII. FRITZ THE FRIGHTFUL 234 - - XIV. THE NORTH SEA 248 - - XV. COMINGS AND GOINGS 271 - - XVI. MINOR INCIDENTS 298 - - XVII. THE DAY 313 - -XVIII. CONCLUSION 338 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - PAGE - -'That's 'er.' ''Oo?' _Frontispiece_ - -'It was 'is fault! I saw 'im stick 'is foot out!' 115 - -'Gosh! there ain't no bloomin' error abart this 'ere' 152 - -Raising his voice, he tried to shout for help 203 - -''Ow do, granfer? Where did yer git that 'at?' 230 - -The shooting was very accurate, far too accurate to be pleasant 310 - -The dark hulls of the enemy were hidden in the blinding -glare of their searchlights 333 - - - - -PINCHER MARTIN, O.D. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -HIS FIRST SHIP. - - -'There ye are, Martin. That's 'er.' - -The leading seaman in charge of the party paused, and waved a hand -toward a squat gray battleship lying on the other side of one of the -basins in Portsmouth Dockyard. - -The little expedition of which he was the leader consisted of himself; -Martin, the man he had spoken to; and a small hand-cart propelled by -another ordinary seaman, breathing heavily. The cart contained a -sausage-shaped, khaki-coloured hammock, bound with its seven regulation -turns of lashing, and a bulbous brown kit-bag. They were Martin's -belongings. He was joining his first seagoing ship. - -''Er?' he queried in answer to the leading seaman's remark, shivering -and looking rather puzzled. ''Oo?' - -He was a puny, undersized little rat of a man, with a pallid, freckled -face and a crop of sandy hair. It was early winter, and the piercing -wind bit through to his very marrow, while the drizzling rain had -already found its way through his oilskin and down the back of his -neck. It was distinctly chilly. The tip of his nose and his fingers -were blue with cold, and he looked, and felt, supremely miserable. - -He repeated his question as the leading seaman executed a few violent -steps of a clog-dance, and flapped his arms like an elderly penguin to -restore his circulation. ''Er?' he said at last, pausing for breath and -seemingly rather surprised at Martin's ignorance. 'That there's the -_Belligerent_. That's the ship we're goin' to join--you're goin' to -join, that is.' - -'That 'er?' Martin ejaculated, gazing with awe at the battleship's -great bulk. 'That 'er? Gor' blimy!' He seemed rather appalled. - -The leading seaman tittered and sucked his teeth. 'Lor'!' he laughed, -not unkindly, noticing the anxiety in the youngster's eyes, 'you -needn't look like that. They can't eat yer; leastways not if you -be'aves yourself they won't. 'Er commander's a werry nice gentleman; -'e wus shipmates along o' me in th' _Duncan_ up the Straits[1] six -year ago. 'E wus a lootenant then, an' a bit of a flyer; but 'e's a -gent so long as you don't get in the rattle.'[2] - - [1] 'The Straits' = the Mediterranean. - - [2] 'In the rattle' = in trouble. - -He paused and eyed the ordinary seaman with the hand-cart, who had -released the shafts and was swinging his arms. ''Ere, young fella, not -so much of it!' he ordered abruptly, quite forgetting that he had -called the halt himself. 'Get a move on yer! You ain't no bloomin' -baronite drivin' your own motor-car, to stop 'ere an' stop there has -you thinks fit. You ain't wheelin' no perishin' whelk-barrer down -Commercial Road neither. Show a leg, me lad!' - -The ordinary seaman seized the shafts, and the procession moved -forward. - -Ten minutes later Martin, with his bag and hammock, was standing on the -quarterdeck of his Majesty's first-class pre-Dreadnought battleship -_Belligerent_. The leading seaman and the man with the hand-cart were -already on their way back to the Royal Naval Barracks, and Pincher -Martin, alone, for the first time, felt horribly nervous and -uncomfortable. He had been received with scant courtesy or interest by -the marine corporal of the watch, who had told him to remain where he -was while he fetched a ship's corporal; and now, eyed critically by the -grinning side-boy and the messenger, youngsters like himself, who made -facetious, rather uncomplimentary, and very audible remarks about his -personal appearance, he shivered and waited. - -Over on the other side of the deck a tall officer, clad in a greatcoat -and swinging a telescope, was walking up and down dodging the -rain-drips from the awning. He was a lieutenant, from the two gold -stripes and the curl on his shoulder-straps, and was, as a matter of -fact, the officer of the watch. Presently the merriment at Martin's -expense became rather raucous, and the officer turned round and saw the -messenger and the side-boy laughing together. The chubby-faced youths -caught his eye roving over them, and immediately both became rigid, -with an innocent expression on their faces. - -'Come here, you two!' he called, beckoning with his telescope. - -The two youngsters trotted up and halted before him with a salute. - -'Skylarking again, eh?' the lieutenant asked. - -'Oh no, sir. We wusn't skylarkin',' the elder of the two protested. - -'Humph! I don't know so much about that. I suppose you were making fun -of that man who's just joined, eh?' - -'Oh no, sir. I only said to Horrigan'---- - -'I don't want to hear what you said to Horrigan, or what Horrigan said -to you,' interrupted the officer of the watch, smiling to himself. -'Evidently the time hangs heavily on your hands, and I'll not have the -quarterdeck turned into a bally music hall.' He looked round the deck, -and noticed some untidy ends of rope near the ship's side. - -'You, Bates,' he went on, 'can amuse yourself by coiling down the ends -of these boats' falls and awning jiggers; and you, Horrigan, can broom -all that water into the scuppers.' He waved his hand toward some pools -of rain-water near the edge of the deck. 'When you've done that you can -let me know, and I'll find you another job. Go on--away you go!' - -The boys pattered off, and the lieutenant resumed his perambulation. - -Presently a ship's corporal, accompanied by the marine who had gone in -search of him, came through the battery door and went up to Martin. - -'Name and rating?' he demanded abruptly, referring to a book in his -hand. - -'Martin. Ord'nary seaman.' - -'You'll be in No. 47 mess,' said Ship's Corporal Puddicombe, 'and will -be in the forecastle division, starboard watch, first part, first sub. -The capten of your top--Petty Officer Casey's 'is name--will tell you -off for your stations in your part of the ship. You'll stow your bag in -the fore cable flat, starboard side, and your 'ammick in the starboard -forecastle rack. I'll show you where to put 'em, and if you comes along -to my office after tea to-day I'll give you a card with it all written -on--see?' - -'Yessir,' said Martin, looking very bewildered, for he had hardly -understood a word of what the man had said. - -'It's all right, me lad,' the corporal went on, more kindly. 'You -needn't look so scared. You'll soon shake down. Is this your first -ship?' - -'Yessir.' - -The corporal nodded and went off to report to the officer of the watch, -who presently returned with him. - -'Ord'nary Seaman Martin, sir. Come to join the ship from the barricks.' - -The lieutenant eyed the new arrival critically. 'What division's he in, -corporal?' he queried. - -'Yours, sir. Forecastle division.' - -'How long have you been in the service?' the officer asked next. - -'Six an' a narf months, sir,' said Martin. - -'Well, it's about time you got your hair cut, my lad. It's much too -long. The forecastle division's my division, and the smartest in the -ship, so look out you uphold its reputation. Is your kit complete, by -the way?' - -'Yessir, all but one pair o' socks.' - -'All right; we'll see to that another day. Show him where to put his -bag and hammock, corporal, and tell him where his mess is. You'd better -introduce him to the barber, too. I can't have the men of my division -looking like a beauty chorus.--You,' he added, addressing Martin, 'had -better get yourself thoroughly warm. We don't want you to start off by -catching a chill.' - -'Thank you, sir.' - -'Come along o' me,' said the ship's corporal gruffly; and Pincher, -picking up his bag and hammock, followed him along the deck. - -In another minute they were on the mess-deck. It was a strange place to -Martin, accustomed as he was to the large and airy rooms in the -barracks ashore. It seemed cramped and restricted. The steel beams -supporting the deck above were barely eighteen inches over his head, -and every inch of space seemed occupied with something or other. But a -sense of order and cleanliness prevailed; for, though the ship was in -dockyard hands, and the first lieutenant would have described the -mess-deck as 'filthy,' it seemed specklessly clean to an outsider. The -glare of the electric lights shone on the spotless white enamel and -polished metal-work, and every inch of wood-work which was not -varnished and polished was well scrubbed and white. - -Moving along a narrow gangway about eight feet wide, they passed the -officers' and men's galleys or kitchens. These were placed amidships, -and the great cooking-ranges, newly blacked and with their polished -steel knobs and utensils winking in the glare, vomited wisps of steam -and savoury smells. The black-and-white tiled floors were spotless, and -so were the wooden slabs upon which the meat and the vegetables were -cut up. Farther forward came small, curtained-off enclosures serving as -messes for the chief petty officers; and then, forward again, white -enamelled steel bulkheads stretching from floor to ceiling. - -Extending out from the ship's side, with its row of scuttles and wooden -mess shelves and boot-racks, were numbers of white wooden mess tables -and narrow wooden forms. They were spaced at precisely equal intervals, -and at the end of each table was a neatly rolled strip of white -linoleum which served as a tablecloth at meal-times, a couple of -shining tin mess kettles, and a teapot. On the deck at the foot of each -table was a bread-barge, a squat-shaped tub, to contain the bread -belonging to the mess. The barges were all exactly similar, having -scrubbed teak sides and polished brass hoops, with the number of the -mess in neat brass figures, and each stood at precisely the same -distance from its own table. - -From the ceiling or deck overhead hung racks for the reception of the -men's circular, black-japanned cap-boxes, and others for their white -straw hats--each in its duck cover to keep out dust and dirt--and the -newly scrubbed ditty-boxes. These, of white wood, are the receptacles -in which sailors keep their small personal belongings. They contain, as -a rule, photographs of wives, sweethearts, relations, and friends; -letters; and other purely private and valued relics; but, though -provided with a lock and key, it is an unwritten and invariable law of -the mess-deck that they shall be left unlocked. A man must show his -trust in his messmates, and a thief has no place on board one of his -Majesty's ships. If petty pilfering does occur, there is no mercy for -the culprit, and he is speedily discovered and removed. - -It was a Saturday afternoon, and, as the ship was in dockyard hands -undergoing a refit, more than half the men were on leave, and the -mess-deck was comparatively empty. Those men who were left on board -were spending the half-holiday in blissful slumber, for many of the -tables and forms bore sleeping figures wrapped in blankets or -greatcoats. They snored melodiously and in many keys. - -Here and there a man writing a letter or reading looked up with some -curiosity as Martin passed, but otherwise he attracted little -attention. The advent of another ordinary seaman was too common an -occurrence to call for remark, though to the ordinary seaman himself -the day of his arrival on board his first seagoing ship would -thereafter be mentally marked with a red figure in the calendar of his -life. - -The ship's corporal, anxious to resume his interrupted sleep in the -police-office, hurried on; and soon, after climbing down one slippery -steel ladder and up another, they arrived in the foremost bag-flat. -This compartment was provided with tiers of numbered racks stretching -from deck above to deck below. Each division in the racks held its own -brown canvas or painted kit-bag, with the brightly polished brass tally -on the bottom stamped with the owner's name, all the tallies being set -at precisely the same angle. The guide halted and pointed to a vacant -space. 'There you are,' he said. 'That's where you stow your bag.' - -Martin dropped his hammock, and after some difficulty succeeded in -insinuating his bag into its appointed place. - -''Ere, that won't do,' observed the ship's corporal, shaking his head -with a pained expression on his face. 'Slew 'er round till the letters -on your tally are 'orizontal. The first lootenant'll 'ave a fit if 'e -sees it shoved in any'ow like that.' - -Martin did as he was told, and when at last he had stowed his bag to -the corporal's satisfaction, was taken to another flat somewhere in the -bowels of the ship, where he was shown where to put his hammock. - -He was next taken to his mess, and was introduced to the leading seaman -who acted as senior member and caterer. This worthy, a ruddy-faced, -heavily built man called Strumbles, was discovered asleep on the table, -and was none too pleased when the ship's corporal tapped him on the -shoulder and woke him up. - -'Strumbles,' he said, ''ere's another O.D.[3] come to join your mess. -Martin's 'is name. Just keep an eye on 'im. 'E's a bit noo to the -service. 'E wants 'is 'air cut, too, so you might send 'im along to the -'aircutter after tea.' - - [3] O.D. = the slang term for 'ordinary seaman.' 'O.S.' is - one official naval contraction, and 'Ord.' another. 'O.D.' is - derived from the latter, in the same way as an able seaman is - known as an 'A.B.' - -Strumbles sat up sleepily and signified his willingness to perform -these favours, but the moment the corporal was safely out of sight -glared unpleasantly at the new arrival. 'Bit noo to the navy, are yer?' -he demanded. 'Name o' Martin, eh?' - -'Yessir.' - -'Don't call me "sir." My name's Strumbles. Nutty Strumbles they calls -me. Is this yer first ship?' - -'Yes.' - -'Thought so. If it wasn't, you'd know better than to come wakin' up a -bloke wot's 'avin' 'is Saturday arternoon caulk.' - -'I'm sorry,' Martin stammered. 'It wusn't my fault. I didn't know'---- - -'Course you didn't. 'Owever, now you're 'ere you can just wake me up at -seven bells. Know what seven bells is, eh?' - -'Yes. 'Arf-parst three.' - -'Right. At 'arf-parst three you wakes me up, an' when you done that you -can go along to the galley an' wet the tea. Me, an' Ginger Strudwick, -an' Nobby Clarke, an' one or two others, is the only blokes o' this -'ere mess aboard. Them two's on watch now, but they'll be down at eight -bells clamourin' for their scran like a lot o' wolves; so look out you -'as it ready. When you've wetted the tea you can run along to the -canteen an' git height heggs an' height rashers for our supper--I'll -give you a _chit_ for it when I wakes up; an' when you done that -you can tidy up them there mess shelves an' polish the mess kettle an' -teapot ready for the rounds to-morrow. Understan'?' - -'Yes,' said Martin, hesitatingly. - -'Orl rite, look out you does it, then,' remarked Strumbles, laying his -head back and resuming his interrupted slumbers. - -Martin began to feel rather sorry he had ever joined the navy, for as a -young and very ordinary seaman on board a ship it appeared as if every -one was his master. The recruiting posters which had been responsible -for his entry had said something about 'seeing the world, with plenty -of pocket-money.' This was what they meant, evidently. He sniffed -dubiously. In the barracks where he had undergone his preliminary -training he had been one of many others of his own age; but here he was -cast entirely on his own resources. He felt lonely and miserable; -nobody seemed to take any interest in him, and everybody ordered him -about in a dictatorial way which he didn't like at all. He gulped -suspiciously, and then looked round with a nervous expression lest the -slight sound should have awakened Strumbles. - -When, seven months before, Martin had put on his bluejacket's uniform -for the first time, he had felt immensely proud of himself. Everybody -in his own small village had turned round to stare when he first -appeared in it; and he was rather disappointed when, on his arrival in -Portsmouth, people in the street neglected to notice him. He liked his -jumper, with the V-shaped opening in front, and the blue woollen jersey -underneath. He was proud of his blue jean collar with its three rows of -narrow white tape, which, he had been told, commemorated Nelson's three -great victories of the Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar. He had heard, -too, that the black silk handkerchief worn round his neck and tied in -front was a badge of mourning for the same great naval hero. But both -in the matter of the collar and the handkerchief he had been led into -believing a very popular fallacy. - -The square collar was first introduced in the latter portion of the -eighteenth century as a means of preventing the grease and flour with -which the sailors anointed their pigtails from soiling their clothes. -The three rows of tape, moreover, were placed upon it merely for -ornament, for there is no evidence to support the belief that they -commemorate the three famous victories. The black silk handkerchief -came in at much the same time. In early sea-fights the heat on the -gun-decks was stifling, so much so that the men were forced to strip to -the waist. To prevent the perspiration from running down into their -eyes and blinding them, they were in the habit of tying handkerchiefs -round their foreheads, and at ordinary times these were worn round the -neck for the sake of convenience. It is true that up till a few years -ago our modern bluejackets wore their spare black silk handkerchiefs -tied in a bow on the left arm when attending funerals; but there is -nothing to support the theory that they were introduced as badges of -mourning for the immortal Nelson. - -But Martin believed these things implicitly, and perhaps, as it -fostered the traditions of the service, it did him no harm. - -Another portion of his attire of which he was inordinately proud was -his bell-bottomed trousers. He firmly imagined that these had been -introduced merely to give the sailor a rakish appearance, and was not -aware that they were brought in so that the garments could conveniently -be rolled up to the knee when their barefooted wearers were giving the -decks their usual morning scrub. - -Some few years ago a proposal was on foot to do away with the loose -trousers, and to clothe the seamen in garments shaped like those in -everyday use ashore. As a reason for the change it was urged, with some -truth, that in modern ships the men seldom went barefooted, and that -less flowing trousers would be less likely to catch in the intricate -machinery with which modern ships were supposed to be crammed. But the -storm of indignation with which the proposal was received by the men -speedily caused it to be dropped. The seamen take no small pride in -their nether garments; some of them even go to the trouble and expense -of providing themselves with specially wide pairs in which to go ashore -on leave. - -The wide-brimmed straw hat, which constitutes the modern bluejacket's -full-dress headgear, was first introduced in the West Indies early in -the nineteenth century, but was not made an article of uniform until -much later. Before that time, and up till thirty or forty years ago, -shiny black tarpaulin hats, much the same shape as the straw 'boater' -of commerce, were _de rigueur_ in the navy. The term 'bluejacket,' -too, owes its origin to the short, blue, brass-buttoned jacket--rather -similar in shape to an Eton jacket, but with no point at the -back--which was worn until 1891. - -But all Martin's ideas as to his own importance were speedily knocked -on the head. By the time he sought his hammock at nine-thirty on that -first eventful day he had come to realise that he was very small beer -indeed, a mere excrescence on the face of the earth; and that, like -Agag, it behoved him to walk warily and with circumspection. - -The captain of the forecastle, Petty-Officer Casey--'Mister Casey,' as -he insisted on being called--had taken him to his bosom in a gruff, -fatherly sort of way, and had given him a few words of advice. - -'It's like this 'ere, me lad,' he had pointed out, but not unkindly. -'You're an ordinary seaman, an' wot you've got to do is to carry out -other people's orders. If you're told off to do a thing, do it at once, -an' cheerful like; don't slouch about th' ship like a ploughboy, nor -yet a Portugee militiaman neither. 'Old yourself erec'; take a pride in -yourself, an' obey all orders at the rush. If you gives no trouble I'm -yer friend, remember that; but if you gits up agin me, an' starts -givin' trouble, I won't raise a finger to 'elp you, an' you'd best -stan' clear. Don't forget, neither, that I've got my eye on you the -'ole time; an' don't run away wi' the idea that you're doin' the navy a -good turn by joinin', like so many on 'em do. It's the navy wot's doin' -you a favour by 'avin' you. If you bears orl this in mind me an' you'll -get along orl right, an' some day, p'r'aps, you'll be a petty-orficer -the same as me.' - -Martin remembered Casey's words of wisdom, and derived no small benefit -therefrom. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE DAILY ROUND. - - -I. - -A considerable amount of art is necessary in laying out a kit for -inspection; but when he had folded his clothes, and had placed the neat -rolls and bundles, together with his cap-box, ditty-box, hairbrush, -comb, toothbrush, type, and other small belongings, in the exact order -prescribed by the clothing regulations, Martin was by no means -dissatisfied with his attempt. - -Now, Mr Midshipman Taut, R.N., was used to the wiles and deceptions of -those men who would sooner do anything than purchase new clothes. He -had known individuals who borrowed garments from their friends to make -up for the deficiencies in their own kits when these were being -inspected. Sometimes, to heighten the deception, they even went to the -trouble of marking the loaned clothes with their own names. The -regulations on the subject lay it down that blue articles shall be -marked with white paint and white garments in black, each man being -provided with a wooden type inscribed with his name for this purpose. -But the gay deceivers had discovered that white chalk and ordinary -boot-blacking were very efficient substitutes for the paint, for the -temporary markings so caused could easily be brushed out before the -garments were returned to their rightful owners after kit inspection. -Moreover, unless the mustering officer was particularly inquisitive or -suspicious, the chances were fully fifty-four to one that the deception -would never be noticed. - -But the midshipman, though he had left the college at Dartmouth less -than a year before, was up to all these dodges. He kept the divisional -clothing-book, wherein was recorded the contents of the bag of each -seaman in the division, whether the clothes therein were in a state of -thorough repair and cleanliness, and whether the condition of the man's -hammock was 'V.G.,' 'G.,' 'Mod.' or merely 'Bad.' He regarded all men -with a certain amount of suspicion unless he had positive truth that -they were guileless; while newly joined ordinary seamen, in particular, -were brands to be snatched from the burning. - -'Serge jumpers?' he asked, sucking his pencil. - -'Two 'ere, sir,' said Martin, holding up a couple of neat bundles; 'an' -one on.' - -The officer took one, unrolled it, and lifted the square collar to look -at the marking underneath. There was no deception, for the name W. -Martin stared at him in large white letters. He gently rubbed it with a -finger, but it did not brush off; and, holding the garment up by its -sleeves, he examined it with a critical eye. There was nothing the -matter with it. - -'That's all right,' he remarked, handing it back, and making a note in -the book. 'Let me see your serge trousers.' - -One by one the articles comprising Martin's kit, even down to his -'pusser's dagger' or seaman's knife, the more intimate garments of -underwear, towels, socks, toothbrush, blacking-brushes, were minutely -examined. The midshipman even went to the length of producing a tape -measure, wherewith he measured the distance between the three rows of -tape on the collars, the depth of the V-shaped opening in the front of -the jumpers, and the width of the trousers at the foot. But nothing was -really wrong. One pair of socks was missing and another required -darning, one flannel shirt was unwashed, a pair of white duck trousers -had been left unmarked, and one pair of blue serge ditto proved -slightly wider in the leg than was permissible; but everything else was -in good order and of the proper uniform pattern. - -He seemed slightly surprised. 'Hm,' he observed, making further -hieroglyphics in the clothing-book; 'not at all bad. Look out you keep -it so.' - -He went off to make his report to the lieutenant of the division, who -presently arrived to make his own inspection. But he also was tolerably -satisfied, and Martin was told that he could restore his belongings to -his bag, and report himself to Petty Officer Casey for work. - -For many a long day Pincher was sorely puzzled by the different -varieties of uniform he was called upon to wear. They were all -designated by numbers, and the 'rig of the day' was always piped at -breakfast-time, when the men were allowed the necessary extra minutes -to change their clothes. On Sundays, for instance, the boatswain's -mates, after a preliminary twitter on their pipes, would bellow, 'Dress -o' the day, No. 1, an' 'ats!' This meant that the men were required to -array themselves in their best blue serge suits, with gold good-conduct -badges and badges of rating, and their white straw hats, for the Sunday -inspection by the captain. These garments constituted the seamen's full -dress, for the expensive blue cloth trousers, worn over the jumper and -tied behind with black silk ribbons, had been obsolete for some time. -They are retained, however, in the royal yachts; and here, also, as a -distinctive mark, the men wear their badges in silver and white, -instead of the customary gold and red. - -Dress No. 2, Martin found, was a similar rig to No. 1, except that a -cap was usually worn instead of the hat, and the badges were red -instead of gold. No. 3, again, was the same as No. 2, except that the -jumper was not buttoned at the wrists; while No. 4 (known as 'night -clothing') was an old suit of No. 3, worn without the collar. No. 5 was -of white duck, and was worn without the collar, and with a white-topped -cap. The suit was washable, and hence was usually donned by men doing -dirty work or in hot weather in the summer. White caps, or blue caps -with white covers, both of which were kept pipeclayed for the sake of -appearance, were worn at home from May to the end of September, or with -white clothing at other times. - -The _Belligerent_, like every other large vessel in the navy, carried a -stock of ready-made garments of various sizes, besides underclothing, -boots, shoes, stockings, socks, shirts, collars, rolls of serge and -flannel, and sixty-and-one other articles necessary to the bodily -comfort and personal adornment of the ship's company. There was hardly -a thing in the clothing line which could not be obtained from the -paymaster; and the 'slops,' as they were called, were issued about once -a month, their value being deducted from the men's pay. - -When Martin joined his first ship, toward the end of 1913, ready-made -garments, supplied by the Government, were almost universally worn. -Within the past fifteen years or so the blue-jackets have lost much of -their original handiness with the needle and the sewing-machine. It is -hardly to be wondered at, for in the days of sailing-ships the men were -sailors pure and simple. Now they are seamen-specialists, with an -expert and highly technical knowledge of gunnery, torpedo-work, -electricity, wireless telegraphy, signals, or some other highly -important subject. They are essentially busy men, with little time to -spend on making their own clothes. Twenty years ago one afternoon of -the week (Thursday) was always set aside as a half-holiday, or 'make -and mend clothes afternoon.' Then it was no uncommon sight to see the -sheltered corners of the upper deck and mess-deck crowded with men, -some busy with sewing-machines, making clothes from the raw serge or -duck as issued from the store; others furbishing up their wardrobes; -and the rest either sleeping or looking on. The term 'jewing,' as -sewing is still called, came in because the men with the machines -manufactured their shipmates' clothes for a consideration, such things -as 'reach-me-downs' being still undreamt of. By Pincher's day, however, -the 'make and mend' day had been altered to Saturday, to allow the men -to indulge at intervals in the week-end habit. Moreover, most of the -clothes were issued ready-made, being afterwards altered to fit -individuals by the ship's tailors, seamen with sewing-machines, who had -a special aptitude for the work, and were entitled to charge stipulated -sums for their labours. They were still known as 'jews,' and, like the -'snobs' (bootmakers) and the barbers, often had considerable sums -standing to their credit in the savings bank. - -On the afternoon of the day on which he had had his kit inspected -Martin found himself detailed as a member of a working-party told off -to draw stores from the dockyard. Eleven other men went with him; and, -taking a small hand-cart, the little expedition set off at one-thirty -P.M. in the charge of a petty officer. The rain had stopped, and it was -a sunny winter day, with a touch of frost; and, as it gave him an -opportunity of looking about him, Martin rather enjoyed the experience. -Before joining the navy he had lived in the depths of the country, and -had spent most of his days trundling the local baker's hand-cart. His -experience of the sea and ships had been limited to a single visit to -Skegness as a member of the village choir; and even during his training -in the barracks he had seen practically nothing of men-of-war. Now for -the first time in his life he came across battleships, cruisers, -destroyers, torpedo-boats, and submarines at close quarters. - -'Gosh!' he ejaculated, marvelling exceedingly. - -''Ullo! Wot's up wi' you, Pincher?' asked another ordinary seaman, -Hawkins by name. Martin had already been nicknamed, and 'Pincher,' he -understood, was the sobriquet accorded to all men with his particular -surname. - -'I wus only wonderin' to meself if'--he hesitated timidly. - -'Wonderin' wot?' persisted his companion. - -'Wonderin' if this wus the 'ole navy. There seems plenty o' ships -'ere.' - -'Lawks, 'ark at 'im!' exclaimed the other youngster, going off into a -shrill cackle of amusement 'Jist 'ark at 'im, you blokes! Arskin' if -the 'ole navy is 'ere. 'Strewth! there ain't a quarter nor a 'undredth -of 'em in this 'ere bunch.' - -Martin, rather ashamed of his ignorance, reddened and nodded. 'Wot's -that there?' he asked, changing the subject, and pointing to a gray, -cigar-shaped vessel lying in a dry dock, with dockyard 'maties' -swarming on board her. - -'That there's a submarine,' Hawkins explained; 'one o' them there craft -wot goes under water.' - -'Gosh! She's a funny-lookin' thing. Wot sort o' blokes serves in 'em?' - -'Matloes,[4] Pincher, the same as you an' me. They doesn't carry -O.D.'s, though; only A.B.'s an' E.R.A.'s,[5] an' such like. They get -extra pay for wot they does. It's a bit dangerous like.' - - [4] The term 'matlo,' derived from the French for 'sailor,' - is always used by bluejackets in referring to themselves. - - [5] E.R.A. = engine-room artificer. - -Martin thought for a minute, looking interestedly at the submarine as -they trundled past. ''Ow does men jine 'em?' he asked eventually. - -''Ow does they qualify for 'em, d'you mean?' Hawkins queried. - -Martin nodded. - -'Well,' his neighbour explained, with a broad grin on his face, and -inventing a still broader fiction on the spur of the moment, 'they -fu'st ties a five-'underweight sinker to yer feet an' a rope round yer -neck. Then they lowers you down to nineteen fathom, an' leaves you -there for two minutes.--Let's see, Shorty,' he added, pretending to -consider, and, turning to another ordinary seaman with a solemn wink, -'is it two minutes or three minutes they leaves yer down?' - -'Three minutes, chum,' answered the other unblushingly. - -'Well, they leaves you down three minutes, an' they pulls you up again, -an' if yer nose ain't bleedin' they reckons as 'ow you're fit an' -proper for submarines. If you are bleedin' you ain't no good--see?' - -'That's a bit 'ard, ain't it?' Martin queried innocently. - -'Yus, it is a bit 'ard,' Hawkins replied, without a smile on his face. -'But then, o' course, the men wot man the submarines 'as to be extra -special sort o' blokes wot 'as got plenty o' guts.' - -Martin drank it all in; but at that moment the story-teller's face -failed him, and he burst into uncontrollable laughter. 'Oh Pincher!' he -gasped, spluttering, 'I believes you'd swaller anythink any one tells -yer!' - -'D' you mean that wot you said ain't true?' Martin asked. - -'Course it ain't, fat'ead. I wus only kiddin' yer,' guffawed the other, -with tears of amusement trickling down his cheeks. 'Lawks! you'll be -the death o' me yet.--Did yer 'ear wot he arsked, you blokes?' - -But the 'blokes' had no opportunity of replying, for at that instant -Petty Officer Simpson turned round. 'Not so much noise there!' he -ordered abruptly.--' 'Awkins, if I sees you larfin' an' shoutin' agen I -takes you before the orficer of the watch when we gets back to the -ship!' - -Their faces fell. There was dead silence. - -Rattling over the cobbled roadways and railway lines, they presently -came to a store, where, in return for paper demand-notes handed in by -the petty officer, they received sundry drums of paint, turpentine, and -varnish. Then on again to another building, where an apoplectic-looking -storekeeper condescended to allow them to load the cart still further -with coils of rope and spun-yarn, and hanks of cod and mackerel line. -Presently there came another stoppage to receive a bundle of -broomsticks and some boathook staves. By this time the cart was heavily -laden, and its manipulators were perspiring and far from cheerful; but, -stopping again, they were solemnly presented with half-a-dozen shallow -tin baths. They were the 'baths, sponge, thirty inches, pattern -seventeen,' commonly seen suspended from the ceilings in the officers' -cabins on board a man-of-war; and Martin, as he helped to drag the -conveyance back to the ship, with the last consignment lodged -precariously on the summit of the other articles and threatening every -instant to descend in a noisy avalanche, wondered vaguely to himself if -the dockyard was a sort of glorified general store, and if, by the -simple presentation of a demand-note, they could obtain, say, -half-a-dozen kippers or a cargo of tinned salmon. He was frightened to -ask the question for fear of having his leg pulled again; but as -everything in the way of ironmongery, furniture, ship's stores, paint, -rope, and blocks seemed obtainable, why not also provisions? - -They got back to the _Belligerent_ without further incident, and -the articles were carried on board and stowed in the various -storerooms. - - -II. - -At first, until he got used to it, the regular routine of the ship was -not altogether to Martin's liking. At five-thirty each morning they -were all roused out of their warm hammocks by the strident shouting of -the boatswain's mates and the ship's corporals. 'All hands! turn out, -turn out, turn out! show a leg, show a leg, show a leg!' they yelled -with insistent monotony. He soon learnt, from being shot violently out -of his hammock, and from sundry threats of being taken before the -officer of the watch for slackness in turning out, that it did not pay -to disregard the noisy summons to wake up. Other men had tried the -game, and it generally ended in their being turned out at five -A.M. for several days together. - -By five-forty-five, therefore, Martin had stowed his hammock, had given -his face and neck a perfunctory dab with a damp towel, and was having a -bowl of steaming hot ship's cocoa in his mess. Splendid stuff this, so -thick that a spoon would nearly stand upright in it; and he little -realised that the long-suffering cooks were turned out of their -hammocks at about three each morning to prepare it. The cocoa was -issued in large slabs the best part of an inch thick. It was the best -of its kind; and though it required a deal of boiling, it was an -excellent drink wherewith to start the day's work. - -At six o'clock both watches were piped to fall in on the upper deck; -and when parties had been told off for various other odd jobs, the rest -of the men were detailed to scrub decks under the supervision of their -petty officers. Cold work this, with the thermometer nearly down to -freezing, the hoses spouting water, and one's feet bare and trousers -turned up to the knee. Lines of men armed with hard, short-haired -brooms went solemnly up and down, scrubbing as they went, and woe -betide the hapless individual who did not exhibit the necessary energy! -On Saturdays the routine was varied, for then the decks were sprinkled -with sand and were well holystoned. This work was more back-breaking -and chilly than ever, for one had to get down on one's knees and -manipulate a heavy holystone in each hand. - -When Martin joined, the ship was in dockyard hands, and a special -routine was in force; and at seven o'clock, by which time the men who -had been granted night-leave had returned, the decks had been finished -and the guns cleaned. A quarter of an hour later the bugle sounded off -'Cooks,' when the men detailed as cooks of messes went to the galley to -procure their own and their messmates' breakfasts; and at -seven-twenty-five the boatswain's mates heralded the first meal by more -shrill whistling, and the hungry men trooped below. - -Breakfast, Martin always thought, was quite the most satisfactory meal -of the day, and with the addition of a couple of canteen kippers, or -eggs and bacon, he generally managed to acquit himself pretty well. The -dietary of the modern bluejacket is a liberal one, while a paternal -Government allows each man the sum of fourpence a day with which to -purchase extra articles. An hour was allowed for the meal, for washing, -for changing into the 'rig of the day,' and for smoking; and at -eight-twenty-five the men were once more summoned to work. Shortly -before nine o'clock the guard of marines and the band marched on to the -quarterdeck; and when two bells struck, the marine bugler sounded the -'Attention,' the guard presented arms, the band played 'God Save the -King,' and every officer and man on deck stood rigidly at the salute -while the White Ensign was slowly hoisted. This ceremony is carried out -at nine A.M. in winter, and an hour earlier in summer. - -At nine-five came a warning blast on the bugle, followed five minutes -afterwards by 'Divisions.' This was the usual morning muster, at which -the entire ship's company--seamen, marines, stokers, and artisan -ratings--fell in in their respective groups. The seamen themselves were -divided up into four 'parts of the ship'--forecastlemen, foretopmen, -maintopmen, and quarterdeckmen; and each was responsible for, and so -far as possible manned, the guns in its own particular portion of the -vessel. Each division, moreover, had its own lieutenant in charge, one -or two midshipmen, and its quota of petty officers and leading seamen. - -Now, Martin knew all about saluting. He had learnt how to do it by -spending many weary hours in a windy barrack square at Portsmouth -paying obeisance to a red brick wall under the horny eye of an -irascible gunner's mate. He was aware that one saluted when addressed -by an officer, when meeting an officer in uniform ashore, and the first -time each morning one passed any particular officer on board ship. He -had also been taught that it was customary to raise a hand to one's cap -when the band played 'God Save the King,' and, for some reason unknown -to him, whenever one had occasion to go on the quarterdeck. He was not -aware that in medieval days the ship's shrine or crucifix was always -kept on the quarterdeck under the break of the poop, and that, on -passing, officers and men made an obeisance. Hence the origin of -'saluting the quarterdeck.' - -But all this was nothing to the saluting which took place every morning -at divisions. - -The game started by the 'captain of the top'--the senior petty -officer--calling the division to attention, saluting, and reporting it -'Present' to the midshipman, Mr Henry Taut. The midshipman, returning -the salute, produced a notebook, mustered the men by name, and -satisfied himself that the petty officer's statement was correct; and -then, touching his cap, made known the fact to Lieutenant Tobias -Tickle, R.N. The lieutenant, walking round the ranks, found fault with -irregularities in the men's attire, or asked searching and personal -questions as to when they had last washed, shaved, or had their hair -cut, and requested the midshipman to make a note of the delinquents' -names. - -Taut acquiesced, with a salute. - -The inspection complete, Taut saluted Tickle, and Tickle saluted Taut, -and the lieutenant then walked aft to the quarterdeck, saluted as he -reached it, approached the commander, saluted again, and reported his -men 'Present.' - -The commander returned the courtesy, and murmured, 'Thank you.' - -When all the divisions had been reported present, the commander, in his -turn, reported the fact to the captain, with another salute. The latter -raised his hand to his gold-peaked cap and muttered, 'Carry on, -please;' whereupon the commander held up his hand, a bugle blew, some -one forward tolled a bell, the band on the after shelter-deck played a -lively march, and the divisions marched aft to the quarterdeck for -prayers. Here they were halted, and presently the chaplain appeared -from one of the after-hatches, with his surplice flapping in the -breeze. He did not salute. He was bareheaded. - -'Ship's company! 'Shun!' from the commander. 'Off caps! Stand easy!' - -The chaplain read the prayers, followed by the usual intercession for -those at sea: 'O Eternal Lord God, who alone spreadest out the heavens, -and rulest the raging of the sea; who hast compassed the waters with -bounds until day and night come to an end: Be pleased to receive into -Thy almighty and most gracious protection the persons of us Thy -servants, and the fleet in which we serve. Preserve us from the dangers -of the sea and from the violence of the enemy; that we may be a -safeguard unto our most gracious Sovereign Lord King George and his -Dominions, and a security for such as pass on the seas upon their -lawful occasions.'... - -'The dangers of the sea,' 'the violence of the enemy,' 'a safeguard,' -'a security.' The words conveyed little to Martin's mind when first he -heard them. Less than a year later, in the autumn of 1914, he had come -to learn their true meaning. - -The short service was over by nine-twenty, and was followed by a -quarter of an hour's hard physical drill, conducted by the lieutenants -of divisions. This strenuous exercise was a daily feature of the -routine, and there was no doubt that it kept the men in excellent -condition. At any rate, Pincher was generally perspiring freely by the -time it was over. - -This finished, both watches were piped to fall in, and the various -parties of men were detailed for the day's work. The commander, with a -notebook, would be present on the quarterdeck, and would hold a hurried -conversation with the first lieutenant, the gunner, the boatswain, and -the carpenter, all of whom required men for the performance of various -odd jobs. - -'Party painting on the mess-deck yesterday, fall in aft!' would come -the first order. A group of about a dozen men and a petty officer, clad -in ancient, paint-stained overalls, would detach themselves from the -remainder. The first lieutenant, in charge of the mess-decks, gave his -detailed orders to the petty officer, and he, in turn, doubled his men -off to their work. 'Two hands from each part of the ship of the -starboard watch, and a leading hand from the foretop, fall in aft!' The -captain of the top told off the men, who were then taken charge of by -the gunner--a warrant officer--who required them for restowing the -small-arm magazine. Next the boatswain wanted a party, some for -refitting rigging, and others for drawing stores from the dockyard; -and, lastly, the carpenter took his toll for some purpose best known to -himself. - -The Royal Marines, meanwhile, had been sent down below to clean the -flats, under the orders of their own non-commissioned officers; and -when the various flat-sweepers and the mess-deck sweepers had been -detached to their work, the remainder of the seamen were detailed for -their labours, under the direction and supervision of their petty -officers. There were always a hundred and one different jobs to be -done. Nobody was ever idle in working-hours, and sometimes Martin found -himself armed with a pot of gray paint and a brush to touch up bare -portions of the superstructure. On other mornings he was detailed to -scrape and red-lead rusty plates on the ship's side, or to holystone a -particularly obstinate section of deck which was not quite up to the -mark. At other times he found himself told off as assistant to a fully -qualified A.B., one Joshua Billings, who was quite the best hand in the -ship at splicing or putting an eye in a wire hawser, neither of which -is a job for an amateur. Martin liked this sort of work, for he was -keen and anxious to learn, and the able seaman taught him far more in -an hour than he could pick up elsewhere in a fortnight. - -The worthy Joshua, by reason of an inordinate thirst and capacity for -malt liquor, had served in his present rank for seven years, and did -not hesitate to give the youngster good advice. 'It's like this 'ere,' -he would remark, deftly tucking in an obstinate strand of springy wire. -'It's beer wot's bin the ruin o' me, and I don't mind ownin' it. I've -bin in the navy ten years come January, and most o' them men wot served -along o' me as boys in the trainin'-ship is now petty orficers. I -reckons I'm as good a man as they is aboard a ship; but, though I was -rated leadin' seaman once, I dipped the killick[6] abart six weeks -later for comin' off drunk. It's beer wot done it; I carn't keep orf -it, some'ow, w'en I gits ashore. Give us that there ball o' spun-yarn, -young fella.' - - [6] A 'killick' is an anchor, which is the badge worn by a - leading seaman. 'Dipping the killick' means that the badge is - removed, and that its wearer has been disrated to A.B. - -''Ard luck,' Martin murmured, handing the spun-yarn across. - -The hoary-headed old sinner shook his head and gave vent to a throaty -sigh. 'No,' he said sadly, 'I reckons it wus orl right. The commander -'e sez to me, "Billings," 'e sez, "w'y is it you carn't go ashore -without gittin' a skinful?" "It's like this 'ere, sir," I tells 'im. "I -'as the rheumatics werry bad, an' as soon as I gits 'longside a pub I -comes orl over a tremble, an' directly I gits inside I meets with hevil -companions." "Rheumatics!" 'e sez. "I've 'eard that yarn before; an' -has for your hevil companions, my man, you ain't a baby!" "No, sir," -sez I, gittin' rattled, "I ain't; but directly I gits a pint inside me -my legs orl gits dizzy like." "A pint!" sez 'e, werry surprised. -"Surely it wus more'n a pint?" "Well, sir," I sez to 'im, "maybe it wus -a quart; I carn't 'xactly remember." "Several quarts, I should think," -sez 'e, waggin' 'is 'ead; "you wus werry drunk." "No, sir, not drunk, -only a bit shaky like," I sez, though I knowed orl the time I'd bin -properly tin 'ats. "Well," 'e sed, shakin' 'is 'ead werry sad, "I -should 'ave liked to 'ave given you another chance; but I'm afraid you -ain't fit to be a leadin' seaman. You must go before the capt'in." I -sees the owner, an' has a consequence wus dipped to A.B.; an' now I -shall never be anythin' else. Sad 'istory, ain't it?' concluded Joshua -sadly. 'But it's beer wot's done it, so look out you don't git meetin' -with hevil companions.' He solemnly winked one eye. - -Now, Joshua Billings, A.B., though officially a bad hat, was one of the -best seamen in the ship when there was any work on hand, and the -commander knew it. Only that fatal predilection for beer kept him from -rising to the top of the tree. Martin took his advice to heart, and was -rather proud to have him as a friend. - -At ten-thirty in the forenoon came a ten-minute stand easy for smoking; -after which work was resumed until eleven-forty-five, when the decks -were cleared up and the bugle sounded 'Cooks.' At noon there was -dinner, the staple meal of the day; and half-an-hour later the cooks of -messes were summoned on deck to receive the allowance of grog for the -members of their messes. The rum, mingled with its due proportion of -water, was served out with some ceremony. It stood in a huge -brass-bound tub bearing in brass letters the words, 'The King: God -bless him;' and when the recipients had assembled in a long queue with -their mess kettles and other receptacles, the liquid was solemnly -measured out by the ship's steward, under the supervision of the -warrant officer and the petty officer of the day. Martin, being under -twenty, was not officially allowed to partake of the beverage. He -tasted it once, and it made him cough and splutter. - -At one-ten the bugle sounded 'Out pipes,' and the decks were cleared -up; and at one-thirty the forenoon's work was resumed. At -three-forty-five labour, except for odd jobs done by the watch on -board, was over for the day; and at four o'clock came 'evening -quarters,' a repetition of the morning 'divisions,' without the prayers -and the music. Immediately afterwards the men went to tea, and the -watch whose turn it was to go ashore were sent on leave till seven -o'clock the next morning. Each man, provided his character was good, -thus got leave every alternate night; but Martin, with the rest of the -newly joined ordinary seamen, was not allowed out of the ship after ten -P.M. - -Saturday afternoon was generally a half-holiday, and a portion of the -ship's company went away till seven o'clock on the following Monday; -while on Sundays those men left on board had the usual service in the -forenoon, and did no work that was not absolutely necessary. - -Every day of the week supper came at seven-fifteen P.M., and after this -the hammocks were piped down and were slung on the mess-decks. At -eight-thirty came another clearing up of the ship, and at nine o'clock -the commander, preceded by the master-at-arms with a lighted lantern, -and followed by the sergeant-major of marines, made his final rounds of -the ship to see that everything was correct for the night, and that the -galley fires were extinguished. At ten o'clock the boatswain's mates -'piped down,' and everybody was chased off to his hammock. So ended the -day. - - -III. - -In a mixed company of eight hundred and fifty odd souls, comprising -seamen, marines, and stokers; boiler-makers, copper-smiths, and -moulders; blacksmiths, plumbers, shipwrights, caulkers, carpenters, and -joiners; butchers, bakers, and bandsmen; signalmen and telegraphists; -ship's police, stewards, and writers--men of all ranks and ratings, of -forty-and-one different trades and persuasions--it took Martin some -little time to find his own level. The subtle little differences -between the various grades and ranks were rather puzzling, and, as a -new-comer fresh to the navy and its traditions, he was constantly -making mistakes. At first he imagined that any one who wore clothes of -the ordinary shore-going cut, with a collar and tie, was a person to be -respected and called 'sir.' On one never-to-be-forgotten occasion he -used the title in addressing a 'dusty-boy,' or ship's steward's -assistant, a youth scarcely older than himself. For this he was -seriously taken to book by his messmates, and had his leg pulled -unmercifully. - -Some of his shipmates, moreover, were not slow to take advantage of his -ignorance as a 'softy' to amuse themselves at his expense. One ordinary -seaman in particular, a fresh-complexioned Irish youth of bullying -propensities, rejoicing in the name of Peter Flannagan, regarded a -newly joined ordinary seaman as a gift sent from heaven for his -especial amusement, though he himself had joined the ship only a few -months before. He was for ever devising new schemes of petty -persecution, until Martin's soul grew bitter, and he longed to -retaliate. But Flannagan was larger and heavier than himself, and a -direct assault could only end in defeat; so for a fortnight he stood -the ragging without complaint, and nursed his grievance in silence. -Then one morning he came late to breakfast to find powdered soap -mingled with his food, pepper in his coffee, and Flannagan sniggering -on an adjacent seat. He did nothing at the time, but that morning -sought the advice of Joshua Billings. - -That same afternoon Flannagan happened to be watch ashore. He had asked -a messmate to sling a hammock for him, and when, at ten o'clock, he -returned to the ship he promptly undressed and turned in. He had barely -had time to get comfortably to sleep, however, when his foot lanyard -gave an ominous crack. He knew what was about to happen, and tried to -save himself, but in an instant found himself precipitated abruptly to -the deck, feet first. Falling from a height of five odd feet, and -landing in rather scanty attire across the sharp edge of a mess-table, -is necessarily a painful business; and Martin, who was lying four tiers -away, with one cautious eye peering over the edge of his hammock, could -hardly restrain his merriment as the victim hopped round on one leg, -swearing and rubbing a badly barked shin. - -'Wot yer makin' all that bally row abart?' demanded the Irishman's -next-door neighbour with a chuckle. 'Fallen out o' yer 'ammick, 'ave -yer?' - -'Did you cut me foot lanyard?' demanded the angry Flannagan. - -'Me? Lord, no!' guffawed the other. - -'Well, you knows 'oo did it, any'ow!' - -'I knows nothin',' retorted the A.B., getting angry in his turn. 'If -yer says I did it you're a bally liar. I'll give yer a clip 'longside -the ear'ole if you ain't careful. Don't act so wet. Wot 'ave I to do -wi' yer rotten 'ammick?' - -'Some one's cut it,' the Irishman replied furiously, examining a clean -cut through two strands of the rope. 'If it ain't you wot done it, you -must know 'oo it was. 'Oo was it? tell us.' He looked round to see if -anybody else was awake, but every one seemed to be snoring peacefully. -Sailors are very heavy sleepers sometimes. - -It took Flannagan fully a quarter of an hour to repair damages and turn -in again. It was bitterly cold, and he cursed vehemently. - -But his troubles were not over yet. Towards eleven-thirty, when he had -got thoroughly warm and was dozing off, he felt an uncomfortable, -prickly sensation down his back and legs. He sat up blinking, and put a -hand under the blanket to find a thin film of something warm and -sticky. It resembled glue. The best part of a pound of finely ground -brown sugar, cunningly insinuated between the bedclothes, is not a -pleasant bedfellow. It melts with the heat of the body. The results are -nasty in the extreme. - -He leapt out, fuming. ''Ere!' he shouted, violently shaking the A.B. -next to him. ''Ave you bin puttin' sugar in my 'ammick?' - -'Look 'ere!' exclaimed the newly awakened man, 'I'm fair sick o' yer. I -told you afore I 'adn't touched yer 'ammick, an' I sed I'd give yer a -thick ear if yer went on worryin' me. Now I'm goin' to do it.' He -hopped out, gave the astonished Irishman a box on the ear which sent -him sprawling, and then stood over him with clenched fists. 'D'you want -any more?' he asked grimly. - -Flannagan did not. - -Martin and the other men in the neighbourhood, meanwhile, had been -waked by the disturbance, and were enjoying the fun. 'Go on, Ginger! -Give 'im another!' somebody advised the A.B. 'Give 'im a clip under the -lug! Slosh 'im one on the ruddy boko! Wakin' of us orl up at this time -o' night!' - -'Look 'ere, you blokes,' protested the still recumbent victim, 'some -one 'as put sugar in my 'ammick!' - -A roar of laughter greeted his words. His hearers were not sympathetic. -They longed to see a really good fight, and there would have been more -bloodshed if Flannagan, terrorised by the A.B.'s fists, had not thought -discretion the better part of valour. He retired grumbling, to spend -the rest of the chilly night on the hard mess-table, wrapped in a -greatcoat. - -At five-forty-five the next morning he sidled up to Martin, as the -latter sat drinking his cocoa. 'Look 'ere!' he exclaimed aggressively, -'was it you wot done that to my 'ammick last night?' - -'Done wot?' asked Pincher, grinning innocently. - -'Cut my ruddy foot lanyard an' put sugar on my blanket,' the Irishman -shouted, advancing threateningly with his fists clenched. 'I see'd yer -larfin' last night, an' yer larfin' now. If it wos you 'oo done it -I'll'---- - -'Stop yer bloomin' noise, Paddy!' chipped in Strumbles, who was always -inclined to be irascible in the early morning. 'If yer wants ter fight -Pincher you'd best take 'im on in the dog watches arter tea, not at -this un'oly hour o' the mornin'.' - -'But if it was 'im wot cut'---- - -'Don't chaw yer fat!' growled the leading seaman, giving the Irishman a -push in the chest. 'If it was Pincher wot done it, I reckons you arsked -for it. If you comes makin' a row 'ere I'll land you one on the conk, -so you'd best clear out!' - -Popular opinion was evidently not on his side; and, seeing how affairs -stood, Flannagan slouched off, vowing vengeance on some person or -persons unknown. - -But he never had his revenge; for, though he had a shrewd suspicion -that Martin was somehow responsible for his discomfiture, he could -never fix the blame on him for certain. The tables were turned at last, -and Pincher suffered no further inconvenience at the hands of Peter -Flannagan. The end had justified the means. Joshua Billings, A.B., was -an adept at dealing with a young and bumptious ordinary seaman who made -himself objectionable. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -WORK AND PLAY. - - -I. - -'Nice sort o' craft, isn't she?' growled the first lieutenant, eyeing -the grimy collier lying alongside. 'Enough to break the heart of a -plaster saint!' - -Tickle, the junior watch-keeping lieutenant, nodded in agreement. -'She's broken mine already,' he observed dolefully. 'How on earth we're -going to take in six hundred tons from her the Lord alone knows.' - -Chase, the first lieutenant, refilled his pipe. 'I'd like to get hold -of the blighter who charters these colliers,' he mumbled savagely. -'This one doesn't appear to have a winch that'll lift more than -half-a-ton; and as for her hatches--lord! they're only the size of--of -that.' He could think of no suitable simile, so held his hands out a -couple of feet apart. - -'You should just see her whips, No. 1,' put in the watch-keeper. 'They -were new in the year one; used by Admiral Noah in the Ark, by the look -of 'em. I tried to lift one of the cross beams in No. 1 hold just now. -Took me about twenty minutes to get the winch to gee to start with. -Then, when I'd gingered it up, and had got the beam in mid-air, the -whip parted, and the whole caboodle came down with a crash. It would -have gone clean through her bottom if there'd been no coal in the -hold.' - -'M'yes. I heard the yelling,' observed Chase. 'Any one hurt?' - -'No. A silly young ass of an ordinary seaman--chap called Martin, who's -just joined--jolly nearly got it in the neck, but not quite, luckily -for him. It weighed the best part of half-a-ton, and it missed him by -about six inches. He'd have been done in all right if his head had been -in the way.' - -'Silly blighter!' said the first lieutenant unsympathetically. 'What -the dooce did he want to get in the way for?' - -'Ask me another,' laughed Tickle. 'Some of these O.D.'s keep their eyes -in the back of their head. However, this chap seems a bit better than -some of 'em, though that's not saying much. He had the fright of his -life, though, and won't do it again, I'll bet.' - -The first lieutenant snorted. - -S.S. _Ben Macdhui_ certainly deserved all the strictures passed upon -her by both officers. She was no chicken, merely a nine-and-a-half -knot, pot-bellied monstrosity of a tramp built in the early 'eighties, -which, by inadvertence on somebody's part, or through a shortage of -more suitable craft, had temporarily been chartered as an Admiralty -collier. She belonged to a small company who appeared to earn their -dividends by buying all the old crocks of ships they could lay their -hands upon, and then running them on the cheap, for all her gear and -fittings were as elderly and unsafe as herself. Her middle-aged winches -wheezed cheerfully, and vomited forth jets of steam, scalding water, -and gouts of oil when they could be persuaded to revolve. Her derricks -groaned and sagged perilously when they lifted half their proper load; -while the less said about her coaling-whips--supposed to be brand-new -two-and-a-half-inch steel wire of the best quality--the better. The -officers and men were thoroughly in keeping with their ship. The -former, according to their own account, had all seen better days; while -the latter, bleary-eyed and stiff in the joints, looked more like a -party of workhouse inmates than the crew of a British merchant ship. A -more decrepit and ancient set of mariners it would be impossible to -find. They all had bald heads, several were grandfathers with flowing -white whiskers--when they washed; but then, of course, Messrs Catchem & -Flintskin preferred men of experience to mere scatter-brained -youngsters. They were more reliable, they said; but they also got them -cheaper, and their appetites were smaller. - -The 'Belligerents' swore lustily when the venerable _Ben Macdhui_ -secured alongside. The commander shared their feelings; while the first -lieutenant--who was in general charge of the collier during -coaling--nearly wept, and retired to the wardroom to seek liquid -consolation. The lieutenants in charge of the holds, who would have to -bear the brunt of the whole business if the coal did not come in at its -usual rate, cursed long and loud. They were all justified, poor souls, -for a bad collier may mean a long coaling; and a long coaling in the -winter is the 'perishin' limit,' as some one put it. - -The collier came alongside before dark, and that evening new whips were -rove, derricks were rigged and topped, bags and shovels were brought up -from the dim recesses of the _Belligerent's_ bowels and distributed -among the holds, the battleship's deck was brushed over with a moist -mixture of sand and lime to prevent the coal-dust from soaking in, and -all paintwork on the upper deck was swathed in canvas for the same -reason. - -Martin, as Lieutenant Tickle has already explained, had nearly lost the -number of his mess when assisting in the collier. He thought his narrow -escape was deserving of a certain amount of sympathy, but precious -little he got. He was bluntly called a '---- young fool,' and asked -'why the ---- he wanted to get his ---- head in the way.' Even his -messmates laughed at him, for to all bluejackets a miss is as good as a -mile. In the course of their careers, even in time of peace, they look -death in the face so often as to be utterly unmindful of narrow -squeaks. Their calling is essentially a risky one, and to become inured -to danger is part and parcel of their training. If a man has a close -shave he is chaffed unmercifully; if he is killed, his shipmates -express their sympathy, shrug their shoulders, attend the funeral with -tears in their eyes and a glass case of wax flowers in their hands, and -subscribe their shillings and pennies toward providing for the widow -and children. It is all in the day's work. - -Punctually at five-thirty the next morning, while it was yet dark, the -boatswain's mates were piping, 'Clear lower deck! 'Ands fall in for -coaling ship!' and officers and men, clad in the oldest and grimiest of -garments, repaired to the quarterdeck. Coaling ship was always a 'clear -lower deck' evolution, and nobody was excused except a few privileged -officers and men. - -On the quarterdeck was the commander; and presently, when the men had -been reported present, he gave them a few words. - -'Men,' he said, 'we've got a bad collier this time, just about the -worst thing in colliers I've ever seen. We have six hundred tons to -take in, so let's see if we can't make an evolution of it. We've been a -pretty good ship for coaling up to date, remember, so don't let us -spoil our good record now. Coal ship!' - -The groups of men scattered and fled to their several stations. The -forecastlemen, foretopmen, maintopmen, and quarterdeckmen repaired to -their respective holds in the collier, where they were divided up into -gangs of five for shovelling the coal into the two-hundredweight bags, -which were hoisted on board ten at a time. The 'dumping-ground -parties,' composed principally of artisan ratings like the carpenter's -mates, shipwrights, plumbers, and blacksmiths, were sent to the places -on the battleship's deck where the hoists would presently be coming in. -Their duty was to unhook and unstrap the bags as they arrived, and to -place them on the barrows, which were then trundled to the various -bunker-openings in the deck by the Royal Marines. Here the bags were -seized by the 'tippers,' and their contents emptied down the shoots -into the bunkers below, where they were stowed by the stokers doing -duty as 'trimmers.' The empty bags were collected by a number of -ordinary seamen and boys, who returned them to the holds in the -collier; and woe betide these youths if the men digging in the holds -were delayed through a shortage of empties! - -Practically all the officers coaled with their men. The commander was -in general charge of the whole operation, while the first lieutenant -exercised supervision in the collier. The lieutenants and midshipmen of -divisions worked with their men in the holds; while Vernon Hatherley, -the lieutenant-commander (T.), clad in an ancient Panamá hat and a suit -of indescribable overalls, acted the part of traffic manager on the -upper deck. He had the assistance of a couple of midshipmen, and among -them they organised the movement of barrows between the dumping-grounds -and the bunker-openings, so that no two streams moving in opposite -directions should come into sudden and violent contact, and so cause a -congestion in the traffic. The captain of marines, Hannibal Chance, -supervised his barrow-men, and, assisted by the sergeant-major, -exhorted them when they became languid. Nearly every other officer in -the ship, save only the fleet surgeon, the fleet paymaster, the -surgeon, and the assistant-paymasters, was in charge of something or -other. The lieutenant-commander (N.), Christopher Colomb, otherwise the -navigator, kept the 'day on' as officer of the watch; while even the -chaplain, the Reverend Stephen Holiman, set an example by shedding his -clerical garments and trundling a barrow. The men loved seeing Holy Joe -'sweatin' hisself,' as they put it; but, for all that, they voted him a -good fellow, and he was immensely popular on the lower deck. - -Martin found himself detailed as a member of one of the gangs of -diggers in the forecastlemen's hold. The work of shovelling the coal -into bags was back-breaking, for no two consecutive shovelfuls were -exactly the same weight; in addition, he found it extremely difficult -to keep his footing. The confined space reeked of coal-dust, and before -long he and his companions were jet-black from head to foot. He -breathed the fine powder down into his lungs. He perspired profusely. -His back, shoulders, arms, and thighs ached with the strain; but he was -game, and managed to struggle on somehow. Five other gangs were at work -besides his own. Each one was responsible for a hoist of ten bags, and -had to have them filled and strapped together by the time the whip was -ready to hoist them. They occasionally had a few minutes' rest between -the hoists, but otherwise the work went on continuously; and it was a -point of honour that the whip, which visited all the gangs in rotation, -should not be kept waiting. If there was any undue delay in hooking on, -there were loud shouts from above, and angry, nautical exhortations -from the lieutenant, midshipmen, and petty officers working in the -hold. - -It was sultry work, very sultry, though it was winter. The dust was so -thick that the powerful arc lights could only be seen in a blurred -glare across the hold. Jet-black figures whirled in and out of the -murky cloud like demons on the brink of the nethermost pit. Shouts of -'Stand from under!' and empty bags came from the deck above; and every -now and then there came a shrill screech on a whistle, a frenzied shout -of 'Mind your backs! Stand clear!' a frantic clattering from the -long-suffering winch, and a hoist would go hurtling, swinging, and -banging across the hold as the wire whip strained and tautened out. The -labouring men would spring aside to get clear, for a ton of coal in the -small of the back will send a twelve-stone man flying, and may cause -him serious injury. But still the work went on without a stop, and -hoist after hoist left the hold, disappeared in the darkness above, -swung through space, and finally landed with a thud and more shouts on -the battleship's deck. - -The _Ben Macdhui_ was certainly a bad collier. Twice during the first -hour did two of her winches break down, and each time they caused a -delay of fully twenty minutes. Another time a block on the head of a -derrick carried away, and the suspended hoist fell back into the hold -with a crash, knocking over two men. They were not seriously hurt, and -picked themselves up with many full-blooded sea oaths, to resume their -work as if nothing had happened. - -The 'Belligerents' prided themselves on their coaling. With a good -collier they had been known to average one hundred and seventy-seven -tons per hour; but this time they had only embarked one hundred and -ninety-eight by eight o'clock, at which time there came half-an-hour's -respite for breakfast. They had been at it since about five-forty (two -hours twenty minutes), and the commander was not at all pleased. But -even he realised that it was not the fault of the men. 'Bad!' he -growled. 'Damned bad! We're only averaging eighty-four point eight an -hour. What can one do with a collier like this?' - -During breakfast-time, wardroom, gunroom, and mess-decks were invaded -by hordes of black-faced demons, ravenous and clamouring for food. Some -of the more fastidious among them had washed their hands and had -cleared a circle of grime from about their mouths; but time was short, -and most of them had not troubled to do even this. Officers' messes, -cabins, and mess-decks were pervaded with the strange, penetrating -smell of coal. The dust hung and lodged everywhere, and even the -porridge, eggs and bacon, and milk were covered with films of black -powder. But what did it matter? They were hungry, and the food tasted -just as good, dust or no dust. - -At eight-thirty work was resumed, and the ship's company, rejuvenated -by breakfast, set to with redoubled energy. The _Belligerent's_ once -white deck was covered with black dust, caked by the wheels of the -barrows. Officers and men alike were black from head to foot; but still -the hoists crashed in, still the barrows flew round the deck, and still -the coal went tumbling down the shoots into the bunkers. On the after -shelter-deck the bandsmen were doing their share of the work by braying -out the latest music-hall songs; but even their strident and not very -tuneful efforts could only be heard at intervals in the clatter of the -winches and the hollow rumble of the barrows. - -The best hour's work was done between ten and eleven, when one hundred -and twenty-four tons were taken in, and shortly before noon the full -six hundred had been embarked. The bugle sounded the 'Cease firing,' -the last hoists of empty bags and shovels came clattering inboard from -the collier with throaty cheers from the tired men, and swarms of -bluejackets set about lowering the derricks and unrigging the gear. - -Soon afterwards, when the _Ben Macdhui's_ chief engineer had raised -sufficient steam in his tin-pot boiler to revolve the engines, and when -the ancient crew could be induced to bestir themselves, the collier let -go her wires and waddled off. The 'Belligerents' cheered and waved -ironical farewells as she departed. They were heartily glad to see the -last of her. - -'Gosh!' muttered Martin, with a heartfelt sigh, as he watched her go -from the forecastle, 'I ain't sorry that job's done!' His back ached, -and he felt very weary. He also wanted his dinner. - -Able Seaman Billings heard his remark and smiled. 'Garn!' he jeered -good-naturedly; 'this 'ere coalin' ain't bin nothin', only six 'undred -ton. You wait till we joins up wi' the fleet, me lad, w'en we coals -once a fortnight reg'lar.' - -It was quite true, as Martin afterwards discovered. - -That afternoon, armed with the hose, scrubbers, and soap, they set -about cleaning the ship, themselves, and their clothes. Coal-dust -seemed to be everywhere; it had lodged in every nook and cranny, but by -dark most of it was removed and the battleship was looking more or less -like her old self. So ended Martin's first experience of 'coaling -ship,' an evolution which subsequently was carried out with such -frequency that it became a mere incident. - -The next day they took in ammunition and explosives enough to send a -whole squadron of Dreadnoughts to the bottom. Innocent-looking lighters -and barges, crammed to the hatches with shell for the twelve-inch, -six-inch, and smaller guns; cases of cordite-cartridges; boxes -containing the copper war-heads for the torpedoes, filled with -gun-cotton; small-arm ammunition; gun-cotton charges in cylindrical -red-painted cases, and detonators, came alongside in the early morning -while it was yet dark. - -Soon after eight o'clock the work began. It was preferable to coaling, -as it was cleaner; but the labour was very strenuous. There were three -lighters on each side, and each had its own party of men employed in -hooking on the projectiles and metal cordite-cases, which were then -hoisted on board by the battleship's winches. Other men on deck with -barrows transported the shell and cases as they arrived to square -hatches in different parts of the deck, through which they were lowered -to the magazines and shell-rooms in the bowels of the ship, to be -stowed in their proper racks, bays, and compartments. - -The great eight hundred and fifty pound projectiles for the twelve-inch -guns dwarfed all the others, and they were slung inboard singly on -account of their weight. The hundred-pound shell for the six-inch guns -came in in canvas bags a couple at a time, while the lighter -projectiles for the smaller weapons were hoisted in consignments. - -Such a variety of shell there was! Some had bright-yellow bodies with -red bands round their middles, and sundry stencil-marks on their sides -denoting the date and place of manufacture, date of filling with -explosive, and other purely personal details. These were the lyddite -high-explosive shell Martin had often heard about; and he was informed, -by an A.B. who was lowering them below as if they had been mere sacks -of potatoes, that they burst into thousands of minute fragments on -impact, and that they were designed primarily for use as man-killing -projectiles against the unarmoured portions of an enemy's ship. Then -there were the common shell with black-painted bodies and red-and-white -bands round their noses. They, too, were deadly in their way, but not -quite so deadly as the lyddite, since they were filled only with black -powder, and did not burst so violently on striking. The armour-piercers -were also black, and had white-red-white bands round their heads. They, -Martin was told, had very thick walls and specially toughened points, -and were designed to bore their way through an enemy's armoured sides -and to burst inside. Then came the shrapnel shell for the lighter guns, -with their red tips and red bands; they were provided with a small -bursting charge, were filled with bullets, and had time-fuses, so that -they could be burst in the air at any moment, to send their leaden -bullets flying on over a cone-shaped region of destruction. The -practice projectiles were black, with yellow bands round their middles -and white tips. They were quite harmless, being made of cast-iron, with -small quantities of salt inside to bring them up to the exact weight. - -It was quite six o'clock in the evening by the time the ammunition had -all been taken in, and even then there were many hours' work in stowing -the shell, cordite, and explosives in their several shellrooms and -magazines. - -The next morning, at cock-crow, they started another very similar job, -taking in slops and stores of provisions from the victualling yard. -This time the deck was littered with bundles of clothing done up in -sacking, bags of flour, boxes and cases containing boots, shoes, straw -hats, caps, biscuits, condensed milk, tea, coffee, chocolate, jam, -preserved meat, tinned salmon and rabbit, mustard, pepper, salt, -raisins, rice, dried beans and peas, pickles, suet, compressed -vegetables, oatmeal, split peas, celery-seed for flavouring pea-soup, -soap, and tobacco. There were also casks or drums of rum, vinegar, and -sugar. The total consignment ran into well over a hundred tons dead -weight, and all the hundred and one different articles had to be -hoisted on board, sorted out, transported, and stowed in their proper -storerooms. - -The ship's steward and his assistant 'dusty boys' had a very busy day. -Quite early in the proceedings a flour-bag burst like a shell and -deluged the steward with its contents. He was powdered from head to -foot, and remained so for the rest of the day; and the little runnels -of perspiration running down his whitened face made a strange -criss-cross pattern which transformed his ordinarily rubicund -countenance into a very fair representation of a map of the planet -Mars, with all the canals clearly marked. His appearance caused titters -of amusement and howls of derisive merriment when his back was turned, -as, armed with an enormous note-book and a sheaf of coloured pencils, -he flitted in and out of the piles of boxes and packing-cases like a -lost soul. He was endeavouring to trace odd cases of raisins, or errant -boxes of jam or pickles, and looked very worried, poor man! At any -rate, it was hardly safe to talk to him, for finding the mislaid things -among the heaps of barrels, drums, cases, and boxes, which covered the -deck in places to a height of fully five feet, was for the time being -rather like searching for a pebble on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. - - -II. - -The _Belligerent_ was a 'Pompey'[7] ship. Many of her officers and men -had their homes in or near the port, so the 'funny party'--otherwise -the ship's concert troupe--prevailed upon the first lieutenant, their -honorary president, to petition the commander for permission to give a -farewell entertainment on board the evening before they sailed to -rejoin the squadron. - - [7] 'Pompey' is the naval slang term for Portsmouth. - -The commander, with visions of endless trouble in rigging a stage for -the performance, and the sacred quarterdeck being littered with -cigarette-ends, banana-skins, and orange-peel, was not altogether -pleased at the prospect. 'They want to give a show!' he said, in -surprise, when the first lieutenant mooted the subject. 'Great Scott! -they must be mad. It's mid-winter. Suppose it's raining or blowing a -gale o' wind?' - -'Yes, sir. I pointed that out to them,' answered No. 1. 'I quite -realise there are serious objections. They're so jolly keen on it, -though, that I couldn't choke 'em off.' - -'And they propose that we shall bring all the guests off in our boats, -eh?' - -Chase nodded. 'They do, sir,' he said. 'But I'll take the management of -all that off your hands if you'll let me. They want the show to start -at eight o'clock.' - -'The devil they do!' laughed the commander, beginning to relent. -'You'll have to cut the encores, though. It'll have to be over by -ten-fifteen at the latest. We're sailing the next morning.' - -'I'll see to that, sir.' - -'Are the officers and their wives to be asked?' the commander wanted to -know. - -'Oh yes, sir. They specially mentioned that.' - -'Well, for goodness' sake censor the programme. Last time we gave a -show and had ladies on board, one of the songs was altogether -too--er--spicy. I can't remember who sang it, but one of the captain's -guests was very much shocked. For heaven's sake make certain it doesn't -occur again!' - -'Yes, I'll do that, sir,' smiled No. 1, with vivid recollections of the -incident. - -'All right. I'll ask the captain, then. I don't expect he'll object. -You'd better tell me beforehand how many boats you want to bring the -people off, and I'll leave all the rest in your hands.' - -'Thank you, sir.' - -The captain raised no objections; and on the afternoon of the -entertainment the carpenter and his men, assisted by the members of the -'funny party' and many willing volunteers, set about preparing the -quarterdeck. The day, luckily, was fine, but bitterly cold. A temporary -stage, built up of planks placed upon biscuit-boxes, was rigged right -aft athwartships. It was provided with the necessary scenery painted on -board, was decorated with flags and coloured bunting, and was flanked -by a brightly polished twelve-pounder gun and a Maxim on their -field-carriages. The awning overhead was shrouded in enormous foreign -ensigns, while canvas side-curtains were laced all round the -quarterdeck to keep off the wind. Seating accommodation for several -hundred people was provided by bringing all the available stools from -the mess-decks, and placing them in rows on the deck and the top of the -after-barbette with its two 12-inch guns. The first two rows of stalls, -so to speak, were reserved for the officers, and consisted of -arm-chairs and other chairs borrowed at the last moment from the -officers' cabins and messes. - -By seven-forty-five the preparations were complete, and the guests were -beginning to arrive. As they stepped over the gangway they were claimed -by their respective hosts, presented with printed programmes, and -conducted to seats. By seven-fifty-five the last boats had come off, -and the quarterdeck was tightly packed with men and their female -belongings. They were all very much on their best behaviour, talked in -hushed, expectant whispers, and spent the time criticising their -neighbours and admiring the drop-scene. - -The drop-scene was a truly terrific representation of the _Belligerent_ -in action. It had been painted on board, and the artist had allowed his -colours to run riot. The sea, well covered with shell-splashes, was -very, very blue, and so was the sky. The ship herself, with flaunting -White Ensigns hoisted everywhere, was fiercely blazing away with every -gun at some invisible enemy over the horizon. Here and there the blue -expanse of sky was punctuated with large yellow and white blotches. -Whether or not they represented clouds, the bursting of hostile shell, -or cordite smoke, nobody but the artist could say. They did equally -well for any one of them. At the bottom was an elaborate scroll, royal -blue in colour, inscribed with the battle honours of previous -_Belligerents_ in gold letters; while in the centre came the ship's -crest and motto, '_Ut Veniant Omnes_' the Latin equivalent of 'Let -'em all come!' - -Before long the guests thawed a little, and the place began to hum like -a beehive. The ladies produced chocolate and other edibles from -handbags, and thrust them on their neighbours in token of friendship. -The men lit pipes and cigarettes until the air was blue with -tobacco-smoke. Martin, with several other youngsters, had installed -himself in an excellent position on the top of the after-turret, and -waited anxiously for the performance to start. - -The chattering ceased as the orchestra filed out from the wings and -took their places behind a zareba of bunting-covered biscuit-boxes and -hired palms erected in front of the stage. They all wore their best -tunics, had their hair well parted and greased, and seemed very full of -their own importance. They concealed themselves behind their barricade -until only the tops of their heads were visible, leaving the bandmaster -perched precariously on a chair set on a couple of rather insecure -boxes. He wore a brand-new pair of white gloves in honour of the -occasion, twirled his moustache, and tried hard not to look -self-conscious. - -'Swanker!' came a loud and very raucous remark from the top of the -after-turret. Martin, greatly daring, but carried away by the -excitement of the moment, had been responsible for the utterance. He -looked round apprehensively, half-expecting to get into trouble for his -temerity; but every one seemed quite pleased. The audience was actually -tittering. The titter became a laugh, and the laugh a roar of delighted -amusement. The bandmaster, with his back to the gathering, seemed -rather agitated. He half-turned on his chair, thought better of it when -it gave a dangerous wobble, and then pretended he had not heard. - -The culprit, undiscovered save by his immediate neighbours, hugged -himself at the success of his sally. - -A minute later, when the band began to tune up for the overture, the -first lieutenant appeared from one of the after-hatches. He had the -reputation of being a 'taut hand;' but the men loved him dearly, and -his arrival was the signal for a volley of cheers and hand-claps. He -faced the audience nervously, bowed and smiled, and then, watch in -hand, walked across to the bandmaster and held a whispered -conversation. - -Other officers came up the after-hatches and filed into their places. -They were greeted with round after round of applause, as, very red in -the face and very uncomfortable, they settled down in their seats. The -_Belligerent_ was notoriously a happy ship, and on occasions of this -kind her ship's company were not slow in showing their appreciation for -their officers. - -The captain had been having a dinner-party in his cabin for some of the -married officers and their wives; and he, the commander, the -engineer-commander, the fleet surgeon, Hatherley, and Tickle, with -their respective wives, arrived last. They, too, received their share -of cheers while taking their seats. The captain, however, remained -standing, and held up his hand for silence. - -'Ladies and gentlemen,' he said when the uproar had subsided, 'I am -very glad to see you all here to-night, and I hope you will enjoy the -entertainment. The first lieutenant asked me to sing you a song myself, -but I'm afraid I'm getting too old for that sort'---- - -Loud cries of 'No, no!' and more cheering. - -'I am,' he continued, laughing, 'though you may not believe it. What I -want to tell you is that I have arranged for light refreshments to be -served in the battery during the interval, so I hope you will -all--er--do full justice to them.' - -Loud cheers, during which Captain Spencer sat down and nodded to the -first lieutenant for the entertainment to begin. - -The latter rose from his chair and glanced at his programme. 'Ladies -and gentlemen,' he said, 'the first item on the list is a selection by -the band. It is called--er--"Down Channel," and has been specially -composed for the occasion by Mr Johnson, the bandmaster.' He sat down -again. - -The bandmaster rapped twice with his baton, and with a rattle of drums -the music began. The selection was a strange pot-pourri of every -nautical song that Mr Johnson had ever heard. It started off with a -variation of 'Hearts of Oak,' wandered into 'The Bay of Biscay,' 'Tom -Bowling,' 'They all love Jack,' and several other tunes, ancient and -modern, and finished off with 'The Red, White, and Blue' and 'Rule -Britannia.' It was hardly original, but it was received with vociferous -applause. The bandmaster, highly satisfied, turned and bowed his -acknowledgments with great dignity. - -'The next item on the programme,' said the first lieutenant, rising to -his feet again, 'is a comic song entitled "Archibald," by Stoker -Williams.' - -The footlights were turned on, and the curtain went up to disclose -Stoker Williams dressed in the height of fashion. He wore a morning -coat, gray trousers, patent-leather boots and spats, eyeglass, -immaculate shirt, collar, and tie. He represented, it would seem, a -young man about town looking for a friend named Archibald. Presumably -he had some difficulty in finding him, for he walked mincingly across -the stage, grasping a cane and a pair of gloves in one horny hand, and -in the other a very glossy top-hat, which he twirled violently when the -spirit moved him. The first lieutenant fidgeted uneasily. The hat, a -brand-new Lincoln & Bennett, belonged to him. So did the clothes. The -chorus of the song went something like this: - - Har-ar-chibald! Har-ar-chibald! - Son of a belted hearl. - Har-ar-chibald! Har-ar-chibald! - I'll bet 'e's mashin' 'is girl. - 'E promised to meet me at 'arf-past three; - But 'e's such a nut that 'e's gone on the spree, - With 'is girls, girls, girls. - (_Spoken_) 'Har-ar-chibald! where are you?' - -The words were not conspicuous for their wit or cleverness, but the -tune went with a swing, and the audience, highly appreciative, rocked -with laughter; and after the performer's 'Now all together, please,' at -the end of the first verse, joined in the inane chorus until the roar -of 'Har-ar-chibald! where are you?' could have been heard as far as the -dockyard gates. - -The song eventually came to a close with Archibald still missing, and -Stoker Williams, very pleased with himself, left the stage amidst -clapping, cat-calls, and loud cries of 'Encore!' But encores were -barred, and the curtain came down with a crash. - -The next turn was by the P.T.I. (Physical Training Instructor). He was -a magnificently built man, and appeared, despite the weather, clad in -flesh-coloured tights, sandals, and an imitation tiger-skin. 'Ladies -and gentlemen,' he said, advancing to the front of the stage and -addressing the audience in the approved music-hall manner, 'with your -kind indulgence I will now introduce a few lifting feats without -apparatus of any kind. After that I shall have pleasure in giving a -display with the Indian clubs. For the first part of my performance I -must ask a member of the audience weighing at least ten stone to join -me on the stage.' - -After some hesitation and tittering, the challenge was presently -accepted by Able Seaman M'Sweeny. Tubby, as he was called by his -shipmates, was a short, rotund, and very bulbous person, who was a -source of unfailing amusement to his friends. He had a fat red face -rather like an apple, and a pair of humorous blue eyes; and, being -something of a buffoon, was delighted at the idea of making himself -conspicuous. He pretended to be very nervous, left his seat amid shouts -of laughter and cries of 'Good old Tubby boy!' from the lookers-on, and -presently appeared on the stage with the P.T.I. - -'This gentleman informs me that he weighs thirteen stone,' said the -P.T.I., producing a broad strap; 'one hundred and eighty-two pounds. I -first place the strap round him, so'--buckling it round Tubby's -middle--'and will now ask him to lie flat on the deck in the centre of -the stage.' - -This was rather more than M'Sweeny had bargained for, for he guessed -what was coming next. But he acquiesced nevertheless, and, turning his -funny face toward the audience with a solemn wink, began to agitate his -arms and legs as if he were swimming. - -Martin, on the verge of hysterics, was slowly becoming purple in the -face. He had never seen anything quite so funny in all his life. - -'Look at our Tubby boy!' came another loud remark from a youth seated -near him. 'Ain't 'e the limit?' - -The P.T.I., seeing that Tubby was getting all the applause, became very -wroth. 'Look here!' he growled in a very audible whisper, 'is this your -turn or is it mine? Knock off playing the fool, can't you!' - -The victim, breathing heavily and balanced on his most prominent part, -with the tips of his toes just touching the floor, looked up with a -grin. ''Ere,' he asked loudly, 'w'ere do I come in?' - -The audience rocked in their seats, with tears streaming down their -faces. - -'Shut your fat head!' whispered the gentleman in the -tiger-skin.--'Ladies and gentlemen,' he went on, producing another -short strap fitted with a stout hook, 'I hook this into the strap -passing round the gentleman's body, so, and shall now carry him round -the stage in my mouth.' - -The 'gentleman' seemed distinctly nervous, but it was too late to back -out now. - -The band broke into slow music. The P.T.I, bent down, seized the strap -in his mouth, and, bracing himself with his hands on his knees, lifted -M'Sweeny a few inches off the floor. Then, with another heave which -very nearly precipitated his victim and himself into the middle of the -orchestra, he swung his burden waist-high, and staggered slowly round -the stage with his back bowed and his muscles bulging. - -Tubby, suspended by his centre of gravity, hung limply, with drops of -perspiration trickling off his face. He was desperately alarmed lest he -should be dropped with a crash, poor man! - -The P.T.I., who, judging from his stertorous breathing, had undertaken -more than he had bargained for, tottered once round the stage, and then -went to the side and lowered his prey gently to the floor out of sight -of the audience. At the same time the big drum gave a prearranged and -very resounding crash. The audience laughed themselves hoarse, and -cheered uproariously. After sundry other feats of strength with a long -wooden bar from which depended the limp figures of two Royal Marines, -one ordinary seaman, and one stoker, the performer gave his -club-swinging display with lively music from the band. It was quite -effective, and came to a close with great _éclat_. - -The next item was a very doleful sentimental ditty about a lonely -robin. It was sung by an intensely serious A.B., and the bird, it -appeared, was on terms of great intimacy with a lady suffering from an -incurable disease, who was slowly dying in the top back-room of a -cottage. Every morning at breakfast-time the robin appeared on the -window-sill; but on one memorable occasion he came rather late, to find -the undertakers in the house. The shock unnerved him to such an extent -that he died too, poor bird! It was so intensely pathetic that some of -the ladies in the back-rows actually wept. The two rows of officers and -their wives blew their noses and hid their faces in their programmes. -Their shoulders shook visibly, but not with grief. - -'The next thing,' said the master of ceremonies--rather perturbed -because the last man had exceeded his appointed time by three -minutes--'is a song called "Slattery's Mounted Foot," by the members of -the troupe.' - -The curtain went up to show a man clad more or less as a soldier. He -wore a marine's red tunic, baggy blue trousers with broad yellow -stripes, a cocked hat with an enormous plume, a naval cutlass, and a -pair of leather sea-boots with huge tin spurs. He sang the first verse -of a song amidst much amusement, and then started the rollicking chorus: - - Down from the mountains came the squadrons and platoons, - Four-and-twenty fighting men and a couple of stout gossoons. - -At the cue 'squadrons and platoons' the Mounted Foot, riding home-made -hobby-horses with flowing manes and tails, galloped on to the stage. -Their appearance was the signal for a volley of shouts and laughter, in -which the music was quite inaudible, and truly they were comical. There -were six others besides the first man, who, it would appear, was -General Slattery himself. They all wore burlesque military uniforms. -One was a hussar, another a lancer, a third a soldier in a British line -regiment, a fourth an Indian cavalryman with lance and turban all -complete, a fifth a cross between a Chasseur d'Afrique and a Chinese -brave, and the last an artilleryman. The _pièce de résistance_ was -the artillery itself, for the last man to arrive led the very unwilling -Nellie, the ship's pet pig, to which was attached a large cardboard -cannon. Headed by their General, they pranced about the stage enjoying -themselves hugely. Their efforts brought the house down, for they quite -succeeded in making fools of themselves, and 'Slattery's Mounted Foot' -was a long way the best event of the evening. - -The remaining turns were too numerous to be mentioned in detail. They -included further ditties by the singers of 'Archibald' and 'The Lonely -Robin,' a banjo solo, some really clever conjuring and lightning -sketching by an engine-room artificer, and an absurd sketch, written on -board, called 'The Broker's Man.' The plot of this production, if it -could be called by such a name, can be deduced from the list of -characters: - - _Mr Stony-Broke_--an impoverished aristocrat. - _Mrs Stony-Broke_--his wife. - _Miss Gertrude Stony-Broke._ - _General Sir Thomas Dammit, K.C.B._--a rich uncle. - _Mr Hardcash_--a hard-hearted landlord. - _Mr Theodore Buggins_--the broker's man. - _Hon. Bertie de Montmorency_--Gertrude's fiancé. - _Giles_--a footman. - - Scene--The Stony-Brokes' drawing-room in London. - - Time--The present. - -The parts of Mrs and Miss Stony-Broke were played by seamen. Mrs -Stony-Broke appeared in black satin and a shawl, and the fair Gertrude -in an evening-dress of pale yellow. Both mother and daughter were very -shapeless, while their home-made wigs, white cotton gloves, bare red -arms, and enormous feet brought tears of joy to the eyes of the -audience. So did the gallant General Sir Thomas Dammit, who, it would -seem, made a habit of wearing his full-dress uniform, cocked hat, and -sword on all occasions. - -Mr Hardcash, the villain of the piece, was loudly hissed; while his -emissary, Mr Theodore Buggins, a truly dissolute fellow, became -hilariously intoxicated at Mr Stony-Broke's expense. But everything -ended happily. Gertrude and the Hon. Bertie plighted their troth, and -were duly set up for life with a handsome cheque from Sir Thomas. - -The curtain came down amidst scenes of the wildest enthusiasm from the -audience, and the orchestra playing Mendelssohn's 'Wedding March.' - -When finally the band played 'God Save the King,' Pincher Martin was -convinced that it was quite the best entertainment he had ever seen. -His shipmates agreed with him. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -THE STRENUOUS LIFE. - - -I. - -Twenty-four hours later the _Belligerent_ was at bleak, wind-swept -Portland; and during the next fortnight Martin began to realise what -life in the navy really meant. He fondly imagined that he had been -hard-worked at Portsmouth, but it was mere child's-play compared with -what went on when they were with the squadron. - -The anchorage was full of men-of-war. First came seven other -battleships precisely similar to the _Belligerent_ herself, squat, -ponderous-looking vessels, with piled-up superstructures and heavy -gun-turrets which gave them an aspect of strength rather than of speed. -They were commanded by a vice-admiral, who flew his flag in the -_Tremendous_. Next came an independent cruiser squadron of four -sister-ships under the orders of a rear-admiral. They were long, lean -craft, with four funnels like factory chimneys, and raking masts. They -had an ungainly appearance, but looked fast. Then came a couple of -light cruisers, slender, graceful vessels, with beautiful lines. They, -too, had four funnels, and gave the impression that they were fliers, -as indeed they were. Innumerable black destroyers, with another light -cruiser as their flagship, lay in glorified sheep-pens jutting out from -the shore. They were evil-looking craft, and could do their thirty -knots with ease. - -But the ships were not always in harbour. Most days of the week they -spent outside the breakwater, indulging in what was officially known as -'aiming rifle practice.' It meant that 1-inch or .303-inch aiming -rifles were placed in all the guns, and that the ship steamed past a -minute target, firing as she went. It kept the gunlayers and guns' -crews proficient, for the weapons were worked, aimed, and fired exactly -as if they had been using their proper ammunition. Unofficially, this -practice was known as _piff_, from the feeble sound of the -reports. - -Sometimes the whole battle-squadron went to sea for steam tactics under -the orders of the vice-admiral; while at least one night a week was -spent somewhere out in the Channel without lights, to give the -destroyers practice in making torpedo attacks under war conditions. - -It was all very wonderful to Martin; but what impressed him most was -the way in which the entire squadron of eight battleships steamed about -as a whole. Each vessel remained at precisely the same distance from -her next ahead, until it seemed as if they were all joined together by -some invisible string, rather than free units capable of independent -motion and movement. How they managed to achieve this result he could -not imagine. It savoured of necromancy. He did not know until later -that on the bridge of each vessel was a young lieutenant with a -sextant, whose duty it was to measure the angle between the masthead -and the water-line of the next ship ahead. Briefly, if the angle grew -larger it meant that the ship was drawing up on her next ahead; if -smaller, that she was dropping behind; and the revolutions of the -engines were accordingly decreased or increased to get her back into -her correct position. 'Station keeping!'--the officers of watches would -have laughed if they had been asked how they did it. 'My dear chap, -it's as easy as falling off a log. Any fool could do it.' Perhaps he -could; but then there are fools and fools. Some of them are wise fools. - -Steam tactics, too, were very impressive. The eight battleships would -be steaming along in two ordered columns of four ships each. A string -of gaily coloured bunting would suddenly appear at the flagship's -masthead, to be repeated by the rear-admiral leading the other line. -Hardly had the flags blown out clear than every other vessel would be -flying a white-and-red 'answering pendant,' meaning 'I have seen and -understood.' The flagship's signal would come down with a rush, and -after a brief interval of suspense every ship would be swinging round -under the influence of her helm. They formed single line ahead, line -abreast, and quarter line, each gray ram cutting the water at precisely -the same distance from the next ahead. Now and then they broke off into -pairs. Sometimes they circled round in succession, each vessel -following dead in the wake of her leader. Occasionally they wheeled, -the pivot ship reducing her speed, the wing ship increasing, and the -intermediate vessels adjusting the revolutions of their engines until -every foremast was exactly in line. They twisted themselves into knots, -and unravelled themselves again. The effect was really rather -wonderful. The squadron seemed to manoeuvre this way and that with -the same ease and flexibility as a company of well-drilled soldiers. - -It must be very difficult, Martin concluded; but he wondered vaguely -why the admiral should take it upon himself to act the part of a -glorified drill-sergeant. He did not know that flexibility of movement -and ability to change formation with rapidity and precision are even -more important in a squadron at sea than with a regiment ashore. - -The admiral, experienced officer though he was, was merely accustoming -himself to handling his squadron as a compact and organised whole -against the time when he might be called upon to do it with an enemy's -fleet looming up over the horizon. Moreover, no two ships are ever -handled in quite the same way, and he was giving his captains--who, -provided they lived, would be admirals themselves one day--an -opportunity of learning the ways and tricks of their several ships, so -that, when the time came, they should not fail him. Practice makes -perfect, even with such gilded potentates as admirals and captains. - -The destroyer attacks after dark, too, were very spectacular. The long -winter nights were usually overcast and very dark, and the squadron -would be steaming without lights; but even then the lynx-eyed young -gentlemen on the bridge would not admit that they had any real -difficulty in keeping station. They were used to it. On such occasions -the men kept their watches, and the lighter guns and the searchlights -were manned exactly as they would be in war. Martin, being an ignorant -new-comer, found himself detailed as a bridge messenger; and there, in -the very nerve-centre of the ship, he had an excellent opportunity of -seeing everything that went on. He never forgot the first destroyer -attack he ever saw. - -Looking ahead, he could just see the next ship as an intense black blur -against the lighter darkness of the sky and sea. Astern came another -ponderous mass. The intervals seemed dangerously close, but the officer -of the watch showed no anxiety. On the contrary, he stood at the -standard compass on the upper bridge, using his binoculars every now -and then, and giving occasional muffled orders in a calm voice through -the voice-pipe communicating with the man stationed at the engine-room -revolution telegraph below. Even the captain and the navigator, who -were up there as well, did not seem to be taking things very seriously, -though in reality they both had their weather-eyes very much lifting, -and were using their glasses constantly. They were always on very -friendly terms, and were carrying on an animated conversation about -nothing more important than--golf! - -'Well, sir,' Colomb was chuckling, 'if your putting hadn't been so bad -you'd have knocked me endways. You were shocking on the greens.' - -'Yes; but you wait till I get used to that new putter of mine,' the -skipper returned, not in the least offended. 'I botched every single -putt, and if I hadn't done that---- Hallo!' he suddenly broke off, -sniffing; 'd'you smell that?' - -'That' was a pungent whiff of crude petroleum floating down from -windward, and Captain Spencer knew well enough that it meant the -attacking craft were somewhere fairly close. The greater number of -modern destroyers consume nothing but oil-fuel in their furnaces, and -in a strong wind the reek of its burning can often be smelt for several -miles. - -'M'yes. They're pretty close, sir,' Colomb agreed. - -'Keep your eyes skinned, officer of the watch,' the captain cautioned, -busy with his own glasses. 'Warn the group officers and guns' crews!' - -'Ay, ay, sir,' said the lieutenant, pressing a push by his side, which -caused an alarm-bell to sound at all the anti-torpedo-craft guns -throughout the ship. - -For some minutes there was silence, broken only by the humming of the -wind through the rigging and the liquid plop of breaking seas. But all -the time the smell of oil-fuel became gradually stronger; and then, -quite suddenly, the flagship--two ships ahead--switched on a -searchlight. She had seen something! - -The powerful blue-white beam flickered out, swung round slightly, and -then fell on a black phantom shape rushing through the water. She was a -destroyer, and came along with the wind and sea dead astern; but even -then sheets of spray were flying over her low decks and bridge. - -Martin held his breath. - -The moment the attacker was lit up by the ray there came the loud crash -of a gun, and an instant later more searchlights joined the first. - -_Boomp! Bang! Boom! Boomp!_ went the guns in an irregular volley, as -the first and second ships in the line got to work. Sharp stabs of red -flame danced in and out of the beams of the lights. The thick smoke of -the blank discharges wreathed and eddied through the rays as it drifted -down the line on the wind; but the destroyers--two of them--still came -on at full speed, pitching and rolling horribly. - -They seemed to be about six hundred yards on the starboard bow of the -flagship, travelling down the line of battleships in an opposite -direction to that in which the latter were steaming, and so brilliantly -were they illuminated in the glare that even the figures of the men -crouching on deck round the torpedo-tubes were clearly visible through -glasses. The water was washing knee-deep over their decks as they -rolled, but it was not until they were nearly abeam of the flagship -that a ball of red fire shot up into the air from each of them. This -indicated the moment at which, if it had been the real thing, their -torpedoes would actually have been discharged. - -'That pair were sunk all right,' muttered Captain Spencer, watching -them through his glasses as they swept past barely three hundred yards -off. 'They were under fire for quite half-a-minute before they let go -their torpedoes. Poor devils! they're having a pretty rotten time. -Great Scott! just look at that sea!' - -The leading destroyer had put her helm over to alter course outwards. -It brought her nearly head on to the sea, and she had shoved her nose -straight into the heart of an advancing wave. It was not really rough, -as seas go, but the speed with which she was travelling caused the mass -to break on board until she seemed literally to be buried in a smother -of gray-white water, while sheets of spray swept high over her -mastheads and funnels. For quite an appreciable time she was hidden, -but then slid back into sight on the crest of a sea, with her twin -propellers revolving wildly in the air, to disappear in the darkness as -suddenly as she had come, with her consort still in close station -behind her. - -'Thank the Lord I'm not in a T.B.D.!' muttered the officer of the watch -to the navigator. - -Martin shared his feelings. - -For the next forty minutes the guns' crews in the battleships were very -busy; for, having sighted the searchlights during the first attack, the -remainder of the flotilla, attracted to the spot like wasps to a -honey-pot, came dashing in from all directions to deliver their -assaults. They came on gallantly, some singly, others in pairs or fours -at a time; and though, naturally enough, the battleships claimed to -have sunk every mother's son of them long before they had had a chance -of getting home with their torpedoes, the destroyers themselves thought -otherwise. - -The attacks were over by two A.M., and at this time the weary men at -the guns and searchlights were free to go to their hammocks, the -scattered destroyers were collected by their senior officer, and -attackers and attacked, with navigation lights burning, turned their -bows homeward. - -By eight o'clock the battleships had moored in Portland Harbour, and -the destroyers, in a long single line, headed by their light cruiser, -came silently in through the northern entrance on their way to the -pens. Their funnels were caked white with dried salt, but they steamed -past jauntily, showing few traces of their buffeting. - -Martin watched them with a new interest, for to him it seemed nothing -short of miraculous how such slender-looking vessels could stand the -weather he had seen them in a few hours before. - -'Wot yer lookin' at, Pincher?' asked Billings, stopping on his way to -his mess for breakfast. - -'Them,' said Martin, jerking his head in the direction of the -destroyers. - -'Them!' said Joshua, rather surprised. 'Wot's up wi' 'em?' - -'I wus thinkin' it must be a dawg's life to be aboard one o' 'em. They -looked somethink horful larst night.' - -Billings, who had served in a destroyer himself in his young and palmy -days, grinned broadly. 'They ain't so bad,' he murmured. 'You gits a -tanner a day,[8] 'ard lyers in 'em, an' that's a hextry three an' a -tanner a week. It's werry welcome in these 'ere 'ard times.' The old -reprobate smacked his lips longingly, for three-and-six a week meant -many pints of beer. - - [8] Men serving in destroyers receive sixpence a day extra - pay. It is known as 'hard-lying money.' - -'I reckons they deserves it,' Martin remarked. - -'I reckons all matloes deserves double wot they gits,' laughed his -companion. 'But larst night weren't nothin'. You wait till yer sees 'em -in a gale o' wind; then they carries on somethin' horful. Larst night -it weren't blowin' nothin' to speak o'. They 'ad a bit o' a dustin' -p'r'aps, an' got their shirts wet, but that ain't nothin'!' - -Martin gasped. He had seen the destroyers plunging about like maddened -racehorses, with water breaking over their decks; but yet Billings -referred to it casually as a 'bit o' a dustin'.' If their behaviour of -last night was nothing out of the ordinary, he prayed his gods he might -never serve in one of them. 'A bit o' a dustin',' indeed! What must -they be like in a gale of wind? It nearly made him seasick to think of -it. - - -II. - -As a start to his seagoing training, Martin found himself put in the -gunnery-training class with eleven other youngsters like himself; and -here, under the expert guidance of Petty Officer Samuel Breech, he was -soon being initiated into the mysteries of squad drill, the rifle and -field exercise, the various parts of a rifle and their uses, gun drill, -the anatomy and interior economy of lighter weapons and machine-guns, -and their ammunition. Much of it he had already learnt before, during -his period of preliminary training at the barracks, and the -instruction, essentially practical, did not overtax his intelligence. - -Petty Officer Breech, a fully qualified gunner's mate, was a strict -disciplinarian and something of a martinet. He was a short, burly -little man, with a bull-neck and a rasping voice; and the former, -combined with a closely clipped red beard and a pair of piercing gray -eyes, gave him an air of ferocity which he really did not possess. He -was naturally kind-hearted, and the buxom Mrs Breech could twiddle him -round her little finger. But on board ship he upheld his dignity with -firmness. After long experience with ordinary seamen and their ways, he -had come to the conclusion that the only way of getting them thoroughly -in hand was to frighten them at the start, and to keep them frightened; -so he invariably commenced operations by giving each new class a short -lecture. - -'You 'ave joined the navy,' he used to say, glaring fiercely, 'to learn -discipline, an' you've come to me to learn somethin' about gunnery, or -as much of it as I can drive into your thick 'eads. The sooner we -understand each other the better; an' before we start work I warns you -that I'll stand no sauce from the likes o' you, so just bear it in -mind. W'en I gives you an order I expects it to be obeyed at once, an' -at the rush. I don't want no shufflin' about in the ranks, nor -skylarkin' neither,' he added, gazing ferociously at Martin, who was -endeavouring to remove a spot of moisture from the end of his nose -without using a handkerchief. - -'I wants to blow me nose,' murmured the culprit, reddening. - -'An' I wants no back answers unless I asks you a question,' Breech went -on, wagging an admonitory finger. 'Wen you're standin' at attention you -must keep still, no matter whether a moskeeter's bitin' you 'longside -the ear'ole, or a wild monkey's chewin' your stummick. I wants you to -look like a squad o' Henglish sailors, not a party o' mourners at a -Hirishman's funeral, nor yet a gals' school out for a airin.' It's no -laughin' matter, neither,' he continued, eyeing one of his pupils who -had a suspicion of a smile hovering round the corners of his mouth. -'Wen I makes a joke you can laugh--bu'st if you like; but if I sees you -laughin' w'en I'm not, that's hinsolence, an' you knows wot to expect.' - -The smile vanished. - -'I'm 'ere to enforce discipline,' the petty officer resumed, 'an' -discipline I'll 'ave. I wants you to be smart, an' if I sees you're -tryin' to learn I'll do my best for you. If I sees any one skylarkin' -or talkin' in the ranks I runs 'im in at once, so don't forget it. To -start with, I'm goin' to teach you the parts o' the rifle; an' w'en you -knows that, we passes on to squad drill with an' without arms. -Squad!--stand easy! This 'ere,' he explained, balancing a Lee-Enfield -in his hand, 'is a magazine rifle, Lee-Enfield, Mark 1 star. Its weight -is a trifle over nine pounds, as you'll find w'en you 'ave to carry it; -an' its length, without the bay'nit, is four foot one an' a narf -inches. This 'ere's the bay'nit, with a blade 'xactly twelve inches -long, an' 'e fixes on to the muzzle o' the rifle, so. The bay'nit is -only sharpened on the outbreak o' 'ostilities, an' is provided for -stickin' your enemy; not, as most sailors thinks it's for, for openin' -corned-beef tins, an' such like. 'Owever, we'll 'ave plenty o' bay'nit -exercise later on.' - -It took them a full day and a half to learn the ins and outs of the -rifle; and, having mastered it thoroughly, the class passed on to squad -drill and the rifle and field exercise. The greater number of them -already had some smattering of these, but that fact did not prevent -Petty Officer Breech marching and counter-marching them up and down the -deck as if their very lives depended upon it. He kept up a running -commentary the whole time. - -'Squad!--'shun! Stand at--ease! A little more life in it; an' keep still -w'en you're standin' at attention, can't you? Knees straight, 'ead an' -body erect, eyes straight to the front.--'Awkins, you're waggin' your -'ead.--Flannagan, keep your knees straight, an' stand up.--Now then, try -again. Squad!--'shun! Ah, that's more like it now. Number! Form fours! -As you were! A little life in it, please! Form fours! Right turn! Quick -march! Come along, come along, step out smartly with the left foot, an' -take a full pace. Left--left--left--right--left! Mark time! Pick your -feet up! Pick 'em up! Bend the knees! That's more like it! Forward! -About turn! Not a bit like it. Squad!--halt! Left turn! Stand easy! -Look 'ere, now. Wen I says, "About turn!" I don't want you to shuffle -round any'ow. I gives the order "turn" as the left foot comes to the -ground, an' each man turns on 'is own ground in three paces. At the -fourth pace step off with the left foot in this manner.' He marked -time himself, and proceeded to demonstrate how easy it really was. - -For a whole week they were hard at it, learning to march, side step, -change step, double, form fours, turn, and change direction. Sometimes, -when one or other of the pupils was called out to drill the class, they -got tied up into inextricable knots, with the rear rank facing the -front, and the men in their wrong places; but after seven hard days -even Breech admitted that he was fairly satisfied with their progress. - -Then they spent hours fixing and unfixing bayonets, ordering, -shouldering, sloping, trailing, changing, grounding, and securing arms, -until they were sick of the very sight of a rifle. It was dreary -work--very dreary; and if they showed the least signs of slackness or -inattention they were doubled round the deck until they were ready to -drop from sheer fatigue, or did 'muscle drill' until their biceps -ached. - -They saluted mythical officers, varying in rank from the sovereign -himself to second lieutenants and midshipmen, and attended imaginary -funerals as the escort or firing-party. On these occasions Breech -walked solemnly up and down to represent the officer or party to be -saluted, or, in the case of the funerals, the corpse on its -gun-carriage. 'The next time I passes I represents 'is Majesty the King -inspectin' a guard o' honour, mounted at Bucking'am Palace,' or 'Now -I'm a Field-Marshal,' and 'Now I'm a lootenant in the navy,' he would -say, approaching with what he considered the slow and stately gait -befitting his exalted rank. 'Now I represents a regiment o' soldiers -with their colours flyin'.' 'Now I'm the corpse comin' out o' the -mortu-ary.' - -The first time he made this last remark it caused the second man from -the left in the rear rank to burst out into a raucous chuckle of -amusement, and in another instant the whole class was tittering. - -Breech fixed the culprit with a horny eye. 'There's not nothin' to -laugh at, 'Awkins,' he observed without the ghost of a smile. 'This is -a very sad occasion. You'll be the corpse yourself one day.' - -They made pretty good progress on the whole--all except Peter Flannagan, -that is. He was by way of being a 'bird'--a man who is constantly in -trouble--and had already been through the gunnery-training class once, -but had failed in the examination at the end of it. As a result he had -been put back for a further period. He was naturally as obstinate as a -mule, and unusually thick-headed; but, instead of doing his best with -what wits he possessed, he endeavoured to show his superiority by -taking as little trouble as he dared. He was Breech's _bête noire_; -and, if ever anybody was wrong, it was pretty certain to be Flannagan. -But he deserved everything he got, and was very unpopular with the -others. - -On one never-to-be-forgotten occasion the petty officer cautioned him -for talking and joking in the ranks whilst at drill. The Irishman, in -some fit of devilment, promptly repeated the offence, and, not content -with that, put out his tongue to show his contempt. - -Breech saw it. 'Flannagan,' he thundered in a voice of iron, 'come out -to the front!' - -The Irishman came out and stood before him with a sullen scowl. - -'You disobeys my order wilfully, an' puts out your tongue,' the petty -officer said. 'Disobedience an' hinsolence. 'Ave you anythin' to say?' - -'Nothin', except that I'm fair fed up wi' bein' chased about this 'ere -deck like a dawg.' - -'Fed up, are you?' Breech answered, keeping his temper, but with a -dangerous ring in his voice. 'You 'ave the himpertinence to spin me a -yarn like that! If I chooses to take you on the quarterdeck, you gets a -couple o' months in the detention quarters for hinsolence. But you're -long past the stage where punishment'll do you any good. No; I shall -'ave to deal wi' you another way, my lad. I'll see that you're taken -out o' the trainin' class, to start with, an' you comes an' reports -yourself to me at five o'clock this evenin'. Now you takes off your -accoutrements, returns your rifle, an' reports yourself to the capt'n -o' your top. Perhaps 'e'll find some use for you; you're no good to -me.' - -Flannagan, rather ashamed of himself, slouched off. - -What happened at five o'clock that afternoon the class never -discovered; but the fact remains that Mr Peter Flannagan trod rather -delicately, and had some slight difficulty in sitting down for the next -ten days or so. Rumour had it that Breech, who was a powerful little -man, had armed himself with a singlestick, and had taken the law into -his own hands. Very reprehensible conduct on his part, no doubt, for it -was strictly against the regulations, and might have got him into -trouble if the Irishman had lodged an official complaint. But Breech -knew his victim to a nicety, and was perfectly well aware that he -lacked the necessary courage to make the matter public. He knew, -moreover, that to a man of Flannagan's type a little concentrated -physical pain was far and away a better deterrent than any other form -of punishment. Whatever his method was, it had the desired effect, for -thereafter Ordinary Seaman Peter Flannagan treated Petty Officer Samuel -Breech with a respect which almost amounted to reverence. A strong arm -and a thick stick do sometimes achieve wonders. - -Martin and the remainder of the class waxed hilarious over Peter's -downfall. He was not popular. He was a K.H.B.,[9] and they were not -sorry to be rid of his presence. - - [9] K.H.B. = King's hard bargain, a term used in connection - with a man who is an undesirable character. - - -III. - -The life, however, was not all work, and Martin found he had a certain -amount of leisure for amusement. He was allowed ashore every alternate -day from four o'clock in the afternoon till ten o'clock at night, and -on Saturdays and Sundays from one-thirty. - -The _Belligerent_ ran her own football team--she ran everything, -from a concert-party, a pipe-band, and a tame pig, to a monthly -magazine (written, edited, and produced on board); and Pincher, who had -been rather a shining light as a wing forward in his village team at -home, invariably went ashore to watch the matches. - -The squadron always played a football league competition during the -winter, each ship playing every other vessel in turn, and the winner -of the most points at the end of the season holding a challenge -cup--presented by the flag officers and captains--for the ensuing year. -In addition to this, the members of the winning team received personal -prizes in the shape of inscribed silver medallions. The _Belligerent_ -had come out top in the league the year before, and the victorious team -had promptly had their photographs taken, with, of course, the -medallions and the cup; and the latter, enshrined in its glass case, -now lived on the fore mess-deck as a tribute to their prowess. They -were very proud of it. They were keen to win again, but rumour had it -that the _Tremendous_, which had been newly commissioned, had a -remarkably good team. Two of them were reported to be county players, -so the 'Belligerents' were rather fearful of their laurels. - -Now Martin, small and puny though he was, was fleet of foot and very -tricky with his feet, but he was far too modest to let anybody know it. -He always watched the matches, however, and took an intelligent -interest in the games, and eventually, by dint of being present on many -occasions, found himself installed as a sort of honorary member of the -team in the shape of their recognised touch-judge. He was even -permitted to appear in the photograph which was taken soon after the -ship arrived at Portland. He was in the back row, it is true, and wore -his seaman's clothes instead of a highly coloured shirt, blue shorts, -stockings, and football boots. But he carried a small hand-flag as his -insignia of office, and considered himself no small beer in -consequence. It was an honour to be associated with the team in any -way; and as most of the officers, and practically the whole of the -ship's company who happened to be ashore, made a point of attending the -matches, Martin, running about with his flag, felt he was a--if not -the--centre of attraction. At any rate, he was quite a personage, and -talked about the game to the other ordinary seamen and boys with an air -of great authority. - -The scenes of excitement during some of the matches baffled description. -'Play up, Yaller-bellies!' two hundred of the _Belligerent's_ men would -shout in unison. The yellow referred to the canary-coloured shirts -worn by their team, while the other rather inelegant word was the -abbreviated name of the ship. - -'Come on, the Cockneys!' or 'the Duffos!' would come the answering roar -from the partisans of the other team, according to whether their ship -hailed from Chatham or Devonport. 'Down wi' the Pompeyites!' - -For minutes at a time the repartee bandied to and fro was so vociferous -that the whistle was well-nigh inaudible; but the referee was used to -it. He had an unenviable time in other ways, poor man! for whatever -decision he gave was quite certain to be wrong from the point of view -of fully half the spectators, in spite of the fact that he was a -strictly neutral man from some other ship. 'Foul!' somebody would -bellow, as the whistle blew for a free kick. 'Garn! That ain't no -foul!' was hurled back from the men of the ship against which the -penalty had been given. 'Play the game! Play the game, carn't you?' -'Goal! Well shot! Good old Yaller-bellies!' would come a roar, -accompanied by a shower of caps in the air, as the ball flew past the -white posts into the net. 'That's the style! Knock 'em end-ways!' -'Offside! Offside!' came louder yells from the other side. 'Where's the -referee? What's 'e thinkin' of?' And so it went on. - -But the referee, used to the ways of seamen, merely smiled, and paid no -attention whatever to the ribald remarks hurled at his head, personal -as some of them were. He was proof against such attacks, and his -decisions were always fair. - -Occasionally there were stormy scenes at the end of the matches; for -when a favourite team had lost, their adherents were sometimes anxious -to take on the partisans of the other side with their fists to discover -which really was the better ship. More than once men returned on board -with black eyes and swollen noses; but actual bloodshed was rare, -though feeling always ran high. More often than not, victors and -vanquished alike repaired to the canteen, and absorbed malt liquor at -each other's expense, the former to celebrate the victory and the -latter to drown their sorrow. They were very keen on the result of the -league matches. The canteen did a roaring trade. - -At one of the most important matches a member of the _Belligerent's_ -eleven happened to be absent at the time the game was due to start, and -Lieutenant Boyle, who captained the team, was at his wits' end to find -a suitable substitute. 'Have any of you men played this game?' he -asked, going up to a group of seamen belonging to the _Belligerent_ who -had come to watch. 'Parkins hasn't turned up. We want a forward badly.' - -Pincher, seizing the opportunity, stepped forward before any one else -had a chance of answering. 'I've played at 'ome, sir,' he said, -reddening at his own temerity. 'I used to be on the right wing.' - -Boyle seemed rather surprised. 'You!' he said. 'Can you run? D' you -know how to dribble and shoot?' - -'Yessir.' - -The officer looked at him for a moment without replying. He seemed -rather doubtful. - -''E's orl right, sir,' chipped in Billings, who happened to be present. -''E's pretty nippy on 'is feet. I've seen 'im kickin' the ball abart.' - -The lieutenant looked up with a laugh. 'All right, Billings; we'll take -him on your recommendation.--Martin, rush across to the pavilion and -borrow some gear. Hurry up about it; we're late already.' - -Pincher, overjoyed and very proud of himself, flew off like the wind, -and presently reappeared clad in full regalia, yellow shirt and all. It -was his first really important match; but he felt he was on his mettle, -and played well, almost brilliantly. At any rate, he shot two goals; -whereat the 'Belligerents' howled themselves hoarse, raised cheers for -'young Pincher,' and wished to treat him with much beer at the end of -the game. It was the first time in his life he had ever received -adulation, and he was a proud man. His play had undoubtedly helped to -win the match. - -He was prouder still when Boyle sought him out afterwards. 'You played -excellently, Martin,' he said. 'Why on earth didn't you let us know you -played?' - -'Didn't like to, sir.' - -The officer laughed. 'I wish you men wouldn't be quite so modest,' he -remarked. 'How d' you expect us to raise a decent team if you all hide -your lights under bushels? You're the very man we've been looking for.' - -'I'm sorry, sir,' said Martin sheepishly. 'I didn't know as 'ow I wus -wanted.' - -'We didn't know you were a player. However, now we've got you, you will -remain in the team; so look out you keep yourself in decent training. A -pint of beer after each game, and no more, mind. If you come to my -cabin this evening I'll give you your jersey and other gear.' The -lieutenant strolled off to change. - -Martin could have jumped for joy. He was a full-fledged 'Yellow-belly' -at last, and would appear before the whole ship's company in all the -glory of a canary-yellow shirt with a large blue 'B' on the left -breast. It was one of the things in this world he had been longing for. -He was no longer a mere excrescence on the face of the earth--a poor, -puny Pincher who was everybody's whipping-boy. On the contrary, he was -a very proud Pincher, for at last he had come into his own. The -_Belligerent_ had some use for him, after all. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE OFFICERS. - - -The _Belligerent's_ captain, John Horatio Spencer, D.S.O., was a fine -type of the modern British naval officer, and a thorough seaman, who -had risen in his profession through sheer merit and force of character. -He had been lucky, it is true, for as a young lieutenant he had seen -much active service in West Africa, had been severely wounded, was -mentioned in despatches for 'great gallantry and resource,' and had -received the Distinguished Service Order. In 1900, again, as the senior -lieutenant of a second-class cruiser on the Cape of Good Hope station, -he was landed with the naval guns for the relief of Ladysmith. He again -did excellent service, was promoted to commander in 1901, to captain -seven years later, and 1914 found him commanding a first-class -battleship at the comparatively early age of forty-three. - -In appearance he was a big, thick-set man, nearly six feet tall, and -broad in proportion. He had a red, clean-shaven face, a pair of -penetrating blue eyes which seemed to read one's innermost thoughts, -and dark hair slightly shot with gray over the temples. - -Every ship he had ever commanded, from a destroyer upwards, had been a -happy one. His officers loved him as a friend and admired him as a -superior, and 'Our John,' as they affectionately called him, spent far -more time in their company than he did in the fastnesses of his own -cabin. He hated the solitude of life in his own apartments in the -after-end of the ship, and, when he had no guests of his own, -frequently had meals in the wardroom as an honorary member, and played -bridge and spun yarns in the smoking-room. He had the happy knack of -being friendly with every one with whom he came in contact, and -invariably treated his officers as equals when he was off duty. - -On deck, of course, it was a different matter, for there he was very -much their commanding officer, and they his subordinates; and, as -Tickle, the junior watch-keeper, once put it, 'the owner[10] was the -whitest and the straightest man on God's earth; but Heaven help you if -you make a fool of yourself on deck!' - - [10] The commanding officer of a man-of-war is frequently - referred to as 'the owner,' or 'the old man.' - -Captain Spencer did bite sometimes, and bite hard; but the culprit -generally deserved all he got, and bore no grudge whatsoever. More -often than not he would be discovered the same evening in the -smoking-room having a sherry-and-bitters with 'the old man,' just to -show there was no ill-feeling on either side. - -On the mess-deck the captain was revered in rather a different way, for -the men, while admiring him, regarded him with a certain amount of awe. -Some of the younger and more timid ordinary seamen and boys, indeed, -looked upon him as a sort of awful deity, an ogre almost, who sat in -his cabin all day long inventing new schemes for their eternal -damnation. They were frightened of him, and, on the rare occasions when -they did catch sight of his four gold stripes on deck, felt rather -inclined to run away and hide their faces. It was foolish of them, for -a kinder-hearted man than the skipper it would be impossible to -imagine. - -But the men saw comparatively little of him, and had few opportunities -of discovering his true character. He appeared on deck for 'divisions' -every morning; walked round on Sundays criticising their clothes, the -length of their hair, and the cleanliness of the ship; was always on -the bridge at sea; and punished them when they misbehaved themselves. -They realised he was just, and justice is what the bluejacket most -admires; but they were not aware that he took a deep interest in them -and their affairs, and that he knew everything that went on on board. -Neither did they perceive that he frequently went to a great deal of -trouble to stretch points in their favour in the way of leave and other -privileges. - -'Our John' hated advertisement in any form; and this, perhaps, was why -the men never really understood his true kindliness of heart. For -instance, when he subscribed five pounds towards a fund for the benefit -of the widow of one of his men who had died, or two pounds towards the -ship's concert party, he gave the money anonymously. When he granted -the men an extra forty-eight hours' leave on his own responsibility, -and because he considered they had earned it by their good behaviour, -he never told them so. - -So, from the lower-deck point of view, Captain Spencer was justly -admired and greatly feared; but there was not a man on board who had -not the fullest confidence in him and his judgment, or who would not -cheerfully have followed him to the very gates of hell if he had asked -them. Neither was there a more efficient or a happier ship than the -_Belligerent_. Her officers and men knew it, and gloried in the fact. - -But no small credit for this excellent state of affairs was due to the -commander and other officers. The former, the Honourable Algernon -D'Arcy Travers, was the direct antithesis of the captain in appearance. -He was tall and very thin, but was a pleasant messmate with a very -pronounced sense of humour, and on occasions behaved with all the -boisterous bonhomie of a junior sub-lieutenant. His excessive leanness -did not worry him in the least, though he did once say that he wished -his 'hinge' were a little better padded and the wardroom chairs rather -softer. It was a matter of some import to his wife, though, for that -lady sent him bottles of malt extract to thicken the flesh on his -bones. This nutritive compound, however, was generally handed over to -his bluejacket messenger, who liked the sweet taste of it; and that -youth, already chubby and well-favoured, was gradually assuming the -proportions of a young elephant. The commander found that being thin -was an advantage in some ways; and on riotous guest nights, when he -made as much noise as anybody present, it certainly permitted him to -scramble through the square opening in the back of one of the wardroom -chairs without much difficulty. - -It was a feat few of his messmates could perform. The -engineer-commander, George Piston, a well-covered officer, had tried it -on one occasion, and had stuck half-way through. His messmates, headed -by the commander himself, cheered him on with howls of merriment; but -the victim was laughing so much that he seemed to have swelled. He -could not budge one way or the other, and there was every prospect of -his having to go through life with a chair securely fastened round his -portly middle. They took off his garments one by one; but it was no -use. They used vaseline and oil as lubricants, and endeavoured to tuck -the folds of flesh through the narrow opening, but without avail. - -'For heaven's sake send for a saw!' spluttered the gasping officer, -relapsing uncomfortably on the sofa and beginning to feel rather -alarmed. 'I can hardly breathe. Give me a whisky-and-soda, some one, or -I shall burst!' - -The saw arrived in due course, and the chair was removed with some -damage to itself. The gallant officer never attempted the feat again. - -The commander, an ex-torpedo specialist, was a good officer at his -work, and the _Belligerent_ always looked as clean and as smart as -a new pin. Her organisation, too, was as perfect as it could be. The -ship's company were very fond of 'the Bloke,' as they called him; and -when men did misbehave themselves he generally made the punishment fit -the crime. When two ordinary seamen, Barter and Hitchcock, began to -give trouble, for instance, he hit upon rather an original method of -dealing with them. He provided both of them with an ordinary -singlestick and a face-mask, but no body-pads, and then promised them -one penny each for every visible wale inflicted on the anatomy of the -other. The instigator imagined that he would have to shell out a -shilling at the most; but after a bout lasting for a fierce fifteen -minutes, examination in the bathroom at the hands of a ship's corporal -showed that Barter had earned one shilling and eightpence, and -Hitchcock two and a penny. They were never obstreperous again, and the -ship's company, instead of offering them sympathy, laughed -immoderately. - -The commander, like other naval officers, had his bad moments, and -sometimes the watch-keepers found it advisable to steer clear of him -before breakfast. But even if an explosion did occur no bones were ever -broken, for they all knew he said a great deal more than he meant. -After breakfast and a pipe he was amiability itself, provided nothing -went wrong. - -Chase, the senior lieutenant-commander and gunnery officer, has already -been described; and the next in seniority was Vernon Hatherley, the -lieutenant-commander (T.). He was something of an exquisite. He took a -great pride in his personal appearance, was reported to wear silk -slumber-wear, and kept a store of cosmetics and unguents in his cabin -for the anointing of his face and hair. His messmates knew this, and, -headed by No. 1, sometimes shampooed him with whisky-and-soda after -dinner. But Torps, as they called him, was an excellent fellow, and -took the ragging all in good part. Moreover, he generally succeeded in -getting his own back by discovering something wrong with the electric -lights in his tormentors' cabins at times when they most wanted to use -them. He was an x-chaser, in that he had done remarkably well in all -his different examinations; but besides being an expert theorist, he -was an officer who knew the practical side of his business from A to Z. - -The navigator, Christopher Colomb, had just married a young and pretty -wife, and did not spend more time on board than he could possibly help. -As a consequence, his messmates saw comparatively little of him, unless -the _Belligerent_ was cruising, and Mrs Colomb could not follow her -husband. The captain occasionally succeeded in getting him to play golf -in the afternoons; but Colomb preferred his wife's society to that of -any one else. When he was on board in the evenings he shut himself in -his cabin, and spent the time writing a learned treatise on _Magnetic -Influences at Sea_. The book is still being written. - -Peter Wooten, the next senior non-specialist officer of the military -branch, was doing a two-year spell in a battleship, after having been -in command of destroyers and gunboats for the past six years. He hated -the drudgery of big-ship life, where he acted as the commander's -understudy on the upper deck, had charge of the midshipmen and their -instruction, arranged the ordinary seamen's training classes, worked -the derrick for hoisting in and out boats, and generally acted as a -sort of 'odd job' man. The life was fairly comfortable, it is true; but -he much preferred the joys of commanding his own small ship to being a -comparative nobody in a vessel the size of the _Belligerent_. He was a -burly, deep-chested man, with fair, curly hair, tanned face, and a pair -of clear, humorous blue eyes. He was fresh from China, where he had -commanded a tiny river gunboat up the Yang-tse-kiang; and there, miles -up the great river, far away from any admiral, and completely 'on his -own,' he had made history in a small way. He was a great character, and -his stories of the Chinese revolution, when he could be induced to tell -them, were sometimes amusing and always interesting. (He was the -commanding officer of Martin's destroyer when that ordinary seaman -joined the 'black navy' soon after the outbreak of the present war, so -perhaps we may be pardoned for allowing him to spin one of his yarns. -It has the advantage of being true.) - -'It was quite a pretty little show,' he said one evening in the -smoking-room after dinner, when somebody had egged him on to talk after -a second glass of port. 'Have any of you fellows ever heard of a place -called Kiang-fu, up the Yang-tse? You might know it, No. 1; you're an -old China bird.' - -Chase shook his head. 'Sorry I don't, Peter. But let's have the yarn, -all the same.' - -Wooten lit his pipe. 'Kiang-fu,' he started, 'is one of their walled -towns on the banks of the river. It's a beastly place, full of stinks -and bugs and abominations generally; and the only white people there -are the consul and his wife, a couple of missionaries, and two -merchants. Well, one morning my old _Kingfisher_ was lying about -twenty miles downstream, and a Chinaman from the consulate at Kiang-fu -arrived in a sampan with a note from the consul to say that five -thousand rebels had arrived before the place, and that there was going -to be some scrapping. There were about a thousand Imperial troops -inside the town, Johnson the consul said, and he was in a bit of a funk -as to what would happen when the rebels took the place. They'd have -butchered every one, of course, Europeans included. My orders were to -protect British interests, but not to fight, so I upped killick[11] and -steamed for Kiang-fu for all I was worth. We got about six and an -onion[12] out of the old bus, I remember, and reached there about noon.' -He paused and sucked thoughtfully at his pipe. - - [11] Weighed anchor. - - [12] A fraction of a knot. - -'And what happened then?' queried some one. - -'I found the bally battle in full swing,' Wooten went on. 'Guy Fawkes -Day wasn't in it, and both sides were blazing away for all they were -worth, and making a hell of a row. However, they weren't doing much -damage to each other. I anchored my hooker about a couple of hundred -yards from the shore, where we could get a decent view of what went on, -manned my two six-pounders and the Maxim, and hoisted an ensign and a -large white flag--wardroom tablecloth it was--in a boat, and then went -ashore to see Johnson. Things were pretty lively, and shells were -bursting and bullets were whistling all over the place. The rebel -attack was to come off that night, and as there could be only one end -to it, I took Johnson and his missus, the two missionaries, the two -shopkeepers, and Heaven alone knows how many Christian Chinese off to -my ship. The upper deck was fairly packed with 'em. Then we sat down to -watch the sport. One of the shopkeepers, I may say, was a Scotsman, and -the other a Yank, and they wanted me to order the rebs. to shove off -out of it and leave Kiang-fu alone. They had a lot of valuable stuff in -their godowns[13] waiting to be shipped down the river, and said the -whole lot of it 'u'd be looted if the city fell. - - [13] A 'godown' is a warehouse. - -'I cursed them for a couple of tizzy-snatchers,' he resumed, grinning -at the recollection; 'I told 'em they ought to be jolly thankful to -have got off with their lives; and asked 'em how the dooce I could -dictate to five thousand ruddy cut-throats with Mauser rifles and Lord -knows how many field guns--decent guns, too; none of your clap-trap -rubbish. I had exactly thirty men all told, a broken-winded eighty-ton -gun-boat, two six-pounders, and one Maxim. Pretty tall order, wasn't -it? However, I was still yapping to 'em on deck when I heard a sort of -_phut_, and a bally bullet buried itself in the deck about a foot -off my leg. It came from the direction of the rebel trenches, about -five hundred yards off, and some silly blighter had evidently eased off -a rifle at us for the fun of the thing. I heard one or two more bullets -come whistling overhead--damned bad shooting they made--so sent all the -refugees over to the lee side of the deck out of harm's way. Then I -trained my guns on the rebs., and hoisted all the ensigns I had. They -knocked off firing then, so I got into the boat with the consul, the -wardroom tablecloth, and the largest ensign I could find, and pulled -ashore.' He paused. - -'Had you any weapons with you?' somebody asked. - -'Lord, no!' said Wooten. 'Doesn't do to let a Chinaman see you're -frightened of him. I took a walking-stick, and Johnson had a white -umbrella. I was in a dooce of a funk, though, and when we landed we -found a whole bally company of soldiers waiting to receive us.' - -'What! a guard of honour?' asked Chase. - -'Don't you believe it. They had fixed bayonets and loaded rifles, and I -felt rather nervous as to what was going to happen. You see, there -wasn't another British ship within a hundred miles of us. However, I -landed with the consul, and a Chinese officer with a drawn sword came -forward to receive us. He wasn't a bad fellow, and talked quite decent -English, with an American accent. I asked him what the dooce they meant -by having the troops there as if they wanted to scupper us, and told -him who the consul was, and that I was the C.O. of the man-of-war, and -that, on behalf of his Britannic Majesty, we wished to see his General. -He said the old bloke was having his afternoon caulk, and that they -daren't wake him. I said he'd better roust the old josser out, and be -damned smart about it. He hummed and hawed a bit over that, and then -said that if we'd come along with him he'd take us to the headquarters, -and see if we could have an interview. I wasn't going to kow-tow to any -bally Chinaman, though, so I told him that if he didn't take steps to -have the General brought to us in less than half-an-hour I'd raise -hell's delight. It's no use being anything but dictatorial with -Chinamen,' he went on to explain; 'and if you can bluff 'em into -believing that you've got the whip-hand they generally knuckle under. -We had some more talkee-talkee, and then he did go off with his men, -and jolly glad I was to see the last of 'em. Twenty minutes later the -General arrived. He was rather a fine-looking old boy, with no pigtail, -and was dressed up in khaki and a sword. He had a couple of A.D.C.'s -with him. He couldn't talk English, so I asked him through the consul -what he meant by allowing his troops to fire on my ship, and said that -I should have to report it, and so on. He said they hadn't done it. I -said they had, and that if he came on board I'd jolly soon prove it. -Well, after a lot of jawbation we got him into the boat, with the -A.D.C.'s, took him off to the ship, and showed him the bullet-mark in -the deck. He got in a bit of a funk then, so Johnson and I drew up a -document in Chinese and English, in which he said he was sorry for what -had occurred, and so on. It went on to say that he agreed to abandon -the siege of Kiang-fu, as British interests were at stake, so we'd more -or less cornered him. He signed like a lamb, wily old devil; but then -we remembered that no document is valid in China unless it's stamped -with the official seal of the man who signed it. We asked him where the -seal was, but he hadn't got it on him. Johnson asked him where it was, -and he said he'd got it in his old headquarters, about ten miles -downstream. He volunteered to go and fetch it, but we weren't having -any. The upshot of the whole affair was that we sent one of the -A.D.C.'s ashore to order the siege to be stopped, and the rebels to -retire, and took the General and the other A.D.C. down the river. Then -we sent the A.D.C. ashore to get the seal, and had the document -properly stamped. That's all, I think.' - -'But did the rebels retire?' asked the commander. - -Wooten nodded. 'Yes,' he said. 'They left the place like lambs, and the -Imperialist colonel inside nearly fell on my neck and wept. The two -shopkeepers gave me a box of a hundred cigars between them! Damned -nasty cigars, too!' - -His listeners laughed. - -'And what happened to you?' asked Chase. - -'Oh,' smiled Wooten, 'I sent the document to the admiral, with a -covering letter, and jolly nearly got badly scrubbed for exceeding my -duty and abducting the General. However, it was all right in the end, -and I believe the old man was secretly rather pleased with what I'd -done.' - -'So he jolly well ought to have been,' remarked one of the -watch-keepers. - -'M'yes, but he was a man who didn't say much. However, a month later a -British colonel and a couple of other officers came down from Pekin to -confer with me about putting Kiang-fu in a state of defence in case the -rebels came again, for by that time the powers that be had come to the -conclusion that if they did capture it, it wouldn't do us any good. The -colonel and I went ashore together, he with his two officers, and I -with a sheet of paper and a pencil. - -'"You'd better loophole that wall," he started off, pointing at a solid -stone affair about three feet thick. "This house had better be -demolished, and you'll have to dig a trench along here, with decent -sand-bag head-cover. I should think a hundred and fifty rifles will be -enough to man it, provided you have a couple of Maxims at each corner. -Over there we'll have an emplacement for a field-gun, and there another -trench." - -'He went on like that the whole of one grilling forenoon, and by the -time he'd finished I'd totted up my figures, and found he'd used the -best part of a thousand men. - -'"That's all right, sir," said I; "and when may I expect the regiment?" - -'"Regiment!" he said, rather surprised. "What regiment d'you mean?" - -'"The regiment for doing all this work and garrisoning the place, sir," -said I innocently. "You've been talking about knocking down houses, -erecting barricades, and digging trenches right and left. I've only got -thirty men." - -'"The deuce you have!" he said thoughtfully. "We'd better"---- - -'"Go and have lunch, sir," I chipped in. - -'"Excellent idea," said he, mopping his face. - -'So off we went, had a top-hole _tiffin_, and that was the last we -ever heard of it. Kiang-fu never was put in a state of defence so far -as I know. However, the rebels never came there again, so every one was -quite happy. I tell you,' Wooten concluded with a grin, 'one -occasionally has some pretty rummy times up the Yang-tse.' - -One had, apparently, and Peter Wooten was an officer of great -initiative and resource, who had served his country well, and had -upheld the dignity of her flag on more than one occasion. Chinese -generals, mandarins, and other Celestial potentates were nothing to -him. He bullied or bluffed them all into doing what he wanted, and they -used to walk in terror of 'the red-faced devil with the loud voice,' as -they called him. No wonder, then, that Peter felt himself tied by the -leg in a battleship, where, to use his own expression, he was a 'mere -dog's body.' - -The watch-keeping lieutenants were George English, Aubrey Plantagenet -Fitz-Johnson (usually known in the wardroom as 'the Dook'), Henry -Archer Boyle, and Tobias Tickle. - -English was a mild, inoffensive little man, whose chief ambition in -life was to retire from the navy while he was still young, marry a -wife, live in a small whitewashed cottage miles away from any sea, rear -pigs and chickens, and collect butterflies. For all his lack of -ambition, however, he was a good and zealous officer. He never made a -bad mistake; but never, on the other hand, did anything very brilliant. -He was a conscientious plodder. - -'The Dook' was a tall, dashing, immaculate person, with sleek and shiny -hair. He had a wonderful taste in dress, and how many different suits -of plain clothes he possessed nobody but himself and his servant knew. -How much he owed his tailor and his haberdasher nobody was aware of but -those long-suffering tradesmen themselves, for Fitz-Johnson cast all -his bills into the fire immediately on their receipt. His garments were -always fashionable and well cut; his ties, collars, shirts, and socks -of the newest and most exclusive pattern. His uniform frock-coat fitted -his _svelte_ figure like a glove; his trousers were always perfectly -creased; and on Sundays he always appeared at 'divisions' with a -brand-new pair of kid gloves--he never wore the same pair twice. The -men called him Algy. He looked it. He was essentially a lady-killer. -His cabin was full of autographed photographs of feminine admirers and -mementoes in the shape of faded dance-programmes and little knots and -bows of ribbon. His bedspread, a wonderful creation in blue silk, -embroidered with his crest and monogram, had been worked by one set of -fair fingers; his door and scuttle curtains, of chintz, by some one -else; and a little bag for his hairbrushes by a third lady. When the -mail arrived his letter-rack in the wardroom was crammed with bills, -and letters in feminine handwriting. He kept up a voluminous -correspondence, but was wise enough never to have more than one ardent -admirer in any one place. He was a regular 'devyl with the girls,' -there was no doubt about that; and if the ship arrived at some new -place, and the wardroom took it into its head it would like to give a -tea-fight, 'the Dook' was immediately sent ashore to prospect. How he -did it nobody quite knew; but at the end of twenty-four hours he would -be on friendly terms not only with all the young and pretty girls in -the place, but also with their mothers, aunts, and female cousins. He -was always on the verge of being engaged to be married, but never quite -pulled it off. His host of unpaid bills, and the fact that he had -little or no money besides his pay, probably frightened him. But, at -any rate, he was a valuable acquisition as a messmate, for he sang -well, and could play almost any musical instrument under the sun. - -His chief failing was that he was never less than a quarter of an hour -late for his watch. 'I'm deuced sorry, old chap,' was his usual excuse -to the officer he had to relieve. 'The fella didn't call me properly.' - -'Oh, to hell with you and your rotten excuses!' would growl the -irritated watch-keeper who had been kept up. 'You're about the frozen -limit! The corporal of the watch was hammering on your cabin door for -at least a quarter of an hour!' - -'It really wasn't my fault, though,' Fitz-Johnson would protest mildly. -'Please don't get shirty, old chap.' - -It was impossible to be really angry with him; but he continued to -relieve late until the other watch-keepers hit upon a scheme of keeping -him up for an extra half-hour at the end of his own watch. That cured -him eventually. - -Boyle, the next in seniority, was a young, enthusiastic, and very -energetic officer, who wished one day to become a gunnery officer. He -had charge of the after-turret, with its pair of twelve-inch guns, and -spent much of his time in a suit of oily overalls scrambling about in -the depths of the hydraulic machinery. He was of an inventive turn of -mind too, and even at the comparatively early age of twenty-four had -already designed a self-stabilising seaplane, a non-capsizable boat, a -patent razor-stropper, and an adjustable chair. This last, which he -used in his cabin, was really most ingenious. It had hidden springs all -over it, and you pushed a button and it did the rest. You could use it -for anything, from an operating-table to a trousers-press; and it was -often brought into the wardroom after dinner on guest-nights for its -various uses to be demonstrated. It worked beautifully, until one night -the _padre_, who was reclining gracefully at full length, pressed -the wrong button in a sudden fit of exuberance. The chair promptly -bucked like a kicking mule. The front shot up and the back fell down, -and the reverend occupant hurtled adroitly backwards straight into the -arms of an astonished marine servant with a tray full of whiskies and -sodas. He came to the ground with a crash, with the marine and the -liquid on top of him, and everybody laughed. - -The servant, drenched through, retired grumbling to change his -garments; and the Rev. Stephen Holiman scrambled to his feet, surveyed -the mess of broken glass and liquor on the deck, and then felt his -pulped collar and examined his clothes. - -'Boyle, you silly ass!' he expostulated, justifiably annoyed, and -trying to mop himself dry with a handkerchief, 'why the d-dickens -couldn't you tell me the thing was going to pitch me over backwards -like that?' - -'I'm awfully sorry, _padre_,' spluttered the inventor, weak with -laughing. 'You must have pressed the wrong button; but even then I've -never known it do that before. Perhaps it wants oiling.' - -'Take the rotten thing away and drown it!' retorted the _padre_, as -angry as he ever got. 'It oughtn't to be allowed on board. It's ruined -my clothes!' But the _padre_ was a sportsman with a sense of humour, -and after a little more grumbling, during which he got no sympathy from -his messmates, cheered up and went off to change. Ever afterwards, when -the chair appeared, he endeavoured to make it play the same trick on -some unsuspecting guest. But it never would. - -Tobias Tickle, commonly known as 'Toby,' was the officer of Martin's -division, whom we have already met. He had married very young, and had -a rich and pretty wife, who was as popular as himself; but this did not -prevent Toby from being a very riotous member of society on occasions. -He was loved by his men; for, while very strict, he took a great -interest in them and their affairs. He knew the surname and Christian -name of every bluejacket in his division; knew whether they were -married, engaged to be married, courting, or single; and always gave -them good advice when they asked for it. They often did. On more than -one occasion he or his wife had helped them in other ways. - -Once, when Mrs Buttings, the wife of an able seaman, had been ailing, -and had had to undergo a rather serious operation, Mrs Toby heard of it -through her husband. She promptly visited the patient, found her living -in a miserable little dwelling in a back street in Landport, with four -children between the ages of six months and five years, and nobody to -look after her except the neighbours. This would not do for Mrs Tickle. -She promptly engaged a trained nurse, sent the children off to a -farmhouse in the country, visited the invalid daily, saw that she had a -proper diet, and provided her with many sovereigns' worth of coal and -luxuries. - -Buttings himself, when he went ashore and saw the transformation in his -usually rather slovenly home, was furious. Like most bluejackets, he -hated the idea of charity in any form, and went straight off to see -Tickle. - -'Look 'ere, sir,' he said; 'with orl my doo respects to you, it ain't -playin' the game!' - -'Not playing the game!' answered the lieutenant, quite at a loss to -understand what the man was driving at. 'What d'you mean?' - -'Well, sir, it's like this 'ere. I goes 'ome an' finds my 'ouse rigged -up like a bloomin' 'orspitle, an' the missus lyin' in bed with flowers, -an' beef-tea, an' port wine, an' sich like. I finds another 'ooman -there a-lookin' 'arter 'er--dressed up like a 'orspitle nurse, she -wus--an' w'en I arsks 'er wot she done with the kids, she sez as 'ow -they'd bin sent to the country. W'en I wants to know 'oo's done it, she -sezs Mrs Tickle. It ain't fair on a man, sir, doin' a thing like that, -an' habductin' of 'is kids. S'welp me, it ain't!' Buttings paused for -breath. - -'I'm sorry you think that, Buttings,' said Tickle gently. 'Your wife -has been very ill, and what she wants is good food and proper -treatment. She's getting that now. The children, too, are out in the -country having an excellent time. After all, my wife didn't do it -without asking Mrs Buttings.' - -'Yessir. That's all werry well; but I pays the rent o' the bally -'ouse.' - -'Of course I understand that. But surely you don't grudge your wife a -little comfort after she's been so ill?' - -'No, sir, o' course not,' said the seaman, scratching his head. 'But -'oo's goin' to pay for orl this 'ere? Port wine an' chicken jelly ain't -got for nothin'.' - -Tickle felt half-inclined to tell him outright that he, or, rather, his -wife, was prepared to pay for everything; but if he had, the able -seaman would at once have been in open rebellion. The nurse alone came -to two guineas a week, and the food and little luxuries for the invalid -to as much again. 'Well, Buttings,' he said, pretending to consider, -'suppose it costs about seven-and-six a week. That's about it, I should -imagine.' - -Buttings seemed rather relieved. 'Seven an' a tanner,' he said, more -happily. 'I kin manage that, sir. I ain't got much money to splosh -abart, o' course,' he hastened to explain; 'but I don't like ter think -as 'ow I ain't payin' for what my old 'ooman's gettin'.' - -And so, for the time being, the matter ended, and both parties were -satisfied. - -Mrs Buttings recovered in due course, and became her old buxom self, -and then it was that she enlightened her husband as to what the Tickles -had really done. Buttings was speechless with rage. - -But Christmas came soon afterwards, and on the morning itself, as -Tickle was having his bath, there came a knock at his cabin door. -'Hallo, what is it?' he asked, springing up and wrapping a towel round -himself. - -'It's Buttings, sir,' said the seaman, pulling aside the curtain. 'I've -got this 'ere for you, sir, from my missus an' meself; an' this, sir, -is for your lady. We both wishes you an' your lady a 'Appy Christmas, -sir.' There was a suspicious huskiness in his voice; and, after pushing -two small parcels into the astonished officer's hands, he fled before -Tickle could say so much as 'Thank you.' - -One package contained a highly ornamental silver cigarette-case, and -the other a small gold brooch of impossible design. Accompanying each -gift was a flamboyant card with a chaste design of clasped hands, -wreaths and sprigs of forget-me-nots, and true-lovers' knots. Below -were the words: 'In friendship we are united.' Inside, in very -laborious handwriting, came the inscription: 'With great gratitude from -Able Seaman and Mrs Reuben Buttings.' - -'Well, I'm damned!' muttered the lieutenant, gazing at the presents, -deeply touched. The little gifts, which had cost Buttings and his wife -many of their hard-earned shillings, were their way of showing that -they had not forgotten. - -Mrs Toby was so overcome when she received her brooch that she nearly -wept with emotion. 'Dear, dear people!' she murmured gently; 'I love -them!' - -And still some folk have the effrontery to say that there is no bond of -sympathy between the officers and men of the Royal Navy. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -'THE 'ORRIBLE DEN.' - - -I. - -From the quarterdeck one climbed down a steep ladder, walked aft along -the maindeck past the wardroom, descended another ladder, and finally -emerged into a large flat lit by electricity. To starboard was a -bulkhead with rifles in racks, their blued barrels gleaming dully in -the glare of the electric bulbs. Behind the rifle-racks came some of -the officers' cabins, through the open doorways of which one was -vouchsafed an occasional fleeting glimpse of sea and sky framed in the -circular opening of a scuttle in the ship's side. - -The small habitations seemed to reflect the personalities and tastes of -their several occupants. Some were gay with pictures, photographs, -brightly coloured bedspreads and curtains, and had easy-chairs, -well-filled bookcases, and a glittering array of silver-backed brushes, -photograph-frames, and ornaments on the chests of drawers serving as -toilet-tables. In others there was little or no attempt at decoration, -and they were furnished with almost Spartan simplicity, with nothing -but what the Admiralty allowed. This consisted of a bunk with drawers -underneath, a solid mahogany chest of drawers, a book-shelf, a folding -washstand, a minute writing-table, a straight-backed cane-bottomed -chair, a small strip of carpet, ugly maroon-coloured scuttle and door -curtains, and, by way of decoration, the inevitable shallow circular -tin bath suspended from the roof. - -Amidships in the flat, in ordered rows, came the midshipmen's -sea-chests. They were painted white, with black lids, and bore their -owners' names on small brass plates. Each was exactly three feet six -inches long, one foot eight and a half inches broad, and three feet -seven and three-quarter inches high, neither more nor less. Admiralty -regulations are explicit and precise, even on the subject of -midshipmen's sea-chests. In these receptacles the 'snotties'[14] kept, -or were supposed to keep, all their worldly belongings, and woe betide -them if the first lieutenant discovered their clothes or boots lying -about when he went his rounds twice a day! The garments were promptly -impounded and placed in the scran-bag, which was opened only once a -week. Moreover, one inch of soap--which went toward cleaning the -ship--had to be paid for each article claimed. - - [14] 'Snotty' is the naval slang term for midshipman. - -On the opposite side of the flat were more rifle-racks and two -curtained doorways. One of these gave access to a pantry, the other to -what the commander called 'the 'Orrible Den,' otherwise the gunroom. It -was the habitat of the junior officers, and provided accommodation for -two sub-lieutenants, an assistant-paymaster, ten midshipmen, and Mr -Hubert Green, the assistant-clerk. - -Imagine an apartment about thirty feet long by twenty feet wide, with -plenty of head-room. It ran fore and aft, and on the ship's side -opposite to the door were four circular scuttles. They were about six -feet above the water-line, and could be left open in harbour or in the -calmest weather at sea. If it was blowing at all hard, however, they -had to be kept tight shut to prevent the entry of the water. On these -occasions the atmosphere, well impregnated with the smell of food from -the pantry, could be cut with a knife. The sub-lieutenant, complaining -bitterly of the 'fug' or 'frowst,' sometimes ordered a junior -midshipman to carry out what was known as 'scuttle drill.' This meant -that the unfortunate youth had to open the port gingerly to let in the -air, but that he must bang it to again whenever a sea came rushing -past. If he allowed water or spray to enter he was chastised. He -generally was, but not really hard. Underneath the scuttles, and along -the after bulkhead, were narrow cushioned settees serving as seats. -Then came two long tables, with, outside them again, padded forms. -Altogether there was seating accommodation for about twenty-four people -at meals. - -On the inner bulkhead near the door was a stove, and beyond this again -a small piano. This instrument had been quite a good one once upon a -time, but, owing to an accumulation of foreign matter in its interior, -caused no doubt by a youthful officers' steward, who found it a -convenient receptacle for dirty cotton-waste, polishing-paste, -bathbrick, and emery-paper, was long past its palmy days. However, it -still made a noise, and was useful for sing-songs. - -On the foremost bulkhead was a small hatch with a sliding door -communicating with the pantry, and underneath it a mahogany sideboard. -The appointments were completed by three wicker arm-chairs, provided by -the occupants themselves, a sofa, a rack for the midshipmen's dirks, a -mahogany letter-rack and notice-board, and rows of small lockers, just -under the ceiling, round two sides over the settees. In these the -'snotties' kept their small personal belongings, books, and pots of jam -or potted meat. But we have forgotten the beer-barrel. It occupied a -conspicuous position near the sideboard. - -Pictures and prints hung on the white enamelled walls, rugs were -scattered about the floor, and the two long tables were covered with -crimson cloths of the usual Admiralty pattern, and were adorned with -palms in pots and vases of flowers. So, taking it all round, 'the -'Orrible Den' was not quite so bad as it was painted. In fact, it was -quite a cheerful apartment. - -Sub-Lieutenant Archibald Bertrain Cook--commonly known as Alphabetical -Cook--was the senior member of the mess and _ex officio_ president. -He was a lusty, riotous, red-faced fellow of twenty-two, and ruled -the midshipmen with a rod of iron. The other sub was Roger More, six -months junior to him. Wilfrid Shilling, the A.P.,[15] was a tall, -anæmic-looking officer, with an incipient beard and rather long hair. -He wore glasses, and was deeply in love with a young lady at Weymouth. -He went by the name of Blinkers. - - [15] Assistant-paymaster. - -Next came the senior midshipmen, Antony Charles Trevelyan, Roderick -MacDonald, William Augustus Trevor, and Henry Taut. They varied in age -between eighteen and a half and nineteen and a half; and the first, on -account of his rather blue chin and heavy growth of hair, went by the -elegant name of Whiskers. MacDonald, who was short and had rather a -barrel-like appearance, was nicknamed Shorty or Tubby; while Trevor, a -small youth, sometimes answered to Winkle. Taut, the midshipman of -Martin's division, was the Long Slab. He was tall and very thin, rather -like a lighthouse. - -Then came the six junior 'snotties,' whose names do not really matter. -They were all under eighteen, and had only just joined the ship from -the training-cruiser. They were, in consequence, very small beer -indeed--mere excrescences on the face of the earth. Collectively they -were referred to as the Warts, Crabs, or Dogs' Bodies, and had to do -what everybody else chose to tell them. - -The Wart of all the Warts was Mr Hubert Green, the assistant-clerk. He -was a small, freckle-faced youth, with a squeaky voice and ginger hair, -and had only just come to sea. He was only seventeen and a half, the -baby of the gunroom, and on account of his youth and general ignorance -of the navy and naval affairs, spent his life having his leg pulled by -the midshipmen. - -Both the subs and the A.P. had cabins of their own. The midshipmen -'lived in chests,' as the saying is; slept in hammocks in the gunroom -flat; and performed their ablutions in a small tiled bathroom farther -forward. Publicity was a thing they had no qualms about whatsoever, and -between seven o'clock and seven-forty-five in the morning, when they -were dressing or parading about with or without towels, waiting for -their turns to wash, the flat was no fit place for the general public. - -Except on Sundays, when they lay in till seven o'clock, the 'snotties' -turned out at six-fifteen, and from six-forty till seven were on deck -at physical drill. At seven, therefore, came the rush for baths, the -usual exaggerated tin saucers, of which there were only six. The -bandsmen servants procured their respective masters' hot water -beforehand; but it was always a case of first come first served, and -nobody hesitated to use anybody else's belongings if he were big and -strong enough to do so with impunity. Such things as hot water, -sponges, soap, and nail-brushes were regarded as common property unless -their owners chose to retain them by force. Towels and toothbrushes -alone were sacred to the individual. - -The subs and the senior midshipmen bathed first, and woe betide any -Crab who was discovered in the bathroom when they arrived! He was -promptly hurled out. Then came the junior 'snotties,' and lastly the -assistant-clerk, who, poor wight, usually had to be content with cold -water. But they were all quite happy, and made a great deal of noise. - -Pay of one shilling and ninepence _per diem_, plus a compulsory -allowance of fifty pounds a year from one's people, which was what the -midshipmen received, is not great affluence, even in the navy, where -living is comparatively cheap. It amounts in all to six pounds fifteen -shillings and tenpence per month of thirty days. - -Mr Tubbs, the long-suffering gunroom-messman, and a bit of a villain, -undertook to provide breakfast, luncheon, and dinner for the sum of -thirty shillings a month a head from each member; but in addition -to this he also took the ten-pence _per diem_ allowed to each -officer by the Government in lieu of rations. Afternoon tea, cake, -bread-and-butter, tins of biscuits, potted meat, jam, fruit, and other -extraneous edibles were charged for as extras, in which category also -came such things as soap, bootlaces, drawing-paper, pens, ink, pencils, -&c. The sum of ten shillings _per mensem_ was supposed, by Admiralty -regulation, to suffice for the midshipmen's needs in the way of extras; -but the most of them, with the connivance of the messman, ran what they -called 'extra-extra bills.' It was on the profit made on these that Mr -Tubbs was able to make two ends meet at all, for one and tenpence a day -is not much wherewith to satisfy the food capacity of a young and lusty -lad with a healthy appetite. - -'Snotties' over eighteen were allowed to expend fifteen shillings a -month on wine, and those under this age five shillings less; but -nobody under twenty was permitted to touch spirits. The mess -fund--for newspapers, breakages, washing, and other small incidental -expenses--came to a nominal five shillings a month, but generally -exceeded it; servant's wages were ten shillings; personal washing, -say, ten shillings; and tobacco--if the officer was over eighteen, -and allowed to smoke--about seven shillings and sixpence or -half-a-sovereign. The monthly balance-sheet, omitting all -extravagances, therefore, worked out somewhat as follows: - - RECEIPTS. - - 1s. 9d. a day for 30 days £2 12 6 - One-twelfth of £50 4 3 4 - -------- - Total £6 15 10 - - DEBITS. - - 30 days' messing at 1s. a day £1 10 0 - Mess Fund 0 5 0 - Wine 0 15 0 - Tobacco 0 7 6 - Extras 0 10 0 - Servant 0 10 0 - Washing 0 10 0 - ------- - Total £4 7 6 - -This, omitting the 'extra-extra,' left a nominal credit balance of two -pounds eight shillings and fourpence wherewith to last out the month. -Only one or two of the 'snotties' received anything extra in the way of -allowances from their people, though their outfitters' bills for all -necessaries in the way of clothing were usually met by their parents. -But even this did not improve matters to any great extent, and not one -of the young officers was ever known to have much in the way of money -unless parents or relations behaved handsomely on birthdays or at -Christmas. Even then the gift dwindled rapidly, for if one of them did -receive a windfall of an odd pound or two, he took care that his -messmates shared his good fortune. The clothes they had, too, were in a -perpetual state of being lost; and if one of them was asked out to dine -in another ship, everybody contributed something towards his attire. -One provided a shirt, and others handkerchief, collar, tie, and evening -shoes; but in spite of it all they somehow always managed to look smart -and well-dressed. - -This state of chronic hardupness is hereditary in midshipmen. History -relates that a youth once came home from China, and landed at -Portsmouth with no soles to his boots, a hole in the crown of his straw -hat--it had been eaten by cockroaches--the seat of his trousers darned -by himself with sail-makers' twine, and no tails to any of his shirts. -With the ready resource of the sailor, he had removed these for use as -pocket-handkerchiefs. - -The Royal Navy is essentially a poor man's service, and comparatively -few of its officers have anything considerable in the way of means over -and beyond their pay. It is sometimes difficult to keep out of debt, -for they are expected to go everywhere and do everything, while uniform -is expensive, and the cost of living is always increasing. It seems to -be part of a midshipman's job to be poor, and one would as soon expect -to find a dustman with a gold-mounted shaving-set as a 'snotty' with -more than half-a-crown in his pocket on the 28th of the month. - -The 'snotties' of the _Belligerent_ were no exception to the -general rule. They were quite irrepressible, and were as happy and -cheerful as they could be, though sometimes they did complain bitterly -that they were half-starved. On occasions, to the accompaniment of -spoons beaten on the table, they chanted a mournful dirge anent the -iniquities of the messman. It was long and rather ribald, but the last -two lines of the chorus ran: - - We're starving! we're starving! - And the messman's name is Mr Tubbs! - -They weren't really so famished as they pretended to be, but Tubbs -certainly was an old rogue. One celebrated morning, when the senior -sub-lieutenant was absent, he peered through the pantry hatch at -breakfast-time. - -'Now, gennelmen,' he said, 'wot we 'ave for breakfast is 'ot sardines -an' 'am. Sardines is a bit orf, the 'am is tainted, an' fruit is extra. -Wot'll you 'ave?' - -The ship was half-way across the Bay of Biscay at the time, and had -been at sea for several days, so perhaps there was some slight excuse -for the inadequacies of the morning meal. But Tubbs had tried this game -before; and, headed by Roger More, the junior sub-lieutenant, the -members of the mess rose _en bloc_ and hastily armed themselves with -dirks. - -The messman, scenting trouble, promptly fled from the pantry with his -satellites after him, while the hungry officers rushed in, broke open -various cupboards, and helped themselves liberally to Tubbs's private -store of tinned kippers and haddock. He complained bitterly, but got no -redress. - -Another time the members of the mess were sitting round the table -waiting impatiently for lunch. Noon was the proper time for the meal; -but at twelve-ten nothing had appeared on the table except the -vegetables. The hungry officers commenced to bang on the table with -eating implements, and started the inevitable dirge, and in the middle -of it Tubbs's face appeared framed in the pantry hatch. - -'I'm sorry, gennelmen,' he said when he could make himself heard in the -uproar. 'The boy's fallen down the 'atch with the joint, an' it ain't -fit be to seen. I've some werry nice corned beef'---- - -A chorus of groans drowned his utterance. 'Let's see the joint,' some -one demanded. - -'It's bin thrown overboard, sir,' the messman explained glibly, -disappearing from view. - -Several of the junior midshipmen and the assistant-clerk were -despatched to visit the scene of the alleged accident, and to report on -what traces they found. There were none. There never had been any -joint. - -'Tubbs!' they yelled in unison when the spies came back. - -The messman's head appeared, and the minute it bobbed up into sight it -was greeted with a volley of vegetables. On the whole the shooting was -good, and Tubbs made an excellent Aunt Sally. Potatoes baked in their -jackets spattered and burst all round the pantry hatch like a -_rafale_ of shrapnel-shell, while some, passing through, exploded -on impact with the messman's head. The _pièce de résistance_ was a -cauliflower. It struck the ledge and detonated like a high-explosive -projectile, and the messman received its disintegrated stickiness full -in the face. He slammed the hatch up with a bang, and rushed into the -mess with his face, beard, and hair dripping with vegetable products; -while the culprits, wildly excited, shrieked with laughter. The -bombardment would have continued, but the available ammunition was -expended. - -Tubbs was furious. 'I'll 'ave the law on yer!' he shouted wildly, -waving his fists. 'I'll report yer to the commander, and 'ave yer -court-martialled, see if I don't! It's disgraceful, that's wot it is, -an' wot the navy's comin' to I don't know! Calls yerselves gennelmen, -do yer?' - -He went on for quite a long time; but nothing further ever came of it. -He knew well enough that he had brought it on himself, and thereafter -he became rather more particular over the matter of providing meals. - -It must not be imagined that the inhabitants of the _Belligerent_'s -gunroom always behaved like this. On the contrary, they were an -unusually well-conducted mess, and they broke out only when they were -really exasperated, and their feelings got the better of them. - -The sub, assisted by the senior 'snotties,' had drilled the Crabs into -a high state of discipline and efficiency. He believed in using the -terror of the stick as a deterrent rather than in employing the weapon -itself, and as a consequence the junior midshipmen were never beaten -really hard unless they misbehaved themselves. But as Cook himself once -remarked, 'You can bet your bottom dollar that for every sin they've -been bowled out committing, there are fully fifty more that we haven't -discovered;' and there was some truth in the remark. - -One of the methods of smartening up the Crabs was an evolution known as -'fork in the beam.' This was a time-honoured custom which must have -started in the days of wooden sailing-ships, since it is hardly -possible to stick an ordinary table-fork into the steel beams of a -modern vessel. It generally took place during dinner, when the younger -members of the mess had been making too much noise. - -The sub, standing up at his place at the end of the table, would -insinuate a fork into the electric wires overhead, and at this signal -all the junior midshipmen and the assistant-clerk had to leave the -mess, scamper twice round the boat-deck, and return in the shortest -possible time. In the old-time evolution itself the 'snotties' used to -run up the rigging and over the masthead, but Cook substituted the race -round the boat-deck as being less dangerous. The last officer back had -to repeat the performance; and, as the loser generally found that -somebody had drunk his beer during his absence, there was always great -competition to be away first. It usually started by a seething mass of -seven Crabs being stuck in the doorway. After much struggling and -pushing, they would eventually fall through into the flat amidst shrill -yelps from the young gentlemen who happened to be underneath, and -remarks of 'Get off my face!' 'Ow! let go my leg, you beast!' Then, -sorting themselves out one by one, they would dart off, to return a few -minutes later flushed and breathless after their exercise. - -They were also organised as what were known as the 'dogs of war,' with -the idea, as the sub explained, of instilling them with martial ardour -and making them fierce. On the order, 'Dogs of war out--so and so!' -they were expected to growl viciously, hurl themselves upon the person -named, and cast him forth from the mess. Sometimes the assistant-clerk -was the victim, sometimes one of the 'snotties' themselves; but, to -make things really exciting, the 'dogs' were occasionally divided into -two sides, Red and Blue, and each party endeavoured to expel the other. -It always meant a frantic struggle, for the victim or victims resisted -violently. They were none too gentle either, for clothes were torn, -shirts and collars were destroyed, and bruises were by no means -infrequent. Sometimes people's noses bled, and the fight waxed really -furious; but cases of lost temper were comparatively rare, and the -'dogs' usually enjoyed the fun as much as any one else. Their parents, -had they been present during the strife, might not have been quite so -amused. They paid for the clothes. - -The star turn, however, was the Crabs' _corps de ballet_, and it -occasionally disported itself on guest nights for the amusement and -edification of any strangers who happened to be present. Trevelyan, the -senior midshipman, was the stage manager, and what the ballet lost -through lack of histrionic power on the part of the performers it more -than made up for by its originality. Their attire was sketchy, to say -the least of it. It consisted mainly of bath-towels, sea-boots, and -straw hats; and the songs and dances, to the strains of the elderly, -asthmatic piano, and bagpipes played by a Scots midshipman, MacDonald, -usually brought down the house. If by any chance the performance fell -at all flat through a lack of energy on the part of the performers, -they were promptly converted into 'dogs of war,' with the inevitable -result. So, taking it all round, the occupants of 'the 'Orrible Den' -managed to amuse themselves. - -But because they sometimes became riotous and irresponsible in the -gunroom, it must not be imagined that the younger officers were not -learning their trade. Far from it; they worked really very hard, on -deck, in the engine-room, and in pursuit of the wily and elusive -_x_. Their day started at six-fifteen, and between six-forty and -seven o'clock they were either away boat-pulling or at physical drill -or rifle exercise. After this came baths, and from seven-forty-five -till eight instruction in signals. Breakfast was at eight; and from -nine till eleven-forty-five, and again in the afternoon from -one-fifteen to three-fifteen, they were at instruction in seamanship, -gunnery, torpedo, navigation, or engineering. Voluntary instruction in -theoretical subjects took place for one and a half hours on three -evenings of the week, and those more backward youths who did not -volunteer were compelled to attend. Two nights a week, from -eight-thirty till nine, there were signal exercises with the Morse -lamp, and these had to be attended by all the midshipmen until they -attained a certain standard of proficiency. - -In addition to this, they had their regular watches to keep--day and -night at sea, and from eight-thirty A.M. till eight P.M. in harbour; -while no boat ever left the ship under steam or sail without a 'snotty' -in charge. Their days, therefore, were pretty busy. - -They generally managed to get ashore between three-thirty and seven -P.M. about two days out of every four, and on Saturdays and Sundays -from one-thirty; but no late leave was granted save in very exceptional -circumstances. They amused themselves with hockey and football in the -winter, and golf, tennis, and cricket in the summer; and at places -where games could not be played, solaced their feelings by borrowing -one of the ship's boats on Sunday afternoons, stocking her with great -hampers containing provender of all kinds, and then sailing off for a -picnic. There is an irresistible fascination in cooking sausages and -boiling a kettle over a home-made fire on some unfrequented island or -beach which appeals to the most sober-minded of us. - -Your modern midshipmen are no longer the rosy-cheeked, blue-eyed little -cherubs of fiction. Many of them are over six feet, some of them shave, -and nobody but their aunts and female cousins refer to them as -'middies.' To call them by that diminutive term to their faces would -make them squirm. They refer to themselves as 'snotties,' and -'snotties' they will remain till the end of the chapter. The name, -rather inelegant perhaps, owes its origin to the three buttons on the -cuffs of their full-dress short jackets, which ribald people used to -say were first placed there to prevent their sleeves being put to the -use generally delegated to pocket-handkerchiefs. Any schoolboy will -tell you what a 'snot rag' is; but I have never yet heard of a modern -midshipman being without this rather important article of dress. - -'Snotties' are a strange mixture. They possess all the love of fun and -excitement of schoolboys, but once on duty are very much officers. They -have to undertake responsibility very young, and at an age when their -shore-going brothers are still at public schools their careers in the -service have started. - -Seamanship is not an exact science; it is an art. It comprises, amongst -other things, experience, sound judgment, good nerve, a vast deal of -common-sense, and a happy knack of knowing when risks are justifiable -and when they are not. It is a subject which cannot be taught by rule -of thumb after the first groundwork of elementary knowledge has been -assimilated, and circumstances alter cases so greatly that no preceptor -on this earth could lay down hard-and-fast rules for each of the -thousand-and-fifty contingencies which may arise at sea, and which may -one day have to be guarded against or overcome. The sea, moreover, is a -fickle mistress. The navy is always on active service, in peace or in -war, for its men and its ships are for ever pitting their skill and -strength against the might of the most merciless of enemies--the -elements. From the very moment that midshipmen join their first ship -they are expected to take part in the great game, and sometimes it is a -game of life and death. They start off by being placed in charge of -boats in all weathers. They may be steamboats, or boats under sail; but -whichever they are, the 'snotties' are learning their trade. If they do -something foolish they may cause great damage to valuable property, may -even be the means of men losing their lives; but they generally succeed -in getting out of scrapes and difficulties with some credit to -themselves. - -The strenuous training and habit of early responsibility may convert -them into men before their time; but they still manage to retain their -boyish instincts, and when they are off duty these generally appear -uppermost. At times they are noisy, riotous, and altogether -irrepressible; but when it comes to work they are very much all there. - - -II. - -'Ain't got a fill o' bacca abart yer, 'ave yer?' asked Joshua Billings, -A.B., producing an abbreviated, blackened, and very foul clay pipe -from the lining of his cap and gazing at it pensively. It was -twelve-forty-five P.M., the middle of the dinner-hour, and Joshua, -having just assimilated his tot of navy rum, was at peace with himself -and the world in general. - -'Sorry,' Martin answered, 'I ain't got nothin' but fags.' - -'Fags!' the able seaman growled. 'Why you young blokes smokes nothin' -but them things I dunno. They tastes like smokin' 'ay. W'en I fu'st -jined I takes up me pun' o' bacca reg'lar, an' I done it ever since. -It's got some taste abart it. Fags! S'welp me, I dunno wot th' blessed -navy's comin' to!' - -Martin looked rather sheepish. - -Billings grinned. 'Seein' as 'ow you ain't got no bacca, then I s'pose -I've got ter use me own,' he went on, producing a well-filled pouch -from the waistband of his trousers, and proceeding to ram some coarse, -dark tobacco into his pipe. 'I never believes in usin' me own s'long as -I kin git a fill orf another bloke. Got a match?' - -The ordinary seaman handed a box across, and his companion lit up. - -'Comin' ashore along o' me this arternoon?' Joshua asked, puffing out a -cloud of smoke with a satisfied grunt. - -Martin thought for a moment. For an ordinary seaman to be asked to go -ashore with a man of Billings's age was undoubtedly a great honour; -but, at the same time, he was rather doubtful as to what might happen. -Joshua, on his own statement, had an unquenchable thirst for malt -liquor, and always felt 'dizzy like' outside public-houses, and Martin -had no wish to join him in a carouse, with the prospect of ending the -afternoon under the supervision of the local constabulary. - -'Goin' on th' razzle?'[16] he asked cautiously. - - [16] Going on the 'razzle' = going on the spree. - -Billings laughed. 'Razzle!' he exclaimed. 'No, I ain't on that lay. -I'll 'ave jist one pint w'en I gits ashore, but no more'n that. The -fac' o' the matter is, Pincher, I'm in love.' He paused to give his -words time to sink in. - -'In love!' Martin echoed with some astonishment. - -The A.B. nodded gravely. 'Yus,' he said; 'an' I want some one to come -along an' 'old me 'and like, some bloke wot looks young an' innercent -like you.' He endeavoured to look young and innocent himself, gazed -heavenwards with a rapt expression on his homely face, contorted his -mouth into what he considered was a sweet smile, and sighed deeply. 'I -tell yer,' he added, resuming his normal appearance and winking -solemnly, 'she's a bit o' orl right, an' I reckons she's took a fancy -ter me. Leastways she 'inted that she'd come to th' pictures along o' -me ter-night if I arsked 'er polite like, an' 'ave a bit o' somethin' -t' eat arterwards.' - -'You in love!' Martin gasped again, for to him it seemed impossible -that any woman could succumb to the doubtful charms of the hoary-headed -old reprobate. 'Garn! you're 'avin' me on.' - -Joshua seemed rather annoyed. 'Oh no, I ain't,' he retorted testily. -'An' if yer gits talkin' like that me an' you'll part brassrags.[17] She -ain't th' sort o' 'ooman ter take a fancy to a young bloke. Wot she -wants is some one ter look arter 'er an' 'er property. A bloke wi' -hexperience, the same as me.' - - [17] To 'part brassrags' is to sever friendly intercourse - with a chum. Chums frequently use one another's rags in - polishing the brasswork of the ship; when they quarrel they - naturally cease to do this. - -'Property! 'Oo is she, then?' - -'You mustn't go tellin' the other blokes if I tells yer,' Billings -said, sinking his voice to a whisper. 'Promise yer won't.' - -'Orl right, I won't.' - -'She's a widder 'ooman wot keeps a sweet an' bacca shop, an' sells -noospapers. She's makin' a good thing out o' it, too--clearin' 'bout -three pun' a week, she sez she is; an' as my time's comin' along for -pension, it's abart time I started lookin' round fur somethin' ter do -w'en I leaves the navy. She ain't no young an' flighty female neither, -I gives yer my word. Got a growed-up darter, she 'as, seventeen year -old, an' I reckons it's abart time th' poor gal 'ad another father ter -look arter 'er. You see,' he added, 'if I gits married to th' old un -orl the blokes wot knows me'll come to the shop to buy their fags an' -noospapers, so it ain't as if I was bringin' nothin' to th' business. -I'm a bloke wi' inflooence, I am. 'Er larst 'usband drove a cab, 'e -did, an' I reckons she's betterin' 'erself by marryin' a bloke wot's -bin in the navy.' - -'An' wot's this 'ere gal o' 'ers like?' Pincher wanted to know. 'Is she -a cosy bit o' fluff too?' - -'Cosy bit o' fluff!' exclaimed Joshua with some warmth. 'Wot d'yer -mean, yer lop-eared tickler?[18] She ain't fur the likes o' you, -any'ow.' - - [18] 'Tickler' is a derogatory term for an ordinary seaman. - -'Oh, ain't she?' Martin retorted. 'Well, I ain't comin' ashore along o' -yer, then!' - -''Ere, don't git yer dander up,' Billings interrupted, changing his -tone; 'I didn't mean nothin'.' He was really very anxious that Martin -should accompany him, for he had a vague idea in his head that the -presence of a younger man would lend tone to the proceedings, and to -him a certain air of respectability. - -'Don't act so snappy, then,' the ordinary seaman returned. 'I'm as good -as any other bloke.' He remembered that he was a member of the ship's -football team, and this alone made him a person of some importance. - -'Well, if yer really wants ter know, th' gal's name's Hemmeline, an' -she's walkin' out wi' a ship's stooard's assistant bloke from the -flagship.' - -'Ship's stooards ain't no class!' Pincher snorted, expanding his chest -to its full capacity. 'They ain't fightin' blokes same as me an' you.' - -'No, they ain't,' Billings agreed, puffing slowly at his pipe. 'They -ain't got no prospex neither. Look 'ere, Pincher,' he added, 'she's -only bin along wi' 'im fur a week, an' if yer fancies 'er, my -inflooence wi' 'er ma'---- - -'Meanin' that I can take 'er out?' Martin queried. - -Joshua nodded. 'That's the wheeze,' he said, expectorating with deadly -precision into a spit-kid at least eight feet distant. - -'But wot's she look like?' Pincher demanded with caution. Up to the -present he had felt rather frightened of women; but to have a proper -sweetheart in tow was one of the things he really longed for. It would -complete his new-found manhood. But he had his own ideas of feminine -beauty, and, whatever happened, the young lady must be pretty. - -Billings grinned. 'She's orl right,' he explained. 'She ain't 'xactly -tall, nor yet 'xactly short. Sort o' betwixt an' between like. She -ain't too fat, nor yet too lean; she's sort o' plump. Yaller 'air, she -'as, an' blue eyes, an' plays th' pianner wonderful, 'er ma sez.' - -This rather vague description of the fair Emmeline's charms seemed -quite enough for Martin. 'She sounds orl right,' he said. 'I think I'll -come along o' you.' - -Joshua seemed rather pleased. 'That's th' ticket,' he said. 'We goes -ashore in th' four o'clock boat, mind. Say, chum,' he added in a hoarse -whisper, 'you ain't got 'arf-a-dollar to lend us, 'ave yer?' - -Martin looked rather dubious. ''Arf-a-dollar!' he sniffed. - -'Yus,' urged the A.B. 'I've only got three bob o' me own, an' I've got -ter take th' lady to th' pictures, an' give 'er a bit o' supper -arterwards. The show's orf 'less I kin raise some splosh some'ow. W'y -don't yer come along too, an' bring the gal?' - -'Carn't do it,' the ordinary seaman murmured. 'Me leaf's up at seven, -an' I don't want to go gittin' in th' rattle fur breakin' it. But I'll -lend yer a couple o' bob if yer promises faithful to pay me back. I'll -give it yer afore we goes ashore.' - -'Good on yer, chum,' said Billings effusively. 'I reckons yer knows 'ow -to be'ave to blokes wot takes a hinterest in yer. You take my tip, -though,' he added, wagging an admonitory forefinger. 'Don't yer go -lendin' money to any other blokes wot ain't fit to be trusted.' - -'I'll watch it,' Martin laughed. - -And so it was arranged, and this was how Pincher Martin embarked on his -first love affair. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART. - - -I. - -Miss Emmeline Figgins was a well-built, capable-looking young lady of -seventeen. She wore her hair neatly coiled in a golden aureole on the -top of her head. Her blue eyes were attractive and full of mirth, her -mouth was well-shaped, and she possessed a pair of very red lips and -twin rows of even white teeth. She seemed literally bursting with -health, and her rosy, slightly sunburnt cheeks somehow reminded Pincher -of the girls at home in his own village. She was dressed in a white -blouse and plain dark-blue skirt, and a small gold locket hung round -her neck. - -The first time Martin saw her standing behind the counter in the little -sweet and tobacco shop he thought her quite adorable. He experienced a -vague feeling of jealousy when he saw the locket, though, for he -thought it probable that it contained the photograph of the ship's -steward's assistant from the flagship. - -Billings, strangely redolent of violets--he had purchased a pennyworth -of cachous subsequent to absorbing one pint of beer immediately on -getting ashore--advanced with a sheepish grin. Martin followed close -behind. - -'Good-evenin', miss,' the former remarked, touching his forelock. 'I -'ope I finds yer well?' - -The girl laughed. 'Thank you, Mister Billings,' she said; 'I am -enjoying the best of health, and I hope you are the same.' She regarded -Pincher out of the corner of her eye; and that youth, very ill at ease, -shuffled nervously and began to get red in the face. He was always -rather frightened of women. - -'I'm quite fit, miss,' said Joshua. 'This 'ere's Mr Martin--Pincher -Martin we calls 'im. Friend o' mine, 'e is. Brought 'im along o' me ter -be interjooced.' He pushed the ordinary seaman forward by the arm. - -'Pleased ter meet yer, miss,' said Pincher awkwardly, advancing and -shaking hands over a row of glass bottles filled with sweets. 'I've -'eard a lot abart yer from my frien' Mister Billings.' - -The A.B. warned him of his indiscretion by a violent nudge in the side. - -'I'm glad I'm a celebrity,' the girl remarked, a trifle suspiciously. -'And what did Mr Billings say about me? I hope it was something nice.' - -'Where's yer ma, miss?' Joshua himself interrupted, hastily changing -the subject. - -'She's out now, Mr Billings, but she'll be back home to tea at -half-past five. She's expecting you then, I believe; and if this -gentleman would join us I'm sure he'd be very welcome.' She looked at -Martin. - -'Wot say, Pincher?' asked Joshua with a wink. 'Like ter 'ave a cup o' -tea wi' th' ladies?' - -'Don't mind if I does,' said the youth shyly. - -'Needn't come if you don't want to, mister,' the girl retorted -sarcastically, tossing her head. 'There are plenty who'd be glad to be -asked.' - -Pincher felt more awkward and sheepish than ever. 'I should like ter -come, miss, thankin' yer for yer kindness in arskin' me,' he managed to -stammer. 'No offence meant, I'm sure, miss. 'Fraid I said it a bit -awk'ard like.' - -'No offence taken,' laughed Emmeline, moving off to attend to three -customers. - -'Now, Mister Billings,' she said, coming back in a few minutes, 'I -can't stand gossiping here all the afternoon. This is our busy time, -and the shop will be filling up soon, and I sha'n't know whether I'm -standing on my head or my heels. What with mother being out, and that -plaguy boy having a holiday, I don't know how I shall be able to -manage. If you drop in again at half-past five, mother will be in then. -Is there anything I can serve you with before you go?' - -'I'll 'ave two packets o' woodbines, miss,' Joshua had to reply, quite -forgetting that he did not smoke cigarettes, but unable to ignore the -hint. He put down twopence.--'Wot abart you, Pincher?' - -Martin looked blankly round the shop. - -'A penn'orth of bull's-eyes or almond rock?' suggested the girl, with a -malicious twinkle in her eyes. 'Or perhaps you'd fancy some jujubes or -acid drops, fresh in to-day?' - -'Thank you, miss, I don't fancy sweets,' the ordinary seaman returned, -painfully aware that he was being made fun of. 'I'll 'ave one o' them -there packets o' Egyptian fags. The sixpenny ones.' - -'We generally call them cigarettes,' Emmeline remarked. - -'Lor,' Billings ejaculated, 'we ain't 'arf goin' a bu'st!' - -'Let the boy have what he wants, mister,' retorted Miss Figgins tartly, -her business instinct uppermost, and a little anxious lest Pincher -should change his mind and choose something cheaper. 'They're very good -cigarettes, I'm sure, and excellent value for the money. Don't know -what he wants to go smoking for, though,' she added sweetly, gazing at -Pincher with an innocent smile. 'I'm sure sweets are more in his line.' - -Joshua laughed, but Martin felt he had never been so insulted in his -life. 'Boy,' indeed! She had called him a boy, and had offered him -sweets! - -More prospective customers arrived; and, paying for their purchases, -the two bluejackets started to leave the establishment, when Billings, -remembering something rather important, turned back. 'Say, miss,' he -queried in an anxious, confidential whisper in the young lady's ear, -'did yer ma say anythin' abart comin' ter the pictures along o' me -ter-night?' - -Emmeline paused in the act of weighing out half-an-ounce of shag -tobacco and laughed merrily. 'Go on with you!' she exclaimed roguishly. -'You're a proper caution, Mister Billings!' - -'Did she say nothin' abart it?' - -'I'm not my mother's keeper. She said nothing to me.' - -'Sure?' queried the lovesick one, rather disappointed. - -The girl winked twice and pointed to the door. 'Hop it!' she giggled. -'Don't come worrying round me when I'm busy with customers. Take your -Mister--er--Martin with you; and if I were you I should buy him'--she -sank her voice to a whisper and glanced in Pincher's direction--'a nice -rattle! Ta-ta; see you both later.' - -'Wot did she say yer wus ter buy me?' Martin wanted to know when they -got outside. - -'Didn't 'ear, chum,' Joshua answered hastily, unwilling to hurt the -other's feelings. 'Wot d' yer think o' 'er? Bit o' orl right--wot?' - -'She looks orl right,' Martin agreed, rather depressed. 'But she seems -a bit 'orty-like for a kid o' seventeen. Tryin' ter 'ave me on, she -was, abart them there sweets.' - -'Garn! That's only 'er way. She don't mean nothin'. Yer carn't expec' a -gal ter take a fancy ter a bloke orl of a sudden like. Don't get -rattled abart wot she said. Come on,' Joshua added, glancing at a clock -in a jeweller's window. 'It's only a quarter ter five, plenty o' time -ter go an' 'ave a wet afore we goes back there ter tea.' He made off -across the road in the direction of a public-house. - -'No, yer bloomin' well don't!' Pincher exclaimed, overtaking him, -seizing him by the arm, and swinging him round in the opposite -direction. 'Yer said yer was only goin' ter 'ave one pint. S'welp me, -yer did.' - -'Don't act so barmy, Pincher,' Joshua expostulated, bitterly aggrieved. -'W'en I sez a pint I only means a pint directly I gits ashore. I didn't -say 'ow much I'd 'ave arterwards.' - -'Well, yer ain't goin' ter 'ave one now, any'ow,' Martin retorted. 'If -you goes drinkin' now, I sha'n't come ter tea along o' yer an' Missis -Figgins; an' I wants me two bob back, strite, I do.' - -'Wot d' yer want ter go spoilin' a chap's bit o' sport fur?' Billings -grumbled feelingly. 'I'm that dry I could jist do wi' a pint. No more'n -a pint, I promises yer.' - -But Pincher was adamant. 'If yer feels dry yer kin go and buy yerself -some lemonade. Yer don't git no beer while yer along o' me.' - -'Lemonade! 'Oo wants lemonade, 'orrible pisenous stuff full o' hacids -an' sich like! Only fit fur kids ter swaffle!' - -'Yer won't git no beer, so it ain't no use yer talkin'.' - -'Oh, ain't it bloomin' well?' the A.B. exclaimed, beginning to get -angry. 'Yer ain't lookin' arter me, yer knows. It's me wot's lookin' -arter you.' - -Pincher held out his hand. 'Orl right, then,' he said quietly; 'give me -back me two bob wot yer borrowed.' - -Joshua glared at him in speechless astonishment 'Give it back to yer?' -he almost shouted. 'Not 'arf I don't!' - -'Orl right. S' long, then; I'm not comin' along ter tea wi' Missis -Figgins. Yer knows werry well yer carn't go takin' ladies along ter th' -pictures if yer starts drinkin' now.' Martin pretended to move off. - -There was some truth in the remark, and Billings felt rather foolish. -''Ere, 'arf a mo'!' he expostulated. 'Don't shove orf. Look 'ere, chum; -she 'as a drop 'erself now an' then. Allus 'as a bottle o' stout along -wi' 'er dinner, an' another along o' 'er supper. Told me so 'erself.' -He looked hopefully to see if this information would have the desired -effect, but Martin merely shook his head. - -It took at least five minutes further argument, and much backing and -filling between the two pavements, before Billings could be drawn off -from the glaring portals of the 'Rose and Crown.' He seemed attracted -to the place like a steel filing to a magnet; and it was all Martin -could do to entice him away. But he succeeded eventually, and, with -Joshua still complaining bitterly, the two adventurers entered a -barber's shop to have their hair cut. - -At five-thirty precisely they both returned to the shop to find Mrs -Figgins there. She was a short, bulbous little woman of uncertain age, -with her dark hair, slightly streaked with gray, drawn tightly over her -head and tied in a knob behind. Except for her blue eyes, which -twinkled through her spectacles as she talked, she bore little -resemblance to her daughter, but, for all that, possessed a certain -vivacity of manner and speech which more than made up for lack of good -looks. She greeted them with cordiality. - -'It's pleased I am to see you an' your friend, Mister Billings,' she -said, when Pincher had been solemnly introduced. 'Such a day I 'ave 'ad -you never would believe. Went to see my poor John's brother's wife at -Dorchester. 'Er youngest, Halfred, 'im that was born last Easter, 'as -come out all over in red spots, an' the doctor doesn't know wot to make -of 'em. 'E's a fraud, I think,' she went on--speaking with great -rapidity, and nodding her head to emphasise the point--'a reg'lar -fraud, same as all doctors. I don't 'old wi' them an' their speriments. -I said to Jane that the boy was sickenin' for measles, 'cause the spots -are the same as wot Hemmeline 'ad when she was a baby; but the -doctor'---- - -'Measles!' Joshua ejaculated, with vague visions of being put in -quarantine. 'Infectious, ain't it?' - -'Don't be scared,' the lady laughed. 'It's all right so long as you've -'ad it before.--Hemmeline!' - -'Yes, mother?' came the girl's answer from the sitting-room at the back -of the shop. - -'Is that kettle boilin' yet? 'Ere's Mister Billings an' 'is friend -ready for their teas.' - -'All ready, mother. Look out you shut the outer door in case of -customers coming.' - -Mrs Figgins shut the door, and then ushered her guests into the -sitting-room. It was a bright little apartment, with a cheerful fire -blazing in an old-fashioned grate, before which, judging from the -smell, Emmeline had been making hot buttered toast. The room was -crammed with furniture, and was decorated with china ornaments, velvet -hangings, and pictures, conspicuous among these being a large -photographic enlargement of the late Mr John Figgins. It hung in a -massive gilt frame, and the defunct gentleman was shown in black -cut-away coat, dark trousers, high choker collar, white tie, and a very -shiny top-hat. He gripped a walking-stick and a pair of gloves in one -hand, while the other rested in _négligé_ fashion upon a large -marble column bearing a very palpable imitation palm. He had side -whiskers and rather a fierce expression. There were also three large, -highly coloured oleographs. One depicted the late Queen Victoria at the -time of her 1887 Jubilee; another, entitled 'Lead, Kindly Light,' -showed a sailing-ship in dangerous proximity to the Eddystone -Lighthouse during a terrible storm; and the third, some immaculate -soldiers in tight red tunics saying good-bye to a number of lachrymose, -slim-waisted ladies on the platform at Waterloo Station. They were, it -would appear, about to sail for South Africa--the soldiers, I mean, not -the ladies. - -On the mantelpiece stood a cabinet photograph of Joshua Billings in an -ornate aluminium frame painted with forget-me-nots. The original -glanced at it with a self-conscious smirk. It had been his last present -to Mrs Figgins, and he felt it augured well for his prospects to see it -in the place of honour. - -But Pincher was not so much interested in the appearance of the room as -in that of the round table in the centre of the apartment. It was -spread for tea, and such a tea! There was a fine crusty cottage loaf -and a generous plate of sliced ham; a mountain of shrimps lay cheek by -jowl with an enormous pot of jam; while rounds of hot buttered toast, a -large currant-cake, and a pile of mixed pastry stood on the outskirts -of the more substantial comestibles. Martin sucked his teeth -appreciatively. There were only four places laid, he was glad to see. -The ship's steward's assistant from the flagship was evidently not -coming. - -Mrs Figgins settled herself in front of the teapot, and began pouring -out, keeping up a rapid flow of conversation the while. 'Mister -Billings,' she said, motioning with her head to the place on her right, -'will you sit 'ere? an' you, Mister Martin, 'ere? Hemmeline will be -opposite me. I 'ope you will 'elp yourselves to anything you fancy, and -if hanybody likes heggs, I've got some werry nice ones fresh in from -the country to-day. My poor John was fond of a hegg to 'is tea,' she -added, gazing sadly at the representation of her late husband. - -'I reckons we kin do werry well wi' wot we 'ave 'ere,' remarked -Billings, glancing round the table with an approving smile, and helping -himself to ham and hot buttered toast. 'Thank yer, Missis Figgins,' he -continued, 'two lumps fur me.' He took the proffered cup with a coy -smile, put it down, and began to masticate noisily. - -Pincher fancied shrimps to start with; but Emmeline, who had her own -ideas as to how a lady should behave, scorned the more substantial -eatables, and nibbled daintily at a piece of thin bread and jam. - -''Ave a bit of 'am, my gal,' said her mother, helping herself to that -delicacy, and handing the plate across. - -'No, thanks, mother. I'll spoil my supper if I do.' - -'Quite right, miss,' murmured Billings, with his mouth rather full. 'I -never could understan' 'ow folks wot 'as a reg'lar supper kin stow -their kites full at tea-time. 'Orrible 'abit, I calls it. On board, ye -see,' he hastened to explain, lest he himself should be thought a -glutton, 'we 'as a sort o' 'igh tea, an' a bit o' biscuit or sich like -fur our suppers. It ain't wot you'd call a proper meal.' - -Martin gasped. He knew that on board the _Belligerent_ Joshua -frequently had kippers for his tea, while six rashers of bacon and six -fried eggs often formed his evening meal at a quarter past seven. - -Emmeline raised her eyebrows. 'Kites?' she asked, rather surprised. -'What's kites?' - -'Stummick, 'e means, miss,' put in Pincher, anxious to air his -knowledge. 'Mister Billings'---- He heard a horrified gasp, looked up, -saw Emmeline frowning at him fiercely, thought better of what he was -going to say, and then stared at his plate, with his face getting -redder and redder. He had evidently put his foot into it rather badly. - -But the girl did not intend to let him off. 'We don't mention those -things in polite society,' she pointed out acidly. 'It's not nice.' - -Pincher said nothing, but wished that the floor might open and swallow -him whole. - -'Yer promised ye'd come along o' me ter th' pictures ter-night, Missis -Figgins,' remarked Joshua, finishing his ham and looking round the -table. 'Thought we'd go an' 'ave a bit o' supper at a restorong -arterwards.' - -'Promised you, did I?' the widow returned, handing him a plate of -jam-puffs with a sweet smile.' 'Ave one o' these? Or do you fancy a -piece o' cake? It's 'ome-made.' - -Joshua helped himself to the pastry. 'Yus,' he said, 'yer promised ye'd -come.' - -'Oh, did I?' the lady said archly, determined to keep him on -tenter-hooks. 'Think I've got nothin' to do but to go to them silly -pictures? 'Oo's goin' to mind the shop, I should like to know?' - -'I don't want to go out, mother,' Emmeline put in. - -'Course you don't, my gal,' said her mother. 'It's not respectable for -gals to be hout after dark unless they're hescorted.' - -'No,' Billings agreed, pausing in the act of biting a large chunk off -his jam-puff; 'it ain't fit an' proper fur gals o' your age to go abart -unpertected like.' - -Emmeline glared at him. 'Oh, isn't it?' she retorted. 'And who asked -you to put your oar in, Mister Billings? I'll have you know I'm quite -capable of looking after myself, and I wouldn't go along of you if you -were the last man on earth. You'd best take mother along to the -pictures, and not worry your head about what I'm going to do.' She -tossed her head. - -Billings, covered with confusion, retired from the contest and resumed -his meal. - -Mrs Figgins, anxious to keep the peace, looked up apprehensively. 'No -need to let your tongue run away wi' you, Hemmeline,' she chided. -'Mister Billings agrees wi' what I think about it, an' there's no call -for you to get snappy.--All right, Josh--Mister Billings,' she added; -'I'll come with you. What about your friend?' - -Joshua, insinuating a massive fist under the tablecloth, squeezed his -loved one affectionately by the hand. 'That's orl right,' he murmured, -greatly relieved and very happy. - -'But what about Mister Martin?' - -''Is leaf's up at seven,' Joshua explained. ''E carn't come.' - -'Thank goodness for that!' Emmeline remarked with a loud sniff. What -she meant exactly Pincher could not imagine, but it was quite obvious -that she meant to hurt his feelings. She succeeded, for he felt more of -a fool than ever; and it was just as well, perhaps, that at that moment -the shop door opened with a clang to admit a customer, and the girl -left the room. - -From a purely gastronomic point of view, though Martin did not do full -justice to it, the meal was undoubtedly a success; but he returned to -the ship that evening in a very saddened frame of mind. He was bitterly -disappointed with Emmeline. She was pretty and attractive, he felt -bound to admit; but it was only too evident that she was not the least -taken with him, and, moreover, had no hesitation in showing it. She had -a nasty, snappy way of saying things, too. Billings had wilfully misled -him, and had borrowed two shillings under false pretences. He had led -Pincher to believe that he would be received with open arms; but all -that Joshua really cared about, apparently, was the feathering of his -own downy nest, ungrateful old sinner that he was! Drat Billings! Drat -Emme---- No; drat the ship's steward's assistant from the flagship! - - -II. - -Wilfrid Parkin, the ship's steward's assistant from the _Tremendous_, -was a gay young dog. He was a tall youth of about Pincher's own age, -with sleek, well-greased black hair. His clothes were always immaculate -and well brushed; he affected a crease down the legs of his trousers; -and, when he was ashore, the odour of scent and pomatum generally -emanated from his person. With his peaked cap set jauntily on the side -of his head, a cigarette pendulous from his lower lip, and his -double-breasted coat, white linen collar, and black tie, he imagined -himself to be vastly superior in breeding and deportment to any man -clad in the uniform of a bluejacket. Sometimes he even wore brown kid -gloves, hoping that this would cause ignorant people to take him for an -officer. - -He was not beautiful to gaze upon, but downright ugly, in fact, for his -putty-coloured face was covered with pimples, which he vainly -endeavoured to eradicate with somebody's patent ointment. But in spite -of this, and other blemishes, he had female admirers by the score; and -even the level-headed Emmeline, for some inscrutable reason, had fallen -a victim to his charms. She would not have admitted it if she had been -asked, of course; but the giddy Wilfrid had shown a preference for her -society, and Emmeline had not objected. - -Men disliked Parkin for his affectation and conceit. On board his ship -he had a very poor time; but ashore he was absolutely it, so far as the -ladies were concerned. He was a shining light at the local -skating-rink, where, in company with one or other of his girl friends, -he waltzed and two-stepped to his heart's content. When he could obtain -the necessary leave he always attended dances--'Entrance fee, one -shilling; evening dress optional'--and was never averse to singing -'They all love Jack,' or some other very nautical song, at a tea-party -at which ladies were present. - -It came to pass that one wet afternoon, when there was no football, -Pincher, feeling the want of exercise, was forced to take refuge in the -skating-rink, and almost the first person he saw was Emmeline Figgins -gliding round with the immaculate Wilfrid. They both skated well; but -whereas the girl did it with a really natural grace, her companion, -desperately anxious to create an impression, put in sundry little kicks -and twirls of his own invention which made his performance border on -the ridiculous. He was showing off, in fact. - -Now Pincher could barely skate at all, much less dance, pirouette on -one leg, or hurtle round backwards; and, seeing Emmeline, he became -rather nervous, and wished to seek safety in flight. But he had paid -sixpence to come in, and could not very well demand his money back; so, -with a pair of skates in his hand, he stood sheepishly by the edge of -the rink watching the others. Emmeline spotted him the next time she -came round, smiled cheerily over her shoulder, and said something to -her companion, who shook his head. She was evidently in a good temper, -and Martin smiled back at her. - -The next time she drew near, it was more slowly. Checking her speed, -she came gracefully to rest by the padded balustrade immediately -opposite where Pincher stood. She was flushed with the exercise, and -looked quite adorable. Parkin hovered in the background. - -'Well,' she asked gaily, extending her hand, 'aren't you going to say, -"How d' you do?" Mister Martin?' - -'How d'ye do, miss?' said Pincher, shaking it, but half-suspecting she -was about to make a fool of him. - -'This is Mister Parkin,' Emmeline went on, presenting the spotty-faced -one. 'Mister Parkin--Mister Martin of the _Belligerent_.' - -''Ow do, Parkin?' remarked Pincher with a nod. - -'Pleased to meet yer,' murmured the other, with a low bow and a lofty -expression. 'What terrible weather we are 'avin' for the time of year, -are we not?' - -The ordinary seaman stared at him in astonishment; while Emmeline, -unable to restrain herself, burst out into a little chuckle of -amusement. - -'What's the matter now, Miss Figgins?' Parkin asked, rather aggrieved. - -'I'm amused at your polite talk,' she said, laughing openly. 'You do -put on such airs sometimes, Mister Parkin. I can't help laughing.' - -'Oh, can't you?' retorted the pimply gentleman. 'You needn't go saying -them things in front of--er'--he was going to say 'ordinary seamen,' -but noticed Martin was looking at him, and substituted 'other people.' - -'I'll say exactly what I please, Mister Parkin,' she returned with -asperity, deliberately turning her back upon him.--'Can you skate -well?' she asked Martin. - -'I kin jest git round, miss, but can do none o' them there fancy -touches.' - -'Well, be quick, and get your skates on,' she said. 'I'll help you. -Mister Parkin is tired of my company, I think.--You'd better go and -look for some one else to skate with,' she added to Wilfrid over her -shoulder. - -'You said you was going to skate with me the 'ole afternoon,' he -protested angrily. - -'Can't help what I said,' Emmeline retorted, tossing her head. 'I've -changed my mind. Run away, like a good boy, or I shall get angry with -you.' - -Parkin, after further useless expostulation, eventually skated off, -greatly annoyed. To think that Emmeline, his Emmeline, as he chose to -consider her, should dare to throw herself at the head of an ordinary -seaman, while he, Wilfrid Parkin, admittedly one of the best skaters in -the place, should be sent packing! It was insufferable--absolutely -insufferable! Assuredly he must teach this young woman that it was an -honour for her to be seen in his company at all. - -Martin himself hardly knew what to make of it. The last time he had met -the girl she had been deliberately rude, and had done her best to hurt -his feelings and to make him feel awkward. But now she was all smiles, -and was looking at him in quite a friendly way. He half-suspected a -trap of some kind, and that she intended to make a fool of him, after -all; but, murmuring his thanks, he strapped on his skates, removed his -cap, and stepped gingerly on to the floor. He got on better than he -expected, though he took good care not to try any rash experiments, and -rather enjoyed it. He was skating with quite the prettiest girl on the -rink, for one thing, and he was pleased to see Parkin's sullen scowl of -jealousy every time he flashed by with another lady on his arm. - -'Look at that horrid little thing, Jane Crawley!' Emmeline whispered in -Martin's ear. 'Stuck-up little minx! Giggling and laughing with Mister -Parkin, she is. Thinks it'll annoy me, I suppose.' - -'She don't look up ter much,' Pincher agreed, glancing at Wilfrid's -companion as they went past. - -Emmeline sniffed. 'She's not. She's in Skeets the draper's. Early -closing day to-day; that's why she's out. Never could stand them -shoppies; they give themselves such airs. Can't think what he sees in -her.' - -'Carn't think why you likes Mister Parkin,' murmured Pincher, blurting -out his thoughts without really meaning to. - -To his great surprise, Emmeline laughed. 'I don't like him,' she said. -'I thought I did at first, but I'm beginning to find him out now. He's -that conceited, you've no idea. Thinks he can order me about, too; and -I won't stick that.' - -'I don't think 'e's much class,' Martin observed, holding her hand -tighter. 'Puts on a lot o' swank fur a bloomin' dusty boy.'[19] - - [19] A ship's steward's assistant is always known as a 'dusty - boy.' - -Emmeline nodded. 'I'm fair sick of him. He's---- Hallo! Hold up!' But -it was too late, for Pincher stumbled heavily and sat down with a -thump. His partner released him just in time to save herself. - -Parkin, passing with Jane Crawley, had just touched Pincher's outer -skate. Whether it had been done intentionally or by accident Martin -never really knew; but if it was deliberate, the result far exceeded -Wilfrid's expectations. Pincher merely sat down on the floor rather too -hard to be pleasant; but Parkin, letting go his partner, pitched -forward, and came into violent contact with the wooden flooring with a -resounding bump. - -The two girls went to the rescue of their respective men, and a crowd -soon collected. Pincher, little damaged, picked himself up with a -laugh; but Parkin's injuries, though not really serious, were far more -spectacular. The front of his coat was thick with dirt, both the knees -of his trousers were badly torn, and he applied a handkerchief to his -dirty face to stanch a copious flow of blood from his damaged nose. - -'Look 'ere!' he exclaimed, quivering with passion and advancing on -Pincher with his fists clenched; 'you did that a purpose!' - -'He did nothing of the kind!' Emmeline burst out. 'And well you know -it. It was your own fault. You and your showing off!' - - [Illustration: 'It was 'is fault! I saw 'im stick 'is foot out!' - PAGE 115.] - -'It was 'is fault!' shrilled Jane Crawley, pointing an accusing finger -at Martin. 'I saw 'im stick 'is foot out!' - -'No, I didn't,' Pincher protested. 'Never see'd yer comin'!' - -'Course he didn't,' Emmeline corroborated. 'How could he see you if you -were behind him?' - -'I tell you 'e did!' shouted Jane, becoming excited. - -'I didn't,' Martin expostulated. - -The crowd peered over each other's shoulders and laughed, for there -seemed every prospect of a fight on skates between Emmeline Figgins and -Jane Crawley, and another between Pincher Martin and Wilfrid Parkin. -The situation was most exciting. - -'You'll 'ave to pay for my trousers, any'ow!' Wilfrid blustered, -looking down at his torn garments. - -The onlookers tittered. 'That's it,' some one said jocularly; 'you 'ave -the law on 'im, my son.' - -'Sha'n't pay a penny!' Pincher said. - -'That's right, little un!' came a voice from the crowd; 'don't you be -put upon!' - -'I'll bloomin' well make you!' shouted Parkin, squaring up. 'I'll give -you a thick ear if you don't!' - -'I ain't afraid o' you!' Pincher retorted, glaring at him. 'You 'it me -an' see wot you gits!' - -'Go on, Will. Give 'im one,' advised the pugnacious Jane. - -'You'll do nothing of the sort,' said Emmeline quietly, stepping -between the two men. 'If you want to kick up a shindy, Mister Parkin, -you'd best do it outside.' - -'I say it was the sailor's fault!' reiterated the other lady shrilly. -'I saw 'im'---- - -'Now then, what's all the fuss about?' asked the rink manager severely, -pushing his way through the throng. 'We can't 'ave these sort of -goings-on 'ere. You've 'eld up the 'ole proceedings. Somebody fallen -down--what?' - -''E tried ter knock me down a purpose,' said Pincher, indicating his -adversary. - -'You're a liar!' retorted Parkin. 'It's like this,' he went on, trying -to explain the situation. 'I was skatin' parst this man, w'en all of a -sudden 'e puts out 'is foot an''---- - -'He did nothing of the kind,' Emmeline interrupted. 'It's him who's -telling lies, and well he knows it.' - -'Well, I can't 'ave these goings-on 'ere,' the manager returned, -glaring at them all in turn. 'I must ask the ladies and gentlemen -concerned to step outside and settle their differences elsewhere. Come -on, please.' - -'Come on, Mister Martin. We'd best go. I hate all this fuss,' Emmeline -whispered. She moved off. - -Pincher, nothing loath, unstrapped his other skate--one had already -come off in his tumble--and followed her, but not before Parkin had -hurled a final remark. - -'Orl right, Mister Martin!' he said very venomously. 'I'll be even wi' -you over this 'ere!' - -'I'll take you on any day you likes!' Pincher threw back. 'I ain't -afraid o' you, you great skinny lamplighter!' - -'And I'll never speak to you again, Wilfrid Parkin,' Emmeline put in, -'Call yourself a gentleman! I don't think!' She snorted loudly to show -her contempt. - -'Come on, come on! Don't let's 'ave any more o' this, please!' from the -manager. - -'Orl right, old puddin'-face. Keep yer 'air on!' Pincher observed with -a smile. - -The lookers-on laughed loudly, for the manager was rather unpopular, -and his face really was too fat to be pleasant. - -'Pudding-face!' he gasped. 'Who are you calling pudding-face?' - -But Pincher was out of earshot. - - -III. - -'Request-men an' defaulters--'shun!' bawled the master-at-arms, as the -commander passed aft along the quarterdeck and took his stand behind a -small scrubbed table upon which were a pile of papers and several -ponderous-looking books. - -'Petty Officer Weatherley!' - -The petty officer left the line, stepped smartly forward to the table, -clicked his heels, and saluted. - -'Petty Officer William Weatherley,' the M.A.A.[20] went on, 'requests -hextension o' leaf till two P.M. on Monday.' - - [20] M.A.A., master-at-arms. - -The commander looked up. 'Can he be spared?' was his first question. - -'Request's signed by the torpedo lootenant, sir,' the M.A.A. explained; -for Weatherley, being a torpedo gunner's mate by calling, was one of -Hatherley's myrmidons. - -'Why d'you want this extension?' the commander asked, playing with a -pencil. - -'Urgent private affairs, sir.' - -'Yes, quite so. But what are the private affairs, and why are they -urgent? Week-end leave expires at nine o'clock on Monday, you know.' - -'I can't very well say, sir,' the petty officer said, glancing at the -crowd of ship's corporals round the table. 'My reasons are rather -private, sir.' - -'Oh, I see. Can you tell me?' - -'Yes, sir.' - -The commander left the table, beckoned the man to follow him, and -walked aft out of earshot of every one else. For quite a minute they -talked together, and then the officer nodded, and Weatherley, with a -pleased grin, saluted and marched off. - -'Request granted, master-at-arms,' the commander observed, coming back -to the table. 'Next man.' - -The M.A.A. made a note in his book. 'Able Seaman Billings!' he called. - -Joshua ambled aft at a jog-trot, halted in front of the table, and, -from sheer force of habit, removed his cap. - -'Keep yer 'at on!' growled one of the ship's corporals in an undertone. -'You ain't a defaulter!' - -The commander turned his face away to hide a smile, and Billings, -covered with confusion and rather redder in the face than usual, -resumed his headgear. - -'Able Seaman Joshua Billings. Requests a turn o' week-end leaf out o' -watch.' - -'Has he got a substitute?' - -'Yessir.' - -'Why d' you want leave out of your turn?' the commander asked, eyeing -the A.B. with a half-smile hovering round his mouth. 'You've been -ashore a good bit lately, haven't you?' - -'Yessir, I 'as,' Joshua answered, fidgeting. 'But ye see, sir, it's -like this 'ere. I've got werry himportant business ashore 'ere, sir, -an' I wants to git it fixed up.' - -'What sort of business? Money, or something of that kind?' - -'No, sir. 'Ardly that. It's ter do wi' a lady, sir--lady wot lives -ashore 'ere an' keeps a sweet an' bacca shop wot sells noospapers. -I'm--I'm'---- Joshua paused, licked his lips, and shifted his feet -nervously. - -The commander smiled. 'Are you--er--in love with the lady?' he asked. - -The master-at-arms and one of the ship's corporals cleared their -throats noisily. - -'Yessir, that's abart it. Yer see, sir,' Billings went on, in a sudden -burst of confidence, 'I sez ter meself that it's abart time I started -lookin' round fur somethin' ter do w'en I leaves the service, seein' as -'ow I'm close on me pension, an' I sez ter meself'---- - -'Yes. I quite understand,' the commander interposed kindly. 'Time is -short, and you needn't go into details as to how it happened. You've -behaved yourself well for the last couple of months, so I'll grant your -request. You mustn't make a habit of it, that's all. Look out, too, you -don't get into trouble, and, above all'--he looked up with a -smile--'beware of evil companions. I wish you luck in your affair, -Billings.' - -'Thank you, sir. Same to you, sir.' - -'Request granted. 'Bout turn, double march!' broke in the M.A.A. - -Joshua saluted and trotted off, very much pleased with himself. - -Several other requests were dealt with, and then came the turn of the -defaulters. - -'Ord'nary Seaman Martin!' shouted the M.A.A. - -Pincher, arrayed in his best serge suit, in the hope that his smart -appearance might mitigate his offence, ran nervously forward and halted -in front of the table. - -'Orf cap! Ord'nary Seaman William Martin. First, did remain habsent -over leaf two an' a narf hours, an' was happrehended an' brought aboard -by the naval patrol. Second, did create a disturbance in St John's -Street, Weymouth, at 'arf-parst nine P.M. hon th' night o' the eleventh -hinstant.' - -The commander rubbed his chin thoughtfully and gazed at the buff -charge-sheet on the table in front of him. 'Where's the petty officer -of the patrol?' he asked, without looking up. - -'Petty Officer Bartlett!' - -The petty officer hurried forward, and halted with a salute. - -'Make your report,' said the commander. - -'The night before last, sir, at 'arf-parst nine, I was in St John's -Street with the patrol, w'en I sees a bit o' a crowd collected, an' -some one tells me that two sailors was fightin'. I 'urries forward, -sir, disperses the people with the hassistance o' a policeman, an' -finds this 'ere man, sir'--he indicated Martin with his -thumb--'fightin' with hanother man.' - -'Who was the other man?' - -'Ship's stooard's hassistant from the flagship, sir. I've forgot 'is -exac' name.' - -'Well, go on.' - -'Well, sir, I happrehends 'em both, an' takes 'em off an' keeps 'em -under harrest, at the same time hinformin' the orficer o' the picket -wot I done.' - -'Who was the officer of the picket?' - -'I was, sir,' said Lieutenant English, coming forward. - -'Did you see those men fighting?' asked the commander. - -'No, sir, not actually fighting. I saw them both immediately -afterwards.' - -'Were they drunk?' - -'No, sir. They were excited, and the ship's steward's assistant's nose -was bleeding badly.' There was no necessity for the officer to describe -Pincher's injuries, for that youth had a remarkably fine specimen of a -black eye. - -'Did they resist the patrol?' the commander asked, turning to Petty -Officer Bartlett. - -'Not this man, sir. 'E came along quite quiet. The other man kicked up -a bit o' a dust.' - -'H'm! I see,' the commander observed with his lips twitching.--'What -have you got to say?' he added, addressing Martin. 'First, why did you -break your leave?' - -'Please, sir,' Pincher explained with the air of an injured innocent, -'I 'adn't no intention o' doin' it. I comes down ter th' pier at seven -o'clock an' finds the boat jest shoved orf. The clocks wus all wrong, -sir. I sez ter meself I'll come orf by the late orficers' boat at -'arf-parst ten; so I goes back, sir, 'as a bit o' supper, an' then, at -'bout 'arf-parst nine, I meets Parkin'---- - -'Who's Parkin?' - -''Im wot I was fightin' wi', sir.' - -'Go on.' - -'I meets 'im in the street, sir. We ain't the best o' friends, 'cos me -an' 'im 'ad a bit o' a shimozzle'---- - -'Shimozzle!' echoed the commander, looking rather puzzled. 'What on -earth's that?' - -'Bit o' a dust-up, sir,' Pincher explained. - -'Well, go on.' - -'Well, sir,' the culprit resumed, 'we 'ad a bit o' a hargument at th' -skatin'-rink abart a week ago. 'E was walkin' in the street along o' a -lady, sir; but as soon as 'e sees me 'e leaves 'er an' comes across ter -me. "You dirty little 'ound!" 'e sez, usin' 'orrible langwidge, "I've -got yer now!" "You keep a civil tongue in yer 'ead, Mister Parkin," I -sez, polite like. 'E don't wait fur no more, sir, but ups an' 'its me -on th' 'ead. I couldn't stand that, sir, so I 'its 'im back. We 'adn't -bin at it no more 'n five minutes,' he added regretfully, 'w'en the -patrol comes along, sir.' Martin, who had been carefully drilled as to -what he had to say by Billings, himself a past-master at the art of -inventing excuses, reeled off his tale glibly enough, and then paused -for breath. - -The commander seemed rather perplexed. 'Why is it that Parkin and -yourself are such bitter enemies?' he asked, looking up with a frown. -'Why can't you behave yourselves like ordinary people?' - -'It's like this 'ere, sir,' Pincher said, going off into a long-winded -and very complicated explanation, which brought in Emmeline, the affair -at the skating-rink, and how it had all happened. - -'Oh, I see,' the commander observed. 'A girl's really at the bottom of -it--what?' - -Martin hung his head and made no reply. - -'You've got a very good black eye, I see, and a swollen mouth. Did you -do him any other damage besides making his nose bleed?' - -'Yessir,' said Pincher hopefully, looking up with the ghost of a smile. -'I thinks one o' 'is eyes is bunged up too.' - -'Indeed! Well, so far as I can see, it's a question of six of one and -half-a-dozen of the other.--Where's his record?' the commander asked, -turning to a ship's corporal, who was holding an enormous conduct-book -open against his bosom. 'H'm! No entries. Clean sheet. What division's -he in?' - -'Mine, sir,' said Lieutenant Tickle, coming forward. - -'What sort of a man is he? Had any trouble with him?' - -'None at all, sir. Does his work quite well.' - -The commander turned to the misdemeanant. 'Well,' he said, speaking -quite kindly and quietly, 'you haven't been in the service very long, -my lad; but the sooner you realise we can't have this sort of thing -going on the better. I don't object to fighting--we're all paid to do -that when the time comes; but if you want to take on one of your -squadron-mates, you'd better do it somewhere where you won't be seen. -Brawling in the streets only gets the navy into disrepute, so bear it -in mind.' He paused. - -Pincher hung his head. - -'I can't say which of you was to blame,' the commander went on, 'but I -can't overlook your offence. However, it's the first time you've been -up before me, so I'll let you off lightly. You'll have seven days No. -10;[21] and next time you want to fight anybody, or anybody wants to -fight you, you let me know, and we'll provide you with boxing-gloves, -and let you hammer each other on board during the dog watches. This man -was bigger than you, eh?' - - [21] No. 10 = a particular form of punishment. - -'Yessir.' - -'Well, I'm glad to see you've got pluck, and that you gave him more -than he gave you. That's all. Don't come up before me again, mind.' - -'Seven days No. 10! 'Bout turn! Double march!' ordered the -master-at-arms. - -Pincher ran off, rather pleased with himself. It was the first time he -had been a defaulter, and he had dreaded the ordeal; but he found the -commander was quite human, after all. Moreover, he had expected to be -punished far more severely for the affray; while the leave-breaking -offence, for which he was liable to a mulet of one day's pay and -stoppage of one day's leave, had been completely ignored. The fact of -the matter was that the commander, though he took good care not to say -so, sympathised with Pincher in his heart of hearts. He liked a man who -stood up for himself, and when he had interviewed the other defaulters -he called Tickle to his side. - -'That fellow Martin of yours,' he said; 'he seems a plucky young devil -for his age?' - -'He is, sir,' the lieutenant agreed; 'quite a promising lad. I've had -my eye on him for some time. He's got plenty of--er--guts too, sir. -English tells me that fellow who went for him was double his size.' - -'So much the better,' the senior officer grinned. 'I wish he had -knocked him out.' - -For the next week Pincher was undergoing the rigours of No. 10 -punishment. He didn't like it at all. To start with, he had to turn out -of his warm hammock at four-thirty A.M., had his meal-times cut down to -the barest minimum, while all his spare time was taken up in rifle -exercise, physical drill, or extra work of some kind. It was far too -strenuous to be pleasant, particularly as his leave was stopped, and he -could not go ashore. However, with Billings's assistance, he found time -to write a letter to Emmeline, which the A.B. delivered. - - 'DERE MISS FIGGINS'--it ran--'i am in trubble, having got in the - rattle for fighting Mister Parkin larst thursday night in Weymouth. - i made his nose bleed agen, and bunged up one of his eyes. i got - a black eye and a swollen mouth, and seven days No. 10 for my - trubble; but i hopes to come ashore agen next sunday. i'm glad he - got the wurst of it. Hoping this finds You as it leaves me--[It is - to be hoped that Emmeline, also, had not got a black eye and a - swollen mouth]--I remains, miss, your obedient servant, - - 'WM. MARTIN.' - -The missive elicited a reply. - - 'DEAR MR MARTIN'--it said--'I am sorry to hear that you have been - punished, but Mr Billings says it is not serious. I am glad to hear - that Mr Parkin got the worst of it. I do not like him. The shindy - at the skating-rink was all of his making, and he deserves what he - got and more. Mother will be pleased if you will come to tea next - Sunday at five o'clock P.M. I will be in, and you can tell us all - about it. I hope your face will soon be all right. My Mother says - Zambuk ointment cured Father's face when he fell off a cab once, - and I have asked Mr Billings to get you some. With compliments, I - am yours sincerely, - - EMMELINE FIGGINS.' - -For several nights Pincher slept with Emmeline's note beneath his -pillow. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -A FAIR SKY. - - -I. - -'Leaf!' sniffed Pincher disconsolately. 'Wot's the good o' seven days' -leaf ter a bloke wot ain't got no money?' - -'No money!' exclaimed Billings, rather surprised. 'Why ain't yer got -none? Thought yer wus one o' these 'ere chaps wot counted every penny.' - -'I've bin spendin' a good bit lately one way an' another,' Martin -explained, removing a half-used cigarette from the interior of his cap -and lighting it. - -Joshua grinned. He knew well enough that an ordinary seaman's pay of -one shilling and threepence _per diem_, less various necessary -personal expenses, did not go far when one was 'walking out' with a -young lady. - -Pincher loved his Emmeline very dearly, and Emmeline, she said, had -come to love him; but he was bound to admit she was rather an expensive -luxury. Moreover, he was far too proud to allow her to pay her share of -their amusements when he was with her, which was pretty often. So, what -with picture-palaces and visits to confectioners' shops, his -eight-and-ninepence a week went nowhere. He had even been forced to -borrow from his shipmates--always a difficult matter. - -Then there had been the affair of the locket, over which Pincher felt -he had been badly done. He had had his photograph taken, and had had it -mounted in a rolled-gold ornament of chaste design for which he had -paid the sum of seven shillings and sixpence, and this he had presented -to Emmeline to be worn round her neck in place of the one which already -hung there. He had imagined that this nine-carat gold case hid the -features of some other admirer. It did nothing of the kind. Its -interior, when he was allowed to investigate it personally, contained -nothing but a faithful likeness of the girl's father--top-hat, -side-whiskers, and all. Emmeline seemed rather amused. Pincher never -quite got over it. - -'Carn't yer get a hadvance o' money from th' paybob?'[22] Joshua -suggested. "E ain't a bad old bloke so long as yer goes ter 'im wi' a -yarn o' bein' desperate 'ard up, an' yer pore ole farther's 'ome bein' -sold up, an' 'im an' yer ma an' the kids goin' ter th' work'ouse.' - - [22] Paymaster. - -'I've tried that,' Pincher answered glumly. 'Leastways, orl excep' the -yarn wot yer said. 'E simply tells me I'm in debt ter the Crown 'cos o' -clothes an' other gear wot I've bought, an' that 'e carn't do nothink.' - -'I calls it a houtrage!' said Billings sympathetically, looking very -solemn. 'The way they bleeds us pore matloes is enuf--enuf--I carn't -think o' wot I wus goin' ter say,' he added lamely; 'but it's abart -time somethin' wus done. S'welp me, it is!' - -'An' abart time you pays back that two bob wot you borrowed off me,' -Pincher chipped in, remembering the debt. - -'Two bob!' cried Joshua, screwing up his face and trying hard to appear -as if he didn't know what Pincher was driving at. 'Wot two bob?' - -'Th' two bob I lends yer the night yer took Missis Figgins along ter -th' pictures. You knows orl abart it.' - -'Thought it wus a present ter me,' said the old sinner, unable to feign -further forgetfulness, but affecting to be very grieved. 'A bit o' a -return like fur me trubble in introjoocin' yer to th' gal. That's wot I -thought it wus; strite I did.' - -Pincher laughed, for Billings's dissimulation was so very palpable. -'Don't act so barmy,' he observed. 'Yer knows it wasn't. Yer don't 'ave -me on like that.' - -'But two bob ain't no good ter yer fur Christmas leaf,' protested the -A.B., veering off on another tack. - -'Carn't 'elp that. I wants it back.' - -'Well, you shall 'ave it,' Joshua grumbled. 'But I calls it a dirty -sort o' way ter treat a chap wot's done for you wot I 'ave.' - -'Garn! don't act so wet, I tell yer.' - -'Orl right! orl right! Don't go an' git rattled abart it,' said -Billings resignedly. 'You shall 'ave yer money. You shall 'ave it if I -'as ter go without bacca fur a month; but where'd you be, I should like -ter know, if yer 'adn't got a bloke like me ter look arter yer? Look -wot I done fur yer since yer jined this ship! Bin yer sea-daddy, I -'ave, same as if you were my own son, an' yet yer treats me like this! -Hingratitoode's wot I calls it. 'Orrible hingratitoode! Orl you young -blokes is the same!' He sighed deeply, and regarded Pincher with a -pained expression. - -The latter seemed rather concerned. 'If yer looks on it like that, -Billings, o' course I carn't'---- - -The A.B. waved an arm with a gesture of dissent. 'It's too late ter -start talkin' now,' he observed sadly. 'Th' 'arm's done. You shall 'ave -yer money, but you've gorn back on a pal, an' orl fur the sake o' two -bob. Two bob! Wot is it?' - -'Let's 'ave it, then,' said Pincher, holding out a tentative hand. - -''Ave it! Yer don't reely want it, do yer?' - -'Course I do.' - -'I'll give it yer afore I goes on leaf.' - -'I wants it now,' Pincher persisted, remembering Joshua's extremely -short memory. - -'D' you think I ain't honest?' the latter demanded. ''Cos, if yer do, -jest say th' word, an' see wot yer gits!' - -'I never sez you wasn't honest; but I wants me money back!' - -Billings saw that further argument was useless, sighed once more, -replaced his pipe in his mouth, fumbled under his jumper, and produced -a leather purse from the money-belt round his waist. Its contents -chinked opulently; but, shielding it from Pincher's wistful gaze, he -extracted a shilling and two sixpenny-pieces and handed them across. -'There ye are!' he grunted. 'Don't git sayin' as 'ow I doesn't pay me -debts.' - -'Yer pays 'em a bit be'ind time,' Pincher retorted with some truth, -secreting the coins on his own person. - -Joshua laughed in quite a friendly way. 'Tizzy-snatcher!' he growled, -with his eyes twinkling. - -But Pincher was bitterly disappointed about the leave. The men were to -be sent away for seven days, one party being at home for Christmas and -the other for the New Year. His watch were to start the following day; -but, beyond the two shillings he had just obtained from Billings, he -literally had not a penny to pay his train fare home. He could get the -usual third-class return ticket from Weymouth to London, and from there -on to his home, for the single fare; but even that would cost him the -best part of a sovereign. He had tried hard to induce the fleet -paymaster to give him an advance of pay, but that harassed officer, -pointing out that Pincher was already in debt to the Crown, firmly -declined to do so. Then Martin had endeavoured to borrow money from his -shipmates; but they, though sympathetic, wanted every penny they could -lay their hands on for their own purposes. He then thought of writing -to his people for the necessary sum, but abandoned the idea, because he -knew well enough that they, on their very limited income, always had -great difficulty in making both ends meet. Christmas, moreover, was -always an expensive time, and there were three younger Martins to be -considered. - -It was really rather galling, and he half-regretted having spent all -his money on Emmeline. Since joining the service he had been home on -leave before, of course, but not as an ordinary seaman of a first-class -battleship, and he was well aware that as such he would be a person of -some importance in the village. The blacksmith's son, Tom Sellon, had -left Caxton a mere country yokel to join the army. The winter previous, -as a strapping, full-fledged private of one of his Majesty's line -regiments, he had come home on a few days' furlough resplendent in a -wonderful red tunic. His arrival created no small stir, for Caxton lay -in the heart of the Midlands, and its inhabitants were unused to the -pomp and circumstance of war. Sellon, moreover, thought a great deal of -himself. According to him, Great Britain was inhabited by two classes -of people, those who were in the army and those who were not, and he -treated all 'civvies,' as he called them, with kindly tolerance. He -stood treat in a lordly sort of way at the 'Flying Swan,' and -condescended to drink what beer the village magnates offered him in -return for this hospitality. He was not averse to being friendly with -their pretty daughters either. In short, a scarlet tunic and an air of -self-assurance had worked wonders, for before he donned the red coat -Tom had been a mere nonentity. Now he was a personage, with a capital -P, and had even pretended to be rather diffident about accepting -half-a-sovereign which the squire, who had known him since childhood, -pressed into his palm one Sunday after church. - -Now Pincher, who knew little of the army, cordially despised soldiers -in his heart of hearts. He longed to cut out Tom Sellon, but this -cursed lack of money at the critical moment had upset all his plans. He -could have wept from sheer vexation, for there seemed no alternative to -spending Christmas on board. - -But it so happened that the railway company wished to know the number -of men proceeding by rail the next morning, and at 'Quarters' that -afternoon Tickle ordered all the men of the starboard watch of his -division to fall in on the right. Pincher went with them. - -'Are any of you men not going away by rail to-morrow morning?' the -officer asked. - -Four hands went up at once. - -'Why aren't you going?' Tickle asked the first man. - -'Spendin' the leaf in Weymouth, sir.' - -'And you?' to the next. - -'I lives in Dorchester, sir. Goin' on by a later train.' - -'Ain't takin' th' leaf, sir,' said the third. - -'Why not?' - -'Nowhere to go, sir.' - -'Have you no parents, or relations, or any one else you can go and stay -with?' - -'I'm an orphing, sir,' the man rather flummoxed him by replying. 'I'd -rather stay aboard the ship than go an' see me old uncle wot lives in -Peckham, sir. 'E's married agen, sir, an' 'is wife keeps a fried-fish -shop.' - -Tickle smiled and passed on. 'And what about you?' he queried, coming -to Martin. - -'Ain't got no money, sir.' - -'Have you been to the paymaster for an advance?' - -'Yessir.' - -'What did he say?' - -'Said I was in debt, sir.' - -'How much does it cost you to get home?' - -'Best part of a quid--sovereign, I means, sir.' - -Tickle thought for a minute, nodded, numbered those men who were going, -and then dismissed them. - -Pincher thought nothing more of the conversation, but that evening he -was told to go to the ship's office. - -'Is your name Martin?' asked an assistant-paymaster when he arrived. - -'Yessir.' - -'You want some money to go on leave with, eh?' - -'Yessir, please,' said the ordinary seaman, feeling hopeful. - -'We can let you have thirty shillings. Is that enough?' - -'Yessir,' Pincher exclaimed, his eyes glistening. - -'Are you willing to pay it back at the rate of three shillings a -month?' - -'Yessir.' - -'All right. Sign that receipt.' - -Pincher, astounded at his good fortune, hurriedly scrawled his name, -was handed a golden sovereign and ten shillings in silver, and left the -office with a satisfied grin all over his face and the coins jingling -in his hand. He was so pleased at his good luck that he didn't stop to -consider where the money came from. All he cared about was that he had -got it, and that he could go home and cut out Tom Sellon, after all. - -As a matter of fact, it was Tickle himself who had acted the part of a -nautical fairy godmother. He had noticed that Pincher seemed very -unhappy, and had guessed the reason, and at first thought of lending -him the money outright. Thirty shillings more or less meant nothing to -him. But then, remembering that Martin would probably refuse the loan -from feelings of pride, he hit upon a better plan; so he went to the -fleet paymaster, handed him the money, and requested him to pay it over -to Pincher as if it were an official advance. - -'My dear Tickle,' protested Cashley, 'you'll never get it back! The -boy's already in debt to the Crown, and his pay's only one-and-three a -day!' - -'Let him pay it back at the rate of three bob a month, sir,' suggested -the lieutenant. 'I'm not particular. He looks so damned miserable at -not being able to get away on leave that I must do something. Don't -tell him it comes from me, though. He won't take it if he knows that.' - -'All right. I'll see to it,' the fleet paymaster acquiesced, smiling. -'I suppose,' he asked jokingly, 'you wouldn't lend a poor old buffer -like me twenty or thirty pounds to buy the wife a turkey and a -plum-pudding?' - -'I'd watch it, sir!' Tickle laughed. 'What about that new car you -bought a fortnight ago?' - -'That's why I want to borrow from you,' Cashley grinned. 'However, I'll -fix Martin's money up for you, though I must say I think you're a -tender-hearted fool, Tickle. You'll be badly had one of these days.' - -Tickle merely smiled. The prospect did not alarm him. - -So the next morning, at seven-thirty, Pincher, arrayed in his best -clothes, left the ship with a sweet smile and a little bundle of -necessaries done up in a blue-striped handkerchief. An hour later he -was sitting in a third-class carriage on his way to London, munching a -doubtful-looking sausage-roll, and listening to a slightly intoxicated -sailor next to him, who insisted on giving the company what he called -'a little moosic.' It consisted of a few fragmentary remarks in a -deep-bass rumble about the perils of a sailor's life, sudden hiccups as -full stops, and frequent gurgling noises and sounds of enjoyment as the -songster upended a quart bottle of Bass's light dinner ale, and applied -the business end to his mouth. He eventually finished the song and the -bottle at the same time, and, shying the latter playfully through the -open window, volunteered to fight the whole carriage. This pleasure -being denied him, he solemnly kissed the company all round, and then -went comfortably off to sleep with his mouth wide open, his head -resting affectionately on Pincher's shoulder, and his feet on the -opposite man's lap. Thus he remained until they arrived at Waterloo, -where, on disembarking, he never noticed that one of his -carriage-mates, by the skilful use of a burnt cork, had decorated his -upper lip with a large black moustache. - -History does not relate if he arrived home in this condition, for, -after vainly endeavouring to induce various laughing porters and the -amused guard of the train to 'come an' 'ave a wet, ole dear!' and then, -when they refused, wanting to show there was no ill-feeling by -exchanging headgear, he was last seen proceeding at three and a quarter -knots on rather an erratic course towards the nearest refreshment-room. - -But Pincher got home safe and sound without any difficulties of this -kind, and by four o'clock was in the bosom of his admiring family. - - -II. - -The leave was all too short, though Pincher did succeed in attracting -more attention than Tom Sellon, and was, after church on Christmas Day, -the bashful recipient of a congratulatory speech and a golden sovereign -from the squire. - -Captain the Hon. James Lawson, J.P., the lord of the manor and a good -many other things besides, was an old naval officer himself. He knew -all the villagers by name, and took more than a passing interest in any -of the boys who joined either the navy or the army. Pincher was aware -of this, and imagined that he had received a pound, as against Tom -Sellon's ten shillings the year before, because he happened to be a -member of the senior service. As a matter of fact, it was due to -nothing of the kind. It so happened that the squire had no smaller -change in his waistcoat pocket. - -But, at any rate, the news of Pincher's windfall was blurted far and -wide, and his reputation rose accordingly. It was quite simple. If -Thomas Sellon got ten shillings and William Martin a sovereign, -obviously 1 Martin = 2 Sellons;[Symbol: therefore] the two families -almost came to blows to settle which was the better. Sellon père, in -fact, felt himself so bitterly offended that he nearly went to the -squire to complain. It was lucky for Captain Lawson that he didn't, for -that would have cost the worthy squire another ten shillings to soothe -his injured feelings. - -The week flew by, and when Pincher returned to the ship and his -Emmeline he soon settled down into the old routine. The girl, who -seemed to have adopted him as her permanent 'young man,' now took it -upon herself to correct the defects in his speech. - -'Billy,' she said one day as they were walking arm-in-arm along the -front at Weymouth, 'I don't like the way you talk.' - -'You don't like my talk!' he returned, rather nettled. 'It's orl right, -ain't it? Good enuf ter git on wi' aboard th' ship, any'ow!' - -'There you go again!' she pointed out, smiling. 'You say "ain't" -instead of "isn't," and "ter" instead of "to," and you drop your h's -something horrid.' - -'Wot's it matter if I do?' he demanded. 'I ain't--'aven't, I mean--'ad -th' hadvantage o' a heddication same as you.' - -The girl laughed outright. 'Don't get angry. I'm only telling you for -your own good.' - -'Orl right!' he retorted with asperity, disengaging his arm from hers; -'if I ain't good enuf for yer we'd best chuck the 'ole show, an' you -can go back to yer Mister Parkin--'im wot smells o' 'air-oil!' - -'Don't be silly, stupid!' she chided, slipping her arm through his -again and squeezing it affectionately. 'You know I don't like him a -little bit.' - -'You carn't like me, any'ow,' he remarked, bitterly offended. - -'Leastways, if yer did yer wouldn't go talkin' the same as yer do.' - -'Oh! don't I, indeed? Think I'd go walking out with you, and let -you--er--behave as you do, if I wasn't fond of you?' - -'Let's 'ave a kiss now,' Pincher suggested, drawing a little closer. - -Emmeline pulled back. 'Go away, you naughty boy!' she laughed, blushing -becomingly. 'Not in public, anyhow.' - -'Yer knows I loves yer, Hemmeline, don't yer?' Pincher asked. - -'M'yes,' she answered softly. 'If you didn't I don't suppose you'd -carry on the way you do. But plenty of boys have said the same thing -before, so you're not the only one--no, not by a long chalk.' - -'D' you love me, Hemmeline?' Pincher wanted to know. - -'Ah,' she said archly, 'now you're asking.' - -'Come on, tell us if yer do.' - -'Well,' she answered coyly, looking up at him through her long -eyelashes, 'just a little, perhaps, when you're a good boy. That's why -I want to tell you how to talk properly,' she went on to explain. 'I -want you to get on--see?' - -'Oh!' said Pincher, slightly mollified, but not knowing in the least -how a correct pronunciation would make him rise in his profession, -'that's the lay, is it?' - -Emmeline nodded. - - -III. - -By the end of February Martin had passed his examination in gunnery -without much difficulty, and was half-way through his seamanship -course. Here, under the guidance of Petty Officer Bartlett, he and -several others like him were taught the rudiments of boat-work under -oars and sail, the use of the compass and the helm, the rule of the -road at sea, heaving the lead, knotting and splicing, signalling, and a -hundred and one other things. The practical boat-work Pincher enjoyed, -and soon got into; while the knots and splices, thanks to private -tuition in his spare time from Joshua Billings, were comparatively easy -to master. The more theoretical part of the business, however, was a -little more difficult to absorb. - -'The compass,' Petty Officer Bartlett explained to the class, as they -sat round on stools in the foremost bag-flat--'the compass is what we -steers the ship with--see? It's supposed to point to the north pole, -but it don't really. On the cont'ary, it points to wot we calls the -north magnetic pole--see?' - -The pupils looked rather puzzled. - -''Owever,' the petty officer went on hurriedly, as one youth opened his -mouth to ask what might have been an awkward question, 'we needn't -worry our 'eads about that this arternoon, and you can take it from me -that it does point pretty nearly to the north--see? - -'This,' he continued, drawing an irregular circle on the blackboard, -'represents our compass-card, and 'ere we 'ave wot we calls the four -cardinal points--north, south, east, and west.' He divided the circle -into four parts by means of a vertical and a horizontal line, and -labelled their extremities. ''As anybody not got 'old o' that?' - -Everybody appeared to have grasped it, for they all sucked their teeth -and remained silent. - -The explanation continued, but half-way through his lecture Bartlett -had reason to suppose that certain members of the class were not paying -attention. - -''Udson!' he said, pausing, chalk in hand, and addressing a -freckle-faced youth, who had spent the afternoon surreptitiously eating -apples and sticking pins into the most prominent portion of the anatomy -of the man immediately in front of him, 'wot is the hopposite to -west-nor'-west?' - -'Sou'-sou'-west,' the youngster replied glibly. - -'Look 'ere, my son, you're not payin' hattention; that's wot's the -matter wi' you. D' you think I'm standin' up 'ere 'longside a -blackboard chawin' my fat[23] for the good o' my 'ealth, or wot? Try -agen.' - - [23] 'Chawing the fat' = spinning a yarn. - -'Sou'-sou'-east,' the ordinary seaman attempted. - -'You thick-'eaded galoot!' Bartlett growled. 'Don't you want to learn -nothin'? Cos, if you don't, you're goin' the right way about it. -Didn't you 'ave no teachin' afore you joined the navy? Think it's -a 'ome for lost dogs, or wot? I asked you wot was hopposite to -west-nor'-west--see?' - -'East-sou'-east,' said Hudson at last. - -'Right! Why couldn't you 'ave said so before, 'stead o' wastin' my time -like this 'ere, you lop-eared, razor-necked son of a sea-cook? You -perishin' O.D.'s don't seem to 'ave no common-sense, some'ow.' - -And so, point by point, degree by degree, the petty officer gradually -hammered the subject into their skulls until their brains whirled and -their heads ached. Much of what he told them went in at one ear and out -at the other; but something stuck, and at the end of a fortnight most -of them could box the compass with a fair degree of accuracy, knew that -its circumference was divided into thirty-two points and three hundred -and sixty degrees, and were aware that each point was exactly eleven -degrees fifteen minutes from the next. In short, they came to regard it -as what it really is, an instrument whereby 'the mariner is able to -guide a ship in any required direction,' and not merely as a -complicated invention of the Evil One specially designed to involve the -moribund brains of ordinary seamen in intricate mental gymnastics. What -little wizard inside the compass-needle induced it to keep pointing -towards the magnetic pole, a spot which most of them pictured as a -desolate region of Esquimaux, icebergs, and polar bears, they did not -know. They were quite content to take it for granted that it did so. -The science of terrestrial magnetism, luckily for them, did not enter -into their curriculum. - -The learning of the marks and other details of the hand lead-line was -quite a simple matter, and all the class--even Hudson, the fool of the -party--could recite it all, poll-parrot fashion, at the end of the -first day's instruction. - -'Th' weight o' th' lead is ten ter fourteen pound, an' at th' bottom of -'im is a 'ole ter take a lump o' taller or soap ter hascertain th' -nature o' th' bottom.' Here the reciter took a deep breath, and gazed -anxiously at the instructor to see if he was correct. - -Bartlett nodded encouragingly. - -'Th' line is one an' a heighth hinches in circumference, an' is -twenty-five fadum long, an' one end is secured ter an 'ide becket at -th' top o' th' lead by means of a heye-splice. Th' hother end is made -fast to a stanchion in th' chains. Th' line is marked as follers: at -two fadum, two strips o' leather; at three fadum, three strips; five -an' fifteen, a piece o' white buntin'; seven an' seventeen, red -buntin'; thirteen, blue buntin'; ten, a piece o' leather wi' a 'ole in -'im; twenty, two knots. These is orl known as marks, cos they are -marked, an' orl them fadums wot ain't marked is called deeps.' - -Even Hudson knew all about the theoretical part of the business, so we -need go no further. - -But actually heaving the lead was a very different matter, for here the -learner was forced to take up his stand in the chains, a small platform -on a level with the forecastle, projecting perilously out over the -water. The victim rested his middle against the breast-rope, grasped -the line about two fathoms from the lead, and coiled the rest of the -line in his free hand. Then, very nervously, he proceeded to swing the -lead like an ordinary pendulum over the side of the ship to obtain -impetus, until, when the line was horizontal on its forward swing, he -was supposed to--what Bartlett called--'swing it over the 'ead in a -circle by bendin' the harm smartly in at the helbow as the lead is -risin', an' then let the harm go hout agen w'en the lead 'as passed the -perpendicular. Then, arter completin' two circles, slip the line from -orf the 'and, just before the lead comes 'orizontal, let 'im fly -for'ard into the water, release the coil o' line in the other 'and as -'e goes, gather up the slack w'en 'e reaches the bottom, an' call out -the depth o' water w'en the ship passes over the spot w'ere the lead -dropped--see?' - -He then proceeded to demonstrate, and, stepping into the chains, -whizzed the lead round his head with such ease and rapidity that his -pupils were gulled into the belief that it was quite simple. - -They all tried it in turn, but speedily found that a fourteen-pound -weight on the end of twelve feet of thin line is not really a pleasant -plaything. When they were at it by themselves the lead seemed horribly -unwieldy and dangerous, and, as often as not, through sheer fright, -they forgot to give the line at the right moment the vigorous twitch -which brought the lead circling round in a beautiful curve. The -consequence was that it would either descend perpendicularly from the -air in close proximity to their heads, or else would fall with a jerk -which nearly pulled their arms out of their sockets, neither of which -alternatives was exactly pleasant. But they practised it steadily for -half-an-hour daily, with the ship at sea and in harbour, and, -notwithstanding a few misadventures like heaving the lead on to the -forecastle in the midst of a group of men, or nearly braining -themselves, they improved by degrees. - -And so, in course of time, Pincher became rather less of a hobbledehoy -and rather more of a seaman. Fresh air and regular exercise worked -their usual wonders, for his pasty face became ruddy and his flabby -muscles hard; while plenty of good beef, bread, and potatoes caused his -spare figure to swell until he had to have his clothes let out by the -ship's tailors. Moreover, he was no longer the meek and timid Pincher -who had joined the ship a few months before. He was not behind-hand in -using his fists, and had come to find his own level; and many of the -youths who used to amuse themselves at his expense while he was still -in the verdant stage now found their little attentions repaid with -interest. Peter Flannagan, even, still an ordinary seaman, always in -trouble, and rapidly going to the dogs, shunned him like the plague. - -But Pincher, whatever his qualities, was no plaster saint. He did not -drink to excess, and never became what is known as 'tin 'ats,'[24] but -was not averse to visiting public-houses when he went ashore. There was -really no reason why he shouldn't, provided he behaved himself. - - [24] 'Tin 'ats' = drunk. - -Emmeline's influence, moreover, kept him straight in other ways; and on -one occasion she saved him from getting into serious trouble for -breaking his leave. It was rather a long story, involving an evening -entertainment to which the girl had been invited, and to which Pincher -dearly longed to accompany her. He would have done it, too, if he had -been left to his own devices, quite regardless of the fact that all -leave expired at seven o'clock that night, as the ship was due to go to -sea at eight the next morning. - -Now, breaking one's leave is a serious offence at all times; but doing -it with the ship under sailing orders is far and away worse, and -Emmeline knew this. So at six-forty P.M. precisely she sallied out with -the unsuspecting Pincher on the pretext of going for a walk, took him -towards the pier, and, before he could stop her, marched him straight -up to a petty officer wearing a _Belligerent_ cap-ribbon. - -'D'you mind taking this young man off to the ship with you?' she asked. -'I'm afraid he's going to do something silly.' - -''Ere!' Pincher exclaimed angrily, 'wot's up wi' you? Wot's it got ter -do wi' you?' - -The P.O. seemed rather surprised at the girl's request. 'Wot's 'e bin -doin', miss?' he asked, touching his forelock. - -'It's not what he's been doing,' Emmeline explained; 'it's what he's -going to do. Says he's going to break his leave and get himself into -trouble.' - -Pincher looked round with the obvious intention of breaking away; but -the P.O. nodded and grabbed him by the arm. 'You come along o' me, my -son,' he remarked gruffly. 'Come on! Don't git kickin' up a shindy -'ere!' - -'Interferin'!' Pincher blustered, wild with rage and struggling hard to -get free. 'Interferin'--that's wot I calls it! Wot's it got ter do wi' -you? Think becos you've got a killick[25] on yer arm yer can do wot yer -likes, I suppose!--Has fur you, Miss Figgins, I'll'---- - - [25] A 'killick' is an anchor, and a petty officer wears - crossed anchors as his distinctive badge. - -But the girl had discreetly turned her back, and was hurrying -homewards. - -'Come on!' growled the P.O., dragging him along. 'I reckons you ought -to be jolly thankful to the gal for takin' such a hinterest in you. -None o' that, now!' as Pincher began to struggle again. 'If you don't -come quiet like I'll call the patrol an' have you harrested. S' welp -me, I will! Come on! We've not got too much time on our 'ands!' - -Pincher, very chastened, saw that further resistance was useless, and -suffered himself to be conducted on board the boat without more -trouble. - -The ship was at sea for only a few days; and a week later, when he went -to see Emmeline again, he arrived in a very repentant mood, carrying a -bunch of violets as a peace-offering. - -'Well,' she said severely, as he entered the shop, 'I didn't think -you'd dare to come here again after what happened last Monday night.' - -Pincher hung his head and got very red. 'Wouldn't dare!' he repeated. -'Why not?' - -'You know very well why not,' she said, eyeing him. 'What's that you've -got in your hand?' - -'Wilets,' he said. - -'Who for?' - -'I got 'em fur you,' he stammered. 'Thought p'r'aps you'd like 'em.' - -Emmeline's heart softened. 'Bill,' she said kindly, 'you know I didn't -want to make a fool of you, don't you?' - -No answer. - -'I only did it to save you getting into trouble,' she continued, -emerging from behind the counter and coming very close to him. 'It's -very kind of you to bring me the violets, dear Bill; I'll wear 'em in -my dress. You're not angry with me, are you?' - -Pincher looked up at her with a slow smile hovering round his lips. She -had called him 'dear,' a thing she had never done before, and that -showed he was forgiven. - -'Angry!' he said, tucking his offering clumsily into the front of her -blouse. 'Course I ain't. I wus a bit rattled at th' time, but I -shouldn't 'a bin 'ere if I 'ad broke me leaf. I reckons you done me a -good turn, Hemmeline.' He gulped, and gazed wistfully at a little -strand of golden hair which curled tantalisingly behind her left ear. -'Give us a kiss, ole gal?' he pleaded softly. 'I've bin longin' ter see -yer agen.' He put his arm round her waist, drew her towards him, and -touched her face with his lips. - -Emmeline squeaked, pushed him away, and darted behind the counter with -a flutter of a white petticoat and a momentary glimpse of a pair of -well-shaped ankles clad in black silk stockings. 'You're a naughty -boy!' she scolded, safe in her refuge--'a very naughty boy, to behave -like that when customers may come in at any minute! You've rumpled my -new blouse, too,' she added, patting herself and rearranging the -violets. 'My, they do smell nice!' She bent her head and buried the tip -of a very fascinating and somewhat _retroussé_ nose in the -flowers. - -Pincher laughed happily. He felt he was very lucky. - -'You go through into the sitting-room, Mister Martin,' she went on, -with a mischievous wink and a jerk of her thumb. 'I'll be along in a -minute, and--and mother's out!' - - -IV. - -Soon afterwards, when the bleak and stormy winter was nearly over, the -_Belligerent_ and the other vessels of the squadron started off on -their first real cruise since Pincher had joined. They had had plenty -of time at sea before this, of course; for gunnery, gunnery, _toujours_ -gunnery--unless it was torpedo-running, steam tactics, or P.Z. -Exercises[26]--was carried on throughout the year, winter, spring, -summer, and autumn alike. They were always at it; and though the -frequent south-westerly gales made the winter work very unpleasant and -trying, though officers and men bemoaned their fate and swore 'twas a -'mug's game,' it did them all the good in the world. So, at the end of -February, the squadron left the short, choppy seas of the Channel and -the familiar hump of Portland behind them, and waddled south, for all -the world like a family of turtles migrating to a sunnier sea. It was -then, for the first time, that Pincher knew what it was to be really -seasick. - - [26] 'P.Z. Exercises'--that is, mock actions, fought between - two opposing squadrons; so called from the two-flag signal - directing the fleet to carry out these manoeuvres. - -Their first port of call was Arosa Bay, in Spain, just to the southward -of Cape Finisterre, and for once the much maligned Bay of Biscay upheld -its reputation by providing a very fair sample of a south-westerly blow -for Pincher's especial benefit. But he was by no means the only -sufferer, though. - -It was a snorter of a gale, a regular snorter, and the short, snappy -little seas of the Channel were nothing to these long, gigantic, -foam-crested mountains of water rolling in with all the might of the -Atlantic behind them. The battleships wallowed and plunged about to -their hearts' content Their movements were slow, deliberate, and very -stately; but how they rolled! One could feel their enormous weight -smashing through the seas instead of riding over them. Water came over -the fore-castle in solid gray-green masses, until the deck was buried -and the fore-turret, with its pair of twelve-inch guns, looked like a -half-tide rock. Sheets of spray drove over the bridges. The -quarterdecks were untenable; and at times gigantic, white-capped -billows would blot out every vestige of the next ship astern--only five -hundred yards away--except her topmasts. - -The _Belligerent_ was battened down, but even then a considerable -amount of water found its way below. The atmosphere on the mess-decks, -well impregnated with the mingled odours of cooking, damp clothes, and -crowded humanity, was nauseating. Tables and other fittings had carried -away from their fastenings, and a horrible mixture of sea-water, hats, -caps, boots, food, broken crockery, pickle-jars, tins of condensed -milk, and pots of jam swished to and fro across the deck every time the -ship heeled over. Each roll added something fresh to the collection. - -On one particularly heavy lurch the door of the officers' galley shot -open, and the wardroom cook slid gracefully out on to the mess-deck, -accompanied by an avalanche of frying-pans and saucepans, the -stock-pot, and a large receptacle full of Irish stew for the officers' -lunch. - -'If this ain't the ruddy limit!' he observed dismally, picking himself -up and gazing at the débris with disgust written on his pea-green face. -'They'll git nothin' 'ot fur lunch ter-day, that I'm bloomin' well -certain!' Nobody listened to what he said; and, after surveying the -scene for another instant, he yawned twice, and then bolted hastily -towards the upper deck. He got there just in time, poor man! - -Most of the younger men were past caring whether it was Christmas or -Easter. They merely became as limp and as pale as pocket-handkerchiefs, -wedged themselves in convenient corners, unconscious of the water and -rubbish washing round them, and wished that they might die. Some of -them nearly did. It was only the old stagers like Billings who were not -affected, and they, instead of offering consolation to their suffering -shipmates, went about casting rude gibes at the poor wretches. - -''Ullo!' remarked Joshua, strolling aft to his mess at dinner-time, and -coming to a halt opposite a miserable little party sitting with their -backs up against the ship's side. ''Ullo! 'ere we 'ave Mister Pincher -Martin, Rile Navy! 'Ow are we, ole son? Feelin' a bit squeamish--wot?' - -The 'ole son,' whose face was a ghastly yellow, whose eyes were closed, -and whose head rested carelessly on the shoulder of his next-door -neighbour, a man whose name he didn't even know, looked up with a -sickly grin, and then relapsed into torpitude. - -Billings, swaying easily to the violent rolling of the ship, looked at -him with amusement. ''Ave a bit o' somethin' t' eat?' he suggested, -with horrible cheeriness. 'Nice little bit o' corned beef, or a drop o' -pea-soup? Pea-soup's fine scran fur blokes wot's seasick.' He smacked -his lips appreciatively. - -Pincher shook his head. - -'Then 'ave a nice bit o' fat 'am?' suggested his tormentor. 'Slips down -nice an' easy like, an' don't rest 'eavy on th' stummick, fat 'am -don't.' - -Pincher groaned at the idea. - -''Strewth! you ain't 'arf a sailor, you ain't!' the elder man snorted -contemptuously, moving off. - -Pincher expressed no emotion at all. The very sight of Billings's -rubicund countenance made him feel worse than ever, while a man who -could mention food at such a time was surely beyond the pale. Moreover, -a sailor's life was the very last thing that he took any interest in at -that particular time. - -Even some of the officers were unwell. The _padre_ retired to his -bunk, and was fed by his marine servant on soda-water and Bath Oliver -biscuits; while Cutting, the young surgeon, Hannibal Chance, the -captain of Marines, and the fleet pay-master refused nourishment of any -kind whatsoever. Nearly all the others made some attempt to eat their -meals; but all except the most hardened sea-dogs bolted a few -mouthfuls, and then beat a hasty retreat to their cabins. The only -person who did really enjoy it was Harry Derrick, the Royal Naval -Reserve lieutenant, or 'Cargo Bill,' as his messmates invariably called -him. He always had an insatiable appetite, whatever the weather, and a -'little bit of a sea like this' did not incommode him in the slightest. -It was nothing to what he had experienced off Cape Horn in the -wind-jammer days he never tired of talking about when he could persuade -any one to listen. - -But all things come to an end in time; and, after thirty-six hours of -absolute misery, Pincher revived to find the squadron steaming into -Arosa Bay. - -So this was Spain! he thought to himself, looking round with interest -as they passed into the sheltered anchorage. He had imagined it to be -rather a wonderful country, but if this was a fair sample, he didn't go -much on it. A large indented bay; a few blue hills in the distance; a -low-lying, arid-looking country, dotted here and there with wooded -clumps and patches of cultivated ground; a few small white houses and a -gray stone church or two; a straggling town and a long pier at the head -of the bay; and many fishing-boats with strangely cut sails. There was -a peculiar tang in the air, the nature of which he could not at first -determine. It was neither the sweet odour of freshly turned earth, -new-mown hay, or heather, nor yet the honest salty smell of the open -sea. It was something far more pungent and overpowering. He found out -afterwards that it emanated from various sardine-preserving factories, -and the discovery put him off canteen 'sharks' for quite a week. There -are sardines and sardines; let us be thankful they are not all Spanish -sardines! - -No, Pincher's impressions of the first foreign country he had ever -visited were not exactly enthralling. Spain looked a very ordinary -place from the water, and it did not improve on further acquaintance -when he went ashore with Billings the same afternoon. - -The town, Villagarçia, was not a delectable spot. It smelt of garlic -and ancient fish. Its streets, badly paved and odoriferous with heaps -of nameless garbage, seemed to provide a happy hunting-ground for many -lean, fierce dogs, perambulating pigs and goats accompanied by their -families, and prowling poultry. The people, too, looked dirty and -ill-favoured, and the better-class men all smoked cigarettes and wore -long black cloaks and wideawake hats, like clergymen at home in -England. Numbers of barefooted boys and girls of all ages between three -and seventeen followed Pincher and Billings about wherever they went. -'I say! On' penni!' they demanded persistently, holding out their -grubby hands. 'I say, Jack! Damn you! I say, on' penni!' There was no -getting rid of them until the pennies were forthcoming; and their stock -phrases--all the English they knew--seemed to have been handed down -from generation to generation, ever since British men-of-war first -started to visit the place in the year one. It was a paying game, for -the bluejacket is always free with his hard-earned money. - -No, Villagarçia was not attractive. There was nothing to do except to -drink vinegary _vino blanco_ in the taverns, and to buy picture -post-cards, silk shawls, paper fans showing fierce and bloodthirsty -bullfights, and hideous tambourines depicting plump, gaily dressed -ladies in short skirts dancing the _mattiche_. On the whole, Pincher -was not sorry to get back to the ship, and he did not trouble to go -ashore again. - -A fortnight later they arrived at Gibraltar, where the ships went -alongside the Mole in the inner harbour to take in coal. But here the -operation was quite gentlemanly compared with coaling from a collier, -for the fuel was carried on board in small baskets on the backs of -nondescript, garlic-scented aliens known as 'rock scorpions,' and all -the ship's company had to do was to stow it in the bunkers as it came -on board. There was none of the back-breaking work of shovelling. - -Coaling completed, the ships went out almost daily for aiming rifle -practice; and then came the annual 'gunlayers' test' with the -twelve-inch, six-inch, and lighter guns. - -'Wot is this 'ere gunlayers' test they talks abart?' Pincher, rather -mystified, asked Billings. - -'Gunlayers' test!' the A.B. returned, staring at him very much -surprised. 'You've bin in this 'ere ship nigh on six months, an' yer -don't know wot a gunlayers' test is?' - -''Ow can I know wot it is?' Martin sniffed. 'I ain't see'd it, 'ave I?' - -'Ain't see'd it, ain't yer?' Joshua snorted. 'Ignerance, that's wot it -is! 'Owever, I'll larn yer. Gunlayers' test is wot we carries art every -year wi' orl th' guns in th' ship--see? Th' ship steams parst a targit -at fairly close range, an' orl th' gunlayers fires in turn. It's a bit -of a competition like, an' they orl 'as a certain number o' rounds ter -fire in a certain time--see? It's just ter see if'---- - -''Ow fur orf is th' targit?' Pincher wanted to know, for even he could -understand that this was rather a vital point. - -'Don't yer git interruptin' w'en I'm spinnin' a yarn!' Joshua -remonstrated. 'I loses th' thread o' wot I'm sayin'.' It was fairly -early in the morning, and he was still feeling cantankerous. - -The ordinary seaman apologised. 'Sorry,' he said. 'I didn't mean no -'arm.' - -'Course yer didn't; but if yer gits arskin' stoopid questions, 'ow kin -a bloke remember wot 'e's sayin'? Wot wus it yer wanted ter know?' - -''Ow fur orf th' targit wus.' - -'Not werry fur,' Joshua explained. 'Leastways, it ain't exac'ly fur, -an' it ain't exac'ly close. You oughter know wot I means; I carn't -remember th' exac' distance. Any'ow, gunlayers' test ain't th' same as -battle practice, 'cos then we fires orl th' guns at once, same as we do -in haction, likewise at long range--see? Gunlayers' test is simply a -competition like, ter see if th' blokes kin shoot strite--see?' - -'An' wot 'appens then?' Pincher asked, still rather hazy as to what -really did take place. - -'Wot 'appens? Orficers comes aboard from other ships as humpires, an' -they takes th' time each bloke takes ter fire 'is rounds, an' counts -th' number o' rounds 'e gits orf; likewise th' number of 'its an' -misses on th' targit. The results is then packed up an' sent ter th' -Admiralty, an' them blokes wot's done extry well gits medals an' money -prizes, an' them wot ain't 'as a court o' hinquiry on 'em, an' probably -gits disrated from bein' gunlayers--see?' - -'An' kin I git a medal fur this 'ere?' Martin eagerly asked, for he, -also, was a humble member of one of the twelve-pounder guns' crews. - -Joshua was amused. 'Kin you git a medal?' he laughed. 'A little -cock-sparrer like you! Course yer bloomin' well carn't! They only -whacks 'em art ter them gunlayers wot's done extry well, an' there's -werry few on 'em given. You ain't a gunlayer, an' ain't likely to be -one neither. Gunlayers 'as brains.' - -'But 'oo gives these 'ere medals?' Pincher asked, ignoring the insult. -'The admiral?' - -'No; th' King gives 'em. Leastways they 'as 'is likeness on 'em, so I -reckons they comes from 'im. Nutty Buttolph, th' gunlayer o' my gun, -'ad one larst year. 'E wears it Sundays wi' 'is No. 1's. I reckons I -oughter got it too, 'cos I'm th' loadin' number wot shoves in th' -projectile, an' each six-inch projectile weighs a 'undred pounds. We -got orf eight rounds an' got eight 'its on th' targit, an' I reckons it -wus me wot done it just as well as 'im.' Billings's chest swelled with -pride at the recollection. - -''Ard luck!' Pincher murmured. - -''Ard luck?' remarked Joshua. 'Course it wus 'ard luck! 'Owever, I took -ten bob orf my opposite number in th' flagship, an' fifteen bob orf -another bloke wot thought 'is gun could shoot strite. We were top o' -th' 'ole bloomin' squadron larst year,' he added; 'precious near top o' -th' 'ole navy, an' don't yer bloomin' well forgit it. Our ship's -company made a bit of a pay-day over it.' - -'Pay-day! 'Ow d' yer mean?' - -Joshua grinned and winked one eye. 'Bettin'!' he said in a hoarse -whisper. - -'But I thought bettin' wusn't allowed?' Martin remonstrated, -remembering the regulations. - -'No more it is, me son; but th' skipper won 'is ten quid from th' -flagship's skipper, 'oo said 'is ship 'u'd beat us; an' w'en 'e won it -'e whacked it art among th' guns' crews, 'e did. Proper gennelman, 'e -is. Th' Bloke, an' Jimmy the One,[27] an' most o' th' other orficers -made a bit too. We're wot we calls 'ot stuff in th' shootin' line, I -kin tell yer.' - - [27] 'The Bloke' = the commander. 'Jimmy the One' = the first - lieutenant. - -Billings was quite right. There was certainly no lack of rivalry, for -the officers and men of the squadron were as keen on the results -obtained by their respective ships as they possibly could be. The -gunlayers' test was treated in much the same way as a regatta or a -race-meeting, for sweepstakes were got up and bets were freely offered -and taken on the performances of individual gunlayers. Strictly against -the regulations, of course, but nobody seemed to mind, and the -favourites themselves became very important personages for the time -being. - -To the ship's company of any man-of-war, 'our ship' is invariably the -best shooting and the smartest ship not only in the whole squadron, but -also in the entire British navy. Disputes as to the merits of two crack -vessels have been known to lead to regrettable incidents ashore. Pewter -beer-mugs are handy missiles, and black eyes and contusions, though -rare, are by no means unheard of. Moreover, if a smart ship which -fancies herself is beaten at gunnery by some dark horse, the obvious -inferences, from her men's point of view, are: (1) that the umpires -have been bribed; (2) that the ammunition was bad, and it therefore -affected the shooting; (3) that the sea was much rougher and the ship -had far more motion than when H.M.S. So-and-so fired; (4) that the sun -was in the wrong place, and that the light was bad; (5) that the -weather was misty; and so on, _ad infinitum_, all the excuses -being equally futile. - -But rivalry between ships, despite occasional bickerings ashore when -their respective partisans wax argumentative, does no harm. On the -contrary, it is a good sign. It shows there is _esprit de corps_. - -On this occasion, however, the _Belligerent's_ guns were possessed -of a devil. She did very well, it is true, and came out second in the -squadron, but was just beaten by the _Tremendous_. The defeat came -as a severe blow, particularly as a treasured silver challenge cup, -presented by the admiral and awarded annually to the best ship, now -left its resting-place on the _Belligerent's_ mess-deck and found -its way to the flagship. It was carried off in triumph by the winners; -but the _Belligerent's_ gunlayers cursed long and loud, and swore -by all their gods that it had been won by a fluke. So did some of the -officers. - -'This 'ere's th' ruddy limit!' Billings muttered fiercely. 'Ter think -o' these 'ere Duffos[28] 'avin' th' imperence ter say they 'ave beaten -us! They ain't done it fair! S' welp me, they ain't! It's enuf ter make -a bloke take ter--ter anythin'!' He was going to say 'beer;' but, -remembering Mrs Figgins and his new-found respectability, he wisely -refrained. - - [28] The ship's company of a ship hailing from Devonport are - known as 'Duffos' to the men of ships with Portsmouth and - Chatham crews. A 'duff' is a pudding, and the term probably - originated on account of the west-countrymen's supposed - liking for that comestible. - -After spending a month at Gibraltar, they returned to Portland to give -four days' Easter leave, and then sailed off to Berehaven, where they -did more gunnery. Then on to the west coast of Scotland for a cruise, -and finally back to Portland again. - -The time passed very rapidly. Spring gave way to summer, and in due -course Pincher found himself passed out of the seamanship -training-class and handed over to the tender mercies of a torpedo -gunner's mate, who crammed his head with an astounding number of facts -pertaining to electricity and torpedo work generally. - -One Sunday in the early summer, however, the chaplain rather -electrified his congregation. 'I publish the banns of marriage,' he -read, 'between Able Seaman Joshua Billings, bachelor, of this ship, and -Martha Ann Figgins, widow, of the parish of St Cuthbert's, Weymouth. If -any of you know cause or just impediment why these two persons should -not be joined together in holy matrimony, you are to declare it. This -is for the first time of asking.' - -The commander, and various other officers who knew Joshua intimately, -could hardly restrain their mirth. - -'The old devil!' Tickle exclaimed in the smoking-room after the -service. 'To think of any woman wanting to marry him!' - -'There are plenty of worse men than Billings,' the commander disagreed. -'He's not very attractive to look at, I'll admit; but, provided he -keeps off beer, he and his Martha'll get on all right. What he wants is -a woman to rule him with a rod of iron.' - -'You'd better give the lady a few tips, sir,' Tickle suggested. - -'Not I!' laughed the commander. 'I shall merely present them with an -ormolu timepiece--whatever that may be. It shall be suitably inscribed, -too. You see,' he added, 'Billings, in spite of beer, is quite one of -the best seamen in the ship, and I shall be very sorry to lose him when -he takes his pension.' - -There is no need to describe Joshua's wedding, or to tell how some of -the officers and a goodly proportion of the ship's company attended the -ceremony, how Pincher performed his duties as 'best man,' and how the -commander himself was prevailed upon to make a speech and to drink the -health of the happy couple in grocers' port wine. It all went off like -a house on fire; but at the tea-party afterwards Pincher seemed rather -distracted. - -''Ullo, chum!' the beaming bridegroom asked him, 'wot's up wi' yer? -You've got a face on yer like a sea-boot.' - -'I'm just thinkin' somethin',' Pincher explained. - -'Thinkin' wot?' Joshua wanted to know. 'Wot an 'appy hoccasion this is, -or wot?' - -'No, 'ardly that.' - -'Wot is it, then?' - -'I wus thinkin' that now you've gorn an' married Missis Figgins you are -Hemmeline's farther, ain't yer?' - -'S'pose I am,' Billings assented, scratching his head, for the question -had not occurred to him before. 'Leastways, 'er step-farther.' - -'An' s'pose I marries Hemmeline, wot relation are yer to me?' - -'You ain't arsked my leaf to court 'er,' Joshua pointed out. 'An' -s'pose yer does, I don't know as 'ow I shall give my consent. These -haffairs is important--see? I'll 'ave ter hinquire as ter yer prospex, -an' suchlike. Supposin' yer wusn't respeccable?' - -'Respeccable!' Pincher retorted. 'Don't talk so wet! If I ain't good -enuf ter marry Hemmeline, you ain't good enuf fur Missis Figgins--see? -She's 'er mother, ain't she?' - -'Don't go an' git dizzy on this 'appy day,' Joshua went on with mock -gravity. 'Don't go gittin' rattled! Carn't you see w'en a bloke's -'avin' a joke like?' - -'It ain't no subjec' ter make fun o',' Pincher answered, rather -mollified. 'But, any'ow, s'posin' I does marry 'er, wot relation would -you be ter me? That's wot I wants ter know.' - -'I reckons I'd be yer step-farther-in-lor,' Joshua answered after due -consideration. 'Leastways, that's 'ow I looks at it. I'll arsk th' -missis, though. Come an' 'ave a wet.' - -Pincher, nothing loath, acquiesced. They went off arm-in-arm. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE CLOUD. - - -I. - -It all happened very suddenly. The fleet had been reviewed by his -Majesty the King at Spithead in the middle of July, and after this -certain exercises were carried out in lieu of the usual summer -manoeuvres. They did not last very long, however, for on Friday, 24th -July, the _Belligerent_ arrived at her home port to effect some -necessary repairs, and, incidentally, to give four days' leave to her -men; so the next morning half the ship's company, including Pincher, -left for their homes. - -Now the Martin family, being country-people, did not worry their heads -with newspapers on weekdays. For one thing, the papers cost money and -were difficult to get; and, for another, they had little time to read -them. Mr Martin usually bought _Reynolds's Weekly_ on Sunday; but -on that particular Sunday, 26th July, there was nothing in it to give -rise to any anxiety. He did notice that there was some sort of trouble -between Austria and Serbia; but that could not possibly affect his -weekly wages, and beyond remarking casually to his wife that 'them -there Balkan nations is 'oly 'orrors for gettin' up rows,' he paid no -further attention to it. - -On the following Tuesday, 28th July, at ten-forty-three A.M. -precisely, Pincher left the cottage to buy a packet of cigarettes at -the village shop. Albert, his youngest brother, aged five, clutching a -penny with which he proposed to purchase two sticks of glutinous but -very succulent pink nougat, accompanied him. They were away exactly -fourteen minutes, and on their return found Mrs Martin, fresh from her -wash-tub and with her arms covered in soapsuds to the elbows, bubbling -over with suppressed excitement. She was gazing in a perturbed manner -at a telegram; for, to the Martin _ménage_, the arrival of an orange -envelope was a matter of some importance. It generally spelt trouble. -The last one had arrived over a year before to announce that Mrs -Martin's sister had been run over by an omnibus. - -''Ullo, ma!' Pincher exclaimed, noticing his parent's agitated -condition; 'wot's th' racket?' - -'This 'ere's just come,' she said excitedly, handing the telegram -across with very damp fingers. 'For you, it is. You've got to go back -to the ship at once!' - -'Go back!' he echoed indignantly, taking the offending missive. 'My -leaf ain't up till fu'st train ter-morrer mornin'!' - -'Ye'd best read it, son,' remarked the lady, wiping her arms on her -apron. 'See for yerself.' - -Pincher did so. 'Gosh!' he exclaimed with a whistle of surprise, 'there -ain't no bloomin' error abart this 'ere.' - -There was not. It was addressed to him personally, and was signed, -'Commanding Officer.' 'Leave cancelled,' it said abruptly, almost -brutally. 'Rejoin ship immediately.' - -''Strewth! Wot's th' buzz, I wonder?' he murmured, very much puzzled, -and looking at the back of the paper as if to find the answer to his -question there. 'Wot's it mean?' - -'That's wot I'm wonderin',' said his mother. 'Wot does it mean? Ye're -not in trouble, are yer?' She had a vague suspicion at the back of her -mind that Pincher might have absented himself without leave. - -'Trouble! Course I ain't. It ain't that. There's somethin' else in th' -wind. One o' these 'ere bloomin' war buzzes, I reckons.' He spoke as if -wars and rumours of wars were of everyday occurrence. - -Mrs Martin seemed rather alarmed. 'War!' she gasped, looking up with a -horrified expression. 'Wot d' you mean, Bill? Surely we're not goin' to -war?' - -'Course we ain't, ma,' he replied, laughing, and patting her -consolingly on the shoulder. 'This 'ere don't mean nothin'; only a bit -of a buzz round like. Yer see,' he pointed out with pride, 'we--th' -navy, that is--always 'as ter be ready fur these 'ere shows, 'cos if -anythin' did 'appen an' we wasn't ready things 'u'd be in a pretty hot -mess. S'pose I'd best be makin' a move, though,' he added ruefully. -'Bit orf, I calls it!' - - [Illustration: 'Gosh! there ain't no bloomin' error abart this 'ere.' - PAGE 152.] - -'Goin' now?' - -'Fu'st train,' he said, nodding. 'This 'ere telegraph says rejoin -immediate. I expec's th' ship's goin' ter sea in an 'urry like, an' -they wants me back perticular.' - -Mrs Martin gazed at her son with motherly pride. She did not like the -idea of his leaving so soon; but it was very consoling to think that he -was a person of such importance on board the _Belligerent_ that -the ship could not go to sea without him. He must be very valuable, -otherwise they would not have telegraphed. - -Albert, who had already assimilated half a piece of nougat, and had -covered his face with pink stickiness, looked up inquiringly. 'Bill -goin'?' he queried fretfully. - -'Yes, ducky,' answered his mother. 'Called back to 'is ship. 'E's goin' -now.' - -The information was too much for Albert. He withdrew the sweetmeat from -his mouth, screwed up his face, and suddenly burst into a howl. 'Ow!' -he bellowed; 'Bill's goin' back to 'is ship! Bill's goin' back!' It was -a matter of some importance to him, for the presence of his elder -brother meant an occasional honorarium of one penny, and one penny -meant a plentiful supply of nougat. His little soul delighted in -nougat. His mother never gave him pennies. - -'Stop yer 'owlin', Albert!' Mrs Martin ordered severely. 'Has if I -'adn't enough to think about without listenin' to yer noise!--Bill,' -she went on, glancing at the clock, 'you'd best be off. The Lunnon -train stops at the station at eleven-forty-four, same one yer uncle -Charles come by yesterday. There's not another till the arternoon. The -clock's a bit fast, but it's about quarter-past eleven now, an' the -station's a good couple o' miles.' - -''Strewth!' muttered Pincher, darting from the room, 'I'll 'ave ter -run.' He went to his bedroom, collected his few belongings, and -presently reappeared with an oilskin over his shoulder and a small blue -bundle in his hand. - -Albert, with his mouth wide open, gazed at him tearfully. - -'S' long, ma,' Pincher said, putting his arm round his mother's neck -and kissing her gently. 'Say good-bye ter farther w'en 'e comes 'ome, -an' th' kids w'en they gits back from school.' - -'Good-bye, son. Good luck to yer,' she answered, drawing his head down -and embracing him, with the tears in her eyes. 'I do 'ope it's not -nothin' serious. Write an' let me know 'ow yer gets on.' - -'Right you are, ma.--S'long, Halbert,' he went on cheerfully, bending -down and kissing his small brother. 'Be a good boy, now, an' don't git -worritin' ma, now I'm goin'.' - -The tears streamed down the youngster's cheeks. He began to whimper -loudly. - -'Be a good boy, I tells yer,' Pincher went on, patting him. 'If ma -writes an' tells me you've be'aved yerself I'll send yer another penny -nex' week. If yer don't, yer won't git no penny--see? Gosh!' he added -hastily, 'it's 'igh time I wus orf.' He gave his mother another hurried -kiss, and a second later was out of the cottage and racing down the -road as fast as his legs would carry him. The shrieks of the -inconsolable Albert pursued him. - -Mrs Martin watched him till he gave a final wave before disappearing -round a bend in the lane, and then returned to admonish her small son. -'Ye're a naughty boy, ye are!' she scolded shrilly. 'If yer don't stop -it I'll put yer across my knee an' give yer wot for; straight, I will! -Stop it. D'you 'ear wot I say?' - -Albert's howls gradually died away into sobs. - -Mrs Martin returned to her wash-tub with dismal forebodings in her -heart. Telegrams always meant trouble. - - -II. - -'Bless yer 'eart an' soul!' exclaimed Billings, with a loud snort, ''e -ain't goin' ter fight. Orl this 'ere racket's only a bit o' bounce -like. Same as wot 'e did in that 'ere show in nineteen eleven.' He -rammed the tobacco down into his pipe and relit it, with one watchful -eye on his companion. - -'I presooms ye're talkin' abart that there Meroccer bizness,' said -Tubby M'Sweeny, producing a cigarette from the lining of his cap. -'Aggie-dear wus wot they called it.' He seemed rather proud of his -superior knowledge. - -'Yus, that's it,' Joshua agreed with a nod. 'I knowed it wus Aggie -somethin'. But, any'ow, look wot this 'ere Kayser Bill does then! -Directly 'e see'd we meant bizness 'e piped down smart, an' sed 'e wus -sorry for wot 'e'd done. That's wot 'e'll do this time, I reckons.' - -'I dunno so much abart that,' M'Sweeny disagreed. 'Look 'ow them -Germans downed France an' done th' dirty on them! I reckons they thinks -they kin do the same wi' us--s'welp me, I do.' - -'Garn!' jeered the other. 'They've got ter reckon wi' our bloomin' -navy, an' it's more'n double as good as theirs. I'm not sayin' they -doesn't mean ter fight us later on,' he added, wagging a finger; 'but I -says they won't try it on now. 'Sides, they ain't sailors!' To show his -contempt he expectorated violently, and with deadly precision, into an -adjacent spitkid. - -M'Sweeny seemed sceptical. 'Maybe they ain't sailors,' he pointed out -solemnly; 'but we ain't see'd nothin' of 'em. We knows nothin' of 'em, -either. I've 'eard tell, too, that that there Kayser bloke o' theirs -'as gingered 'em up somethin' crool, an' a navy wot's been gingered up -must be on th' top line same as us, mustn't it?' - -Joshua shook his head. 'I tell yer they ain't goin' ter fight yet -awhile,' he persisted. 'Orl this 'ere racket's only a bit o' bounce. D' -you think they doesn't know wot our navy's like? Ain't they bloomin' -well scared of it?' Billings, a staunch and very insular Briton, still -held to the belief that his own countrymen were the only really good -seamen in the world. Those of other nationalities were either 'Dagoes' -or 'niggers,' and which of the two terms was the more opprobrious was -rather a moot point. - -'An' wot abart our army?' came an irrelevant remark from Pincher, who -happened to be listening. 'I knows a bloke wot's in th' Black -Watch--lance-corporal 'e is--an' 'e reckons our army's bin properly -gingered up an' is properly on th' top line.' - -'Th' men is orl right,' said M'Sweeny mournfully, 'an' so is the -orficers; but we ain't got enuf of 'em. We ain't got a million men in -th' army, nor yet 'arf that number, an' that there Kayser's got -millions an' millions!' He waved a hand vaguely to give some idea of -the Teuton hordes. - -'But if we goes ter war our army 'as a slap at somethin', I suppose?' -Pincher queried. - -'Course they does, fat'ead,' Joshua replied with fatherly -condescension. 'They goes an' 'elps th' Frenchies ter take Berlin, -while we--th' navy, that is--'as a desprit battle in th' North Sea, an' -wipes th' deck with their bloomin' 'Igh Sea Fleet. The army blokes'll -be at Berlin in a month or six weeks, an' we'll 'ave done our job in -'arf th' time. W'en we've done it we orl goes 'ome on leaf wi' our -medals an' V.C.'s, an' becomes public 'eroes wot saved the country. But -you mark my words, the 'ole bloomin' war'll be over in three months -w'en it comes. 'Owever, they ain't goin' ter fight now, so wot's the -use o' yarnin' abart it? This 'ere racket's only a spasm like. It don't -mean nothin'.' - -But M'Sweeny, obviously a pessimist, shook his head. 'I dunno so much,' -he answered sadly. 'I've bin 'avin' feelin's in me 'ead that somethin' -'s goin' ter 'appen soon, an' me feelin's allus comes true. W'en you -wus made a leadin' seaman, Josh, I 'ad a feelin' that you'd be an A.B. -agen afore long; an' w'en'---- - -'Wot! d' yer mean yer 'ad a feelin' abart me?' Billings interrupted, -rather annoyed. ''Ow dare yer?' - -'I 'as feelin's in me 'ead abart lots o' people,' Tubby reiterated -solemnly. 'They allus comes true.' - -Joshua lifted up his head and laughed. 'Feelin's in yer 'ead!' he -jeered. 'Feelin's in yer stummick, more like. It's beer wot's done it, -Tubby; an' if it ain't beer, it wus them canteen termarters yer 'ad fur -supper larst night!' - -'Termarters be damned!' retorted M'Sweeny. - -Now this conversation took place during the dinner-hour of Thursday, -30th July, two days after the watch on leave had been hurriedly -recalled, and all further shore-going had been cancelled. - -Neither Billings, M'Sweeny, nor Pincher--nor, for that matter, any -other member of the ship's company--knew exactly how they could become -embroiled. They were all painfully aware that there was trouble in -Eastern Europe, and that, in some remote sort of way, this trouble -transmitted itself to them. But beyond anathematising the 'spasm,' as -they called it, on somebody's part which had caused their leave to be -stopped, and extra work in the way of coaling and embarking ammunition -to be carried out, they regarded the affair as of no more importance -than the annual summer manoeuvres. War was utterly unthinkable. - -But by this time, if they had only known it, practically the whole of -the British fleet was on a war footing, and ready for instant action. -The newspapers had remained discreetly silent, and the whereabouts of -squadrons, flotillas, and individual ships was unknown to the public. -They had vanished into the air; but, except in isolated cases, every -vessel in the navy was already at her war station or on her way there. -Dockyards were working night and day. Naval reservists and pensioners -were flocking to their depots; retired officers were coming forward in -dozens to volunteer their services. Colliers, oil-fuel ships, -ammunition ships, and a thousand and one other fleet auxiliaries had -been chartered, and the Admiralty had taken their 'precautionary -measures' so rapidly and so unostentatiously that hardly a soul in the -country realised that anything untoward was happening. - -The fleet was ready, and well it was for Britain that it was so. -Germany, relying perhaps on a surprise attack at some 'selected moment' -before an actual declaration of war, and while our fleets and squadrons -were still dispersed, had bungled badly. She may not have expected us -to join in the war; may have imagined that Britain, fettered with the -possibility of complications in Ireland, preferred to keep out of a -Continental struggle at all costs. But she had made a grievous mistake, -an error which, combined with the wisest forethought on the part of the -British Admiralty, made it practically impossible for the trident of -Britannia ever to pass into the hands of the Teutonic Michael. - -Early the next morning, 31st July, the _Belligerent_ left her home -port, and steamed to her base in the English Channel to rejoin the rest -of the squadron. It was quite a short trip, but it was on the passage -that the eyes of the ship's company were opened to the fact that -something serious really was in the wind. For one thing, the ammunition -for all the six-inch and lighter guns was brought up from the magazines -and shell-rooms and distributed to the casemates and batteries; while -certain of the weapons were kept constantly manned--what for, exactly, -none of the men quite knew. The captain and the commander looked graver -than usual; and Chase, the gunnery lieutenant-commander, rather -worried, held hurried consultations with the gunner about shell and -cartridges, and had a party of armourers constantly at work throughout -the day testing and adjusting the mechanism of his weapons. - -The commander and the carpenter, too, the latter armed with a large -piece of chalk and a note-book, made a solemn peregrination of the -ship, decorating various wooden fittings with cabbalistic signs as they -went. Pincher, who happened to be working on the boat-deck at the time, -heard part of their conversation. It rather frightened him. - -'All this wood of yours will have to be landed or slung overboard, Mr -Chipping,' the senior officer remarked, coming to a halt beside a pile -of spars and planks on the boat-deck, and eyeing it with evident -disfavour. 'If a shell burst in the middle of this little lot we'd have -a bonfire in a couple of seconds.' - -Pincher pricked up his ears. - -'It's all on charge, sir,' the carpenter answered ruefully, with -horrible visions of subsequent discrepancies in his store-books. 'I've -got to account for every inch of it.' - -The commander laughed. 'You storekeeping officers are born -obstructionists, Mr Chipping,' he exclaimed. 'If we go to war your -store-books will go to the devil, anyhow, so what on earth does it -matter? I'm always greeted with the same remark when I'm trying to make -the ship a little less like a bonfire. They're invariably "on charge," -dammit!' - -'And so they are, sir,' put in the carpenter. 'I have to account for -'em.' - -'Can't help that. You'd better send in your bill to the Kaiser. Anyhow, -we can't have all this lumber up here; it's a regular death-trap.' - -Mr Chipping scratched his grizzled head. 'I'll land all what I can't -strike below, sir,' he grudgingly assented at last. - -'Yes, see to it at once, please. If this pile of wood catches fire -it'll play Old Harry on the upper deck with the twelve-pounders and -their ammunition.' - -Pincher listened open-mouthed, for it was quite obvious from the way -they talked that things were far more serious than Joshua had led him -to believe. Moreover, he, Martin, was in full agreement with the -commander as to the expediency of removing the pile of wood from the -boat-deck. His station in action was at one of the upper-deck -twelve-pounder guns, and he had no wish to emulate Shadrach, Meshach, -and Abednego of the Old Testament in their blazing, fiery furnace. - -The carpenter got busy with his chalk, and before long the whole pile -of lumber was ornamented with little noughts and crosses. The noughts, -Pincher assumed, meant that the articles so marked were to be retained, -and the crosses that those bearing this mark were to be thrown -overboard or landed; and when, a little later, he had occasion to go on -to the upper deck he found many other things decorated with the same -mystic signs. Certain of the smaller boats, spare spars, cabin doors, -accommodation ladders, gratings, lockers, anything and everything -wooden, inflammable, or likely to make splinters, were apparently to go -by the board. It gave him furiously to think. - -The ship arrived at her base during the afternoon, and Captain Spencer -went on board the flagship to report his arrival. He was away for an -hour and a half, and came back with what the officer of the watch -called 'a face like a sea-boot,' and the information that the situation -was very serious. Beyond that he professed to know nothing, but every -one noticed that the commander was closeted with him in his cabin for -fully three-quarters of an hour on his return from the flagship. Petty -Officer Finnigan, moreover, the captain's coxswain and a great friend -of the admiral's cook on board the flagship _Tremendous_, told his -messmates with much gusto that the cook had informed him that the -admiral's steward had told him (the cook) that war with Germany was -only a matter of hours. - -We have heard of yarns emanating from ships' cooks generally being -treated with derision, but presumably admirals' cooks are above -suspicion in this respect, for the news spread rapidly, and the -'Belligerents,' believing it implicitly, were flung into a state of -ill-suppressed excitement in consequence. Most of them had never seen a -shot fired in anger; but the prospect of war--the awful prospect of the -unknown--did not seem to alarm them. On the contrary, officers and men -went about their business with light hearts and smiles on their faces, -for, as Tickle had once pointed out when referring to the same subject, -'it's a bit thick if we're doomed to fire our guns at a canvas target -all our lives.' Most of them longed for a run for their money, and to -all appearances they were going to have it. The graver possibilities of -war did not intrude themselves upon their minds until long afterwards. -They all felt cocksure that they, individually, were not fated to die -violent deaths by the enemy's shell, torpedoes, mines, bombs, or by -drowning. If any one was to be killed, it was not they. They merely -pictured to themselves a short and triumphant struggle, at the -conclusion of which--in six months at the very most--they, having sunk -the enemy's navy, would go home on leave with medals on their manly -bosoms, to be hailed as the saviours of their country. Alas for their -dreams! - -The squadron was in a state of feverish activity. Some ships were -taking in final supplies of coal and ammunition, working night and day; -while others were landing all their superfluous wooden or inflammable -fittings and non-necessary stores. The 'Belligerents' themselves -started on the job early the next morning. Such a collection there was! -Many tons of paint and varnish; some of the smaller boats; quantities -of timber for building targets; wooden accommodation ladders; baulks, -spars, and planks; chests of drawers from the officers' cabins, and tin -cases and trunks containing their personal effects and more treasured -possessions; the midshipmen's and chief petty officers' chests; doors -of cabins; gratings; even the wardroom pianola, an instrument which was -being paid for on the instalment system, were taken ashore and lodged -in a place of security. The work took them a full forty-eight hours. - -The _Belligerent_, being a pre-Dreadnought battleship, had to have -more done to her to make her ready for battle than a similar vessel of -a later class, and Sunday, 2nd August, brought no cessation of labour. -If anything, it was a more strenuous day than the previous one, for -except for a brief service on the quarterdeck, lasting exactly ten -minutes, officers and men alike were hard at work preparing the ship -for war. There was plenty to be done. Extra lifts and tackles were put -upon the yards on the foremast to prevent them crashing down from aloft -if struck by a shell, the rigging was snaked down with hawsers to stop -it flying away if severed, and extra protection, in the shape of -tightly rolled-up canvas awnings, thick enough to stop a substantial -shell-splinter, was improvised round the bridge and fire-control -positions up aloft. - -Fire, first-aid, and stretcher parties were told off and organised, and -everything was done, beyond the final wetting of decks, to make the -ship ready for immediate action, and to lessen the chances of damage to -vessel or men through fire or fragments of flying débris almost as -dangerous as the shell-splinters themselves. - -Surgical bags containing bandages, dressings, splints, and tourniquets -were placed ready to hand in all the gun positions in case men were -wounded; morphia tabloids were served out to all the officers of -quarters for administration to badly injured men; while the fleet -surgeon and Cutting, the 'young doctor,' saw to the gruesome implements -of their profession, and caused the operating-table to be transferred -from the sick-bay to a convenient site behind armour on the lower deck. - -Tickle's cabin was next to the 'young doc's' in Rogues' Alley, as it -was called; and, happening to go below during the forenoon, he noticed -Cutting through the half-drawn curtain busy with a chamois leather and -an array of murderous-looking knives, probes, and forceps laid out on -his bunk. - -'Hallo, Sawbones!' he remarked, putting his head inside; 'I see you've -got all your ironmongery out. Think you're going to have something to -do at last--eh?' - -'Hallo, Toby! That you? Come inside and have a look. I've an excellent -line in cutlery, guaranteed to kill or cure while you wait. What d'you -think of that?' He held out a horrible-looking knife with a thin curved -blade. - -'Ugh!' shuddered Tickle. 'Take the beastly thing away! What d'you do -with it?' - -'Cut, my dear chap,' the doctor gloated. 'One sharp snick like -that'--and he gave the blade a downward jerk, and clicked suggestively -with his tongue--'and then we get to work and remove--er--anything you -like. Ripping little thing, isn't it?' he laughed. 'This,' the medico -continued, laying the knife down and picking up a probe and a pair of -forceps, 'is what we use for feeling for a bit of shell inside a chap, -and this is what we fish it out with. Quite simply done. Topping little -operation to watch.' - -'You bloodthirsty little blighter!' Tickle ejaculated. - -'Bloodthirsty! Why, it's my job, isn't it? We hardly ever get a chance -of doing any decent operations in peace, worse luck!' he added -regretfully; 'your sailors are so disgustingly healthy; and if they do -get really ill and promise to be interesting cases, they're packed -straight off to hospital. Sickening, I call it!' - -'M'yes, that's true, I suppose,' Tickle agreed, smiling. 'Look here, -though, doc; if you ever have to--er--extract a bit of shell or other -foreign substance from my anatomy, look out you don't chuck it away. I -want to keep it as a relic.' - -Cutting grinned. 'Right-o, Toby; I'll see to it. Now you'd better clear -out of here, young fellow, and get on with your work. I'm busy, and I'm -sure you ought to be.' - -Tickle departed. - - -III. - -The marine postman, who should have been off at eight o'clock, was -delayed, and did not come on board with the mails and Sunday papers for -the ship's company until nearly noon. But when he did finally turn up -he was nearly carried off his feet by the rush of men. - -''Ere, posty!' shouted some one, 'got my _Dispatch_?' - -'Wot abart my _Lloyd's_ and _People_?' roared another man, elbowing his -way through the throng. - -'Ain't ye got my _Reynolds's?_' from somebody else. - -'Oh, go to 'ell!' retorted the exasperated marine, vainly endeavouring -to make his way forward through the crowd with a large leather satchel -slung over his shoulder and three bulbous mail-bags on his back. 'Oh, -go to 'ell, the 'ole boilin' lot o' you! Orl in good time! 'Aven't none -o' you blokes got no patience?' He was annoyed, poor man, and had every -right to be, for he had gone breakfastless, and the mail, arriving -late, had delayed him many hours. - -'Well, tell us th' noos!' some one bellowed above the uproar. - -'Noos!' he replied. 'Germany's declared war on Russia, an' all the -naval reserves an' pensioners is called out! Wot more d'you want?' - -It was quite sufficient; enough, indeed, to reduce a good many of them -to a state of excited incoherence. It seemed practically impossible -that Great Britain could keep out of the conflict; and, though -throughout the ship the general feeling was one of warlike joy, it was -tempered here and there by a touch of subdued solemnity. The mail -despatched the same evening constituted a 'bloomin' record,' as the -long-suffering postman put it, for every officer and man on board had -spent the afternoon in writing letters. - -'I know'd my feelin's 'u'd come true,' remarked M'Sweeny in his mess -during supper. 'I know'd this 'ere wus comin' orl along. I know'd yer -wus wrong, Josh.' He wagged his head wisely, and looked at Billings, -who was sitting opposite. - -'Don't start chawin' yer fat, Tubby,' Joshua retorted. 'Things is quite -bad enuf without yer makin' of 'em worse.' He was feeling rather -peevish and irritable. He was thinking of his wife, and wondered -vaguely when he was likely to see her again. - -''Owever,' he added, putting down his fork with a throaty sigh, 'I -don't much care wot 'appens now so long as we 'as a decent smack at -them blighters. I owes 'em one fur gittin' me bloomin' leaf stopped, -an', by gum, they'll git it w'en I runs acrost 'em!' He glared savagely -at the man opposite as if he, too, was a potential enemy. - -''Ear, 'ear!' shouted another man, banging heavily on the table. -'Them's my feelin's.' - -'There, there, me boy-o!' snapped M'Sweeny. 'W'en ye've finished -upsettin' me tea, Mister Jones, I'll git along wi' me supper, thankin' -yer orl the same. Them bloomin' Germans can wait. Supper carn't.' - -''Ark at 'im,' jeered 'Mister Jones.' 'Just 'ark at him! Allus worryin' -abart 'is vittles!' - -'An' why shouldn't 'e?' suddenly demanded Billings, veering round and -taking M'Sweeny's part. 'Better ter be a well-covered bloke like 'im -than a lop-eared, spindle-shanked son of a perishin' light'ouse like -you. It makes me feel 'ungry ter look at yer.' - -Both M'Sweeny and Jones promptly became covered in confusion; for, -whereas the former's adiposity was his sore point, Jones was as touchy -on the subject of his excessive leanness. - -That same night, or, rather, early the next morning, they had their -first alarm. The immaculate Aubrey Plantagenet FitzJohnson happened -to be the officer of the middle watch--midnight till four A.M.--and -at two-thirty, having absorbed two large cups of hot cocoa and -half-a-dozen tongue sandwiches, he was sauntering up and down the -silent quarterdeck, pipe in mouth, and longing for his bunk. It was -chilly for the time of year. There was no moon, and though here and -there stars peeped out between rifts in the clouds moving down from -windward on the gentle breeze, the sky generally was overcast and the -night was dark. - -Quite suddenly the silence was broken by the sound of footsteps running -along the boat-deck. Next came the clattering of a ladder and a muffled -exclamation as some one fell down the last few steps and landed -painfully on the deck, and then the footsteps advanced on to the -quarterdeck. Whoever it was was evidently in great haste. FitzJohnson -turned round. - -'I wants th' orficer o' th' watch,' he heard an agitated voice telling -the quartermaster. 'Where is 'e?' - -'Here I am. What's the matter? Who's that?' - -'It's me, sir--Grimes, ord'nary signalman,' the man panted -breathlessly. 'Please, sir, th' yeoman o' th' watch on th' bridge told -me to tell you there's a Zeppeling comin' over th' 'ill!' - -'A Zeppelin coming over the hill!' the officer echoed, in astonishment, -half-suspecting that some one was pulling his leg. 'What the devil -d'you mean, my man?' - -'It's gawspul truth, sir. 'E's burnin' lights, an' me an' th' yeoman -saw 'im quite plain.' - -Grimes was obviously in earnest, and the lieutenant did not wait to -hear any more. He crammed his cap firmly on his head, darted from the -quarterdeck, ran up the ladder leading to the after shelter-deck, sped -along the boat-deck, barking both shins badly as he went, and finally -clambered up the ladder leading to the fore-bridge, breathless and limp -with excitement. 'Where is it?' he gasped. - -'Over there on the port bow, sir!' answered an equally agitated yeoman -of signals, busy with a pair of binoculars. 'D'ye see where that 'ump -sticks up on top o' the 'ill, sir?' - -'Yes!' - -'There's a bit o' dark cloud on top of it, and just to the left, sir. -'E's be'ind that now. We'll see 'im agen in a minute w'en the cloud -passes.' - -They both gazed at it anxiously, and presently the mass of vapour -thinned and drifted away on the light breeze. - -'There, sir!' exclaimed the yeoman, triumphantly waving an arm. 'See -'im now, sir? 'E seems to 'ave altered course to port a bit since I -see'd 'im first; but 'e's there all right. See 'is lights, sir!' - -The man was quite right; for, looking in the direction indicated, the -lieutenant distinctly saw in the sky a bright white light, with, just -below and to the left of it, a green light They both seemed to be -moving rapidly in a north-easterly direction, and looked for all the -world like the steaming and starboard bow lights of a ship suspended in -mid-air. He snatched the glasses from the yeoman's hand and looked -intently through them. Yes, the white and green lights were quite -distinct. They seemed to twinkle as he watched them, and behind them -there appeared to be a dark phantom shape rushing through the sky. A -Zeppelin, without a shadow of doubt. - -Dashing down the glasses with an exclamation, he fled from the bridge -as if Satan himself was after him, and running aft, hastily told the -marine corporal of the watch to turn out twenty marines with their -rifles and ball ammunition, and then to inform Captain Hannibal Chance, -R.M.L.I., that a Zeppelin was in sight. - -Aubrey P. FitzJohnson was no fool. Not he. He knew that hostilities had -not started, but he had read enough history to be aware that hostile -acts had frequently been committed before actual declaration of war. -Moreover, he was officer of the watch, and as such was responsible -for the safety of the ship, and it would never do if he were to be -caught napping by a bomb-dropping dirigible. Therefore he must take -precautions. There were no anti-aircraft guns mounted in the -_Belligerent_, so the next best thing which occurred to him was twenty -marines with their rifles. He might just as well have paraded five -thousand schoolboys armed with catapults or pea-shooters, for all the -good they could do. - -A few seconds later he was knocking frantically on the door of the -commander's upper-deck sleeping-cabin. - -'Who's making that infernal din?' growled the sleepy occupant, waking -up with a start. 'What the devil d'you want?' The commander, poor man, -had had a long and busy day, and was inclined to be irritable. - -'It's me, sir--FitzJohnson,' the lieutenant exclaimed, putting his head -inside the curtain. 'There's a Zeppelin in sight!' - -'A _what_!' ejaculated Commander Travers, sitting up in his bunk and -switching on the electric light. - -'A Zeppelin, sir. I saw her quite distinctly. She's on our port bow, -steering to the north-east'ard, and travelling pretty fast. You can see -her from the fore-bridge. I've turned out twenty marines with their -rifles!' - -The commander glared at him for an instant, and seeing he was in -earnest, hopped out of his bunk, crammed his feet into a pair of rubber -sea-boots, flung on a purple dressing-gown, and dashed out of his -cabin. 'You'd better go and call the captain,' he cried back over his -shoulder. - -Captain Spencer, who had been sleeping soundly, was at first inclined -to be sceptical and annoyed; but, convinced from FitzJohnson's manner -that an airship really was in sight, he too left his bunk, and, arrayed -in a suit of green-striped pyjamas and a uniform cap, joined the -commander on the fore-bridge. - -The marines meanwhile, in various stages of deshabille, were mustering -on the quarterdeck under the orders of their imperturbable -sergeant-major. - -'Have you served out ball ammunition?' FitzJohnson demanded. - -'Yessir; five rounds a man.' - -'Well, double your men on to the forecastle, load your rifles, and -stand by to open fire as soon as you get orders.' - -'Party! 'shon! Trail arrms! Left turn! Double marrch!' - -At that moment Captain Chance appeared up one of the quarterdeck -ladders. He was wearing a uniform tunic, pink pyjama trousers, -dancing-pumps, and a monocle. 'What the dooce is happenin'?' he wanted -to know. 'That damfool of a corporal came down to my cabin; but the -silly ass was so bally excited, I couldn't make head or tail of what he -was talkin' about. For the Lord's sake, old man, what the devil is the -matter?' - -'There's a Zeppelin in sight,' FitzJohnson told him. 'I've just sent -the marines on to the forecastle.' - -'Great Cæsar's aunt!' gasped the marine officer, running forward after -his men. - -The quartermaster, boatswain's mate, corporal of the watch, and -Ordinary Signalman Grimes, meanwhile, had spread the news far and wide. -Officers in scanty raiment, armed with binoculars, came up the -after-hatches and congregated on the quarterdeck; and most of the -ship's company, determined not to miss the fun, seemed to have left -their hammocks and repaired to the upper deck. It was literally crowded -with excited men, who were all talking at the top of their voices. - -'There 'e is!' FitzJohnson heard a shrill voice saying as he retraced -his footsteps to the bridge. 'See 'im?' - -'Where?' - -'There!' - -'No, that ain't 'im. That's one o' them lights ashore.' - -'No, it ain't; not wot I'm lookin' at!' - -'I tells yer it is!' - -'It ain't, I sez. Ye're lookin' at th' wrong one!' - -FitzJohnson eventually arrived on the bridge, to find the captain, the -commander, and the first lieutenant already there. The last-named -seemed to be rather amused. - -'You can fall your men out, Captain Chance,' Captain Spencer called out -to the forecastle. 'I'm afraid there's nothing for you to shoot at -to-night.' - -'I beg your pardon, sir,' said FitzJohnson, coming forward. 'Did you -see the Zeppelin? There, sir,' he added, waving an arm; 'you can still -see her green and white lights; and when I looked through the glasses -just now I distinctly saw her shape.' He was rather afraid that the -marines were being sent away prematurely. - -Chase, the first lieutenant, unable to bottle himself up any longer, -burst out into a hoarse chuckle. - -The captain turned round. 'Is that you, Mr FitzJohnson?' he snapped. - -'Yes, sir. I'---- - -'Are you trying to make damfools of the commander and myself?' demanded -Captain Spencer. He seemed very much put out about something. - -'I beg your pardon, sir,' stuttered the lieutenant. 'I don't quite -understand what you mean.' - -The commander suddenly flung back his head, and went off into a roar of -laughter. 'Oh,' he gasped, 'this is the limit!' - -FitzJohnson stared. Had they all taken leave of their senses? - -'Did you really see a Zeppelin,' the skipper asked sarcastically, 'or -did you merely get me up here in these garments so that I should catch -my death of cold?' - -'Yes, sir, I really did see it,' the lieutenant faltered, beginning to -realise that he had made some horrible mistake. - -'What! showing its white and green lights?' - -'Yes, sir.' - -The captain glowered. 'I believe you're a zealous officer, Mr -FitzJohnson,' he said grimly; 'otherwise I should believe that you were -treating me with unseemly levity.' - -'I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean, sir.' - -'You don't understand--eh? Well, next time you report a Zeppelin, -kindly make quite certain that it is a Zeppelin. This time you've -dragged us all out of our beds to look at a couple of rather bright -stars.' - -'Stars, sir! But I saw the shape behind the lights!' - -The captain shook his head. 'Merely a cloud,' he explained. 'If you -look at your so-called lights now, you'll see they haven't moved a -fraction of an inch since you first saw them. The nearer clouds -travelling across them gave you the impression that they were moving. -One of 'em does look rather like a green light, I'll admit, but that's -merely the dampness in the air.' - -'I'm awfully sorry, sir,' FitzJohnson stammered, covered with -confusion. 'I had no idea'---- - -'Of course you hadn't,' Captain Spencer interrupted. 'Nobody realises -he's made a fool of himself until afterwards. However,' he added with a -chuckle of amusement, 'I'm not really angry; but nobody, except perhaps -the Astronomer-Royal, likes being dragged out of bed to look at -celestial bodies. Good-night.' - -'Good-night, sir,' said the culprit sheepishly. - -The captain and the commander left the bridge together. They both -seemed amused. - -Chase came across to FitzJohnson. 'Dook, old man,' he laughed, digging -him in the ribs, 'you've made a bally ass of yourself. The least you -can do, after digging me out of my cabin at this unearthly hour, is to -give me a cup of your cocoa. Grr, it's beastly cold!' - -'Of course I will, No. 1. Come along.' - -They left the bridge chuckling. - -'Well,' remarked the yeoman of signals when they disappeared, 'I could -'a swore I'd seen 'im!' - -Perhaps he could; but he, the cause of all the trouble in the first -instance, had taken very good care to maintain a discreet position in -the background during the captain's presence. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -WAR. - - -I. - -Dinner in the wardroom had been over for some time, and the long table -in the centre of the apartment was cleared. The mess, though it was -close on ten o'clock, seemed very full of officers, far more crowded -than on ordinary evenings, and it was noticeable that all wore -'monkey-jackets'--the ordinary eight-buttoned reefer coats usually seen -in the daytime--instead of the customary mess-jackets, low waistcoats, -and starched white shirts. - -The unusual size of the gathering was accounted for partly by the fact -that it happened to be the evening of 4th August 1914, when people were -expecting things to happen, and partly because a six-inch gun casemate, -which ordinarily served as an officers' smoking-room, had been bereft -of its furniture, supplied with a number of evil-looking shell, and had -otherwise been converted to the grim legitimate function for which it -had originally been intended--that is, as an armoured position for the -gun and its crew. - -Pipes and cigarettes were going full blast, and the air in the wardroom -was blue with tobacco-smoke. A few of the occupants were seated in -arm-chairs or on the sofas, re-reading the morning papers or -assimilating the latest news from the early evening editions, which had -arrived with the last post at eight o'clock. But by far the greater -number were arguing and talking loudly, as was their habit. - -The mess itself looked rather bare, for pictures had vanished from the -bulkheads, and the carpet, the piano, and certain other not strictly -necessary articles of furniture had disappeared. They had gone the way -of a good many other things--ashore out of harm's way, where their -presence could not be the cause of possible fires or splinters. Less -than a fortnight later, however, the younger members of the mess were -all clamouring for the return of the piano. They couldn't have their -sing-songs without it, they explained--which was perfectly true. -Moreover, they said, they were sick unto death of Peter Wooten's -bagpipes, the _padre's_ banjo, and Boyle's penny whistle, the only -other musical instruments in the mess; and so, after some discussion, -the piano came back, like the landlady's cat. The cabins, too, were -practically gutted. FitzJohnson, who loved comfort, nearly wept when he -entered his. His silk hangings and curtains, pictures, and photographs -had been torn ruthlessly from their fastenings and sent ashore. They -had filched his carpet and his chest of drawers. A score or so of -exquisite striped shirts, many suits of plain clothes, his uniform full -dress, frock-coats, and mess-jackets, which fitted his figure like a -glove, and shore-going boots of all kinds, shapes, and colours, had -been packed up in a box and sent to his long-suffering outfitter's for -storage. Little had been left him beyond his shallow bath, the drawers -under the bunk, a bookcase containing the King's Regulations and -Admiralty Instructions, the Addenda thereto, and a washstand. -Everything else seemed to have gone. He complained bitterly, poor -fellow, for his exquisite soul rebelled at this wholesale desecration. - -The general atmosphere in the wardroom was by no means gloomy or sad. -On the contrary, every one seemed to be bubbling over with good -spirits. In some cases, perhaps, the hilarity was a trifle forced, for -when folk realise that war is practically inevitable they think they -must appear to be cheerful whatever their personal feelings may be. As -a consequence, they sometimes overdo it. But there were no signs of -depression; neither did one see the fierce aspect, tightly shut mouth, -puckered brow, and general 'do or die' appearance usually associated -with the eve of hostilities by sensational writers. They all knew that -the chances were fully 100 to 1 that they were about to take part in -the greatest struggle the world had ever known. Germany was already at -war with Russia; Teuton troops had violated the neutrality of Lùxemburg -and Belgium, and had crossed the French frontier at various points; so -it seemed impossible that Great Britain could refrain from joining in -the conflict. - -Ever since the early afternoon things had been humming. Urgent -telegrams in cipher and wireless signals in code, the purport whereof -was unknown to any but the senior officers, had been pouring in all -day. Steam for full speed had been raised, and the ships were ready to -move at an instant's notice; while Captain Spencer had been on board -the flagship during the afternoon, and was away for a very long time. -But not till afterwards did any of them know that the British ultimatum -had already been handed to Germany. - -Nobody was anything but cheerful. Their loyalty to their king, their -anxiety to fight and overcome in a just cause, and, if need be, their -readiness to die could not be expressed in mere words. There was no -necessity for it. They took all that as a matter of course. They had -been brought up to the idea ever since they had joined the service, so -why talk about it? - -Cashley, the fleet paymaster, was vainly endeavouring to get up a four -at auction bridge. 'What about it, _padre_?' he asked. 'Going to take a -hand?' - -His reverence, deep in the _Globe_, looked up. 'Bridge,' he said, -shaking his head; 'not to-night, Pay; thanks, all the same.' - -'What about you, No. 1?' - -'Can't be done, Pay. Too busy, I'm afraid.' - -'Busy! You're not busy now?' - -Chase laughed. 'It's all jolly well for you to talk,' he answered -good-naturedly. 'You've the prospect of a night in your bunk. I may be -dragged out at any time to get the anchor up if we go to sea. Besides, -the sailors are at night defence stations, and it's my morning watch. -Heigho! it's jolly nigh time I turned in.' He glanced up at the clock. - -'Won't any one play bridge?' the fleet paymaster inquired plaintively, -looking round. 'The night's still young.' - -All the usual habitués of the game shook their heads in dissent. - -'This isn't an evening for bridge at all,' chipped in the -engineer-commander disapprovingly, looking up over the edge of his -paper. 'We don't want to be like Nero, fiddling while Rome burnt.' - -'What bunkum you talk, chief!' retorted Cashley. 'Because we're going -to war is no reason why we shouldn't have a little innocent amusement. -What about Drake and his game of bowls on Plymouth Hoe?' - -'That yarn's all rot!' said the engineer-commander. 'I know it's quoted -in all the history books; but I don't believe it's true, all the same.' - -'And I,' said Chase, knocking out his pipe, 'would most respectfully -submit, my dear Pay, that the defeat of the Spanish Armada took place -in Anno Domini 1588.' - -'And what the deuce has that got to do with it?' - -'Merely that such things as wireless telegraphy, submarines, and -destroyers steaming thirty-five knots weren't invented when Sir Francis -served in the Home Fleet under Lord Howard of Effingham.' - -'Well,' Cashley observed with a sigh, seeing his efforts were quite -futile, 'I'm sure bridge wasn't invented in Drake's time either, or -he'd have taken to the game at once. It's an excellent stimulant for -one's brain. However, since you're all so mouldy, I suppose I must hie -me to the fastnesses of my apartment and turn in. Good-night, -everybody.' He left the wardroom and closed the door behind him. - -'Poor old Pay!' the first lieutenant remarked with a yawn; 'he's so -devilish keen on his bridge. This is the first evening he's not had it -for weeks, and the old dear misses it. However, I shall follow his most -excellent example by retiring to my cabin.--Peter, old son,' he added, -kicking the senior watch-keeper gently as he sprawled in an arm-chair, -'you're keeping the middle watch at the guns, aren't you?' - -'I am, No. 1,' Wooten nodded. 'What of it?' - -'Be a good chap, and have me called if war's declared, if any one fires -a torpedo at us, or if you sight another Zeppelin.' He winked slyly at -FitzJohnson. 'Also, at ten minutes to four; and tell the messenger to -drag me out of bed. If you love me very much, Peter boy, you can have a -nice cup of hot cocoa waiting for me when I come up.' - -Peter rose from his chair and blinked sleepily. 'My love for you, No. -1' he declared with great gravity, making a low bow with his hand on -his heart, 'has long since passed its platonic stage. I will prepare -your cocoa with mine own fair hands, and would even embrace your chaste -cheek before you retire to your couch.' He stretched out his arms and -advanced. - -'Touch me if you dare, varlet!' Chase exclaimed, avoiding him neatly, -and darting to the door.--'Well, s'long, all you chaps; sleep well' He -paused with the door open.--'I say, Dook, old man!' - -FitzJohnson looked up. - -'If you see another Zep, old bird, you might take a photo of it. -There's a camera in my cabin.' He vanished, chuckling. - -Some time after eleven P.M., when the wardroom had been closed for the -night and the officers had retired to their cabins, the sound of -frantic cheering suddenly echoed out over the water. It came from the -direction of the flagship; and Tickle, the officer of the watch in the -_Belligerent_, paused in his perambulation. It could only mean one -thing. - -Ten minutes later he was reading his Majesty's message to Sir John -Jellicoe, the Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet: - -'At this grave moment in our national history, I send to you, and -through you to the officers and men of the fleet of which you have -assumed command, the assurance of my confidence that under your -direction they will revive and renew the glories of the Royal Navy, and -prove once again the sure shield of Britain and her Empire in her hour -of trial.' - -'And a jolly fine message, too,' Tickle muttered to himself. 'God bless -him!' - -Almost simultaneously came the official intimation that a state of war -existed between Great Britain and Germany as from eleven P.M. on 4th -August. The news spread like wildfire, and the 'Belligerents,' not to -be outdone, left their hammocks _en masse_, crowded on the upper deck, -and gave vent to their pent-up feelings and enthusiasm in volley after -volley of cheers. They were quite irrepressible, and before very long -the 'squeegee band,'[29] composed of two drums, a dozen fifes, many -mouth-organs, and an unholy number of mess kettles and other noisy -utensils, was marching round the deck making the night hideous. The -noise did not cease till well after midnight. - - [29] Most ships, even those carrying proper musicians, have a - home-made band formed by the men themselves. It always goes - by the name of the 'squeegee band,' though why I cannot say. - -War had come. - - -II. - -The chaplain leant back in his chair with a yawn, knocked out and -refilled his pipe, lit it, and then gazed wearily and with great -distaste at the pile of letters and post-cards on the table in front of -him. He, Peter Wooten, the senior watch-keeper, and Hannibal Chance, -the captain of marines, were the three officers whose unenviable duty -it was to censor all the outgoing private correspondence of the -officers and men. As a rule they took the days in turn; but on -Saturdays and Sundays, when the men had had more time to themselves and -more opportunities for writing, the mail bound London-wards assumed -colossal proportions, and all three censors had to buckle to to get the -work done in time. To-day happened to be a Sunday, and his reverence -had retired to his cabin after tea with a bag full of letters and -post-cards to be read through before he took his evening service at six -o'clock. Wooten and Chance were in their respective apartments doing -the same. - -It was a dismal job at the best of times, this prying into other -people's private correspondence, and the _padre_, for one, hated -it. But he realised it was necessary. The censorship had been enforced -from the very outbreak of hostilities; and though letters could be -written, provided they were presented unsealed, post-cards seemed more -fashionable. They were examined, stamped 'Passed by Ship's Censor,' and -then despatched in sealed bags to the G.P.O., London, whence they were -forwarded to their destinations. Sealed letters, uncensored, could also -be sent in the ordinary way; but these were subject to considerable -delay in transmission, and were not very popular. They could, moreover, -be examined at any time if considered at all suspicious. The movements -of the fleet or of individual ships, and details of other vital matters -which might be of use to the ever-inquisitive Hun, were rigidly taboo. -The restrictions, sweeping as they were, did away at one fell swoop -with practically all the subject-matter for an ordinary peace-time -communication; but in spite of it officers and men found plenty to -write about, and plenty of people to write to. Long-forgotten -grandmothers, aunts, female cousins, and other people's sisters seemed -to have come up to the scratch in a most extraordinary way, and those -men who had few friends and relations, and whose correspondence was -limited in ordinary times to perhaps one letter a month, now received -and wrote three or four a week. Very nice for the men, no doubt, to be -able to feel that those at home took an interest in their welfare, but -rather trying for the censors in a ship with a company of eight to nine -hundred souls. - -Taking up his blue pencil, the _padre_ selected a missive from the -pile in front of him. It was from FitzJohnson, and was addressed to his -outfitter: - - 'DEAR SIR,--I shall be much obliged if you will kindly send me as - soon as possible one pair of uniform trousers, one pair of patent - leather evening pumps, and one uniform cap, size 6-7/8. The last - monkey-jacket I had from you a week ago I am returning for - alteration. It is rather tight across the'---- - -Having got thus far, his reverence inserted the letter in its envelope, -moistened the flap with a small sponge, and then dabbed at it with a -large rubber stamp and pushed it aside. It was 'passed' all right; but -he vaguely wondered what on earth the Dook proposed to do with -dancing-pumps on board a battleship in time of war. - -The next missive, a post-card, written by some one to his wife, was -slightly more exciting: - - 'MY DEAR WIFE,--a p.-c. to let you know that I am still alright, - dear, hoping you and the children are the same dear. received your - letter alright dear and I was pleased to hear that you are getting - on alright also the children. well, Darling, I am sending you the - flannel dear hope you will get it alright. I hope you get my - Post-cards regular. I see by your letter you have not got any yet. - let me know if you have got the money yet dear if not I will send - you a letter to copy out and send for it it will be quite alright - dear. let me know as soon as possible Dear. so now with love to you - dear and the children with many kisses from your loving husband, - - 'BERT.' - -The _padre_ chuckled, stamped the affectionate and strangely punctuated -effusion, and passed on to the next. - -It was a letter from one of the sub-lieutenants to his aunt Janet--a -rich Aunt Janet, judging from the letter. He thanked her affectionately -for one pound of peppermints, a beautiful knitted muffler, and a pair -of mittens, and assured her that they would keep him as warm as toast -during the rigours of the coming winter. And did Aunt Janet know of any -place where one could buy cheap but reliable vacuum flasks to hold a -quart, and a decent pair of six-power prism binoculars? He had broken -his own, he said, but had heard that those made by Messrs Ross of -Cockspur Street, London, were very good. He was not quite certain, -however, and would like to have her advice before buying them. He added -one or two bloodthirsty remarks about Huns, remarks calculated to -reduce the good lady to a state of considerable alarm if she was at all -inclined to be timid, furnished the information that he was as fit as a -fiddle, and remained her loving nephew. - -The censor smiled, remembered that the young officer in question had -written to numerous other ladies thanking them for winter comforts, and -asked himself how many mufflers, mittens, balaclava helmets, body -belts, and pairs of socks the sub really possessed. They must run into -dozens. - -He stamped and sealed the letter, took the next envelope which came to -hand, but, having read a few lines of its contents, frowned: - - 'DERE WIFE'--it ran--'i hope this finds you as it leaves me. we - have had a terrible time, and last week we had a fierce and bloody - battle in the North sea with the Germans, sinking many of them and - some of ours likewise was sunk and many brave lads killed, we come - back into harbour with the mainmast gorn and the funnels nearly - falling down with the holes in them the ship was a terrible sight - and the skipper was wounded bad but still fought on, the commander - was killed and 40 men likewise the engineer commander and the chief - pusser wot was in the sick bay at the time. Our ship done gallant - and our decks running in blood i am alright and did not suffer a - scratch but still feel the strain it was awful and now dere wife - goodbye and many kisses from your loving husband - - TED.' - -The _Belligerent_, to the great disgust of her ship's company, had not -as yet been in action, while every one of her officers and men was -still very much alive and kicking. The whole letter was a tissue of -lies from beginning to end, and what had induced the man to write it, -or had led him to imagine that the censors would pass it, the _padre_ -could not think. He glanced through the bloodthirsty missive again, -picked up the envelope and looked at the address, and then stretched -out a hand and pressed an electric bell-push. - -'I want to see Stoker Walley of No. 67 mess,' he said when a bluejacket -messenger answered his ring. - -Ten minutes later there came a knock at the door. 'Did ye send for -Stoker Walley, surr?' inquired a voice. - -'Yes,' said the _padre_ wearily. 'Come inside, Walley.' - -The stoker, a burly fellow six feet tall, and broad in proportion, -removed his cap, entered gingerly, and stood strictly to attention. He -was unused to being invited into officers' cabins. - -'Did you write this letter to your wife, Walley? the chaplain asked, -picking up the offending missive. - -'Oi did, surr,' said the man, not the least abashed. - -'Don't you know that the censorship regulations forbid you to say -anything about the movements of ships or what they're doing?' - -'Oi do, surr. But what Oi've put in me letter isn't what's been -happenin', surr.' He was perfectly correct in his statement, for what -he had written was nothing but the wildest fiction. - -The _padre_ smiled. 'No,' he remarked, turning round in his chair and -looking up at him, 'I dare say it isn't true. But doesn't it strike -you, Walley, that you're doing a very wrong thing in writing like this? -The letter's a falsehood from beginning to end.' - -'Oi didn't mean no harm, surr,' the stoker protested, rather puzzled. - -'No, perhaps not. Have you ever heard of the Defence of the Realm Act?' - -'Oi have not, surr.' - -'Well, I believe the Act lays it down that any one spreading false -information is liable to a very severe penalty. You don't want to be -punished, do you?' - -'Oi do not, surr,' said Walley stolidly, quite unable to understand how -he had offended. 'Oi've never been a defaulter since I joined the -navy.' - -'You'll soon get into trouble if you write letters like this,' the -_padre_ observed grimly. 'Suppose I took this one to the captain, -and asked him to read it? I think you'd find he would regard it as a -very serious offence.' - -'Oi'm sorry, surr, if Oi've done wrong, surr,' the stoker answered, -nervously fidgeting with his cap. 'Oi only wrote a bit of a yarn like -t' amuse the missis.' - -'To amuse your wife!' ejaculated the chaplain. 'Surely, surely your -wife must be feeling a little anxious about you?' - -'P'r'aps, surr. Oi don't rightly know,' admitted the culprit. 'P'r'aps -she is a bit anxious like, surr.' - -'Of course she is, Walley. Any woman is bound to be anxious with her -husband at sea in war-time. Tell me now, truthfully, do you really -think that a letter like this will make her feel any less anxious? You -go into gruesome details of a fight at sea which has never taken place, -and expect her to be--er--amused. 'Pon my soul, I've never heard of -such a thing.' - -'Oi'm sorry, surr. Oi didn't mean no harm.' - -The chaplain sighed. 'Well,' he pointed out, 'I consider you acted very -wrongly in writing this letter at all; and besides that, you're being -very unfair to your wife. After all, she deserves a little -consideration--what?' - -'Ye haven't seen me wife, surr,' said the stoker. 'She likes a bit of -excitement now and then.' - -The chaplain got rather annoyed. 'I dare say she does,' he answered; -'but that is no excuse for your sending her a letter which is nothing -but a pack of lies. Now look here, Walley,' he added very sternly, 'if -I took this matter forward you would find yourself in serious trouble. -I don't want that to happen, though, so I'll tear it up; but you must -promise me faithfully you'll never write a letter like this again. Will -you promise?' - -'Oi will, surr,' said the man, looking genuinely frightened. 'Thankin' -ye very much all the same, surr.' - -The censor tore the letter into minute fragments and dropped it into -the waste-paper basket. 'There,' he said, 'that's the last you'll hear -of it, Walley; but don't let it occur again. You can keep the envelope, -and if you're quick you'll just have time to write another letter -before the mail leaves. No horrors this time, mind. Tell your wife -you're well and happy, and all that sort of thing. D'you understand?' - -'Oi do, surr,' the stoker replied sheepishly, taking the envelope. -'Thank ye, surr.' He left the cabin. - -'Heigho!' yawned the _padre_, resuming his unwelcome occupation; -'I've been in the service for seven years, but it seems I don't -understand the men yet. I wonder if I ever shall!' He often asks -himself the same question. - - -III. - -'I'm fed up wi' this 'ere war!' exclaimed Pincher Martin, flinging away -the fag-end of a cigarette with a petulant gesture. 'It's bin goin' on -fur over four bloomin' months, an' we ain't see'd a ruddy thing yet!' - -'Th' way some o' you blokes talks makes me fair sick,' Able Seaman -Billings retorted. 'S'pose yer 'ad see'd somethin', as yer calls it, -yer might 'ave lost th' number o' yer mess. W'y carn't yer be content -wi' wot ye've got? That's wot I wants ter know.' - -Pincher snorted. 'Content wi' wot I've got!' he jeered. ''Ow kin I be? -I reckons I wants ter fight, same as other blokes.' - -Joshua laughed. ''Ark at th' little cock-sparrer!' he said, turning to -M'Sweeny. 'Did ye 'ear wot 'e sed, Tubby?' - -'I did, chum,' agreed M'Sweeny severely, sucking hard at a particularly -evil-smelling pipe. ''E sez 'e wants ter fight, an' I reckons 'e'll git -orl 'e wants afore long. We'll all git more'n we wants in th' way o' -fightin' afore we've finished this 'ere war. Them Germans ain't fools.' - -'Don't yer want ter fight yerself, Tubby?' Pincher inquired. - -M'Sweeny thought for a moment. 'Carn't say 'xactly as 'ow I don't, -Pincher, an' carn't say as 'ow I does.' - -'Wot yer jine th' navy fur else?' - -'Jine the navy! W'y, I jines th' navy 'cos I thought it wus a good -perfession.' - -'Fightin' perfession,' Pincher supplemented. - -'Yus; but yer don't seem t' understand wot I means,' Tubby explained. -'It's like this 'ere. I don't mind fightin' if it comes ter fightin'; -but I sez that any bloke wot sez 'e likes it arter 'e's once 'ad it is -a bloomin' liar. I ain't afraid o' them Germans,' he added. 'I ain't -afraid o' any one wot I knows of; but I sez war's a norrible thing.' - -'An' so it is,' agreed Joshua. 'You wait till yer 'as yer fu'st little -bu'st up, Pincher; yer won't want another fur a bit. It's orl right ter -talk th' same as yer do, but yer don't know wot it's like same as me -an' Tubby.' - -'But you an' Tubby ain't never bin in action,' Pincher protested. - -'No, we ain't,' said Billings. 'But we ain't 'ot-'eaded young blokes -same as you. We thinks abart things, an' looks at things more serious -like. We doesn't mind fightin' w'en it comes; but we ain't anxious ter -fight 'cos we likes it--see? I reckons no bloke really does, an' them -as talks most gen'rally does least w'en it comes ter th' time. Me an' -Tubby 'as seen things you 'aven't,' he added; 'so we two knows wot -we're talkin' abart.' - -M'Sweeny gave an assenting nod. - -''Ow d'yer mean?' Pincher wanted to know. 'Wot is it ye've seen wot I -ain't?' - -'I'll tell yer,' said Billings.--'Tubby, d'yer remember that 'ere gun -explosion we 'ad w'en me an' you wus shipmates up th' Straits?' - -'Yus, I do, chum.' - -'Explosion! 'Ow did it 'appen?' Pincher demanded. 'Spin us th' yarn.' - -'Ain't I spinnin' it as fast as I can?' said Joshua, rather testily. -'Don't be so impatient! Well, we 'ad our six-inch guns in that ship in -casemates like we've got 'ere. Yer knows wot a casemate is, don't yer?' - -Pincher did not condescend to reply. - -'Well, they wus firin' at th' time, an' somethin' 'appened, an' a -cartridge hexploded afore th' breech o' th' gun was properly closed.' -Joshua paused. - -'An' wot 'appened?' - -'There was an 'ell of an explosion an' a big flare up, an' four blokes -belongin' ter th' gun wus blowed sky-'igh, an' orl th' others wus badly -messed up. I wus in there soon arter it 'appened. It makes me fair sick -ter think of it.' - -'Wot! blood?' Pincher queried breathlessly. - -'Blood!' Billings sniffed. 'Buckets of it, an' bits o' poor blokes wot -'ad bin breathin' men a few minutes afore plastered orl over th' sides -an' roof. 'Orrors ain't in it. Arms an' legs blowed orf, an' th' 'ole -place drippin' somethin' crool!--Wasn't it, Tubby?' - -'It wus, chum,' M'Sweeny corroborated. - -'I reckons that if ye'd seen that, Pincher, ye'd never say as 'ow ye -likes th' idea o' fightin',' Joshua went on. 'If we goes into action -it'll be somethin' like that, only wuss.' - -'Don't sound good,' Pincher admitted grudgingly. - -'Don't look good neither, w'en bits o' blokes 'as ter be scraped up in -shovels,' said M'Sweeny grimly. 'We ain't frightened o' fightin', me -an' Billings isn't, yer see, but we've see'd things wot you youngsters -'asn't, an' we knows wot it's like.' - -Martin made no reply. - -So, on the whole, their only feelings, after four months of war, were -those of regret and envy--regret because they themselves had not been -in action, envy for those of their comrades who had. They were sorry -for those of their relations and friends who had been killed in action -ashore and afloat, but, like the inscrutable people they were, accepted -their fate in a calm and philosophical spirit which must have seemed -positively callous to any outsider. To people who do not understand -them, however, our seamen always do appear callous. They seem to treat -death in a very casual and light-hearted fashion, due, perhaps, to the -fact that they themselves have stared Him in the face so often that -they have become inured to His presence. Familiarity with danger does -breed contempt for death. - -But yet, in reality, bluejackets are among the kindest-hearted men -alive, and the sight of a howling infant in a street will attract the -hard-earned coppers from their pockets like steel filings to a magnet. -It is said that one child in a certain naval port discovered this -generous trait, and invented a new profession on the strength of it. He -did not beg or whine--did not utter a word, in fact; but, with true -commercial instinct, plastered his face with mud, stationed himself -near the dockyard gates when the libertymen were streaming back to -their ships in the evening, and wept bitterly--merely wept. The -pathetic sight aroused the bluejackets' sympathy and opened their -purse-strings, and at the end of the nightly performance the -youth--aged eight--went home with a cheerful grin and his pockets -bulging with pennies. The game could not go on for long, of course; but -it was a very paying one while it lasted. - -But though Christmas was nearly upon them, and they had never had a -'scrap,' as they termed it, the men secretly revelled in the thought -that they, in common with the remainder of the navy and army, also came -under the category of what to the great British public were 'our -gallant defenders.' Their natural modesty forbade them thinking about -themselves as 'gallant,' 'brave,' or 'heroic,' adjectives which were -sometimes hurled at their heads by people at home. They were merely -doing their ordinary peace-time job, with a few extra dangers thrown in -in the shape of submarines and mines; but they did derive no small -satisfaction in realising that folk at home recognised that they were -doing their bit, and liked to know that a sudden and very overwhelming -interest was being taken in their welfare. Overwhelming in more senses -than one. - -Wives, mothers, aunts, female cousins, sweethearts, and lady friends -seemed to be consoling themselves for the absence at sea of their -husbands, sons, nephews, cousins, 'young men,' and acquaintances by an -orgy of knitting. Avalanches of woollen home-knitted mufflers, -balaclava helmets, mittens, gloves, jerseys, and body-belts, besides -shoals of socks, soon came pouring in by every mail, until every -officer and man in the _Belligerent_ had received a full outfit of -everything necessary to keep out the cold. They were duly grateful for -the kind attention, for the mufflers of thick blue wool and the warm -socks were as different from the ordinary articles of commerce as -cheese is from chalk. Some of the things had stamped post-cards -attached on which the fair knitters desired an acknowledgment; and, -judging from what the censors said, the ladies were not disappointed. -Others bore little silver paper horseshoes for good luck, while many of -the socks arrived with cigarettes and chocolates, either loose or in -packets, snugly ensconced inside. - -'I thought there wus somethin' wrong wi' this 'ere!' Pincher remarked -one day, removing his right sock, turning it inside-out, and -discovering the coagulated remains of several chocolate creams. 'I -thought it felt a bit knobby-like w'en I puts 'im on, an' now I've bin -an' gorn an' wasted 'em!' It was a dire calamity, for Pincher had a -sweet tooth, and regretted the loss of his chocolates far more than the -energy he would presently have to expend on cleansing the sock of its -stickiness. - -People who did not knit sent other things instead. Well-to-do folk -provided gramophones and records, boxes of fruit and game, vacuum -flasks, warm waistcoats, books, jig-saw puzzles, and games, all of -which were very welcome. One public-spirited gentleman, a yacht-owner, -forwarded a consignment of many dozen brand-new 'sevenpennies,' and -was blessed for his gift. Societies and clubs sent more reading matter; -and though it is true that _Chatterbox_ for 1891 and bound copies of -a poultry journal for 1887 do not appeal to modern sailors as they -should, the greater portion of what arrived was eagerly seized upon and -as eagerly read. - -The men's friends themselves contributed regular consignments of -newspapers, tobacco, cigarettes, soap, tooth-powder, biscuits, -home-made cakes, sweets of all kinds, fruit, tomatoes done up in flimsy -brown-paper parcels, and many other articles of food and utility too -numerous to be mentioned in detail. These gifts also were most -acceptable, though it was found that bull's-eyes and peppermints -sometimes had an unhappy knack of melting in transit, while as often as -not the fruit and tomatoes were found at the very bottom of the -mail-bags in the form of a nauseating, ready-made salad well -impregnated with brown paper, string, and the rapidly disintegrating -contents of other people's parcels. - -What with the extra food and their warm garments, the figures of the -'gallant defenders' rapidly assumed elephantine proportions. Thin -sailors became bulbous; fat sailors became colossal. They had never had -such a time in all their lives. - - -IV. - -Christmas came and went; but, though the ship's company made a point of -keeping up the time-honoured traditions and customs, things were hardly -the same as usual. They did not suffer from lack of seasonable fare, -for volleys of plum-puddings and other comestibles from home had -temporarily superseded the deluge of mufflers, mittens, and cigarettes; -while the canteen did a roaring trade in turkeys, geese, boiled hams, -fruit, holly, and chains of coloured paper for decorations. - -On the morning of the 25th itself the squadron happened to be in -harbour, and at daylight the _Belligerent_ and every other ship -appeared with the customary branches of fir and evergreen lashed to -the mastheads and the yardarms. - -At eight o'clock came a signal from the vice-admiral wishing all the -officers and men under his command 'A Happy Christmas;' and at -divisions at nine-thirty the officers took the opportunity of saying -the same. - -Then came church and the issue of Princess Mary's gifts; and if the -donors to the fund could have seen the way these gilt boxes, with their -cards, pipes, packets of tobacco, and cigarettes, were appreciated by -their recipients they would have felt that their generosity had been -repaid. A gift was always a gift and something to be appreciated, but a -gift from a Royal Princess was to be treasured as an heirloom. As a -consequence, the greater number of the men sent their boxes home by -registered post without smoking the contents. They were far too -valuable to be kept on board when there was a chance of the ship being -torpedoed by a hostile submarine or sunk by a mine. - -Shortly before noon the band assembled outside the captain's cabin, and -as eight bells struck, Captain Spencer, preceded by the musicians -playing 'The Roast Beef of Old England' and the 'funny party' with -blackened faces and attired in a variety of strange costumes, and -followed by a procession of all the officers, made the usual tour of -the mess-deck. Some of the messes were embellished with festoons of -paper chains, sprigs and bunches of holly and mistletoe, and home-made -mottoes. Others were hardly decorated at all, but all the tables were -well laden with food. At the foot of each mess stood a man with a plate -of cake, pastry, or pudding, which he offered to all the officers in -turn as they passed by. Every one of them took a small piece, wished -the occupants of the mess 'A Happy Christmas,' nibbled the cake or -whatever it was, and then hastily secreted the remains in his pocket. -There were several dozen messes to be visited, and a few ounces of -stodgy cake from each of them would provide more than enough for a -schoolboy. - -Opposite one of the chief petty officers' messes the procession came to -a halt close to a blackboard on which was chalked in large letters: - -'The Ship's Company of H.M.S. _Belligerent_ wish Captain Spencer -and the officers a very happy Christmas and a bright and joyful New -Year. They deeply regret that up to the present Captain Spencer has not -had the opportunity of taking them into action, but are anxiously -awaiting the time when he will.' - -The captain smiled, took the proffered chalk, and made his reply. - -'The same to you,' he wrote. 'Captain Spencer will be only too pleased -to take the ship into action whenever the enemy give him the chance. -When the time comes he and the officers know that they may rely on the -"Belligerents" to give a good account of themselves. Let 'em all come!' - -Loud and prolonged cheering before the procession moved on. - -It took fully half-an-hour to do the whole round of the messes; but at -last the officers disappeared to their own lunch, and left the men to -go on with their meal. They acquitted themselves nobly. - -Soon after lunch, when Tickle had retired to his cabin and was -composing himself for his usual afternoon slumber, there came a knock -at his door. 'Well, what is it?' he inquired lazily. - -'It's me, sir,' said Petty Officer Casey, insinuating his head through -the curtain. 'The foc's'lemen sends their compliments, sir, an' would -yer be so kind as to visit 'em in their messes for a few minutes?' - -Tickle yawned, hoisted himself out of his bunk, and stepped outside. -Here he was promptly seized by four stalwart A.B.'s, hoisted -shoulder-high, and, with a man in front playing triumphantly upon a -mouth-organ, was carried off. Down ladders and up ladders they went, -through cheering crowds on the mess-deck, until they finally allowed -him to slide gracefully to earth among the men of his own forecastle -division. - -They proceeded to drink his health in navy rum, a compliment which he -was bound to return; but even then the ordeal was not over. - -'They'd like yer to say a few words, sir,' Petty Officer Casey prompted -him hoarsely. - -Tickle cleared his throat nervously. 'I'm not much of a hand at making -a speech,' he began; 'but I'm very glad to come here and wish you all a -happy Christmas again. From what I can see'--he looked round the -tables--'you all seem to have been enjoying yourselves. My only -regret--our only regret, I should say--is that we haven't had a chance -of meeting the enemy yet; but that's a pleasure we all look forward -to'---- - -Here he was interrupted by loud cheers and bangings on the tables. - -'It's quite unnecessary for me to tell you that I know the _Belligerent_ -will do jolly well when the time comes, and that the men of the -forecastle division will do better than any one else'---- - -Loud cries of ''Ear, 'ear!' and more shouting. - -'I've clean forgotten what I was going to say,' he went on, laughing. -'Oh yes. I'm sure the forecastlemen will do better than any one else -when it comes to a scrap; but don't get down-hearted if we have to wait -for some time before we get it. Other ships have had a run for their -money, and we haven't; but we're all doing our bit for the country, and -it's up to us to do our duty wherever the Admiralty choose to send us. -At the same time, I hope the war will not be over before we have our -look in. Well,' he concluded, 'I don't think there is anything else I -can say, except to wish you all the best of luck.' He lifted the -fanny[30] to his lips and sipped its contents. - - [30] 'Fanny,' the receptacle from which a bluejacket drinks - his rum. - -'An' th' same to you, sir!' came a roar. 'Three cheers for Lootenant -Tickle!' - -'One more, boys!' somebody yelled excitedly. 'Hip, hip, hip, HURRAH!' - -Tickle, feeling very awkward and red in the face, bowed his -acknowledgments. 'Thank you very much indeed,' he said quietly. He -could not express his feelings in mere words. - -The _Belligerent_ was a happy ship, and the officers were popular -with their men, and many of them, including the commander, the -engineer-commander, all the officers of divisions, captain of marines, -and most of the midshipmen and warrant-officers, were ruthlessly -dragged from their afternoon slumber and carried forward to the -mess-decks to make speeches. Christmas, the time of good-fellowship and -goodwill, only came once a year, but it was one of the rare occasions -when the men were able to show their officers what they really thought -of them. - -So, taking it all round, they managed to enjoy themselves, for -bluejackets always succeed in being cheerful under any circumstances; -but nobody could help having a feeling at the back of his mind that -this particular Christmas was not quite the same as others, as indeed -it was not. They were thinking of their homes and of what was happening -there, and many of them, officers as well as men, had not set foot on -shore for weeks--months, in some cases. - -Boxing Day found the squadron at sea. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -BLACK FRIDAY. - - -I. - -''Appy Noo Year, chum,' said the lookout-man on the starboard side of -the _Belligerent's_ bridge, as Pincher Martin came up to relieve -him at five minutes past midnight on the morning of 1st January. -'Lawd!' he added with a shiver, stamping his sea-booted feet, 'I shall -be glad ter git inter me bloomin' 'ammick.' - -'Noo Year, is it?' Pincher queried with a prolonged yawn. 'Well, th' -compliments o' th' season to yer, Shiner White. 'Strewth!' he added, -'it's a bit parky, ain't it?' He undid the toggles of his thick lammy -coat,[31] and gave the muffler another turn round his neck. - - [31] 'Lammy coats,' the name given by the men to the thick - duffel coats with hoods served out in cold weather. They are - fastened with toggles and beckets instead of buttons and - button-holes. - -The other man nodded. 'There ain't nothink in sight,' he went on -hastily, anxious not to prolong the conversation; 'but if yer sees a -light or anythink, look out yer sings out sharp an' loud, so that th' -orficer o' the watch'll 'ear yer. S'long, chum!' - -'S'long, Shiner! 'Appy dreams.' - -Pincher, left to his own devices, looked about him. The squadron was at -sea, and to his unpractised eye the night seemed unusually fine. What -little wind there was seemed to be coming in from the south-westward in -fitful, erratic puffs, and the great ship rode over a smooth, gradually -increasing swell without perceptible movement. If he had been a weather -prophet the state of the sea and the sky would have warned him to -expect a change in the weather; but he was a novice at such things, and -the signs and portents of sky and sea conveyed little to his mind. - -The moon was up, and the night was not really dark as nights go; but -every now and then the brilliance of the moon was temporarily dimmed by -great high cloud-masses travelling down from windward across the face -of the blue, star-spangled heavens. Away to the south-westward a heavy -piled-up bank of dark hue, looking for all the world like a gigantic -mountain range overtopping the horizon, was gradually encroaching on -the sky as it mounted up and up into space. Its upper edges were frayed -and fretted by the wind, and occasional wisps of cloud torn from the -main mass were being flung off into space by the upper air-currents, to -come scurrying to leeward in low-lying, streaky fragments like spun -silk. They were mares'-tails, and the swell and the watery halo round -the moon were other bad tokens. They portended wind--wind, and plenty -of it. Soon the sky would be completely overcast. Before daylight it -would probably be blowing hard. - -The _Belligerent_ was somewhere near the tail of the line of -battleships. A short distance in front of her came the huge hull of the -next ahead clearly silhouetted against the sky. Farther ahead again -were the dark outlines of other vessels, their shapes getting smaller -and less distinct as they merged in the deep shadows on the horizon. - -On board the _Belligerent_ herself half the seamen were at their -stations at the guns ready for repelling a possible torpedo attack, and -the other half, who had been relieved at midnight, had just retired to -their hammocks for four hours' rest before being called up for the -morning watch at four o'clock. The ship was in the charge of the -officer of the watch, who leant placidly against the standard compass -on the upper bridge gazing at the next ahead; while Colomb, the -navigator, was asleep on the settee in the charthouse. Captain Spencer -was in his sleeping-cabin just underneath, and was dozing, fully -dressed, in an arm-chair in front of the stove. The book he had been -reading had dropped to the floor, and Joe, his fox-terrier, lay curled -up in a tight little bundle at his feet. The captain was a light -sleeper at the best of times, and the least unusual sound, even the -opening of the door, would have brought him to his feet in an instant. -As an extra precaution there was an electric bell screwed to the -bulkhead close beside his left ear, and if the officer of the watch -desired his immediate presence all he had to do was to place a finger -on a push close by the standard compass. The resulting jangle would -have roused the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, let alone the skipper, who -never indulged in anything but cat-naps at sea. The officers of watches -were well aware of it, for Captain Spencer had a habit of prowling -about at night, and frequently came on to the bridge when he was least -expected. Once or twice he had found the ship some distance out of -station, and then there had been trouble. - -Of what really occurred, how long it lasted, and of the actual sequence -of events, Pincher had a very hazy recollection. He remembered noticing -the captain come on to the bridge and start walking up and down with -his hands in his great-coat pockets and his dog padding softly after -him. Then, quite suddenly, and for no apparent reason, there came the -shattering roar of a heavy explosion. The ship quivered and shook -violently; and, glancing aft with his heart in his mouth, Pincher saw a -great column of whity-gray water towering high over the boat-deck -half-way along the starboard side. He watched it spell-bound. The mass -hung for a moment glimmering in the half-light, and then tottered and -fell with a sound like a waterfall. He could feel the damp spray of it -on his face. - -The familiar throb of the engines died away, and there came the roaring -bellow of escaping steam; and the ship, evidently holed far below the -water-line, heeled over to starboard. Then the roaring of the steam -ceased, and there came a moment's dead silence, followed by excited -shouting as the men who had been asleep in their hammocks thronged on -to the upper deck. - -The whole thing happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that for the -moment Captain Spencer was taken by surprise; and, running to the after -side of the bridge, he stood there gripping the rail spasmodically, -with a look of utter astonishment on his face. A bare instant later, -however, he turned forward again with a gesture of annoyance; while -Joe, taking it for some new game for his especial benefit, frisked -beside him. 'Down, Joe! down!' Pincher heard him say in his ordinary -voice.--'Stop both engines!' came his first order.--'Officer of the -watch!' - -'Sir.' - -'Go down and tell the commander to get the collision-mat out, and then -to turn out all boats. He's not to lower them without orders from me; -and tell him to let me know the damage as soon as he can!' - -'Ay, ay, sir,' said English quite calmly, leaving the bridge. - -The captain turned on his heel and dictated a signal informing the -flagship of what had occurred. Pincher watched, for even now Captain -Spencer's face was absolutely inscrutable, and showed nothing of the -awful anxiety which must have been in his heart. - -The commander, who had rushed from his cabin when the crash came, had -already taken charge on deck. Order was evolved out of chaos, and the -shouting had ceased. An instant later a bugle blared the 'Still,' and -the boatswain's mates could be heard piping. - -There was dead silence among the men as the word was passed, and then -the bugle sounded 'Carry on,' and the tramping of feet could be heard -as the ship's company ran to their stations. - -All except a few unimportant watertight doors, which were closed at the -last moment by specially detailed men, were always kept shut at sea; so -little could be done to add to the safety of the ship beyond -endeavouring to prevent the ingress of water. - -The men were well disciplined. They must have felt nervous, must have -realised that there was an enormous hole below the water-line through -which the water was pouring like a mill-race; added to this, it was -dark, and there were no lights on deck. But there were not the smallest -signs of panic or confusion. They behaved splendidly, and worked -silently under the orders of their officers as if it were an ordinary -peace-time evolution instead of grim reality. - -Pincher himself was undecided for the moment as to what he should do. -Ought he to join his part of the ship and assist in getting out the -collision-mat, or should he remain where he was? He had no orders to -leave his post, but it was hardly likely that any one would trouble his -head about him now. For a moment he was torn with doubt, but finally -made up his mind that he would stay on the bridge. He might be of some -use in carrying messages, he thought. - -The stricken vessel seemed to be leaning more and more over to -starboard; but before very long the collision-mat, a large square of -several thicknesses of the stoutest canvas well thrummed with oakum, -was being lowered into place under the bottom. It was designed, by -being stretched taut over the orifice, to reduce the flow of water -through a comparatively small hole caused by a collision with another -ship, and it seemed hardly likely that it would be of any use in -checking the inrush through the gigantic rent caused by an underwater -explosion; but there was no harm in trying it. It might do some good. - -'Haul away the bottom line!' the first lieutenant's voice could be -heard. 'That's the way, lads! Away with her!' - -''Vast hauling!' came the next order, accompanied by the shrill -trilling of a boatswain's whistle. 'Away with the fore and afters!' - -The mat was out of sight below the water, its bottom corner dragged -taut against the ship's side by the bottom line passing under the keel -and hauled taut on the opposite side of the deck, and the upper corner -held in place by the depth-line. The fore and afters were the ropes -secured to the side corners, and they, on being hauled taut and -belayed, held it out square. - -'Mat's placed, sir!' came Chase's voice again. - -The wind had increased, and white-capped seas had replaced the smooth -swell of an hour before. The ship, listing to an angle of about fifteen -degrees, seemed to be remaining fairly steady, but she was appreciably -lower in the water, and the starboard edge of the forecastle was barely -six feet above the crests of the waves as they raced by. - -The cutters at the davits had been turned out ready for lowering, but -all the smaller boats, galley, whalers, and gigs, had been landed. -Hatherley, who was working the steam boat-hoist used for getting out -the heavier boats stowed on the booms between the after funnel and the -mainmast, had the derrick topped and the largest rowing-boat in the -ship--the forty-two-foot launch, which, at a pinch, could carry one -hundred and forty men--hooked on all ready for swinging out into the -water as soon as he got orders to do so. - -Circling round the injured ship were a couple of light cruisers which -had been sent by the vice-admiral to render what assistance they could. -Flashing-signals were passing between them and the _Belligerent_, and -they were evidently asking if they should lower their boats. - -'Tell 'em to wait,' Pincher heard Captain Spencer say to a signalman, -without a tremor in his voice. 'Tell 'em to wait. I think we shall be -able to keep afloat.' - -The sky was nearly overcast, and the night had become very dark, and -all the remainder of the squadron had vanished. They were only acting -in accordance with their orders, however, for since the loss of the -_Aboukir_, the _Cressy_, and the _Hogue_ in the North Sea the previous -September, it had been definitely laid down that heavy, deep-draught -ships were not to go to the assistance of vessels which had been -torpedoed or mined, lest they should share the same fate. It went sadly -against the grain for British officers to be forced to leave comrades -in distress; but every one realised the necessity for the order, and -the two small cruisers were the only ships available for the work of -rescue. - -'Messenger!' the captain called. - -No reply. - -'Here, boy, come here!' he went on, catching sight of Pincher on the -starboard side of the bridge. - -Martin went forward, and felt himself grabbed by the sleeve. - -'Go down and tell the commander that I'm waiting to know what damage -there is,' Captain Spencer said hurriedly. 'Away you go!' - -Pincher scrambled down the sloping ladder with difficulty, but had -barely reached the boat-deck to go aft when he cannoned into Commander -Travers coming in the opposite direction. 'The capten would like ter -know wot th' damage is, sir,' he explained. - -'All right, I'm on my way to tell him,' the officer returned curtly. -'Get out of the way, boy!' - -Martin stood aside, and followed him up the ladder again, without -really meaning to overhear his conversation with the captain. - -'How goes it, Travers?' was Captain Spencer's first anxious question. - -'Pretty bad, sir,' the commander replied with the least trace of -anxiety in his voice. 'Some of the boiler-rooms are flooded, and the -water seems to be making its way forward and aft. One or two bulkheads -have gone already!' - -'Good God!' the captain exclaimed; 'is it as bad as that? Is the mat -doing any good?' - -The commander shook his head. 'Might just as well try to stop the hole -with a bit o' stickin'-plaster, sir,' he said tersely. 'I've just seen -the engineer-commander,' he went on, 'and he tells me he's doing all he -can, but that the water's gaining on us fast. I've got men down below -shoring up bulkheads to prevent their bursting, but I doubt if they'll -do much good. However, sir,' he added hopefully, 'she hasn't listed -much during the last few minutes, and perhaps we'll be able to save her -yet.' - -'Pray God we shall, Travers!' Captain Spencer returned gravely. 'You'd -better get all the boats out as soon as you can, and keep 'em -alongside; but don't allow the men into them until I give orders. I'll -tell the cruisers to send theirs across, but we'll make 'em lie off for -the time being. Well, so long, commander, in case we don't meet each -other again. Do all you can.' - -'I hope it's not so bad as I think, sir,' Travers said with a forced -laugh as he turned to leave the bridge. 'It's a damned nasty night to -go swimmin', I must say. It was a submarine, I suppose, sir?' - -'Must have been. By the way, you'd better warn 'em to blow up their -swimming-collars.' The captain was ever mindful of his men. - -'I will, sir. What about you?' - -'Don't worry about me, man. You see to the ship's company. I'll look -out for myself.' - -The commander disappeared. - -The time passed. There was still a chance of the ship remaining afloat, -and by about three o'clock, merely as a precautionary measure, the -launch and the pinnace had been hoisted out and the boats lowered; -though one cutter, lowered too rapidly, had capsized and disappeared. -During the interval the ship did not seem to have listed any more to -starboard, and favourable reports had come from down below as to the -chances of remaining afloat. In fact, they were all congratulating -themselves that the damage had been overrated, when another heavy -explosion roared out from the port side aft. - -'By God!' muttered the captain under his breath; 'that's another -torpedo!' - -The _Belligerent_, with a fresh wound open to the sea, shuddered -violently, and then gave a sickening lurch to starboard, and lay over -until her masts were at an angle of thirty degrees from the vertical. -The starboard side of the upper deck was under water, and the other -lifted high in the air, while the inclination was so great that it was -barely possible to walk. Realising that the end could not be long -delayed, Captain Spencer dragged himself to the bridge-rail and raised -a megaphone to his lips. 'Abandon ship!' he roared in a voice which -could be heard above the howling of the wind and the raging of the sea. -'Save yourselves, men! Save yourselves!' - -The word was passed along, but still there was no undue haste or -confusion. Stokers and other men of the engine-room department who had -been employed below until the last moment, some of them clad in their -grimy working-clothes, others nearly naked, came pouring up the -hatchways leading to the upper deck. - -A cloud drifted away from the face of the moon, and a subdued silvery -light lit up the awful scene. - -The boats, plunging wildly on the rapidly rising sea, pounded and -crashed alongside. A small group of officers stood beside each one -superintending the disembarkation, and the men, standing in long -queues, could be seen jumping into them one by one. Several, leaping -too late or too early, fell between the boats and the ship's side, and -were never seen again. - -The doctors and the sick-berth staff, unmindful of their own safety, -passed their sick and ailing into the boats, and remained behind -themselves. - -'Steady, lads! steady!' the chaplain, gallant man that he was, could be -heard saying coolly. 'One at a time! Keep cool, boys! Keep cool!' - -Many men, relying on their life-belts or swimming-collars, had flung -themselves overboard and were swimming in the direction of the -cruisers, whose rescuing boats were on their way across as fast as -their eager crews could drive them. A certain number of the swimmers -were eventually picked up and saved, but by far the greater proportion -perished in the wild tumult. Every one knew that there was room for -barely more than a fifth of the ship's company in the boats; but, in -the face of almost certain death, there was no panic. - -''Ullo, 'Orace,' a burly stoker remarked to a friend with a laugh, -'comin' swimmin'?' - -'Looks like it, chum,' answered the other glumly, eyeing the -white-capped seas with nervous apprehension. 'Ain't much of a night fur -a picnic like, this 'ere, is it?' - -'Rottenest bloomin' regatta ever I saw,' rejoined the first speaker, -who was attired in nothing but a singlet and an inflated -swimming-collar. ''Ow's this fur a bathin'-costoom? What'd my ole -'ooman say if she see'd me on th' beach at Margit in this 'ere? Ow!' he -yelled, as a breaking wave deluged him with icy spray. 'Gawd! ain't it -cold? Come on, boys; come an' 'ave a dip! Any more fur th' shore?' - -The others hung back. - -'Wot! not comin'?' he went on, walking to the edge of the boat-deck and -gazing out at the sea. 'Well, s'long, blokes. 'Ere goes!' - -He clambered down the ship's side on to the net-shelf, waited till a -large sea came swishing past, and then slipped into the water, to -vanish in a smother of foam. An instant later he reappeared, swimming -strongly in the direction of the nearer cruiser. He was never seen -again. - -Somebody started the chorus of 'Tipperary' to cheer the flagging -spirits of his shipmates, but the gallant effort met with little -response. Numbers of men, trying to nerve themselves for the ordeal of -leaping overboard and of saving themselves by swimming, shrank back at -the sight of the raging sea. It was enough to appal the bravest heart, -and the ship, though sinking fast, still seemed to offer a safer refuge -than that wild waste of water. - -The captain, holding on to the bridge-rail to prevent himself from -being carried off his feet, surveyed the scene calmly. 'Jump, men! -jump!' he bellowed to a hesitating group on the boat-deck. 'For God's -sake, jump! It's your only chance!' Turning round, he noticed that -Pincher and one or two signalmen were still on the bridge. 'What are -you doing here?' he demanded with a touch of his old asperity. 'The -ship's sinking! Get down out of it, and save yourselves!' - -Pincher and some of the others obeyed, but the chief yeoman of signals, -noticing that the captain wore no life-belt or swimming-collar, calmly -proceeded to divest himself of a cork jacket. 'Take this, sir,' he -said, handing it across; 'I've got my collar.' - -Captain Spencer pushed it away. 'Use it yourself, man!' he said firmly. -'Use it yourself!' - -'But I don't want it, sir,' the chief yeoman persisted. - -'Do what you're told, Morris,' came the answer. 'Leave the bridge and -save yourself; she'll go in another minute or two! I'll look out for -myself!' - -Morris hesitated for another instant, saw his commanding officer was in -earnest, and left the bridge. - -'Good luck to you, Morris!' the captain called out after him. - -'Good luck, sir.' - -Captain Spencer, alone with his dog, leant down and lifted him into his -arms. 'I'm afraid we're done in this time, old man,' he whispered -sadly. 'We may as well go together. Good-bye, old Joe!' His voice was -husky with emotion as he buried his face in the animal's warm coat; and -the dog, seeming to understand, turned his head and licked his master's -cheek. - -The end came almost immediately, for before some of the boats had got -clear the ship lurched drunkenly to starboard, to hurl men and movable -fittings in one awful chaotic avalanche into the water. For one moment -there was wild confusion, and the sea was covered with the heads of -swimmers fighting for their lives; the next, there came the muffled -roar of bursting bulkheads, and the _Belligerent_ hove herself back on -to an even keel, with the water washing across her decks. - -A searchlight flickered out from one of the cruisers and lit up the -scene. Lower and lower sank the doomed ship, until at last the waves -were breaking across the top of the boat-deck, and only the two masts, -the funnels, and the bridge showed above the surface. She seemed to -hesitate for a moment as if unwilling to take the final plunge, and -then, with a dull, booming sound as the water reached the boilers, -slowly slid from view. - -There was no vortex or upheaval of spray, merely a swift rush of sparks -and a cloud of smoke and steam, which rapidly dissolved on the wind, -and in a few more seconds the ship had vanished for ever. Nothing -remained to tell of her presence except the boats, the dark heads of -the battling survivors, some débris, and an ever-widening circle of -calm, oil-strewn water, on the outskirts of which the waves leapt -tumultously. But on the bridge, game to the very last, two heroic -spirits, a man and a dog, had gone to their long last rest together. - - -II. - -To this day Pincher never really remembers how he got into the water. -The events of that night still seem like some ghastly nightmare, a -horrible dream in which incidents and impressions succeeded each other -with such rapidity that the memory of them seems almost unreal. He -recollects standing on the boat-deck with a group of other men and -divesting himself of his thick duffel coat. He did it reluctantly, for -it was bitterly cold. Then, after inflating the rubber swimming-collar -round his neck, he waited. The ship lay over at an alarming angle, and -it was all he could do to stand upright. - -'Jump, men! jump!' an officer kept on shouting. 'For God's sake, save -yourselves!' - -A few, nerving themselves for the effort, cast themselves overboard, -and were lost to sight in the raging sea; but Pincher and many others, -eyeing the tumult with horror, instinctively hung back. Life was very -dear at that moment, and it seemed sheer madness to cast one's self -into that seething maelstrom of one's own free-will. Then it was that -he remembered his heavy sea-boots. Fool! They would infallibly drag him -under if he had to swim for it; and, bending down, he kicked and -wriggled his right foot free. He was repeating the process with the -other when the end came. The ship lurched horribly to starboard, and -flung him to the deck with a shock which jarred every bone in his body. -The next instant he started slithering and sliding down a steep slope, -to bring up with a thud against a projection on the deck. The impact -nearly knocked the wind out of his body; but, stretching out his arms -with an instinct of self-preservation, he grasped something solid with -both hands, and clung madly on to it with all his strength. For a -second or two he hung there, gasping for breath, with sheets of spray -flying over his head. Then something soft cannoned into him and tore -him from his hold. He felt himself sliding again, then falling, -falling. - -Next a feeling of bitter cold and utter darkness as a sea snatched him -in its grasp and flung him away. He went down and down until his lungs -seemed on the point of bursting for want of air; but the -swimming-collar was still round his neck, and with a swift upward rush -he felt himself borne to the surface. On opening his mouth for air a -gigantic white-cap promptly broke over his head and left him -spluttering and gasping. At one moment he was carried high on the crest -of a sea, and the next he was deep down in a hollow; but by some -miracle he still managed to breathe, and retained sufficient presence -of mind to strike out away from the sinking ship. - - [Illustration: Raising his voice, he tried to shout for help. - PAGE 203.] - -He could see nothing, but the sea all round him was dotted with the -heads of other swimmers. Some had life-belts, some swimming-collars or -flotsam, and, like Pincher, were making the best of their way from the -scene of the disaster. Others had no life-saving appliances at all, and -were drowning in dozens. - -Twice was Pincher clutched round the body, but each time he fought with -the mad energy of despair, and wrenched himself free of the suffocating -embrace of a shipmate less lucky than himself. He was no coward, but it -was a case of each man for himself, and his desire to live was -overwhelming. - -How long he was in the water he never knew. He merely battled on, -fighting for breath. Presently, when all but exhausted and numb through -and through with cold, he was carried to the summit of a huge wave to -see the dark shape of a boat barely twenty feet from him. In the dim -half-light he could see it was crowded with men, and raising his voice, -he tried to shout for help. He emitted no sound but a feeble croak, and -the next time he was borne aloft the boat had vanished. Then it was -that Pincher commended his soul to his Maker. He could do no more. - -He seemed to have been swimming for hours, and was breathless and very -weary. His limbs felt incapable of further movement, and it was with -almost a feeling of relief that he gave up the struggle as hopeless. -But for his swimming-collar he would have sunk then and there. How long -he remained quiescent he could not tell; but during this awful time his -senses never left him, and he found himself wondering how long it would -take him to die. He did not dread the prospect; anything seemed better -than this awful shortness of breath and the constant buffeting by the -seas. The most trivial events and the most important happenings of his -short life crowded into his overwrought brain. His thoughts travelled -to his home, and he pictured his mother the last time he had seen her, -framed in the doorway of her cottage. He almost laughed when he -remembered himself tearing down the road to catch the train. He must -have looked funny, excruciatingly funny, but he felt a slight pang of -regret on thinking that he would never tread that road again. Next his -mind reverted to Billings, and he wondered hazily what had become of -him. Poor Joshua, he had been a good friend to him! He hoped he was not -drowned. What was Emmeline doing at this moment? The recollection of -her seemed indistinct and shadowy, somehow. He could not picture her -face, merely remembered that she was pretty and fascinating. What would -she say when she heard he had been drowned? Would she go into mourning -and cry her pretty eyes out? Perhaps she would marry some one else. - -Then, quite suddenly, he heard a voice. ''Ere's another on 'em!' it -said gruffly. He felt his head come into violent contact with something -solid and unyielding, and the next moment he was seized by the hair. -The pain of it hurt him abominably, but he was far too weak and short -of breath to expostulate. Then he was grasped under the armpits, and, -after describing what seemed a giddy and interminable parabola through -the air, heard himself descend with a crash on to something very hard. -The impact should have hurt him, but he felt nothing, and merely -realised in a hazy sort of way that he was in the bottom of a boat. - -It was bitterly cold. He shivered as with ague, while constant showers -of spray left him coughing and gasping for breath. Water washed over -him perpetually, and a horrible, never-ceasing oscillation flung him -violently to and fro. It was almost as bad as being in the water. But -he was past caring. Then came a feeling of terrible nausea, and, -rolling over abjectly, he was violently sick. Next, darkness, the utter -blackness of absolute oblivion. Pincher Martin had fainted. - -When he recovered his senses some hours later he could not for the -moment recollect where he was or what had happened. He felt chilled -through and through with the cold, but some kind Samaritan had removed -his sodden garments, and had left him lying in the bottom of the boat -covered with a portion of the sail and its tarpaulin cover. Several -other men lay there with him. Then he remembered. He felt bruised all -over, stiff, miserable, and very weak; but he could breathe, and found, -on trying to shift his position, that he had recovered the use of his -limbs, though the effort caused him agony. Glancing round, he saw he -was in the stern-sheets of the _Belligerent's_ forty-two-foot launch, -the largest pulling-boat she had carried. - -The sea was still running very high, and the boat pitched and rolled -violently and unceasingly, while constant showers of spray came driving -aft as her bluff bows plunged into the waves. At one moment he found -himself watching the dark clouds chasing each other across the gray sky -overhead; and the next, as the boat rolled, he was vouchsafed momentary -glimpses of a heaving expanse of gray-green sea, lashed and torn into -white, insensate fury by the wind. It was blowing a full gale. - -The boat was half-full of water, and amidships some men were busy -bailing, one with a bucket, and others with boots and caps. Crouching -down under the thwarts, with the water washing over them, were many -more men in the last stages of misery. Some showed signs of life; some -looked almost dead. Another melancholy party were clustered in the -stern, huddling together to get some warmth into their numbed limbs. -All sorts and conditions of men were there--stokers in their grimy -flannel shirts and fearnought trousers, just as they had come up out of -the stokehold; bluejackets in jerseys and blue serge trousers; some -marines; and a ship's steward's assistant with nothing but a -swimming-collar and a sodden white cotton shirt. Their lips were blue -with cold, their teeth were chattering, they looked abject and utterly -forlorn, but they were still alive. One or two of them were actually -talking. - -Standing up in the stern with the gunner and the boatswain was Petty -Officer Bartlett. The last-named was attired in his undergarments, a -cholera-belt, and one blue stocking, and in the intervals of gazing -anxiously round the horizon he was flapping his arms to restore his -circulation. How he managed to keep on his feet at all was a marvel. - -'Anythink in sight?' somebody asked in a husky whisper. - -'Not a ruddy thing!' Bartlett returned. 'I thought I seen somethin' -'bout ten minutes since, the smoke of a steamer on the 'orizon, but she -ain't there now.' - -The questioner, an able seaman, cursed under his breath. ''Ow long's -this ---- show goin' ter last?' he queried plaintively. 'I'm so ---- -cold. Such a ---- picnic I never did see. Gawd! why didn't I join th' -ruddy army? They kills yer quick there, not like this 'ere. I'll be a -gonner in another hour, see if I ain't,' he added weakly, trying to get -a little sympathy. 'Carn't feel me bloomin' legs no'ow; ain't got none -p'r'aps.' - -'Cheer up, Joe!' said the man alongside him, who seemed a little -happier; 'we ain't dead yet. Like me ter give yer another rub dahn?' - -Joe nodded wearily and closed his eyes. - -Pincher, unwilling to leave the shelter of his canvas, tried to attract -some one's attention. He endeavoured to speak, but could get no more -than a husky, almost inaudible, whisper; so, withdrawing one arm from -its covering, he moved it feebly up and down. After a lengthy pause one -of the marines noticed him. - -''Ere,' he said, patting Petty Officer Bartlett on the leg, 'one o' -them 'ere deaders 'as come back ter life!' - -Bartlett turned round. 'Deader!' he said. 'Which one?' - -'One o' them 'ere blokes yer pulled out o' th' ditch,' the marine -answered. - -'Blimy! So 'e 'as!' the petty officer exclaimed, rather surprised. 'I -thought 'e'd chucked 'is hand in long ago.--'Ere, me son,' he added, -coming across to where Martin lay, ''ow goes it?' - -Pincher smiled wearily. - -'Carn't talk, eh?' Bartlett remarked with rough kindliness. 'Like a -drop o' rum[32] an' a bit o' somethin' t' eat?' - - [32] When a ship is abandoned a certain amount of water, - biscuit, and rum is placed in all the boats. - -Martin nodded. - -'Hand us that there rum-jar,' the petty officer said over his shoulder. -'Easy now--easy!' as the man he had spoken to nearly let it fall. 'That -there may 'ave to last us for days!' He extracted the cork from the -wicker-covered jar and poured some of the spirit into a small tin mug. -'Damn me eyes!' came an angry ejaculation, as the boat gave a -particularly violent lurch and a few drops of the precious liquid -slopped over the edge. He replaced the cork carefully, and, putting one -arm under Pincher's head, held the pannikin to his lips. 'Try to -swaller it,' he said. 'It'll do you good.' - -Martin obeyed; and, though a certain amount of the liquor trickled over -his face, the greater proportion went down his throat. The burning -fieriness of the neat spirit made him choke and splutter, but the -feeling of warmth it induced was very comforting. - -''Ere's a bit o' biscuit,' said Bartlett again, extracting a broken -fragment from the waistband of his nether garments, where he had been -keeping it dry. 'Put that inside you, an' w'en you've finished it I'll -come along an' give you a bit of a rub down like to warm you up--see?' - -Pincher, still too weak to bite, consumed the flinty fragment by -nibbling round its edge until he could nibble no more, and then, when -the petty officer had rubbed his numbed and aching body with a pair of -horny hands, which rasped him like a file and threatened to take every -inch of skin off his long-suffering limbs, he felt tolerably warm and -much better. The blood coursed through his veins. Life was again worth -living. - -'Thanks!' he was able to murmur feebly when the painful ordeal was -over. - -'That's all right, me son. See if you carn't git a bit of a caulk,' -said Bartlett, getting up from his knees. - -It may have been the dose of rum, a spirit to which he was entirely -unaccustomed, which had the desired effect, but five minutes later -Pincher Martin was asleep. - -Immediately on being hoisted out, the launch had been dashed bows on -into the ship. She had been badly damaged; but men, stripping -themselves, had stuffed their clothes into the rents to keep the water -out. Time after time breaking seas had nearly swamped her; but by dint -of constant bailing with boots, caps, and anything they could lay their -hands upon, they had somehow managed to keep her afloat. - -Most of the oars had been broken in frantic efforts to fend the boat -off from the ship, and none remained to keep her head on to the sea -when they finally got clear of the wreck. Then they had lashed all the -boat's lumber together, and had dropped it overboard to form a floating -sea-anchor; and the launch, secured to it by a rope, rode head on to -the waves. But still the wretched survivors were in a bad way. They had -yearned, with all the longing their souls possessed, that a ship would -be in sight when morning came. They had practically pinned their faith -to it, for they were aware that they were in a part of the English -Channel where traffic was constant. But when the night lifted and the -gray dawn gave way to full daylight there was nothing in sight. Not the -least vestige of a steamer or the welcome gleam of a rescuing sail; -only the gray-white expanse of the raging sea, and the sombre, -wind-driven clouds chasing each other across the gray void overhead. -Then a faint feather of smoke had shown up over the rim of the horizon -to the southward. It was fully ten miles off, but they all thought for -one wild moment that salvation was at hand. Their drooping spirits -revived; but a minute later the smoke had disappeared, and their hopes -were dashed to the ground. - -They were exhausted, wet through, chilled to the bone, and utterly -miserable, and some of that little band of two warrant-officers and -seventy odd men resigned themselves to their fate. They could not last -much longer. And so the launch, with a woollen scarf lashed to an oar -amidships fluttering as a mute signal of distress, drifted on at the -mercy of the wind and sea. Her crew were past caring. - - -III. - -Early in the morning of that fateful New Year's Day the Brixham trawler -_Providence_ was running back to her port for shelter from the gale; -but when she was off Start Point the wind and sea had increased to such -an extent that there was nothing to be done but to heave-to and ride -out the storm. Between eleven o'clock and noon the smack was hove-to on -the starboard tack, when the third hand, who was on deck, saw a large -gray open boat to leeward. She was full of men, and was flying a -muffler tied to an upright oar as a signal of distress; but so heavy -was the sea that she was obscured for minutes at a time in the trough -of the waves. - -The smack's crew of three men and a boy, Little Dan, were soon on deck, -and promptly got to work to take another reef in the mainsail and to -set their small storm jib. It was a hard tussle, for the wind was -blowing with hurricane force, and seas were constantly breaking over -the deck; but it was the only thing to be done if a rescue was to be -effected. - -The _Providence_ was on the starboard tack, let it be understood. -This meant that the wind was blowing from her starboard side; but, to -reach the launch at all, she had to pass round on to the port tack. -There are two ways of manoeuvring a sailing-vessel from one tack to -the other. The first, the shortest method, is by 'going about,' or -turning the vessel round head to wind, and then allowing her sails to -fill on the other side. The second way, a longer method, in which more -ground is lost, is by 'gybing' or 'wearing,' in which the ship passes -from tack to tack by turning her stern to the wind. Both are -comparatively simple evolutions in calm weather, but any sailor will -say that in a small fore-and-aft rigged craft both are dangerous in a -heavy sea and a gale of wind. Of the two, however, gybing is by far the -more hazardous, even perilous, for there is a grave risk of the craft -being pooped by a heavy sea, or of her being dismasted when the large -mainsail swings across the deck and suddenly bellies out on the other -side. But Captain Pillar, the skipper, realised it was the only thing -to be done. He was a thorough seaman, who knew his craft well, and he -decided to take the risk. - -The helm was put hard up, and the _Providence_ paid off gradually -until her stern was in the wind's eye, and then, sweeping round on the -crest of a gigantic billow, came on to the port tack. An enormous sea -broke on board as she did so, and the heavy mainsail came across with a -crash and a jerk which nearly wrenched the mast out. But the men who -had built the sturdy _Providence_ knew their work, and the mast -was a good sound stick, and the rigging honest steel wire. It was a -good test of their workmanship, for by some miracle the gear held. - -Drawing close to windward of the launch, the smacksmen hove a rope -across as they drifted by. It missed. Another attempt, and yet another, -but on each occasion the line fell short. Then, when those in the boat -had almost given it up as hopeless, a fourth heave was successful. The -rope was caught by the bluejackets, held, and belayed, and slowly but -surely the launch was hauled toward the stern of her rescuer. Then the -warp was passed forward along the lee side of the _Providence_, and the -man-of-war's boat was drawn cautiously ahead until her bows were level -with the lee quarter of the smack. - -The exhausted bluejackets were ordered to jump on board, and one by one -they obeyed. It was a perilous business, for the waves were running -twenty to thirty feet high, and at one moment both craft were lifted -high in the air, while the next they were deep down in a hollow, with -an awful, roaring breaker threatening to overwhelm them. It took -half-an-hour before the whole seventy of them reached their haven of -refuge; but the work was accomplished without the loss of a single -soul; while the senior officer present, the torpedo gunner, true to the -traditions of the service, was the last man to leave. Then the launch -was cast adrift. She had served her purpose, and was never seen again. - -The rescued men, many of them in the last stages of exhaustion and -numbness after their frightful ordeal, were accommodated wherever room -could be found for them. What food and tobacco the smack carried were -shared out equally, and hot coffee was served out all round. - -The _Providence_ then shaped her course for home, and, after being -taken in tow by another vessel when close to her destination, -eventually berthed alongside the quay at Brixham at eight o'clock in -the evening. And so, from the very jaws of death, Pincher Martin -stepped ashore. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -H.M.S. 'MARINER.' - - -I. - -Your modern destroyer differs from her prototype of twenty years ago in -much the same way as the present-day Rolls-Royce differs from the early -motor-car of 1895. She is just about four times as large, is infinitely -more seaworthy, is much faster, and better armed. She is an ocean-going -craft which, with judicious handling, can keep the sea in practically -any weather, whereas her more elderly sister usually had to run for -shelter in a really bad gale of wind, and was unfit for constant work -in the North Sea except in summer. - -Pincher had seen destroyers at work, and had heard a great deal about -them in one way and another; and when, in the first week of February, -he found himself detailed as one of the crew of a new craft of this -type on the verge of completion in a northern port, he was happy. True, -he knew he 'wouldn't be 'arf seasick,' as he put it, and did not at all -relish the idea, though the extra sixpence a day 'hard-lying money' was -always something to be grateful for. He was aware, moreover, that life -in a destroyer in war-time was considered rather a hard and risky -existence; but he would probably be in the thick of anything which took -place in the North Sea, and he owed 'them 'Uns' something for sinking -his first ship and drowning many of his shipmates. - -He wondered why he had been sent to a destroyer at all, however, for he -knew that as a rule ordinary seamen were not eligible. As a matter of -fact, it was Peter Wooten, the late senior watch-keeper of the -_Belligerent_, who had worked the oracle. Wooten was the sort of -person whom nothing could kill. I don't know how many times he had been -wrecked, or how often his life had been in danger; but after the -battleship sank he had been in the water for half-an-hour in nothing -but a singlet and a pair of socks, in one of which was stuffed his last -five-pound note. He had been picked up by a boat from one of the -cruisers at the last moment, and purely by a lucky accident; but even -then he had been rather annoyed with his rescuers because they laughed -at his scanty and unofficer-like attire. He also had a grievance -because he had lost his best uniform cap, a brand-new article which, he -informed any one who cared to listen, had cost him the sum of -twenty-two shillings and sixpence, and had last been on his head when -he jumped overboard. Incidentally he had saved the lives of two men by -helping them to reach pieces of wreckage; but, being as hard as nails -himself, he was not one whit the worse for his aquatic adventures. - -He eventually got ashore in a borrowed overcoat, proceeded on a -fortnight's leave, and then, as the result of a visit to a friend at -the Admiralty, found himself appointed to the _Mariner_, a new -destroyer. Naturally he was delighted, and at once set about collecting -a good ship's company for his new ship. He far preferred having men he -knew to strangers who had never served with him before; and, by dint of -a little judicious conversation with the officer in charge of the -drafting-office at the barracks, Petty Officer Casey, Billings, -M'Sweeny, and Pincher were officially detailed for his ship. It was -Casey himself who had suggested Martin's inclusion, though that youth -was unaware who had caused a point to be stretched in his favour. - -Pincher was not really a nervous, highly strung individual with a vivid -and preying imagination; but even so, five weeks had elapsed before the -doctors consented to allow him to go to sea again. His nerves had been -badly shaken, and the sudden banging of a door or unusual sounds of any -kind brought him out in a cold and horrible perspiration. Crossing a -street through traffic or entering a boat was an ordeal which caused -him many moments of poignant mental agony. - -They had sent him on three weeks' leave, and the twenty-and-one days of -blissful ease, during which he saw nothing of the sea, and was treated -as more or less of an invalid and as very much of a war-worn hero, -helped to restore him to his normal self. The presence of Emmeline, by -special request, also had its effect, for with the girl as his constant -companion he was able to forget many painful incidents which it was as -well should be forgotten. - -But the advent of Emmeline certainly did involve him in complications -of another kind. A porter had told the stationmaster that he had seen -Mrs Martin embrace the girl when she arrived at the railway station. -The stationmaster imparted the information to his wife; and that lady, -an inveterate gossip, spread the news far and wide. It caused no small -flutter among the maidens of Caxton. It was neither correct nor proper -for the mother of an eligible youth to go kissing a girl in public -unless the youth himself regarded the maiden as his 'intended,' on -approval, as it were; so Mrs Martin, quite inadvertently, put her foot -in it, and caused the cat to leap out of the bag in one act. - -Not that Emmeline or Pincher cared a jot who knew. It was bound to come -out sooner or later, and each found the company of the other quite -sufficient and pleasant enough to make life well worth living. The fact -that the village girls were bitterly incensed and obviously jealous was -rather amusing than otherwise. Though not admitting it, they would have -regarded it as an honour to be seen about with a sailor or a soldier in -uniform now that it was war-time. They considered that Pincher had -played them a low-down trick in ignoring their charms and in going -elsewhere for an object for his affections, and they did not hesitate -to say so. They took the precaution of making their remarks in private, -however, for with their parents Pincher was something of a hero. Their -mothers knitted him socks and comforters, and at the 'Bull and Bottle' -he could, if he had wished it, have absorbed sufficient malt liquor at -the fathers' expense to float a battleship. So when he heard that busy -tongues were wagging in his direction he laughed happily and said -nothing. Emmeline, wise girl, did the same. - -Some of the _Mariner's_ ship's company and all the officers had been -sent up north beforehand to become acquainted with their new ship; but -at last came the day when the remainder--some sixty odd seamen and -stokers--were put into a train with their bags, hammocks, and some -mascots, in the shape of a monkey, two cats, and one small goat, for -which they had not taken tickets. - -The goat, Pompey, was young, but had a voracious appetite, for before -they got to London he had eaten two pork-pies, the property of Pincher -Martin, three packets of Wild Woodbine cigarettes of M'Sweeny's, and -half a magazine belonging to some one else, while the respective owners -slumbered peacefully. On arrival in the Metropolis he was so overcome -by his miscellaneous diet as to be violently and unexpectedly ill in -the omnibus on the way to King's Cross; whereupon the conveyance was -stopped for brandy to revive him. As a consequence, they very nearly -missed their train to the north; while Pompey, unused to potations in -any form, spent the remainder of the journey in a state of coma. - -The two cats behaved well; but, in the small hours of the morning, just -before the train was due to start from one station, Jane the monkey was -discovered to be missing. The whistle had already blown, but the train -was stopped, and forty-three bluejackets, vowing that nothing on earth -would induce them to be parted from their pet, swarmed from their -carriages and went off in search of the truant. Ten minutes later, -Jane, gibbering like a lunatic, but with absolutely no malicious -intent, was discovered chasing a middle-aged, portly, highly -respectable, and very terrified female round and round the table in the -third-class waiting-room. The monkey was enjoying herself hugely; not -so the lady. - -'Such goin's on didn't oughter be allowed, young man!' she panted -breathlessly when Billings stormed her retreat, and Jane abandoned the -pursuit. - -'Lor' bless yer, marm!' laughed Joshua, helping her to collect her -scattered parcels, 'she's that tame she'd feed out o' yer 'and.--Come -'ere, Jane,' he added coaxingly. 'Come an' show th' lady 'ow nice ye -kin be'ave.' - -The animal, busily investigating the contents of the water-carafe on -the table, clucked twice, and evinced no further interest. - -'Them wild hanimals didn't oughter be allowed!' the woman retorted -nervously. 'An' you, young man,' she went on, fixing Joshua with a -horny eye, 'is a disgrace to your uniform! You oughter be fightin' them -Germans instead o' chasin' monkeys round railway stations at this time -o' night. I'm a respectable married woman, I am, an' if my 'usband knoo -o' these goin's on 'e'd be very angry. My 'usband's a foreman -bricklayer'---- - -'I'm sorry yer takes it that way, marm,' said Joshua apologetically, -picking up the protesting animal by the scruff of her neck, and then -touching his forelock. 'I'm sure our Jane didn't mean no 'arm. I'm a -respeccable married man meself, an''---- - -'Married man, are you?' interrupted the lady, with a snort, as the -seaman, with Jane perched on his shoulder, prepared to take his -departure. 'Married? Shame on you! What'd your poor wife say if she -see'd you be'avin' like this, an' chasin' respectable women with your -wild hanimals instead o' fightin' for your country? I've a good mind to -'ave the lor on you! The wild beast nearly bit me; would 'ave done if I -'adn't run'---- - -There was no pacifying her, and Joshua, smothering his amusement, beat -a hasty retreat. Her strident remarks followed him down the platform. - -It took some time to collect the others, who had scattered all over the -station in search of the deserter; but eventually, after a long and -heated altercation with two ticket-collectors and three porters, -reinforced by the guard and a sleepy station-master, the train was -suffered to proceed on its journey twenty minutes late. The travellers, -hungry, irritable, and very peevish, arrived at their destination at -six o'clock in the morning, in a thick fog and a depressing -north-country drizzle, to discover, on disembarking with their -menagerie, that half-a-dozen hammocks and three kit-bags had, by -inadvertence on some one's part, been left behind in London. - -But all's well that ends well; and, two hours later, after breakfast, -the party, slightly more cheerful, arrived at the shipyard where the -_Mariner_ was being completed. They found the workmen still busy upon -her; and as she would not be ready for commissioning for another week, -the men were billeted in lodgings for the time being. - -But they were not allowed to kick their heels in idleness. There is -always plenty to be done before a new ship is ready for sea; while in -war, when every one is working at full pressure, the labour of a -fortnight has often to be crammed into three or four days. Ammunition -had to be transferred from railway trucks to the magazines and -shellrooms; torpedoes had to be placed in their tubes; and a whole -trainload of stores unloaded, sorted out, checked, and carried on -board--dozens of drums of oil, tons of paint, bolts of canvas, bundles -of cotton-waste, coils of wire and hemp rope, broomsticks and boat-hook -staves, oars, cooking utensils, crockery, knives, spoons, forks, -bedding, provisions, rum, and many other things too numerous to -mention! It was like furnishing a new and empty house, except that a -dwelling is not expected to cruise about the countryside at something -over thirty knots, and does not as a rule contain sufficient in the way -of lethal weapons and explosives to sink a squadron of battleships. -Neither does the average residence accommodate eighty odd people. It -was hard work, for the men were busy all day and every day, from early -morn till dewy eve. - -In the meantime, the contractors' workmen, using every effort to get -the ship completed by the proper date, swarmed on board in their -dozens. All day and all night the air resounded with the clanging of -their hammers and the deafening rattle of their pneumatic drills. A -party of bluejackets, under the orders of Mr Daniel Menotti, the gunner -(T), once spent the whole of a bitterly cold forenoon stowing shell in -the after shellroom. At eleven-thirty, when the men were looking -forward to their midday meal, and were congratulating themselves that -their labours were nearly finished, one of the contractors' foremen -suddenly appeared. - -'Hallo!' he remarked affably; 'what's going on here?' - -'We're stowin' the after shellroom,' said Mr Menotti blithely. 'Reckon -we've done it in record time, too.' He rubbed his hands contentedly. - -The foreman scratched his right ear. 'That's rather unfortunate,' he -observed, with a smile hovering round his mouth. 'We've not finished -the woodwork yet, and we can't get on with it if all your projectiles -are stowed.' - -'Can't get on with it!' echoed the gunner. 'Why, Mr Scroggins--your Mr -Scroggins--told me it was all right to carry on with the job!' - -'I,' retorted the foreman dourly, tapping his bosom--'I am the man in -charge, and Mr Scroggins isn't. You shouldn't have taken his word. If -you'd come to me I could have told you that'---- - -'Mean to say you want the whole blessed lot humped out again?' the -gunner demanded wildly. 'We've spent the whole bloomin' forenoon over -the job, and'---- - -'That's just exactly what I do mean,' interrupted the foreman, smiling -benignly. 'We can't put the woodwork up if your shell are there, and if -the woodwork's not put up the ship'll be delayed. That's all about it.' -It was his ultimatum, and with a polite nod to the exasperated officer -he walked off. - -'Lord love us!' Mr Menotti ejaculated; 'd'you mean to say'---- Words -failed him, and he contented himself with shaking his fist at the -foreman's retreating back. 'Damn an blast!' he muttered fiercely, -recovering his breath but not his composure; 'of all the ruddy sons o' -Ham you're about the worst! Why couldn't you have told me this three -hours earlier, you lop-eared tinker? Why didn't you---- Oh, you -perishin' swab, you!--Come on, lads,' he added mournfully, shrugging -his shoulders; 'we'll have to hump the whole bloomin' lot out again, -damn an' blast him!' He ground his teeth with rage. - -The 'lads' expressed their disapproval of things in general and -contractors' foremen in particular in loud, full-blooded nautical -blasphemy. But uncompleted ships are still under the control of the -firm building them, and the firm--well, the firm takes precedence next -to the Admiralty itself. So there was nothing for it but to undo the -work of hours. Every single projectile had to be removed. There were -one hundred and fifty of them, and each weighed thirty-one pounds, -neither more nor less. - -But they were all busy. Wooten kept a watchful eye upon everything that -went on, and in the intervals of interviewing Admiralty overseers and -foremen wrestled with his correspondence and confidential books and -documents. MacDonald, the Scots first lieutenant, grappled with his -watch and station bills, arranged the men in their various messes and -boats, and detailed them for their guns, torpedo-tubes, and stations. -He, as the executive officer, was entirely responsible for the -organisation and interior economy of the ship, and found it a difficult -job to think of and provide for all the possible contingencies which -might arise when once they got to sea. Sometimes he tore his hair and -cursed aloud, more particularly over the matter of the Smiths. - -It so happened that some person at the drafting-office at the barracks, -with a sense of misguided humour, had thought fit to include no fewer -than four Smiths in the _Mariner's_ crew. There was Reuben Smith, -an able seaman; John Smith, a stoker; Peter Smith, the cook's mate; and -Harry Smith, a long-haired officers' steward of the second class, with -a pale face and a mournful aspect. The ubiquitous surname, cropping up -at every turn, became the first lieutenant's bugbear. It haunted him -night and day. Once, after a couple of hours' hard work, he discovered -that he had placed Reuben Smith in the stokers' mess, John Smith with -the seamen, Peter Smith in the wardroom, and the undesirable Harry with -the petty officers. He had made out a fair copy of his list before -discovering the error, and then, adding up the total, found he had two -men too many. He checked it again, to discover that he had included not -four but five Smiths, while yet another man had been counted twice -over. - -Thompson, the engineer-lieutenant-commander, who had stood by the ship -while she was being built, wore a suit of brown overalls and a harassed -expression. It was not to be wondered at, for, amongst other things, he -was responsible for all the stores, and nearly every morning he -received pathetic or peremptory missives from the officials of the -dockyard whence the destroyer had been supplied. His stores reminded -him of the pieces of a jig-saw puzzle. He had packing-cases, crates, -and parcels of every imaginable shape, size, description, and weight, -all of which had to be unpacked, checked, and acknowledged. He hoped -fervently that the things would sort themselves out and fit into their -proper places at some period in the dim future; but every train which -arrived brought him fresh consignments, until his pile reached such -colossal proportions that he had serious doubts if they would be able -to get it all on board. - -However, he had no time to worry too much about the stores, for he had -quite enough to think about with the machinery and boilers of the ship -herself. He had seen all his air-pumps, feed-pumps, air-compressors, -and what-nots erected and tested in the shop before they had been built -into his ship. He had examined his boilers, bearings, and -thrust-blocks, and had supervised the delicate adjustments of the -turbines; and now he spent all his days and most of his nights in the -engine-room seeing if everything worked in harmony. Occasionally things -went wrong, and he found himself embroiled in long and highly technical -arguments with the representatives of the firm. They wanted things done -in their way because they were building the ship; while he, quite -rightly, preferred his own method because he would have to run her when -she got to sea. They generally came to some sort of a compromise; but -Thompson always avers that that last awful week took at least ten years -off his life, and I am inclined to believe him. - -The sub-lieutenant, Hargreaves, who had only his charts to correct, was -perhaps the lightest-worked officer of them all; but Mr Menotti became -apoplectic about the face, and was brought to the verge of lunacy -thrice daily. First he had discovered that he had too much ammunition; -and then, on counting again, that he had thirty projectiles too few. He -promptly sent a frantic telegram to the ordnance depot which had -supplied the ammunition in the first instance, to receive in reply a -curt message stating that so many shell--the proper number--had been -despatched on such and such a date. They held his signed receipt for -them, so would he kindly verify his statement? Their meaning could not -have been plainer if they had wired, 'If YOU'RE such a silly juggins as -to go losing shell, it is certainly not OUR fault!' - -The gunner, with awful visions of courts of inquiry and courts-martial -for the loss of valuable Government stores--to wit, shell, lyddite, -thirty in number--searched high and low, but without success. They -eventually turned up the day the ship sailed, arriving in a hand-cart -propelled by two small youths, who said they--the shell, not the -youths--had been found in a remote storehouse in the shipyard where Mr -Menotti himself had put them for safety. The gunner always had a very -short memory when he was harassed. - -The shipyard was a depressing place, full of gaunt cranes, overhead -gantries, grimy buildings, and huge corrugated-iron erections with tall -chimneys which befouled and blotted out every vestige of the sky with -their oily black smoke. Besides two destroyers and some other small -craft, the firm were building a battleship, and the noise and clatter -of the pneumatic riveters and drilling-machines was deafening. Cranes, -with steel plates hanging precariously from their jibs, staggered -drunkenly to and fro on their lines, screeching as they went. Piles of -rusty plates, which presently would be built into some ship, lay -everywhere in seeming confusion for people to bark their shins against -after dark; while pale, apathetic youths stood here and there working -the bellows of huge brazier affairs with coke fires for heating rivets. -A shout from a grimy gentleman perilously balanced on a plank some ten -feet overhead would warn them that another rivet was wanted; and, -seizing the morsel of red-hot steel in a pair of tongs, the boys, with -a dexterous flick of their wrists, would send it flying through space, -to be caught as cleverly by a man with a bucket. To an outsider the -whole yard seemed to be in a state of chaotic confusion, but in reality -it was very highly organised, for gang relieved gang, and the work went -on night and day. - -It was nearly always raining, and the horrible slime was carried on -board the _Mariner_ until her decks and living-spaces were literally an -inch deep in black filth well trodden in by the feet of many workmen. -The white wooden tables and stools on the mess-decks were caked in -grime and covered with paint-splashes and candle-grease, while workmen -shocked the susceptibilities of the first lieutenant by their -monotonous and indiscriminate expectoration. He nearly wept every time -he went on board. He would have to get the ship clean some day, and at -present the labours of Hercules in the Augean stables seemed nothing to -what he would have to undertake. - - -II. - -At last came the day when the _Mariner_ left the river to carry -out the first of a series of steam trials. As yet she was not a -full-fledged man-of-war, and, being still in the hands of the -contractors, was in the charge of a pilot. Wooten was present merely as -a spectator, and to take over the command in the rare eventuality of -their happening to sight an enemy. They sighted no enemy; but the trip -shook many of the civilian voyagers to the core. - -It was a cold and blustery day. The wind was off the shore, and had -raised what Wooten called 'a little bit of a lop,' but what, in the -opinion of the contractors' men, was 'a terrible storm.' It is true -that the motion was supremely uncomfortable, and that when the -destroyer was travelling at something over thirty knots she was deluged -fore and aft in sheets of spray. The ship was very crowded, too. To -start with, she carried the eighty odd souls who formed her proper -naval crew. Then there were the Admiralty officers, overseers, and -officials, the builders' representatives and foremen, and others from -different sub-contracting firms who had supplied various portions of -the machinery. The firm, who never did anything by halves, provided -lunch in the wardroom for the officers and the more important -officials. And such a lunch it was, brought on board in three enormous -wicker hampers which filled the officers' bathroom! It would seem that -food and drink were presently to circulate as freely in the wardroom as -would lubricating oil and north-country blasphemy in the engine-room. -But most of them had no food until the ship returned into harbour in -the afternoon. They had reckoned without that fickle mistress, the sea, -and she flattened many of them out. Bovril and brandy were more to -their liking than solid food. Moreover, some of them were rather -nervous about going out of the harbour at all. - -'I say, commander,' one of the firm's bigwigs had said to Wooten as -they steamed down the river, 'is it true that the Germans have been -laying mines off the coast?' - -'M'yes,' said the lieutenant-commander; 'I believe it is.' - -'Is there any chance of our being blown up?' - -'No-o,' said Wooten slowly; 'I don't really think there is, though of -course this bad weather we've been having lately will have broken many -of 'em adrift.' - -'And what'll happen if we hit one?' his companion wanted to know. - -'Happen!' said the naval officer. 'The bloomin' thing'll probably go -off, and we shall take single tickets to heaven in a puff of smoke. -We're chock-full of lyddite and gun-cotton, and'---- - -The civilian seemed rather perturbed. 'Of course, I'm not really -nervous,' he hastened to explain, looking rather white about the gills -as he fidgeted with an inflatable rubber life-belt round his middle; -'but I do hope you'll keep a careful eye on the pilot.' - -'Of course I will. I'm not going to let him bump one of the bally -things unless I can't help it. She's still your ship, though,' added -Wooten, 'and I'm not really responsible.' - -'No, I quite understand that,' said the other; 'but, you see, I'm not -used to--er--risks of this kind. I'm not paid for it, and I've a wife -and five children.' - -'You're insured, I suppose?' asked Wooten, smiling to himself. - -'Yes; but my policy doesn't cover war risks.' - -'H'm! that's bad; but I shouldn't worry about it if I were you. If we -do go sky-high'---- Wooten paused. - -'What were you going to say?' the bigwig asked apprehensively. - -'I was thinking,' Wooten went on with a malicious twinkle in his -eye--'well, I was thinking that if we are blown up there will be quite -a merry little lot of us--nearly a couple of hundred--what? I can -almost see myself as a nice fat little cherub sitting on a damp cloud -twanging a harp--eh? They'll probably serve you out with a trombone. -Can you play one?' He laughed, for somehow his companion reminded him -of the man who had played that instrument in the orchestra of the -Portsmouth Hippodrome in pre-war days. - -'I do wish you'd be serious,' the contractors' representative observed -sadly. 'This is no joking matter.' - -'I am serious,' Wooten protested, trying hard to control his face. - -'But you seem to like the idea.' - -Wooten shook his head. 'Don't you believe it,' he replied. 'But just -think what a glorious death it would be for you if you did go sky-high! -Why, your name would be in the Roll of Honour, and your photo in the -_Daily Mirror_. You'd be a public hero!' - -'Better be a live convict than a dead hero,' observed the bigwig -glumly, going off to seek consolation elsewhere. - -But when they did get to sea, and the _Mariner_ started first to bob -and curtsy, and then, as she gathered speed, to kick and dance like a -bucking mule, the violent motion drove all thoughts of mines or German -submarines out of their heads. They were seasick--fearfully and -wonderfully seasick. The joys of a sailor's life were not for them, and -most of the contractors' men and not a few of the ship's company wished -that they might die. The very thought of food made their gorges rise in -disgust, so lunch was delayed until their return into harbour just -before dark. - -Wooten and the officers were enthusiastic about the ship. 'She's a -rattling good sea-boat,' the former remarked, rubbing the caked salt -out of his eyes as he sat down in the wardroom when the ship had -secured alongside her wharf. 'We hardly took a green sea on board the -whole time.--Give me some of that game-pie and a whisky-and-soda, -steward! I'm perishing with hunger.' - -'Green seas!' laughed a lately revived contractors' official, busy with -a plate of galantine on the opposite side of the table; 'the water -seemed to be coming on board everywhere. I thought the weather was -absolutely poisonous.' - -'Poisonous!' echoed the skipper, looking up with his mouth full. 'My -dear sir, it was a ripping day. Nearly flat calm.' - -'You call that nearly flat calm?' - -'Course I do. There was nothing but a little bit of a lop.' - -'A lop, d'you call it? And what the deuce are these craft like in a -gale?' - -'A bit lively, and most damnably wet,' said Wooten. - -'Well, thank God I'm not a destroyer sailor!' exclaimed the civilian -with a sigh of heartfelt relief. 'I think you fellows ought to get -treble pay in bad weather.' - -'So do I,' the naval officer agreed. 'But none of us get our deserts, -thank Heaven!' - -Every one laughed. - -The first trial was not a complete success, and the ship was delayed -for a few days with defective fan engines. Then, with the faults -rectified, they went to sea again, and this time everything worked -smoothly--far more smoothly than Thompson, the engineer-lieutenant-commander, -had dared to hope. - -The _Mariner_ was a flyer, or at least she flew faster than any -other ship most of them had ever been in before. The ship's company -talked of her being able to do thirty-seven knots, and thought -themselves no small beer in consequence; but as a matter of fact their -estimate was exaggerated. - -They carried out several more trials, and eventually, in the third week -of February, the ship commissioned. Her officers and men shifted -themselves and their belongings on board from their respective hotels -and lodgings. Pompey, Jane, the two cats, and a newly acquired -fox-terrier puppy rejoicing in the name of Tirpitz were dragged -ruthlessly on board, and the destroyer hoisted her pendant and ensign. -She was a man-of-war at last. - -Two days later she sailed to the southward. The good wishes of her -builders went with her; for, if anything serious went wrong with her -interior economy within the next few months, they, by their contract, -were due to pay the piper. - -And so the _Mariner_ put out to sea. - - -III. - -All things are said to have their uses; but I have never yet been able -to discover any utilitarian purpose attached to a fog. I believe that -the men serving in lighthouses and lightships benefit by them to the -extent that they receive extra pay in return for their want of sleep -while their hooters and sirens are working; but I am more than certain -that this small addition to their salaries would be more than made up -by annual subscriptions from cheerful captains, masters, and officers -of His Majesty's Royal Navy and the Mercantile Marine were fogs to be -abolished altogether. - -There are fogs and fogs. A fog ashore is a nuisance which may cause one -to arrive as much as an hour late at the office, may make one miss an -appointment with one's dentist, or, worse still, an appointment to -lunch or dinner with some opulent acquaintance. I have even heard of a -London fog which was so thick that the conductor of a motor-omnibus, -who had left his vehicle to discover his whereabouts, was unable to -find it again. I feel sorry for that man, for a fog ashore is always an -inconvenience and a nuisance, sometimes even a positive danger. But a -real fog at sea is ever a ghastly nightmare; while thick weather in -war-time, when one has to pursue a zigzag and serpentine track along a -coast to dodge well-sown minefields laid for one's especial -discomfiture and disintegration by an obliging and thoughtful cousin -from the other side of the North Sea--well, the less said about it the -better. Moreover, when the restricted navigable channels are crowded -with merchant ships which the presence of mines and enemy submarines -does not seem to deter, and when most of the buoys and navigational -safeguards have been removed for the annoyance of the afore-mentioned -Hun submarine, the difficulties are increased. Piloting a vessel in -such circumstances might perhaps appeal to some jaded individual in -search of new thrills; but to the ordinary simple sailor, who gets his -thrills as regularly as clockwork free, gratis, and for nothing, an -off-shore fog is an invention of the Evil One. - -So when, during the _Mariner's_ first passage, Wooten noticed the -horizon to seaward was gradually becoming obliterated in a luminous -haze, and the outline of the land was rapidly becoming less and less -distinct in white, cotton-wool-like puffs of vapour, he cursed gently -and felt anxious. - -'Yes,' he growled disgustedly to the first lieutenant, whose watch it -was, 'we're in for a regular thick un. D'you see this little lot?' He -placed a finger on a large red oblong outlined on the chart. - -MacDonald nodded. - -'That's their latest minefield,' the skipper continued. 'According to -all accounts it's a pretty good un, as four steamers have been blown up -there within the last two days. We shall be up to this corner of it in -about a quarter of an hour, and we've got to snuggle in between it and -the shore somehow. I don't much fancy running along within a mile of -the coast if we can't see a yard in front of our faces. However,' he -added with a sigh, 'I suppose it's got to be done.' - -The first lieutenant looked at the chart. 'We can ease down and run a -line of soundings, sir,' he observed; 'but even then I doubt if the -lead'll tell us much. The water's under ten fathoms the whole way, and -we might pile up on one of these banks before we know where we are. -They're steep to.'[33] He pointed to some patches of closely clustered -dots representing sandbanks. 'Perhaps we might pick up one of the -buoys, sir?' he added hopefully. - - [33] A coast or a shoal is said to be 'steep to' when - comparatively deep water extends right up to its seaward - edge. The lead, therefore, gives little indication of a - ship's proximity to danger. - -Wooten seemed doubtful. 'Most of 'em have been taken away,' he -answered. 'I do wish these perishin' Huns would go and do their dirty -work somewhere else! Our compasses are none too accurate, and Heaven -alone knows exactly what the tide is doing.' He was very much annoyed, -and not a little apprehensive; for the haze over the land was getting -thicker every minute, and there was no breeze to dispel it. - -Ten minutes later the _Mariner_ was travelling in a cold and clammy -mist through which it was impossible to see more than a mile; while -five minutes afterwards she had run into a solid wall of thick gray -fog, and their range of vision was bounded by a narrow circle with a -radius of barely a hundred yards. - -'Damn!' Wooten muttered fiercely, stepping to the engine-room telegraph -and turning the handle until the pointer showed the revolutions of the -turbines for ten knots. - -With the sounding-machine going every five minutes, the siren wailing -mournfully every two, and extra lookouts placed on the forecastle, they -groped their way blindly on. It was trying work; for, now that the fog -had shut down, the neighbourhood at once seemed crowded with other -ships, the dismal hooting of whose sirens and steam-whistles came from -all directions at the same time. The noises they made were curious. -Some barked like dogs; others cleared their throats noisily, or -stammered and yelped shrilly; while more boomed and bellowed like -cattle, howled liked wolves, or laughed like jackasses. - -'I've heard a farmyard in the early mornin',' Wooten observed; 'but the -racket that's going on now fairly licks creation.' - -Once they sighted a huge dull blur in the haze right ahead, and the -skipper, holding his breath, jammed the helm over just in time to avoid -a large Norwegian tramp laden with timber. The vessels slid by each -other barely twenty feet apart, and as they passed a man with an -excited purple face and a white beard leant over her bridge-rail -gesticulating wildly. 'Why for you no look where you come?' he bellowed -in incoherent and very bad English. - -'Don't get excited, Father Christmas!' Wooten retaliated, justly -annoyed. 'Why the deuce don't you sound your hooter, you perishin' -pirate?' - -The master of the steamer waved his fists excitedly, but before he -could collect his wits and think of anything further to say the vessels -had slid past each other and were out of sight and earshot. - -For an hour the _Mariner_ travelled on, with the fog as thick as ever. -They were running down the Channel between the minefield and the banks -lying off the shore; but in spite of the fact that they were working -entirely by dead reckoning, and the tide was an unknown quantity, -nothing unforeseen occurred. - -'What the deuce is that?' asked MacDonald, as an excited, irregular, -and strident 'He-he-haw-haw-haw!' burst out from the murk ahead. - -Wooten laughed. 'Sounds exactly like a donkey braying,' he said. 'As a -matter of fact, it's some blighter playing on one of those hand -fog-horns. Sailing-craft of sorts. He's right ahead, too. Keep your -eyes skinned!' - -A moment later there came a wild yell from the forecastle, 'Ship right -a'ead, sir!' - -'Starboard! Hard a-starboard!' the skipper ordered at once, as a -blurred silhouette came out of the mist right under the destroyer's -bows. 'By George! we've got her!' His heart was in his mouth, and he -gripped the rail convulsively and waited for the crash. - -But they didn't hit her quite; for the _Mariner_, turning sharply -to port under her helm, just shaved past within a fathom of a small -decked sailing-boat with brown, idly flapping sails. An ancient mariner -in a billycock hat at her wheel stared up open-mouthed at the -destroyer's bridge, and then, yelling like a maniac, darted aft and -hauled in on the painter of the dinghy towing astern. He did it just in -time to save his small boat from being run into and destroyed. Farther -forward a red-faced boy, with one hand on the pump-handle of a battered -brass fog-horn, looked up with frightened eyes, as they passed so close -that Wooten could almost see the drops of moisture on his rough blue -jersey. - -The midship gun's crew happened to be cleaning their weapon as the boat -drifted by. - -''Ow do, granfer?' said the irrepressible Billings, stepping to the -rail and removing his cap with a low bow. 'Where did yer git that 'at?' - -'You keep a civil tongue in yer ---- 'ead!' retorted the aged fisherman -with some heat. - -'Now then, yer naughty boy,' answered the seaman, wagging a finger -reprovingly, 'don't git usin' sich langwidge. Comin' aboard ter 'ave a -nice drop o' rum?' - -'Go to 'ell!' shouted the naughty boy, purple in the face. 'You ---- -torpeder deestroyers'll be the ---- death o' th' likes o' me! Second ----- time we've bin nearly run down this marnin'! W'y can't you ---- -look where you're ---- well goin'? We've got our ---- livin' to -get'---- The remainder of his remarks were inaudible as his craft -dropped astern and was swallowed up in the fog. - -'Nice ole gent, ain't 'e?' Billings remarked with a grin, gazing after -the boat with admiration. 'Don't 'e talk well? I 'specs, if we really -know'd it, that ole bloke is a shinin' light in one o' these 'ere -chapels ashore. Don't matter wot yer sez an' does in the week, s'long -as yer good an' goes ter chapel reg'lar o' Sundays.' - -''Ow often does we git these 'ere fogs?' queried Pincher, a trifle -anxiously. ''Ow in 'ell does the skipper know where-abouts th' bloomin' -ship is if 'e carn't see nothink?' - - [Illustration: ''Ow do, granfer? Where did yer git that 'at?' - PAGE 230.] - -Joshua smiled condescendingly. 'Fawgs!' he said. 'Sometimes we 'as 'em -in th' North Sea fur days an' days on end--weeks sometimes.' - -'But 'ow does ships find their way abart then?' Pincher persisted. - -'Find their way abart?' Billings repeated, scratching his nose with an -oily forefinger. 'I dunno rightly. They eases down an' keeps their -soundin'-machines goin' reg'lar, an' uses their compasses; but I -reckons they doesn't allus know where they is. They pretends to, o' -course, but I believe they trusts ter luck more 'n 'arf th' time.' - -Martin sucked his teeth. 'But supposin' we 'its somethink?' he asked. -'Supposin' we 'ad a bargin' match wi' another ship, or runs ashore?' - -Billings grunted. 'W'en that 'appens yer kin start thinkin' abart it,' -he returned. 'It's no good yer troublin' yer 'ead abart wot may 'appen; -yer won't git no sleep, an' won't 'ave no happetite, if yer does. -S'pose we gits blowed up by a mine or by one o' them there ruddy -submarines; s'pose we 'as a collision wi' somethink a bit bigger'n -ourselves, or per'aps 'as a bomb dropped on our 'eads from a bloomin' -hairyoplane or a Zeppeling?' - -'Well, an' wot abart it?' demanded the ordinary seaman, rather -perturbed at Billings's summing up of the different ways in which they -might meet their fate. - -'Wot abart it? Why, I tells yer it ain't no use yer worryin'. If we -does 'ave bad luck an' 'as an 'orrible disaster, shove yer life-belt on -an' trust ter luck, same as yer did in th' ole _Belligerent_. It takes -an 'ell of a lot to sink a deestroyer,' Joshua added. 'I've seen 'em -'arter collisions wi' their bows cut orf, their starns missin', an' -chopped clean in 'alves, I 'ave; but still they floated some'ow, an' -wus towed back 'ome inter 'arbour.' - -'I don't fancy seein' this 'ere ship chopped in 'alves,' said Pincher -dubiously. - -'Don't talk so wet,' Joshua growled. 'Yer ain't frightened, are yer?' - -'Course I ain't!' came the indignant reply. - -'Yer looks ter me as if yer wus,' said the A.B. 'But, any'ow, don't -worry yer 'ead. A deestroyer's a ruddy sight safer'n some other ships. -We've got speed, we 'ave, an' kin run away if we're chased by an -'ostile cruiser, an' we don't draw too much water fur bumpin' mines and -sichlike. Jolly sight safer 'n livin' ashore, I calls it.' - -'I dunno so much.' - -'Course it is. Look at th' ways yer kin lose th' number o' yer mess -w'en ye're livin' on th' beach,' Billings replied with a snort. 'Yer -kin be run over an' laid out by a motor-bus. Yer kin be drownded in yer -barth, or git a chimney-pot dropped on yer napper in a gale o' wind. -Yer kin be suffocated in yer bed if yer leaves th' gas burnin', -an''---- - -'An' yer nearly dies o' suffocation if yer drinks more 'n a gallon o' -beer,' chimed in another man, who knew Billings's past history. - -Joshua turned round wrathfully. 'I don't stan' no sauce from th' likes -o' you, Dogo!' he exclaimed, advancing threateningly. - -'It's true, ain't it?' queried Dogo, retreating to a convenient -distance. 'Besides, I never said 'oo it wus 'oo nearly died o' -suffocation, did I?' - -'No, but I knows ruddy well 'oo yer means, yer perishin' lop-eared -milkman; an' nex' time yer sez things ter me I'll give yer a clip -'longside th' ear'ole as'll keep yer thinkin' abart it fur a week!' - -The bystanders laughed. - -'Don't you take no notice o' 'im, Pincher,' Joshua went on. ''E ain't -no sailor. Afore this 'ere war started 'e wus drivin' one o' these 'ere -milk-carts an' shoutin' "Milk-o!" artside th' 'ouses, an' makin' love -ter th' slaveys!' It was perfectly true so far as the driving of the -milk-chariot was concerned, for Dogo Pearson, after serving his first -period in the navy, had retired into civil life as a milkman, only to -be called up again on the outbreak of war. - -It was Dogo's turn to get angry. 'Look 'ere, Billin's!' he said -angrily; 'I'll 'ave yer know'---- - -'You men had better be gettin' on with cleanin' that gun!' came the -wrathful voice of Mr Menotti, who had come forward unseen. 'It's not -half done, red rust everywhere, an' you're all standin' round spinnin' -yarns. Get a move on, or I'll have you up here cleanin' it in your -spare time!' - -The argument ceased, and the gun's crew, stifling their amusement, -busied themselves with their emery-paper, bath-brick, and -polishing-rags. - -'You wait till I gits yer on th' mess-deck, me boy-o!' growled Joshua -_sotto voce_ when the gunner's back was turned. - -'Orl right, chum,' Dogo grinned unconcernedly; 'don't go gittin' -rattled.' - -Billings was really a great friend of his. - -All things come to an end in time, even sea fogs, and that same evening -the _Mariner_ steamed jauntily into her first port of call and dropped -her anchor. - -'I'm glad you've arrived all right,' said the senior naval officer when -Wooten went over to report himself. 'To tell the truth, we were a bit -anxious about you.' - -'Anxious, sir! Why?' - -'We've had to close the Channel to all traffic until it's been swept,' -said the S.N.O. 'A steamer went up on a mine bang in the middle of the -fairway about an hour after you must have passed the place.' - -'Good Lord!' the lieutenant-commander ejaculated with a sigh of relief. - -The S.N.O., who was used to such things, smiled blandly. 'Have a -cigarette,' he said, pushing the box across. 'What about a glass of -brown sherry? I've just got a new lot in, and it's rather good stuff.' -He reached up and fingered a hanging bell-push. - -'Thank you, sir. I think I will.' - -The S.N.O. rang the bell for his steward. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -FRITZ THE FRIGHTFUL. - - -I. - -Pincher soon discovered that life on board a battleship and life in a -destroyer were two totally different existences. - -In the _Belligerent_ a cast-iron routine had always been adhered -to, at sea or in harbour, fair weather or foul. Nothing was suffered to -disturb that routine, unless it were occasional excursions to sea in -the small hours of the morning and frequent coalings. Times were laid -down for everything. Day after day bugles blew or pipes twittered at -exactly the same hours; and to the ship's company, the actual workers, -things seemed to run as smoothly as clockwork with a minimum of effort -on the part of every one. They all knew what to do, and when to do it; -and the men themselves never realised the forethought, the energy, and -the capacity for organisation on the part of the commander and other -responsible officers which were necessary to produce such a result. -They took it for granted. Their groove was made for them, so to speak, -and they suffered themselves to slide along its well-oiled length -without troubling their heads as to what supplied the motive-power. -Moreover, men were told off for their jobs collectively, not -individually. Their bodies seemed to be regarded as machines capable of -so many units of work, and there were such numbers of them in the ship, -and the vessel herself was so huge, that the labours of any single -person, provided always he was not a very important person, did not -seem to have any effect on the community as a whole. Indeed, a seaman -could even go on the sick-list, or leave the ship altogether, without -his absence being noticed or felt except by his own messmates and -friends. - -But in the _Mariner_ things were very different, for here the labours -of every single individual counted. If a man neglected his work or -idled his time away, his shortcomings had their effect on some one -else. They were soon noticed, and the laggard speedily found himself -chased and goaded into a proper state of activity by Petty Officer -Casey; and Casey, a glutton for work himself, always had a persuasive -way with him, and a horny fist to back up his arguments. - -There was a routine, of course, and very nice it looked on paper; but -the life was so full of sudden surprises that as often as not any -preconceived time-table went by the board. It was not surprising, for -the _Mariner_ and the other destroyers of her flotilla had always -to be ready for service at the shortest notice, and her men frequently -found themselves bundled unceremoniously out of their hammocks in the -middle of the night to get the ship to sea. It did not matter whether -it was blowing a gale, raining, or snowing; go to sea they must, and -did. - -Sometimes they chivied Fritz; and he--a wise man, but no -gentleman--waited for no one. It was not the fault of the destroyers -that he had usually vanished into space by the time they arrived to -strafe him. Fritz was the ubiquitous Hun submarine, any 'untersee-boot' -which happened to come into their domain, and a merry little dance he -sometimes led them. Occasionally, to vary the monotony, they called him -Hans, Adolf, Karl, or some other Teutonic appellation; but more often -than not he was just Fritz, and Fritz he will remain until the end of -the war. Sometimes, though reported as such, he was not really Fritz at -all. - -'The skipper of the trawler _Adam and Eve_ reports having sighted a -periscope flying a large flag in latitude _xy_° _z_´ N., longitude _a_° -_bc_´ E., at six-thirty this morning,' was the sort of thing they were -sometimes told. 'Proceed to the vicinity with all despatch, and -search.' - -Proceed they did, hot-foot and full of warlike energy, only to find -that the skipper of the _Adam and Eve_ had been mistaken, and that -his periscope with its large flag was nothing but some other -fisherman's dan buoy broken adrift from its nets. Dan buoys, seen in -the half-light of the early morning or evening, are apt to be -deceptive, particularly when the imagination is stirred at the thought -of the substantial honorarium to be earned for authentic information of -the enemy. - -But even battleships and cruisers make mistakes sometimes. The -newspapers have never mentioned one fierce engagement which took place -in a certain northern harbour, in the chill gray light of an early -dawn, when a long black submarine was suddenly seen approaching the -outer cruiser of a line of men-of-war lying peacefully at their -anchors. He came in on the flood-tide, grim and menacing, causing a -great commotion in the water, and with his periscope raising its -flutter of spray. Now and then he disappeared altogether. - -It was Fritz, they thought, come to pay them an early morning visit, -and with all the joy in the world the officer of the watch in the -cruiser opened fire. It was easy shooting. The guns barked angrily, and -four-inch shell spouted, foamed, and burst round the invader until he -was a submarine no longer. The fleet was flung into a state of -considerable excitement; but the submarine sank gracefully to the -bottom, while the officer of the watch, metaphorically patting himself -on the back, told his agitated pyjama-clad commanding officer of what -had occurred. - -'Are you quite certain you got him?' the latter inquired anxiously. - -'Absolutely certain, sir,' the lieutenant replied. 'We all saw him hit -several times. He sank by the bows.' - -'Have sunk hostile submarine,' was the signal made to the flagship a -few minutes later. 'Request permission to send down divers to -investigate.' - -'Approved!' came back the answer. 'Report results.' - -'Divers have been down, but report they can find no traces of the -alleged submarine,' another semaphore message went across three hours -afterwards. - -The flagship did not deign to answer, but her signalmen tittered; the -'alleged' tickled them. - -'I'm absolutely certain he was hit, sir,' the officer who had opened -fire reiterated for the thousandth time. 'I'm positive I saw him -sink--absolutely positive!' - -'Well, where the deuce has he got to, then?' the captain wanted to -know, shrugging his shoulders unbelievingly. 'The damned thing surely -can't sink and not leave a trace of anything behind him!' He seemed -rather irritable. - -Three days later a light cruiser anchored towards the entrance of the -harbour, and started talking. 'There is a large black object stranded -on the beach abreast the ship,' she said by semaphore. 'Am sending boat -to investigate.' - -'Object previously reported is a whale,' came a supplementary message -in less than half-an-hour. 'It has been dead some days, and appears to -have been killed by shell-fire.' - -The defunct monster advertised his presence far and wide when the tide -fell. People approached him wearing gas-masks and with ammonia-soaked -handkerchiefs held to their noses. How the authorities got rid of him -history does not relate. One cannot very well bury a thing the size of -a house. Perhaps they sold him for fertiliser. - -There were no C.B.'s or D.S.O.'s conferred for that battle, though the -shooting certainly had been good. - -But all this has carried us rather far from the _Mariner_ and her men. -They always found Fritz, Hans, Adolf, Karl, or whatever they chose to -call him, as cunning as a hatful of monkeys; but the destroyers and -other craft which sought to compass his destruction admired him for his -efficiency, for efficient he certainly was. He combined boldness with -seaman-like caution, and would suddenly appear in an area crowded with -traffic, sink a merchant ship or two, and then disappear into space. -Occasionally he behaved as a sportsman, and towed the boats containing -the crews of the ships he had just sunk in towards the shore. -Sometimes, when it came to sinking liners and passenger-ships with -women and children on board, his reputation was unsavoury; but even the -righteous wrath and indignation of his pursuers, who always played the -game themselves, were not levelled so much at Fritz himself as at those -who had given him orders to go out and do his dirty work. - -The _Mariner_ was once working in an area in which Fritz was very -active indeed, when Hills the telegraphist clambered on to the bridge -in a state of purple excitement, flourishing a sheet of paper. - -'Well, what is it?' Wooten demanded. 'What's the matter?' - -'There's a steamer down to the south-east'ard makin' the S.O.S. call, -sir!' the man ejaculated agitatedly. 'Says she's bein' overhauled by a -submarine, who's firin' on her. I've got her position, course, and -speed!' - -'The devil you have!' said Wooten, putting the telegraphs to 'Full -speed,' and giving the helmsman a new course. 'Let's have her -position.' He took the paper from the telegraphist, and laid the -latitude and longitude off on the chart. 'Lord!' he remarked, rather -perturbed, 'we're a good forty miles off. It'll take us over an hour to -reach her. They'll be strafed by then, poor devils!' - -The _Mariner_, meanwhile, with smoke pouring from her funnels and -a great bow-wave creaming aft from her sharp stem, was dashing off at -something over thirty knots. - -Wooten scratched his head. 'Hills,' he said at last, as an inspiration -seized him, 'call her up by wireless, and make her in plain -English--not in code, mind--"Hang on. Destroyer will be with you in -twenty minutes." Got that?' - -'Yessir,' said the man, writing it down. - -'Very well. Don't make our name, but use all the juice you can, so that -they'll think we're very close. Understand?' - -'Yessir,' nodded Hills, leaving the bridge rather mystified. - -'You see, sub,' the skipper went on, 'we can't possibly get to this -chap in time to save him from being sunk. All we can do is to try to -frighten Fritz and to make him abandon the chase. D'you see?' - -Hargreaves nodded vaguely. - -'I don't believe you understand in the least what I'm driving at,' -Wooten continued, smiling. 'Fritz has got wireless, and is on the -surface. If he's the wily bird I imagine him to be, he'll have a fellow -in his box-office listening to what's going on. He'll hear my signal, -will take it in, translate it--they all know English--and there's just -a chance it'll scare the life out of him, and make him shove off out of -it. Savvy?' - -Hargreaves nodded. - -The scheme actually did work successfully, and Fritz was badly had, for -in less than twenty minutes the unknown steamer was talking again. -'Submarine has abandoned chase, and has dived,' she said abruptly. 'Who -are you?' - -'Mind your own perishing business!' went back the reply in rather -politer language. - -Fritz seemed to work in spasms, for a fortnight would go by without a -sign of him; and then, quite suddenly, there would come another -recrudescence of his activity in another and quite unexpected locality. -But the small craft were always hot on the scent the moment he bobbed -up. They made his life a misery and a burden; and, though it is true he -succeeded in sinking many a merchant ship, many of his species did not -return to Wilhelmshaven. There were various effective ways of dealing -with him, though exactly what those methods were must perforce be left -a secret. - - -II. - -But Fritz was not the only thing they hunted; for once, in the English -Channel, the _Mariner_ was sent to sea to look for Fritz's mother, -a suspicious sailing-vessel supposed to be supplying him with petrol -and other commodities. - -It was midnight when the orders came, pitch-dark, snowing hard, and -blowing half a gale of wind, and there was considerable risk in taking -the ship to sea at all. First they had an altercation with the side of -the jetty, the brunt of which was taken by the whaler at her davits, -and caused that boat to open her seams and crack her ribs in resentful -indignation. Then, since there was no room to turn, Wooten had to -perform the rather ticklish manoeuvre, in the midst of a snow-flurry, -of steering stern first through a line of closely anchored ships with -no lights. Any naval officer will agree that handling a destroyer in -such circumstances, with a strong wind broad on the beam, the night so -dark that it is impossible to see more than a hundred yards, and clouds -of black, oil-fuel smoke making it darker still, is apt to be -hair-raising and startling. Wooten found it so at any rate, and -congratulated himself that he succeeded in getting to sea with no -further damage than a badly squeezed whaler. - -Shortly before daylight they arrived at the spot where the suspicious -sailing-vessel had been sighted from the shore. They were all in a -state of suppressed excitement, for they fully believed they were in -for something at last; while the guns' crews, fidgeting with -impatience, were standing by their weapons ready to open fire. - -Wooten himself was very hopeful. 'If this report is true,' he said to -the first lieutenant, 'I shouldn't at all wonder if we found a -submarine taking in petrol alongside her.' - -MacDonald, inclined to be sceptical, shook his head and smiled. 'I have -my doubts, sir,' he said with true Scottish caution. 'It's my opinion -that the whole yarn is pure bunkum.' - -When the dawn broke in a blaze of scarlet and orange there was a -sailing-craft in sight, and she was barely a mile away from the place -where the submarine supply-ship had been reported. She seemed rather an -ordinary-looking vessel, ketch rigged, with a sturdy, broad-beamed -hull, and was hove-to under the lee of the land. Her sails were patched -and dingy, and, like Joseph's coat, were of many colours. But really -and truly there was nothing at all remarkable about her, though most of -the officers and fully half the men were firmly convinced that she was -a Hun of most immoral character. - -The _Mariner_ approached her warily, with guns trained, and the -men's fingers itching on their triggers. They longed to fire. The -_Jessie and Eva_, however, evinced no particular interest in the -proceedings; and when the destroyer steamed up close alongside, and -went astern to check her way, only a small, sleepy-eyed boy was visible -on deck. - -'Where d'you come from?' Wooten bellowed through a megaphone. - -'Brixham, surr!' answered the youth with a broad west-country burr, as -a tousled head appeared up the after-companion and stared at the -destroyer in amazement. - -'Where's your skipper?' the lieutenant-commander asked. - -'Here Oi be, surr!' said the owner of the head, scrambling out of his -cubby-hole, and appearing on deck in jersey and sea-boots. 'What'll you -be waantin', surr?' - -'Where d'you come from?' - -'Brixham, surr.' - -'How long have you been out?' - -'Nigh on three-fourr days, surr.' - -'What's your name?' - -'Jarge, surr--Jarge Willyum Cobley,' answered the man, in unmistakable -Devonshire accents. - -Wooten turned to the first lieutenant. 'Lower the dinghy, and go on -board and have a look at her,' he said rather disappointedly. 'Seems to -me she's as innocent as a new-born babe; but ask 'em if they've seen -any men-of-war or submarines about, and find out how long they've been -here. Get back as soon as you can.' - -'Ay, ay, sir.' - -The boat was lowered, and the _Jessie and Eva_, for the first time -in her career, found herself boarded by an officer and two men armed to -the teeth. - -'Whaat du th' li'l man-o'-warr waant, surr?' queried the skipper, -eyeing MacDonald's holstered weapon with some apprehension. 'Us is from -Brixham, surr.' - -'Yes, that's all right. I merely want to have a look round.' - -He examined the smack fore and aft; but there was not the least vestige -of anything incriminating about her. Her papers were in order, her two -men and the boy were obvious west-countrymen, and she herself was full -of fish. She had been in her present position or thereabouts for the -last three days, the skipper said, and he intended returning to Brixham -with her catch that afternoon. - -'Well, there's nothing the matter with you,' said the first lieutenant -with a laugh, as he prepared to get back to his boat. 'Care for a bit -of navy plug?' He knew well enough how to get the right side of -fishermen, and never dreamt of boarding a trawler without a couple of -inches of strong navy plug tobacco in his pocket. - -Old Cobley beamed. 'Ay, surr,' he said, accepting the gift. 'Us doan't -of'en get navy 'bacca. Would 'e care fur some fish, surr? 'Tis fine -fresh caught.' - -'Thanks very much,' answered the lieutenant, who had taken the -precaution of bringing two buckets across in the boat with him; 'I -should.' - -'Peterr!' the old fisherman bellowed to the boy, 'put some fish inter -th' orficer's boat, an' luk lively naow.' - -Peter obeyed his orders, and the dinghy eventually returned to the ship -with the buckets full and her bottom covered with a slippery, sliding -mass of newly caught herrings, a turbot or two, and dozens of other -varieties which nobody could put a name to. They had sufficient to -provide the ship's company of the _Mariner_ with two excellent -meals, and the total value of the haul, if brought ashore, could not -have been far short of thirty shillings. Tobacco to the approximate -value of four-pence sometimes does work wonders, and well MacDonald -knew it. He was a Scotsman. - -But Wooten was anxious to find out how the report had originated. His -orders to search for a suspicious vessel had mentioned 'a black-hulled, -ketch-rigged craft, with several white patches in her mainsail,' and -this description suited old Jarge Cobley's smack to a T. Moreover, she -had been found close to the position mentioned in the report. - -'Any silly juggins could have seen that she was innocent!' the -lieutenant-commander declared wrathfully. He forgot that it was easy to -be wise after the event, and that, barely half-an-hour before, he and -most of his men had been quite firm in their conviction that the -_Jessie and Eva_ was a Hun in disguise. - -The _Mariner_ first signalled to a coastguard station ashore, but -the coastguardmen declined all responsibility, and merely stated that -they had heard a rumour that, the previous afternoon, some agitation -had been caused amongst the military authorities in the neighbouring -coast town of Baymouth by a report that a strange vessel had been seen -hovering in a most suspicious manner off the coast. The coastguardmen, -having satisfied themselves that there was no such craft in the -neighbourhood, had taken no further interest in the matter. That was -all they professed to know about it. - -Wooten himself did not know until afterwards that the garrison of -Baymouth consisted of a small detachment of the 8th (Service) battalion -of the Midshire Rangers. It was commanded by a major who, having -contracted a chill, was absent on sick-leave. Next came a captain, and -he, the day being Sunday, had gone off on his motor-bicycle to see his -wife, leaving Second Lieutenant Tarry-Diddle, a newly caught subaltern, -in charge of the gallant troops. Tarry-Diddle, a most promising and -zealous youth, was the 'military authority' referred to. - -The _Mariner_ steamed three miles along the coast to Baymouth, and -here the first lieutenant was landed in the dinghy to make inquiries. -There was some surf on the beach, and he was very wet before he got -ashore; but, escorted by a local constable and a tribe of urchins, who -were firmly convinced that he was a prisoner from a German submarine -just sunk in the bay by the destroyer, he was eventually ushered into -the presence of the senior military officer in the town. This time it -was Captain Bumble-Dyke, and he was having his breakfast. - -An hour later MacDonald returned to the ship and described the scene to -Wooten. 'I got ashore,' he said, 'and asked for the boss military man -in the place. He was having his breakfast when I arrived, and was quite -affable; asked me if I'd care for some of his bacon and eggs, in fact. -I was wet through and beastly cold, so said I'd have a cup of coffee. -Then I asked him about the suspicious sailing-vessel of his. He -evidently thought at first that I'd come to pay an official call, -though why he should imagine I'd come at that hour in the morning, wet -through, and wearing a dirty muffler and sea-boots, I'm sure I don't -know. He seemed rather surprised, and stared at me for a bit, and then -asked what suspicious sailing-vessel I meant. He said he hadn't heard -of one, and went off into a yarn about his having been away all the day -before, his motor-bike having punctured, and his only having got back -at two o'clock that morning.' No. 1 smiled at the recollection. - -'Go on with the yarn,' said Wooten, beginning to laugh. - -'Well, sir, I told him that the military people at Baymouth had -reported a suspicious craft off the coast yesterday evening. "It's the -first I've heard of it," he said. "Well, your people reported her, -anyhow," I told him. "It must have been Tarry-Diddle!" he answered. "He -was in charge here all yesterday. He's not said anything to me about -it, though it's true I haven't seen him since I returned." "Who's -Tarry-Diddle?" I asked. "He's my subaltern," he said. "We'd better send -along for him." We did, and he fetched up in about ten minutes. Seemed -a decent little chap, but a bit nervous. "What's this about a -suspicious vessel off the coast?" asked the captain. "Yes, sir. We -sighted one yesterday, and reported it," says Tarry-Diddle, looking at -me rather anxiously. "Most suspicious-looking craft. Ketch rigged, -black hull, and several white patches in her mainsail. She's been -hovering round the bay for three days, sir." I laughed; couldn't very -well help it, for he'd described the _Jessie and Eva_ exactly. "What's -the matter?" the captain asked me. "Matter!" I said. "Why, your -suspicious craft is nothing but an ordinary Brixham trawler. We've just -examined her." "The deuce she is!--Whom did you report her to, -Tarry-Diddle?" "I sent a wire straight to the Admiralty, sir," the poor -little chap said. The captain got rather purple in the face. "Good -God!" he shouted, jumping up, "d'you mean to say that you wired to the -Admiralty to tell 'em that---- Oh Lord! you'll get me hanged! What the -deuce d'you mean by it?" "I'm awfully sorry, sir," said Tarry-Diddle, -rather frightened and very white about the gills. "I thought I'd done -the right thing." "Done the right thing, you blithering young jackass!" -roared the captain. "Why the devil didn't you get the naval people to -have a look at her? How on earth can you tell whether a ship's -suspicious or whether she isn't? I go away for twelve hours, and leave -you in charge, and this sort of thing happens! I tell you, -Tarry-Diddle, it won't do. It won't do at all! I shall have to report -the matter to the colonel!" He started stamping up and down the room in -a fearful state of excitement. I couldn't help laughing.' - -Wooten was laughing himself. 'What happened then?' he spluttered. - -'Tarry-Diddle got in a bit of a funk, sir. "It happened like this, -sir," he explained. "The sergeant-major was walking along the front -yesterday afternoon"---- "To hell with the sergeant-major!" shouted -Bumble-Dyke; "where the deuce does he come in?" "That's just what I'm -trying to explain, sir," said Tarry-Diddle; and I do believe the young -devil was laughing. "Oh, go on, and let's hear what you have to say!" -spluttered the captain. "Well, sir, the sergeant-major was walking -along the front yesterday afternoon behind two retired naval -officers--at least, he said they were retired naval officers. They were -talking, and one of them drew the attention of the other to the -sailing-craft, and said he thought she looked rather suspicious. The -other chap agreed, and said the Admiralty ought to be asked to send a -ship to have a look at her." "I've never met any retired naval officers -here," grumbled Bumble-Dyke. "I've seen most of the residents in the -club, too." "I'm only telling you what the sergeant-major said, sir," -Tarry-Diddle went on. "He came back to me at once, and told me what -he'd heard, so I sent the wire off to the Admiralty on one of those -yellow forms." "That accounts for our little excursion, then," I -chipped in.' - -'Oh Lord!' gasped Wooten, 'this is the limit. Go on. What happened -then?' - -'Well, sir,' MacDonald continued, laughing, 'the captain called the -poor little chap all the names he could think of; told him he ought to -be court-martialled, and shot at dawn, and all the rest of it. They -were still at it hammer and tongs when I came away.' - -Wooten smiled. 'I feel rather sorry for Tarry-Diddle,' he said. 'But -I'm not certain he didn't deserve it, draggin' us out of harbour in the -middle of the night all for a ruddy craft which any darned son of a gun -could have seen was only a Brixham trawler.' It did not occur to him -that he had been badly taken in himself. 'By the way,' he added, 'who -were the two retired naval officers?' - -'They were invented by the sergeant-major,' MacDonald chuckled. 'One of -them was the steward at the yacht club, who goes about in a -yachting-cap and a gold badge, and t' other was the man who's in charge -of the bathing-machines in the summer. That's what I was told, at any -rate.' - -'Lord!' said the skipper, laughing, 'it reminds me of that parson, at -the other place, who said he had seen the periscope of a submarine at -seventeen miles. Seventeen perishin' miles, mark you! He sent a wire to -the Admiralty, too, and they called out every destroyer within a -hundred miles. But it wasn't Fritz at all, merely the mast of a ship -hull down on the horizon. It was rather a clearer day than usual, -that's all!' - -No. 1 laughed. 'They're all so jolly keen on reporting things, sir; but -I must say this sort of thing is the limit.' - -'I agree,' said Wooten, chuckling. 'However, we mustn't let Tarry -What's-his-name get into trouble. I'll send in a report sayin' we -couldn't find any rakish-lookin' craft in the neighbourhood, and that I -expect the military people were mistaken. You know,' he added, 'these -fellows who've joined the new army are devilish good chaps and devilish -keen, and one doesn't want to have 'em strafed unless one can't help -it--what?' - -'I quite agree, sir.' - -'And when we get in I'll write a letter to Bumble-Dyke, asking him not -to be too hard on him.' - -He was as good as his word, and never regretted it, for less than a -year later the name of Temporary Lieutenant Richard Tarry-Diddle, as he -was then, appeared in the Honours List. He had won his Victoria Cross -at Ypres. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE NORTH SEA. - - -I. - -There were many different topics of conversation in the wardroom of the -_Mariner_. The seven members of the mess talked learnedly upon dozens -of subjects, no matter whether they knew much about them or not. -Nothing was too abstruse. They discussed the Mendel theory, atavism, -and how onions acquired their flavour and violets their scent with as -much zest and freedom as they argued about the possibilities of a -German invasion of Britain, and the rights and wrongs of universal -service. Conversation frequently became strident, and heated argument -occasionally gave way to flat contradiction; while contradiction -sometimes terminated in a babel in which every one aired opinions to -which nobody listened. One can hardly expect anything else when seven -men of widely divergent views and ideals, and with different characters -and temperaments, live cheek by jowl in the same small ship. The -subjects most often brought under discussion, however--the hardy -perennials, so to speak--were: - -(1) Whether or not the High Sea Fleet of his Imperial Majesty the -Emperor of all the Germans was likely to emerge into the North Sea. - -(2) Former ships. - -(3) The iniquities of one Harry Smith, officers' steward of the second -class. - -Opinions on No. 1 varied, and need not be entered into here; but No. 2 -provided them with many hours' conversation. - -'When I was in the old _Somerset_, in nineteen-nine,' somebody would -start the ball rolling, 'we had a fellow who'---- - -'By George, yes!' continued some one else; 'that reminds me of the -_Saturn_ in China in nought-five. Did you ever hear the yarn about -the watch-keeper who'---- And straightway the floodgates of -reminiscence were opened. - -It was perfectly natural, for there were seven of them, and among them -they had served his Majesty or his predecessors for nearly eighty -years. Moreover, they had been in every imaginable type of ship, in -many different parts of the world, and had never been shipmates before. -Five of the seven we have already met. The other two were Augustus -Black, the surgeon-probationer of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, -and George Bonar, the midshipman of the Royal Naval Reserve. Of them, -more anon. - -Topic No. 3, the sins and omissions of Harry Smith, came up for -consideration at least twice daily. He was an unkempt individual, with -long black hair and sallow complexion, who had just entered the -service. Before deciding to serve the King he had, or had not, been a -shining light in a livery and bait stable. He may have been an -excellent ostler, but did not scintillate as an officers' steward. -Nominally he was supposed to assist Watkins, the senior steward, who, -under the supervision of Mr Menotti, did for the officers as regards -their messing. Watkins himself was all that could be desired, but the -redoubtable Harry frequently 'did for' the members of the mess in more -senses than one. - -The galley, where all the cooking was done, lived forward, and though -it must have been painful for Smith to fall on the slippery steel deck -on the way aft with the joint for the evening meal, it was still more -annoying for seven officers with healthy appetites to discover that -their leg of mutton, together with its dish, had flopped gracefully -overboard and had sunk to the bottom of the harbour. On one occasion -the dish of bacon for breakfast came to grief; whereupon Smith, -trusting that nobody was looking, gathered up what remained on the -deck, and replaced it in the dish with his fingers. But the eagle eye -of the first lieutenant was upon him, and there was trouble. - -Besides being the food-carrier to and from the galley, Smith acted as -the wine steward in Watkins's absence, was supposed to clean and wash -up the table silver and crockery, and to keep a watchful eye upon the -table-napkins and tablecloths. It was unfortunate that he poured the -sherry into a decanter half-full of port; but he was forgiven, for the -mixture, under the guise of 'madeira,' was offered to, and accepted as -a _quid pro quo_ by, unsuspecting dockyard employees who had provided -the first lieutenant with--well, certain things which he required for -the ship. Smith was not pardoned for losing the upper half of an -expensive silver-plated entrée-dish, for breaking or losing in ten days -no fewer than seventeen tumblers, four plates, two cups, and a -butter-dish, or for using the best damask table-napkins as dishcloths -or for boot-polishing, for all those articles had to be accounted for. -Wooten was also extremely annoyed one Sunday morning when, on going the -rounds, he discovered the hairbrushes and celluloid dickey of the -culprit, together with one toothbrush, a shirt, six raw and juicy chops -done up in newspaper, some emery-paper, knife-powder, and three loaves -of wardroom bread, nestling side by side in the same cupboard. No! -Harry Smith, though undoubtedly a feature of the ship, and a source of -abundant and animated conversation, was not an acquisition. - -'Let's get rid of the blighter!' some one suggested. - -They tried to, but the only substitute available was a callow, pimply -faced youth who, before the war, had been a railway porter. - -'Lord!' laughed the skipper, 'if he comes we sha'n't have any crockery -at all at the end of a fortnight.' - -And so Smith remained. - -Augustus Black was a medical student at one of the London hospitals who -had volunteered his services on the outbreak of war. The powers that be -had accepted his offer, enrolled him in the Royal Naval Volunteer -Reserve as a surgeon-probationer, provided him with the sum of twenty -pounds wherewith to purchase the necessary uniform, and presently -desired him to repair forthwith to his duties on board H.M.S. -_Mariner_. - -The ship's company as a whole were disgustingly healthy; but Black -attended to their minor ailments, cuts, and contusions, packed them off -to the depot ship or hospital if they became really ill, held what he -vulgarly called 'belly musters' once a month or oftener, and gave them -lectures on first-aid and personal hygiene. In the ordinary piping -times of peace a destroyer carries nothing but a medical chest -containing the simpler remedies, together with bandages, splints, -tourniquets, and dressings. She has no doctor, and if a man is hurt or -becomes ill he is given first-aid or relief by one of his shipmates, -and is sent to the depot ship or hospital for treatment as soon as -possible. In war, however, when any ship may conceivably be in action -at any moment, and when twenty-four hours or more may elapse before -wounded men can see a medical officer, valuable lives may be saved if -injuries are properly attended to and dressed on the spot. That was why -Black and many others like him had been sent to destroyers. - -In addition to his other duties, he acted as wine-caterer for the mess, -and, since there was no cabin available, slept on a settee in the -wardroom, and shaved, bathed, dressed, and kept his clothes and other -belongings in the sub-lieutenant's cabin, or wherever else he could -find room. His existence must have had its drawbacks and -inconveniences; but, being adaptable, he did not seem to mind them, for -he was an excellent messmate, always cheerful, and was not in the least -addicted to sea-sickness. - -Bonar, the R.N.R. 'snotty,' slept in a hammock in the tiny flat outside -the officers' cabins, and where he kept his possessions was always -something of a mystery. He had been at sea in the mercantile marine -before the war, and, in spite of his youth, was a most useful member of -society. He helped the sub with his charts, assisted Wooten with his -official correspondence, wrote up the fair log, and justified his -existence in many other ways. - -The authorities realised that life in small ships was sometimes apt to -breed staleness; so, though the _Mariner_ and her flotilla were -often at sea, and while in harbour were always ready to sail at short -notice, officers and men were allowed ashore in the afternoons whenever -they could be spared. They were always liable to instant recall, of -course, and never got very far from their ships; but this did not -prevent them from playing games or otherwise amusing themselves. It did -them all the good in the world, and kept them fit and contented. - -On board, their amusements were simple. They all read a great deal, and -their expenditure on 'sevenpennies,' cheap books at one shilling, and -magazines must have put considerable profit into the pockets of the -publishers who catered for their needs, notwithstanding the enhanced -price of paper and the shortage of labour. One thing all agreed upon -was their debt of gratitude to Jack London. They read his books not -once, but a dozen times; and, prolific writer though he is, they wished -he were more prolific, for there was a snap and a liveliness about his -work which appealed to them. In the evenings in harbour the officers -either read, argued, listened to the gramophone, played with the -doctor's Meccano set, or indulged in ping-pong. It is true that the -wardroom of a destroyer is not an ideal place for this game. The table -was small; collisions with hanging lamps, furniture, and Harry Smith -with his arms full of newly cleaned glasses and cutlery were frequent -and sometimes painful; while the balls had an unhappy knack of losing -themselves under settees and cupboards. But in spite of these -disadvantages the players became expert. - -Farther forward the men also contrived to keep themselves happy. They -had their band--consisting of a drum, a couple of concertinas, many -mouth-organs, and a flute--which disported itself on deck on fine -evenings. They also sang loudly and sentimentally; while one versatile -person imitated Mr Charles Chaplin, bowler hat, moustache, baggy -trousers, and all. They had their racing crews for the whaler and the -dinghy, and in the dog-watches were not slow in challenging other -destroyers to races. Sometimes they won and sometimes they did not; but -the contests always gave the onlookers the opportunity of indulging in -ribald and strident remarks at other people's expense. - -Amongst the ship's company were a certain number of men who had done -their time in the navy, had retired into civil life after their various -periods of service, and had either volunteered or been recalled on the -outbreak of war. They were all excellent men, just as good as any of -their shipmates, while what little rustiness there was about them wore -off within a month of their joining the ship. Their experiences and -occupations ashore had been varied, to say the least of it. - -'Dogo' Pearson, the milkman, has appeared before; but besides him there -was an ex-member of the Liverpool police, an Edinburgh fireman, a -cattle-puncher from Arizona, and a man who had served as a -steward-valet on board a yacht belonging to some rich potentate in the -Argentine. Then there was David MacLeod, who hailed from Stornoway; -Donald MacIver, from the Orkneys; and Roderick Mackay, from Lerwick. -They were all fishermen and members of the Royal Naval Reserve, and -naturally were good seamen. Moreover, Wooten found them most useful as -reliable weather prophets. - -'Well,' he would say to MacLeod on the bridge at sea, 'what d'you make -of the weather?' - -The Scotsman would look up at the sky and note the direction and force -of the wind. 'Sur,' he would answer slowly, 'we'll ha'e a wee bit blaw -afore the mornin'.' - -'Blow!' Wooten would echo, rather surprised. 'Why d'you say that? The -glass is high, and there's a fine enough sky; isn't there?' - -MacLeod would wag his head wisely. 'I dinna ken why,' he would say. -'The wund'll ha'e gone roond tae the north-east, an'll start blawin' -fresh afore the mornin'.' - -And blow it invariably did, precisely from the quarter MacLeod had -mentioned. - -The torpedo coxswain of a destroyer is a very important person indeed. -He is always a chief petty officer or petty officer who acts as _ex -officio_ master-at-arms of the ship, and as such supervises the -discipline, is the mouthpiece between the men and the officers, brings -men up for punishment when they have misconducted themselves, and makes -out and forwards the punishment returns to the depot ship. This, since -serious offences are infrequent in torpedo-craft, is perhaps the least -of all his duties. He also performs the work carried out by the ship's -steward in a big ship, being responsible, under the supervision of the -C.O., for the drawing and issue of all clothing, victuals, and rum, -besides keeping the store-books for the same. As these have to be -forwarded to the victualling paymaster of the depot ship at certain -intervals, this, since it involves no small amount of paper work and -much calculation, may be called the most onerous of his tasks. - -But the coxswain's chief function, his _raison d'être_, is to act -as a skilled helmsman. He is generally a man of long service and tried -experience, who has done all his time in torpedo-craft. He knows, or -should know, the individual idiosyncrasies of practically every type of -destroyer in the navy; and, this being the case, he is the commanding -officer's right-hand man if he is good--and he usually is--and his -_bête noir_ if he is bad. He steers the ship going in or out of -harbour, when she is moving away from or going alongside a jetty or -another ship, during steam tactics and manoeuvres, or in action. In -short, he is the qualified helmsman whose presence is required at the -wheel in any circumstances calling for special skill and knowledge. He -draws extra pay for his attainments, and has been through special -courses to fit him for his rating; but his value lies in the fact that -he has learnt his trade through long experience at sea. - -William Willis, the coxswain of the _Mariner_, was a short, -well-covered little man, with a laughing red face and a pair of -twinkling blue eyes. He was always laughing, no matter how bad the -weather, no matter what happened; while he had the peculiar knack of -always appearing on the bridge at the very instant he was wanted, and -without having to be sent for. How, when, and where he slept or ate at -sea Wooten never discovered; for no sooner had the next destroyer ahead -hauled out of the line to avoid a floating mine, or an important signal -been made, than Willis, breathing like a grampus, clambered ponderously -up on to the bridge and relieved the helmsman. It seemed second nature -to him to arrive at the moment he was most needed. One peculiar trait -of his was that he never would admit that the weather was really bad. - -'Bit rotten, cox'n, eh?' Wooten would remark, shaking the drops of -water out of his eyes after a green sea had lolloped over the -forecastle and deluged every one on the bridge with spray. - -'Not near so bad as I 'ave 'ad, sir,' Willis always answered stolidly. -'When I was in the _Boxer_ we was once 'ove-to for three days in -weather like this 'ere.' He occasionally varied the formula by -mentioning the _Zephyr_, the _Angler_, the _Kangaroo_, the _Albatross_, -the _Garry_, the _Mohawk_, or various others of the destroyers in which -he had served; but no matter if the barometer had dropped half-an-inch -in an hour, or the wind was blowing with almost hurricane force, or the -ship was rolling and pitching to an extent that nobody would have -believed possible if he had not seen and felt it, her weather, in the -coxswain's opinion, was never so bad as that experienced by the other -craft he had been in. - -Sometimes, in the days when Wooten was still new to the ship, and -before he had come to understand the ways and tricks of handling -her--and a destroyer does occasionally take a deal of handling--they -got into difficulties. Perhaps they would be going alongside an -oiler[34] at dead of night to replenish their fuel, and the wind would -get on the wrong bow, and a strong tide sweep the ship the wrong way. -Willis rarely talked on the bridge, but then it was that he considered -himself entitled to speak. - - [34] Oil-fuel supply ship. - -'Why not try 'er with a touch astern starboard, sir?' would come a -hoarse remark. 'Slew 'er stern round--see?' He never spoke as if he -were offering advice; he merely made a suggestion, as it were, and -oftener than not Wooten acted upon it, and found it good. - -Daniel Bulpit, the chief engine-room artificer, Thompson's trusted -assistant and second in command, had few peculiarities. He was a -hard-working, conscientious, and thoroughly capable west-countryman, -who was always cheerful and always obliging. In appearance he was short -and thick-set, with a fresh complexion, hair slightly tinged with gray, -and blue eyes; and what he didn't know about the _Mariner_ and her -internal economy was not worth thinking about. Before joining the -destroyer he had been at the College at Dartmouth, teaching the naval -cadets their business in the pattern-shop. He had evidently been -popular there, for when he went ashore he was frequently recognised and -accosted by certain of his 'young gentlemen,' most of whom by this time -had attained the dignity and single gold stripes of sub-lieutenants. - -Gartin, the chief stoker, was a character, and, among other duties, had -charge of the engineer's stores and tools. He was a tall man, with -shaggy eyebrows, black hair, and a black beard, and, judging from the -conversation occasionally heard issuing from the storeroom hatch, took -his job very seriously indeed, and regarded most people, certainly all -seamen, as disciples of Barabbas. - -'Please, will yer let us 'ave the loan of a cold chisel an' a nammer?' -once asked Pincher Martin. - -The chief stoker glared. He had a rooted antipathy to all men who came -to borrow tools, for as often as not they omitted to return them. This -necessitated a game of hide-and-seek throughout the ship on the part of -Gartin himself; while, when the implements were eventually retrieved, -the edges of the chisels were generally found to be jagged, the saws -blunt, and the punches broken. 'What d'you want 'em for?' he asked -suspiciously. - -'Ter cut a length o' three an' a narf wire in 'alves.' - -'Ain't got none!' snapped Gartin. - -Pincher knew full well that he had. 'We carn't do th' job without 'em,' -he expostulated mildly. - -'Can't 'elp that; you'll 'ave to do the best you can, or else borrow -'em off some one else. I ain't got no 'ammers nor chisels, I tells -you!' - -'But I see'd'---- - -'Can't 'elp what you see'd. I ain't got none; that's flat, ain't it?' - -'Well, if yer really 'aven't got 'em I s'pose I'll 'ave ter go an' tell -the bloke wot sent me ter borrow 'em,' said Martin with an air of -resignation. - -Gartin pricked up his ears. ''Oo was it 'oo sent you?' - -'Fu'st lootenant,' said Pincher, inventing a polite fiction on the spur -of the moment. - -'Why didn't you say so afore?' Gartin demanded wrathfully, opening a -tool-box. 'Think I'm 'ere to 'ave my time wasted like this? You're -quite certain it was th' fu'st lootenant sent you?' He thought he had -seen a twinkle in Pincher's eye. - -'Well, 'e said 'e wanted the job done this mornin', any'ow,' the -ordinary seaman prevaricated. - -The chief stoker produced the hammer and the chisel, and handed them -across as if he were making a gift of the Crown Jewels. ''Ere you are. -Look out you returns 'em. If you don't'---- He glared fiercely and -shook his head. - -'If I doesn't?' - -'If you don't I'll take you afore the engineer horficer an' the captin, -an' 'ave the price of 'em stopped outa your pay. I'm fed up wi' chasin' -people round the ship. They comes to me borrowin' things right an' -left, never says so much as "Thank you," an' never troubles to return -the gear wot they borrowed. I ain't 'ere to get runnin' round arter -seamen wot isn't no better'n a pack o' thieves!' - -'I'll look out I returns 'em orl right,' said Pincher, retreating up -the ladder with a broad grin all over his face. - -'I'll look out you pays for 'em if you don't!' was the chief stoker's -final remark. - -Pincher retired chuckling, with the tools in his possession. He did not -feel the least bit uneasy. Gartin's bark was always worse than his -bite, and nobody ever took him really seriously. - -Hills, the petty officer telegraphist, was a burly, powerful-looking -man of average height. His eyebrows, like Gartin's, were long and -bushy, the hair on his head was thick and luxuriant, while his chin, -though he shaved every morning regularly, was always bristly and blue -by the evening. At sea he spent most of his time in the wireless office -abaft the charthouse. It was a tiny apartment, about eight feet by -five, and every conceivable nook and cranny, and almost every square -inch of the walls and ceiling, was occupied by instruments. Where there -was room on the walls Hills had decorated his little den with -photographs of his wife, children, relations, and friends, and sundry -flamboyant and highly coloured picture post-cards. There was just room -for a mahogany slab which served as a table, and a chair bolted to the -deck, in which, with a pair of telephone-receivers clipped over his -ears, Hills sat enthroned like some mysterious wizard in his cave. The -wireless office was soundproof and practically airtight. Its occupant -detested draughts, and at sea in winter, when the two small side -windows were kept tightly shut, the atmosphere could almost be cut with -a knife. In the early mornings, when Hills had had an all-night -sitting, and felt peevish and looked dishevelled, his shipmates always -said his hairy face assumed a simian aspect, and that he himself -reminded them of a gorilla in his cage. It was a libel, but this did -not prevent certain irreverent persons from forgathering outside his -den at cockcrow, opening the door gently, and then, scratching -themselves after the manner of apes, inquiring tenderly as to his -health. - -''Ullo, "Birdie," 'ow goes the zoo? Wot time does th' hanimals feed -this mornin'?' - -'Oh, go to 'ell!' 'Birdie' would exclaim irritably. Sometimes he -adopted stronger measures, emerged from his lair with a ferocious -expression, and, armed with a broom-handle, pursued his tormentors -round the forecastle to the accompaniment of yelps of pain and howls -for mercy as he belaboured them roundly. - -But Hills was popular on board, and was thoroughly good at his work; -so, taking things all round, Wooten and the officers had reason to -congratulate themselves upon having a good ship's company. - - -II. - -Who would not sell a farm and go to sea? Life in the navy, even in war, -has its compensations. At any rate, the sailor's commodious residence -conveys him, his belongings, his food, and his weapons to the scene of -his activities at a speed of anything between seven and a half and -thirty-six knots, according to circumstances. The soldier, on the other -hand, though he may sometimes ride upon a horse or travel in a train, -generally has to rely upon his own flat feet for locomotion. Moreover, -he carries on his person several days' provisions, spare clothing, a -rifle, a bayonet, ammunition, and equipment, together with an -assortment of bombs, gas-masks, and entrenching tools. Any spare space -or weight-carrying capacity which may remain to him is presumably at -his own disposal, and may be utilised for accommodating gifts of -tobacco, magazines, and socks from home. So the sailor is lucky in a -way; while he also escapes the mud of the trenches, the plagues of -flies, and other abominations--for which he is duly grateful. It is -true, though, that his floating home, particularly if it is a small one -like a destroyer, is very subject to the vicissitudes of the weather, -and has a knack of being abominably wet and very unstable in a seaway. -But life at sea in peace and life at sea in war are not so very -different. The ocean, with its gales, calms, and fogs, is always the -same, and hostilities only mean more time spent at sea, a few extra -dangers thrown in, in the shape of mines and submarines, and the chance -of a 'scrap' with the enemy. - -Sometimes, during their expeditions to that region known as 'the other -side,' for the express purpose of discomforting the Hun, the -_Mariner_ and the light cruisers and other destroyers with her had -bad weather. Occasionally it was very bad indeed, and until they got -used to it some of the ship's company wished fervently that they had -never joined the navy at all. When their little ship was punching home -against a rapidly rising gale, the green seas had a playful habit of -breaking over the bows and of washing waist-deep over the upper deck; -while, even in the quiet intervals, sheets of spray came flying on -board until every one was soaked through and through, in spite of -oilskins. - -The movement was dizzy and maddening. It was usually a combined pitch -and roll, a horrible corkscrew motion which left one wondering what -antics the ship was going to indulge in next. At one instant the bows -would be flung high into the air on the crest of a wave until the -forefoot and some length of the bottom were clean out of the water. -Then the sea would fall away from underneath, and, after hesitating a -little, the bows would fall into the next hollow with a sickening -downward plunge. Then a great gray wall of advancing water, topped with -a mass of yeasty foam, would rear itself up and obliterate the horizon -ahead. Sometimes the ship lifted in time to ride over it. Sometimes she -seemed to hang, and the liquid avalanche broke on board and surged over -the forecastle with a crashing and a thudding which made the whole ship -quiver and tremble. At such times the mess-decks, the wardroom, and the -cabins, however watertight they were supposed to be, were usually -inundated with several inches of water. Hot food was often out of the -question, for even if the cook were not seasick, or his fire were not -extinguished by the sea, he, not being blessed with the tentacles of an -octopus, could hardly prevent himself from being hurled violently forth -through his galley door, let alone retain an array of saucepans, -kettles, and frying-pans on the top of a nearly red-hot stove. -Something was bound to go, and 'cookie' took very good care it was not -he. Then it was that officers and men ate and drank what they could. -Wooten favoured Bovril from a vacuum flask, corned beef sandwiches, and -cheese; but some people, having no appetites, preferred to fast. - -Destroyers cannot steam very fast against a heavy head-sea, and with -bad weather from the west there was always the possibility that the -enemy's battle-cruisers might emerge from their lair and chase and sink -the retiring British ships one by one as they punched slowly homewards. -Small craft are not suited for fighting in very bad weather, and such -an eventuality might have been disastrous; but nobody seemed to trouble -his head about it. - -Life at sea in the summer, when there was hardly a ripple on the water, -with a brilliant sun and no fog, was enjoyable, though it is true that -they always ran a certain amount of risk from mines, floating or -otherwise. The dangerous red squares, oblongs, and circles on the chart -were abundant and well scattered. Ships did not willingly venture over -them; but summer sun and absence of wind breed fogs, and they might be -at sea in misty weather for a couple or more days with no glimpse of -the land, no chance of taking an observation of the sun, and nothing -but a dead reckoning position to work from. This--since tides, -currents, and wind have a variable effect--might sometimes be anything -up to twenty miles wrong, so destroyers occasionally trespassed upon -the red danger areas without really meaning to do so. How could they -help it? - -Liberties should not be taken with mines. They are inventions of the -Evil One, and at the beginning of the war caused many people to suffer -from insomnia; but later on those who did nothing but traverse waters -in which some unscrupulous mine-layer had deposited her eggs lost much -of their dread of them. Familiarity had bred not actually contempt, but -a species of fatalistic indifference which is rather difficult to -describe. A mine explosion is always serious, sometimes disastrous, and -it is never exactly pleasant to know that your ship may be blown up at -any moment, and that you and your shipmates may have to take to the -boats, if there is room in them for all hands and the cook, or if there -is not, to go bathing in life-belts or swimming-collars. Moreover, some -of you may be killed or wounded by the explosion itself, particularly -if it occurs under a magazine; and if it happens close to the enemy's -coast one may possibly be rescued by the Huns and incarcerated in -Germany for the duration of the war. There is a chance of being saved -by a British ship if one is anywhere near; but whichever way one looks -at it, an under-water explosion is never anything but unpleasant to the -victim thereof. - -But there is nothing to be gained by worrying. In war one can go to -Kingdom Come in such a variety of ways, all equally violent and all -horrible, that it is as well never to allow the mind to dwell on any -particular method of extinction. People never run unnecessary risks, -naturally; but risks have to be taken, and mines moored beneath the -surface are invisible at any time. 'Floaters,' too, are a source of -danger; and, though mines which have become parted from their moorings -are nominally supposed to be harmless, Hague Conventions and the tenets -of International Law are sometimes disregarded. War has lost its -old-time chivalry. It is now a dirty and an ungentlemanly business--one -at which the modern Hun excels. - - -III. - -One dark winter evening the _Mariner_ and three other destroyers -were groping their way back toward the British coast after being at sea -for two days and two nights. They had had the usual North Sea weather, -thick haze and some rain; but during the later portion of the trip -there had been a gale of wind from the south-west and an unusually bad -sea. Even now, when they were close to the coast, and should have been -more or less under the lee of the land, it still blew hard, with a -heavy perpendicular lop which made the little ships pitch and wallow as -they drove through it. The evening was as black as the mouth of the -nethermost pit, and the sky was completely overcast, while for the last -forty-eight hours they had never had a glimpse of the sun or the land. -Their position, as usual in such circumstances, was more or less an -unknown thing, a mere matter of dead reckoning and guesswork, which -even the constant use of the sounding-machine could not verify. - -Making the land after dark in peace-time, with all shore lights -blazing, sometimes gives cause for anxiety; but in war, when all the -lighthouses and lightships are extinguished, when many buoys are -removed, and there are various dangerous mined areas to be dodged and -avoided, it becomes something more than a joke. If mines are known to -be present, the feeling is not at all a pleasant one. It is rather like -being blindfolded and trying to find the door in a pitch-dark room, the -floor of which is well strewn with bombs ready to explode on being -touched. That was the sort of sensation at the back of Wooten's mind. - -The _Mariner_ happened to be the third ship in the line of four, and at -five-fifty-one precisely, when the skipper, the sub-lieutenant, and the -usual quartermaster, signalman, and lookouts were on the bridge -watching the next ahead, there came a rumbling, crashing roar from -somewhere close astern. It made the ship dance and tremble, and was -nothing the least like the sharp report of a gun. The sound was more or -less muffled, and the violent, reverberating thud could only be -compared with the sudden banging of a heavy steel velvet-covered door -in a jerry-built villa, if such a thing can be imagined. - -Wooten, who had heard such reports before, knew at once what it was. -'God!' he exclaimed anxiously, looking astern; 'some one's got it in -the neck!' - -Some one had--the _Monsoon_, the ship astern--and a moment later -her signal-lamp was flickering agitatedly in and out in the darkness. -'Have struck a mine!' she spelt out hastily. - -Wooten cursed under his breath. 'These things always happen on nights -like this!' he observed bitterly. 'Just like our rotten -luck!--Signalman!' - -'Sir?' - -'Tell _Monsoon_ I'm coming to her assistance,' Wooten gave the -necessary orders to the quartermaster at the wheel.--'Hargreaves, have -the boats turned out ready for lowering in case she goes, and send down -to No. 1, and tell him to be ready for taking her in tow. As fast as -you can!' - -The sub. hurriedly left the bridge, and Wooten, working the helm and -the twin screws, circled round until his ship was about fifty yards -away from and abreast of the damaged vessel, which had fallen off into -the trough of the sea. The _Mariner's_ men, meanwhile, in all stages -of deshabille, had thronged to the upper deck at the sound of the -explosion, and were making the various necessary preparations. - -'Are you all right?' the skipper bellowed as the ship slid slowly past, -rolling heavily. - -'I don't know about being all right,' came back a voice. 'My stern, -with the rudder, screws, and the whole bag o' tricks, is missing. I -think she'll float, though.' - -'Right! I'll take you in tow!' went back the reply.--'Good Lord!' added -Wooten, swaying to the heavy rolling and looking at the sea; 'it's -going to be the devil's own job, though.' - -It was. When a searchlight shone out and illuminated the scene, the -_Monsoon_ seemed to be in a very bad way. She was not rolling very -heavily, for some portion of her damaged stern was still connected to -the hull, causing her to lie over to starboard toward the wind until -the mast was at an angle of thirty degrees to the vertical, and broken -water could be seen washing half-way across her upper deck. The -spectacle was an alarming one, for she seemed to be in some danger of -capsizing. - -The _Mariner_, meanwhile, had drawn slightly ahead. She was rolling so -heavily that at one moment her rails were under water, and the next -were high in the air, while the men working on the wet and slippery -deck had the greatest difficulty in preventing themselves from being -hurled bodily overboard. - -Wooten manoeuvred his ship until her stern was on a level with the -_Monsoon's_ bows, and about thirty feet distant; where-upon men -stationed aft endeavoured to hurl heaving-lines across on to the -forecastle of the damaged vessel. If a small line could be got across -from ship to ship, the end of it would be made fast to a coir hawser in -the _Monsoon_. The coir would then be dragged over to the _Mariner_, -and on the end of it would be secured the steel-wire towing-hawser, one -end of which would be hauled on board and secured in the towing ship, -and the other in the vessel being towed. But, try as they might, they -could not bridge the space. The wind simply laughed at them, and hurled -their lines back in their faces, while all the time the throwers were -in constant danger of being shot into the sea by the movement. Except -for the glare of the searchlight, it was pitch-dark. Wooten could not -approach any closer for fear of bringing the vulnerable stern, with its -rudder and screws, into collision with the _Monsoon's_ bows, and if he -allowed that to happen his own ship would be disabled and rendered -helpless, and the last state of affairs would be worse than the first. -There was only one alternative, and that was to lower a boat to take -the lines across; but this again was easier said than done. - -Hargreaves, the sub-lieutenant, and five men took their places in the -whaler hanging at her davits, and the boat was then lowered gradually -toward the water. The skipper watched them with his heart in his mouth, -for as she descended, and the falls lengthened, the scope of her -oscillation became longer and longer, and dizzier and dizzier. The ship -herself was still rolling horribly, and at one instant the whaler was -swung giddily out at an impossible angle over the water, while the next -she came into contact with the ship's side with a crash and a thump -which threatened to stave in her planks and to precipitate every -mother's son of her crew into the sea. Watching the business was a -ghastly nightmare which seemed to last for minutes. In reality it must -have been over in a few seconds, but Wooten heaved a sigh of heartfelt -relief when he saw the boat fall with a splash on to the top of a -gigantic sea. But the next moment he held his breath again, for she was -flung bodily aft on the crest of the billow until she was all but -deposited on deck as the ship rolled drunkenly toward her. Then she -sank out of sight somewhere under the bottom as the _Mariner_ lurched -over the other way, to reappear a few seconds later, with her crew -plying their oars lustily. How they ever succeeded in getting clear -nobody quite knew, for in that sea only a merciful Providence saved -Hargreaves and his five men from disaster. - -The line was passed across by the boat, and the end of the _Monsoon's_ -wire hawser was shackled on to a length of chain cable at the -_Mariner's_ stern, and when this had been done the two ships were -connected and everything was ready for going ahead. The whaler was then -rehoisted after another series of hairbreadth experiences, and the -struggle began to get the damaged ship head on to the sea and wind -preparatory to towing her into safety. A bare hour and twenty-four -minutes had passed since the explosion had occurred. To Wooten and his -men it had seemed like half the night. - -Pincher Martin, who was on the bridge at one of the engine-room -telegraphs up till midnight, saw and heard all that went on. By the -time the _Monsoon_ was safely in tow both vessels were lying broadside -on to the wind and sea, with their heads to the south-eastward. The -course to get the damaged ship head on to the waves and toward the -shelter of the coast was south-west, and at first Wooten went dead slow -ahead with both engines to tug her round. But it was a more difficult -task than he had bargained for. He could not go fast, for the violent -motion on his ship and the consequent jerking on the towing-wire would -have caused the latter to part like a piece of thread; and even as it -was, the wire was jerking out of the sea one minute, humming like a -harp-string, while the next the bight of it was sagging loosely under -the water. Moreover, a destroyer is not an ideal ship for towing -another at the best of times. The tow-rope necessarily has to be made -fast in the extreme stern, not, as is the case in a properly fitted -tug, more or less amidships in the spot where the vessel pivots when -turning. The consequence is that manoeuvring-power is reduced almost to -a minimum, while on this particular occasion the _Monsoon_, with her -stern cut off and some of the wreckage trailing behind her, lay like a -log on the water, and did her very utmost to pull the _Mariner_ round -the wrong way--that is, to the east, instead of through south to -south-west. It was rather like trying to tow a derelict motor-bus with -a bicycle. - -The skipper worked his engines very gingerly, and tautened out the tow -with his helm to port. Then he gradually increased the revolutions of -the turbines until they should have been travelling at eight knots. - -'How's her head, coxswain?' he asked after an interval. - -'South sixty-five east, sir,' said Willis. - -Wooten sighed deeply, and verified the statement by glancing at the -compass. 'Lord!' he said, 'she was there ten minutes ago. Isn't she -moving at all?' - -'Wagglin' about a bit,' the coxswain answered, gazing at his -compass-card in his usual imperturbable way. 'She's all over the shop. -Up to sou'-east one minute, an' back to south-eighty the next. She's -just startin' to move to starboard now, sir,' he added eagerly an -instant later. 'Blarst!' in a very audible undertone; 'no, she ain't. -She's startin' to fall off the wrong way.' - -'Damn!' Wooten muttered; 'I don't believe we'll ever get her round.' - -Willis gave vent to a throaty sigh. He evidently thought the same. - -It certainly did seem an impossible job, for with the drag on her stern -the _Mariner_ was practically stationary, while using more speed -was out of the question without running a dangerous risk of snapping -the towing-wire. Time after time the ship's head came round to -south-east, sometimes a few degrees farther; but on each occasion, -after hesitating for a moment or so, she fell back to her original -starting-point, south sixty-five degrees east. - -They tugged and tugged for over an hour with no effect. Wooten -exhausted all his unparliamentary vocabulary, and Willis became -speechless and purple about the face; but nothing happened--absolutely -nothing. The _Monsoon_ was making signals all the while--urgent -signals, signals of real distress. 'Please tow me head to sea and wind -as soon as you possibly can,' they said. 'Sea may smash in my after -bulkheads, and cause ship to sink.' - -'Am doing my very utmost,' said the _Mariner_ in reply. - -They certainly were. They could do no more. - -By about eight-thirty, at which time both ships were still in the -trough of the sea, and the _Mariner_ was oscillating like the -pendulum of a clock, thin, drizzling rain came to add to their -discomfort. - -'Damn it all!' growled Wooten between his teeth, 'we must do something -drastic. We haven't budged an inch since we started.' - -'Please don't go any faster, sir!' protested MacDonald. 'The wire won't -stand it. It's on the verge of carrying away as it is.' - -'We shall have to chance it, No. 1. We can't spend the whole night -messing about here like this.' - -Wooten solved the difficulty by going slow astern with the starboard -propeller and putting the port engine-room telegraph to 'half-speed -ahead,' and gradually increasing the revolutions of the port screw to -sixteen knots. This exerted a greater thrust, tending to turn the ship -to starboard, and at last, after ten minutes of it, she actually began -to move. - -'How's she going now?' Wooten inquired five minutes later. - -'Comin' round very, very slow, sir,' said Willis. 'She's at south-forty -east.' - -They persevered. Sometimes the ship swung round a matter of ten degrees -or so in the right direction with a rush, only to fall back seven of -them a moment later. Sometimes the lubber's line of the compass went -back beyond the original starting-point, but generally they managed to -gain a degree or two. The _Monsoon_ had been in tow at seven-fifteen, -and it was not until three hours later that they finally got her on to -the desired course of south-west. - -The mere recital of the incident seems commonplace and trivial enough; -but to Wooten the period was one of poignant anxiety, for the damaged -ship, judging from what could be seen of her in the glare of the -searchlight, seemed to be on the verge of capsizing. Her signals said -as much, too; and if her bulkheads had burst, and she had turned over, -the _Mariner_, with a wire made fast to her stern, and a gale of -wind blowing, and a sea running in which a small, heavily laden boat -had very little chance of remaining afloat, would have been able to do -little toward saving her crew. They would have attempted it, of course, -but all would probably have perished together. Moreover, in the -darkness and generally bad conditions which prevailed, there was always -the chance that Wooten would have bad luck, and damage, if not lose, -his ship. If he did that people would call him a silly fool behind his -back, and would say he should have known better than to attempt the -impossible, while his career in the service might be marred. If, on the -other hand, he succeeded in doing what he set out to do, the powers -that be might pat him on the back and call him a good boy, but very -possibly would refrain from doing anything of the kind. The standard in -the navy is ever a high one, and in time of war incidents of this kind -are all in the day's work. - -But all's well that ends well, and on this particular occasion they did -succeed, and the _Mariner_, with the _Monsoon_ in tow, steamed slowly -off toward the land. The speed they made was roughly three and a -quarter knots, perhaps a trifle less; but it was all in the right -direction, and by midnight the damaged vessel was under the lee of the -shore and in safety. They finally dropped the tow at six o'clock the -next morning, when the skipper, in a sudden fit of exuberance, went on -faster than he really should have done, and promptly parted the wire. -But no harm was done, for by this time they were in calm water, and a -light cruiser was in attendance. - -The same afternoon he met the commanding officer of the _Monsoon_. - -'Well, Peter,' said the latter, 'we got jolly well out of that show -last night.' - -'By George! yes,' Wooten agreed. 'I thought we'd never get you round -head to wind. How did your chaps take it?' - -'They weren't particularly cheery at first,' said the other, laughing. -'But as soon as you got us in tow they spent their time singing "Lead, -kindly Light." You know how it brings in "The night is dark, and I am -far from home," so it was quite suitable to the occasion. The ship was -in a shocking mess, though; and when the mine went up it blew the after -storerooms and most of the wardroom into the sea, so we hadn't any -food. We were all jolly glad to get back into harbour again, and it was -only by the mercy of God that we had no casualties.' - -Wooten nodded. - -'I suppose you know, Peter,' continued the other, 'that we were bang on -the top of a Hun minefield.' - -'Minefield! I thought the one that got you was a floater.' - -'Don't you believe it. They tell me the place we were in is fairly -thick with 'em. You can thank your lucky stars you didn't bump one.' - -The possibility of the _Mariner_ also being blown up had never really -occurred to Wooten at the time. Perhaps it was just as well for him -that it didn't, and that the taking of the _Monsoon_ in tow gave him -little or no time to think of anything else. 'Great Scott!' he -observed, with his usual slow smile and a little whistle of -astonishment; 'I'm glad we didn't come a mucker--jolly glad! What about -a glass of sherry to celebrate the auspicious occasion?' - -'I'm on, Peter,' said his friend; 'but I really think it's up to me to -pay for it.' - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -COMINGS AND GOINGS. - - -I. - -''Ere, wot's that over there?' inquired Pincher Martin, coming on to -the forecastle early one morning with a basin of hot cocoa for one -Billings, able seaman. - -Joshua looked round. 'Na then, young fella, don't go spillin' the ruddy -stuff,' he grunted agitatedly, taking the bowl with a nod of thanks. -'Wot's wot?' - -'That there,' said the ordinary seaman, pointing. - -''Er?' remarked the A.B. huskily, breathing heavily on to the hot -liquid to cool it. 'That there? Only a bloomin' Zeppeling, Pincher. -You've see'd 'em afore, ain't yer?' - -'Course I 'as. Only I thort to meself as 'ow she looked a bit -different, some'ow. Quite pretty like, ain't she?' - -The distant airship, floating apparently motionless above the eastern -horizon, certainly did appear a thing of beauty for the time being. Her -elongated body, dwarfed by the distance until it appeared barely an -inch long, was plainly silhouetted as a gray-blue shape against the -clear, rosy sky of the dawn, while her curved under-side reflected the -scarlet and orange of the rapidly rising sun. She looked graceful and -almost ethereal--not a thing of bombs, terror, and destruction. - -Joshua drank his cocoa with noisy gulps. 'I don't know abart wot she -looks like,' he observed at length, wiping his mouth with the back of a -particularly grimy hand. 'You wait till she starts droppin' 'er bombs. -I reckons them blokes is no better'n murderers.' - -'Why doesn't we 'ave a pop at 'er?' - -''Ave a pop at 'er! She's twenty mile orf, if she's a hinch, an' yer -knows as well as I does that none o' our ships 'ere 'as got -hanti-haircraft guns wot'll 'it 'er at that range.' Joshua sucked his -teeth, and proceeded to explore the inner recesses of his mouth with -the end of a burnt match. - -'Why doesn't we chase 'er, then?' - -'Chase 'er! Wot's the good? She kin go 'er fifty knots, an'll be orf -like a rigger afore we gits anywheres near 'er. She'll watch it she -don't git inter trouble. You ain't got a fag or a fill o' bacca abart -yer, I s'pose?' - -Pincher shook his head firmly. He knew Joshua of old. - -Billings smiled affably, produced a well-blackened clay from the pocket -of his lammy coat, and proceeded to light it. 'Ah!' he sighed -contentedly, patting himself gently on the stomach and puffing out a -cloud of smoke, 'that drop o' cocoa done me orl th' good in the world. -I feels has bright an' has fresh as a li'l dicky-bird.' - -Pincher smiled, for the simile was hardly an apt one. Joshua had kept -the first watch till midnight, and, after four hours' sleep in his -clothes, had been up again since four o'clock as a member of the duty -gun's crew. His eyes were sleepy and bloodshot, his hands and face were -indescribably filthy, and his chin sported an ugly stubble of three -days' growth. He was not a pleasant sight. Moreover, it was summer, and -the weather was perfectly fine and unusually warm; but, true to the -custom of the British bluejacket, he was wearing sufficient clothing to -keep the cold from an Antarctic explorer. His figure was ponderous at -the best of times; it was now elephantine, and anything less like a -dicky-bird it was impossible to imagine. - -'That bloke,' he went on, pointing with his pipe-stem at the far-away -airship, 'is spyin' art th' land. She's 'avin' a "looksee" at wot we're -doin' of, an' I shouldn't wonder but wot ole Zep wus up there hisself. -I did 'ear as 'ow 'e'd bin given th' Iron Cross.' - -'Garn!' chortled Pincher rudely. 'Wot for?' - -'Strafin', fat'ead; wot else d'you think? Probably 'e's usin' 'is -wireless an' tellin' ole Tirpitz as 'ow we've come 'ere to pay 'im a -visit. "Tirps, ole fella," 'e sez, "these 'ere gordamned Henglish swine -'ounds 'ave come agen." "Sorry, Zep, ole chum," sez Tirps; "I carn't -attend to 'em now. I'm hinvited ter breakfuss wi' th' Hadmiral o' th' -'Igh Sea Fleet, an' I carn't git wastin' of 'is bacon an' heggs in -these 'ere 'ard times. Tell th' Henglish ter shove orf outa it, an' ter -come agen, an' I'll 'ave a few submarines an' mines awaitin' for 'em. -Th' navy's 'avin' its make an' mend,[35] an' carn't be disturbed." -That's wot ole man Tirps is sayin', I'll give yer my word.' - - [35] 'Make and mend' = an afternoon set apart for making and - mending clothes--that is, a half-holiday. - -The men round about laughed. - -'I reckons they'll never come out o' their 'arbour 'cept they knows -Jellicoe an' Beatty is outa th' way,' some one observed. - -'An' our boss!'[36] chipped in another man. ''E's a 'oly 'orror for -scrappin'. Look wot 'e done at 'Eligoland! "If yer sees a 'Un, go fur -'im;" that's 'is motter.' - - [36] 'Our boss,' the commodore in command of the force to - which the _Mariner_ was attached. - -'An' a damn good motter, too,' said Joshua approvingly. 'But I reckon -they knows wot they're up against. This 'ere war's like 'ide an' seek. -W'en we pops inter 'arbour fur a bit, they pops art, takin' mighty good -care not ter git too far from 'ome, mind yer; an' w'en we pops art -arter 'em, they pops back 'ome agen. It ain't play in' the game, in a -manner o' speakin'. 'Ow many times 'as we bin scullin' round th' North -Sea an' never see'd a ruddy thing? Dozens an' dozens! It makes me fair -sick sometimes.' - -'But they 'ave bin acrost once or twice, an' bombarded places,' Pincher -ventured. - -Billings snorted loudly. 'Course they 'as; but it don't take much guts -ter come scuttlin' acrost th' North Sea durin' th' night, an' ter start -pluggin' shell at an undefended town th' nex' mornin'! They takes jolly -good care they doesn't stay too long, I hobserves, an' they shoves orf -back 'ome agen afore anythin' big 'as a chawnce o' gettin' a slap at -'em. Arter orl, wotever blokes ashore may say abart th' navy not bein' -there ter pertect 'em, we carn't ruddy well be everywheres. Th' North -Sea ain't no bloomin' duck-pond; an' look at th' time we spends on th' -briny!' - -His hearers nodded in agreement. - -'I reckons some o' these 'ere shore-loafers don't know w'en they're -well orf,' Joshua went on. 'They gits orl their meals reg'lar; but a -good many on 'em don't recollec' as 'ow it's th' likes of us wot's -keepin' their stummicks full. They 'as ter pay a bit extry fur their -vittles p'r'aps; but that ain't nothink ter start 'owlin' abart in -war-time.' - -'That's a fac',' said Pincher wisely. - -'Course it is; but a good many o' th' blokes wot I'm talkin' abart -starts yellin' somethink horful w'en they gits a few shells plugged at -'em, an' wants ter know wot th' navy's doin' of. I don't 'xactly blame -'em, fur no blokes wot ain't mad likes bein' shot at; but they might -recollec' that we're keepin' 'em from starvin', in a manner o' -speakin', an' that we is doin' our bit; damn sight bigger bit than wot -some of 'em himagines.' Joshua paused for breath. - -'If them Germans 'ad a coast as long as ourn,' he went on--for when -once he started to give vent to his opinions little could stop -him--'an' if they 'ad undefended seaside towns th' same as we 'ave, I -reckons we could go an' do th' dirty on 'em. Only we wouldn't, 'cos it -ain't war ter go killin' a lot of innercent wimmin an' children wot -ain't done no 'arm. I reckons we treats them 'Uns too good; fur wi' -their submarines, an' Zeppelings, an' the way they treats our -prisoners, they're no better 'n murderers!' He cleared his throat -noisily, and expectorated with extraordinary violence into the sea. -They were somewhere near the German coast at the time, so perhaps that -accounted for his expression of contempt. - -Billings only voiced the opinions of the remainder of his shipmates. -Nobody thought for a single instant that Zeppelins would have any real -effect on the war, and as often as not their advent, even at home, was -taken as a joke; while people flocked from their houses to see the fun, -thereby running a far greater risk than they themselves imagined. - -Billings happened to be on shore leave during one raid, and in the -midst of a very heavy fire from the anti-aircraft guns he discovered an -elderly, scantily attired, and very irate female standing in the road. -She had her umbrella up to ward off stray fragments of bombs or pieces -of shell, and indeed splinters from the A.A. guns were falling far too -close to be pleasant. The Zeppelin, illuminated by the glare of many -searchlights, and surrounded by the flashes and little puffs of smoke -of exploding projectiles, was almost immediately overhead; but the -woman was far too wrathful to be frightened. - -''Ere, missis,' said Joshua gallantly, ''adn't you better go 'ome?' - -'Go 'ome!' she retorted; 'what for?' - -''Er,' said Billings, pointing at the sky. - -''Er!' snorted the lady contemptuously. 'I'm not afraid of the likes of -'er.--You dirty dog!' she added angrily, shaking her fist at the -invader. 'Come down, you dirty 'ound!' - -The 'dirty 'ound' evinced no particular emotion. - -If the German public believed the mendacious Berlin _communiqués_ as to -the damage inflicted on the hated British by their perambulating -gas-bags they must have been very well pleased. - -'A detachment of our naval airships visited London on the night of the -26th,' wrote Von Ananias, his tongue in his cheek. 'Several important -points were attacked. At Poplar three shipbuilding yards were set on -fire and completely destroyed, and a battleship in course of completion -for the British navy was badly damaged. At Houndsditch a heavy battery -was completely demolished, while bombs were successfully dropped on the -barracks at Whitechapel, flinging the troops into a state of the utmost -consternation and causing many casualties. Near Ludgate Hill a munition -factory was observed to be in flames. One light cruiser and three -destroyers anchored in the Thames near Gravesend were struck by bombs -and sank with enormous loss of life. The inhabitants of the invaded -districts are said to be petitioning the Government to stop the war, -while many of them are leaving the neighbourhood. Our airships, though -fired upon heavily from many points, have all returned in safety.' - -No Zeppelin had been anywhere near Poplar, no battleship had been -damaged, while Houndsditch was as innocent of heavy guns as Whitechapel -was of soldiers. Neither was there a munition factory near Ludgate -Hill; while the light cruiser and three destroyers which had foundered -off Gravesend were nothing more or less than one old and empty barge -sunk, and one waterman's wherry badly damaged. A more truthful account -would have read as follows: - -'Near X. a bomb fell into a kitchen-garden and completely overwhelmed a -detachment of early lettuces and uprooted three apple-trees. A brigade -of spring onions was also completely annihilated, while a regiment of -tomatoes in their billets in a greenhouse suffered severe casualties. -The owner of the garden is now charging threepence admission to view -the damage. The proceeds will be handed over to the local Red Cross -Funds, and the sum of twenty-four pounds three shillings and ninepence -has already been collected. Fragments of the bomb are on view at Mr -Button's shop at 45 High Street, and will be sold by auction at the -next Red Cross sale. - -'On the outskirts of Y. one aged donkey and four chickens were killed, -while one cow, two pigs, and twenty-three fowls were wounded. A black -tom-cat, which was visiting the chicken-run at the time of the raid, is -also suffering from shock and nervous prostration, but is expected to -recover. - -'At B. a bomb exploded with terrific force in the street near the -statue of the late Alderman Theophilus Buggins, J.P. This well-known -work of art was hurled from its pedestal and badly shattered. It is -feared it cannot be repaired.' - -Truly 'tis an ill wind that blows nobody any good. - -Purely from a spectacular point of view I should imagine that all -Zeppelin raids are much the same. They generally seem to take place -late at night or in the small hours of the morning, while their usual -accompaniment is the glare of many searchlights, the barking of guns, -the bursting of shell, and the dropping of bombs with or without loss -of life and damage to property. The _Mariner's_ men saw several -raids; but it was the first one they witnessed which left the most -lasting impression on their minds. - -There had been the usual report early in the evening to the effect that -Zeps might be expected; but they had been warned so often before that, -beyond taking the usual precautions in regard to lights, nobody on -board really paid very much attention to it. The first intimation of -the arrival of the invader was the sullen report of a distant -anti-aircraft gun; whereupon Wooten, always a light sleeper, rose -hastily from his bunk, attired himself in a green dressing-gown and a -pair of sea-boots, and repaired to the deck with his binoculars. The -other officers and the men, determined not to miss their share of the -entertainment, followed his example, and in less than two minutes the -deck was thronged with an excited, inquisitive crowd, all peering -anxiously at the sky. It was rather like a regatta or a race meeting, -except that the greater proportion of the spectators were far too -lightly clothed to be strictly presentable. - -The long pencils of light from many searchlights streamed forth and -swept slowly across the starlit heavens. - -'Where is the bloomer?' some one asked impatiently, as if he were at a -music-hall waiting for a new turn. 'Why don't she come?' - -'She's got cold feet, an' ain't comin',' laughed another man. 'There'll -be no show ter-night.' - -'I think I'll go back to me 'ammick,' cried somebody else. 'I carn't -git standin' abart 'ere in these 'ere clo'es. Grr! ain't it parky?' It -must have been, for the speaker was simply attired in a flannel shirt. -His legs were bare, and his teeth were chattering. - -'There she is!' exclaimed a stoker, pointing vaguely overhead. 'See -'er?' - -'That ain't 'er. That's a bloomin' cloud!' - -'Garn! That ain't no cloud. Not wot I'm lookin' at.' - -'Tell yer it is.' - -'No, it ain't. It's 'er, right enuf!' - -Further conversation was rudely interrupted by the crash of a gun from -ashore, and a thin trail of dim light climbed skywards in a curve as a -tracer shell[37] hurtled its way through the air. - - [37] A tracer shell for use against aircraft has a small - cavity in its base filled with composition which is ignited - when the gun fires. It emits a thin trail of smoke in the - daytime and a luminous track at night, so that the gunners - are able to see where their projectiles are going. - -More guns roared out. More trails of light in the air, rather like the -sparks from the tails of rockets! - -The sky to the eastward suddenly began to flash and twinkle with -momentary spurts of vivid orange flame as the shell started to burst; -the searchlights swung round and became stationary, with their beams -all pointed at one particular spot in the heavens. But still the -spectators could see nothing of the raider. Before very long all the -anti-aircraft guns in the place were hard at work pumping projectiles -into the atmosphere as fast as they could. Streaks of light sped -upwards like the stars from a Roman candle, and presently the heavens -toward the point of junction of the searchlight-rays sparkled wickedly -and with redoubled energy. Puffs of smoke from the shell explosions -filtered slowly through the blue-white beams of the lights; but though -the gunners could obviously see what they were firing at, the men on -board the _Mariner_ had not been vouchsafed a glimpse of anything. - -'Ow!' yelled some one, stamping on the deck in his excitement and -impatience, 'why cawn't we see 'er? Where is she?' - -'Keep yer flat feet 'orf o' me toes!' expostulated a gruff and -much-injured voice. 'I ain't got no boots on. Knock orf jumpin' abart -like a perishin' loonatic, carn't yer?' - -The air was as full of sound as were the heavens of bursting shrapnel. -Little guns and big guns were having the time of their lives. They -banged, boomed, coughed, and spluttered together, and every now and -then in the ear-splitting medley of sound one heard the hiccuping, -deep-throated _poom-poom_ of an anti-aircraft pom-pom, the shrill -staccato _ra-ta-ta-ta_ of a little ·303-inch high-angle Maxim, and -the faint but quite unmistakable whistle and report of the shell as -they clove their way through the air and exploded. - -'Lord!' muttered Wooten with a laugh, his eyes glued to his glasses, 'I -wonder where all the bits are coming down. We'll have to get under -cover if they start loosin' off anywhere near us.' - -It was a magnificent sight, quite the best fireworks display most of -them had ever seen. The many searchlights made the night as light as -day. The heavens were ablaze with the tell-tale sparkling flashes, -while the earth seemed to vomit the fiery trails of tracer shell which -crossed and recrossed in all directions. Brock's Benefit at the Crystal -Palace was not in it. - -Then, quite unexpectedly, there came a roaring thud from somewhere far -away. Another, another, and yet another! The reports were loud and -reverberating, and almost drowned the sound of the guns. They were bomb -explosions, and the onlookers held their breath and glanced anxiously -round to see how their neighbours were taking it. Nobody seemed unduly -anxious, but some of them wondered vaguely what would happen if a -missile fell on board the _Mariner_. Her thin decks offered no -protection whatsoever, and if a bomb did hit her---- - -At last, after what seemed an eternity of waiting, a great, elongated, -silvery-looking mass slid rapidly into view at the point of -intersection of two of the searchlight-beams. It looked like an -enormous hexagonal pencil suspended from the sky, and travelled with -awe-inspiring sedateness and solemnity. It was the Zeppelin; but, from -her size, she seemed to be at least ten thousand feet up. The -searchlights followed her unremittingly. Her great bulk became -indistinct and nebulous amidst wreathing eddies of smoke, while the -shell-flashes seemed to be bursting out into space all round her. - -'Ow!' yelled the excitable, dancing gentleman, as a particularly -brilliant gout of flame flashed out immediately in line with the -airship's blunt bows; 'that's got 'er! Did yer see 'er waggle?' - -But shooting at a rapidly moving object high up in the air and almost -immediately overhead is a much more difficult task than people imagine; -and though some of the shell may have caused the Hun a certain amount -of annoyance, it was tolerably certain that a good many more expended -their energy in space. - -But whatever the result, the raider evidently received a warmer -reception than she had bargained for, for after being in sight for -barely a minute she swung off and disappeared from view at a good fifty -miles an hour. Whether or not she had been hit remained a mystery. -Every anti-aircraft gunner in the place, even the man at the little -·303 Maxim, would have taken his solemn affidavit that missiles from -his own particular weapon had hit her not once, but many times; while -the _Mariner's_ men, judging from their conversation, were of the -same opinion. Some of them were even prepared to swear that they had -seen gaping holes in the Zeppelin's bows, stern, and amidships--all -over her, in fact; but if their accounts were to be believed their -eyesight must have been abnormally abnormal, while the Zep should have -come down a mass of punctured fabric and twisted aluminium framework. -She had done nothing of the kind. - -The guns ceased firing; one by one the searchlights flickered, glowed -redly, and went out. All was peace. - -The men, chattering like monkeys, sought their hammocks. Their officers -repaired to the wardroom and indulged in a nocturnal orgy of sardines, -bread-and-butter, and bottled stout. The mixture was hardly a good one -to sleep upon, but the sardines of Jean Peneau and the stout of Messrs -Guinness were the invariable concomitants to a Zeppelin raid if the -_Mariner_ was anywhere in the neighbourhood. - -'I hope nobody got strafed by those bombs,' observed the sub. with his -mouth full. - -'I think they fell clear of the town,' said the skipper, removing the -froth from a tumbler with a spoon. - -They had. There had been no casualties. - - -II. - -Altercations with Hun seaplanes were by no means uncommon, and their -novelty soon wore off. - -The North Sea is not celebrated for its clear weather, and in it one's -horizontal range of vision is frequently restricted to four miles or -less. The vertical visibility, when the clouds are lying low, is -sometimes a few hundred feet, while in summer the absence of wind and -the heat of the sun often bring fog or a luminous low-lying haze. -Moreover, when there is any mist it is presumably easier for an -aeroplane to see the comparatively large bulk of a ship upon the sea -than it is for the ship to spot the slender shape of the aeroplane -overhead. - -In the earlier days of the war, when the flotilla and a couple or more -light cruisers in massed formation were nosing round not far from the -German coast, according to their habit, it was disconcerting, to say -the least of it, suddenly to see a neat little line of four or five -equally spaced upheavals of water close alongside one or other of the -ships. It was more disconcerting still to hear the loud thud of the -explosions, and to realise that they were caused by bombs dropped from -the heavens for one's benefit by an aerial Hun of most immoral -character. An aeroplane bomb exploding ashore may quite conceivably do -comparatively little damage; but if the same missile descends upon the -deck of a small ship the vessel will be severely injured, and may -possibly sink. It is not pleasant to get into difficulties and to have -one's ship incapable of movement within a short distance of a hostile -coast. It is still more unpleasant to have her sink in the same -locality. - -On seeing the explosions one instinctively looked overhead, and there, -flying low and dimly outlined in the haze, was usually the shape of a -hostile seaplane, the inevitable black crosses on his wings proclaiming -his nationality. In misty weather he often succeeded in approaching -unseen, and sometimes dropped his unsavoury eggs before the -anti-aircraft guns could get to work and make his life a misery and a -burden. No sooner had he done his dirty work, moreover, than he either -climbed and vanished in the clouds, or else circled rapidly round and -disappeared whence he had come. His departure was always hastened by a -burst of fire from every gun which would bear, but one rarely had a -real chance of strafing him, for the whole affair was usually all over -and done with in a minute or two. It was good luck that his aim was bad -and that his bombs invariably missed, though sometimes they missed so -close that people on deck were drenched with spray, and spent the rest -of the day searching for splinters to keep as mementoes. If one had -struck---- But what was the good of considering the possibility? At any -rate, it was always very comforting to realise that a ship under way -presents a very small and difficult target to a seaplane at the best of -times; while, however numerous and thickly clustered a fleet, squadron, -or flotilla may be, there is always far and away more area of water -than there is of ships. - -When the weather was really clear the boot was generally on the other -foot, for then the seaplanes were usually driven off before they could -get overhead. A good lookout was always kept, and at the first sight of -a speck like a mosquito on the horizon, a mosquito which presently -assumed the shape and proportions of a dragon-fly, the anti-aircraft -guns' crews came tumbling up to their stations, and the muzzles of -their weapons started twitching ominously. Then, when the Hun arrived -within range, they let drive and let him have it. - -With the older type of anti-aircraft gun, shooting at an aeroplane -reminded one of trying to bring down a snipe with a Webley revolver. -But now that we are provided with the best sort of weapon which brains -and money can produce, the process of strafing the aerial Hun may be -likened to dealing with the aforesaid bird with a 12-bore hammerless -ejector loaded with No. 8 shot. The odds, of course, are usually on the -snipe or the Hun, as the case may be, but more often than not we -succeed in being accurate enough to make him supremely uncomfortable. - -So the shooting with the A.A. guns was generally good. Puffs of smoke -from the exploding shell darted out into space all round their target. -The blue sky speedily became pock-marked with the white, bulbous, -cotton-wool-like clusters, each one contributing its share of splinters -to the unpleasantness of the upper atmosphere. The Hun as speedily -retired. But not always. Sometimes he climbed high to get out of range, -and then, at a height of twelve thousand to fourteen thousand feet, -when scarcely visible, dropped his bombs. But the higher he went the -more erratic became his practice, so really it did not matter much. - -Occasionally, in the vicinity of their own coast, he and his friends -attacked in coveys of six, seven, or a dozen at a time, and then things -became very lively, and the A.A. guns had the time of their lives. Once -the Huns attacked continuously from eight A.M. until noon. There were -never less than three of them in range at any one time, and each one, -after dropping his noisome cargo, hurried back to his base for a fresh -consignment, and then returned for another strafe. But the bombs always -fell wide, and in course of time people came to treat seaplane attacks -with positive indifference. In early days all in the ship who could get -away came on deck to watch the fun. They indulged in loud and ribald -remarks, and gave the benefit of their advice to the men at the guns, -to the Hun or Huns, and to anybody else who cared to listen. They also -jeered uproariously when bombs fell a few yards wide and deluged them -with water, and fought madly for any splinters which might fall on -board. But later on, when they got used to the feeling, the advent of a -seaplane or two did not disturb them very much, particularly if it was -soon after the midday meal, and they had composed themselves for short -naps on the sunny deck before recommencing their labours in the -afternoon. - -It seems that the British sailor, like his comrade in the trenches, can -get used to anything. Moreover, the war seems to have set a new -standard of excitement, and what will happen when hostilities cease and -the men have to go back to the humdrum life of peace I really do not -know. It would seem impossible to raise much real enthusiasm over -regattas, boxing competitions, picture-palaces, or football matches -after playing the far more thrilling game with men's lives and ships -for the stakes. - -But bluejackets are always peculiar people, and the most trivial -happenings in the midst of the most appalling danger cause them the -greatest amusement. In one merry little destroyer action in the North -Sea one of the British vessels was having a very hot time, and a -bursting shell caused a small fire in the engine-room. It was promptly -extinguished by the fire-party under the charge of the chief stoker, -and shortly afterwards an officer noticed this worthy coming aft with -broad grins all over his face. - -'What's the joke?' he wanted to know, for it struck him as rather -peculiar that a man should be so much amused at such a time. - -'I carn't 'elp larfin', sir!' said the man, bubbling over with glee. -'We 'ad a bit of a bonfire in the hengine-room jest now, sir, an' w'en -I 'ears 'em 'ollerin' I runs along with the 'ose-pipe, shoves the end -of 'im down the hengine-room 'atch, an' switches the water on.' - -'What is there funny about that?' queried the officer. - -'Only that we 'arf-drownded the Chief E.R.A., 'oo was standin' at the -foot o' the ladder, sir,' gurgled the man. 'Funniest thing I've see'd -fur a long time. 'E ain't got a dry stitch on 'im, and 'is langwidge -was somethink 'orrid.' He finished with another cackle of amusement, -and went off to spin the yarn to some one else. - -At the time of the incident, which has the merit of being quite true, -the ship was undergoing a very hot fire. Shell were falling all round -her, and splinters were whistling through the air in all directions, -and for the man to be convulsed with genuine merriment at the wetting -of the chief engine-room artificer, at a moment when he himself was in -imminent peril of his life, speaks well for his nerve. It rather -reminds one of the true story of two marines, the loading numbers at -the after-gun of a light cruiser which shall be nameless. She too was -in the middle of a strenuous little action when a shell burst on board, -and shortly afterwards both men saw a most desirable memento in the -shape of a splinter lying on the deck. They made a simultaneous dart to -secure the trophy, but Jones got there first. - -''Ere!' said Smith, bitterly aggrieved, ''old on. I saw 'im first!' - -'I've got 'im first!' chortled Jones, stooping down and picking up the -morsel of steel. 'Ow!' he yelled the next instant, dropping it as if it -had stung him, and sucking his fingers; 'the bloomin' thing's red-'ot!' - -'Serve you ruddy well right,' retorted Smith. 'It ain't yourn, any'ow. -You leave it alone!' - -'I tell you it is mine,' answered the burnt gentleman. 'I got 'im -first!' - -'Look 'ere, Jones, if you carn't play fair I'll give you a punch on the -jaw; s'welp me I will. I'm bigger'n wot you are, and I tells you I -see'd the bloomin' thing first!' - -'I got 'old of 'im first, an' don't care wot you says an' does,' -exclaimed Jones, putting his foot on the coveted fragment. 'I'---- - -Further conversation was interrupted by the advance of Smith, and in -another instant the quarterdeck of H.M.S. ---- was the scene of an -impromptu battle. It would have been quite a pretty little tussle, for -Smith was large, breathless, and bulky, while Jones was thin and wiry; -but unfortunately the gunlayer, a sergeant, noticed that something was -amiss with his weapon, and removed his eye from the telescopic sight. - -'Here, you two,' he shouted, 'behave yourselves, and get on with -loading the gun!' - -''E's tryin' to pinch my splinter, sargint!' wailed Jones, applying a -grimy hand to a rapidly swelling eye. 'I got 'im first!' - -'No, sargint, 'e's a liar,' Smith cried with an air of injured -innocence; 'I see'd it first!' - -'Can't help that!' roared the N.C.O. 'Get along with the loading of the -gun, and hafter the haction don't you forget I takes you both before -the officer of the watch for unseemly conduc' and neglec' of dooty in -the face of the enemy!' - -The malcontents, rather crestfallen, ceased their bickering, and the -gun went on firing. But the sergeant, a strict disciplinarian, was as -good as his word. Smith and Jones, both good characters, were let off -lightly. They each received fourteen days' No. 10 punishment for their -misdeeds. The sergeant, a Solomon in his way, appropriated the -shell-splinter and presented it to his wife. - - -III. - -There was once a German steam-trawler called the _Anna Schroeder_. That -was not her real name; but as she now flies the White Ensign and is -known as the _Anita_, her original appellation does not matter. -Hargreaves, the sub-lieutenant of the _Mariner_; Joshua Billings, A.B.; -Pincher Martin, ordinary seaman; and several more of the destroyer's -men, can tell you all about her, for they spent four days on board. -They were four unforgettable days, and rumour says that the sub. and -his braves are scratching themselves still. - -From the _Anna Schroeder_, too, the 'Mariners,' in exchange for -sundry excellent British cigarettes and a pound or so of ship's -tobacco, procured some samples of particularly noisome 'war bread' and -a small female pig. The bread, they said, was an excellent 'coorio' to -send home to their friends; and, having the consistency and appearance -of wood, it could, with due diligence, be manufactured into -photograph-frames and tobacco-boxes. It took a beautiful polish. The -sow, Annie, was retained on board as a mascot, and within a week of -changing hands became quite friendly with her new masters. Inside a -month she was sleeping in a specially made hammock, wore her own -life-belt at sea, and ate her meals off a plate like a proper -Christian. It is true that the rest of the menagerie on board--Jane, -the monkey; Tiger and Mossyface, the two cats; Pompey, the goat; and -Tirpitz, the fox-terrier--at first regarded her with some suspicion, -but before long they appeared to have combined forces, and to have -formed an alliance for the carrying on of offensive operations against -any animal from any other ship which dared to come on board the -_Mariner_. Annie's severest tussle was with the wire-haired terrier of -the _Monsoon_, a plebeian but very conceited dog, who treated all -vessels but his own with lordly contempt. She was ably assisted in the -struggle by her willing allies, and for some minutes the battle raged -furiously, to the accompaniment of barks, growls, squeals, shrill -yelps, and much snorting from the fighters. But before much damage had -been done on either side the engagement was brought to a sudden and -wholly unexpected termination by both the principal combatants falling -overboard in their excitement. They were duly rescued in the dinghy; -and the contest, since they were both exhausted by swimming, was -postponed _sine die_. - -But all this has little to do with the _Anna Schroeder_. It so -happened that at one period of the war the enemy was making himself -particularly obnoxious by sinking many of our fishing-vessels in the -North Sea. It was no very gallant mode of warfare; and, partly in a -spirit of retaliation, and partly because My Lords Commissioners of the -Admiralty may have conceived a sudden desire for some steam-trawlers -for mine-sweeping and other purposes, it was determined to pay the Hun -back in his own coin. The authorities were always eager to save money -if they possibly could, and acquiring the necessary craft free, gratis, -and for nothing from the enemy was obviously far cheaper than -chartering them from British owners. - -That is how it came about that the _Mariner_, many more destroyers, and -several light cruisers suddenly appeared one early morning in the midst -of a German fishing-fleet engaged in its occupation not very far from -its own coast. The visit came as a bolt from the blue, and since there -was nobody present to protect them, the trawlers had no alternative but -to surrender. Twenty-three of them, I think, were captured; while -several more, too ancient and too rickety to be worth taking home as -prizes, were sunk. - -The serene atmosphere of that calm and peaceful summer morn was -befouled with Teutonic oaths and much profanity. One could not help -having some sympathy for the execrators, snatched off as they were -practically within hailing distance of their own coast. But every -German male person of a certain age and not a cripple is _ipso -facto_ a soldier or a sailor; while every harmless trawler is a -potential mine-layer or mine-sweeper. Most of the prisoners were young -and lusty, and Fritz, Hans, Adolf, Karl, Heinrich, and many more of -them had the not altogether joyful prospect of spending the rest of the -war in British hands. Some of them disliked the idea intensely, and -their scowling, sullen faces showed as much. Others, after making -anxious inquiries as to how they would be treated and fed, expressed -the opinion that things were not quite so bad after all, and that being -a prisoner was far and away a happier prospect than serving in trenches -at the front, whence they might never return. - -It was this early morning strafe which accounted for the _Mariner's_ -dealings with the _Anna Schroeder_; the adoption of Annie, the pig; and -the adventures of the sub-lieutenant and his merry men. - -The prize crew consisted of Hargreaves, one stoker petty officer, -Joshua Billings, Pincher Martin, and three others whose names do not -matter; and after ten minutes spent in transferring them, their -belongings, food, water, weapons, a chart, and sundry other impedimenta -to the trawler, and in removing certain of the prisoners to the -destroyer, the _Mariner_ steamed off on her business, and left the -sub. to his own devices, with orders to make the best of his way to the -nearest British port. - -How he proposed to get there he did not quite know. The deviation of -the _Anna Schroeder's_ compass might be anything, and he had no -means of checking it; but the fact did not seem to worry him much. He -knew that if he steered west or thereabouts he would hit the English -coast in time; and, having hit it, he proposed to steam north or south -along it, and go into the nearest and most convenient harbour which -happened to come into sight. What harbour it was he probably would not -find out until after his arrival. - -He was intensely proud of his first independent command, and his first -care was to commandeer all the German ensigns he could find for -trophies, to hoist an enormous White Ensign at the mizzen, and to -display his badge of authority in the shape of a long white man-of-war -pendant at the masthead. Then, when some one had persuaded the German -engineer to raise a full head of steam in the antiquated boiler, and to -start the engines, one of the _Mariner's_ men was put at the wheel, -armed sentries were posted on deck and in the engine-room, and course -was shaped for home. The men, inquisitive as usual, set about exploring -the prize. She had on board more than three hundred pounds' worth of -fresh-caught fish, but even the thought of this excellent food could -not reconcile the bluejackets to certain other things they discovered. -The first complaint came from Billings, who, as the eldest A.B. on -board, had been selected as a spokesman by the others. - -'Beggin' yer pardon, Mister 'Argreaves, sir,' he said, first -expectorating over the ship's side, and then approaching the sub. with -a very wry face, 'would yer mind 'avin' a look at th' quarters lately -hoccupied by them Germans?' - -'What's the matter with them?' asked the officer. - -'They ain't fit fur 'uman 'abitation, sir; an' we 'as ter sleep there.' - -'Why aren't they fit to live in?' - -'Crawlin', sir,' said Billings disgustedly. 'Crawlin' wi' li'l -hanimals! Cockroaches I don't mind, sir, bein' used to 'em in a manner -o' speakin', an' there's plenty on 'em there; but there's hother -hanimals present in hinnumerable quantities; creepin' things wi' legs -the likes o' which I've never see'd afore.' - -'Vermin?' queried the sub. in a whisper. - -'Yessir. The beddin' 's one mass on 'em.' - -'Well, I'm determined to have the ship clean before I've finished with -her,' said Hargreaves, as if he were the commander of the latest -Dreadnought, 'so heave all the bedding overboard. When you've done -that, collect three of the German deckhands and make 'em scrub the -place out. I'll inspect it when it's clean.' - -'We ain't got no carbolic, I s'pose, sir?' Joshua queried anxiously. 'I -doubts if soap an' water'll shift 'em.' - -The sub. laughed. 'We brought none with us, I'm afraid. But find the -man who looks after the stores, get what you can, and do your best.' - -Joshua saluted and walked off. Five minutes afterwards a long line of -blankets and straw mattresses was floating gaily astern. - -But their troubles had only started, for a quarter of an hour later -Billings reappeared with Pincher Martin, and between them they dragged -the resisting figure of one of the prisoners, a small, dark man with a -pair of shifty black eyes. Pincher, Hargreaves noticed, was armed with -a cutlass and a revolver, and displayed the latter weapon -ostentatiously. - -'Good Lord!' he muttered; 'what's the matter now?' - -'Prisoner an' hescort, 'alt!' bellowed Joshua.--'I brings this man -afore you, sir, fur refoosin' ter scrub art 'is quarters w'en hordered, -an' fur hassaultin' me.' - -'And I haf von gomplaint to make,' put in the prisoner truculently. -'Von of ze sailors heet me!' - -'What happened?' asked the sub. with a sigh. - -'Well, sir,' Billings explained, 'it wus like this 'ere. I tells this -man--'e knows Henglish just as well as I does, sir--ter start scrubbin' -art, an' ter be smart abart it. 'E sezs 'e won't, 'cos 'e 'as 'is -rights as a prisoner o' war, an' ain't goin' ter do no work.' - -'Oh! did he?' - -'Yessir, 'e did; an' I sez to 'im that if 'e doesn't hobey horders 'e'd -best look out; an' wi' that 'e tries ter dot me one in the face.' - -Hargreaves, stifling his amusement as best he could, scowled fiercely, -and endeavoured to look judicial. 'And what happened then?' he -inquired. - -'Well, sir, ord'nary seaman Martin sees wot wus 'appenin', an' catches -'im one acrost th' 'ead wi' a broom-'andle.' - -Pincher's bosom swelled with pride at the recollection. - -'What have you got to say?' demanded the sub., turning to the German. - -'My name ees Charrlie Smeeth, an' I haf lif in Englan' many year. I -serve in Engleesh sheeps, an' I say to zis man'---- - -'I don't want to hear all that. What d'you mean by refusing duty?' - -Smith, or Schmidt, as he probably was, licked his lips. 'I say to zis -man, why he treat me like zat? And zen zis man,' indicating Martin, -'heet me on ze head with ze steeck and hurt me mooch.' He pointed to a -large lump on the side of his cranium. - -'That ain't true, sir,' Joshua interrupted. 'If Pinch--ordinary seaman -Martin--'adn't sloshed 'im 'e'd 'a got me.' - -The sub. scratched his beardless chin thoughtfully, for he hardly knew -what to do. 'Look here,' he said at last, addressing the culprit -sternly, 'you are a prisoner of war, and have to obey orders. If I have -any further trouble with you, your hands and feet will be tied, and you -will be put in the fish-hold for the rest of the passage. I will also -report you on arrival in England, and have you court-martialled and -shot. I mean what I say, mind; but I will give you this one warning, so -you had better take it to heart. Do you understand what I say?' - -'I onterstan',' said Schmidt, fidgeting nervously. - -'Remove the prisoner and let him carry on with his work,' the officer -ordered. 'If he offers any further violence shoot him at once.' He -winked. Billings grinned understandingly, and the hapless German was -led away in a cold and clammy perspiration. They had no further trouble -with him. - -Hargreaves was no fool, and, being fully aware that idleness only -breeds discontent and bickering, took very good care to keep his -prisoners busy. They were not treated with undue severity, and received -exactly the same food as their captors; but they experienced for the -first time the rigours of British naval discipline. All day long they -were kept hard at work in scrubbing and scraping the _Anna_ to a -state of hitherto undreamt-of cleanliness; while at night all of -them--except the cook and the man on watch in the engine and boiler -room, who perforce had to be allowed a certain amount of liberty, but -were kept under constant supervision--slept in the stuffy little -forecastle, with an armed sentry standing guard at the door. - -Nothing on earth would induce the bluejackets to poke their noses -inside the place, much less to inhabit it. They preferred to snatch -what sleep they could under the stars; for though--thanks to the energy -instilled into the unwilling Germans--the forecastle had been scrubbed -far cleaner than it had ever been before, its cleanliness was merely -superficial, and it was still well infested with 'hanimals,' as -Billings called them. - -'Them bugs is pisenous German bugs,' he had remarked, wrinkling his -nose in disgust. 'Maybe them 'Uns is used ter 'em. I ain't, an' I'll -watch it I don't go ter sleep in a place wi' wild hinsects a-suckin' o' -me blood. It ain't fit an' proper, an' I sleeps on deck.' - -Incidentally, it was the cook who gave Hargreaves one of the finest -frights of his life. At midnight on the night they had come on board, -the sub., leaving Billings in charge as officer of the watch, with -orders to steer west and to call him at once if anything happened, -retired to rest in a small compartment under the wheelhouse which had -evidently been used as a charthouse, cabin, and storeroom all rolled -into one. It was innocent of insects other than cockroaches, and had a -cushioned locker at one side; while the rest of the space was filled -with nets, cordage, canvas, paint, oil, and a quantity of food. -Dependent from hooks in the ceiling were several dried fish, two -bloated sausages, and a large raw ham. The place was stuffy and -odorous; but Hargreaves was tired, and so, swathed in a blanket, he -soon settled off to sleep on the locker with the door wide open. - -Towards two in the morning some slight sound caused him to wake up with -a start, and on opening his eyes his blood nearly froze in his veins. -There, in the door, clearly silhouetted against the flood of moonlight -beyond, was the dark figure of a man peering into the room in an -attitude of rapt, listening attention. He was the German cook, from the -shape of his bullet-head, and in one hand he held a murderous-looking -knife with a long and glittering blade. He could only be there for one -purpose, and his knife could only be intended for Hargreaves's throat. - -The sub.'s first impulse was to shout for help, for an armed sentry -should have been on the deck outside. Then he scouted the idea as -impracticable, for the man would be upon him the instant he raised his -voice, so he lay still, hardly daring to breathe. Then, with a feeling -of great relief, he suddenly remembered the loaded automatic pistol -under his pillow. He withdrew it softly, cocked the hammer without -making a sound, and then, with the weapon poised, his finger on the -trigger, and his nerves tingling, made up his mind to fire on the first -sign of aggression. - -The cook, treading stealthily, entered the room and looked round to the -right and left. He next came towards the locker on which the sub. lay, -and seemed to be examining the ceiling intently. Then he raised his -knife for the blow. - -The muzzle of the pistol went up and followed his every movement, but -an instant later the sub. dropped the weapon with a chuckle of -amusement.... The German was busily cutting a couple of inches off a -particularly succulent sausage hanging from its hook. - -When Hargreaves laughed his visitor dropped the knife with a clatter, -and leapt from the room like a rabbit. The sub.'s mirth overcame him -completely. - -'Is everythink orl right, sir?' queried the anxious voice of Pincher -Martin, who had been just outside the door the whole time. - -'Yes,' spluttered the officer; 'there's nothing the m-matter.' - -'Beg pardon, sir; only th' cook jumped art o' this 'ere door as if 'e'd -see'd a ghost, sir. 'E seems a bit scared like.' - -He was, poor man, badly scared, nearly as frightened as the sub. -himself had been a few moments before; but he never quite realised how -very near death the cravings of his stomach had led him. After all, no -ordinary person is in the habit of making a hearty meal off a pungent, -onion-flavoured sausage at two o'clock in the morning! All's well that -ends well, but cookie escaped sudden death by the skin of his teeth. - -Hargreaves never suffered his discipline to relax, and all through the -second day of the passage the work of cleaning the ship went on. Even -the German skipper, a very fat person, was pressed into service, and, -since nothing else could be found for him to do, he volunteered to -spend the morning in scrubbing out the wheelhouse. - -'I hope onter-see boot com' an' tak' us all back to Germany!' he -remarked feelingly in very bad English after half-an-hour's hard work -on his hands and knees. - -'If one does I'm afraid you won't get there,' retorted the hard-hearted -sub-lieutenant with a wicked twinkle in his eye. - -'If we sight a German submarine all the prisoners will be thrown -overboard in life-belts, so that she'll have to stop to pick you up. -Then, while she's doing it, I shall ram her at full speed.' - -The German believed him implicitly. The brutal British were capable of -anything. '_Ach!_' he exclaimed, sitting up on his haunches and wiping -the drops of perspiration from a very scared face, 'dey vill nod pick -us op. Ve shall be drown!' - -'But surely your own countrymen won't stand by and see that happen?' -said Hargreaves with pleasant curiosity. - -'I do not know. Bot efen ef dem pick us op, you dry do sink der -onter-see boot, so ve drown anyhows! I haf wife an' childrens, -capitan,' he added agitatedly; 'many childrens. Von, do, dree, four, -fif, six childrens. I doo old do fight. _Ach!_' he suggested with -an oily smile, 'you safe me an' drown de ozzers. Dey not marriet. Dey -not care!' - -The sub. shook his head. 'I'm sorry,' he said; 'war is a very terrible -thing.' - -'I hope ve do not see onter-see boot!' murmured the other. '_Ach!_' he -nodded, noticing Hargreaves's grinning face; 'you choke, es et nod?' - -'I beg your pardon?' - -'You make fon, hey? You no drown der prisoners?' - -'Depends upon how you behave yourselves,' came the noncommittal reply. - -The skipper fell to with redoubled energy. - -The weather was fine and the sea calm, but the _Anna's_ engines -and boiler were long past their early youth, and they had steamed -across the North Sea at a speed of barely seven knots. It was a -heart-rending performance; and though Coggins, the stoker petty -officer, exhorted the German fireman to shovel coal on the furnace -until he was purple with passion and they were limp with weariness, the -steam pressure to the engines dropped and dropped. - -Shortly after noon on the second day, by which time they were on the -Dogger Bank with not a vestige of another vessel in sight--there is not -much fishing done in war-time--the climax came. It was not exactly due -to the boiler, though the propeller had been revolving more and more -slowly; but all of a sudden there came a peculiar grinding sound from -the engine-room, and the screw refused duty altogether. - -A moment or two later Coggins, breathless and blasphemous, appeared at -the top of the hatch. 'It's no good, sir,' he wailed; 'it's no ---- -good. I've done me best to tinker up they damned hengines to get 'em to -'eave round, but now the metal's bin and run in the cross'ead, and they -won't 'eave round no more.' - -'Is there nothing we can do to it?' queried the sub. - -'I ain't seen nothin' aboard we can patch 'im up with, sir. Them -hengines--them ---- hengines--ain't fit to crack nuts, let alone be -aboard a ship!' - -The sub. bit his lip, for there they were, well out of sight of land, -the ship helpless, and nothing in sight. But he had been trained as an -engineer himself, and was better at the job than some people imagined. - -'I'll come and have a look at it,' he announced. 'We must do something. -I can't sail the damned ship home, and there's nobody here to tow us!' - -Eventually, after three hours' hard labour, they succeeded in repairing -the damage with a piece of sheet-brass filched from somewhere else. It -is doubtful if any fully qualified engineer would have passed the -repair as either safe or satisfactory; but by the time they had -finished, and were black, bad-tempered, and greasy, the engines were -persuaded to produce the revolutions for four knots without running -very hot. Even four knots was better than drifting aimlessly about the -sea with the prospect of being bagged by a submarine or dying of thirst -and starvation. - -The next thing which refused duty was the boiler itself. It gave out at -eight o'clock the same evening, and once more Coggins, looking more -like a demon from the nethermost pit than a respectable stoker petty -officer of his Majesty's Navy, a rabid teetotaler, a strict -chapel-goer, and the father of four children who attended Sunday school -regularly, arrived on deck in a state of incoherent vituperation. - -'And what's the matter now?' Hargreaves inquired. - -'The biler, sir. 'E ain't bin cleaned for eight months, them Germans -says. The uptake and toobes is all sooted up, and we carn't get no -steam to the hengines no'ow!' - -The sub. sighed. 'How long's it going to take to clean it?' - -''Bout six or seven hours, sir.' - -'Well, carry on with it at once.' - -In ordinary circumstances a boiler is cleaned when it is stone-cold and -the fires are drawn; but Coggins, in some miraculous manner unknown to -any one save himself and his victims, goaded the Germans into such a -state of frenzied activity that they swept the tubes and uptakes in -five hours. They did it with the fires damped down but still alight, -and what they suffered from the heat only they themselves knew. But the -job was done somehow, the firemen were revived with neat navy rum, and -by one o'clock the next morning the _Anna Schroeder_ resumed her -journey at the exasperating speed of 3·75 knots. - -They eventually arrived in a certain harbour late the same evening -without further mishap; and Hargreaves, after seeing the prize and the -prisoners turned over to the responsible authorities, and his own men -comfortably housed and fed in the Sailors' Home, retired to an hotel, -ate a hearty meal, had a hot bath well impregnated with Jeyes's Fluid, -borrowed a suit of pyjamas, a razor, and a new toothbrush from the -manager, and then turned in and slept for nearly twelve hours. - -Little more remains to be told, for the next morning they left by train -to rejoin their ship, taking with them sundry mementoes from the prize. -They have passed through many vicissitudes since, but neither the sub. -nor his men will ever forget the _Anna Schroeder_. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -MINOR INCIDENTS. - - -I. - -'Signal just come through, sir,' said Rosser, the signal-man, thumping -on the door of Wooten's cabin at half-past one in the morning. - -The skipper grunted, sat up, switched on the light, and blinked. He was -used to sudden calls and excursions in the middle of the night, and -knew instinctively from the tone of the man's voice that the message -was urgent. - -'Read it out,' he sighed, throwing one leg out of the bunk. - -_'Menelaus_, _Monsoon_, _Manner_, and _Minx_ raise steam, and report -when ready to proceed.' - -'I thought so. What's the weather?' - -'Very dark, and blowing a bit, sir,' said Rosser cheerfully, the -moisture from his dripping oilskins forming a nice little puddle on the -skipper's carpet. 'It's been raining hard this last half-hour.' - -Wooten groaned. 'Right! Tell all the officers, and ask Mr Thompson to -let me know how soon he'll be ready. And on your way forward tell Spry -I want him.' - -Spry, able seaman, was the captain's body-servant and general factotum. - -Wooten threw open the small scuttle over his bunk and looked out. It -was as black as pitch, the wind whistled and moaned mournfully, and a -wave of moisture smote him in the face. It would be a wild and wet -night at sea. Altogether a depressing night, there was not the least -doubt about that. 'Ugh!' he grunted, slamming the scuttle to and -drawing the bedclothes up to his chin. - -Enter Spry. - -'Usual sea-gear,' his master murmured. - -The man nodded. He knew exactly what was wanted. - -'We're in for a dusting, Spry.' - -'We are that, sir. Will you 'ave your blue muffler or the white one?' - -'The blue one, and the clean sweater.' - -'You can't 'ave 'im, sir,' said the bluejacket, busy opening drawers -and cupboards and pulling out clothes like a juggler. ''E's at the -wash.' - -'At the wash?' - -'Yessir, and so's most of our flannel shirts and stiff collars. If we -'re to be away long I'll 'ave to wash some shirts out, and you'll 'ave -to wear them soft collars of yours.' Spry was always a pessimist in the -small hours of the morning. 'Is there anything else you'll be wanting, -sir?' - -'No, thanks. Nothing bar the cocoa.' - -Spry took a vacuum flask from a cupboard, and left the cabin to fill -it. This also was a matter of routine; for cocoa, a cushion, and a rug -were always put in the charthouse every night for Wooten's use when the -ship was at sea. - -The skipper clambered out of his bunk, lit a pipe, and dressed. This -operation took him quite ten minutes. First came his ordinary garments, -and a heavy woollen sweater and blue muffler; then a pair of thick -socks; next a pair of fisherman's white woollen stockings worn over his -trousers and reaching well above his knees; over them, a pair of rubber -sea-boots. Next a uniform jacket, a lammy coat, another muffler, and an -oilskin on top of everything. It was wet, and the weather was cold, and -Wooten did not intend to be chilled through to the marrow if he could -help it. His apparel was completed by a sou'-wester and a pair of -glasses slung round his neck; and, thus arrayed, he clambered slowly up -the ladder and waddled forward along the deck to the charthouse. It was -too dark, and he was too bloated, to proceed briskly. - -Hargreaves, the sub., yawning his head off, was already up there -sorting out his charts. - -'Morning, sir. D'you know where we're going?' - -'Haven't the vaguest notion. The _Menelaus_ is the boss, and will -get the orders. She may tell us when we get outside.' - -'How long are we likely to be away?' - -'Don't know. Last time we left in a hurry we didn't come back for a -fortnight. The time before, we were away for six weeks.' - -'What'---- - -'If you ask me any more questions I shall be peevish,' Wooten -interrupted. 'It's high time you knew that I'm not fit for polite -conversation at this unholy hour of the morning.' - -'Sorry, sir. I forgot.' - -Half-an-hour afterwards, by which time steam had been raised, and the -fact had been reported, Wooten climbed the ladder on to the bridge. - -'Signal for destroyers to slip, sir,' came from Rosser a minute or two -later, as a lamp winked frenziedly in and out in the darkness about a -mile away. 'Form single line a'ead; speed ten knots.' - -'Let go forward!' went the order to the first lieutenant on the -forecastle. - -There came the splash of the end of the wire as it fell into the water, -and a moment later a hail from MacDonald. 'All gone, sir!' - -'Half ahead port. Half astern starboard. Helm hard aport.' - -The engine-room reply-gongs clanged, and the _Mariner_ began to -turn on her heel. - -'Slow astern starboard--Stop starboard--Half ahead both--one-eighty -revolutions,' in succession. 'Helm amidships. Steady!' - -The four destroyers, falling into line astern of each other, groped -their way down the congested harbour like wraiths in the night. Wooten -glanced at the dark shapes of the other ships as they slid by. 'Lucky -dogs!' he murmured. 'You've got a lie in. I envy you. This is not a -night for poor old Peter to be at sea.' - -He was right. By the time they reached the entrance the rain was coming -down in sheets, and the wind had increased. Then the bows lifted to the -first swell, and a dollop of spray flew over them, and rattled against -the bridge-screens. - -'It's going to be wet,' Hargreaves observed glumly, securing the top -button of his oilskin. - -'It is,' the skipper agreed; 'damned wet!' - -In ten minutes, by which time they were clear of the harbour, and speed -had been increased to eighteen knots, the ship was prancing and -curveting like a frisky pony, and the spray was flying over in sheets. -Five minutes later the seas were coming in green over the upper deck. - -'Oh hell!' the captain groused, stowing away his useless pipe after -vainly endeavouring to relight its sodden contents; 'this is the -limit!--Look out, sub.,' he added, glancing at the next ship ahead, -whose dim shadow danced through a welter of spray a cable and a half in -front. 'Shove her on a bit. You're astern of station, and dropping -fast. Lord!' he added, 'I wish I knew where we're off to.' - -His prayer was not answered until daylight, by which time they were -far to the southward, and the _Menelaus_ informed them of their -destination. They were going to the warmest spot most of them had ever -known, though they were not aware of it at the time. Warmth can come -from the Huns as well as from the sun. - - -II. - -The intermittent rumble of heavy guns had sounded continuously all -through the night, and with the approach of dawn and the commencement -of the usual 'early morning hate,' the intensity of the dull -reverberations increased. The _Mariner_ and her consorts were -within about twelve miles of the spot where the long line of opposing -trenches debouched into the North Sea; but even at this distance they -could see the brilliant illumination caused by the star-shell as they -burst. The dark-blue sky above the horizon to the south-east was never -free of them. - -'Lor'!' said Billings in an awed whisper, watching the blue-white -flashes as they burst suddenly out in the air, hung for a moment, and -then waned slowly away, to be replaced by others; 'some poor blokes -ain't arf gittin' it in the neck!' - -There was a romance and an interest about the spectacle which it is -rather difficult to define. For one thing, it was the closest they had -ever been to the front; but here, on board the ship, everything was -going on in the same old way, and the men went about their business as -usual. But there, a bare twelve miles off, the deep-throated murmur of -the guns showed that men were striving to kill each other, while the -star-shell must have been flooding the closely packed trenches with -unwelcome light. It seemed a little difficult to realise it, somehow. - -The morning was cloudless and calm. The light increased, and as the sun -neared the horizon a band of pale rose-madder and dull orange slowly -began to encroach on the dark blue of the upper sky to the eastward. -Before long they could see the hostile coast itself as a thin, -blue-gray streak punctuated here and there by the spires and houses of -the coast towns, magnified out of all proportion by the deceptive -light. Hanging in the air, and all but invisible to the naked eye, was -the bloated, caterpillar-shape of a German observation balloon. It -looked ominous and menacing, and the Hun in the basket suspended -beneath it was evidently going aloft to see whom his guns might devour -for breakfast. The coast was reputed to bristle with weapons, some of -them of prodigious range, and the men in the destroyer hoped fervently -that they might not be victims of his wrath. - -Then, quite suddenly, the dull blue above the broadening band of colour -began to twinkle and sparkle with little spurts and splashes of bright -yellow flame. They did not appear in ones, twos, or threes, but in -batches of twenty or thirty at a time. The rumbling of the guns started -afresh, for the flashes were the bursts of the enemy's anti-aircraft -shell, fired at a swarm of allied aeroplanes making an early morning -bombing attack; and, from the look of things, somebody was getting a -tolerably hot time. More killing! It was rather like watching a -gladiatorial combat in the arena; but it was a fine sight, and the -'Mariners' would not have missed it for worlds. - -Presently, when the rosy light of the dawn had mounted up into space, -the thudding of the distant guns ceased. The attack was over, and the -bombs had evidently been dropped; but the clear sky over the shore was -still flecked and stained with hundreds of smoke-puffs slowly -dissolving on the gentle breeze. They showed blue and purple against -the vivid contrasting colour beyond. - -Air raids, and their subsequent reprisals, were a speciality of this -locality. They took place nearly every morning and evening the -_Mariner_ was there; and as the visiting machines had a comparatively -short distance to travel before reaching their objective, they were -carried out by too many aeroplanes, and with too great a frequency, to -be pleasant. - -In the French town within reach of the aerial Hun business went on as -usual; but at the first wailing of the warning hooter the inhabitants -bolted to earth like rabbits to their burrow. Every house which -possessed a cellar showed a small red flag over the doorway, and any -one who cared to claim admittance was given shelter. Trams stopped and -disgorged their living freights. Adipose tram conductors, elderly women -dragging frightened children, ancient male civilians, _poilus_ in -their slate-blue uniforms, any one and every one, made a bee-line for -the nearest symbol of a cellar and safety. It was a wise precaution -which must have saved many lives; for, though the Hun may be given the -credit of only wishing to damage places of 'military importance,' and -to kill members of 'the armed forces of the enemy,' his bombs, as often -as not, were liberally sprinkled upon the residential and commercial -portions of the town. Added to this, every anti-aircraft gun in the -neighbourhood--and there were many of them--sent its shell hurtling -skywards to drive the invaders away. The bits had to fall somewhere; -and if a jagged morsel of steel weighing one ounce falls on the head of -a human being from a height, say, of ten thousand feet, there is -nothing for it but a funeral and mourners. So it is wise to keep -indoors in any case, wiser still to repair to somebody else's cellar if -you do not possess one of your own. - -But after the raids, when the inhabitants emerged from their burrows, -the small boys and girls collected splinters and sold them as -mementoes. The trade was very brisk, and prices sometimes ran high. -Bomb fragments--and one could not help suspecting that many of these -were manufactured at home in the quiet intervals--commanded fabulous -sums. I still treasure a fleeting vision of a British army captain in -khaki, flourishing five-franc notes, pursuing a sky-blue _poilu_ -down the street in the midst of an air raid. The Frenchman hugged to -his bosom the dangerous remains of an aeroplane bomb, a wicked-looking -affair painted bright yellow, and filled with some devilish compound -guaranteed to kill or to cure. The Englishman wanted it badly, and, -being the faster of the two, eventually overtook his quarry, and -obtained the relic for fifteen francs. What he did with it I cannot -say. One can hardly think that it was received with gratitude by his -loving parents, or that it occupied the niche of honour in the hall of -his rich but nervous aunt. - -But whatever we may have said about bombing attacks at sea, air raids -on a town are not the least bit amusing until afterwards. The whistle -of a descending bomb is the most uncanny and unpleasant sound it is -possible to imagine, far and away nastier than the howling and -screeching of a passing shell. Moreover, in an air raid on a town the -visitors can hardly fail to hit some one or something, and it may -possibly be us. - - -III. - -'The Secretary of the Admiralty announces that an action took place -yesterday afternoon between British and German destroyers. The enemy -suffered considerable damage, and were forced to retire. Our casualties -were insignificant.'--_Daily Press._ - -It is rather galling to find one of the most eventful and crowded hours -of one's existence disposed of in four lines of cold print, not even -the name of a ship mentioned! - -It made the ship's company of the _Mariner_ feel very small and -insignificant, and the puffed-up, proud sort of feeling they had when -they came out of their first real action oozed from them like gas from -a punctured Zeppelin. - -Sailors are peculiar animals. They long to frustrate and confound the -Hun--that goes without saying; but, having done their best in this -direction, they are equally desirous that their friends and relations -shall be aware of the fact. Most of the men expected at least to see -the _Mariner's_ name in the newspapers. A good many of them, -though they would not have admitted it, would have been highly -flattered had their likenesses appeared in the _Morning Mirror_. -'A naval hero who has been doing his bit' would have sounded well as a -superscription, though perhaps a trifle fulsome; while further -photographs of the 'naval hero's' wife and family, his father and -mother, the schoolmaster who had taught him, and the public-house which -he sometimes patronised, would also have been suitable to the occasion. -But unfortunately the newspapers took no notice of the affair; and, -since the censorship of naval news was strict, they probably never even -realised that such a ship as the _Mariner_ existed. It was a pity, for, -from the point of view of the men and their friends, anything and -everything which appeared in the Press must, of necessity, be a fact. -If a man went home and said he had been in an action which had never -publicly been announced, it was possible that his immediate neighbours -might believe what he said. It was more than probable, however, that 50 -per cent. of outsiders would treat his story _cum grano salis_, and -think that he had exaggerated. Corroborative evidence is always useful. - -To Pincher Martin the recollection of his first action at sea is still -a vague and shadowy impression of mingled fact and fancy. He had kept -the forenoon watch, and on going below at noon had consumed his usual -midday meal with great relish. Then, with a satisfied feeling of -repletion, he stretched himself at full length on a hard and very -uncomfortable mess-stool, and went off to sleep. He was not the only -one; but he had kept the middle watch, so there was some excuse for -him. - -Towards three o'clock he was suddenly brought back to his senses by the -prolonged and irritating jangle of an electric alarm-bell. 'Gawd!' he -murmured, sitting up with a start, and rubbing his sleepy eyes; 'wot's -the buzz now?' - -He was not long in finding out, for at that same moment Petty Officer -Casey put his head down the hatch. 'Below there!' he howled cheerfully. -'Tumble up! Enemy in sight! General Quarters!' - -His words were punctuated by the sound of men running along the upper -deck and the rumble of a gun. The report was faint but unmistakable, -and it did not come from the _Mariner_. - -Followed by various of his messmates, Pincher darted for the hatch, -clambered up the steep ladder, and ten seconds later appeared at his -gun on the forecastle breathless and inquisitive. - -''Ere,' he queried, more by instinctive curiosity than because he -really wanted the opinion of any one else, 'wot's up?' - -'You stan' by to 'ump them projectiles!' grunted an A.B. 'This 'ere -ain't the time to git askin' stoopid questions!' - -Pincher obediently placed a lyddite shell in the loading-tray and -waited. - -Three British destroyers were in single line ahead, the fourth being -away on some business best known to herself. The _Mariner_ was the -centre ship, and she quivered and shook to the thrust of her turbines; -while, from the sensation of speed, and the great mass of white water -heaped up under the stern of the next ahead, Pincher guessed they must -be travelling at about thirty knots. Three or four miles away to port, -rather difficult to see against the gray background of shore beyond, -were the lean shapes of three other torpedo-craft. They also were -steaming at high speed, and left a long white trail in the water astern -of them, and seemed to be steering an approximately parallel course. -They were German, of course, and as he watched a ripple of bright flame -and a cloud of brown smoke leapt out from their leading vessel. They -were firing, and at him. He felt rather frightened, and suddenly became -possessed of a bitter resentment against the enemy who were striving to -kill him and his shipmates. He had done them no personal wrong, so why -should they try to take his life? - -He held his breath and waited for the shell to drop, but the pause -seemed interminable. Then he heard the sound of the reports, and saw -three or four whity-gray splashes in the water between him and the -enemy. The shell were fully six hundred yards short, and harmless. He -breathed again. - -Some order came through a voice-pipe to the gun; whereupon the -sight-setter twiddled a small wheel and peered anxiously at a graduated -dial, while the gunlayer, breathing heavily, applied his eye to the -telescope. The muzzle of the gun began to move up and down in the air -as the sights were kept on the enemy. - -'Train right a bit, Bill!' came a smothered remark. 'Train right, damn -yer eyes! That'll do! Keep her like that!' - -A bell rang somewhere. A moment's pause, and then, with a sheet of -flame and a crash, the weapon went off. - -When once the business really started Pincher felt better. The -anticipation, that awful period of suspense between the time of the -enemy being sighted and the first shot being fired, was far and away -worse than the actual fight itself. The noise and excitement acted as a -sort of anæsthetic. They had a deadening effect which dulled the finer -workings of his mind, and did away with most of his previous and -poignant mental agony. He realised in a vague sort of a way that he -might be killed; but the process of being under fire, when once it had -started and the enemy was being fired at in return, was not nearly so -bad as he had imagined it would be. - -He had the task of placing a projectile in the loading-tray every time -after the gun had fired, recoiled, ejected the spent cylinder neatly to -the rear, and then had run out again and had been reloaded. He did it -almost automatically, and without having to think about it. Time became -an unknown quantity. Seconds sometimes seemed like hours, and hours may -have dwindled to minutes for all he knew. All the sensations he was -really conscious of at the time were a supreme desire to keep up the -supply of shell, an overwhelming hatred for the enemy who dared to fire -upon him, a most unpleasant feeling of heat, and an intolerable and -raging thirst. The acrid taste and smell of the burning cordite may -have produced the thirst; but, after five minutes of firing, Martin -would have bartered everything he possessed for a mug of really cold -water. - -Incident succeeded incident with such rapidity that he could not -concentrate his attention on any one particular thing. He saw great -white splashes in the water, some of them perilously close. The noise -of the _Mariner's_ own guns overpowered every other sound, but -between their reports he heard the fainter thudding of the enemy's -weapons, the peculiar whining drone of hostile shell as they hurtled -through the air, and the fiendish whirring and whizzing of their -fragments as they burst. There came a jar and a metallic crash which -told him that the ship had been hit somewhere close. He had no time to -look round, but waited anxiously for the missile to pulverise; waited -for what seemed minutes for the flame and roar of an appalling -detonation and a shower of splinters which would sweep him to eternity. -They never came. The shell had passed through the forecastle, and out -again through the side of the ship, without exploding. - -His own gun was firing very fast, and he could not see much, but in the -rifts between the sheets of flame and clouds of smoke caused by its -discharge he caught occasional glimpses of the enemy. They were still -steaming fast, and seemed rather closer than before, and from the sea -round about them spout after spout of spray leapt into the air as the -British shell pitched. The brilliant gun-flashes still twinkled up and -down their sides as they fired; but he was glad they were having a hot -time. - -The next time he saw them they seemed to have turned shorewards, while -the British, still firing heavily, steamed in pursuit. Then, in the -after-part of the middle German destroyer, the one the _Mariner_ was -firing at, he suddenly noticed a wicked red flash and a cloud of oily -black smoke. A shell had gone home. He could have shouted in glee had -he not been so breathless. - -The long-range action lasted for a full fifty-five minutes, with both -sides blazing away merrily the whole time. What damage was done to the -enemy it was impossible to say, but it was clear that they suffered -considerably, and that they were forced back to their own coast. As -regards their numbers, guns, size, and speed the opposing craft were -pretty evenly matched; and if the action had taken place in the open -sea it would have been fought to a finish at close range, or until one -or other of the combatants retired post-haste from the contest. In this -eventuality, given average luck, it would not have been the British; -not because the German is any less brave than his antagonist, but -because he has fewer ships to risk, and is supposed to have orders not -to give battle unless he has a good chance of winning. But man proposes -and God disposes, and the fight was more or less a drawn one. - -At length there came the time when the enemy could be pursued no -longer, on account of the proximity of the shore. So close in had they -steamed that some one in the _Mariner_ even declared that he was -able to count the windows in the buildings and the tiles on the red -roofs; and though the tile part may have been an exaggeration, the -window-counting certainly was not. The yellow, wave-lapped beach, with -the turf-covered sand-dunes beyond it, looked strangely calm and -peaceful; but concealed in those dunes were guns of almost every -imaginable size from fourteen-inch downwards, some of which were -reputed to be able to pitch their shell on a sixpence at a range of -fifteen miles. The _Mariner_ and her consorts were a long, long -way inside this distance, and there was nothing for it but to -discontinue the action, and to beat a hasty retreat. - -Brother Boche, with his guns in among the dunes, was no fool. He was -merely waiting for a good opportunity to open fire, and his chance came -at the precise moment when the British helms went over and the -destroyers started to steam seawards. Then the whole line of coast -suddenly began to sparkle from end to end, and before one had time to -think the shell were pitching. The fire of the destroyers, both as -regards its volume and its accuracy, had been as nothing to this. Great -white-water fountains seemed to spout up everywhere at the same moment, -ahead, astern, and on either side. How many projectiles fell within a -few feet of the ship during the next ten minutes it is impossible to -say. The shooting was very accurate indeed--far too accurate to be -pleasant. It was extremely unpleasant. - -Words can convey no conception of the breathless sort of sensation -caused by those falling shell. They howled like wolves and screeched -like express trains passing through wayside stations. They fell into -the water with heavy liquid plops, detonated in gigantic upheavals of -water and with roaring concussions compared with which the reports of -heavy guns faded into insignificance, and sent their jagged-edged -fragments whirring off into space with the humming and buzzing of angry -hornets. It was a sickening, uncanny feeling to see a fifty-foot -geyser-like spout spring into the air a bare fathom off the stem, to -notice the black patch at the spot in the water where the shell had -burst as if one had emptied a bucket of ashes, and then to steam -through the descending spray, and to smell the horrible, reeking stench -of the explosive. It was more alarming still to see a bouquet of four -or five such splashes jump into the air within a few feet of the stern -or on either side of the ship. If a single one of these projectiles -drove home the _Mariner_ would probably be brought to a standstill, in -which case her subsequent demolition and the slaughter of her crew -would only be a matter of time. If three or four shells struck at once -she would probably founder immediately. - -It is one thing to be fired at by a similar vessel, and to be able to -fire at her in reply; but it is something quite different to be -subjected to the individual attention in broad daylight of a heavy -ship, or many shore batteries, when there is no possible chance of -retaliation. It leaves one breathless and cold; and though, perhaps, -one may not actually show one's fear, one would give much to be -elsewhere. It is only natural. - - [Illustration: The shooting was very accurate, far too accurate to - be pleasant. - PAGE 310.] - -Shell from modern heavy guns can drive their way through the armoured -sides of a battleship, but they will pulverise a destroyer into mere -powder. There are no bombproofs, no funk-holes, no armour, not even a -conning-tower--not that it would be used if there were. The officers -and the men at the guns and torpedo-tubes are all on deck and in the -open, while those below in the engine and boiler rooms have nothing -between them and the deep sea but a steel skin barely thicker than a -substantial biscuit-tin. Moreover, the greater portion of the hull is -crammed with machinery, ammunition, and explosives; and, however much -of a safeguard a destroyer's speed and small size may be, she must -always seem very vulnerable to those who serve in her. I say 'seem' -advisedly, for it is surprising how much hammering the tough little -craft can withstand without being knocked out; while, as any gunner who -is used to the game will tell you, she is not a very easy target to -hit. But, for all that, one lucky shell may do the trick, in which case -every man-jack of her crew may be killed or drowned. There is never -much chance of escape if once the ship goes, and any man who says he -relishes being under heavy fire in a T.B.D. is either a born hero or an -Ananias. It is easy to make light of things after they have happened, -but no words can adequately portray the inner feelings of the ordinary -mortal while the ordeal is still in progress. They are indescribable. - -But by some miraculous intervention of Providence the _Mariner_ and her -sister-ships escaped practically scot-free. According to people who -witnessed the withdrawal from a distance, people who well knew the -range and accuracy of the coast guns, the odds were a thousand to one -that they would never escape, for at times they were hardly visible in -the spray fountains leaping up all around them. They were literally -buried in the splashes, but still they came on--and escaped. - -It was not until afterwards that the men thoroughly realised how lucky -they were. At the time, whatever they may have felt in their hearts or -minds, there were no suggestions of fear in their faces, no trace of -nervousness in their demeanour. They behaved just the same as -usual--jeered uproariously when a shell fell a few feet short and -deluged them with spray, and made facetious remarks when projectiles -from 'Fractious Fanny,' as some one adroitly christened a particularly -obnoxious 11·2, lumbered gracefully over their heads and exploded -merrily in the sea a hundred feet or so beyond them. Perhaps they were -a little more talkative than usual; perhaps their laughter was -sometimes a little forced; but, for all that, they behaved as British -bluejackets always do. - -'I wouldn't 'a missed that there show fur a lot,' said Pincher Martin -after supper the same evening. - -'I reckons we kin think ourselves lucky ter git outa it,' Billings -murmured with his mouth full. 'It's orl right lookin' back on it w'en -once it's orl over; but it takes a bloomin' 'ero not ter 'ave a cold -feelin' in 'is stummick wi' them there guns a-pluggin' at 'im.' - -'Did you 'ave a cold feelin' in yer inside, Josh?' M'Sweeny queried -anxiously. - -'Course I 'ad. I wus cold orl over. I ain't no bloomin' 'ero. But, orl -the same, Tubby boy, I reckons it's done us orl good ter 'ave a bit of -a shake up like this 'ere. Makes us a sort of understan' 'ow every -bloke aboard 'as 'is own job ter do; don't it?' - -Joshua's way of expressing himself may have been crude, but M'Sweeny -quite understood what he meant. - -The engagement, short as it had been, had given the men confidence in -themselves, each other, their officers, and their ship. It had banded -them together in some extraordinary and quite inexplicable manner which -no years of peace training could have done. Together they had been -tried and had not been found wanting; and now, more than ever, they had -become 'we few, we happy few, we band of brothers.' They felt -themselves inspired with a new patriotism and a new ardour, and it was -that very feeling which, on 21st October 1805, had helped their -forebears to win the battle of Trafalgar. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -THE DAY. - - -I. - -All through the peaceful night of 30th May 1916 British squadrons were -at sea steaming steadily eastward. Fighting-ships of almost every class -were represented; great battleships and battle-cruisers, armoured -cruisers of an older type, new and very fast light cruisers, the -ubiquitous destroyers in their dozens, all converging silently towards -the area on the other side of the North Sea which was presently to -become the scene of the mightiest and most terrible battle in British -naval history. - -The Commander-in-Chief and the Admirals in command of squadrons may -possibly have known that something unusual was in the air; but it is -doubtful if any subordinate officers or men had the least inkling of -what the next day would bring forth. They knew that a battle was always -possible, and were ready and anxious for it. Off and on for nearly -twenty-two months they had scoured the gray wastes of the North Sea, -and had explored its grayer fogs, always hoping that the next dawn -would bless their tired eyes with a view of the far-flung battle-line -of the enemy stretched out across the horizon before them. But morning -after morning the sun had risen to display the same bare and monotonous -vista of sea and sky. - -Sometimes the ocean was calm and peaceful, the sun shone undimmed, and -the blue sky towards the horizon was piled high with mass upon mass of -mountainous white cumulus. Sometimes they had fogs, when they could see -barely a hundred yards; sometimes the prevailing North Sea mists, in -which the visibility alternated between two and five miles. At other -times the wind howled, and the leaden sea was whipped into fury by -gales; while the sky became overcast with dark clouds and streaked with -the white, frayed-out streamers of mares' tails. They had come to know -the vagaries of their cruising ground by heart; but whatever its aspect -the sea was ever innocent of the one thing they all wished to see--the -German High Sea Fleet. - -Their wistful longing was just as acute as that of the men in the -storm-battered ships of Columbus when straining their eyes towards the -western horizon for the first dim blue traces of the new continent; and -now, through sheer disappointment, not a few of them had come to -believe that the chance they all prayed and longed for would never -come. - -Daylight on 31st May found the _Mariner_ and many other destroyers -still steaming eastward in company with the battle-cruiser fleet under -the command of Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty in the _Lion_. Certain -light-cruiser squadrons, acting as scouts, were stationed some distance -ahead of the heavier vessels. The morning--which had broken beautifully -fine, with a calm sea--passed without incident, and it was not until -shortly after half-past two in the afternoon that the advanced -squadrons reported the enemy in force to the eastward. - -It is impossible to give any idea of the thrill of excitement which -passed through the officers and men of the ships when the facts became -known. The bugles blared, and they hurried to their action stations. -'Enemy in force!' Did it mean that they were in touch with the High Sea -Fleet? Had their chance come at last, the chance for which they had all -been hoping ever since that fateful 4th August 1914? - -Men looked anxiously at their neighbours to see how they took the -momentous news; but nowhere did a face show signs of fear. On the -contrary, their expression and demeanour testified to their implicit -and unshaken confidence in themselves and their leaders. They laughed, -jests passed from man to man and from group to group, and they went -about their business with an intense keenness born of a new hope. - -The big battle-cruisers swung rapidly into fighting formation and -increased speed, their wash churning the calm sea into great waves. -They presented a magnificent spectacle as they steamed into action with -the smoke curling from their funnel-tops, white ensigns flying at each -masthead, and the huge guns in their turrets pointing their lean -muzzles skywards. - -At two-thirty-five P.M. a considerable amount of smoke was sighted to -the eastward, and a little less than an hour later the gigantic shapes -of five hostile battle-cruisers were looming up over the horizon. - -'All guns, load!' came the first order from the control positions. -'Salvos by director! Guns--ready!' - -Inside a turret a burly A.B., clad in flannel shirt and trousers, spat -solemnly on his hands, stretched out a hairy tattooed arm, and moved a -small, brightly polished steel lever. Instantly a clattering hydraulic -chain rammer uncoiled itself like a snake, and an enormous shell -weighing three-quarters of a ton was pushed bodily out of the -loading-tray to vanish into the open breech of the gun with a smack and -a thud. The rammer was withdrawn, another man manipulated a handle, and -two cream-coloured, sausage-shaped bundles with red ends rolled into -the space just vacated by the projectile. They were the cordite -charges, swathed in innocent-looking silk coverings, the red -extremities being the muslin bags containing the powder-igniters. The -silk, somehow, seemed strangely out of place in the gun-turret of a -battle-cruiser. It reminded one irresistibly of the counter of a -drapery establishment; but for many a long year artillery experts have -known that a silk-covered cartridge leaves little or no burning residue -in the breech of the gun when the weapon is fired. Hence its use. - -Again the hairy, tattooed gentleman moved his lever, and the rammer, -darting forward, propelled two quarter charges into the yawning breech -of the gun. The operation was repeated, while a man fiddled for a -moment with the lock, and then the great steel breech-block swung to -with a clang. - -'Right gun, loaded!' some one bawled, as something slipped into place -with a click. - -'Right gun, ready!' from another man. - -The gunlayer watched a dial, and the gun's crew stood tense and -expectant, while the huge breeches of the weapons moved ponderously up -and down, with a wheezing and a groaning of the water through the -hydraulic machinery. The turret twitched slowly to the right, stopped, -and then moved again. Ammunition-cages containing more shell and -cartridges ready for the next round came clattering up from the -loading-chambers. - -The officer in charge, a lieutenant with absurdly pink cheeks and curly -hair, was stationed at his periscope, one end of which protruded -through a hole in the armoured roof of the turret, and gave him a view -of the surrounding sea. - -'Can yer see anythink, sir?' some one asked in a hoarse whisper, his -curiosity getting the better of him as the officer bent down to wipe -the eyepiece of his instrument with a gaudy bandana handkerchief. - -'Yes,' he answered cheerily, 'five battle-cruisers, some light -cruisers, and a good many destroyers! Stand by. It'll be starting in a -minute.' He replaced the handkerchief in his pocket, and applied his -eyes to the periscope again. - -The loading number of the right gun, he with the hairy arms, was busy -with a piece of chalk, and the other members of the gun's crew who had -nothing particular to do watched him with some amusement. 'TO HUNNY, -WITH LOVE FROM BILL MASON, A.B.,' he traced out laboriously on the -sleek, yellow-painted side of the huge lyddite projectile. He stepped -back to survey his handiwork with a little chuckle of glee. 'That'll -tickle 'em!' he remarked, winking solemnly. - -The men tittered. - -The lieutenant at the periscope suddenly held his breath as a muffled, -whistling shriek and the roar of an explosion from outside brought the -men's heads up in eager, listening attention. - -'Garn!' said Mason with a grin; 'that ain't gone nowhere near us. 'Ave -another go, ole son!' - -'Stand by, men!' cautioned the officer, who was the only person who -could see what went on in the outside world. - -Mason licked his hands and rubbed them unconcernedly on the seat of his -trousers. - -_Whe-e-e-w!_ _whe-e-e-e-w!_ _B-o-o-m!_ from the outside again, followed -by the sound of another detonation and a slight jar, which showed that -the ship had been struck somewhere. - -The gun's crew looked at each other. The turret moved slowly to the -right, and went on moving. The breeches of the guns began to see-saw -gently up and down in rhythm with the movement of the ship. Then a bell -rang, and with a roar and a thud the right gun suddenly went off and -recoiled backwards along its slide. It ran out again with a wheezing, -sucking sound, and the massive breech-block flew open with a metallic -crash. - -'Left gun, ready!' came a shout. - -The turret became filled with the warm, acrid smoke of burnt cordite. -There came the swishing sound of the washing-out apparatus, and the -clatter of the chain rammer. - -The bell rang again. B-O-O-M! roared the left gun. The great battle had -begun. - - -II. - -It is impossible for any single spectator to describe a naval action as -a whole from his own personal observations and experiences, -particularly a battle which divides itself into many different phases, -lasts intermittently from about three-thirty in the afternoon until the -same time next morning, and is fought over many miles of sea. - -The _Mariner_ and various other destroyers were present with the -battle-cruisers throughout the first shock of the engagement and the -running fight which ensued. Some of them, the _Mariner_ included, -assisted to repel the attacks of hostile torpedo-craft during daylight, -and delivered their own attacks on the heavy ships of the enemy during -the afternoon and night; but though Pincher Martin saw a great deal of -the fighting, he had no very clear conception of how the engagement -went as a whole or of how the time passed. - -When he first saw the enemy they appeared as a row of immense gray -shapes stretched out across the horizon. They were battle-cruisers--he -knew that from their build; and though they must have been fully ten -miles distant, they looked grim and menacing. With them were several -light cruisers, looking absolute pygmies alongside their overgrown -sisters; while on the farther side he saw, or thought he could see, a -swarm of destroyers. It was now about three-thirty P.M., and the -weather was quite clear. - -The _Mariner_ was stationed close to the line of battle-cruisers, -and between them and the enemy. She occupied one of the best seats in -the house, the front row of the stalls, so to speak, a position from -which, but for the clouds of smoke and masses of spray flung up by the -falling shell, those on board her would have seen practically -everything that happened. But the billet was not exactly a comfortable -one. Indeed, it was most unpleasant; for when the firing began the shot -from both the British and the German guns whistled and thundered -overhead, while there was always the chance that the destroyers would -receive the benefit of hostile shell falling short of their intended -target. - -Pincher watched the enemy with a certain amount of fascinated -apprehension. They seemed to swing into a single line, and then, quite -suddenly, he noticed five or six tongues of bright orange flame and -clouds of brown smoke leap out from the side of their leader. There was -a lengthy pause, followed by a terrifying crescendo of howling and -screeching as the giant projectiles came hurtling through the air. They -fell in a bunch a bare fifty yards short of one of the battle-cruisers, -and exploded with a roar, the great upheaval in the sea almost -completely shutting out all traces of the ship beyond. The British guns -instantly flashed out in reply, and the next moment the engagement -became general. - -From this time forward the whole affair seemed ghastly and unreal, an -awful nightmare in which it was quite impossible to remember exactly -what had happened. The air shook and trembled with a turmoil of -ear-splitting sound, in which one heard the deep booming note of the -British guns as they gave tongue, the shrill whistling or droning of -shell as they passed overhead, and the sharper concussion of the -hostile projectiles as they fell and burst. - -Looked at from a distance, the huge hulls of the German ships seemed -literally buried in a spouting maelstrom of shell fountains rising from -the sea all round them. At times a shadowy gray mass, sparkling with -wicked-looking gun-flashes, slid slowly into view behind some great -upheaval in the water, to disappear the next instant as another salvo -of shell fell and burst. The British guns seemed to be making very good -shooting, but it was impossible to note exact results from the low deck -of the destroyer. - -Pincher glanced at the _Lion_ and the other ships, and the spectacle -held him spell-bound and made him feel almost dizzy. They were enduring -a veritable tornado of shell, and the sea all round them leapt and -boiled until at times the rushing shapes of the great vessels, close as -they were, seemed actually hidden in the turmoil of flung-up water. -Some of the shell were going home, too, for here and there in the rifts -in the spray and smoke he saw the deep-red flash, a cloud of oily -smoke, and a shower of flying débris as they struck and exploded. There -were a few ragged holes in the gray steel sides; here and there the -symmetrical shape of a ship's superstructure was marred by a twisted -and distorted mass of steelwork, and pierced funnels vomited forth -their black contributions to add to the already smoke-laden atmosphere. -Star-shaped splashes of yellow and white showed where shell had struck -armour, had exploded, and had failed to penetrate; but it seemed -nothing short of a miracle how any ships built by human agency could -withstand such a terrific hammering without being battered to pieces. -It was an awesome sight. - -It was well for the _Mariner_ and her neighbours that the German -shooting was so accurate. The hostile fire was concentrated on the -battle-cruisers, and every shell seemed either to strike or else to -fall within a few yards of them. The destroyers in their precarious -position were untouched, but for all that the experience was -nerve-racking, and Pincher had a feeling of intense relief when he saw -the brilliant flashes and rolling clouds of brown, rapidly dissolving -smoke from the British guns. They were firing fast, and it was no small -consolation to think that the enemy were enduring the same terrible -ordeal themselves. - -One of the most awful incidents of that eventful day was the blowing -up of the _Indefatigable_. The catastrophe, utterly unexpected, -was appalling in its suddenness. At one moment the huge, -nineteen-thousand-ton ship was steaming bravely along with her guns -firing; the next, a salvo of five or six shell seemed to strike her -simultaneously amidships. There came the splintering crash of the -explosions, some spurts of flame, and upheavals of yellow, brown, -black, gray, and white smoke. The great ship seemed literally to be -divided in two, for both the bow and the stern reared themselves out of -the water at the same moment. The thundering, shattering roar of the -explosion made the nearer ships dance and tremble. The report seemed to -compress the air until one's ear-drums threatened to burst, and masses -of débris, large and small, were precipitated skywards, presently to -come raining down into the sea in all directions. - -The smoke-cloud spread and rose into the air to a height of three or -four hundred feet. Soon it completely blotted out the scene of the -disaster, and hung there impalpably, wreathing and eddying in thick, -rolling masses. Then some freakish air-current caused another cloud of -brown vapour to rise and overtop the first, until the whole mass looked -for all the world like some gigantic, overbaked cottage loaf sitting -squarely on the sea. - -Within two minutes the ship had disappeared for ever, taking with her -her gallant crew of nearly eight hundred officers and men. Barely a -soul was saved, though destroyers, hurrying to the scene at imminent -danger to themselves, searched the flotsam-strewn area for survivors. - -The _Queen Mary_ met a precisely similar fate. Again there came -the terrible roar and flare of an explosion, followed by the cloud of -smoke, in which the great ship sank almost instantly to the bottom. It -was an awful moment; but one of the most magnificent spectacles of the -battle was the sight of the great three-funnelled _Tiger_ steaming -at full speed through the pall a few moments after her unfortunate -sister met her fate. At one moment she was in full view; the next her -bows disappeared, then her midship portion with its three great -funnels, and finally her stern, until the whole enormous length of the -ship was completely swallowed up in the mass of brown vapour. Then her -sharp stem with its creaming bow-wave emerged into sight on the other -side of the pall, to be followed by the rest of the vessel as she drove -clear of the scene of the catastrophe with her guns flashing defiance -and her glorious white ensigns fluttering. It was an inspiring sight, -but of the gallant crew of the stricken _Queen Mary_, comprising -nearly a thousand souls, only four young midshipmen and under twenty -men were rescued. - -The loss of these vessels was a sad blow, but still the battle raged -furiously. The hostile shooting, however, seemed to be becoming -erratic, a fact which told its own tale, while ours steadily improved. -Indeed, the next time Pincher was vouch-safed a fleeting glimpse of the -enemy, two of their largest ships seemed to be badly on fire, while a -third had quitted the line and was some distance astern of her -consorts. But it was with a feeling of intense relief that the sorely -tried British saw a welcome reinforcement of four battleships -approaching at full speed, firing heavily as they came. - -It was at about this time that some signal was hoisted in the -_Lion_, and before Pincher quite realised what was happening, the -_Mariner_ and most of the other destroyers swung round and steamed -for the enemy as hard as they could go. - -'Gawd!' he whispered breathlessly; 'we're goin' in to attack!' - -It seemed a suicidal sort of business, another charge of the Light -Brigade, as the ship, quivering and shaking to the thrust of her -turbines, drove on at full speed. They were between the lines, and the -screeching and howling of the heavy projectiles as the two squadrons -fired at each other became fainter and more distant. They drew nearer -and nearer to the enemy. They were travelling at something over thirty -knots--fifty feet a second, one thousand yards a minute. - -'Lie down!' came a sudden order to the guns' crews, for in another -moment the enemy's secondary guns would be opening fire. The men flung -themselves to the deck and watched. - -It was at this moment that Pincher first saw a cloud of enemy -destroyers and some light cruisers coming from behind the line of -German heavy ships. They darted out at full speed to ward off the -British attack, perhaps to deliver one of their own; but whatever -happened they were too late, for the British small craft, swinging -round, turned to meet them. - -'Guns' crews, close up!' came an order. 'Load with lyddite!' The men -scrambled to their feet and waited. - -'Enemy destroyers bearing green four-five,' came through the -voice-pipe. 'Rapid independent! Commence!' - -For the next few minutes Pincher was so hard at work cramming shell -into his gun that he could hardly see what was happening, much less -understand it all. He realised the ship was being fired at, for there -were splashes in the sea all round, and he could hear the shrieking -whistle of the shell-splinters; but the roaring of the _Mariner's_ -own guns drowned every other sound. It was glorious to think that his -own gun was firing at last, and somehow he did not very much care what -happened so long as the enemy suffered. - -It was an exciting experience. The hostile flotilla appeared as a drove -of rushing gray shapes in the midst of a turmoil of shell fountains, -smoke, and gun-flashes. There were so many of them, and they were so -closely packed, that it was unnecessary to single out any one -particular vessel as a target, and the British guns merely fired into -'the brown,' with the almost absolute certainty of hitting something. - -Nearer and nearer they came--four thousand yards, three thousand five -hundred, three thousand. In numbers the two forces were about equal, -but the effects of the heavier British guns soon made themselves felt, -for before long two of the enemy seemed to crumple up and vanish in a -cloud of smoke and steam. A bare thirty seconds later another shared -the same fate, while a fourth, badly hit, lay nearly motionless on the -water and very much down by the bows, with a storm of shell spurting, -foaming, and bursting all round her. The hostile attack was beaten off, -for after a very sharp close-range action the enemy's flotillas turned -tail and scuttled back to the shelter of their heavier ships. - -Then the British flotillas, with the ground cleared, charged on again -to press home the attack on the German battle-cruisers. The moment they -came within range they were fired upon, and within a few seconds all -the enemy's lighter guns came into action in a furious and frantic -endeavour to drive them off. The gray shapes of the hostile vessels -scintillated with gun-flashes and became shrouded in smoke, and once -more the sea started to spout and boil angrily. But the destroyers were -not to be denied, and after the gigantic shell fountains of the earlier -portion of the battle, these smaller splashes, alarming as they might -have been in ordinary circumstances, seemed puny and insignificant. -Indeed, they came as a positive relief, and nobody worried his head -about them. - -The little craft still drove on under an awful fire, and the -_Mariner_, following round in the wake of her leader, turned and -fired two torpedoes in rapid succession when she came within range. -Others did the same, some ships arriving within three thousand yards of -the enemy to do so. Some of the torpedoes must have gone home; but -before they reached the enemy the attackers had turned about and were -steaming hard to get out of range. - -The _Mariner_ had been hit by only one small projectile, which -burst aft, but did no damage to speak of except inflicting slight -flesh-wounds on two men, much to their subsequent satisfaction. Other -ships had not been so lucky, and Pincher noticed one destroyer which -had been struck in the engine-room and could not steam. The last time -he saw her she lay motionless between the two fleets, enduring a -terrible fire from every German gun which would bear. The greater -number of her men must have been killed and her deck converted into a -reeking shambles, but her colours were still flying. - -The action between the opposing battle-cruisers had continued with -unabated fury, both forces steaming to the southward on roughly -parallel courses; but at four-forty-two the German High Sea Fleet had -been sighted to the south-eastward from the _Lion_. Sir David Beatty -thereupon swung round to an opposite course to lead the new-comers -towards Sir John Jellicoe, who, with the battleships of the Grand -Fleet, was somewhere to the north. The enemy's battle-cruisers, -maintaining their station ahead of the High Sea Fleet, conformed to -the movement of the British shortly afterwards. - -The Fifth Battle-Squadron, under the orders of Rear-Admiral Evan Thomas -in the _Barham_, with the sister-ships _Valiant_, _Malaya_, and -_Warspite_, were now approaching from the north, firing heavily as -they came on to the head of the hostile line; but shortly before five -o'clock they swung round into line astern of the battle-cruisers, -coming under a heavy but more or less ineffectual fire from the leading -German battleships as they did so. - -Up to now the weather conditions had been favourable alike to both -sides, but at about four-forty-five a thick mist and a great mass of -dark cloud settled on the eastern horizon, and blurred the outlines of -the enemy's vessels until they appeared vague, shadowy, and indistinct. -To the westward, however, the sky was still quite clear, and the -British were plainly silhouetted against the horizon, which gave the -Germans the advantage in so far as the light was concerned. - -Between five and six P.M. the action continued, Sir David Beatty's -force, with the four battleships astern of it, gradually drawing -ahead of the enemy, and concentrating a very heavy fire on the -battle-cruisers at the head of his line at a range of about fourteen -thousand yards. The hostile battleships, meanwhile, farther astern, -could do little to reply, and ship after ship of the enemy was badly -battered, while one of their battle-cruisers, terribly damaged, was -observed to quit the line. - -At about six o'clock the leading British battleships were sighted to -the north from the _Lion_, and at this time Sir David Beatty, to clear -the way for them to come into action, altered course to the east and -crossed the enemy's T, reducing the range to twelve thousand yards as -he did so, and inflicting terrible damage with his heavy fire. At this -time only four hostile vessels were in sight, three battle-cruisers and -one battleship, the others being obliterated in the mist. - -Twenty minutes later the Third Battle-Cruiser Squadron, commanded by -Rear-Admiral the Hon. H. L. A. Hood, joined Sir David Beatty. The -reinforcement was ordered to take station ahead, and steamed gallantly -into action at a range of eight thousand yards. The _Invincible_, -subjected to a concentrated fire from every hostile gun which would -bear, was sunk. - -Previous to this, between five-fifty and six P.M., Rear-Admiral Sir -Robert Arbuthnot, with the older cruisers _Defence_ and _Warrior_, -had steamed in to attack the enemy's light cruisers, and the two -vessels, with their 9·2 and 7·5 inch guns, sank or inflicted severe -damage upon their opponents. But in doing so, unaware, on account of -the mist, of the immediate presence of the enemy's heavier ships, they -suddenly came within easy range of monster weapons against which their -comparatively light armaments were impotent. - -An awful fire was concentrated upon them. The _Defence_, to use -the words of an eye-witness, was 'blown clean out of the water' by a -salvo of shell. The _Warrior_ was hit repeatedly by heavy shell, -and suffered terrible injury, for before escaping from her unenviable -position she had arrived within a range of about five thousand four -hundred yards of two hostile battle-cruisers. - -The ship was little more than a battered wreck. A distance of five -thousand four hundred yards is nothing at sea. It is point-blank range, -and may be compared with using a rifle at fifty yards. Her casualties -in killed and wounded had been very severe. The engine-rooms and -stokeholds were flooded through shell striking and penetrating below -the water-line, while she was blazing furiously aft, and was making -water fast. The whole vessel was pierced and perforated until she -resembled a gigantic nutmeg-grater, and as time went on she settled -lower and lower in the water. Certain of the survivors tried to quench -the fire with hoses, while the remainder set to work to build rafts, -practically all the boats having been demolished. The conflagration was -eventually subdued, and then came the piteous and gruesome task of -identifying the dead, while the wounded were brought on deck in case it -should be necessary to abandon the ship. - -For over an hour she lay there helpless, and we can imagine the relief -of officers and men when, later in the evening, the _Engadine_, a -cross-Channel steamer converted into a seaplane depot ship, arrived on -the scene and took her in tow. The energy of every soul on board was -then concentrated on keeping the ship afloat; and, as the steam-pumping -arrangements were useless, the exhausted men were at the hand-pumps all -through the hours of darkness. - -But it was not to be. The weather during the night grew rapidly worse, -and when the next dawn came the wind and sea had risen, and waves were -breaking over the quarterdeck. The cruiser could not last much longer. -She was sinking fast, and there was nothing for it but to abandon her. - -One by one the wounded were passed down into boats and were ferried -across to the rescuing vessel. They were followed in turn by the -remainder of the ship's company, the officers, and finally the captain; -and when last seen, between nine and ten in the morning, the -_Warrior_ was sinking by the stern. But she had upheld her name. -She came to a noble end, for she had fought valiantly against -overwhelming odds until she could fight no more, and her name, together -with those of other brave ships lost on that eventful day, will never -be forgotten. Her heroic dead did not sacrifice their lives in vain. - -Of the gallant work of the _Engadine_, which towed the cruiser for -seventy-five miles between eight-forty P.M. and seven-fifteen A.M. the -next morning, and was instrumental in saving the lives of her ship's -company, we need make no mention here. The exploit occupies its -deserved position of prominence in Sir John Jellicoe's official -despatch. - - -III. - -It was immediately after the destroyer action between the lines that -the _Mariner_ first sighted another body of ships looming up to -the southward. The new-comers, about sixteen large ships accompanied by -many smaller vessels, came on at full speed towards the scene of -action, and at first the men in the destroyers imagined them to be the -battleships of the British Grand Fleet. Their spirits rose accordingly, -for with the arrival of these powerful units the enemy's -battle-cruisers, cut off from their base, could not escape -annihilation. But a few minutes later, when the great ships had come -nearer, their unfamiliar shape and unusual light-gray colouring -proclaimed them for what they really were--the battleship squadrons of -the German High Sea Fleet. - -Some of the destroyers which were favourably placed at once dashed in -to attack with torpedoes, retiring as soon as they had fired, and -before very long most of them had rejoined the heavier vessels.[38] -Their next chance of doing something was to come after nightfall. - - [38] That is, those destroyers attached to Sir David Beatty's - squadron. - -From about six-fifteen onwards it is very difficult to give a -comprehensive account of what occurred, for with the arrival on the -scene of the British Grand Fleet, the German main squadrons turned and -retired to the southward. Sir John Jellicoe chased at full speed; and, -as he says in his despatch, 'the enemy's tactics were of a nature -generally to avoid further action,' while he refers to his own ships as -the 'following' or 'chasing' fleet. Moreover, in the engagements which -ensued, the enemy were favoured by the weather, for banks of heavy mist -and smoke-clouds from the hostile destroyers reduced the visibility to -six miles or less, and periodically screened the opponents from each -other's view. - -The fighting between the opposing battleships, which began at -six-seventeen P.M., seems to have resolved itself into a series of ship -to ship and squadron to squadron encounters rather than a formal fleet -action; but, while our vessels remained in their organised divisions -throughout, the enemy, soon after the fight began, seem to have become -more or less scattered, and to have had a trail of injured ships -struggling along in rear of their main body. - -A hostile vessel would suddenly loom up out of the haze a bare eight or -ten thousand yards distant, to be greeted with salvo after salvo of -shell as the British battleships drove by. She would reply to the best -of her ability; but, whereas our vessels had just come into action, and -their shooting was very accurate, the German firing was not good, and -had little or no result. Ship after ship of the enemy appeared through -the murk to be fired at heavily for three, four, or five minutes, then -to disappear in the haze, badly hammered and perhaps on fire. - -To give some idea of what took place during this period it is advisable -to quote largely from the official despatches of Sir John Jellicoe and -Sir David Beatty. There was the battleship _Marlborough_, which, with -the First Battle-Squadron, came into action with the retiring enemy at -six-seventeen P.M. at a range of eleven thousand yards. She first fired -seven rapid salvos at a German vessel of the _Kaiser_ class, then -engaged a cruiser, and again a battleship, doing them all serious -injury. At six-fifty-four she was struck by a torpedo, the only one -which took effect out of the many fired by the hostile destroyers; but, -though damaged and with a considerable list to starboard, she remained -in the line, and opened fire again at a cruiser at seven-three P.M. -Nine minutes later she started to fire fourteen rapid salvos at another -battleship, hitting her badly and forcing her out of the line. Her -firing throughout was most effective and accurate, and this in spite of -the injury caused by the underwater explosion of the torpedo. - -The First Battle-Squadron closed the range to nine thousand yards, and -wrought great havoc with its fire, but only one of its vessels, the -_Colossus_, was struck, despite the hail of shell from the enemy. - -The Second Battle-Squadron was in action with other German battleships -between six-thirty and seven-twenty P.M., and also with a -battle-cruiser which had dropped astern seriously injured; while the -Fourth Battle-Squadron, with which was Sir John Jellicoe's flagship the -_Iron Duke_, engaged two battleships, as well as battle-cruisers, -cruisers, and light cruisers. The vessels of the Fourth Light-Cruiser -Squadron remained ahead of the British battleships until seven-twenty -P.M., when they moved out to counter the attack of hostile -destroyers, and successfully drove them off. They did it again an hour -later, in company with the Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla, and came under -a heavy fire from the enemy's battleships at ranges of between six -thousand five hundred and eight thousand yards. It was then that the -_Calliope_, flying the broad pendant of Commodore Le Mesurier, was -hit several times, and suffered casualties, but luckily escaped serious -injury. In the course of these attacks torpedoes were fired at the foe, -while four hostile destroyers were sunk by the British fire. - -At seven-fourteen Sir David Beatty, who, with his battle-cruisers, was -apparently separated from Sir John Jellicoe, sighted two -battle-cruisers and two battleships in the mist. He promptly engaged -them, and, setting one on fire, so damaged another that she was forced -to haul out of the line. The enemy's destroyers thereupon emitted dense -volumes of gray smoke, under cover of which the enemy turned away and -disappeared. - -But they were very soon relocated by the British light cruisers acting -as scouts, and between eight-twenty and eight-thirty-eight P.M. Sir -David was once more in action at ten thousand yards. During this period -the _Lion_ forced one of the enemy, badly on fire and with a heavy list -to port, out of the line; the _Princess Royal_ set fire to a -three-funnelled battleship; and the _New Zealand_ and the _Indomitable_ -caused another vessel to leave the line heeling over and blazing -furiously. The enemy then disappeared in the mist and were no more -seen. - -These various semi-isolated actions, and particularly the performance -of the _Marlborough_, which fired at no fewer than five different -ships between six-seventeen and seven-twelve, show only too well how -the mist aided the foe; but in spite of it, the enemy was badly beaten, -and suffered far greater casualties than the British. - -At nine P.M. darkness was rapidly approaching, and at about this time -the British heavy forces retired temporarily from the immediate -neighbourhood to avoid hostile destroyer attacks, remaining, however, -in positions between the enemy and his base from which the battle could -be renewed at daylight. At the same time the light cruisers and -destroyers were ordered in to do what damage they could. - -To those in certain of the destroyers which were present during the -latter part of the afternoon and evening, and happened to be unengaged, -the sensation was a most uncanny one. Their area of vision was bounded -by a narrow circle of four or five miles radius, but all round them -until nightfall the air resounded and shook with the distant rumble and -the nearer thudding of heavy guns as the great ships engaged each -other. The uproar never ceased. Fighting seemed to be furious and -continuous; but though the vessels of the _Mariner's_ flotilla -were steaming to the southward with their guns ready and torpedo-tubes -manned, it was not until after darkness had fallen that they were -vouchsafed another chance of using them. But they saw many signs of the -battle. At one moment they would catch a glimpse of a huge British -battleship vomiting flame and smoke as she engaged some invisible -opponent. She would fade away in the mist, to be followed presently by -a fleeting vision of two light cruisers, one British and the other -German, their sides a quivering spangle of gun-flashes as they mutually -hammered each other. They also would disappear, swallowed up in the -haze; and a British destroyer, steaming at full speed, would dash -across the horizon on some errand of destruction, with smoke pouring -from her funnels and an immense white wave piled up in her wake. - -They passed the bows of a sunken enemy light cruiser standing up out of -the sea like some gigantic spearhead; and once, just before dark, they -sighted what remained of a sorely wounded German cruiser. She was -sinking fast. Her guns were silent, and she lay over to an alarming -angle, with a blaze of orange and cherry-coloured flame leaping and -playing about her from end to end. The whole interior of the ship must -have been a raging furnace; and a mushroom-shaped pall of dark smoke, -its under-side stained a vivid carmine by the flames, hung over her -like a canopy, and added its contribution to the thickness of the -atmosphere. The sea was strewn with wreckage, masses of débris, and -floating corpses wearing life-belts. - -And so the night came. - - -IV. - - 'And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his - weapons.'--_Jeremiah_ xxii. 7. - -The fighting and the destroyer attacks of the night are even more -difficult to follow than the actions which took place during the -afternoon and evening. The British heavy squadrons had withdrawn at -dark to avoid the expected torpedo attacks of the hostile flotillas, -and the retreating enemy, meanwhile, damaged and undamaged ships, some -singly, others in pairs or in groups of four or five, still steamed -hard for their own waters. It was upon these scattered units and -divisions that the British destroyer attacks presently took place. - -The _Mariner_ and her next ahead had somehow become separated from -the others after dark, and to Pincher this desperate rush after the -enemy was an awesome business. Owing to the mist and the haze the night -was unusually dark; but though with the retirement of the larger ships -the incessant booming and thudding of the heavy guns ceased, frequent -outbursts of fire from lighter weapons, sharp, blinding flashes of -flame, the redder glare of exploding shell, the white gleam of -searchlights, and the occasional thud of a distant, heavy explosion -showed where torpedo attacks were being delivered. The night was an -inferno. - -It was very difficult to tell which were the attackers and which the -attacked, and it was this very uncertainty, and the not knowing what -was happening, which were so trying to the nerves. All they were aware -of was that the German fleet, with many of its ships badly battered, -was somewhere ahead of them. They all realised that a torpedo attack -after dark was a desperate game at the best of times; but they had -witnessed a succession of such awful scenes during the fighting of the -afternoon and evening that their feelings of personal danger and the -dread of being killed seemed to have gone. They felt themselves keyed -up to the highest pitch of excitement, excitement so intense and so -utterly abnormal that they had neither the time nor the inclination to -think of themselves and their own danger. The German fleet was -somewhere in the darkness ahead of them, and it was their duty to sink -and destroy what they could. Nothing else seemed to matter. - -Their chance was not very long in coming. The two destroyers were -steering on a south-south-westerly course at twenty-five knots, and -shortly after ten o'clock a band of lighter colour began slowly to -encroach on the dark sky on the eastern horizon. Ten minutes later the -dense blackness from about south-east to north-east had given way to -the usual indigo blue of the night; and there, some distance abaft the -port beam, and dimly silhouetted against the sky, were the blurred -shapes of two vessels. They were fully two miles distant, perhaps more, -and seemed to be steaming slowly on much the same course as the -_Mariner_ and her consort. What class of vessel they were it was -quite impossible to determine. But, from their position and course, -they were certainly not British; while, from the background of -intensely dark cloud to the south-westward, it seemed unlikely that -they had seen the destroyers. - -The _Mariner's_ next ahead must have seen the ships at much the -same time, for she suddenly increased speed and turned slightly to port -until she was steaming across the strangers' bows. The _Mariner_ -conformed to her movements. - -Wooten, gazing through his glasses, felt himself quivering with -excitement. Had his chance come, the chance for which they had all -hoped and prayed? He gave some order over his shoulder to a man at a -voice-pipe, who passed it to the torpedo-tubes. 'Lord!' he ejaculated -to the first lieutenant, still busy with his binoculars, 'they look to -me like two lame ducks, No. 1; but they're big ships, whatever they -are.' - -'I sincerely hope they are, sir,' MacDonald replied calmly. 'It's time -we had a look in at something. Shall I go down to the tubes?' - - [Illustration: The dark hulls of the enemy were hidden in the - blinding glare of their searchlights. - PAGE 333.] - -'Yes, do. And fire when your sights come on if you get no further -orders. For God's sake, don't miss!' - -The two great vessels were drawing rapidly nearer, and became more and -more distinct. The leading destroyer was still altering her course -gradually to port, until at last she remained steady on the opposite -and parallel course to the enemy. The _Mariner_ travelled in her -wake, and the track they were following seemed as if it would take them -past the ships, now nearly a mile and a half distant, at a range of -about six hundred yards. - -It was at this moment that the enemy first seemed to realise what was -happening, for a gun suddenly boomed out from the leading vessel and a -shell went screeching by overhead. Where it fell nobody saw. Almost -instantaneously a searchlight flickered out, and after sweeping slowly -across the water, fell full on the _Mariner's_ leader and remained -steady. Another beam shone out, another, and yet a fourth, until both -destroyers were illuminated in a dazzling glare which for the moment -blinded everybody on board. Then the guns started in in earnest. - -The destroyers were steaming at about thirty knots, and the enemy at -ten or twelve. In other words, attackers and attacked were nearing each -other at the combined rate of about forty knots, or one and a half -miles in two minutes fifteen seconds. It was the longest and most -trying two and a quarter minutes that Wooten or any of his crew had -ever experienced, for, though the speed of the approach tended to make -accurate shooting difficult, the difficulty was largely mitigated by -the point-blank range. - -The dark hulls of the enemy were hidden in the blinding glare of -their searchlights and the incessant sparkle and spurting of bright -golden flame as their guns were fired as fast as they could be -loaded. Filmy streamers of smoke from the discharges wreathed and -eddied fantastically through the blue-white rays of the lights. The -air suddenly began to reverberate with a succession of ear-splitting -crashes, the screeching whistle of shell passing overhead, and the -dull _plop_ of others as they pitched in the water to raise their -shimmering, ghostly spray fountains. There came the roaring thud of -the explosions, and the same old familiar humming and buzzing as -fragments drove through the air. But above the din and turmoil of the -firing there was another and quite new noise: a short, sharp, -metallic-sounding explosion in the air, followed by a hissing and -soughing like the wind among trees--the enemy were using shrapnel. - -There came a crash, and a sheet of brilliant greenish flame from aft. -The ship seemed to wince, but still drove on. Another shell, bursting -on the water a few feet short, sent its jagged splinters flying over -the bridge and across the upper deck. Something whizzed within a few -inches of Wooten's head, and there was an infernal clanging and -clattering as slivers of steel drove through and against the ship's -side and funnels. It was followed by the thud of a falling body, as one -of the signalmen, standing just behind the coxswain at the wheel, -slithered to the deck. - -'Gawd!' he muttered, with an air of intense astonishment, sitting up -and nursing his side; 'they've 'it me! Gawd blimy, blokes, they've 'it -me?' But nobody had time to pay attention to him. - -Another jar, the roar of a detonation, a burst of flame from the -forecastle, and a whining and whirring of splinters! Another, close -beside the foremost funnel, and a sound of splintering and crashing as -some object fell and went overboard! Something red-hot and sharp grazed -Wooten's cheek. He put up his hand to brush it aside, and his fingers -came down sticky and wet. - -A hideous metallic explosion in the air and a fiendish rattling of -bullets upon steel, as a shrapnel burst and sent its contents flying on -board. Willis, the coxswain, hit through the left shoulder, released -his hold on the wheel and fell to his knees; but in an instant he was -up again, steering the ship with his uninjured right hand. - -Wooten suddenly felt a burning sensation in his left arm as if a -red-hot knitting-needle had been passed through the flesh. The shock of -it sent him staggering backwards, and he gritted his teeth with the -pain. His left arm seemed numbed and useless, and a little trickle of -blood ran down inside his coat-sleeve and pattered to the deck. The air -was full of the sickening stench of explosives. - -They were very close now. The enemy seemed to be nearly on top of them, -and their huge blurred shapes, almost invisible in the glare of the -searchlights and the vivid gun-flashes, seemed literally to obscure the -horizon. But the destroyers still drove on. They had not been stopped. - -The lights of the nearer ship suddenly went out, and a column of water -and smoke shot into the air at her side. It hung there for a moment, -glistening in the ruby and orange flashes of the guns, and then there -came the thundering reverberation of a heavy underwater explosion quite -close at hand. It seemed to compress the air, and caused the destroyers -to stagger in their stride. A torpedo from the leading destroyer had -gone home. - -Wooten instinctively looked aft, and as he did so a little puff of dull -flame flickered out amidships. It was followed by a loud, snorting hiss -and a heavy splash as a torpedo left its tube. Another came almost -instantaneously with the first. - -The enemy's fire, though still furious, became very wild; and two -minutes later, with the sound of a couple more thudding explosions -ringing in their ears, the destroyers were out of danger. The roaring -of the guns gradually died away, and then ceased altogether. - -'Good God!' muttered Wooten, trembling in his excitement. - - * * * * * - -Daylight found the _Mariner_ and her leader some distance across -the North Sea, steaming slowly homewards. They were battered and -leaking, while the _Mariner_ was badly down by the stern and -listed slightly to starboard. Her funnels were riddled through and -through; there were gaping holes in her side and her deck where shell -had penetrated, and many smaller punctures where splinters had struck -and gone through. A large projectile, bursting on the forecastle, had -torn the deck and the ship's side, and had flung the foremost gun off -its mounting, killing or wounding every member of the gun's crew except -one. The wardroom and one mess-deck were open to the sea; boats were -splintered and useless; and the topmast, taking with it the aerial of -the wireless telegraphy, had been shorn off and had gone overboard. The -mizzen-mast also had disappeared, and a brand-new white ensign now -fluttered from an improvised flagstaff in the stern. It was the only -respectable-looking thing in the ship. - -But the surprising thing was that neither vessel was vitally injured. -They could both steam, though slowly, and by dint of plugging the more -serious holes and keeping the pumps going, they were still tolerably -seaworthy. How they had escaped from the inferno without being blown -clean out of the water was nothing short of a miracle. - -Casualties had been heavy. Wooten went about with his arm in a sling -and a bandage round his head; but his hurts, though painful, were not -sufficiently severe to incapacitate him for duty. The first lieutenant -had not been so lucky, for he, peppered badly by a shell, had been -confined to his bunk with more serious injuries. - -The eight dead had been buried at dawn, and now the wounded lay in -their hammocks on the battered mess-deck under the forecastle. Some of -the slighter cases, with their hurts bandaged, were smoking cigarettes -and talking quite cheerfully; others were asleep. - -Pincher Martin was one of them. He had three neat little -splinter-wounds in his back--three insignificant-looking and trivial -little punctures which caused Brown, the surgeon-probationer, to purse -his lips and to frown in his most professional manner when first he saw -them. 'D'you feel any pain?' he had asked. - -'Not unless I moves, sir,' the patient had answered with a wan smile, -his tightly compressed lips giving the lie to his words. - -An operation was impossible, and they dressed the wounds as best they -could and made him comfortable; but the slivers of steel somewhere -inside him hurt atrociously, and it was all he could do to refrain from -moaning when they touched him. So Brown, seeing how things stood, dozed -him with morphia, and poor Pincher, with his young face unnaturally -haggard, drawn, and very white, was presently slumbering as peacefully -as a child. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -CONCLUSION. - - -I. - -'Am safe,' the telegram said tersely, in Billings's ungrammatical -English. 'Martin wounded, progressing favourable.--JOSHUA.' - -Mrs Billings, drying her eyes with a handkerchief, read it for the -third time. 'Emmeline!' she called softly, going to the door of the -sitting-room at the back of the shop. - -'Yes, mother.' - -'There's news, my gal!' - -'News!' cried her daughter, darting forward. - -The elder woman sniffed loudly and held out the flimsy paper. 'Read -that, my dear.' - -The girl snatched it in her agitation. 'Martin wounded, progressing -favourable,' she read slowly. 'My Bill wounded!' She stood there for a -moment wide-eyed and swaying ominously. Then her pent-up feelings -overcame her, and, collapsing suddenly on to a chair, she fell forward -with her head on the table and her face buried in her hands. Her whole -body shook with sobs. - -Her mother was at her side in an instant. 'There, there, my pretty,' -she murmured consolingly, patting her daughter on the shoulder; 'don't -take on so. Don't cry, my gal. He's only wounded.' She was crying -herself. - -But Emmeline refused to be comforted. 'My Bill's wounded!' she moaned -again and again. - -Mrs Billings leant down and put her arms round the girl's neck. 'Don't -take on so, dear,' she said huskily, with the tears streaming down her -own face; 'it's all right, my pet. There, there,' as Emmeline shook -with another paroxysm of sobbing, 'don't fret; it's all right; he's -only wounded. We've--b-both got a--deal to be thankful for.' - -Mother and daughter wept together. - -For the last forty-eight hours they had both been living in a state of -awful suspense. First had come the tidings of the engagement in the -North Sea, with the depressing information that the British losses had -been very heavy. Then came the news that eight destroyers had been -sunk; but no mention of the _Mariner_. They had no means of finding out -whether or not she had even taken part in the battle; but both of them, -with dismal forebodings in their hearts, had made up their minds for -the worst. - -All day and all night the two women had prayed and hoped. The agony of -their suspense was almost more than they could bear, and their hearts -nearly broke during that frightful period of waiting. Emmeline, -pale-faced and red-eyed, went to the railway station twice a day to -procure the earliest copies of the morning and evening newspapers. -Together they had read them eagerly, trying to piece together some sort -of a connected narrative to relieve their tortured minds. But still -there was nothing about the _Mariner_. They read about the desperate -destroyer attacks on the German fleet, and of the losses incurred by -the British flotillas. They could not bring themselves to believe that -'no news was good news.' - -Emmeline looked up with the tears still trickling down her face, and -reaching for her handkerchief, proceeded to dab her eyes. 'I'm a fool,' -she said, sniffing; 'I suppose I ought to be thankful he isn't killed.' - -Her mother kissed her gently. 'There, there, my dear,' she said softly; -'that's better. Be brave. It's all over now.' - -The girl dried her eyes, rose from her chair, and walked slowly across -to the mirror over the mantelpiece. 'Lor'!' she said bravely, a little -smile hovering round the corners of her quivering mouth; 'I do look a -sight, and no mistake!' - - -II. - -When the _Mariner_ struggled home to her east coast port after the -engagement, Martin was one of the first to be packed off to the local -hospital. Then had followed an operation, and a fortnight's delay -before he was sufficiently recovered to be sent to the Royal Naval -Hospital at Haslar. It was here that he again saw his mother and -father, who came down for the day, called him a brave boy, and -inconsiderately wept over him through sheer thankfulness. - -Then, at four o'clock on one never-to-be-forgotten afternoon, Joshua -Billings suddenly appeared. He was grinning sheepishly, and Pincher -noticed at once that he wore the badge of a leading seaman. - -''Allo, Josh!' he exclaimed, very much pleased to see him, and shaking -his horny hand; ''ow goes it?' - -'Orl right, Pinch. 'Ow's yerself?' - -'Gittin' along fine, chum. They're sendin' me 'ome on leaf in four -days. Wot's th' noos; an' wot's that?' Pincher pointed to the single -anchor which adorned the sleeve of his friend's jumper. - -Joshua looked solemn. 'I gits rated up ten days ago,' he explained; -'death vacancy. Poor ole Byles got laid out, yer remember. I'd sooner -'e wus still wearin' th' killick, poor bloke!' He spoke huskily. - -Pincher nodded. 'Wot are yer doin' 'ere?' he asked. - -'The ship's in dock, an' they gave us ten days' leaf,' answered his -friend. 'By the way,' he added, 'I suppose you 'eard as 'ow you'd bin -rated up.' - -'Wot?' - -'They've made yer an A.B.' - -'S'welp me!' Pincher ejaculated; ''ave they?' - -'Yus, they 'ave, Pinch; an' if yer don't watch it we'll see yer a -leadin' seaman afore long.' - -'Yer didn't come 'ere a purpose ter tell me that, did yer?' Martin -queried suspiciously. - -''Ow d'yer mean?' - -''Ow's Hemmeline an' Mrs Fig---- yer ole woman? I've 'ad a letter from -Hemmeline every day 'cept yesterday an' ter-day, an' I thought---- -'Ere!' Pincher suddenly blurted out, a vague hope dawning in his heart, -'why ain't you on leaf at Weymouth?' - -'We come round 'ere ter give yer a chuck up, Pincher.' - -'We! 'Oo d'yer mean? 'Er an' 'er mother?' - -'Yus. They're outside. I come in fu'st to prepare yer like.' - -'W'y couldn't yer 'ave said so afore?' Pincher demanded wrathfully. -'Bring 'er in!' - -'Orl right, ole son; don't go gittin' rattled abart it. Me an' my -missis'll go an' see Dogo Pearson, wot's wounded an' in another ward. -I'll tell Hemmeline as 'ow you'd like ter see 'er, an' me an' the -missis'll be back afore long.' Joshua winked twice and went away. - -Two minutes later Emmeline was sitting by Pincher's bed. Her eyes were -full of tears, tears of happiness, and to Pincher she was the most -adorable thing in the world. - -'Oh Hemmeline!' he sighed huskily, his throat working and his fingers -clutching her hand. 'Oh Hemmeline!' - -'Well, Bill, what's the matter?' she asked dreamily, turning her head -and smiling at him through her long lashes. - -''Ow I love you!' - -'Silly boy!' she chided softly. - -We will draw a veil over what happened next. The ward was a very public -place; but the other patients discreetly turned their heads away and -pretended not to see. - -Mr and Mrs Joshua Billings were away for fully half-an-hour. To -Emmeline and Pincher it seemed more like five minutes. - - -III. - -The wedding, a month later, was a very quiet one. - - -THE END. - -Edinburgh: Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited. - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Pincher Martin, O.D., by H. 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Taprell Dorling - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Pincher Martin, O.D. - A Story of the Inner Life of the Royal Navy - -Author: H. Taprell Dorling - -Illustrator: C. Flemming Williams - -Release Date: January 4, 2013 [EBook #41774] -Last updated: February 1, 2013 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PINCHER MARTIN, O.D. *** - - - - -Produced by sp1nd and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from -images generously made available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Cover" -id="coverpage" width="324" height="494"></div> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="frontis"><img src="images/001.jpg" -alt="'That's 'er.' ''Oo?'" width="328" height="500"></a></div> -<p class="caption">'That's 'er.'<br>''Oo?'</p> -<p class="captionalignr"><span class="sc">Page 1.</span> -</p> - - - - -<h1> -Pincher Martin, O.D. -<br> -<span class="smallest">A STORY OF THE INNER LIFE OF THE ROYAL NAVY</span> -</h1> - -<br><br> -<p class="ctrsmall"> -By -</p> - -<p class="ctr"> -'TAFFRAIL'<br> -<span class="smaller">Author of 'Carry On,' &c., &c.</span> -</p> - -<br> -<p class="ctrsmall"> -ILLUSTRATED BY -</p> - -<p class="ctrsmall"> -C. Fleming Williams -</p> - -<br> -<p class="ctrsmaller"> -LONDON: 38 Soho Square, W.<br> -W. & R. CHAMBERS, LIMITED<br> -EDINBURGH: 339 High Street<br> -1916 -</p> - -<p class="ctrsmaller"> -Edinburgh:<br> -Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited. -</p> - -<hr class="med"> - - -<h2> -PREFACE. -</h2> - - -<p> -This story was written in rather difficult circumstances, and subject -to frequent interruption. Indeed, when the first chapters appeared -in <cite>Chambers's Journal</cite> early in 1916 the narrative was barely -half-finished. Sometimes I almost despaired of ever completing it, -for it can perhaps be understood that writing on board a small ship -actually at sea in time of war is impossible for more reasons than one. -</p> - -<p> -The reader is cautioned against accepting the story as an official -account of the part played by a certain section of the Navy during the -war. Incidents described are true; but, for reasons which must be -obvious, it has been necessary to give them fictitious colouring. It -also seems desirable to add that all my characters are fictitious, and -that each chapter was submitted to the censors at the Press Bureau -before publication. -</p> - -<p> -It should be added that a considerable amount of matter is contained in -this volume which did not appear in <cite>Chambers's Journal</cite> when the -story appeared in serial form. -</p> - -<p> -More than ever am I deeply sensible of the very real debt which I owe -to my wife, both for her help in revising and correcting the proofs, -and for her many suggestions for improvements. -</p> - -<p class="ralign"> -TAFFRAIL. -</p> - -<p> -1916. -</p> - - -<hr class="med"> - -<p class="ctr"> -TO MY WIFE. -</p> - - -<hr class="med"> - -<h2> -CONTENTS. -</h2> - -<table summary="Contents"> -<tr> -<td class="chpt">CHAPTER</td> -<td class="txt"> </td> -<td class="pg"><small>PAGE</small></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">I.</td> -<td class="txt">HIS FIRST SHIP</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#I">1</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">II.</td> -<td class="txt">THE DAILY ROUND</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#II">12</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">III.</td> -<td class="txt">WORK AND PLAY</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#III">30</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">IV.</td> -<td class="txt">THE STRENUOUS LIFE</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#IV">50</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">V.</td> -<td class="txt">THE OFFICERS</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#V">67</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">VI.</td> -<td class="txt">'THE 'ORRIBLE DEN'</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#VI">84</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">VII.</td> -<td class="txt">AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#VII">101</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">VIII.</td> -<td class="txt">A FAIR SKY</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#VIII">124</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">IX.</td> -<td class="txt">THE CLOUD</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#IX">151</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">X.</td> -<td class="txt">WAR</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#X">171</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">XI.</td> -<td class="txt">BLACK FRIDAY</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#XI">191</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">XII.</td> -<td class="txt">H.M.S. 'MARINER'</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#XII">212</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">XIII.</td> -<td class="txt">FRITZ THE FRIGHTFUL</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#XIII">234</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">XIV.</td> -<td class="txt">THE NORTH SEA</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#XIV">248</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">XV.</td> -<td class="txt">COMINGS AND GOINGS</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#XV">271</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">XVI.</td> -<td class="txt">MINOR INCIDENTS</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#XVI">298</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">XVII.</td> -<td class="txt">THE DAY</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#XVII">313</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="chpt">XVIII.</td> -<td class="txt">CONCLUSION</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#XVIII">338</a></td> -</tr> -</table> - - - - -<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2> - - -<table summary="Illustrations"> - -<tr> -<td class="txt"> </td> -<td class="pg"><small>PAGE</small></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="hang">'That's 'er.' ''Oo?'</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#frontis"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="hang">'It was 'is fault! I saw 'im stick 'is foot out!'</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#115">115</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="hang">'Gosh! there ain't no bloomin' error abart this 'ere'</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#152">152</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="hang">Raising his voice, he tried to shout for help</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#203">203</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="hang">''Ow do, granfer? Where did yer git that 'at?'</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#230">230</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="hang">The shooting was very accurate, far too accurate to be pleasant</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#310">310</a></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="hang">The dark hulls of the enemy were hidden in the blinding -glare of their searchlights</td> -<td class="pg"><a href="#333">333</a></td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<hr class="med"> - -<p class="ctrlarge"> -PINCHER MARTIN, O.D. -</p> - - - -<a name="I"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER I. -<br><br> -<span class="small">HIS FIRST SHIP.</span> -</h2> - - -<p> -'There ye are, Martin. That's 'er.' -</p> - -<p> -The leading seaman in charge of the party paused, and waved a hand -toward a squat gray battleship lying on the other side of one of the -basins in Portsmouth Dockyard. -</p> - -<p> -The little expedition of which he was the leader consisted of himself; -Martin, the man he had spoken to; and a small hand-cart propelled by -another ordinary seaman, breathing heavily. The cart contained a -sausage-shaped, khaki-coloured hammock, bound with its seven regulation -turns of lashing, and a bulbous brown kit-bag. They were Martin's -belongings. He was joining his first seagoing ship. -</p> - -<p> -''Er?' he queried in answer to the leading seaman's remark, shivering -and looking rather puzzled. ''Oo?' -</p> - -<p> -He was a puny, undersized little rat of a man, with a pallid, freckled -face and a crop of sandy hair. It was early winter, and the piercing -wind bit through to his very marrow, while the drizzling rain had -already found its way through his oilskin and down the back of his -neck. It was distinctly chilly. The tip of his nose and his fingers -were blue with cold, and he looked, and felt, supremely miserable. -</p> - -<p> -He repeated his question as the leading seaman executed a few violent -steps of a clog-dance, and flapped his arms like an elderly penguin to -restore his circulation. ''Er?' he said at last, pausing for breath and -seemingly rather surprised at Martin's ignorance. 'That there's the -<i>Belligerent</i>. That's the ship we're goin' to join—you're goin' -to join, that is.' -</p> - -<p> -'That 'er?' Martin ejaculated, gazing with awe at the battleship's -great bulk. 'That 'er? Gor' blimy!' He seemed rather appalled. -</p> - -<p> -The leading seaman tittered and sucked his teeth. 'Lor'!' he laughed, -not unkindly, noticing the anxiety in the youngster's eyes, 'you -needn't look like that. They can't eat yer; leastways not if you -be'aves yourself they won't. 'Er commander's a werry nice gentleman; 'e -wus shipmates along o' me in th' <i>Duncan</i> up the Straits<a href="#note1" name="noteref1"> -<span class="fn">[1]</span></a> six -year ago. 'E wus a lootenant then, an' a bit of a flyer; but 'e's a -gent so long as you don't get in the rattle.'<a href="#note2" name="noteref2"> -<span class="fn">[2]</span></a> -</p> - -<p> -He paused and eyed the ordinary seaman with the hand-cart, who had -released the shafts and was swinging his arms. ''Ere, young fella, not -so much of it!' he ordered abruptly, quite forgetting that he had -called the halt himself. 'Get a move on yer! You ain't no bloomin' -baronite drivin' your own motor-car, to stop 'ere an' stop there has -you thinks fit. You ain't wheelin' no perishin' whelk-barrer down -Commercial Road neither. Show a leg, me lad!' -</p> - -<p> -The ordinary seaman seized the shafts, and the procession moved -forward. -</p> - -<p> -Ten minutes later Martin, with his bag and hammock, was standing on the -quarterdeck of his Majesty's first-class pre-Dreadnought battleship -<i>Belligerent</i>. The leading seaman and the man with the hand-cart -were already on their way back to the Royal Naval Barracks, and Pincher -Martin, alone, for the first time, felt horribly nervous and -uncomfortable. He had been received with scant courtesy or interest by -the marine corporal of the watch, who had told him to remain where he -was while he fetched a ship's corporal; and now, eyed critically by the -grinning side-boy and the messenger, youngsters like himself, who made -facetious, rather uncomplimentary, and very audible remarks about his -personal appearance, he shivered and waited. -</p> - -<p> -Over on the other side of the deck a tall officer, clad in a greatcoat -and swinging a telescope, was walking up and down dodging the -rain-drips from the awning. He was a lieutenant, from the two gold -stripes and the curl on his shoulder-straps, and was, as a matter of -fact, the officer of the watch. Presently the merriment at Martin's -expense became rather raucous, and the officer turned round and saw the -messenger and the side-boy laughing together. The chubby-faced youths -caught his eye roving over them, and immediately both became rigid, -with an innocent expression on their faces. -</p> - -<p> -'Come here, you two!' he called, beckoning with his telescope. -</p> - -<p> -The two youngsters trotted up and halted before him with a salute. -</p> - -<p> -'Skylarking again, eh?' the lieutenant asked. -</p> - -<p> -'Oh no, sir. We wusn't skylarkin',' the elder of the two protested. -</p> - -<p> -'Humph! I don't know so much about that. I suppose you were making fun -of that man who's just joined, eh?' -</p> - -<p> -'Oh no, sir. I only said to Horrigan'—— -</p> - -<p> -'I don't want to hear what you said to Horrigan, or what Horrigan said -to you,' interrupted the officer of the watch, smiling to himself. -'Evidently the time hangs heavily on your hands, and I'll not have the -quarterdeck turned into a bally music hall.' He looked round the deck, -and noticed some untidy ends of rope near the ship's side. -</p> - -<p> -'You, Bates,' he went on, 'can amuse yourself by coiling down the ends -of these boats' falls and awning jiggers; and you, Horrigan, can broom -all that water into the scuppers.' He waved his hand toward some pools -of rain-water near the edge of the deck. 'When you've done that you can -let me know, and I'll find you another job. Go on—away you go!' -</p> - -<p> -The boys pattered off, and the lieutenant resumed his perambulation. -</p> - -<p> -Presently a ship's corporal, accompanied by the marine who had gone in -search of him, came through the battery door and went up to Martin. -</p> - -<p> -'Name and rating?' he demanded abruptly, referring to a book in his -hand. -</p> - -<p> -'Martin. Ord'nary seaman.' -</p> - -<p> -'You'll be in No. 47 mess,' said Ship's Corporal Puddicombe, 'and will -be in the forecastle division, starboard watch, first part, first sub. -The capten of your top—Petty Officer Casey's 'is name—will tell you -off for your stations in your part of the ship. You'll stow your bag in -the fore cable flat, starboard side, and your 'ammick in the starboard -forecastle rack. I'll show you where to put 'em, and if you comes along -to my office after tea to-day I'll give you a card with it all written -on—see?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir,' said Martin, looking very bewildered, for he had hardly -understood a word of what the man had said. -</p> - -<p> -'It's all right, me lad,' the corporal went on, more kindly. 'You -needn't look so scared. You'll soon shake down. Is this your first -ship?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir.' -</p> - -<p> -The corporal nodded and went off to report to the officer of the watch, -who presently returned with him. -</p> - -<p> -'Ord'nary Seaman Martin, sir. Come to join the ship from the barricks.' -</p> - -<p> -The lieutenant eyed the new arrival critically. 'What division's he in, -corporal?' he queried. -</p> - -<p> -'Yours, sir. Forecastle division.' -</p> - -<p> -'How long have you been in the service?' the officer asked next. -</p> - -<p> -'Six an' a narf months, sir,' said Martin. -</p> - -<p> -'Well, it's about time you got your hair cut, my lad. It's much too -long. The forecastle division's my division, and the smartest in the -ship, so look out you uphold its reputation. Is your kit complete, by -the way?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir, all but one pair o' socks.' -</p> - -<p> -'All right; we'll see to that another day. Show him where to put his -bag and hammock, corporal, and tell him where his mess is. You'd better -introduce him to the barber, too. I can't have the men of my division -looking like a beauty chorus.—You,' he added, addressing Martin, 'had -better get yourself thoroughly warm. We don't want you to start off by -catching a chill.' -</p> - -<p> -'Thank you, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -'Come along o' me,' said the ship's corporal gruffly; and Pincher, -picking up his bag and hammock, followed him along the deck. -</p> - -<p> -In another minute they were on the mess-deck. It was a strange place to -Martin, accustomed as he was to the large and airy rooms in the -barracks ashore. It seemed cramped and restricted. The steel beams -supporting the deck above were barely eighteen inches over his head, -and every inch of space seemed occupied with something or other. But a -sense of order and cleanliness prevailed; for, though the ship was in -dockyard hands, and the first lieutenant would have described the -mess-deck as 'filthy,' it seemed specklessly clean to an outsider. The -glare of the electric lights shone on the spotless white enamel and -polished metal-work, and every inch of wood-work which was not -varnished and polished was well scrubbed and white. -</p> - -<p> -Moving along a narrow gangway about eight feet wide, they passed the -officers' and men's galleys or kitchens. These were placed amidships, -and the great cooking-ranges, newly blacked and with their polished -steel knobs and utensils winking in the glare, vomited wisps of steam -and savoury smells. The black-and-white tiled floors were spotless, and -so were the wooden slabs upon which the meat and the vegetables were -cut up. Farther forward came small, curtained-off enclosures serving as -messes for the chief petty officers; and then, forward again, white -enamelled steel bulkheads stretching from floor to ceiling. -</p> - -<p> -Extending out from the ship's side, with its row of scuttles and wooden -mess shelves and boot-racks, were numbers of white wooden mess tables -and narrow wooden forms. They were spaced at precisely equal intervals, -and at the end of each table was a neatly rolled strip of white -linoleum which served as a tablecloth at meal-times, a couple of -shining tin mess kettles, and a teapot. On the deck at the foot of each -table was a bread-barge, a squat-shaped tub, to contain the bread -belonging to the mess. The barges were all exactly similar, having -scrubbed teak sides and polished brass hoops, with the number of the -mess in neat brass figures, and each stood at precisely the same -distance from its own table. -</p> - -<p> -From the ceiling or deck overhead hung racks for the reception of the -men's circular, black-japanned cap-boxes, and others for their white -straw hats—each in its duck cover to keep out dust and dirt—and the -newly scrubbed ditty-boxes. These, of white wood, are the receptacles -in which sailors keep their small personal belongings. They contain, as -a rule, photographs of wives, sweethearts, relations, and friends; -letters; and other purely private and valued relics; but, though -provided with a lock and key, it is an unwritten and invariable law of -the mess-deck that they shall be left unlocked. A man must show his -trust in his messmates, and a thief has no place on board one of his -Majesty's ships. If petty pilfering does occur, there is no mercy for -the culprit, and he is speedily discovered and removed. -</p> - -<p> -It was a Saturday afternoon, and, as the ship was in dockyard hands -undergoing a refit, more than half the men were on leave, and the -mess-deck was comparatively empty. Those men who were left on board -were spending the half-holiday in blissful slumber, for many of the -tables and forms bore sleeping figures wrapped in blankets or -greatcoats. They snored melodiously and in many keys. -</p> - -<p> -Here and there a man writing a letter or reading looked up with some -curiosity as Martin passed, but otherwise he attracted little -attention. The advent of another ordinary seaman was too common an -occurrence to call for remark, though to the ordinary seaman himself -the day of his arrival on board his first seagoing ship would -thereafter be mentally marked with a red figure in the calendar of his -life. -</p> - -<p> -The ship's corporal, anxious to resume his interrupted sleep in the -police-office, hurried on; and soon, after climbing down one slippery -steel ladder and up another, they arrived in the foremost bag-flat. -This compartment was provided with tiers of numbered racks stretching -from deck above to deck below. Each division in the racks held its own -brown canvas or painted kit-bag, with the brightly polished brass tally -on the bottom stamped with the owner's name, all the tallies being set -at precisely the same angle. The guide halted and pointed to a vacant -space. 'There you are,' he said. 'That's where you stow your bag.' -</p> - -<p> -Martin dropped his hammock, and after some difficulty succeeded in -insinuating his bag into its appointed place. -</p> - -<p> -''Ere, that won't do,' observed the ship's corporal, shaking his head -with a pained expression on his face. 'Slew 'er round till the letters -on your tally are 'orizontal. The first lootenant'll 'ave a fit if 'e -sees it shoved in any'ow like that.' -</p> - -<p> -Martin did as he was told, and when at last he had stowed his bag to -the corporal's satisfaction, was taken to another flat somewhere in the -bowels of the ship, where he was shown where to put his hammock. -</p> - -<p> -He was next taken to his mess, and was introduced to the leading seaman -who acted as senior member and caterer. This worthy, a ruddy-faced, -heavily built man called Strumbles, was discovered asleep on the table, -and was none too pleased when the ship's corporal tapped him on the -shoulder and woke him up. -</p> - -<p> -'Strumbles,' he said, ''ere's another O.D.<a href="#note3" name="noteref3"> -<span class="fn">[3]</span></a> come to join your mess. -Martin's 'is name. Just keep an eye on 'im. 'E's a bit noo to the -service. 'E wants 'is 'air cut, too, so you might send 'im along to the -'aircutter after tea.' -</p> - -<p> -Strumbles sat up sleepily and signified his willingness to perform -these favours, but the moment the corporal was safely out of sight -glared unpleasantly at the new arrival. 'Bit noo to the navy, are yer?' -he demanded. 'Name o' Martin, eh?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir.' -</p> - -<p> -'Don't call me "sir." My name's Strumbles. Nutty Strumbles they calls -me. Is this yer first ship?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yes.' -</p> - -<p> -'Thought so. If it wasn't, you'd know better than to come wakin' up a -bloke wot's 'avin' 'is Saturday arternoon caulk.' -</p> - -<p> -'I'm sorry,' Martin stammered. 'It wusn't my fault. I didn't know'—— -</p> - -<p> -'Course you didn't. 'Owever, now you're 'ere you can just wake me up at -seven bells. Know what seven bells is, eh?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yes. 'Arf-parst three.' -</p> - -<p> -'Right. At 'arf-parst three you wakes me up, an' when you done that you -can go along to the galley an' wet the tea. Me, an' Ginger Strudwick, -an' Nobby Clarke, an' one or two others, is the only blokes o' this -'ere mess aboard. Them two's on watch now, but they'll be down at eight -bells clamourin' for their scran like a lot o' wolves; so look out you -'as it ready. When you've wetted the tea you can run along to the -canteen an' git height heggs an' height rashers for our supper—I'll -give you a <i>chit</i> for it when I wakes up; an' when you done that -you can tidy up them there mess shelves an' polish the mess kettle an' -teapot ready for the rounds to-morrow. Understan'?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yes,' said Martin, hesitatingly. -</p> - -<p> -'Orl rite, look out you does it, then,' remarked Strumbles, laying his -head back and resuming his interrupted slumbers. -</p> - -<p> -Martin began to feel rather sorry he had ever joined the navy, for as a -young and very ordinary seaman on board a ship it appeared as if every -one was his master. The recruiting posters which had been responsible -for his entry had said something about 'seeing the world, with plenty -of pocket-money.' This was what they meant, evidently. He sniffed -dubiously. In the barracks where he had undergone his preliminary -training he had been one of many others of his own age; but here he was -cast entirely on his own resources. He felt lonely and miserable; -nobody seemed to take any interest in him, and everybody ordered him -about in a dictatorial way which he didn't like at all. He gulped -suspiciously, and then looked round with a nervous expression lest the -slight sound should have awakened Strumbles. -</p> - -<p> -When, seven months before, Martin had put on his bluejacket's uniform -for the first time, he had felt immensely proud of himself. Everybody -in his own small village had turned round to stare when he first -appeared in it; and he was rather disappointed when, on his arrival in -Portsmouth, people in the street neglected to notice him. He liked his -jumper, with the V-shaped opening in front, and the blue woollen jersey -underneath. He was proud of his blue jean collar with its three rows of -narrow white tape, which, he had been told, commemorated Nelson's three -great victories of the Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar. He had heard, -too, that the black silk handkerchief worn round his neck and tied in -front was a badge of mourning for the same great naval hero. But both -in the matter of the collar and the handkerchief he had been led into -believing a very popular fallacy. -</p> - -<p> -The square collar was first introduced in the latter portion of the -eighteenth century as a means of preventing the grease and flour with -which the sailors anointed their pigtails from soiling their clothes. -The three rows of tape, moreover, were placed upon it merely for -ornament, for there is no evidence to support the belief that they -commemorate the three famous victories. The black silk handkerchief -came in at much the same time. In early sea-fights the heat on the -gun-decks was stifling, so much so that the men were forced to strip to -the waist. To prevent the perspiration from running down into their -eyes and blinding them, they were in the habit of tying handkerchiefs -round their foreheads, and at ordinary times these were worn round the -neck for the sake of convenience. It is true that up till a few years -ago our modern bluejackets wore their spare black silk handkerchiefs -tied in a bow on the left arm when attending funerals; but there is -nothing to support the theory that they were introduced as badges of -mourning for the immortal Nelson. -</p> - -<p> -But Martin believed these things implicitly, and perhaps, as it -fostered the traditions of the service, it did him no harm. -</p> - -<p> -Another portion of his attire of which he was inordinately proud was -his bell-bottomed trousers. He firmly imagined that these had been -introduced merely to give the sailor a rakish appearance, and was not -aware that they were brought in so that the garments could conveniently -be rolled up to the knee when their barefooted wearers were giving the -decks their usual morning scrub. -</p> - -<p> -Some few years ago a proposal was on foot to do away with the loose -trousers, and to clothe the seamen in garments shaped like those in -everyday use ashore. As a reason for the change it was urged, with some -truth, that in modern ships the men seldom went barefooted, and that -less flowing trousers would be less likely to catch in the intricate -machinery with which modern ships were supposed to be crammed. But the -storm of indignation with which the proposal was received by the men -speedily caused it to be dropped. The seamen take no small pride in -their nether garments; some of them even go to the trouble and expense -of providing themselves with specially wide pairs in which to go ashore -on leave. -</p> - -<p> -The wide-brimmed straw hat, which constitutes the modern bluejacket's -full-dress headgear, was first introduced in the West Indies early in -the nineteenth century, but was not made an article of uniform until -much later. Before that time, and up till thirty or forty years ago, -shiny black tarpaulin hats, much the same shape as the straw 'boater' -of commerce, were <i>de rigueur</i> in the navy. The term 'bluejacket,' -too, owes its origin to the short, blue, brass-buttoned jacket—rather -similar in shape to an Eton jacket, but with no point at the -back—which was worn until 1891. -</p> - -<p> -But all Martin's ideas as to his own importance were speedily knocked -on the head. By the time he sought his hammock at nine-thirty on that -first eventful day he had come to realise that he was very small beer -indeed, a mere excrescence on the face of the earth; and that, like -Agag, it behoved him to walk warily and with circumspection. -</p> - -<p> -The captain of the forecastle, Petty-Officer Casey—'Mister Casey,' as -he insisted on being called—had taken him to his bosom in a gruff, -fatherly sort of way, and had given him a few words of advice. -</p> - -<p> -'It's like this 'ere, me lad,' he had pointed out, but not unkindly. -'You're an ordinary seaman, an' wot you've got to do is to carry out -other people's orders. If you're told off to do a thing, do it at once, -an' cheerful like; don't slouch about th' ship like a ploughboy, nor -yet a Portugee militiaman neither. 'Old yourself erec'; take a pride in -yourself, an' obey all orders at the rush. If you gives no trouble I'm -yer friend, remember that; but if you gits up agin me, an' starts -givin' trouble, I won't raise a finger to 'elp you, an' you'd best -stan' clear. Don't forget, neither, that I've got my eye on you the -'ole time; an' don't run away wi' the idea that you're doin' the navy a -good turn by joinin', like so many on 'em do. It's the navy wot's doin' -you a favour by 'avin' you. If you bears orl this in mind me an' you'll -get along orl right, an' some day, p'r'aps, you'll be a petty-orficer -the same as me.' -</p> - -<p> -Martin remembered Casey's words of wisdom, and derived no small benefit -therefrom. -</p> - - - - -<a name="II"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER II. -<br><br> -<span class="small">THE DAILY ROUND.</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -A considerable amount of art is necessary in laying out a kit for -inspection; but when he had folded his clothes, and had placed the neat -rolls and bundles, together with his cap-box, ditty-box, hairbrush, -comb, toothbrush, type, and other small belongings, in the exact order -prescribed by the clothing regulations, Martin was by no means -dissatisfied with his attempt. -</p> - -<p> -Now, Mr Midshipman Taut, R.N., was used to the wiles and deceptions of -those men who would sooner do anything than purchase new clothes. He -had known individuals who borrowed garments from their friends to make -up for the deficiencies in their own kits when these were being -inspected. Sometimes, to heighten the deception, they even went to the -trouble of marking the loaned clothes with their own names. The -regulations on the subject lay it down that blue articles shall be -marked with white paint and white garments in black, each man being -provided with a wooden type inscribed with his name for this purpose. -But the gay deceivers had discovered that white chalk and ordinary -boot-blacking were very efficient substitutes for the paint, for the -temporary markings so caused could easily be brushed out before the -garments were returned to their rightful owners after kit inspection. -Moreover, unless the mustering officer was particularly inquisitive or -suspicious, the chances were fully fifty-four to one that the deception -would never be noticed. -</p> - -<p> -But the midshipman, though he had left the college at Dartmouth less -than a year before, was up to all these dodges. He kept the divisional -clothing-book, wherein was recorded the contents of the bag of each -seaman in the division, whether the clothes therein were in a state of -thorough repair and cleanliness, and whether the condition of the man's -hammock was 'V.G.,' 'G.,' 'Mod.' or merely 'Bad.' He regarded all men -with a certain amount of suspicion unless he had positive truth that -they were guileless; while newly joined ordinary seamen, in particular, -were brands to be snatched from the burning. -</p> - -<p> -'Serge jumpers?' he asked, sucking his pencil. -</p> - -<p> -'Two 'ere, sir,' said Martin, holding up a couple of neat bundles; 'an' -one on.' -</p> - -<p> -The officer took one, unrolled it, and lifted the square collar to look -at the marking underneath. There was no deception, for the name W. -Martin stared at him in large white letters. He gently rubbed it with a -finger, but it did not brush off; and, holding the garment up by its -sleeves, he examined it with a critical eye. There was nothing the -matter with it. -</p> - -<p> -'That's all right,' he remarked, handing it back, and making a note in -the book. 'Let me see your serge trousers.' -</p> - -<p> -One by one the articles comprising Martin's kit, even down to his -'pusser's dagger' or seaman's knife, the more intimate garments of -underwear, towels, socks, toothbrush, blacking-brushes, were minutely -examined. The midshipman even went to the length of producing a tape -measure, wherewith he measured the distance between the three rows of -tape on the collars, the depth of the V-shaped opening in the front of -the jumpers, and the width of the trousers at the foot. But nothing was -really wrong. One pair of socks was missing and another required -darning, one flannel shirt was unwashed, a pair of white duck trousers -had been left unmarked, and one pair of blue serge ditto proved -slightly wider in the leg than was permissible; but everything else was -in good order and of the proper uniform pattern. -</p> - -<p> -He seemed slightly surprised. 'Hm,' he observed, making further -hieroglyphics in the clothing-book; 'not at all bad. Look out you keep -it so.' -</p> - -<p> -He went off to make his report to the lieutenant of the division, who -presently arrived to make his own inspection. But he also was tolerably -satisfied, and Martin was told that he could restore his belongings to -his bag, and report himself to Petty Officer Casey for work. -</p> - -<p> -For many a long day Pincher was sorely puzzled by the different -varieties of uniform he was called upon to wear. They were all -designated by numbers, and the 'rig of the day' was always piped at -breakfast-time, when the men were allowed the necessary extra minutes -to change their clothes. On Sundays, for instance, the boatswain's -mates, after a preliminary twitter on their pipes, would bellow, 'Dress -o' the day, No. 1, an' 'ats!' This meant that the men were required to -array themselves in their best blue serge suits, with gold good-conduct -badges and badges of rating, and their white straw hats, for the Sunday -inspection by the captain. These garments constituted the seamen's full -dress, for the expensive blue cloth trousers, worn over the jumper and -tied behind with black silk ribbons, had been obsolete for some time. -They are retained, however, in the royal yachts; and here, also, as a -distinctive mark, the men wear their badges in silver and white, -instead of the customary gold and red. -</p> - -<p> -Dress No. 2, Martin found, was a similar rig to No. 1, except that a -cap was usually worn instead of the hat, and the badges were red -instead of gold. No. 3, again, was the same as No. 2, except that the -jumper was not buttoned at the wrists; while No. 4 (known as 'night -clothing') was an old suit of No. 3, worn without the collar. No. 5 was -of white duck, and was worn without the collar, and with a white-topped -cap. The suit was washable, and hence was usually donned by men doing -dirty work or in hot weather in the summer. White caps, or blue caps -with white covers, both of which were kept pipeclayed for the sake of -appearance, were worn at home from May to the end of September, or with -white clothing at other times. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Belligerent</i>, like every other large vessel in the navy, -carried a stock of ready-made garments of various sizes, besides -underclothing, boots, shoes, stockings, socks, shirts, collars, rolls -of serge and flannel, and sixty-and-one other articles necessary to the -bodily comfort and personal adornment of the ship's company. There was -hardly a thing in the clothing line which could not be obtained from -the paymaster; and the 'slops,' as they were called, were issued about -once a month, their value being deducted from the men's pay. -</p> - -<p> -When Martin joined his first ship, toward the end of 1913, ready-made -garments, supplied by the Government, were almost universally worn. -Within the past fifteen years or so the blue-jackets have lost much of -their original handiness with the needle and the sewing-machine. It is -hardly to be wondered at, for in the days of sailing-ships the men were -sailors pure and simple. Now they are seamen-specialists, with an -expert and highly technical knowledge of gunnery, torpedo-work, -electricity, wireless telegraphy, signals, or some other highly -important subject. They are essentially busy men, with little time to -spend on making their own clothes. Twenty years ago one afternoon of -the week (Thursday) was always set aside as a half-holiday, or 'make -and mend clothes afternoon.' Then it was no uncommon sight to see the -sheltered corners of the upper deck and mess-deck crowded with men, -some busy with sewing-machines, making clothes from the raw serge or -duck as issued from the store; others furbishing up their wardrobes; -and the rest either sleeping or looking on. The term 'jewing,' as -sewing is still called, came in because the men with the machines -manufactured their shipmates' clothes for a consideration, such things -as 'reach-me-downs' being still undreamt of. By Pincher's day, however, -the 'make and mend' day had been altered to Saturday, to allow the men -to indulge at intervals in the week-end habit. Moreover, most of the -clothes were issued ready-made, being afterwards altered to fit -individuals by the ship's tailors, seamen with sewing-machines, who had -a special aptitude for the work, and were entitled to charge stipulated -sums for their labours. They were still known as 'jews,' and, like the -'snobs' (bootmakers) and the barbers, often had considerable sums -standing to their credit in the savings bank. -</p> - -<p> -On the afternoon of the day on which he had had his kit inspected -Martin found himself detailed as a member of a working-party told off -to draw stores from the dockyard. Eleven other men went with him; and, -taking a small hand-cart, the little expedition set off at one-thirty -<span class="smc">P.M.</span> in the charge of a petty officer. The rain had stopped, -and it was a sunny winter day, with a touch of frost; and, as it gave -him an opportunity of looking about him, Martin rather enjoyed the -experience. Before joining the navy he had lived in the depths of the -country, and had spent most of his days trundling the local baker's -hand-cart. His experience of the sea and ships had been limited to a -single visit to Skegness as a member of the village choir; and even -during his training in the barracks he had seen practically nothing of -men-of-war. Now for the first time in his life he came across -battleships, cruisers, destroyers, torpedo-boats, and submarines at -close quarters. -</p> - -<p> -'Gosh!' he ejaculated, marvelling exceedingly. -</p> - -<p> -''Ullo! Wot's up wi' you, Pincher?' asked another ordinary seaman, -Hawkins by name. Martin had already been nicknamed, and 'Pincher,' he -understood, was the sobriquet accorded to all men with his particular -surname. -</p> - -<p> -'I wus only wonderin' to meself if'—he hesitated timidly. -</p> - -<p> -'Wonderin' wot?' persisted his companion. -</p> - -<p> -'Wonderin' if this wus the 'ole navy. There seems plenty o' ships -'ere.' -</p> - -<p> -'Lawks, 'ark at 'im!' exclaimed the other youngster, going off into a -shrill cackle of amusement 'Jist 'ark at 'im, you blokes! Arskin' if -the 'ole navy is 'ere. 'Strewth! there ain't a quarter nor a 'undredth -of 'em in this 'ere bunch.' -</p> - -<p> -Martin, rather ashamed of his ignorance, reddened and nodded. 'Wot's -that there?' he asked, changing the subject, and pointing to a gray, -cigar-shaped vessel lying in a dry dock, with dockyard 'maties' -swarming on board her. -</p> - -<p> -'That there's a submarine,' Hawkins explained; 'one o' them there craft -wot goes under water.' -</p> - -<p> -'Gosh! She's a funny-lookin' thing. Wot sort o' blokes serves in 'em?' -</p> - -<p> -'Matloes,<a href="#note4" name="noteref4"> -<span class="fn">[4]</span></a> Pincher, the same as you an' me. They doesn't carry -O.D.'s, though; only A.B.'s an' E.R.A.'s,<a href="#note5" name="noteref5"> -<span class="fn">5]</span></a> an' such like. They get -extra pay for wot they does. It's a bit dangerous like.' -</p> - -<p> -Martin thought for a minute, looking interestedly at the submarine as -they trundled past. ''Ow does men jine 'em?' he asked eventually. -</p> - -<p> -''Ow does they qualify for 'em, d'you mean?' Hawkins queried. -</p> - -<p> -Martin nodded. -</p> - -<p> -'Well,' his neighbour explained, with a broad grin on his face, and -inventing a still broader fiction on the spur of the moment, 'they -fu'st ties a five-'underweight sinker to yer feet an' a rope round yer -neck. Then they lowers you down to nineteen fathom, an' leaves you -there for two minutes.—Let's see, Shorty,' he added, pretending to -consider, and, turning to another ordinary seaman with a solemn wink, -'is it two minutes or three minutes they leaves yer down?' -</p> - -<p> -'Three minutes, chum,' answered the other unblushingly. -</p> - -<p> -'Well, they leaves you down three minutes, an' they pulls you up again, -an' if yer nose ain't bleedin' they reckons as 'ow you're fit an' -proper for submarines. If you are bleedin' you ain't no good—see?' -</p> - -<p> -'That's a bit 'ard, ain't it?' Martin queried innocently. -</p> - -<p> -'Yus, it is a bit 'ard,' Hawkins replied, without a smile on his face. -'But then, o' course, the men wot man the submarines 'as to be extra -special sort o' blokes wot 'as got plenty o' guts.' -</p> - -<p> -Martin drank it all in; but at that moment the story-teller's face -failed him, and he burst into uncontrollable laughter. 'Oh Pincher!' he -gasped, spluttering, 'I believes you'd swaller anythink any one tells -yer!' -</p> - -<p> -'D' you mean that wot you said ain't true?' Martin asked. -</p> - -<p> -'Course it ain't, fat'ead. I wus only kiddin' yer,' guffawed the other, -with tears of amusement trickling down his cheeks. 'Lawks! you'll be -the death o' me yet.—Did yer 'ear wot he arsked, you blokes?' -</p> - -<p> -But the 'blokes' had no opportunity of replying, for at that instant -Petty Officer Simpson turned round. 'Not so much noise there!' he -ordered abruptly.—' 'Awkins, if I sees you larfin' an' shoutin' agen I -takes you before the orficer of the watch when we gets back to the -ship!' -</p> - -<p> -Their faces fell. There was dead silence. -</p> - -<p> -Rattling over the cobbled roadways and railway lines, they presently -came to a store, where, in return for paper demand-notes handed in by -the petty officer, they received sundry drums of paint, turpentine, and -varnish. Then on again to another building, where an apoplectic-looking -storekeeper condescended to allow them to load the cart still further -with coils of rope and spun-yarn, and hanks of cod and mackerel line. -Presently there came another stoppage to receive a bundle of -broomsticks and some boathook staves. By this time the cart was heavily -laden, and its manipulators were perspiring and far from cheerful; but, -stopping again, they were solemnly presented with half-a-dozen shallow -tin baths. They were the 'baths, sponge, thirty inches, pattern -seventeen,' commonly seen suspended from the ceilings in the officers' -cabins on board a man-of-war; and Martin, as he helped to drag the -conveyance back to the ship, with the last consignment lodged -precariously on the summit of the other articles and threatening every -instant to descend in a noisy avalanche, wondered vaguely to himself if -the dockyard was a sort of glorified general store, and if, by the -simple presentation of a demand-note, they could obtain, say, -half-a-dozen kippers or a cargo of tinned salmon. He was frightened to -ask the question for fear of having his leg pulled again; but as -everything in the way of ironmongery, furniture, ship's stores, paint, -rope, and blocks seemed obtainable, why not also provisions? -</p> - -<p> -They got back to the <i>Belligerent</i> without further incident, and -the articles were carried on board and stowed in the various -storerooms. -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -At first, until he got used to it, the regular routine of the ship was -not altogether to Martin's liking. At five-thirty each morning they -were all roused out of their warm hammocks by the strident shouting of -the boatswain's mates and the ship's corporals. 'All hands! turn out, -turn out, turn out! show a leg, show a leg, show a leg!' they yelled -with insistent monotony. He soon learnt, from being shot violently out -of his hammock, and from sundry threats of being taken before the -officer of the watch for slackness in turning out, that it did not pay -to disregard the noisy summons to wake up. Other men had tried the -game, and it generally ended in their being turned out at five -<span class="smc">A.M.</span> for several days together. -</p> - -<p> -By five-forty-five, therefore, Martin had stowed his hammock, had given -his face and neck a perfunctory dab with a damp towel, and was having a -bowl of steaming hot ship's cocoa in his mess. Splendid stuff this, so -thick that a spoon would nearly stand upright in it; and he little -realised that the long-suffering cooks were turned out of their -hammocks at about three each morning to prepare it. The cocoa was -issued in large slabs the best part of an inch thick. It was the best -of its kind; and though it required a deal of boiling, it was an -excellent drink wherewith to start the day's work. -</p> - -<p> -At six o'clock both watches were piped to fall in on the upper deck; -and when parties had been told off for various other odd jobs, the rest -of the men were detailed to scrub decks under the supervision of their -petty officers. Cold work this, with the thermometer nearly down to -freezing, the hoses spouting water, and one's feet bare and trousers -turned up to the knee. Lines of men armed with hard, short-haired -brooms went solemnly up and down, scrubbing as they went, and woe -betide the hapless individual who did not exhibit the necessary energy! -On Saturdays the routine was varied, for then the decks were sprinkled -with sand and were well holystoned. This work was more back-breaking -and chilly than ever, for one had to get down on one's knees and -manipulate a heavy holystone in each hand. -</p> - -<p> -When Martin joined, the ship was in dockyard hands, and a special -routine was in force; and at seven o'clock, by which time the men who -had been granted night-leave had returned, the decks had been finished -and the guns cleaned. A quarter of an hour later the bugle sounded off -'Cooks,' when the men detailed as cooks of messes went to the galley to -procure their own and their messmates' breakfasts; and at -seven-twenty-five the boatswain's mates heralded the first meal by more -shrill whistling, and the hungry men trooped below. -</p> - -<p> -Breakfast, Martin always thought, was quite the most satisfactory meal -of the day, and with the addition of a couple of canteen kippers, or -eggs and bacon, he generally managed to acquit himself pretty well. The -dietary of the modern bluejacket is a liberal one, while a paternal -Government allows each man the sum of fourpence a day with which to -purchase extra articles. An hour was allowed for the meal, for washing, -for changing into the 'rig of the day,' and for smoking; and at -eight-twenty-five the men were once more summoned to work. Shortly -before nine o'clock the guard of marines and the band marched on to the -quarterdeck; and when two bells struck, the marine bugler sounded the -'Attention,' the guard presented arms, the band played 'God Save the -King,' and every officer and man on deck stood rigidly at the salute -while the White Ensign was slowly hoisted. This ceremony is carried out -at nine <span class="smc">A.M.</span> in winter, and an hour earlier in summer. -</p> - -<p> -At nine-five came a warning blast on the bugle, followed five minutes -afterwards by 'Divisions.' This was the usual morning muster, at which -the entire ship's company—seamen, marines, stokers, and artisan -ratings—fell in in their respective groups. The seamen themselves were -divided up into four 'parts of the ship'—forecastlemen, foretopmen, -maintopmen, and quarterdeckmen; and each was responsible for, and so -far as possible manned, the guns in its own particular portion of the -vessel. Each division, moreover, had its own lieutenant in charge, one -or two midshipmen, and its quota of petty officers and leading seamen. -</p> - -<p> -Now, Martin knew all about saluting. He had learnt how to do it by -spending many weary hours in a windy barrack square at Portsmouth -paying obeisance to a red brick wall under the horny eye of an -irascible gunner's mate. He was aware that one saluted when addressed -by an officer, when meeting an officer in uniform ashore, and the first -time each morning one passed any particular officer on board ship. He -had also been taught that it was customary to raise a hand to one's cap -when the band played 'God Save the King,' and, for some reason unknown -to him, whenever one had occasion to go on the quarterdeck. He was not -aware that in medieval days the ship's shrine or crucifix was always -kept on the quarterdeck under the break of the poop, and that, on -passing, officers and men made an obeisance. Hence the origin of -'saluting the quarterdeck.' -</p> - -<p> -But all this was nothing to the saluting which took place every morning -at divisions. -</p> - -<p> -The game started by the 'captain of the top'—the senior petty -officer—calling the division to attention, saluting, and reporting it -'Present' to the midshipman, Mr Henry Taut. The midshipman, returning -the salute, produced a notebook, mustered the men by name, and -satisfied himself that the petty officer's statement was correct; and -then, touching his cap, made known the fact to Lieutenant Tobias -Tickle, R.N. The lieutenant, walking round the ranks, found fault with -irregularities in the men's attire, or asked searching and personal -questions as to when they had last washed, shaved, or had their hair -cut, and requested the midshipman to make a note of the delinquents' -names. -</p> - -<p> -Taut acquiesced, with a salute. -</p> - -<p> -The inspection complete, Taut saluted Tickle, and Tickle saluted Taut, -and the lieutenant then walked aft to the quarterdeck, saluted as he -reached it, approached the commander, saluted again, and reported his -men 'Present.' -</p> - -<p> -The commander returned the courtesy, and murmured, 'Thank you.' -</p> - -<p> -When all the divisions had been reported present, the commander, in his -turn, reported the fact to the captain, with another salute. The latter -raised his hand to his gold-peaked cap and muttered, 'Carry on, -please;' whereupon the commander held up his hand, a bugle blew, some -one forward tolled a bell, the band on the after shelter-deck played a -lively march, and the divisions marched aft to the quarterdeck for -prayers. Here they were halted, and presently the chaplain appeared -from one of the after-hatches, with his surplice flapping in the -breeze. He did not salute. He was bareheaded. -</p> - -<p> -'Ship's company! 'Shun!' from the commander. 'Off caps! Stand easy!' -</p> - -<p> -The chaplain read the prayers, followed by the usual intercession for -those at sea: 'O Eternal Lord God, who alone spreadest out the heavens, -and rulest the raging of the sea; who hast compassed the waters with -bounds until day and night come to an end: Be pleased to receive into -Thy almighty and most gracious protection the persons of us Thy -servants, and the fleet in which we serve. Preserve us from the dangers -of the sea and from the violence of the enemy; that we may be a -safeguard unto our most gracious Sovereign Lord King George and his -Dominions, and a security for such as pass on the seas upon their -lawful occasions.'… -</p> - -<p> -'The dangers of the sea,' 'the violence of the enemy,' 'a safeguard,' -'a security.' The words conveyed little to Martin's mind when first he -heard them. Less than a year later, in the autumn of 1914, he had come -to learn their true meaning. -</p> - -<p> -The short service was over by nine-twenty, and was followed by a -quarter of an hour's hard physical drill, conducted by the lieutenants -of divisions. This strenuous exercise was a daily feature of the -routine, and there was no doubt that it kept the men in excellent -condition. At any rate, Pincher was generally perspiring freely by the -time it was over. -</p> - -<p> -This finished, both watches were piped to fall in, and the various -parties of men were detailed for the day's work. The commander, with a -notebook, would be present on the quarterdeck, and would hold a hurried -conversation with the first lieutenant, the gunner, the boatswain, and -the carpenter, all of whom required men for the performance of various -odd jobs. -</p> - -<p> -'Party painting on the mess-deck yesterday, fall in aft!' would come -the first order. A group of about a dozen men and a petty officer, clad -in ancient, paint-stained overalls, would detach themselves from the -remainder. The first lieutenant, in charge of the mess-decks, gave his -detailed orders to the petty officer, and he, in turn, doubled his men -off to their work. 'Two hands from each part of the ship of the -starboard watch, and a leading hand from the foretop, fall in aft!' The -captain of the top told off the men, who were then taken charge of by -the gunner—a warrant officer—who required them for restowing the -small-arm magazine. Next the boatswain wanted a party, some for -refitting rigging, and others for drawing stores from the dockyard; -and, lastly, the carpenter took his toll for some purpose best known to -himself. -</p> - -<p> -The Royal Marines, meanwhile, had been sent down below to clean the -flats, under the orders of their own non-commissioned officers; and -when the various flat-sweepers and the mess-deck sweepers had been -detached to their work, the remainder of the seamen were detailed for -their labours, under the direction and supervision of their petty -officers. There were always a hundred and one different jobs to be -done. Nobody was ever idle in working-hours, and sometimes Martin found -himself armed with a pot of gray paint and a brush to touch up bare -portions of the superstructure. On other mornings he was detailed to -scrape and red-lead rusty plates on the ship's side, or to holystone a -particularly obstinate section of deck which was not quite up to the -mark. At other times he found himself told off as assistant to a fully -qualified A.B., one Joshua Billings, who was quite the best hand in the -ship at splicing or putting an eye in a wire hawser, neither of which -is a job for an amateur. Martin liked this sort of work, for he was -keen and anxious to learn, and the able seaman taught him far more in -an hour than he could pick up elsewhere in a fortnight. -</p> - -<p> -The worthy Joshua, by reason of an inordinate thirst and capacity for -malt liquor, had served in his present rank for seven years, and did -not hesitate to give the youngster good advice. 'It's like this 'ere,' -he would remark, deftly tucking in an obstinate strand of springy wire. -'It's beer wot's bin the ruin o' me, and I don't mind ownin' it. I've -bin in the navy ten years come January, and most o' them men wot served -along o' me as boys in the trainin'-ship is now petty orficers. I -reckons I'm as good a man as they is aboard a ship; but, though I was -rated leadin' seaman once, I dipped the killick<a href="#note6" name="noteref6"> -<span class="fn">6</span></a> abart six weeks -later for comin' off drunk. It's beer wot done it; I carn't keep orf -it, some'ow, w'en I gits ashore. Give us that there ball o' spun-yarn, -young fella.' -</p> - -<p> -''Ard luck,' Martin murmured, handing the spun-yarn across. -</p> - -<p> -The hoary-headed old sinner shook his head and gave vent to a throaty -sigh. 'No,' he said sadly, 'I reckons it wus orl right. The commander -'e sez to me, "Billings," 'e sez, "w'y is it you carn't go ashore -without gittin' a skinful?" "It's like this 'ere, sir," I tells 'im. "I -'as the rheumatics werry bad, an' as soon as I gits 'longside a pub I -comes orl over a tremble, an' directly I gits inside I meets with hevil -companions." "Rheumatics!" 'e sez. "I've 'eard that yarn before; an' -has for your hevil companions, my man, you ain't a baby!" "No, sir," -sez I, gittin' rattled, "I ain't; but directly I gits a pint inside me -my legs orl gits dizzy like." "A pint!" sez 'e, werry surprised. -"Surely it wus more'n a pint?" "Well, sir," I sez to 'im, "maybe it wus -a quart; I carn't 'xactly remember." "Several quarts, I should think," -sez 'e, waggin' 'is 'ead; "you wus werry drunk." "No, sir, not drunk, -only a bit shaky like," I sez, though I knowed orl the time I'd bin -properly tin 'ats. "Well," 'e sed, shakin' 'is 'ead werry sad, "I -should 'ave liked to 'ave given you another chance; but I'm afraid you -ain't fit to be a leadin' seaman. You must go before the capt'in." I -sees the owner, an' has a consequence wus dipped to A.B.; an' now I -shall never be anythin' else. Sad 'istory, ain't it?' concluded Joshua -sadly. 'But it's beer wot's done it, so look out you don't git meetin' -with hevil companions.' He solemnly winked one eye. -</p> - -<p> -Now, Joshua Billings, A.B., though officially a bad hat, was one of the -best seamen in the ship when there was any work on hand, and the -commander knew it. Only that fatal predilection for beer kept him from -rising to the top of the tree. Martin took his advice to heart, and was -rather proud to have him as a friend. -</p> - -<p> -At ten-thirty in the forenoon came a ten-minute stand easy for smoking; -after which work was resumed until eleven-forty-five, when the decks -were cleared up and the bugle sounded 'Cooks.' At noon there was -dinner, the staple meal of the day; and half-an-hour later the cooks of -messes were summoned on deck to receive the allowance of grog for the -members of their messes. The rum, mingled with its due proportion of -water, was served out with some ceremony. It stood in a huge -brass-bound tub bearing in brass letters the words, 'The King: God -bless him;' and when the recipients had assembled in a long queue with -their mess kettles and other receptacles, the liquid was solemnly -measured out by the ship's steward, under the supervision of the -warrant officer and the petty officer of the day. Martin, being under -twenty, was not officially allowed to partake of the beverage. He -tasted it once, and it made him cough and splutter. -</p> - -<p> -At one-ten the bugle sounded 'Out pipes,' and the decks were cleared -up; and at one-thirty the forenoon's work was resumed. At -three-forty-five labour, except for odd jobs done by the watch on -board, was over for the day; and at four o'clock came 'evening -quarters,' a repetition of the morning 'divisions,' without the prayers -and the music. Immediately afterwards the men went to tea, and the -watch whose turn it was to go ashore were sent on leave till seven -o'clock the next morning. Each man, provided his character was good, -thus got leave every alternate night; but Martin, with the rest of the -newly joined ordinary seamen, was not allowed out of the ship after ten -<span class="smc">P.M.</span> -</p> - -<p> -Saturday afternoon was generally a half-holiday, and a portion of the -ship's company went away till seven o'clock on the following Monday; -while on Sundays those men left on board had the usual service in the -forenoon, and did no work that was not absolutely necessary. -</p> - -<p> -Every day of the week supper came at seven-fifteen <span class="smc">P.M.</span>, and -after this the hammocks were piped down and were slung on the -mess-decks. At eight-thirty came another clearing up of the ship, and -at nine o'clock the commander, preceded by the master-at-arms with a -lighted lantern, and followed by the sergeant-major of marines, made -his final rounds of the ship to see that everything was correct for the -night, and that the galley fires were extinguished. At ten o'clock the -boatswain's mates 'piped down,' and everybody was chased off to his -hammock. So ended the day. -</p> - - -<h3> -III. -</h3> - -<p> -In a mixed company of eight hundred and fifty odd souls, comprising -seamen, marines, and stokers; boiler-makers, copper-smiths, and -moulders; blacksmiths, plumbers, shipwrights, caulkers, carpenters, and -joiners; butchers, bakers, and bandsmen; signalmen and telegraphists; -ship's police, stewards, and writers—men of all ranks and ratings, of -forty-and-one different trades and persuasions—it took Martin some -little time to find his own level. The subtle little differences -between the various grades and ranks were rather puzzling, and, as a -new-comer fresh to the navy and its traditions, he was constantly -making mistakes. At first he imagined that any one who wore clothes of -the ordinary shore-going cut, with a collar and tie, was a person to be -respected and called 'sir.' On one never-to-be-forgotten occasion he -used the title in addressing a 'dusty-boy,' or ship's steward's -assistant, a youth scarcely older than himself. For this he was -seriously taken to book by his messmates, and had his leg pulled -unmercifully. -</p> - -<p> -Some of his shipmates, moreover, were not slow to take advantage of his -ignorance as a 'softy' to amuse themselves at his expense. One ordinary -seaman in particular, a fresh-complexioned Irish youth of bullying -propensities, rejoicing in the name of Peter Flannagan, regarded a -newly joined ordinary seaman as a gift sent from heaven for his -especial amusement, though he himself had joined the ship only a few -months before. He was for ever devising new schemes of petty -persecution, until Martin's soul grew bitter, and he longed to -retaliate. But Flannagan was larger and heavier than himself, and a -direct assault could only end in defeat; so for a fortnight he stood -the ragging without complaint, and nursed his grievance in silence. -Then one morning he came late to breakfast to find powdered soap -mingled with his food, pepper in his coffee, and Flannagan sniggering -on an adjacent seat. He did nothing at the time, but that morning -sought the advice of Joshua Billings. -</p> - -<p> -That same afternoon Flannagan happened to be watch ashore. He had asked -a messmate to sling a hammock for him, and when, at ten o'clock, he -returned to the ship he promptly undressed and turned in. He had barely -had time to get comfortably to sleep, however, when his foot lanyard -gave an ominous crack. He knew what was about to happen, and tried to -save himself, but in an instant found himself precipitated abruptly to -the deck, feet first. Falling from a height of five odd feet, and -landing in rather scanty attire across the sharp edge of a mess-table, -is necessarily a painful business; and Martin, who was lying four tiers -away, with one cautious eye peering over the edge of his hammock, could -hardly restrain his merriment as the victim hopped round on one leg, -swearing and rubbing a badly barked shin. -</p> - -<p> -'Wot yer makin' all that bally row abart?' demanded the Irishman's -next-door neighbour with a chuckle. 'Fallen out o' yer 'ammick, 'ave -yer?' -</p> - -<p> -'Did you cut me foot lanyard?' demanded the angry Flannagan. -</p> - -<p> -'Me? Lord, no!' guffawed the other. -</p> - -<p> -'Well, you knows 'oo did it, any'ow!' -</p> - -<p> -'I knows nothin',' retorted the A.B., getting angry in his turn. 'If -yer says I did it you're a bally liar. I'll give yer a clip 'longside -the ear'ole if you ain't careful. Don't act so wet. Wot 'ave I to do -wi' yer rotten 'ammick?' -</p> - -<p> -'Some one's cut it,' the Irishman replied furiously, examining a clean -cut through two strands of the rope. 'If it ain't you wot done it, you -must know 'oo it was. 'Oo was it? tell us.' He looked round to see if -anybody else was awake, but every one seemed to be snoring peacefully. -Sailors are very heavy sleepers sometimes. -</p> - -<p> -It took Flannagan fully a quarter of an hour to repair damages and turn -in again. It was bitterly cold, and he cursed vehemently. -</p> - -<p> -But his troubles were not over yet. Towards eleven-thirty, when he had -got thoroughly warm and was dozing off, he felt an uncomfortable, -prickly sensation down his back and legs. He sat up blinking, and put a -hand under the blanket to find a thin film of something warm and -sticky. It resembled glue. The best part of a pound of finely ground -brown sugar, cunningly insinuated between the bedclothes, is not a -pleasant bedfellow. It melts with the heat of the body. The results are -nasty in the extreme. -</p> - -<p> -He leapt out, fuming. ''Ere!' he shouted, violently shaking the A.B. -next to him. ''Ave you bin puttin' sugar in my 'ammick?' -</p> - -<p> -'Look 'ere!' exclaimed the newly awakened man, 'I'm fair sick o' yer. I -told you afore I 'adn't touched yer 'ammick, an' I sed I'd give yer a -thick ear if yer went on worryin' me. Now I'm goin' to do it.' He -hopped out, gave the astonished Irishman a box on the ear which sent -him sprawling, and then stood over him with clenched fists. 'D'you want -any more?' he asked grimly. -</p> - -<p> -Flannagan did not. -</p> - -<p> -Martin and the other men in the neighbourhood, meanwhile, had been -waked by the disturbance, and were enjoying the fun. 'Go on, Ginger! -Give 'im another!' somebody advised the A.B. 'Give 'im a clip under the -lug! Slosh 'im one on the ruddy boko! Wakin' of us orl up at this time -o' night!' -</p> - -<p> -'Look 'ere, you blokes,' protested the still recumbent victim, 'some -one 'as put sugar in my 'ammick!' -</p> - -<p> -A roar of laughter greeted his words. His hearers were not sympathetic. -They longed to see a really good fight, and there would have been more -bloodshed if Flannagan, terrorised by the A.B.'s fists, had not thought -discretion the better part of valour. He retired grumbling, to spend -the rest of the chilly night on the hard mess-table, wrapped in a -greatcoat. -</p> - -<p> -At five-forty-five the next morning he sidled up to Martin, as the -latter sat drinking his cocoa. 'Look 'ere!' he exclaimed aggressively, -'was it you wot done that to my 'ammick last night?' -</p> - -<p> -'Done wot?' asked Pincher, grinning innocently. -</p> - -<p> -'Cut my ruddy foot lanyard an' put sugar on my blanket,' the Irishman -shouted, advancing threateningly with his fists clenched. 'I see'd yer -larfin' last night, an' yer larfin' now. If it wos you 'oo done it -I'll'—— -</p> - -<p> -'Stop yer bloomin' noise, Paddy!' chipped in Strumbles, who was always -inclined to be irascible in the early morning. 'If yer wants ter fight -Pincher you'd best take 'im on in the dog watches arter tea, not at -this un'oly hour o' the mornin'.' -</p> - -<p> -'But if it was 'im wot cut'—— -</p> - -<p> -'Don't chaw yer fat!' growled the leading seaman, giving the Irishman a -push in the chest. 'If it was Pincher wot done it, I reckons you arsked -for it. If you comes makin' a row 'ere I'll land you one on the conk, -so you'd best clear out!' -</p> - -<p> -Popular opinion was evidently not on his side; and, seeing how affairs -stood, Flannagan slouched off, vowing vengeance on some person or -persons unknown. -</p> - -<p> -But he never had his revenge; for, though he had a shrewd suspicion -that Martin was somehow responsible for his discomfiture, he could -never fix the blame on him for certain. The tables were turned at last, -and Pincher suffered no further inconvenience at the hands of Peter -Flannagan. The end had justified the means. Joshua Billings, A.B., was -an adept at dealing with a young and bumptious ordinary seaman who made -himself objectionable. -</p> - - - - -<a name="III"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER III. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -WORK AND PLAY.</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -'Nice sort o' craft, isn't she?' growled the first lieutenant, eyeing -the grimy collier lying alongside. 'Enough to break the heart of a -plaster saint!' -</p> - -<p> -Tickle, the junior watch-keeping lieutenant, nodded in agreement. -'She's broken mine already,' he observed dolefully. 'How on earth we're -going to take in six hundred tons from her the Lord alone knows.' -</p> - -<p> -Chase, the first lieutenant, refilled his pipe. 'I'd like to get hold -of the blighter who charters these colliers,' he mumbled savagely. -'This one doesn't appear to have a winch that'll lift more than -half-a-ton; and as for her hatches—lord! they're only the size of—of -that.' He could think of no suitable simile, so held his hands out a -couple of feet apart. -</p> - -<p> -'You should just see her whips, No. 1,' put in the watch-keeper. 'They -were new in the year one; used by Admiral Noah in the Ark, by the look -of 'em. I tried to lift one of the cross beams in No. 1 hold just now. -Took me about twenty minutes to get the winch to gee to start with. -Then, when I'd gingered it up, and had got the beam in mid-air, the -whip parted, and the whole caboodle came down with a crash. It would -have gone clean through her bottom if there'd been no coal in the -hold.' -</p> - -<p> -'M'yes. I heard the yelling,' observed Chase. 'Any one hurt?' -</p> - -<p> -'No. A silly young ass of an ordinary seaman—chap called Martin, who's -just joined—jolly nearly got it in the neck, but not quite, luckily -for him. It weighed the best part of half-a-ton, and it missed him by -about six inches. He'd have been done in all right if his head had been -in the way.' -</p> - -<p> -'Silly blighter!' said the first lieutenant unsympathetically. 'What -the dooce did he want to get in the way for?' -</p> - -<p> -'Ask me another,' laughed Tickle. 'Some of these O.D.'s keep their eyes -in the back of their head. However, this chap seems a bit better than -some of 'em, though that's not saying much. He had the fright of his -life, though, and won't do it again, I'll bet.' -</p> - -<p> -The first lieutenant snorted. -</p> - -<p> -S.S. <i>Ben Macdhui</i> certainly deserved all the strictures passed -upon her by both officers. She was no chicken, merely a nine-and-a-half -knot, pot-bellied monstrosity of a tramp built in the early 'eighties, -which, by inadvertence on somebody's part, or through a shortage of -more suitable craft, had temporarily been chartered as an Admiralty -collier. She belonged to a small company who appeared to earn their -dividends by buying all the old crocks of ships they could lay their -hands upon, and then running them on the cheap, for all her gear and -fittings were as elderly and unsafe as herself. Her middle-aged winches -wheezed cheerfully, and vomited forth jets of steam, scalding water, -and gouts of oil when they could be persuaded to revolve. Her derricks -groaned and sagged perilously when they lifted half their proper load; -while the less said about her coaling-whips—supposed to be brand-new -two-and-a-half-inch steel wire of the best quality—the better. The -officers and men were thoroughly in keeping with their ship. The -former, according to their own account, had all seen better days; while -the latter, bleary-eyed and stiff in the joints, looked more like a -party of workhouse inmates than the crew of a British merchant ship. A -more decrepit and ancient set of mariners it would be impossible to -find. They all had bald heads, several were grandfathers with flowing -white whiskers—when they washed; but then, of course, Messrs Catchem & -Flintskin preferred men of experience to mere scatter-brained -youngsters. They were more reliable, they said; but they also got them -cheaper, and their appetites were smaller. -</p> - -<p> -The 'Belligerents' swore lustily when the venerable <i>Ben Macdhui</i> -secured alongside. The commander shared their feelings; while the first -lieutenant—who was in general charge of the collier during -coaling—nearly wept, and retired to the wardroom to seek liquid -consolation. The lieutenants in charge of the holds, who would have to -bear the brunt of the whole business if the coal did not come in at its -usual rate, cursed long and loud. They were all justified, poor souls, -for a bad collier may mean a long coaling; and a long coaling in the -winter is the 'perishin' limit,' as some one put it. -</p> - -<p> -The collier came alongside before dark, and that evening new whips were -rove, derricks were rigged and topped, bags and shovels were brought up -from the dim recesses of the <i>Belligerent's</i> bowels and -distributed among the holds, the battleship's deck was brushed over -with a moist mixture of sand and lime to prevent the coal-dust from -soaking in, and all paintwork on the upper deck was swathed in canvas -for the same reason. -</p> - -<p> -Martin, as Lieutenant Tickle has already explained, had nearly lost the -number of his mess when assisting in the collier. He thought his narrow -escape was deserving of a certain amount of sympathy, but precious -little he got. He was bluntly called a '—— young fool,' and asked -'why the —— he wanted to get his —— head in the way.' Even his -messmates laughed at him, for to all bluejackets a miss is as good as a -mile. In the course of their careers, even in time of peace, they look -death in the face so often as to be utterly unmindful of narrow -squeaks. Their calling is essentially a risky one, and to become inured -to danger is part and parcel of their training. If a man has a close -shave he is chaffed unmercifully; if he is killed, his shipmates -express their sympathy, shrug their shoulders, attend the funeral with -tears in their eyes and a glass case of wax flowers in their hands, and -subscribe their shillings and pennies toward providing for the widow -and children. It is all in the day's work. -</p> - -<p> -Punctually at five-thirty the next morning, while it was yet dark, the -boatswain's mates were piping, 'Clear lower deck! 'Ands fall in for -coaling ship!' and officers and men, clad in the oldest and grimiest of -garments, repaired to the quarterdeck. Coaling ship was always a 'clear -lower deck' evolution, and nobody was excused except a few privileged -officers and men. -</p> - -<p> -On the quarterdeck was the commander; and presently, when the men had -been reported present, he gave them a few words. -</p> - -<p> -'Men,' he said, 'we've got a bad collier this time, just about the -worst thing in colliers I've ever seen. We have six hundred tons to -take in, so let's see if we can't make an evolution of it. We've been a -pretty good ship for coaling up to date, remember, so don't let us -spoil our good record now. Coal ship!' -</p> - -<p> -The groups of men scattered and fled to their several stations. The -forecastlemen, foretopmen, maintopmen, and quarterdeckmen repaired to -their respective holds in the collier, where they were divided up into -gangs of five for shovelling the coal into the two-hundredweight bags, -which were hoisted on board ten at a time. The 'dumping-ground -parties,' composed principally of artisan ratings like the carpenter's -mates, shipwrights, plumbers, and blacksmiths, were sent to the places -on the battleship's deck where the hoists would presently be coming in. -Their duty was to unhook and unstrap the bags as they arrived, and to -place them on the barrows, which were then trundled to the various -bunker-openings in the deck by the Royal Marines. Here the bags were -seized by the 'tippers,' and their contents emptied down the shoots -into the bunkers below, where they were stowed by the stokers doing -duty as 'trimmers.' The empty bags were collected by a number of -ordinary seamen and boys, who returned them to the holds in the -collier; and woe betide these youths if the men digging in the holds -were delayed through a shortage of empties! -</p> - -<p> -Practically all the officers coaled with their men. The commander was -in general charge of the whole operation, while the first lieutenant -exercised supervision in the collier. The lieutenants and midshipmen of -divisions worked with their men in the holds; while Vernon Hatherley, -the lieutenant-commander (T.), clad in an ancient Panamá hat and a suit -of indescribable overalls, acted the part of traffic manager on the -upper deck. He had the assistance of a couple of midshipmen, and among -them they organised the movement of barrows between the dumping-grounds -and the bunker-openings, so that no two streams moving in opposite -directions should come into sudden and violent contact, and so cause a -congestion in the traffic. The captain of marines, Hannibal Chance, -supervised his barrow-men, and, assisted by the sergeant-major, -exhorted them when they became languid. Nearly every other officer in -the ship, save only the fleet surgeon, the fleet paymaster, the -surgeon, and the assistant-paymasters, was in charge of something or -other. The lieutenant-commander (N.), Christopher Colomb, otherwise the -navigator, kept the 'day on' as officer of the watch; while even the -chaplain, the Reverend Stephen Holiman, set an example by shedding his -clerical garments and trundling a barrow. The men loved seeing Holy Joe -'sweatin' hisself,' as they put it; but, for all that, they voted him a -good fellow, and he was immensely popular on the lower deck. -</p> - -<p> -Martin found himself detailed as a member of one of the gangs of -diggers in the forecastlemen's hold. The work of shovelling the coal -into bags was back-breaking, for no two consecutive shovelfuls were -exactly the same weight; in addition, he found it extremely difficult -to keep his footing. The confined space reeked of coal-dust, and before -long he and his companions were jet-black from head to foot. He -breathed the fine powder down into his lungs. He perspired profusely. -His back, shoulders, arms, and thighs ached with the strain; but he was -game, and managed to struggle on somehow. Five other gangs were at work -besides his own. Each one was responsible for a hoist of ten bags, and -had to have them filled and strapped together by the time the whip was -ready to hoist them. They occasionally had a few minutes' rest between -the hoists, but otherwise the work went on continuously; and it was a -point of honour that the whip, which visited all the gangs in rotation, -should not be kept waiting. If there was any undue delay in hooking on, -there were loud shouts from above, and angry, nautical exhortations -from the lieutenant, midshipmen, and petty officers working in the -hold. -</p> - -<p> -It was sultry work, very sultry, though it was winter. The dust was so -thick that the powerful arc lights could only be seen in a blurred -glare across the hold. Jet-black figures whirled in and out of the -murky cloud like demons on the brink of the nethermost pit. Shouts of -'Stand from under!' and empty bags came from the deck above; and every -now and then there came a shrill screech on a whistle, a frenzied shout -of 'Mind your backs! Stand clear!' a frantic clattering from the -long-suffering winch, and a hoist would go hurtling, swinging, and -banging across the hold as the wire whip strained and tautened out. The -labouring men would spring aside to get clear, for a ton of coal in the -small of the back will send a twelve-stone man flying, and may cause -him serious injury. But still the work went on without a stop, and -hoist after hoist left the hold, disappeared in the darkness above, -swung through space, and finally landed with a thud and more shouts on -the battleship's deck. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Ben Macdhui</i> was certainly a bad collier. Twice during the -first hour did two of her winches break down, and each time they caused -a delay of fully twenty minutes. Another time a block on the head of a -derrick carried away, and the suspended hoist fell back into the hold -with a crash, knocking over two men. They were not seriously hurt, and -picked themselves up with many full-blooded sea oaths, to resume their -work as if nothing had happened. -</p> - -<p> -The 'Belligerents' prided themselves on their coaling. With a good -collier they had been known to average one hundred and seventy-seven -tons per hour; but this time they had only embarked one hundred and -ninety-eight by eight o'clock, at which time there came half-an-hour's -respite for breakfast. They had been at it since about five-forty (two -hours twenty minutes), and the commander was not at all pleased. But -even he realised that it was not the fault of the men. 'Bad!' he -growled. 'Damned bad! We're only averaging eighty-four point eight an -hour. What can one do with a collier like this?' -</p> - -<p> -During breakfast-time, wardroom, gunroom, and mess-decks were invaded -by hordes of black-faced demons, ravenous and clamouring for food. Some -of the more fastidious among them had washed their hands and had -cleared a circle of grime from about their mouths; but time was short, -and most of them had not troubled to do even this. Officers' messes, -cabins, and mess-decks were pervaded with the strange, penetrating -smell of coal. The dust hung and lodged everywhere, and even the -porridge, eggs and bacon, and milk were covered with films of black -powder. But what did it matter? They were hungry, and the food tasted -just as good, dust or no dust. -</p> - -<p> -At eight-thirty work was resumed, and the ship's company, rejuvenated -by breakfast, set to with redoubled energy. The <i>Belligerent's</i> -once white deck was covered with black dust, caked by the wheels of the -barrows. Officers and men alike were black from head to foot; but still -the hoists crashed in, still the barrows flew round the deck, and still -the coal went tumbling down the shoots into the bunkers. On the after -shelter-deck the bandsmen were doing their share of the work by braying -out the latest music-hall songs; but even their strident and not very -tuneful efforts could only be heard at intervals in the clatter of the -winches and the hollow rumble of the barrows. -</p> - -<p> -The best hour's work was done between ten and eleven, when one hundred -and twenty-four tons were taken in, and shortly before noon the full -six hundred had been embarked. The bugle sounded the 'Cease firing,' -the last hoists of empty bags and shovels came clattering inboard from -the collier with throaty cheers from the tired men, and swarms of -bluejackets set about lowering the derricks and unrigging the gear. -</p> - -<p> -Soon afterwards, when the <i>Ben Macdhui's</i> chief engineer had -raised sufficient steam in his tin-pot boiler to revolve the engines, -and when the ancient crew could be induced to bestir themselves, the -collier let go her wires and waddled off. The 'Belligerents' cheered -and waved ironical farewells as she departed. They were heartily glad -to see the last of her. -</p> - -<p> -'Gosh!' muttered Martin, with a heartfelt sigh, as he watched her go -from the forecastle, 'I ain't sorry that job's done!' His back ached, -and he felt very weary. He also wanted his dinner. -</p> - -<p> -Able Seaman Billings heard his remark and smiled. 'Garn!' he jeered -good-naturedly; 'this 'ere coalin' ain't bin nothin', only six 'undred -ton. You wait till we joins up wi' the fleet, me lad, w'en we coals -once a fortnight reg'lar.' -</p> - -<p> -It was quite true, as Martin afterwards discovered. -</p> - -<p> -That afternoon, armed with the hose, scrubbers, and soap, they set -about cleaning the ship, themselves, and their clothes. Coal-dust -seemed to be everywhere; it had lodged in every nook and cranny, but by -dark most of it was removed and the battleship was looking more or less -like her old self. So ended Martin's first experience of 'coaling -ship,' an evolution which subsequently was carried out with such -frequency that it became a mere incident. -</p> - -<p> -The next day they took in ammunition and explosives enough to send a -whole squadron of Dreadnoughts to the bottom. Innocent-looking lighters -and barges, crammed to the hatches with shell for the twelve-inch, -six-inch, and smaller guns; cases of cordite-cartridges; boxes -containing the copper war-heads for the torpedoes, filled with -gun-cotton; small-arm ammunition; gun-cotton charges in cylindrical -red-painted cases, and detonators, came alongside in the early morning -while it was yet dark. -</p> - -<p> -Soon after eight o'clock the work began. It was preferable to coaling, -as it was cleaner; but the labour was very strenuous. There were three -lighters on each side, and each had its own party of men employed in -hooking on the projectiles and metal cordite-cases, which were then -hoisted on board by the battleship's winches. Other men on deck with -barrows transported the shell and cases as they arrived to square -hatches in different parts of the deck, through which they were lowered -to the magazines and shell-rooms in the bowels of the ship, to be -stowed in their proper racks, bays, and compartments. -</p> - -<p> -The great eight hundred and fifty pound projectiles for the twelve-inch -guns dwarfed all the others, and they were slung inboard singly on -account of their weight. The hundred-pound shell for the six-inch guns -came in in canvas bags a couple at a time, while the lighter -projectiles for the smaller weapons were hoisted in consignments. -</p> - -<p> -Such a variety of shell there was! Some had bright-yellow bodies with -red bands round their middles, and sundry stencil-marks on their sides -denoting the date and place of manufacture, date of filling with -explosive, and other purely personal details. These were the lyddite -high-explosive shell Martin had often heard about; and he was informed, -by an A.B. who was lowering them below as if they had been mere sacks -of potatoes, that they burst into thousands of minute fragments on -impact, and that they were designed primarily for use as man-killing -projectiles against the unarmoured portions of an enemy's ship. Then -there were the common shell with black-painted bodies and red-and-white -bands round their noses. They, too, were deadly in their way, but not -quite so deadly as the lyddite, since they were filled only with black -powder, and did not burst so violently on striking. The armour-piercers -were also black, and had white-red-white bands round their heads. They, -Martin was told, had very thick walls and specially toughened points, -and were designed to bore their way through an enemy's armoured sides -and to burst inside. Then came the shrapnel shell for the lighter guns, -with their red tips and red bands; they were provided with a small -bursting charge, were filled with bullets, and had time-fuses, so that -they could be burst in the air at any moment, to send their leaden -bullets flying on over a cone-shaped region of destruction. The -practice projectiles were black, with yellow bands round their middles -and white tips. They were quite harmless, being made of cast-iron, with -small quantities of salt inside to bring them up to the exact weight. -</p> - -<p> -It was quite six o'clock in the evening by the time the ammunition had -all been taken in, and even then there were many hours' work in stowing -the shell, cordite, and explosives in their several shellrooms and -magazines. -</p> - -<p> -The next morning, at cock-crow, they started another very similar job, -taking in slops and stores of provisions from the victualling yard. -This time the deck was littered with bundles of clothing done up in -sacking, bags of flour, boxes and cases containing boots, shoes, straw -hats, caps, biscuits, condensed milk, tea, coffee, chocolate, jam, -preserved meat, tinned salmon and rabbit, mustard, pepper, salt, -raisins, rice, dried beans and peas, pickles, suet, compressed -vegetables, oatmeal, split peas, celery-seed for flavouring pea-soup, -soap, and tobacco. There were also casks or drums of rum, vinegar, and -sugar. The total consignment ran into well over a hundred tons dead -weight, and all the hundred and one different articles had to be -hoisted on board, sorted out, transported, and stowed in their proper -storerooms. -</p> - -<p> -The ship's steward and his assistant 'dusty boys' had a very busy day. -Quite early in the proceedings a flour-bag burst like a shell and -deluged the steward with its contents. He was powdered from head to -foot, and remained so for the rest of the day; and the little runnels -of perspiration running down his whitened face made a strange -criss-cross pattern which transformed his ordinarily rubicund -countenance into a very fair representation of a map of the planet -Mars, with all the canals clearly marked. His appearance caused titters -of amusement and howls of derisive merriment when his back was turned, -as, armed with an enormous note-book and a sheaf of coloured pencils, -he flitted in and out of the piles of boxes and packing-cases like a -lost soul. He was endeavouring to trace odd cases of raisins, or errant -boxes of jam or pickles, and looked very worried, poor man! At any -rate, it was hardly safe to talk to him, for finding the mislaid things -among the heaps of barrels, drums, cases, and boxes, which covered the -deck in places to a height of fully five feet, was for the time being -rather like searching for a pebble on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -The <i>Belligerent</i> was a 'Pompey'<a href="#note7" name="noteref7"> -<span class="fn">[7]</span></a> ship. Many of her officers and -men had their homes in or near the port, so the 'funny -party'—otherwise the ship's concert troupe—prevailed upon the first -lieutenant, their honorary president, to petition the commander for -permission to give a farewell entertainment on board the evening before -they sailed to rejoin the squadron. -</p> - -<p> -The commander, with visions of endless trouble in rigging a stage for -the performance, and the sacred quarterdeck being littered with -cigarette-ends, banana-skins, and orange-peel, was not altogether -pleased at the prospect. 'They want to give a show!' he said, in -surprise, when the first lieutenant mooted the subject. 'Great Scott! -they must be mad. It's mid-winter. Suppose it's raining or blowing a -gale o' wind?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yes, sir. I pointed that out to them,' answered No. 1. 'I quite -realise there are serious objections. They're so jolly keen on it, -though, that I couldn't choke 'em off.' -</p> - -<p> -'And they propose that we shall bring all the guests off in our boats, -eh?' -</p> - -<p> -Chase nodded. 'They do, sir,' he said. 'But I'll take the management of -all that off your hands if you'll let me. They want the show to start -at eight o'clock.' -</p> - -<p> -'The devil they do!' laughed the commander, beginning to relent. -'You'll have to cut the encores, though. It'll have to be over by -ten-fifteen at the latest. We're sailing the next morning.' -</p> - -<p> -'I'll see to that, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -'Are the officers and their wives to be asked?' the commander wanted to -know. -</p> - -<p> -'Oh yes, sir. They specially mentioned that.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, for goodness' sake censor the programme. Last time we gave a -show and had ladies on board, one of the songs was altogether -too—er—spicy. I can't remember who sang it, but one of the captain's -guests was very much shocked. For heaven's sake make certain it doesn't -occur again!' -</p> - -<p> -'Yes, I'll do that, sir,' smiled No. 1, with vivid recollections of the -incident. -</p> - -<p> -'All right. I'll ask the captain, then. I don't expect he'll object. -You'd better tell me beforehand how many boats you want to bring the -people off, and I'll leave all the rest in your hands.' -</p> - -<p> -'Thank you, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -The captain raised no objections; and on the afternoon of the -entertainment the carpenter and his men, assisted by the members of the -'funny party' and many willing volunteers, set about preparing the -quarterdeck. The day, luckily, was fine, but bitterly cold. A temporary -stage, built up of planks placed upon biscuit-boxes, was rigged right -aft athwartships. It was provided with the necessary scenery painted on -board, was decorated with flags and coloured bunting, and was flanked -by a brightly polished twelve-pounder gun and a Maxim on their -field-carriages. The awning overhead was shrouded in enormous foreign -ensigns, while canvas side-curtains were laced all round the -quarterdeck to keep off the wind. Seating accommodation for several -hundred people was provided by bringing all the available stools from -the mess-decks, and placing them in rows on the deck and the top of the -after-barbette with its two 12-inch guns. The first two rows of stalls, -so to speak, were reserved for the officers, and consisted of -arm-chairs and other chairs borrowed at the last moment from the -officers' cabins and messes. -</p> - -<p> -By seven-forty-five the preparations were complete, and the guests were -beginning to arrive. As they stepped over the gangway they were claimed -by their respective hosts, presented with printed programmes, and -conducted to seats. By seven-fifty-five the last boats had come off, -and the quarterdeck was tightly packed with men and their female -belongings. They were all very much on their best behaviour, talked in -hushed, expectant whispers, and spent the time criticising their -neighbours and admiring the drop-scene. -</p> - -<p> -The drop-scene was a truly terrific representation of the -<i>Belligerent</i> in action. It had been painted on board, and the -artist had allowed his colours to run riot. The sea, well covered with -shell-splashes, was very, very blue, and so was the sky. The ship -herself, with flaunting White Ensigns hoisted everywhere, was fiercely -blazing away with every gun at some invisible enemy over the horizon. -Here and there the blue expanse of sky was punctuated with large yellow -and white blotches. Whether or not they represented clouds, the -bursting of hostile shell, or cordite smoke, nobody but the artist -could say. They did equally well for any one of them. At the bottom was -an elaborate scroll, royal blue in colour, inscribed with the battle -honours of previous <i>Belligerents</i> in gold letters; while in the -centre came the ship's crest and motto, '<i>Ut Veniant Omnes</i>' the -Latin equivalent of 'Let 'em all come!' -</p> - -<p> -Before long the guests thawed a little, and the place began to hum like -a beehive. The ladies produced chocolate and other edibles from -handbags, and thrust them on their neighbours in token of friendship. -The men lit pipes and cigarettes until the air was blue with -tobacco-smoke. Martin, with several other youngsters, had installed -himself in an excellent position on the top of the after-turret, and -waited anxiously for the performance to start. -</p> - -<p> -The chattering ceased as the orchestra filed out from the wings and -took their places behind a zareba of bunting-covered biscuit-boxes and -hired palms erected in front of the stage. They all wore their best -tunics, had their hair well parted and greased, and seemed very full of -their own importance. They concealed themselves behind their barricade -until only the tops of their heads were visible, leaving the bandmaster -perched precariously on a chair set on a couple of rather insecure -boxes. He wore a brand-new pair of white gloves in honour of the -occasion, twirled his moustache, and tried hard not to look -self-conscious. -</p> - -<p> -'Swanker!' came a loud and very raucous remark from the top of the -after-turret. Martin, greatly daring, but carried away by the -excitement of the moment, had been responsible for the utterance. He -looked round apprehensively, half-expecting to get into trouble for his -temerity; but every one seemed quite pleased. The audience was actually -tittering. The titter became a laugh, and the laugh a roar of delighted -amusement. The bandmaster, with his back to the gathering, seemed -rather agitated. He half-turned on his chair, thought better of it when -it gave a dangerous wobble, and then pretended he had not heard. -</p> - -<p> -The culprit, undiscovered save by his immediate neighbours, hugged -himself at the success of his sally. -</p> - -<p> -A minute later, when the band began to tune up for the overture, the -first lieutenant appeared from one of the after-hatches. He had the -reputation of being a 'taut hand;' but the men loved him dearly, and -his arrival was the signal for a volley of cheers and hand-claps. He -faced the audience nervously, bowed and smiled, and then, watch in -hand, walked across to the bandmaster and held a whispered -conversation. -</p> - -<p> -Other officers came up the after-hatches and filed into their places. -They were greeted with round after round of applause, as, very red in -the face and very uncomfortable, they settled down in their seats. The -<i>Belligerent</i> was notoriously a happy ship, and on occasions of -this kind her ship's company were not slow in showing their -appreciation for their officers. -</p> - -<p> -The captain had been having a dinner-party in his cabin for some of the -married officers and their wives; and he, the commander, the -engineer-commander, the fleet surgeon, Hatherley, and Tickle, with -their respective wives, arrived last. They, too, received their share -of cheers while taking their seats. The captain, however, remained -standing, and held up his hand for silence. -</p> - -<p> -'Ladies and gentlemen,' he said when the uproar had subsided, 'I am -very glad to see you all here to-night, and I hope you will enjoy the -entertainment. The first lieutenant asked me to sing you a song myself, -but I'm afraid I'm getting too old for that sort'—— -</p> - -<p> -Loud cries of 'No, no!' and more cheering. -</p> - -<p> -'I am,' he continued, laughing, 'though you may not believe it. What I -want to tell you is that I have arranged for light refreshments to be -served in the battery during the interval, so I hope you will -all—er—do full justice to them.' -</p> - -<p> -Loud cheers, during which Captain Spencer sat down and nodded to the -first lieutenant for the entertainment to begin. -</p> - -<p> -The latter rose from his chair and glanced at his programme. 'Ladies -and gentlemen,' he said, 'the first item on the list is a selection by -the band. It is called—er—"Down Channel," and has been specially -composed for the occasion by Mr Johnson, the bandmaster.' He sat down -again. -</p> - -<p> -The bandmaster rapped twice with his baton, and with a rattle of drums -the music began. The selection was a strange pot-pourri of every -nautical song that Mr Johnson had ever heard. It started off with a -variation of 'Hearts of Oak,' wandered into 'The Bay of Biscay,' 'Tom -Bowling,' 'They all love Jack,' and several other tunes, ancient and -modern, and finished off with 'The Red, White, and Blue' and 'Rule -Britannia.' It was hardly original, but it was received with vociferous -applause. The bandmaster, highly satisfied, turned and bowed his -acknowledgments with great dignity. -</p> - -<p> -'The next item on the programme,' said the first lieutenant, rising to -his feet again, 'is a comic song entitled "Archibald," by Stoker -Williams.' -</p> - -<p> -The footlights were turned on, and the curtain went up to disclose -Stoker Williams dressed in the height of fashion. He wore a morning -coat, gray trousers, patent-leather boots and spats, eyeglass, -immaculate shirt, collar, and tie. He represented, it would seem, a -young man about town looking for a friend named Archibald. Presumably -he had some difficulty in finding him, for he walked mincingly across -the stage, grasping a cane and a pair of gloves in one horny hand, and -in the other a very glossy top-hat, which he twirled violently when the -spirit moved him. The first lieutenant fidgeted uneasily. The hat, a -brand-new Lincoln & Bennett, belonged to him. So did the clothes. The -chorus of the song went something like this: -</p> - -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p class="i6">Har-ar-chibald! Har-ar-chibald!</p> -<p class="i8">Son of a belted hearl.</p> -<p class="i6">Har-ar-chibald! Har-ar-chibald!</p> -<p class="i8">I'll bet 'e's mashin' 'is girl.</p> -<p>'E promised to meet me at 'arf-past three;</p> -<p>But 'e's such a nut that 'e's gone on the spree,</p> -<p class="i6">With 'is girls, girls, girls.</p> -<p class="i2">(<i>Spoken</i>) 'Har-ar-chibald! where are you?'</p></div></div> - -<p> -The words were not conspicuous for their wit or cleverness, but the -tune went with a swing, and the audience, highly appreciative, rocked -with laughter; and after the performer's 'Now all together, please,' at -the end of the first verse, joined in the inane chorus until the roar -of 'Har-ar-chibald! where are you?' could have been heard as far as the -dockyard gates. -</p> - -<p> -The song eventually came to a close with Archibald still missing, and -Stoker Williams, very pleased with himself, left the stage amidst -clapping, cat-calls, and loud cries of 'Encore!' But encores were -barred, and the curtain came down with a crash. -</p> - -<p> -The next turn was by the P.T.I. (Physical Training Instructor). He was -a magnificently built man, and appeared, despite the weather, clad in -flesh-coloured tights, sandals, and an imitation tiger-skin. 'Ladies -and gentlemen,' he said, advancing to the front of the stage and -addressing the audience in the approved music-hall manner, 'with your -kind indulgence I will now introduce a few lifting feats without -apparatus of any kind. After that I shall have pleasure in giving a -display with the Indian clubs. For the first part of my performance I -must ask a member of the audience weighing at least ten stone to join -me on the stage.' -</p> - -<p> -After some hesitation and tittering, the challenge was presently -accepted by Able Seaman M'Sweeny. Tubby, as he was called by his -shipmates, was a short, rotund, and very bulbous person, who was a -source of unfailing amusement to his friends. He had a fat red face -rather like an apple, and a pair of humorous blue eyes; and, being -something of a buffoon, was delighted at the idea of making himself -conspicuous. He pretended to be very nervous, left his seat amid shouts -of laughter and cries of 'Good old Tubby boy!' from the lookers-on, and -presently appeared on the stage with the P.T.I. -</p> - -<p> -'This gentleman informs me that he weighs thirteen stone,' said the -P.T.I., producing a broad strap; 'one hundred and eighty-two pounds. I -first place the strap round him, so'—buckling it round Tubby's -middle—'and will now ask him to lie flat on the deck in the centre of -the stage.' -</p> - -<p> -This was rather more than M'Sweeny had bargained for, for he guessed -what was coming next. But he acquiesced nevertheless, and, turning his -funny face toward the audience with a solemn wink, began to agitate his -arms and legs as if he were swimming. -</p> - -<p> -Martin, on the verge of hysterics, was slowly becoming purple in the -face. He had never seen anything quite so funny in all his life. -</p> - -<p> -'Look at our Tubby boy!' came another loud remark from a youth seated -near him. 'Ain't 'e the limit?' -</p> - -<p> -The P.T.I., seeing that Tubby was getting all the applause, became very -wroth. 'Look here!' he growled in a very audible whisper, 'is this your -turn or is it mine? Knock off playing the fool, can't you!' -</p> - -<p> -The victim, breathing heavily and balanced on his most prominent part, -with the tips of his toes just touching the floor, looked up with a -grin. ''Ere,' he asked loudly, 'w'ere do I come in?' -</p> - -<p> -The audience rocked in their seats, with tears streaming down their -faces. -</p> - -<p> -'Shut your fat head!' whispered the gentleman in the -tiger-skin.—'Ladies and gentlemen,' he went on, producing another -short strap fitted with a stout hook, 'I hook this into the strap -passing round the gentleman's body, so, and shall now carry him round -the stage in my mouth.' -</p> - -<p> -The 'gentleman' seemed distinctly nervous, but it was too late to back -out now. -</p> - -<p> -The band broke into slow music. The P.T.I, bent down, seized the strap -in his mouth, and, bracing himself with his hands on his knees, lifted -M'Sweeny a few inches off the floor. Then, with another heave which -very nearly precipitated his victim and himself into the middle of the -orchestra, he swung his burden waist-high, and staggered slowly round -the stage with his back bowed and his muscles bulging. -</p> - -<p> -Tubby, suspended by his centre of gravity, hung limply, with drops of -perspiration trickling off his face. He was desperately alarmed lest he -should be dropped with a crash, poor man! -</p> - -<p> -The P.T.I., who, judging from his stertorous breathing, had undertaken -more than he had bargained for, tottered once round the stage, and then -went to the side and lowered his prey gently to the floor out of sight -of the audience. At the same time the big drum gave a prearranged and -very resounding crash. The audience laughed themselves hoarse, and -cheered uproariously. After sundry other feats of strength with a long -wooden bar from which depended the limp figures of two Royal Marines, -one ordinary seaman, and one stoker, the performer gave his -club-swinging display with lively music from the band. It was quite -effective, and came to a close with great <i>éclat</i>. -</p> - -<p> -The next item was a very doleful sentimental ditty about a lonely -robin. It was sung by an intensely serious A.B., and the bird, it -appeared, was on terms of great intimacy with a lady suffering from an -incurable disease, who was slowly dying in the top back-room of a -cottage. Every morning at breakfast-time the robin appeared on the -window-sill; but on one memorable occasion he came rather late, to find -the undertakers in the house. The shock unnerved him to such an extent -that he died too, poor bird! It was so intensely pathetic that some of -the ladies in the back-rows actually wept. The two rows of officers and -their wives blew their noses and hid their faces in their programmes. -Their shoulders shook visibly, but not with grief. -</p> - -<p> -'The next thing,' said the master of ceremonies—rather perturbed -because the last man had exceeded his appointed time by three -minutes—'is a song called "Slattery's Mounted Foot," by the members of -the troupe.' -</p> - -<p> -The curtain went up to show a man clad more or less as a soldier. He -wore a marine's red tunic, baggy blue trousers with broad yellow -stripes, a cocked hat with an enormous plume, a naval cutlass, and a -pair of leather sea-boots with huge tin spurs. He sang the first verse -of a song amidst much amusement, and then started the rollicking chorus: -</p> - -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Down from the mountains came the squadrons and platoons,</p> -<p>Four-and-twenty fighting men and a couple of stout gossoons.</p></div></div> - -<p> -At the cue 'squadrons and platoons' the Mounted Foot, riding home-made -hobby-horses with flowing manes and tails, galloped on to the stage. -Their appearance was the signal for a volley of shouts and laughter, in -which the music was quite inaudible, and truly they were comical. There -were six others besides the first man, who, it would appear, was -General Slattery himself. They all wore burlesque military uniforms. -One was a hussar, another a lancer, a third a soldier in a British line -regiment, a fourth an Indian cavalryman with lance and turban all -complete, a fifth a cross between a Chasseur d'Afrique and a Chinese -brave, and the last an artilleryman. The <i>pièce de résistance</i> was -the artillery itself, for the last man to arrive led the very unwilling -Nellie, the ship's pet pig, to which was attached a large cardboard -cannon. Headed by their General, they pranced about the stage enjoying -themselves hugely. Their efforts brought the house down, for they quite -succeeded in making fools of themselves, and 'Slattery's Mounted Foot' -was a long way the best event of the evening. -</p> - -<p> -The remaining turns were too numerous to be mentioned in detail. They -included further ditties by the singers of 'Archibald' and 'The Lonely -Robin,' a banjo solo, some really clever conjuring and lightning -sketching by an engine-room artificer, and an absurd sketch, written on -board, called 'The Broker's Man.' The plot of this production, if it -could be called by such a name, can be deduced from the list of -characters: -</p> - -<ul> -<li class="indent"><i>Mr Stony-Broke</i>—an impoverished aristocrat.</li> -<li class="indent"><i>Mrs Stony-Broke</i>—his wife.</li> -<li class="indent"><i>Miss Gertrude Stony-Broke.</i></li> -<li class="indent"><i>General Sir Thomas Dammit, K.C.B.</i>—a rich uncle.</li> -<li class="indent"><i>Mr Hardcash</i>—a hard-hearted landlord.</li> -<li class="indent"><i>Mr Theodore Buggins</i>—the broker's man.</li> -<li class="indent"><i>Hon. Bertie de Montmorency</i>—Gertrude's fiancé.</li> -<li class="indent"><i>Giles</i>—a footman.</li> -<li> </li> -<li>Scene—The Stony-Brokes' drawing-room in London.</li> -<li> </li> -<li>Time—The present.</li> -</ul> - -<p> -The parts of Mrs and Miss Stony-Broke were played by seamen. Mrs -Stony-Broke appeared in black satin and a shawl, and the fair Gertrude -in an evening-dress of pale yellow. Both mother and daughter were very -shapeless, while their home-made wigs, white cotton gloves, bare red -arms, and enormous feet brought tears of joy to the eyes of the -audience. So did the gallant General Sir Thomas Dammit, who, it would -seem, made a habit of wearing his full-dress uniform, cocked hat, and -sword on all occasions. -</p> - -<p> -Mr Hardcash, the villain of the piece, was loudly hissed; while his -emissary, Mr Theodore Buggins, a truly dissolute fellow, became -hilariously intoxicated at Mr Stony-Broke's expense. But everything -ended happily. Gertrude and the Hon. Bertie plighted their troth, and -were duly set up for life with a handsome cheque from Sir Thomas. -</p> - -<p> -The curtain came down amidst scenes of the wildest enthusiasm from the -audience, and the orchestra playing Mendelssohn's 'Wedding March.' -</p> - -<p> -When finally the band played 'God Save the King,' Pincher Martin was -convinced that it was quite the best entertainment he had ever seen. -His shipmates agreed with him. -</p> - - - - -<a name="IV"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER IV. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -THE STRENUOUS LIFE.</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -Twenty-four hours later the <i>Belligerent</i> was at bleak, wind-swept -Portland; and during the next fortnight Martin began to realise what -life in the navy really meant. He fondly imagined that he had been -hard-worked at Portsmouth, but it was mere child's-play compared with -what went on when they were with the squadron. -</p> - -<p> -The anchorage was full of men-of-war. First came seven other -battleships precisely similar to the <i>Belligerent</i> herself, squat, -ponderous-looking vessels, with piled-up superstructures and heavy -gun-turrets which gave them an aspect of strength rather than of speed. -They were commanded by a vice-admiral, who flew his flag in the -<i>Tremendous</i>. Next came an independent cruiser squadron of four -sister-ships under the orders of a rear-admiral. They were long, lean -craft, with four funnels like factory chimneys, and raking masts. They -had an ungainly appearance, but looked fast. Then came a couple of -light cruisers, slender, graceful vessels, with beautiful lines. They, -too, had four funnels, and gave the impression that they were fliers, -as indeed they were. Innumerable black destroyers, with another light -cruiser as their flagship, lay in glorified sheep-pens jutting out from -the shore. They were evil-looking craft, and could do their thirty -knots with ease. -</p> - -<p> -But the ships were not always in harbour. Most days of the week they -spent outside the breakwater, indulging in what was officially known as -'aiming rifle practice.' It meant that 1-inch or .303-inch aiming -rifles were placed in all the guns, and that the ship steamed past a -minute target, firing as she went. It kept the gunlayers and guns' -crews proficient, for the weapons were worked, aimed, and fired exactly -as if they had been using their proper ammunition. Unofficially, this -practice was known as <i>piff</i>, from the feeble sound of the -reports. -</p> - -<p> -Sometimes the whole battle-squadron went to sea for steam tactics under -the orders of the vice-admiral; while at least one night a week was -spent somewhere out in the Channel without lights, to give the -destroyers practice in making torpedo attacks under war conditions. -</p> - -<p> -It was all very wonderful to Martin; but what impressed him most was -the way in which the entire squadron of eight battleships steamed about -as a whole. Each vessel remained at precisely the same distance from -her next ahead, until it seemed as if they were all joined together by -some invisible string, rather than free units capable of independent -motion and movement. How they managed to achieve this result he could -not imagine. It savoured of necromancy. He did not know until later -that on the bridge of each vessel was a young lieutenant with a -sextant, whose duty it was to measure the angle between the masthead -and the water-line of the next ship ahead. Briefly, if the angle grew -larger it meant that the ship was drawing up on her next ahead; if -smaller, that she was dropping behind; and the revolutions of the -engines were accordingly decreased or increased to get her back into -her correct position. 'Station keeping!'—the officers of watches would -have laughed if they had been asked how they did it. 'My dear chap, -it's as easy as falling off a log. Any fool could do it.' Perhaps he -could; but then there are fools and fools. Some of them are wise fools. -</p> - -<p> -Steam tactics, too, were very impressive. The eight battleships would -be steaming along in two ordered columns of four ships each. A string -of gaily coloured bunting would suddenly appear at the flagship's -masthead, to be repeated by the rear-admiral leading the other line. -Hardly had the flags blown out clear than every other vessel would be -flying a white-and-red 'answering pendant,' meaning 'I have seen and -understood.' The flagship's signal would come down with a rush, and -after a brief interval of suspense every ship would be swinging round -under the influence of her helm. They formed single line ahead, line -abreast, and quarter line, each gray ram cutting the water at precisely -the same distance from the next ahead. Now and then they broke off into -pairs. Sometimes they circled round in succession, each vessel -following dead in the wake of her leader. Occasionally they wheeled, -the pivot ship reducing her speed, the wing ship increasing, and the -intermediate vessels adjusting the revolutions of their engines until -every foremast was exactly in line. They twisted themselves into knots, -and unravelled themselves again. The effect was really rather -wonderful. The squadron seemed to manœuvre this way and that with -the same ease and flexibility as a company of well-drilled soldiers. -</p> - -<p> -It must be very difficult, Martin concluded; but he wondered vaguely -why the admiral should take it upon himself to act the part of a -glorified drill-sergeant. He did not know that flexibility of movement -and ability to change formation with rapidity and precision are even -more important in a squadron at sea than with a regiment ashore. -</p> - -<p> -The admiral, experienced officer though he was, was merely accustoming -himself to handling his squadron as a compact and organised whole -against the time when he might be called upon to do it with an enemy's -fleet looming up over the horizon. Moreover, no two ships are ever -handled in quite the same way, and he was giving his captains—who, -provided they lived, would be admirals themselves one day—an -opportunity of learning the ways and tricks of their several ships, so -that, when the time came, they should not fail him. Practice makes -perfect, even with such gilded potentates as admirals and captains. -</p> - -<p> -The destroyer attacks after dark, too, were very spectacular. The long -winter nights were usually overcast and very dark, and the squadron -would be steaming without lights; but even then the lynx-eyed young -gentlemen on the bridge would not admit that they had any real -difficulty in keeping station. They were used to it. On such occasions -the men kept their watches, and the lighter guns and the searchlights -were manned exactly as they would be in war. Martin, being an ignorant -new-comer, found himself detailed as a bridge messenger; and there, in -the very nerve-centre of the ship, he had an excellent opportunity of -seeing everything that went on. He never forgot the first destroyer -attack he ever saw. -</p> - -<p> -Looking ahead, he could just see the next ship as an intense black blur -against the lighter darkness of the sky and sea. Astern came another -ponderous mass. The intervals seemed dangerously close, but the officer -of the watch showed no anxiety. On the contrary, he stood at the -standard compass on the upper bridge, using his binoculars every now -and then, and giving occasional muffled orders in a calm voice through -the voice-pipe communicating with the man stationed at the engine-room -revolution telegraph below. Even the captain and the navigator, who -were up there as well, did not seem to be taking things very seriously, -though in reality they both had their weather-eyes very much lifting, -and were using their glasses constantly. They were always on very -friendly terms, and were carrying on an animated conversation about -nothing more important than—golf! -</p> - -<p> -'Well, sir,' Colomb was chuckling, 'if your putting hadn't been so bad -you'd have knocked me endways. You were shocking on the greens.' -</p> - -<p> -'Yes; but you wait till I get used to that new putter of mine,' the -skipper returned, not in the least offended. 'I botched every single -putt, and if I hadn't done that—— Hallo!' he suddenly broke off, -sniffing; 'd'you smell that?' -</p> - -<p> -'That' was a pungent whiff of crude petroleum floating down from -windward, and Captain Spencer knew well enough that it meant the -attacking craft were somewhere fairly close. The greater number of -modern destroyers consume nothing but oil-fuel in their furnaces, and -in a strong wind the reek of its burning can often be smelt for several -miles. -</p> - -<p> -'M'yes. They're pretty close, sir,' Colomb agreed. -</p> - -<p> -'Keep your eyes skinned, officer of the watch,' the captain cautioned, -busy with his own glasses. 'Warn the group officers and guns' crews!' -</p> - -<p> -'Ay, ay, sir,' said the lieutenant, pressing a push by his side, which -caused an alarm-bell to sound at all the anti-torpedo-craft guns -throughout the ship. -</p> - -<p> -For some minutes there was silence, broken only by the humming of the -wind through the rigging and the liquid plop of breaking seas. But all -the time the smell of oil-fuel became gradually stronger; and then, -quite suddenly, the flagship—two ships ahead—switched on a -searchlight. She had seen something! -</p> - -<p> -The powerful blue-white beam flickered out, swung round slightly, and -then fell on a black phantom shape rushing through the water. She was a -destroyer, and came along with the wind and sea dead astern; but even -then sheets of spray were flying over her low decks and bridge. -</p> - -<p> -Martin held his breath. -</p> - -<p> -The moment the attacker was lit up by the ray there came the loud crash -of a gun, and an instant later more searchlights joined the first. -</p> - -<p> -<i>Boomp! Bang! Boom! Boomp!</i> went the guns in an irregular volley, -as the first and second ships in the line got to work. Sharp stabs of -red flame danced in and out of the beams of the lights. The thick smoke -of the blank discharges wreathed and eddied through the rays as it -drifted down the line on the wind; but the destroyers—two of -them—still came on at full speed, pitching and rolling horribly. -</p> - -<p> -They seemed to be about six hundred yards on the starboard bow of the -flagship, travelling down the line of battleships in an opposite -direction to that in which the latter were steaming, and so brilliantly -were they illuminated in the glare that even the figures of the men -crouching on deck round the torpedo-tubes were clearly visible through -glasses. The water was washing knee-deep over their decks as they -rolled, but it was not until they were nearly abeam of the flagship -that a ball of red fire shot up into the air from each of them. This -indicated the moment at which, if it had been the real thing, their -torpedoes would actually have been discharged. -</p> - -<p> -'That pair were sunk all right,' muttered Captain Spencer, watching -them through his glasses as they swept past barely three hundred yards -off. 'They were under fire for quite half-a-minute before they let go -their torpedoes. Poor devils! they're having a pretty rotten time. -Great Scott! just look at that sea!' -</p> - -<p> -The leading destroyer had put her helm over to alter course outwards. -It brought her nearly head on to the sea, and she had shoved her nose -straight into the heart of an advancing wave. It was not really rough, -as seas go, but the speed with which she was travelling caused the mass -to break on board until she seemed literally to be buried in a smother -of gray-white water, while sheets of spray swept high over her -mastheads and funnels. For quite an appreciable time she was hidden, -but then slid back into sight on the crest of a sea, with her twin -propellers revolving wildly in the air, to disappear in the darkness as -suddenly as she had come, with her consort still in close station -behind her. -</p> - -<p> -'Thank the Lord I'm not in a T.B.D.!' muttered the officer of the watch -to the navigator. -</p> - -<p> -Martin shared his feelings. -</p> - -<p> -For the next forty minutes the guns' crews in the battleships were very -busy; for, having sighted the searchlights during the first attack, the -remainder of the flotilla, attracted to the spot like wasps to a -honey-pot, came dashing in from all directions to deliver their -assaults. They came on gallantly, some singly, others in pairs or fours -at a time; and though, naturally enough, the battleships claimed to -have sunk every mother's son of them long before they had had a chance -of getting home with their torpedoes, the destroyers themselves thought -otherwise. -</p> - -<p> -The attacks were over by two <span class="smc">A.M.</span>, and at this time the -weary men at the guns and searchlights were free to go to their -hammocks, the scattered destroyers were collected by their senior -officer, and attackers and attacked, with navigation lights burning, -turned their bows homeward. -</p> - -<p> -By eight o'clock the battleships had moored in Portland Harbour, and -the destroyers, in a long single line, headed by their light cruiser, -came silently in through the northern entrance on their way to the -pens. Their funnels were caked white with dried salt, but they steamed -past jauntily, showing few traces of their buffeting. -</p> - -<p> -Martin watched them with a new interest, for to him it seemed nothing -short of miraculous how such slender-looking vessels could stand the -weather he had seen them in a few hours before. -</p> - -<p> -'Wot yer lookin' at, Pincher?' asked Billings, stopping on his way to -his mess for breakfast. -</p> - -<p> -'Them,' said Martin, jerking his head in the direction of the -destroyers. -</p> - -<p> -'Them!' said Joshua, rather surprised. 'Wot's up wi' 'em?' -</p> - -<p> -'I wus thinkin' it must be a dawg's life to be aboard one o' 'em. They -looked somethink horful larst night.' -</p> - -<p> -Billings, who had served in a destroyer himself in his young and palmy -days, grinned broadly. 'They ain't so bad,' he murmured. 'You gits a -tanner a day,<a href="#note8" name="noteref8"> -<span class="fn">[8]</span></a> 'ard lyers in 'em, an' that's a hextry three an' a -tanner a week. It's werry welcome in these 'ere 'ard times.' The old -reprobate smacked his lips longingly, for three-and-six a week meant -many pints of beer. -</p> - -<p> -'I reckons they deserves it,' Martin remarked. -</p> - -<p> -'I reckons all matloes deserves double wot they gits,' laughed his -companion. 'But larst night weren't nothin'. You wait till yer sees 'em -in a gale o' wind; then they carries on somethin' horful. Larst night -it weren't blowin' nothin' to speak o'. They 'ad a bit o' a dustin' -p'r'aps, an' got their shirts wet, but that ain't nothin'!' -</p> - -<p> -Martin gasped. He had seen the destroyers plunging about like maddened -racehorses, with water breaking over their decks; but yet Billings -referred to it casually as a 'bit o' a dustin'.' If their behaviour of -last night was nothing out of the ordinary, he prayed his gods he might -never serve in one of them. 'A bit o' a dustin',' indeed! What must -they be like in a gale of wind? It nearly made him seasick to think of -it. -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -As a start to his seagoing training, Martin found himself put in the -gunnery-training class with eleven other youngsters like himself; and -here, under the expert guidance of Petty Officer Samuel Breech, he was -soon being initiated into the mysteries of squad drill, the rifle and -field exercise, the various parts of a rifle and their uses, gun drill, -the anatomy and interior economy of lighter weapons and machine-guns, -and their ammunition. Much of it he had already learnt before, during -his period of preliminary training at the barracks, and the -instruction, essentially practical, did not overtax his intelligence. -</p> - -<p> -Petty Officer Breech, a fully qualified gunner's mate, was a strict -disciplinarian and something of a martinet. He was a short, burly -little man, with a bull-neck and a rasping voice; and the former, -combined with a closely clipped red beard and a pair of piercing gray -eyes, gave him an air of ferocity which he really did not possess. He -was naturally kind-hearted, and the buxom Mrs Breech could twiddle him -round her little finger. But on board ship he upheld his dignity with -firmness. After long experience with ordinary seamen and their ways, he -had come to the conclusion that the only way of getting them thoroughly -in hand was to frighten them at the start, and to keep them frightened; -so he invariably commenced operations by giving each new class a short -lecture. -</p> - -<p> -'You 'ave joined the navy,' he used to say, glaring fiercely, 'to learn -discipline, an' you've come to me to learn somethin' about gunnery, or -as much of it as I can drive into your thick 'eads. The sooner we -understand each other the better; an' before we start work I warns you -that I'll stand no sauce from the likes o' you, so just bear it in -mind. W'en I gives you an order I expects it to be obeyed at once, an' -at the rush. I don't want no shufflin' about in the ranks, nor -skylarkin' neither,' he added, gazing ferociously at Martin, who was -endeavouring to remove a spot of moisture from the end of his nose -without using a handkerchief. -</p> - -<p> -'I wants to blow me nose,' murmured the culprit, reddening. -</p> - -<p> -'An' I wants no back answers unless I asks you a question,' Breech went -on, wagging an admonitory finger. 'Wen you're standin' at attention you -must keep still, no matter whether a moskeeter's bitin' you 'longside -the ear'ole, or a wild monkey's chewin' your stummick. I wants you to -look like a squad o' Henglish sailors, not a party o' mourners at a -Hirishman's funeral, nor yet a gals' school out for a airin.' It's no -laughin' matter, neither,' he continued, eyeing one of his pupils who -had a suspicion of a smile hovering round the corners of his mouth. -'Wen I makes a joke you can laugh—bu'st if you like; but if I sees you -laughin' w'en I'm not, that's hinsolence, an' you knows wot to expect.' -</p> - -<p> -The smile vanished. -</p> - -<p> -'I'm 'ere to enforce discipline,' the petty officer resumed, 'an' -discipline I'll 'ave. I wants you to be smart, an' if I sees you're -tryin' to learn I'll do my best for you. If I sees any one skylarkin' -or talkin' in the ranks I runs 'im in at once, so don't forget it. To -start with, I'm goin' to teach you the parts o' the rifle; an' w'en you -knows that, we passes on to squad drill with an' without arms. -Squad!—stand easy! This 'ere,' he explained, balancing a Lee-Enfield -in his hand, 'is a magazine rifle, Lee-Enfield, Mark 1 star. Its weight -is a trifle over nine pounds, as you'll find w'en you 'ave to carry it; -an' its length, without the bay'nit, is four foot one an' a narf -inches. This 'ere's the bay'nit, with a blade 'xactly twelve inches -long, an' 'e fixes on to the muzzle o' the rifle, so. The bay'nit is -only sharpened on the outbreak o' 'ostilities, an' is provided for -stickin' your enemy; not, as most sailors thinks it's for, for openin' -corned-beef tins, an' such like. 'Owever, we'll 'ave plenty o' bay'nit -exercise later on.' -</p> - -<p> -It took them a full day and a half to learn the ins and outs of the -rifle; and, having mastered it thoroughly, the class passed on to squad -drill and the rifle and field exercise. The greater number of them -already had some smattering of these, but that fact did not prevent -Petty Officer Breech marching and counter-marching them up and down the -deck as if their very lives depended upon it. He kept up a running -commentary the whole time. -</p> - -<p> -'Squad!—'shun! Stand at—ease! A little more life in it; an' keep -still w'en you're standin' at attention, can't you? Knees straight, -'ead an' body erect, eyes straight to the front.—'Awkins, you're -waggin' your 'ead.—Flannagan, keep your knees straight, an' stand -up.—Now then, try again. Squad!—'shun! Ah, that's more like it now. -Number! Form fours! As you were! A little life in it, please! Form -fours! Right turn! Quick march! Come along, come along, step out -smartly with the left foot, an' take a full pace. -Left—left—left—right—left! Mark time! Pick your feet up! Pick 'em -up! Bend the knees! That's more like it! Forward! About turn! Not a bit -like it. Squad!—halt! Left turn! Stand easy! Look 'ere, now. Wen I -says, "About turn!" I don't want you to shuffle round any'ow. I gives -the order "turn" as the left foot comes to the ground, an' each man -turns on 'is own ground in three paces. At the fourth pace step off -with the left foot in this manner.' He marked time himself, and -proceeded to demonstrate how easy it really was. -</p> - -<p> -For a whole week they were hard at it, learning to march, side step, -change step, double, form fours, turn, and change direction. Sometimes, -when one or other of the pupils was called out to drill the class, they -got tied up into inextricable knots, with the rear rank facing the -front, and the men in their wrong places; but after seven hard days -even Breech admitted that he was fairly satisfied with their progress. -</p> - -<p> -Then they spent hours fixing and unfixing bayonets, ordering, -shouldering, sloping, trailing, changing, grounding, and securing arms, -until they were sick of the very sight of a rifle. It was dreary -work—very dreary; and if they showed the least signs of slackness or -inattention they were doubled round the deck until they were ready to -drop from sheer fatigue, or did 'muscle drill' until their biceps -ached. -</p> - -<p> -They saluted mythical officers, varying in rank from the sovereign -himself to second lieutenants and midshipmen, and attended imaginary -funerals as the escort or firing-party. On these occasions Breech -walked solemnly up and down to represent the officer or party to be -saluted, or, in the case of the funerals, the corpse on its -gun-carriage. 'The next time I passes I represents 'is Majesty the King -inspectin' a guard o' honour, mounted at Bucking'am Palace,' or 'Now -I'm a Field-Marshal,' and 'Now I'm a lootenant in the navy,' he would -say, approaching with what he considered the slow and stately gait -befitting his exalted rank. 'Now I represents a regiment o' soldiers -with their colours flyin'.' 'Now I'm the corpse comin' out o' the -mortu-ary.' -</p> - -<p> -The first time he made this last remark it caused the second man from -the left in the rear rank to burst out into a raucous chuckle of -amusement, and in another instant the whole class was tittering. -</p> - -<p> -Breech fixed the culprit with a horny eye. 'There's not nothin' to -laugh at, 'Awkins,' he observed without the ghost of a smile. 'This is -a very sad occasion. You'll be the corpse yourself one day.' -</p> - -<p> -They made pretty good progress on the whole—all except Peter -Flannagan, that is. He was by way of being a 'bird'—a man who is -constantly in trouble—and had already been through the -gunnery-training class once, but had failed in the examination at the -end of it. As a result he had been put back for a further period. He -was naturally as obstinate as a mule, and unusually thick-headed; but, -instead of doing his best with what wits he possessed, he endeavoured -to show his superiority by taking as little trouble as he dared. He was -Breech's <i>bête noire</i>; and, if ever anybody was wrong, it was -pretty certain to be Flannagan. But he deserved everything he got, and -was very unpopular with the others. -</p> - -<p> -On one never-to-be-forgotten occasion the petty officer cautioned him -for talking and joking in the ranks whilst at drill. The Irishman, in -some fit of devilment, promptly repeated the offence, and, not content -with that, put out his tongue to show his contempt. -</p> - -<p> -Breech saw it. 'Flannagan,' he thundered in a voice of iron, 'come out -to the front!' -</p> - -<p> -The Irishman came out and stood before him with a sullen scowl. -</p> - -<p> -'You disobeys my order wilfully, an' puts out your tongue,' the petty -officer said. 'Disobedience an' hinsolence. 'Ave you anythin' to say?' -</p> - -<p> -'Nothin', except that I'm fair fed up wi' bein' chased about this 'ere -deck like a dawg.' -</p> - -<p> -'Fed up, are you?' Breech answered, keeping his temper, but with a -dangerous ring in his voice. 'You 'ave the himpertinence to spin me a -yarn like that! If I chooses to take you on the quarterdeck, you gets a -couple o' months in the detention quarters for hinsolence. But you're -long past the stage where punishment'll do you any good. No; I shall -'ave to deal wi' you another way, my lad. I'll see that you're taken -out o' the trainin' class, to start with, an' you comes an' reports -yourself to me at five o'clock this evenin'. Now you takes off your -accoutrements, returns your rifle, an' reports yourself to the capt'n -o' your top. Perhaps 'e'll find some use for you; you're no good to -me.' -</p> - -<p> -Flannagan, rather ashamed of himself, slouched off. -</p> - -<p> -What happened at five o'clock that afternoon the class never -discovered; but the fact remains that Mr Peter Flannagan trod rather -delicately, and had some slight difficulty in sitting down for the next -ten days or so. Rumour had it that Breech, who was a powerful little -man, had armed himself with a singlestick, and had taken the law into -his own hands. Very reprehensible conduct on his part, no doubt, for it -was strictly against the regulations, and might have got him into -trouble if the Irishman had lodged an official complaint. But Breech -knew his victim to a nicety, and was perfectly well aware that he -lacked the necessary courage to make the matter public. He knew, -moreover, that to a man of Flannagan's type a little concentrated -physical pain was far and away a better deterrent than any other form -of punishment. Whatever his method was, it had the desired effect, for -thereafter Ordinary Seaman Peter Flannagan treated Petty Officer Samuel -Breech with a respect which almost amounted to reverence. A strong arm -and a thick stick do sometimes achieve wonders. -</p> - -<p> -Martin and the remainder of the class waxed hilarious over Peter's -downfall. He was not popular. He was a K.H.B.,<a href="#note9" name="noteref9"> -<span class="fn">[9]</span></a> and they were not -sorry to be rid of his presence. -</p> - - -<h3> -III. -</h3> - -<p> -The life, however, was not all work, and Martin found he had a certain -amount of leisure for amusement. He was allowed ashore every alternate -day from four o'clock in the afternoon till ten o'clock at night, and -on Saturdays and Sundays from one-thirty. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Belligerent</i> ran her own football team—she ran everything, -from a concert-party, a pipe-band, and a tame pig, to a monthly -magazine (written, edited, and produced on board); and Pincher, who had -been rather a shining light as a wing forward in his village team at -home, invariably went ashore to watch the matches. -</p> - -<p> -The squadron always played a football league competition during the -winter, each ship playing every other vessel in turn, and the winner of -the most points at the end of the season holding a challenge -cup—presented by the flag officers and captains—for the ensuing year. -In addition to this, the members of the winning team received personal -prizes in the shape of inscribed silver medallions. The -<i>Belligerent</i> had come out top in the league the year before, and -the victorious team had promptly had their photographs taken, with, of -course, the medallions and the cup; and the latter, enshrined in its -glass case, now lived on the fore mess-deck as a tribute to their -prowess. They were very proud of it. They were keen to win again, but -rumour had it that the <i>Tremendous</i>, which had been newly -commissioned, had a remarkably good team. Two of them were reported to -be county players, so the 'Belligerents' were rather fearful of their -laurels. -</p> - -<p> -Now Martin, small and puny though he was, was fleet of foot and very -tricky with his feet, but he was far too modest to let anybody know it. -He always watched the matches, however, and took an intelligent -interest in the games, and eventually, by dint of being present on many -occasions, found himself installed as a sort of honorary member of the -team in the shape of their recognised touch-judge. He was even -permitted to appear in the photograph which was taken soon after the -ship arrived at Portland. He was in the back row, it is true, and wore -his seaman's clothes instead of a highly coloured shirt, blue shorts, -stockings, and football boots. But he carried a small hand-flag as his -insignia of office, and considered himself no small beer in -consequence. It was an honour to be associated with the team in any -way; and as most of the officers, and practically the whole of the -ship's company who happened to be ashore, made a point of attending the -matches, Martin, running about with his flag, felt he was a—if not -the—centre of attraction. At any rate, he was quite a personage, and -talked about the game to the other ordinary seamen and boys with an air -of great authority. -</p> - -<p> -The scenes of excitement during some of the matches baffled -description. 'Play up, Yaller-bellies!' two hundred of the -<i>Belligerent's</i> men would shout in unison. The yellow referred to -the canary-coloured shirts worn by their team, while the other rather -inelegant word was the abbreviated name of the ship. -</p> - -<p> -'Come on, the Cockneys!' or 'the Duffos!' would come the answering roar -from the partisans of the other team, according to whether their ship -hailed from Chatham or Devonport. 'Down wi' the Pompeyites!' -</p> - -<p> -For minutes at a time the repartee bandied to and fro was so vociferous -that the whistle was well-nigh inaudible; but the referee was used to -it. He had an unenviable time in other ways, poor man! for whatever -decision he gave was quite certain to be wrong from the point of view -of fully half the spectators, in spite of the fact that he was a -strictly neutral man from some other ship. 'Foul!' somebody would -bellow, as the whistle blew for a free kick. 'Garn! That ain't no -foul!' was hurled back from the men of the ship against which the -penalty had been given. 'Play the game! Play the game, carn't you?' -'Goal! Well shot! Good old Yaller-bellies!' would come a roar, -accompanied by a shower of caps in the air, as the ball flew past the -white posts into the net. 'That's the style! Knock 'em end-ways!' -'Offside! Offside!' came louder yells from the other side. 'Where's the -referee? What's 'e thinkin' of?' And so it went on. -</p> - -<p> -But the referee, used to the ways of seamen, merely smiled, and paid no -attention whatever to the ribald remarks hurled at his head, personal -as some of them were. He was proof against such attacks, and his -decisions were always fair. -</p> - -<p> -Occasionally there were stormy scenes at the end of the matches; for -when a favourite team had lost, their adherents were sometimes anxious -to take on the partisans of the other side with their fists to discover -which really was the better ship. More than once men returned on board -with black eyes and swollen noses; but actual bloodshed was rare, -though feeling always ran high. More often than not, victors and -vanquished alike repaired to the canteen, and absorbed malt liquor at -each other's expense, the former to celebrate the victory and the -latter to drown their sorrow. They were very keen on the result of the -league matches. The canteen did a roaring trade. -</p> - -<p> -At one of the most important matches a member of the -<i>Belligerent's</i> eleven happened to be absent at the time the game -was due to start, and Lieutenant Boyle, who captained the team, was at -his wits' end to find a suitable substitute. 'Have any of you men -played this game?' he asked, going up to a group of seamen belonging to -the <i>Belligerent</i> who had come to watch. 'Parkins hasn't turned -up. We want a forward badly.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher, seizing the opportunity, stepped forward before any one else -had a chance of answering. 'I've played at 'ome, sir,' he said, -reddening at his own temerity. 'I used to be on the right wing.' -</p> - -<p> -Boyle seemed rather surprised. 'You!' he said. 'Can you run? D' you -know how to dribble and shoot?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir.' -</p> - -<p> -The officer looked at him for a moment without replying. He seemed -rather doubtful. -</p> - -<p> -''E's orl right, sir,' chipped in Billings, who happened to be present. -''E's pretty nippy on 'is feet. I've seen 'im kickin' the ball abart.' -</p> - -<p> -The lieutenant looked up with a laugh. 'All right, Billings; we'll take -him on your recommendation.—Martin, rush across to the pavilion and -borrow some gear. Hurry up about it; we're late already.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher, overjoyed and very proud of himself, flew off like the wind, -and presently reappeared clad in full regalia, yellow shirt and all. It -was his first really important match; but he felt he was on his mettle, -and played well, almost brilliantly. At any rate, he shot two goals; -whereat the 'Belligerents' howled themselves hoarse, raised cheers for -'young Pincher,' and wished to treat him with much beer at the end of -the game. It was the first time in his life he had ever received -adulation, and he was a proud man. His play had undoubtedly helped to -win the match. -</p> - -<p> -He was prouder still when Boyle sought him out afterwards. 'You played -excellently, Martin,' he said. 'Why on earth didn't you let us know you -played?' -</p> - -<p> -'Didn't like to, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -The officer laughed. 'I wish you men wouldn't be quite so modest,' he -remarked. 'How d' you expect us to raise a decent team if you all hide -your lights under bushels? You're the very man we've been looking for.' -</p> - -<p> -'I'm sorry, sir,' said Martin sheepishly. 'I didn't know as 'ow I wus -wanted.' -</p> - -<p> -'We didn't know you were a player. However, now we've got you, you will -remain in the team; so look out you keep yourself in decent training. A -pint of beer after each game, and no more, mind. If you come to my -cabin this evening I'll give you your jersey and other gear.' The -lieutenant strolled off to change. -</p> - -<p> -Martin could have jumped for joy. He was a full-fledged 'Yellow-belly' -at last, and would appear before the whole ship's company in all the -glory of a canary-yellow shirt with a large blue 'B' on the left -breast. It was one of the things in this world he had been longing for. -He was no longer a mere excrescence on the face of the earth—a poor, -puny Pincher who was everybody's whipping-boy. On the contrary, he was -a very proud Pincher, for at last he had come into his own. The -<i>Belligerent</i> had some use for him, after all. -</p> - - - - -<a name="V"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER V. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -THE OFFICERS.</span> -</h2> - - -<p> -The <i>Belligerent's</i> captain, John Horatio Spencer, D.S.O., was a -fine type of the modern British naval officer, and a thorough seaman, -who had risen in his profession through sheer merit and force of -character. He had been lucky, it is true, for as a young lieutenant he -had seen much active service in West Africa, had been severely wounded, -was mentioned in despatches for 'great gallantry and resource,' and had -received the Distinguished Service Order. In 1900, again, as the senior -lieutenant of a second-class cruiser on the Cape of Good Hope station, -he was landed with the naval guns for the relief of Ladysmith. He again -did excellent service, was promoted to commander in 1901, to captain -seven years later, and 1914 found him commanding a first-class -battleship at the comparatively early age of forty-three. -</p> - -<p> -In appearance he was a big, thick-set man, nearly six feet tall, and -broad in proportion. He had a red, clean-shaven face, a pair of -penetrating blue eyes which seemed to read one's innermost thoughts, -and dark hair slightly shot with gray over the temples. -</p> - -<p> -Every ship he had ever commanded, from a destroyer upwards, had been a -happy one. His officers loved him as a friend and admired him as a -superior, and 'Our John,' as they affectionately called him, spent far -more time in their company than he did in the fastnesses of his own -cabin. He hated the solitude of life in his own apartments in the -after-end of the ship, and, when he had no guests of his own, -frequently had meals in the wardroom as an honorary member, and played -bridge and spun yarns in the smoking-room. He had the happy knack of -being friendly with every one with whom he came in contact, and -invariably treated his officers as equals when he was off duty. -</p> - -<p> -On deck, of course, it was a different matter, for there he was very -much their commanding officer, and they his subordinates; and, as -Tickle, the junior watch-keeper, once put it, 'the owner<a href="#note10" name="noteref10"> -<span class="fn">[10]</span></a> was the -whitest and the straightest man on God's earth; but Heaven help you if -you make a fool of yourself on deck!' -</p> - -<p> -Captain Spencer did bite sometimes, and bite hard; but the culprit -generally deserved all he got, and bore no grudge whatsoever. More -often than not he would be discovered the same evening in the -smoking-room having a sherry-and-bitters with 'the old man,' just to -show there was no ill-feeling on either side. -</p> - -<p> -On the mess-deck the captain was revered in rather a different way, for -the men, while admiring him, regarded him with a certain amount of awe. -Some of the younger and more timid ordinary seamen and boys, indeed, -looked upon him as a sort of awful deity, an ogre almost, who sat in -his cabin all day long inventing new schemes for their eternal -damnation. They were frightened of him, and, on the rare occasions when -they did catch sight of his four gold stripes on deck, felt rather -inclined to run away and hide their faces. It was foolish of them, for -a kinder-hearted man than the skipper it would be impossible to -imagine. -</p> - -<p> -But the men saw comparatively little of him, and had few opportunities -of discovering his true character. He appeared on deck for 'divisions' -every morning; walked round on Sundays criticising their clothes, the -length of their hair, and the cleanliness of the ship; was always on -the bridge at sea; and punished them when they misbehaved themselves. -They realised he was just, and justice is what the bluejacket most -admires; but they were not aware that he took a deep interest in them -and their affairs, and that he knew everything that went on on board. -Neither did they perceive that he frequently went to a great deal of -trouble to stretch points in their favour in the way of leave and other -privileges. -</p> - -<p> -'Our John' hated advertisement in any form; and this, perhaps, was why -the men never really understood his true kindliness of heart. For -instance, when he subscribed five pounds towards a fund for the benefit -of the widow of one of his men who had died, or two pounds towards the -ship's concert party, he gave the money anonymously. When he granted -the men an extra forty-eight hours' leave on his own responsibility, -and because he considered they had earned it by their good behaviour, -he never told them so. -</p> - -<p> -So, from the lower-deck point of view, Captain Spencer was justly -admired and greatly feared; but there was not a man on board who had -not the fullest confidence in him and his judgment, or who would not -cheerfully have followed him to the very gates of hell if he had asked -them. Neither was there a more efficient or a happier ship than the -<i>Belligerent</i>. Her officers and men knew it, and gloried in the -fact. -</p> - -<p> -But no small credit for this excellent state of affairs was due to the -commander and other officers. The former, the Honourable Algernon -D'Arcy Travers, was the direct antithesis of the captain in appearance. -He was tall and very thin, but was a pleasant messmate with a very -pronounced sense of humour, and on occasions behaved with all the -boisterous bonhomie of a junior sub-lieutenant. His excessive leanness -did not worry him in the least, though he did once say that he wished -his 'hinge' were a little better padded and the wardroom chairs rather -softer. It was a matter of some import to his wife, though, for that -lady sent him bottles of malt extract to thicken the flesh on his -bones. This nutritive compound, however, was generally handed over to -his bluejacket messenger, who liked the sweet taste of it; and that -youth, already chubby and well-favoured, was gradually assuming the -proportions of a young elephant. The commander found that being thin -was an advantage in some ways; and on riotous guest nights, when he -made as much noise as anybody present, it certainly permitted him to -scramble through the square opening in the back of one of the wardroom -chairs without much difficulty. -</p> - -<p> -It was a feat few of his messmates could perform. The -engineer-commander, George Piston, a well-covered officer, had tried it -on one occasion, and had stuck half-way through. His messmates, headed -by the commander himself, cheered him on with howls of merriment; but -the victim was laughing so much that he seemed to have swelled. He -could not budge one way or the other, and there was every prospect of -his having to go through life with a chair securely fastened round his -portly middle. They took off his garments one by one; but it was no -use. They used vaseline and oil as lubricants, and endeavoured to tuck -the folds of flesh through the narrow opening, but without avail. -</p> - -<p> -'For heaven's sake send for a saw!' spluttered the gasping officer, -relapsing uncomfortably on the sofa and beginning to feel rather -alarmed. 'I can hardly breathe. Give me a whisky-and-soda, some one, or -I shall burst!' -</p> - -<p> -The saw arrived in due course, and the chair was removed with some -damage to itself. The gallant officer never attempted the feat again. -</p> - -<p> -The commander, an ex-torpedo specialist, was a good officer at his -work, and the <i>Belligerent</i> always looked as clean and as smart as -a new pin. Her organisation, too, was as perfect as it could be. The -ship's company were very fond of 'the Bloke,' as they called him; and -when men did misbehave themselves he generally made the punishment fit -the crime. When two ordinary seamen, Barter and Hitchcock, began to -give trouble, for instance, he hit upon rather an original method of -dealing with them. He provided both of them with an ordinary -singlestick and a face-mask, but no body-pads, and then promised them -one penny each for every visible wale inflicted on the anatomy of the -other. The instigator imagined that he would have to shell out a -shilling at the most; but after a bout lasting for a fierce fifteen -minutes, examination in the bathroom at the hands of a ship's corporal -showed that Barter had earned one shilling and eightpence, and -Hitchcock two and a penny. They were never obstreperous again, and the -ship's company, instead of offering them sympathy, laughed -immoderately. -</p> - -<p> -The commander, like other naval officers, had his bad moments, and -sometimes the watch-keepers found it advisable to steer clear of him -before breakfast. But even if an explosion did occur no bones were ever -broken, for they all knew he said a great deal more than he meant. -After breakfast and a pipe he was amiability itself, provided nothing -went wrong. -</p> - -<p> -Chase, the senior lieutenant-commander and gunnery officer, has already -been described; and the next in seniority was Vernon Hatherley, the -lieutenant-commander (T.). He was something of an exquisite. He took a -great pride in his personal appearance, was reported to wear silk -slumber-wear, and kept a store of cosmetics and unguents in his cabin -for the anointing of his face and hair. His messmates knew this, and, -headed by No. 1, sometimes shampooed him with whisky-and-soda after -dinner. But Torps, as they called him, was an excellent fellow, and -took the ragging all in good part. Moreover, he generally succeeded in -getting his own back by discovering something wrong with the electric -lights in his tormentors' cabins at times when they most wanted to use -them. He was an x-chaser, in that he had done remarkably well in all -his different examinations; but besides being an expert theorist, he -was an officer who knew the practical side of his business from A to Z. -</p> - -<p> -The navigator, Christopher Colomb, had just married a young and pretty -wife, and did not spend more time on board than he could possibly help. -As a consequence, his messmates saw comparatively little of him, unless -the <i>Belligerent</i> was cruising, and Mrs Colomb could not follow -her husband. The captain occasionally succeeded in getting him to play -golf in the afternoons; but Colomb preferred his wife's society to that -of any one else. When he was on board in the evenings he shut himself -in his cabin, and spent the time writing a learned treatise on -<i>Magnetic Influences at Sea</i>. The book is still being written. -</p> - -<p> -Peter Wooten, the next senior non-specialist officer of the military -branch, was doing a two-year spell in a battleship, after having been -in command of destroyers and gunboats for the past six years. He hated -the drudgery of big-ship life, where he acted as the commander's -understudy on the upper deck, had charge of the midshipmen and their -instruction, arranged the ordinary seamen's training classes, worked -the derrick for hoisting in and out boats, and generally acted as a -sort of 'odd job' man. The life was fairly comfortable, it is true; but -he much preferred the joys of commanding his own small ship to being a -comparative nobody in a vessel the size of the <i>Belligerent</i>. He -was a burly, deep-chested man, with fair, curly hair, tanned face, and -a pair of clear, humorous blue eyes. He was fresh from China, where he -had commanded a tiny river gunboat up the Yang-tse-kiang; and there, -miles up the great river, far away from any admiral, and completely 'on -his own,' he had made history in a small way. He was a great character, -and his stories of the Chinese revolution, when he could be induced to -tell them, were sometimes amusing and always interesting. (He was the -commanding officer of Martin's destroyer when that ordinary seaman -joined the 'black navy' soon after the outbreak of the present war, so -perhaps we may be pardoned for allowing him to spin one of his yarns. -It has the advantage of being true.) -</p> - -<p> -'It was quite a pretty little show,' he said one evening in the -smoking-room after dinner, when somebody had egged him on to talk after -a second glass of port. 'Have any of you fellows ever heard of a place -called Kiang-fu, up the Yang-tse? You might know it, No. 1; you're an -old China bird.' -</p> - -<p> -Chase shook his head. 'Sorry I don't, Peter. But let's have the yarn, -all the same.' -</p> - -<p> -Wooten lit his pipe. 'Kiang-fu,' he started, 'is one of their walled -towns on the banks of the river. It's a beastly place, full of stinks -and bugs and abominations generally; and the only white people there -are the consul and his wife, a couple of missionaries, and two -merchants. Well, one morning my old <i>Kingfisher</i> was lying about -twenty miles downstream, and a Chinaman from the consulate at Kiang-fu -arrived in a sampan with a note from the consul to say that five -thousand rebels had arrived before the place, and that there was going -to be some scrapping. There were about a thousand Imperial troops -inside the town, Johnson the consul said, and he was in a bit of a funk -as to what would happen when the rebels took the place. They'd have -butchered every one, of course, Europeans included. My orders were to -protect British interests, but not to fight, so I upped killick<a href="#note11" name="noteref11"><span class="fn">[11]</span></a> - and -steamed for Kiang-fu for all I was worth. We got about six and an -onion<a href="#note12" name="noteref12"><span class="fn">[12]</span></a> - out of the old bus, I remember, and reached there about noon.' -He paused and sucked thoughtfully at his pipe. -</p> - -<p> -'And what happened then?' queried some one. -</p> - -<p> -'I found the bally battle in full swing,' Wooten went on. 'Guy Fawkes -Day wasn't in it, and both sides were blazing away for all they were -worth, and making a hell of a row. However, they weren't doing much -damage to each other. I anchored my hooker about a couple of hundred -yards from the shore, where we could get a decent view of what went on, -manned my two six-pounders and the Maxim, and hoisted an ensign and a -large white flag—wardroom tablecloth it was—in a boat, and then went -ashore to see Johnson. Things were pretty lively, and shells were -bursting and bullets were whistling all over the place. The rebel -attack was to come off that night, and as there could be only one end -to it, I took Johnson and his missus, the two missionaries, the two -shopkeepers, and Heaven alone knows how many Christian Chinese off to -my ship. The upper deck was fairly packed with 'em. Then we sat down to -watch the sport. One of the shopkeepers, I may say, was a Scotsman, and -the other a Yank, and they wanted me to order the rebs. to shove off -out of it and leave Kiang-fu alone. They had a lot of valuable stuff in -their godowns<a href="#note13" name="noteref13"><span class="fn">[13]</span></a> - waiting to be shipped down the river, and said the -whole lot of it 'u'd be looted if the city fell. -</p> - -<p> -'I cursed them for a couple of tizzy-snatchers,' he resumed, grinning -at the recollection; 'I told 'em they ought to be jolly thankful to -have got off with their lives; and asked 'em how the dooce I could -dictate to five thousand ruddy cut-throats with Mauser rifles and Lord -knows how many field guns—decent guns, too; none of your clap-trap -rubbish. I had exactly thirty men all told, a broken-winded eighty-ton -gun-boat, two six-pounders, and one Maxim. Pretty tall order, wasn't -it? However, I was still yapping to 'em on deck when I heard a sort of -<i>phut</i>, and a bally bullet buried itself in the deck about a foot -off my leg. It came from the direction of the rebel trenches, about -five hundred yards off, and some silly blighter had evidently eased off -a rifle at us for the fun of the thing. I heard one or two more bullets -come whistling overhead—damned bad shooting they made—so sent all the -refugees over to the lee side of the deck out of harm's way. Then I -trained my guns on the rebs., and hoisted all the ensigns I had. They -knocked off firing then, so I got into the boat with the consul, the -wardroom tablecloth, and the largest ensign I could find, and pulled -ashore.' He paused. -</p> - -<p> -'Had you any weapons with you?' somebody asked. -</p> - -<p> -'Lord, no!' said Wooten. 'Doesn't do to let a Chinaman see you're -frightened of him. I took a walking-stick, and Johnson had a white -umbrella. I was in a dooce of a funk, though, and when we landed we -found a whole bally company of soldiers waiting to receive us.' -</p> - -<p> -'What! a guard of honour?' asked Chase. -</p> - -<p> -'Don't you believe it. They had fixed bayonets and loaded rifles, and I -felt rather nervous as to what was going to happen. You see, there -wasn't another British ship within a hundred miles of us. However, I -landed with the consul, and a Chinese officer with a drawn sword came -forward to receive us. He wasn't a bad fellow, and talked quite decent -English, with an American accent. I asked him what the dooce they meant -by having the troops there as if they wanted to scupper us, and told -him who the consul was, and that I was the C.O. of the man-of-war, and -that, on behalf of his Britannic Majesty, we wished to see his General. -He said the old bloke was having his afternoon caulk, and that they -daren't wake him. I said he'd better roust the old josser out, and be -damned smart about it. He hummed and hawed a bit over that, and then -said that if we'd come along with him he'd take us to the headquarters, -and see if we could have an interview. I wasn't going to kow-tow to any -bally Chinaman, though, so I told him that if he didn't take steps to -have the General brought to us in less than half-an-hour I'd raise -hell's delight. It's no use being anything but dictatorial with -Chinamen,' he went on to explain; 'and if you can bluff 'em into -believing that you've got the whip-hand they generally knuckle under. -We had some more talkee-talkee, and then he did go off with his men, -and jolly glad I was to see the last of 'em. Twenty minutes later the -General arrived. He was rather a fine-looking old boy, with no pigtail, -and was dressed up in khaki and a sword. He had a couple of A.D.C.'s -with him. He couldn't talk English, so I asked him through the consul -what he meant by allowing his troops to fire on my ship, and said that -I should have to report it, and so on. He said they hadn't done it. I -said they had, and that if he came on board I'd jolly soon prove it. -Well, after a lot of jawbation we got him into the boat, with the -A.D.C.'s, took him off to the ship, and showed him the bullet-mark in -the deck. He got in a bit of a funk then, so Johnson and I drew up a -document in Chinese and English, in which he said he was sorry for what -had occurred, and so on. It went on to say that he agreed to abandon -the siege of Kiang-fu, as British interests were at stake, so we'd more -or less cornered him. He signed like a lamb, wily old devil; but then -we remembered that no document is valid in China unless it's stamped -with the official seal of the man who signed it. We asked him where the -seal was, but he hadn't got it on him. Johnson asked him where it was, -and he said he'd got it in his old headquarters, about ten miles -downstream. He volunteered to go and fetch it, but we weren't having -any. The upshot of the whole affair was that we sent one of the -A.D.C.'s ashore to order the siege to be stopped, and the rebels to -retire, and took the General and the other A.D.C. down the river. Then -we sent the A.D.C. ashore to get the seal, and had the document -properly stamped. That's all, I think.' -</p> - -<p> -'But did the rebels retire?' asked the commander. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten nodded. 'Yes,' he said. 'They left the place like lambs, and the -Imperialist colonel inside nearly fell on my neck and wept. The two -shopkeepers gave me a box of a hundred cigars between them! Damned -nasty cigars, too!' -</p> - -<p> -His listeners laughed. -</p> - -<p> -'And what happened to you?' asked Chase. -</p> - -<p> -'Oh,' smiled Wooten, 'I sent the document to the admiral, with a -covering letter, and jolly nearly got badly scrubbed for exceeding my -duty and abducting the General. However, it was all right in the end, -and I believe the old man was secretly rather pleased with what I'd -done.' -</p> - -<p> -'So he jolly well ought to have been,' remarked one of the -watch-keepers. -</p> - -<p> -'M'yes, but he was a man who didn't say much. However, a month later a -British colonel and a couple of other officers came down from Pekin to -confer with me about putting Kiang-fu in a state of defence in case the -rebels came again, for by that time the powers that be had come to the -conclusion that if they did capture it, it wouldn't do us any good. The -colonel and I went ashore together, he with his two officers, and I -with a sheet of paper and a pencil. -</p> - -<p> -'"You'd better loophole that wall," he started off, pointing at a solid -stone affair about three feet thick. "This house had better be -demolished, and you'll have to dig a trench along here, with decent -sand-bag head-cover. I should think a hundred and fifty rifles will be -enough to man it, provided you have a couple of Maxims at each corner. -Over there we'll have an emplacement for a field-gun, and there another -trench." -</p> - -<p> -'He went on like that the whole of one grilling forenoon, and by the -time he'd finished I'd totted up my figures, and found he'd used the -best part of a thousand men. -</p> - -<p> -'"That's all right, sir," said I; "and when may I expect the regiment?" -</p> - -<p> -'"Regiment!" he said, rather surprised. "What regiment d'you mean?" -</p> - -<p> -'"The regiment for doing all this work and garrisoning the place, sir," -said I innocently. "You've been talking about knocking down houses, -erecting barricades, and digging trenches right and left. I've only got -thirty men." -</p> - -<p> -'"The deuce you have!" he said thoughtfully. "We'd better"—— -</p> - -<p> -'"Go and have lunch, sir," I chipped in. -</p> - -<p> -'"Excellent idea," said he, mopping his face. -</p> - -<p> -'So off we went, had a top-hole <i>tiffin</i>, and that was the last we -ever heard of it. Kiang-fu never was put in a state of defence so far -as I know. However, the rebels never came there again, so every one was -quite happy. I tell you,' Wooten concluded with a grin, 'one -occasionally has some pretty rummy times up the Yang-tse.' -</p> - -<p> -One had, apparently, and Peter Wooten was an officer of great -initiative and resource, who had served his country well, and had -upheld the dignity of her flag on more than one occasion. Chinese -generals, mandarins, and other Celestial potentates were nothing to -him. He bullied or bluffed them all into doing what he wanted, and they -used to walk in terror of 'the red-faced devil with the loud voice,' as -they called him. No wonder, then, that Peter felt himself tied by the -leg in a battleship, where, to use his own expression, he was a 'mere -dog's body.' -</p> - -<p> -The watch-keeping lieutenants were George English, Aubrey Plantagenet -Fitz-Johnson (usually known in the wardroom as 'the Dook'), Henry -Archer Boyle, and Tobias Tickle. -</p> - -<p> -English was a mild, inoffensive little man, whose chief ambition in -life was to retire from the navy while he was still young, marry a -wife, live in a small whitewashed cottage miles away from any sea, rear -pigs and chickens, and collect butterflies. For all his lack of -ambition, however, he was a good and zealous officer. He never made a -bad mistake; but never, on the other hand, did anything very brilliant. -He was a conscientious plodder. -</p> - -<p> -'The Dook' was a tall, dashing, immaculate person, with sleek and shiny -hair. He had a wonderful taste in dress, and how many different suits -of plain clothes he possessed nobody but himself and his servant knew. -How much he owed his tailor and his haberdasher nobody was aware of but -those long-suffering tradesmen themselves, for Fitz-Johnson cast all -his bills into the fire immediately on their receipt. His garments were -always fashionable and well cut; his ties, collars, shirts, and socks -of the newest and most exclusive pattern. His uniform frock-coat fitted -his <i>svelte</i> figure like a glove; his trousers were always -perfectly creased; and on Sundays he always appeared at 'divisions' -with a brand-new pair of kid gloves—he never wore the same pair twice. -The men called him Algy. He looked it. He was essentially a -lady-killer. His cabin was full of autographed photographs of feminine -admirers and mementoes in the shape of faded dance-programmes and -little knots and bows of ribbon. His bedspread, a wonderful creation in -blue silk, embroidered with his crest and monogram, had been worked by -one set of fair fingers; his door and scuttle curtains, of chintz, by -some one else; and a little bag for his hairbrushes by a third lady. -When the mail arrived his letter-rack in the wardroom was crammed with -bills, and letters in feminine handwriting. He kept up a voluminous -correspondence, but was wise enough never to have more than one ardent -admirer in any one place. He was a regular 'devyl with the girls,' -there was no doubt about that; and if the ship arrived at some new -place, and the wardroom took it into its head it would like to give a -tea-fight, 'the Dook' was immediately sent ashore to prospect. How he -did it nobody quite knew; but at the end of twenty-four hours he would -be on friendly terms not only with all the young and pretty girls in -the place, but also with their mothers, aunts, and female cousins. He -was always on the verge of being engaged to be married, but never quite -pulled it off. His host of unpaid bills, and the fact that he had -little or no money besides his pay, probably frightened him. But, at -any rate, he was a valuable acquisition as a messmate, for he sang -well, and could play almost any musical instrument under the sun. -</p> - -<p> -His chief failing was that he was never less than a quarter of an hour -late for his watch. 'I'm deuced sorry, old chap,' was his usual excuse -to the officer he had to relieve. 'The fella didn't call me properly.' -</p> - -<p> -'Oh, to hell with you and your rotten excuses!' would growl the -irritated watch-keeper who had been kept up. 'You're about the frozen -limit! The corporal of the watch was hammering on your cabin door for -at least a quarter of an hour!' -</p> - -<p> -'It really wasn't my fault, though,' Fitz-Johnson would protest mildly. -'Please don't get shirty, old chap.' -</p> - -<p> -It was impossible to be really angry with him; but he continued to -relieve late until the other watch-keepers hit upon a scheme of keeping -him up for an extra half-hour at the end of his own watch. That cured -him eventually. -</p> - -<p> -Boyle, the next in seniority, was a young, enthusiastic, and very -energetic officer, who wished one day to become a gunnery officer. He -had charge of the after-turret, with its pair of twelve-inch guns, and -spent much of his time in a suit of oily overalls scrambling about in -the depths of the hydraulic machinery. He was of an inventive turn of -mind too, and even at the comparatively early age of twenty-four had -already designed a self-stabilising seaplane, a non-capsizable boat, a -patent razor-stropper, and an adjustable chair. This last, which he -used in his cabin, was really most ingenious. It had hidden springs all -over it, and you pushed a button and it did the rest. You could use it -for anything, from an operating-table to a trousers-press; and it was -often brought into the wardroom after dinner on guest-nights for its -various uses to be demonstrated. It worked beautifully, until one night -the <i>padre</i>, who was reclining gracefully at full length, pressed -the wrong button in a sudden fit of exuberance. The chair promptly -bucked like a kicking mule. The front shot up and the back fell down, -and the reverend occupant hurtled adroitly backwards straight into the -arms of an astonished marine servant with a tray full of whiskies and -sodas. He came to the ground with a crash, with the marine and the -liquid on top of him, and everybody laughed. -</p> - -<p> -The servant, drenched through, retired grumbling to change his -garments; and the Rev. Stephen Holiman scrambled to his feet, surveyed -the mess of broken glass and liquor on the deck, and then felt his -pulped collar and examined his clothes. -</p> - -<p> -'Boyle, you silly ass!' he expostulated, justifiably annoyed, and -trying to mop himself dry with a handkerchief, 'why the d-dickens -couldn't you tell me the thing was going to pitch me over backwards -like that?' -</p> - -<p> -'I'm awfully sorry, <i>padre</i>,' spluttered the inventor, weak with -laughing. 'You must have pressed the wrong button; but even then I've -never known it do that before. Perhaps it wants oiling.' -</p> - -<p> -'Take the rotten thing away and drown it!' retorted the <i>padre</i>, -as angry as he ever got. 'It oughtn't to be allowed on board. It's -ruined my clothes!' But the <i>padre</i> was a sportsman with a sense -of humour, and after a little more grumbling, during which he got no -sympathy from his messmates, cheered up and went off to change. Ever -afterwards, when the chair appeared, he endeavoured to make it play the -same trick on some unsuspecting guest. But it never would. -</p> - -<p> -Tobias Tickle, commonly known as 'Toby,' was the officer of Martin's -division, whom we have already met. He had married very young, and had -a rich and pretty wife, who was as popular as himself; but this did not -prevent Toby from being a very riotous member of society on occasions. -He was loved by his men; for, while very strict, he took a great -interest in them and their affairs. He knew the surname and Christian -name of every bluejacket in his division; knew whether they were -married, engaged to be married, courting, or single; and always gave -them good advice when they asked for it. They often did. On more than -one occasion he or his wife had helped them in other ways. -</p> - -<p> -Once, when Mrs Buttings, the wife of an able seaman, had been ailing, -and had had to undergo a rather serious operation, Mrs Toby heard of it -through her husband. She promptly visited the patient, found her living -in a miserable little dwelling in a back street in Landport, with four -children between the ages of six months and five years, and nobody to -look after her except the neighbours. This would not do for Mrs Tickle. -She promptly engaged a trained nurse, sent the children off to a -farmhouse in the country, visited the invalid daily, saw that she had a -proper diet, and provided her with many sovereigns' worth of coal and -luxuries. -</p> - -<p> -Buttings himself, when he went ashore and saw the transformation in his -usually rather slovenly home, was furious. Like most bluejackets, he -hated the idea of charity in any form, and went straight off to see -Tickle. -</p> - -<p> -'Look 'ere, sir,' he said; 'with orl my doo respects to you, it ain't -playin' the game!' -</p> - -<p> -'Not playing the game!' answered the lieutenant, quite at a loss to -understand what the man was driving at. 'What d'you mean?' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, sir, it's like this 'ere. I goes 'ome an' finds my 'ouse rigged -up like a bloomin' 'orspitle, an' the missus lyin' in bed with flowers, -an' beef-tea, an' port wine, an' sich like. I finds another 'ooman -there a-lookin' 'arter 'er—dressed up like a 'orspitle nurse, she -wus—an' w'en I arsks 'er wot she done with the kids, she sez as 'ow -they'd bin sent to the country. W'en I wants to know 'oo's done it, she -sezs Mrs Tickle. It ain't fair on a man, sir, doin' a thing like that, -an' habductin' of 'is kids. S'welp me, it ain't!' Buttings paused for -breath. -</p> - -<p> -'I'm sorry you think that, Buttings,' said Tickle gently. 'Your wife -has been very ill, and what she wants is good food and proper -treatment. She's getting that now. The children, too, are out in the -country having an excellent time. After all, my wife didn't do it -without asking Mrs Buttings.' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir. That's all werry well; but I pays the rent o' the bally -'ouse.' -</p> - -<p> -'Of course I understand that. But surely you don't grudge your wife a -little comfort after she's been so ill?' -</p> - -<p> -'No, sir, o' course not,' said the seaman, scratching his head. 'But -'oo's goin' to pay for orl this 'ere? Port wine an' chicken jelly ain't -got for nothin'.' -</p> - -<p> -Tickle felt half-inclined to tell him outright that he, or, rather, his -wife, was prepared to pay for everything; but if he had, the able -seaman would at once have been in open rebellion. The nurse alone came -to two guineas a week, and the food and little luxuries for the invalid -to as much again. 'Well, Buttings,' he said, pretending to consider, -'suppose it costs about seven-and-six a week. That's about it, I should -imagine.' -</p> - -<p> -Buttings seemed rather relieved. 'Seven an' a tanner,' he said, more -happily. 'I kin manage that, sir. I ain't got much money to splosh -abart, o' course,' he hastened to explain; 'but I don't like ter think -as 'ow I ain't payin' for what my old 'ooman's gettin'.' -</p> - -<p> -And so, for the time being, the matter ended, and both parties were -satisfied. -</p> - -<p> -Mrs Buttings recovered in due course, and became her old buxom self, -and then it was that she enlightened her husband as to what the Tickles -had really done. Buttings was speechless with rage. -</p> - -<p> -But Christmas came soon afterwards, and on the morning itself, as -Tickle was having his bath, there came a knock at his cabin door. -'Hallo, what is it?' he asked, springing up and wrapping a towel round -himself. -</p> - -<p> -'It's Buttings, sir,' said the seaman, pulling aside the curtain. 'I've -got this 'ere for you, sir, from my missus an' meself; an' this, sir, -is for your lady. We both wishes you an' your lady a 'Appy Christmas, -sir.' There was a suspicious huskiness in his voice; and, after pushing -two small parcels into the astonished officer's hands, he fled before -Tickle could say so much as 'Thank you.' -</p> - -<p> -One package contained a highly ornamental silver cigarette-case, and -the other a small gold brooch of impossible design. Accompanying each -gift was a flamboyant card with a chaste design of clasped hands, -wreaths and sprigs of forget-me-nots, and true-lovers' knots. Below -were the words: 'In friendship we are united.' Inside, in very -laborious handwriting, came the inscription: 'With great gratitude from -Able Seaman and Mrs Reuben Buttings.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, I'm damned!' muttered the lieutenant, gazing at the presents, -deeply touched. The little gifts, which had cost Buttings and his wife -many of their hard-earned shillings, were their way of showing that -they had not forgotten. -</p> - -<p> -Mrs Toby was so overcome when she received her brooch that she nearly -wept with emotion. 'Dear, dear people!' she murmured gently; 'I love -them!' -</p> - -<p> -And still some folk have the effrontery to say that there is no bond of -sympathy between the officers and men of the Royal Navy. -</p> - - - - -<a name="VI"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER VI. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -'THE 'ORRIBLE DEN.'</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -From the quarterdeck one climbed down a steep ladder, walked aft along -the maindeck past the wardroom, descended another ladder, and finally -emerged into a large flat lit by electricity. To starboard was a -bulkhead with rifles in racks, their blued barrels gleaming dully in -the glare of the electric bulbs. Behind the rifle-racks came some of -the officers' cabins, through the open doorways of which one was -vouchsafed an occasional fleeting glimpse of sea and sky framed in the -circular opening of a scuttle in the ship's side. -</p> - -<p> -The small habitations seemed to reflect the personalities and tastes of -their several occupants. Some were gay with pictures, photographs, -brightly coloured bedspreads and curtains, and had easy-chairs, -well-filled bookcases, and a glittering array of silver-backed brushes, -photograph-frames, and ornaments on the chests of drawers serving as -toilet-tables. In others there was little or no attempt at decoration, -and they were furnished with almost Spartan simplicity, with nothing -but what the Admiralty allowed. This consisted of a bunk with drawers -underneath, a solid mahogany chest of drawers, a book-shelf, a folding -washstand, a minute writing-table, a straight-backed cane-bottomed -chair, a small strip of carpet, ugly maroon-coloured scuttle and door -curtains, and, by way of decoration, the inevitable shallow circular -tin bath suspended from the roof. -</p> - -<p> -Amidships in the flat, in ordered rows, came the midshipmen's -sea-chests. They were painted white, with black lids, and bore their -owners' names on small brass plates. Each was exactly three feet six -inches long, one foot eight and a half inches broad, and three feet -seven and three-quarter inches high, neither more nor less. Admiralty -regulations are explicit and precise, even on the subject of -midshipmen's sea-chests. In these receptacles the 'snotties'<a href="#note14" name="noteref14"><span class="fn">[14]</span></a> - kept, -or were supposed to keep, all their worldly belongings, and woe betide -them if the first lieutenant discovered their clothes or boots lying -about when he went his rounds twice a day! The garments were promptly -impounded and placed in the scran-bag, which was opened only once a -week. Moreover, one inch of soap—which went toward cleaning the -ship—had to be paid for each article claimed. -</p> - -<p> -On the opposite side of the flat were more rifle-racks and two -curtained doorways. One of these gave access to a pantry, the other to -what the commander called 'the 'Orrible Den,' otherwise the gunroom. It -was the habitat of the junior officers, and provided accommodation for -two sub-lieutenants, an assistant-paymaster, ten midshipmen, and Mr -Hubert Green, the assistant-clerk. -</p> - -<p> -Imagine an apartment about thirty feet long by twenty feet wide, with -plenty of head-room. It ran fore and aft, and on the ship's side -opposite to the door were four circular scuttles. They were about six -feet above the water-line, and could be left open in harbour or in the -calmest weather at sea. If it was blowing at all hard, however, they -had to be kept tight shut to prevent the entry of the water. On these -occasions the atmosphere, well impregnated with the smell of food from -the pantry, could be cut with a knife. The sub-lieutenant, complaining -bitterly of the 'fug' or 'frowst,' sometimes ordered a junior -midshipman to carry out what was known as 'scuttle drill.' This meant -that the unfortunate youth had to open the port gingerly to let in the -air, but that he must bang it to again whenever a sea came rushing -past. If he allowed water or spray to enter he was chastised. He -generally was, but not really hard. Underneath the scuttles, and along -the after bulkhead, were narrow cushioned settees serving as seats. -Then came two long tables, with, outside them again, padded forms. -Altogether there was seating accommodation for about twenty-four people -at meals. -</p> - -<p> -On the inner bulkhead near the door was a stove, and beyond this again -a small piano. This instrument had been quite a good one once upon a -time, but, owing to an accumulation of foreign matter in its interior, -caused no doubt by a youthful officers' steward, who found it a -convenient receptacle for dirty cotton-waste, polishing-paste, -bathbrick, and emery-paper, was long past its palmy days. However, it -still made a noise, and was useful for sing-songs. -</p> - -<p> -On the foremost bulkhead was a small hatch with a sliding door -communicating with the pantry, and underneath it a mahogany sideboard. -The appointments were completed by three wicker arm-chairs, provided by -the occupants themselves, a sofa, a rack for the midshipmen's dirks, a -mahogany letter-rack and notice-board, and rows of small lockers, just -under the ceiling, round two sides over the settees. In these the -'snotties' kept their small personal belongings, books, and pots of jam -or potted meat. But we have forgotten the beer-barrel. It occupied a -conspicuous position near the sideboard. -</p> - -<p> -Pictures and prints hung on the white enamelled walls, rugs were -scattered about the floor, and the two long tables were covered with -crimson cloths of the usual Admiralty pattern, and were adorned with -palms in pots and vases of flowers. So, taking it all round, 'the -'Orrible Den' was not quite so bad as it was painted. In fact, it was -quite a cheerful apartment. -</p> - -<p> -Sub-Lieutenant Archibald Bertrain Cook—commonly known as Alphabetical -Cook—was the senior member of the mess and <i>ex officio</i> -president. He was a lusty, riotous, red-faced fellow of twenty-two, and -ruled the midshipmen with a rod of iron. The other sub was Roger More, -six months junior to him. Wilfrid Shilling, the A.P.,<a href="#note15" name="noteref15"><span class="fn">[15]</span></a> - was a tall, -anæmic-looking officer, with an incipient beard and rather long hair. -He wore glasses, and was deeply in love with a young lady at Weymouth. -He went by the name of Blinkers. -</p> - -<p> -Next came the senior midshipmen, Antony Charles Trevelyan, Roderick -MacDonald, William Augustus Trevor, and Henry Taut. They varied in age -between eighteen and a half and nineteen and a half; and the first, on -account of his rather blue chin and heavy growth of hair, went by the -elegant name of Whiskers. MacDonald, who was short and had rather a -barrel-like appearance, was nicknamed Shorty or Tubby; while Trevor, a -small youth, sometimes answered to Winkle. Taut, the midshipman of -Martin's division, was the Long Slab. He was tall and very thin, rather -like a lighthouse. -</p> - -<p> -Then came the six junior 'snotties,' whose names do not really matter. -They were all under eighteen, and had only just joined the ship from -the training-cruiser. They were, in consequence, very small beer -indeed—mere excrescences on the face of the earth. Collectively they -were referred to as the Warts, Crabs, or Dogs' Bodies, and had to do -what everybody else chose to tell them. -</p> - -<p> -The Wart of all the Warts was Mr Hubert Green, the assistant-clerk. He -was a small, freckle-faced youth, with a squeaky voice and ginger hair, -and had only just come to sea. He was only seventeen and a half, the -baby of the gunroom, and on account of his youth and general ignorance -of the navy and naval affairs, spent his life having his leg pulled by -the midshipmen. -</p> - -<p> -Both the subs and the A.P. had cabins of their own. The midshipmen -'lived in chests,' as the saying is; slept in hammocks in the gunroom -flat; and performed their ablutions in a small tiled bathroom farther -forward. Publicity was a thing they had no qualms about whatsoever, and -between seven o'clock and seven-forty-five in the morning, when they -were dressing or parading about with or without towels, waiting for -their turns to wash, the flat was no fit place for the general public. -</p> - -<p> -Except on Sundays, when they lay in till seven o'clock, the 'snotties' -turned out at six-fifteen, and from six-forty till seven were on deck -at physical drill. At seven, therefore, came the rush for baths, the -usual exaggerated tin saucers, of which there were only six. The -bandsmen servants procured their respective masters' hot water -beforehand; but it was always a case of first come first served, and -nobody hesitated to use anybody else's belongings if he were big and -strong enough to do so with impunity. Such things as hot water, -sponges, soap, and nail-brushes were regarded as common property unless -their owners chose to retain them by force. Towels and toothbrushes -alone were sacred to the individual. -</p> - -<p> -The subs and the senior midshipmen bathed first, and woe betide any -Crab who was discovered in the bathroom when they arrived! He was -promptly hurled out. Then came the junior 'snotties,' and lastly the -assistant-clerk, who, poor wight, usually had to be content with cold -water. But they were all quite happy, and made a great deal of noise. -</p> - -<p> -Pay of one shilling and ninepence <i>per diem</i>, plus a compulsory -allowance of fifty pounds a year from one's people, which was what the -midshipmen received, is not great affluence, even in the navy, where -living is comparatively cheap. It amounts in all to six pounds fifteen -shillings and tenpence per month of thirty days. -</p> - -<p> -Mr Tubbs, the long-suffering gunroom-messman, and a bit of a villain, -undertook to provide breakfast, luncheon, and dinner for the sum of -thirty shillings a month a head from each member; but in addition to -this he also took the ten-pence <i>per diem</i> allowed to each -officer by the Government in lieu of rations. Afternoon tea, cake, -bread-and-butter, tins of biscuits, potted meat, jam, fruit, and other -extraneous edibles were charged for as extras, in which category also -came such things as soap, bootlaces, drawing-paper, pens, ink, -pencils, &c. The sum of ten shillings <i>per mensem</i> was supposed, -by Admiralty regulation, to suffice for the midshipmen's needs in the -way of extras; but the most of them, with the connivance of the -messman, ran what they called 'extra-extra bills.' It was on the -profit made on these that Mr Tubbs was able to make two ends meet at -all, for one and tenpence a day is not much wherewith to satisfy the -food capacity of a young and lusty lad with a healthy appetite. -</p> - -<p> -'Snotties' over eighteen were allowed to expend fifteen shillings a -month on wine, and those under this age five shillings less; but -nobody under twenty was permitted to touch spirits. The mess -fund—for newspapers, breakages, washing, and other small incidental -expenses—came to a nominal five shillings a month, but generally -exceeded it; servant's wages were ten shillings; personal washing, -say, ten shillings; and tobacco—if the officer was over eighteen, -and allowed to smoke—about seven shillings and sixpence or -half-a-sovereign. The monthly balance-sheet, omitting all -extravagances, therefore, worked out somewhat as follows: -</p> - -<table summary="Balance sheet"> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="6">RECEIPTS.</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2">1s. 9d. a day for 30 days</td> -<td class="centerpad">£</td> -<td class="right">2</td> -<td class="right">12</td> -<td class="right">6</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2">One-twelfth of £50</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="right">4</td> -<td class="right">3</td> -<td class="right">4</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td>Total</td> -<td class="centerpad">£</td> -<td class="right">6</td> -<td class="right">15</td> -<td class="right">10</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="6">DEBITS.</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2">30 days' messing at 1s. a day</td> -<td class="centerpad">£</td> -<td class="right">1</td> -<td class="right">10</td> -<td class="right">0</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2">Mess Fund</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="right">0</td> -<td class="right">5</td> -<td class="right">0</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2">Wine</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="right">0</td> -<td class="right">15</td> -<td class="right">0</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2">Tobacco</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="right">0</td> -<td class="right">7</td> -<td class="right">6</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2">Extras</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="right">0</td> -<td class="right">10</td> -<td class="right">0</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2">Servant</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="right">0</td> -<td class="right">10</td> -<td class="right">0</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2">Washing</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="right">0</td> -<td class="right">10</td> -<td class="right">0</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td>Total</td> -<td class="centerpad">£</td> -<td class="right">4</td> -<td class="right">7</td> -<td class="right">6</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<p> -This, omitting the 'extra-extra,' left a nominal credit balance of two -pounds eight shillings and fourpence wherewith to last out the month. -Only one or two of the 'snotties' received anything extra in the way of -allowances from their people, though their outfitters' bills for all -necessaries in the way of clothing were usually met by their parents. -But even this did not improve matters to any great extent, and not one -of the young officers was ever known to have much in the way of money -unless parents or relations behaved handsomely on birthdays or at -Christmas. Even then the gift dwindled rapidly, for if one of them did -receive a windfall of an odd pound or two, he took care that his -messmates shared his good fortune. The clothes they had, too, were in a -perpetual state of being lost; and if one of them was asked out to dine -in another ship, everybody contributed something towards his attire. -One provided a shirt, and others handkerchief, collar, tie, and evening -shoes; but in spite of it all they somehow always managed to look smart -and well-dressed. -</p> - -<p> -This state of chronic hardupness is hereditary in midshipmen. History -relates that a youth once came home from China, and landed at -Portsmouth with no soles to his boots, a hole in the crown of his straw -hat—it had been eaten by cockroaches—the seat of his trousers darned -by himself with sail-makers' twine, and no tails to any of his shirts. -With the ready resource of the sailor, he had removed these for use as -pocket-handkerchiefs. -</p> - -<p> -The Royal Navy is essentially a poor man's service, and comparatively -few of its officers have anything considerable in the way of means over -and beyond their pay. It is sometimes difficult to keep out of debt, -for they are expected to go everywhere and do everything, while uniform -is expensive, and the cost of living is always increasing. It seems to -be part of a midshipman's job to be poor, and one would as soon expect -to find a dustman with a gold-mounted shaving-set as a 'snotty' with -more than half-a-crown in his pocket on the 28th of the month. -</p> - -<p> -The 'snotties' of the <i>Belligerent</i> were no exception to the -general rule. They were quite irrepressible, and were as happy and -cheerful as they could be, though sometimes they did complain bitterly -that they were half-starved. On occasions, to the accompaniment of -spoons beaten on the table, they chanted a mournful dirge anent the -iniquities of the messman. It was long and rather ribald, but the last -two lines of the chorus ran: -</p> - -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>We're starving! we're starving!</p> -<p>And the messman's name is Mr Tubbs!</p></div></div> - -<p> -They weren't really so famished as they pretended to be, but Tubbs -certainly was an old rogue. One celebrated morning, when the senior -sub-lieutenant was absent, he peered through the pantry hatch at -breakfast-time. -</p> - -<p> -'Now, gennelmen,' he said, 'wot we 'ave for breakfast is 'ot sardines -an' 'am. Sardines is a bit orf, the 'am is tainted, an' fruit is extra. -Wot'll you 'ave?' -</p> - -<p> -The ship was half-way across the Bay of Biscay at the time, and had -been at sea for several days, so perhaps there was some slight excuse -for the inadequacies of the morning meal. But Tubbs had tried this game -before; and, headed by Roger More, the junior sub-lieutenant, the -members of the mess rose <i>en bloc</i> and hastily armed themselves -with dirks. -</p> - -<p> -The messman, scenting trouble, promptly fled from the pantry with his -satellites after him, while the hungry officers rushed in, broke open -various cupboards, and helped themselves liberally to Tubbs's private -store of tinned kippers and haddock. He complained bitterly, but got no -redress. -</p> - -<p> -Another time the members of the mess were sitting round the table -waiting impatiently for lunch. Noon was the proper time for the meal; -but at twelve-ten nothing had appeared on the table except the -vegetables. The hungry officers commenced to bang on the table with -eating implements, and started the inevitable dirge, and in the middle -of it Tubbs's face appeared framed in the pantry hatch. -</p> - -<p> -'I'm sorry, gennelmen,' he said when he could make himself heard in the -uproar. 'The boy's fallen down the 'atch with the joint, an' it ain't -fit be to seen. I've some werry nice corned beef'—— -</p> - -<p> -A chorus of groans drowned his utterance. 'Let's see the joint,' some -one demanded. -</p> - -<p> -'It's bin thrown overboard, sir,' the messman explained glibly, -disappearing from view. -</p> - -<p> -Several of the junior midshipmen and the assistant-clerk were -despatched to visit the scene of the alleged accident, and to report on -what traces they found. There were none. There never had been any -joint. -</p> - -<p> -'Tubbs!' they yelled in unison when the spies came back. -</p> - -<p> -The messman's head appeared, and the minute it bobbed up into sight it -was greeted with a volley of vegetables. On the whole the shooting was -good, and Tubbs made an excellent Aunt Sally. Potatoes baked in their -jackets spattered and burst all round the pantry hatch like a -<i>rafale</i> of shrapnel-shell, while some, passing through, exploded -on impact with the messman's head. The <i>pièce de résistance</i> was a -cauliflower. It struck the ledge and detonated like a high-explosive -projectile, and the messman received its disintegrated stickiness full -in the face. He slammed the hatch up with a bang, and rushed into the -mess with his face, beard, and hair dripping with vegetable products; -while the culprits, wildly excited, shrieked with laughter. The -bombardment would have continued, but the available ammunition was -expended. -</p> - -<p> -Tubbs was furious. 'I'll 'ave the law on yer!' he shouted wildly, -waving his fists. 'I'll report yer to the commander, and 'ave yer -court-martialled, see if I don't! It's disgraceful, that's wot it is, -an' wot the navy's comin' to I don't know! Calls yerselves gennelmen, -do yer?' -</p> - -<p> -He went on for quite a long time; but nothing further ever came of it. -He knew well enough that he had brought it on himself, and thereafter -he became rather more particular over the matter of providing meals. -</p> - -<p> -It must not be imagined that the inhabitants of the -<i>Belligerent</i>'s gunroom always behaved like this. On the contrary, -they were an unusually well-conducted mess, and they broke out only -when they were really exasperated, and their feelings got the better of -them. -</p> - -<p> -The sub, assisted by the senior 'snotties,' had drilled the Crabs into -a high state of discipline and efficiency. He believed in using the -terror of the stick as a deterrent rather than in employing the weapon -itself, and as a consequence the junior midshipmen were never beaten -really hard unless they misbehaved themselves. But as Cook himself once -remarked, 'You can bet your bottom dollar that for every sin they've -been bowled out committing, there are fully fifty more that we haven't -discovered;' and there was some truth in the remark. -</p> - -<p> -One of the methods of smartening up the Crabs was an evolution known as -'fork in the beam.' This was a time-honoured custom which must have -started in the days of wooden sailing-ships, since it is hardly -possible to stick an ordinary table-fork into the steel beams of a -modern vessel. It generally took place during dinner, when the younger -members of the mess had been making too much noise. -</p> - -<p> -The sub, standing up at his place at the end of the table, would -insinuate a fork into the electric wires overhead, and at this signal -all the junior midshipmen and the assistant-clerk had to leave the -mess, scamper twice round the boat-deck, and return in the shortest -possible time. In the old-time evolution itself the 'snotties' used to -run up the rigging and over the masthead, but Cook substituted the race -round the boat-deck as being less dangerous. The last officer back had -to repeat the performance; and, as the loser generally found that -somebody had drunk his beer during his absence, there was always great -competition to be away first. It usually started by a seething mass of -seven Crabs being stuck in the doorway. After much struggling and -pushing, they would eventually fall through into the flat amidst shrill -yelps from the young gentlemen who happened to be underneath, and -remarks of 'Get off my face!' 'Ow! let go my leg, you beast!' Then, -sorting themselves out one by one, they would dart off, to return a few -minutes later flushed and breathless after their exercise. -</p> - -<p> -They were also organised as what were known as the 'dogs of war,' with -the idea, as the sub explained, of instilling them with martial ardour -and making them fierce. On the order, 'Dogs of war out—so and so!' -they were expected to growl viciously, hurl themselves upon the person -named, and cast him forth from the mess. Sometimes the assistant-clerk -was the victim, sometimes one of the 'snotties' themselves; but, to -make things really exciting, the 'dogs' were occasionally divided into -two sides, Red and Blue, and each party endeavoured to expel the other. -It always meant a frantic struggle, for the victim or victims resisted -violently. They were none too gentle either, for clothes were torn, -shirts and collars were destroyed, and bruises were by no means -infrequent. Sometimes people's noses bled, and the fight waxed really -furious; but cases of lost temper were comparatively rare, and the -'dogs' usually enjoyed the fun as much as any one else. Their parents, -had they been present during the strife, might not have been quite so -amused. They paid for the clothes. -</p> - -<p> -The star turn, however, was the Crabs' <i>corps de ballet</i>, and it -occasionally disported itself on guest nights for the amusement and -edification of any strangers who happened to be present. Trevelyan, the -senior midshipman, was the stage manager, and what the ballet lost -through lack of histrionic power on the part of the performers it more -than made up for by its originality. Their attire was sketchy, to say -the least of it. It consisted mainly of bath-towels, sea-boots, and -straw hats; and the songs and dances, to the strains of the elderly, -asthmatic piano, and bagpipes played by a Scots midshipman, MacDonald, -usually brought down the house. If by any chance the performance fell -at all flat through a lack of energy on the part of the performers, -they were promptly converted into 'dogs of war,' with the inevitable -result. So, taking it all round, the occupants of 'the 'Orrible Den' -managed to amuse themselves. -</p> - -<p> -But because they sometimes became riotous and irresponsible in the -gunroom, it must not be imagined that the younger officers were not -learning their trade. Far from it; they worked really very hard, on -deck, in the engine-room, and in pursuit of the wily and elusive -<i>x</i>. Their day started at six-fifteen, and between six-forty and -seven o'clock they were either away boat-pulling or at physical drill -or rifle exercise. After this came baths, and from seven-forty-five -till eight instruction in signals. Breakfast was at eight; and from -nine till eleven-forty-five, and again in the afternoon from -one-fifteen to three-fifteen, they were at instruction in seamanship, -gunnery, torpedo, navigation, or engineering. Voluntary instruction in -theoretical subjects took place for one and a half hours on three -evenings of the week, and those more backward youths who did not -volunteer were compelled to attend. Two nights a week, from -eight-thirty till nine, there were signal exercises with the Morse -lamp, and these had to be attended by all the midshipmen until they -attained a certain standard of proficiency. -</p> - -<p> -In addition to this, they had their regular watches to keep—day and -night at sea, and from eight-thirty <span class="smc">A.M.</span> till eight -<span class="smc">P.M.</span> in harbour; while no boat ever left the ship under -steam or sail without a 'snotty' in charge. Their days, therefore, were -pretty busy. -</p> - -<p> -They generally managed to get ashore between three-thirty and seven -<span class="smc">P.M.</span> about two days out of every four, and on Saturdays and -Sundays from one-thirty; but no late leave was granted save in very -exceptional circumstances. They amused themselves with hockey and -football in the winter, and golf, tennis, and cricket in the summer; -and at places where games could not be played, solaced their feelings -by borrowing one of the ship's boats on Sunday afternoons, stocking her -with great hampers containing provender of all kinds, and then sailing -off for a picnic. There is an irresistible fascination in cooking -sausages and boiling a kettle over a home-made fire on some -unfrequented island or beach which appeals to the most sober-minded of -us. -</p> - -<p> -Your modern midshipmen are no longer the rosy-cheeked, blue-eyed little -cherubs of fiction. Many of them are over six feet, some of them shave, -and nobody but their aunts and female cousins refer to them as -'middies.' To call them by that diminutive term to their faces would -make them squirm. They refer to themselves as 'snotties,' and -'snotties' they will remain till the end of the chapter. The name, -rather inelegant perhaps, owes its origin to the three buttons on the -cuffs of their full-dress short jackets, which ribald people used to -say were first placed there to prevent their sleeves being put to the -use generally delegated to pocket-handkerchiefs. Any schoolboy will -tell you what a 'snot rag' is; but I have never yet heard of a modern -midshipman being without this rather important article of dress. -</p> - -<p> -'Snotties' are a strange mixture. They possess all the love of fun and -excitement of schoolboys, but once on duty are very much officers. They -have to undertake responsibility very young, and at an age when their -shore-going brothers are still at public schools their careers in the -service have started. -</p> - -<p> -Seamanship is not an exact science; it is an art. It comprises, amongst -other things, experience, sound judgment, good nerve, a vast deal of -common-sense, and a happy knack of knowing when risks are justifiable -and when they are not. It is a subject which cannot be taught by rule -of thumb after the first groundwork of elementary knowledge has been -assimilated, and circumstances alter cases so greatly that no preceptor -on this earth could lay down hard-and-fast rules for each of the -thousand-and-fifty contingencies which may arise at sea, and which may -one day have to be guarded against or overcome. The sea, moreover, is a -fickle mistress. The navy is always on active service, in peace or in -war, for its men and its ships are for ever pitting their skill and -strength against the might of the most merciless of enemies—the -elements. From the very moment that midshipmen join their first ship -they are expected to take part in the great game, and sometimes it is a -game of life and death. They start off by being placed in charge of -boats in all weathers. They may be steamboats, or boats under sail; but -whichever they are, the 'snotties' are learning their trade. If they do -something foolish they may cause great damage to valuable property, may -even be the means of men losing their lives; but they generally succeed -in getting out of scrapes and difficulties with some credit to -themselves. -</p> - -<p> -The strenuous training and habit of early responsibility may convert -them into men before their time; but they still manage to retain their -boyish instincts, and when they are off duty these generally appear -uppermost. At times they are noisy, riotous, and altogether -irrepressible; but when it comes to work they are very much all there. -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -'Ain't got a fill o' bacca abart yer, 'ave yer?' asked Joshua Billings, -A.B., producing an abbreviated, blackened, and very foul clay pipe from -the lining of his cap and gazing at it pensively. It was -twelve-forty-five <span class="smc">P.M.</span>, the middle of the dinner-hour, and -Joshua, having just assimilated his tot of navy rum, was at peace with -himself and the world in general. -</p> - -<p> -'Sorry,' Martin answered, 'I ain't got nothin' but fags.' -</p> - -<p> -'Fags!' the able seaman growled. 'Why you young blokes smokes nothin' -but them things I dunno. They tastes like smokin' 'ay. W'en I fu'st -jined I takes up me pun' o' bacca reg'lar, an' I done it ever since. -It's got some taste abart it. Fags! S'welp me, I dunno wot th' blessed -navy's comin' to!' -</p> - -<p> -Martin looked rather sheepish. -</p> - -<p> -Billings grinned. 'Seein' as 'ow you ain't got no bacca, then I s'pose -I've got ter use me own,' he went on, producing a well-filled pouch -from the waistband of his trousers, and proceeding to ram some coarse, -dark tobacco into his pipe. 'I never believes in usin' me own s'long as -I kin git a fill orf another bloke. Got a match?' -</p> - -<p> -The ordinary seaman handed a box across, and his companion lit up. -</p> - -<p> -'Comin' ashore along o' me this arternoon?' Joshua asked, puffing out a -cloud of smoke with a satisfied grunt. -</p> - -<p> -Martin thought for a moment. For an ordinary seaman to be asked to go -ashore with a man of Billings's age was undoubtedly a great honour; -but, at the same time, he was rather doubtful as to what might happen. -Joshua, on his own statement, had an unquenchable thirst for malt -liquor, and always felt 'dizzy like' outside public-houses, and Martin -had no wish to join him in a carouse, with the prospect of ending the -afternoon under the supervision of the local constabulary. -</p> - -<p> -'Goin' on th' razzle?'<a href="#note16" name="noteref16"><span class="fn">[16]</span></a> - he asked cautiously. -</p> - -<p> -Billings laughed. 'Razzle!' he exclaimed. 'No, I ain't on that lay. -I'll 'ave jist one pint w'en I gits ashore, but no more'n that. The -fac' o' the matter is, Pincher, I'm in love.' He paused to give his -words time to sink in. -</p> - -<p> -'In love!' Martin echoed with some astonishment. -</p> - -<p> -The A.B. nodded gravely. 'Yus,' he said; 'an' I want some one to come -along an' 'old me 'and like, some bloke wot looks young an' innercent -like you.' He endeavoured to look young and innocent himself, gazed -heavenwards with a rapt expression on his homely face, contorted his -mouth into what he considered was a sweet smile, and sighed deeply. 'I -tell yer,' he added, resuming his normal appearance and winking -solemnly, 'she's a bit o' orl right, an' I reckons she's took a fancy -ter me. Leastways she 'inted that she'd come to th' pictures along o' -me ter-night if I arsked 'er polite like, an' 'ave a bit o' somethin' -t' eat arterwards.' -</p> - -<p> -'You in love!' Martin gasped again, for to him it seemed impossible -that any woman could succumb to the doubtful charms of the hoary-headed -old reprobate. 'Garn! you're 'avin' me on.' -</p> - -<p> -Joshua seemed rather annoyed. 'Oh no, I ain't,' he retorted testily. -'An' if yer gits talkin' like that me an' you'll part brassrags.<a href="#note17" name="noteref17"><span class="fn">[17]</span></a> - She -ain't th' sort o' 'ooman ter take a fancy to a young bloke. Wot she -wants is some one ter look arter 'er an' 'er property. A bloke wi' -hexperience, the same as me.' -</p> - -<p> -'Property! 'Oo is she, then?' -</p> - -<p> -'You mustn't go tellin' the other blokes if I tells yer,' Billings -said, sinking his voice to a whisper. 'Promise yer won't.' -</p> - -<p> -'Orl right, I won't.' -</p> - -<p> -'She's a widder 'ooman wot keeps a sweet an' bacca shop, an' sells -noospapers. She's makin' a good thing out o' it, too—clearin' 'bout -three pun' a week, she sez she is; an' as my time's comin' along for -pension, it's abart time I started lookin' round fur somethin' ter do -w'en I leaves the navy. She ain't no young an' flighty female neither, -I gives yer my word. Got a growed-up darter, she 'as, seventeen year -old, an' I reckons it's abart time th' poor gal 'ad another father ter -look arter 'er. You see,' he added, 'if I gits married to th' old un -orl the blokes wot knows me'll come to the shop to buy their fags an' -noospapers, so it ain't as if I was bringin' nothin' to th' business. -I'm a bloke wi' inflooence, I am. 'Er larst 'usband drove a cab, 'e -did, an' I reckons she's betterin' 'erself by marryin' a bloke wot's -bin in the navy.' -</p> - -<p> -'An' wot's this 'ere gal o' 'ers like?' Pincher wanted to know. 'Is she -a cosy bit o' fluff too?' -</p> - -<p> -'Cosy bit o' fluff!' exclaimed Joshua with some warmth. 'Wot d'yer -mean, yer lop-eared tickler?<a href="#note18" name="noteref18"><span class="fn">[18]</span></a> - She ain't fur the likes o' you, -any'ow.' -</p> - -<p> -'Oh, ain't she?' Martin retorted. 'Well, I ain't comin' ashore along o' -yer, then!' -</p> - -<p> -''Ere, don't git yer dander up,' Billings interrupted, changing his -tone; 'I didn't mean nothin'.' He was really very anxious that Martin -should accompany him, for he had a vague idea in his head that the -presence of a younger man would lend tone to the proceedings, and to -him a certain air of respectability. -</p> - -<p> -'Don't act so snappy, then,' the ordinary seaman returned. 'I'm as good -as any other bloke.' He remembered that he was a member of the ship's -football team, and this alone made him a person of some importance. -</p> - -<p> -'Well, if yer really wants ter know, th' gal's name's Hemmeline, an' -she's walkin' out wi' a ship's stooard's assistant bloke from the -flagship.' -</p> - -<p> -'Ship's stooards ain't no class!' Pincher snorted, expanding his chest -to its full capacity. 'They ain't fightin' blokes same as me an' you.' -</p> - -<p> -'No, they ain't,' Billings agreed, puffing slowly at his pipe. 'They -ain't got no prospex neither. Look 'ere, Pincher,' he added, 'she's -only bin along wi' 'im fur a week, an' if yer fancies 'er, my -inflooence wi' 'er ma'—— -</p> - -<p> -'Meanin' that I can take 'er out?' Martin queried. -</p> - -<p> -Joshua nodded. 'That's the wheeze,' he said, expectorating with deadly -precision into a spit-kid at least eight feet distant. -</p> - -<p> -'But wot's she look like?' Pincher demanded with caution. Up to the -present he had felt rather frightened of women; but to have a proper -sweetheart in tow was one of the things he really longed for. It would -complete his new-found manhood. But he had his own ideas of feminine -beauty, and, whatever happened, the young lady must be pretty. -</p> - -<p> -Billings grinned. 'She's orl right,' he explained. 'She ain't 'xactly -tall, nor yet 'xactly short. Sort o' betwixt an' between like. She -ain't too fat, nor yet too lean; she's sort o' plump. Yaller 'air, she -'as, an' blue eyes, an' plays th' pianner wonderful, 'er ma sez.' -</p> - -<p> -This rather vague description of the fair Emmeline's charms seemed -quite enough for Martin. 'She sounds orl right,' he said. 'I think I'll -come along o' you.' -</p> - -<p> -Joshua seemed rather pleased. 'That's th' ticket,' he said. 'We goes -ashore in th' four o'clock boat, mind. Say, chum,' he added in a hoarse -whisper, 'you ain't got 'arf-a-dollar to lend us, 'ave yer?' -</p> - -<p> -Martin looked rather dubious. ''Arf-a-dollar!' he sniffed. -</p> - -<p> -'Yus,' urged the A.B. 'I've only got three bob o' me own, an' I've got -ter take th' lady to th' pictures, an' give 'er a bit o' supper -arterwards. The show's orf 'less I kin raise some splosh some'ow. W'y -don't yer come along too, an' bring the gal?' -</p> - -<p> -'Carn't do it,' the ordinary seaman murmured. 'Me leaf's up at seven, -an' I don't want to go gittin' in th' rattle fur breakin' it. But I'll -lend yer a couple o' bob if yer promises faithful to pay me back. I'll -give it yer afore we goes ashore.' -</p> - -<p> -'Good on yer, chum,' said Billings effusively. 'I reckons yer knows 'ow -to be'ave to blokes wot takes a hinterest in yer. You take my tip, -though,' he added, wagging an admonitory forefinger. 'Don't yer go -lendin' money to any other blokes wot ain't fit to be trusted.' -</p> - -<p> -'I'll watch it,' Martin laughed. -</p> - -<p> -And so it was arranged, and this was how Pincher Martin embarked on his -first love affair. -</p> - - - - -<a name="VII"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER VII. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART.</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -Miss Emmeline Figgins was a well-built, capable-looking young lady of -seventeen. She wore her hair neatly coiled in a golden aureole on the -top of her head. Her blue eyes were attractive and full of mirth, her -mouth was well-shaped, and she possessed a pair of very red lips and -twin rows of even white teeth. She seemed literally bursting with -health, and her rosy, slightly sunburnt cheeks somehow reminded Pincher -of the girls at home in his own village. She was dressed in a white -blouse and plain dark-blue skirt, and a small gold locket hung round -her neck. -</p> - -<p> -The first time Martin saw her standing behind the counter in the little -sweet and tobacco shop he thought her quite adorable. He experienced a -vague feeling of jealousy when he saw the locket, though, for he -thought it probable that it contained the photograph of the ship's -steward's assistant from the flagship. -</p> - -<p> -Billings, strangely redolent of violets—he had purchased a pennyworth -of cachous subsequent to absorbing one pint of beer immediately on -getting ashore—advanced with a sheepish grin. Martin followed close -behind. -</p> - -<p> -'Good-evenin', miss,' the former remarked, touching his forelock. 'I -'ope I finds yer well?' -</p> - -<p> -The girl laughed. 'Thank you, Mister Billings,' she said; 'I am -enjoying the best of health, and I hope you are the same.' She regarded -Pincher out of the corner of her eye; and that youth, very ill at ease, -shuffled nervously and began to get red in the face. He was always -rather frightened of women. -</p> - -<p> -'I'm quite fit, miss,' said Joshua. 'This 'ere's Mr Martin—Pincher -Martin we calls 'im. Friend o' mine, 'e is. Brought 'im along o' me ter -be interjooced.' He pushed the ordinary seaman forward by the arm. -</p> - -<p> -'Pleased ter meet yer, miss,' said Pincher awkwardly, advancing and -shaking hands over a row of glass bottles filled with sweets. 'I've -'eard a lot abart yer from my frien' Mister Billings.' -</p> - -<p> -The A.B. warned him of his indiscretion by a violent nudge in the side. -</p> - -<p> -'I'm glad I'm a celebrity,' the girl remarked, a trifle suspiciously. -'And what did Mr Billings say about me? I hope it was something nice.' -</p> - -<p> -'Where's yer ma, miss?' Joshua himself interrupted, hastily changing -the subject. -</p> - -<p> -'She's out now, Mr Billings, but she'll be back home to tea at -half-past five. She's expecting you then, I believe; and if this -gentleman would join us I'm sure he'd be very welcome.' She looked at -Martin. -</p> - -<p> -'Wot say, Pincher?' asked Joshua with a wink. 'Like ter 'ave a cup o' -tea wi' th' ladies?' -</p> - -<p> -'Don't mind if I does,' said the youth shyly. -</p> - -<p> -'Needn't come if you don't want to, mister,' the girl retorted -sarcastically, tossing her head. 'There are plenty who'd be glad to be -asked.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher felt more awkward and sheepish than ever. 'I should like ter -come, miss, thankin' yer for yer kindness in arskin' me,' he managed to -stammer. 'No offence meant, I'm sure, miss. 'Fraid I said it a bit -awk'ard like.' -</p> - -<p> -'No offence taken,' laughed Emmeline, moving off to attend to three -customers. -</p> - -<p> -'Now, Mister Billings,' she said, coming back in a few minutes, 'I -can't stand gossiping here all the afternoon. This is our busy time, -and the shop will be filling up soon, and I sha'n't know whether I'm -standing on my head or my heels. What with mother being out, and that -plaguy boy having a holiday, I don't know how I shall be able to -manage. If you drop in again at half-past five, mother will be in then. -Is there anything I can serve you with before you go?' -</p> - -<p> -'I'll 'ave two packets o' woodbines, miss,' Joshua had to reply, quite -forgetting that he did not smoke cigarettes, but unable to ignore the -hint. He put down twopence.—'Wot abart you, Pincher?' -</p> - -<p> -Martin looked blankly round the shop. -</p> - -<p> -'A penn'orth of bull's-eyes or almond rock?' suggested the girl, with a -malicious twinkle in her eyes. 'Or perhaps you'd fancy some jujubes or -acid drops, fresh in to-day?' -</p> - -<p> -'Thank you, miss, I don't fancy sweets,' the ordinary seaman returned, -painfully aware that he was being made fun of. 'I'll 'ave one o' them -there packets o' Egyptian fags. The sixpenny ones.' -</p> - -<p> -'We generally call them cigarettes,' Emmeline remarked. -</p> - -<p> -'Lor,' Billings ejaculated, 'we ain't 'arf goin' a bu'st!' -</p> - -<p> -'Let the boy have what he wants, mister,' retorted Miss Figgins tartly, -her business instinct uppermost, and a little anxious lest Pincher -should change his mind and choose something cheaper. 'They're very good -cigarettes, I'm sure, and excellent value for the money. Don't know -what he wants to go smoking for, though,' she added sweetly, gazing at -Pincher with an innocent smile. 'I'm sure sweets are more in his line.' -</p> - -<p> -Joshua laughed, but Martin felt he had never been so insulted in his -life. 'Boy,' indeed! She had called him a boy, and had offered him -sweets! -</p> - -<p> -More prospective customers arrived; and, paying for their purchases, -the two bluejackets started to leave the establishment, when Billings, -remembering something rather important, turned back. 'Say, miss,' he -queried in an anxious, confidential whisper in the young lady's ear, -'did yer ma say anythin' abart comin' ter the pictures along o' me -ter-night?' -</p> - -<p> -Emmeline paused in the act of weighing out half-an-ounce of shag -tobacco and laughed merrily. 'Go on with you!' she exclaimed roguishly. -'You're a proper caution, Mister Billings!' -</p> - -<p> -'Did she say nothin' abart it?' -</p> - -<p> -'I'm not my mother's keeper. She said nothing to me.' -</p> - -<p> -'Sure?' queried the lovesick one, rather disappointed. -</p> - -<p> -The girl winked twice and pointed to the door. 'Hop it!' she giggled. -'Don't come worrying round me when I'm busy with customers. Take your -Mister—er—Martin with you; and if I were you I should buy him'—she -sank her voice to a whisper and glanced in Pincher's direction—'a nice -rattle! Ta-ta; see you both later.' -</p> - -<p> -'Wot did she say yer wus ter buy me?' Martin wanted to know when they -got outside. -</p> - -<p> -'Didn't 'ear, chum,' Joshua answered hastily, unwilling to hurt the -other's feelings. 'Wot d' yer think o' 'er? Bit o' orl right—wot?' -</p> - -<p> -'She looks orl right,' Martin agreed, rather depressed. 'But she seems -a bit 'orty-like for a kid o' seventeen. Tryin' ter 'ave me on, she -was, abart them there sweets.' -</p> - -<p> -'Garn! That's only 'er way. She don't mean nothin'. Yer carn't expec' a -gal ter take a fancy ter a bloke orl of a sudden like. Don't get -rattled abart wot she said. Come on,' Joshua added, glancing at a clock -in a jeweller's window. 'It's only a quarter ter five, plenty o' time -ter go an' 'ave a wet afore we goes back there ter tea.' He made off -across the road in the direction of a public-house. -</p> - -<p> -'No, yer bloomin' well don't!' Pincher exclaimed, overtaking him, -seizing him by the arm, and swinging him round in the opposite -direction. 'Yer said yer was only goin' ter 'ave one pint. S'welp me, -yer did.' -</p> - -<p> -'Don't act so barmy, Pincher,' Joshua expostulated, bitterly aggrieved. -'W'en I sez a pint I only means a pint directly I gits ashore. I didn't -say 'ow much I'd 'ave arterwards.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, yer ain't goin' ter 'ave one now, any'ow,' Martin retorted. 'If -you goes drinkin' now, I sha'n't come ter tea along o' yer an' Missis -Figgins; an' I wants me two bob back, strite, I do.' -</p> - -<p> -'Wot d' yer want ter go spoilin' a chap's bit o' sport fur?' Billings -grumbled feelingly. 'I'm that dry I could jist do wi' a pint. No more'n -a pint, I promises yer.' -</p> - -<p> -But Pincher was adamant. 'If yer feels dry yer kin go and buy yerself -some lemonade. Yer don't git no beer while yer along o' me.' -</p> - -<p> -'Lemonade! 'Oo wants lemonade, 'orrible pisenous stuff full o' hacids -an' sich like! Only fit fur kids ter swaffle!' -</p> - -<p> -'Yer won't git no beer, so it ain't no use yer talkin'.' -</p> - -<p> -'Oh, ain't it bloomin' well?' the A.B. exclaimed, beginning to get -angry. 'Yer ain't lookin' arter me, yer knows. It's me wot's lookin' -arter you.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher held out his hand. 'Orl right, then,' he said quietly; 'give me -back me two bob wot yer borrowed.' -</p> - -<p> -Joshua glared at him in speechless astonishment 'Give it back to yer?' -he almost shouted. 'Not 'arf I don't!' -</p> - -<p> -'Orl right. S' long, then; I'm not comin' along ter tea wi' Missis -Figgins. Yer knows werry well yer carn't go takin' ladies along ter th' -pictures if yer starts drinkin' now.' Martin pretended to move off. -</p> - -<p> -There was some truth in the remark, and Billings felt rather foolish. -''Ere, 'arf a mo'!' he expostulated. 'Don't shove orf. Look 'ere, chum; -she 'as a drop 'erself now an' then. Allus 'as a bottle o' stout along -wi' 'er dinner, an' another along o' 'er supper. Told me so 'erself.' -He looked hopefully to see if this information would have the desired -effect, but Martin merely shook his head. -</p> - -<p> -It took at least five minutes further argument, and much backing and -filling between the two pavements, before Billings could be drawn off -from the glaring portals of the 'Rose and Crown.' He seemed attracted -to the place like a steel filing to a magnet; and it was all Martin -could do to entice him away. But he succeeded eventually, and, with -Joshua still complaining bitterly, the two adventurers entered a -barber's shop to have their hair cut. -</p> - -<p> -At five-thirty precisely they both returned to the shop to find Mrs -Figgins there. She was a short, bulbous little woman of uncertain age, -with her dark hair, slightly streaked with gray, drawn tightly over her -head and tied in a knob behind. Except for her blue eyes, which -twinkled through her spectacles as she talked, she bore little -resemblance to her daughter, but, for all that, possessed a certain -vivacity of manner and speech which more than made up for lack of good -looks. She greeted them with cordiality. -</p> - -<p> -'It's pleased I am to see you an' your friend, Mister Billings,' she -said, when Pincher had been solemnly introduced. 'Such a day I 'ave 'ad -you never would believe. Went to see my poor John's brother's wife at -Dorchester. 'Er youngest, Halfred, 'im that was born last Easter, 'as -come out all over in red spots, an' the doctor doesn't know wot to make -of 'em. 'E's a fraud, I think,' she went on—speaking with great -rapidity, and nodding her head to emphasise the point—'a reg'lar -fraud, same as all doctors. I don't 'old wi' them an' their speriments. -I said to Jane that the boy was sickenin' for measles, 'cause the spots -are the same as wot Hemmeline 'ad when she was a baby; but the -doctor'—— -</p> - -<p> -'Measles!' Joshua ejaculated, with vague visions of being put in -quarantine. 'Infectious, ain't it?' -</p> - -<p> -'Don't be scared,' the lady laughed. 'It's all right so long as you've -'ad it before.—Hemmeline!' -</p> - -<p> -'Yes, mother?' came the girl's answer from the sitting-room at the back -of the shop. -</p> - -<p> -'Is that kettle boilin' yet? 'Ere's Mister Billings an' 'is friend -ready for their teas.' -</p> - -<p> -'All ready, mother. Look out you shut the outer door in case of -customers coming.' -</p> - -<p> -Mrs Figgins shut the door, and then ushered her guests into the -sitting-room. It was a bright little apartment, with a cheerful fire -blazing in an old-fashioned grate, before which, judging from the -smell, Emmeline had been making hot buttered toast. The room was -crammed with furniture, and was decorated with china ornaments, velvet -hangings, and pictures, conspicuous among these being a large -photographic enlargement of the late Mr John Figgins. It hung in a -massive gilt frame, and the defunct gentleman was shown in black -cut-away coat, dark trousers, high choker collar, white tie, and a very -shiny top-hat. He gripped a walking-stick and a pair of gloves in one -hand, while the other rested in <i>négligé</i> fashion upon a large -marble column bearing a very palpable imitation palm. He had side -whiskers and rather a fierce expression. There were also three large, -highly coloured oleographs. One depicted the late Queen Victoria at the -time of her 1887 Jubilee; another, entitled 'Lead, Kindly Light,' -showed a sailing-ship in dangerous proximity to the Eddystone -Lighthouse during a terrible storm; and the third, some immaculate -soldiers in tight red tunics saying good-bye to a number of lachrymose, -slim-waisted ladies on the platform at Waterloo Station. They were, it -would appear, about to sail for South Africa—the soldiers, I mean, not -the ladies. -</p> - -<p> -On the mantelpiece stood a cabinet photograph of Joshua Billings in an -ornate aluminium frame painted with forget-me-nots. The original -glanced at it with a self-conscious smirk. It had been his last present -to Mrs Figgins, and he felt it augured well for his prospects to see it -in the place of honour. -</p> - -<p> -But Pincher was not so much interested in the appearance of the room as -in that of the round table in the centre of the apartment. It was -spread for tea, and such a tea! There was a fine crusty cottage loaf -and a generous plate of sliced ham; a mountain of shrimps lay cheek by -jowl with an enormous pot of jam; while rounds of hot buttered toast, a -large currant-cake, and a pile of mixed pastry stood on the outskirts -of the more substantial comestibles. Martin sucked his teeth -appreciatively. There were only four places laid, he was glad to see. -The ship's steward's assistant from the flagship was evidently not -coming. -</p> - -<p> -Mrs Figgins settled herself in front of the teapot, and began pouring -out, keeping up a rapid flow of conversation the while. 'Mister -Billings,' she said, motioning with her head to the place on her right, -'will you sit 'ere? an' you, Mister Martin, 'ere? Hemmeline will be -opposite me. I 'ope you will 'elp yourselves to anything you fancy, and -if hanybody likes heggs, I've got some werry nice ones fresh in from -the country to-day. My poor John was fond of a hegg to 'is tea,' she -added, gazing sadly at the representation of her late husband. -</p> - -<p> -'I reckons we kin do werry well wi' wot we 'ave 'ere,' remarked -Billings, glancing round the table with an approving smile, and helping -himself to ham and hot buttered toast. 'Thank yer, Missis Figgins,' he -continued, 'two lumps fur me.' He took the proffered cup with a coy -smile, put it down, and began to masticate noisily. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher fancied shrimps to start with; but Emmeline, who had her own -ideas as to how a lady should behave, scorned the more substantial -eatables, and nibbled daintily at a piece of thin bread and jam. -</p> - -<p> -''Ave a bit of 'am, my gal,' said her mother, helping herself to that -delicacy, and handing the plate across. -</p> - -<p> -'No, thanks, mother. I'll spoil my supper if I do.' -</p> - -<p> -'Quite right, miss,' murmured Billings, with his mouth rather full. 'I -never could understan' 'ow folks wot 'as a reg'lar supper kin stow -their kites full at tea-time. 'Orrible 'abit, I calls it. On board, ye -see,' he hastened to explain, lest he himself should be thought a -glutton, 'we 'as a sort o' 'igh tea, an' a bit o' biscuit or sich like -fur our suppers. It ain't wot you'd call a proper meal.' -</p> - -<p> -Martin gasped. He knew that on board the <i>Belligerent</i> Joshua -frequently had kippers for his tea, while six rashers of bacon and six -fried eggs often formed his evening meal at a quarter past seven. -</p> - -<p> -Emmeline raised her eyebrows. 'Kites?' she asked, rather surprised. -'What's kites?' -</p> - -<p> -'Stummick, 'e means, miss,' put in Pincher, anxious to air his -knowledge. 'Mister Billings'—— He heard a horrified gasp, looked up, -saw Emmeline frowning at him fiercely, thought better of what he was -going to say, and then stared at his plate, with his face getting -redder and redder. He had evidently put his foot into it rather badly. -</p> - -<p> -But the girl did not intend to let him off. 'We don't mention those -things in polite society,' she pointed out acidly. 'It's not nice.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher said nothing, but wished that the floor might open and swallow -him whole. -</p> - -<p> -'Yer promised ye'd come along o' me ter th' pictures ter-night, Missis -Figgins,' remarked Joshua, finishing his ham and looking round the -table. 'Thought we'd go an' 'ave a bit o' supper at a restorong -arterwards.' -</p> - -<p> -'Promised you, did I?' the widow returned, handing him a plate of -jam-puffs with a sweet smile.' 'Ave one o' these? Or do you fancy a -piece o' cake? It's 'ome-made.' -</p> - -<p> -Joshua helped himself to the pastry. 'Yus,' he said, 'yer promised ye'd -come.' -</p> - -<p> -'Oh, did I?' the lady said archly, determined to keep him on -tenter-hooks. 'Think I've got nothin' to do but to go to them silly -pictures? 'Oo's goin' to mind the shop, I should like to know?' -</p> - -<p> -'I don't want to go out, mother,' Emmeline put in. -</p> - -<p> -'Course you don't, my gal,' said her mother. 'It's not respectable for -gals to be hout after dark unless they're hescorted.' -</p> - -<p> -'No,' Billings agreed, pausing in the act of biting a large chunk off -his jam-puff; 'it ain't fit an' proper fur gals o' your age to go abart -unpertected like.' -</p> - -<p> -Emmeline glared at him. 'Oh, isn't it?' she retorted. 'And who asked -you to put your oar in, Mister Billings? I'll have you know I'm quite -capable of looking after myself, and I wouldn't go along of you if you -were the last man on earth. You'd best take mother along to the -pictures, and not worry your head about what I'm going to do.' She -tossed her head. -</p> - -<p> -Billings, covered with confusion, retired from the contest and resumed -his meal. -</p> - -<p> -Mrs Figgins, anxious to keep the peace, looked up apprehensively. 'No -need to let your tongue run away wi' you, Hemmeline,' she chided. -'Mister Billings agrees wi' what I think about it, an' there's no call -for you to get snappy.—All right, Josh—Mister Billings,' she added; -'I'll come with you. What about your friend?' -</p> - -<p> -Joshua, insinuating a massive fist under the tablecloth, squeezed his -loved one affectionately by the hand. 'That's orl right,' he murmured, -greatly relieved and very happy. -</p> - -<p> -'But what about Mister Martin?' -</p> - -<p> -''Is leaf's up at seven,' Joshua explained. ''E carn't come.' -</p> - -<p> -'Thank goodness for that!' Emmeline remarked with a loud sniff. What -she meant exactly Pincher could not imagine, but it was quite obvious -that she meant to hurt his feelings. She succeeded, for he felt more of -a fool than ever; and it was just as well, perhaps, that at that moment -the shop door opened with a clang to admit a customer, and the girl -left the room. -</p> - -<p> -From a purely gastronomic point of view, though Martin did not do full -justice to it, the meal was undoubtedly a success; but he returned to -the ship that evening in a very saddened frame of mind. He was bitterly -disappointed with Emmeline. She was pretty and attractive, he felt -bound to admit; but it was only too evident that she was not the least -taken with him, and, moreover, had no hesitation in showing it. She had -a nasty, snappy way of saying things, too. Billings had wilfully misled -him, and had borrowed two shillings under false pretences. He had led -Pincher to believe that he would be received with open arms; but all -that Joshua really cared about, apparently, was the feathering of his -own downy nest, ungrateful old sinner that he was! Drat Billings! Drat -Emme—— No; drat the ship's steward's assistant from the flagship! -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -Wilfrid Parkin, the ship's steward's assistant from the -<i>Tremendous</i>, was a gay young dog. He was a tall youth of about -Pincher's own age, with sleek, well-greased black hair. His clothes -were always immaculate and well brushed; he affected a crease down the -legs of his trousers; and, when he was ashore, the odour of scent and -pomatum generally emanated from his person. With his peaked cap set -jauntily on the side of his head, a cigarette pendulous from his lower -lip, and his double-breasted coat, white linen collar, and black tie, -he imagined himself to be vastly superior in breeding and deportment to -any man clad in the uniform of a bluejacket. Sometimes he even wore -brown kid gloves, hoping that this would cause ignorant people to take -him for an officer. -</p> - -<p> -He was not beautiful to gaze upon, but downright ugly, in fact, for his -putty-coloured face was covered with pimples, which he vainly -endeavoured to eradicate with somebody's patent ointment. But in spite -of this, and other blemishes, he had female admirers by the score; and -even the level-headed Emmeline, for some inscrutable reason, had fallen -a victim to his charms. She would not have admitted it if she had been -asked, of course; but the giddy Wilfrid had shown a preference for her -society, and Emmeline had not objected. -</p> - -<p> -Men disliked Parkin for his affectation and conceit. On board his ship -he had a very poor time; but ashore he was absolutely it, so far as the -ladies were concerned. He was a shining light at the local -skating-rink, where, in company with one or other of his girl friends, -he waltzed and two-stepped to his heart's content. When he could obtain -the necessary leave he always attended dances—'Entrance fee, one -shilling; evening dress optional'—and was never averse to singing -'They all love Jack,' or some other very nautical song, at a tea-party -at which ladies were present. -</p> - -<p> -It came to pass that one wet afternoon, when there was no football, -Pincher, feeling the want of exercise, was forced to take refuge in the -skating-rink, and almost the first person he saw was Emmeline Figgins -gliding round with the immaculate Wilfrid. They both skated well; but -whereas the girl did it with a really natural grace, her companion, -desperately anxious to create an impression, put in sundry little kicks -and twirls of his own invention which made his performance border on -the ridiculous. He was showing off, in fact. -</p> - -<p> -Now Pincher could barely skate at all, much less dance, pirouette on -one leg, or hurtle round backwards; and, seeing Emmeline, he became -rather nervous, and wished to seek safety in flight. But he had paid -sixpence to come in, and could not very well demand his money back; so, -with a pair of skates in his hand, he stood sheepishly by the edge of -the rink watching the others. Emmeline spotted him the next time she -came round, smiled cheerily over her shoulder, and said something to -her companion, who shook his head. She was evidently in a good temper, -and Martin smiled back at her. -</p> - -<p> -The next time she drew near, it was more slowly. Checking her speed, -she came gracefully to rest by the padded balustrade immediately -opposite where Pincher stood. She was flushed with the exercise, and -looked quite adorable. Parkin hovered in the background. -</p> - -<p> -'Well,' she asked gaily, extending her hand, 'aren't you going to say, -"How d' you do?" Mister Martin?' -</p> - -<p> -'How d'ye do, miss?' said Pincher, shaking it, but half-suspecting she -was about to make a fool of him. -</p> - -<p> -'This is Mister Parkin,' Emmeline went on, presenting the spotty-faced -one. 'Mister Parkin—Mister Martin of the <i>Belligerent</i>.' -</p> - -<p> -''Ow do, Parkin?' remarked Pincher with a nod. -</p> - -<p> -'Pleased to meet yer,' murmured the other, with a low bow and a lofty -expression. 'What terrible weather we are 'avin' for the time of year, -are we not?' -</p> - -<p> -The ordinary seaman stared at him in astonishment; while Emmeline, -unable to restrain herself, burst out into a little chuckle of -amusement. -</p> - -<p> -'What's the matter now, Miss Figgins?' Parkin asked, rather aggrieved. -</p> - -<p> -'I'm amused at your polite talk,' she said, laughing openly. 'You do -put on such airs sometimes, Mister Parkin. I can't help laughing.' -</p> - -<p> -'Oh, can't you?' retorted the pimply gentleman. 'You needn't go saying -them things in front of—er'—he was going to say 'ordinary seamen,' -but noticed Martin was looking at him, and substituted 'other people.' -</p> - -<p> -'I'll say exactly what I please, Mister Parkin,' she returned with -asperity, deliberately turning her back upon him.—'Can you skate -well?' she asked Martin. -</p> - -<p> -'I kin jest git round, miss, but can do none o' them there fancy -touches.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, be quick, and get your skates on,' she said. 'I'll help you. -Mister Parkin is tired of my company, I think.—You'd better go and -look for some one else to skate with,' she added to Wilfrid over her -shoulder. -</p> - -<p> -'You said you was going to skate with me the 'ole afternoon,' he -protested angrily. -</p> - -<p> -'Can't help what I said,' Emmeline retorted, tossing her head. 'I've -changed my mind. Run away, like a good boy, or I shall get angry with -you.' -</p> - -<p> -Parkin, after further useless expostulation, eventually skated off, -greatly annoyed. To think that Emmeline, his Emmeline, as he chose to -consider her, should dare to throw herself at the head of an ordinary -seaman, while he, Wilfrid Parkin, admittedly one of the best skaters in -the place, should be sent packing! It was insufferable—absolutely -insufferable! Assuredly he must teach this young woman that it was an -honour for her to be seen in his company at all. -</p> - -<p> -Martin himself hardly knew what to make of it. The last time he had met -the girl she had been deliberately rude, and had done her best to hurt -his feelings and to make him feel awkward. But now she was all smiles, -and was looking at him in quite a friendly way. He half-suspected a -trap of some kind, and that she intended to make a fool of him, after -all; but, murmuring his thanks, he strapped on his skates, removed his -cap, and stepped gingerly on to the floor. He got on better than he -expected, though he took good care not to try any rash experiments, and -rather enjoyed it. He was skating with quite the prettiest girl on the -rink, for one thing, and he was pleased to see Parkin's sullen scowl of -jealousy every time he flashed by with another lady on his arm. -</p> - -<p> -'Look at that horrid little thing, Jane Crawley!' Emmeline whispered in -Martin's ear. 'Stuck-up little minx! Giggling and laughing with Mister -Parkin, she is. Thinks it'll annoy me, I suppose.' -</p> - -<p> -'She don't look up ter much,' Pincher agreed, glancing at Wilfrid's -companion as they went past. -</p> - -<p> -Emmeline sniffed. 'She's not. She's in Skeets the draper's. Early -closing day to-day; that's why she's out. Never could stand them -shoppies; they give themselves such airs. Can't think what he sees in -her.' -</p> - -<p> -'Carn't think why you likes Mister Parkin,' murmured Pincher, blurting -out his thoughts without really meaning to. -</p> - -<p> -To his great surprise, Emmeline laughed. 'I don't like him,' she said. -'I thought I did at first, but I'm beginning to find him out now. He's -that conceited, you've no idea. Thinks he can order me about, too; and -I won't stick that.' -</p> - -<p> -'I don't think 'e's much class,' Martin observed, holding her hand -tighter. 'Puts on a lot o' swank fur a bloomin' dusty boy.'<a href="#note19" name="noteref19"><span class="fn">[19]</span></a> - -</p> - -<p> -Emmeline nodded. 'I'm fair sick of him. He's—— Hallo! Hold up!' But -it was too late, for Pincher stumbled heavily and sat down with a -thump. His partner released him just in time to save herself. -</p> - -<p> -Parkin, passing with Jane Crawley, had just touched Pincher's outer -skate. Whether it had been done intentionally or by accident Martin -never really knew; but if it was deliberate, the result far exceeded -Wilfrid's expectations. Pincher merely sat down on the floor rather too -hard to be pleasant; but Parkin, letting go his partner, pitched -forward, and came into violent contact with the wooden flooring with a -resounding bump. -</p> - -<p> -The two girls went to the rescue of their respective men, and a crowd -soon collected. Pincher, little damaged, picked himself up with a -laugh; but Parkin's injuries, though not really serious, were far more -spectacular. The front of his coat was thick with dirt, both the knees -of his trousers were badly torn, and he applied a handkerchief to his -dirty face to stanch a copious flow of blood from his damaged nose. -</p> - -<p> -'Look 'ere!' he exclaimed, quivering with passion and advancing on -Pincher with his fists clenched; 'you did that a purpose!' -</p> - -<p> -'He did nothing of the kind!' Emmeline burst out. 'And well you know -it. It was your own fault. You and your showing off!' -</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="115"><img src="images/002.jpg" alt="'It was 'is fault! I saw 'im stick 'is foot out!'" width="356" height="500"></a></div> -<p class="caption">'It was 'is fault! I saw 'im stick 'is foot out!'</p> -<p class="captionalignr"><span class="sc">Page 115.</span> -</p> - -<p> -'It was 'is fault!' shrilled Jane Crawley, pointing an accusing finger -at Martin. 'I saw 'im stick 'is foot out!' -</p> - -<p> -'No, I didn't,' Pincher protested. 'Never see'd yer comin'!' -</p> - -<p> -'Course he didn't,' Emmeline corroborated. 'How could he see you if you -were behind him?' -</p> - -<p> -'I tell you 'e did!' shouted Jane, becoming excited. -</p> - -<p> -'I didn't,' Martin expostulated. -</p> - -<p> -The crowd peered over each other's shoulders and laughed, for there -seemed every prospect of a fight on skates between Emmeline Figgins and -Jane Crawley, and another between Pincher Martin and Wilfrid Parkin. -The situation was most exciting. -</p> - -<p> -'You'll 'ave to pay for my trousers, any'ow!' Wilfrid blustered, -looking down at his torn garments. -</p> - -<p> -The onlookers tittered. 'That's it,' some one said jocularly; 'you 'ave -the law on 'im, my son.' -</p> - -<p> -'Sha'n't pay a penny!' Pincher said. -</p> - -<p> -'That's right, little un!' came a voice from the crowd; 'don't you be -put upon!' -</p> - -<p> -'I'll bloomin' well make you!' shouted Parkin, squaring up. 'I'll give -you a thick ear if you don't!' -</p> - -<p> -'I ain't afraid o' you!' Pincher retorted, glaring at him. 'You 'it me -an' see wot you gits!' -</p> - -<p> -'Go on, Will. Give 'im one,' advised the pugnacious Jane. -</p> - -<p> -'You'll do nothing of the sort,' said Emmeline quietly, stepping -between the two men. 'If you want to kick up a shindy, Mister Parkin, -you'd best do it outside.' -</p> - -<p> -'I say it was the sailor's fault!' reiterated the other lady shrilly. -'I saw 'im'—— -</p> - -<p> -'Now then, what's all the fuss about?' asked the rink manager severely, -pushing his way through the throng. 'We can't 'ave these sort of -goings-on 'ere. You've 'eld up the 'ole proceedings. Somebody fallen -down—what?' -</p> - -<p> -''E tried ter knock me down a purpose,' said Pincher, indicating his -adversary. -</p> - -<p> -'You're a liar!' retorted Parkin. 'It's like this,' he went on, trying -to explain the situation. 'I was skatin' parst this man, w'en all of a -sudden 'e puts out 'is foot an''—— -</p> - -<p> -'He did nothing of the kind,' Emmeline interrupted. 'It's him who's -telling lies, and well he knows it.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, I can't 'ave these goings-on 'ere,' the manager returned, -glaring at them all in turn. 'I must ask the ladies and gentlemen -concerned to step outside and settle their differences elsewhere. Come -on, please.' -</p> - -<p> -'Come on, Mister Martin. We'd best go. I hate all this fuss,' Emmeline -whispered. She moved off. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher, nothing loath, unstrapped his other skate—one had already -come off in his tumble—and followed her, but not before Parkin had -hurled a final remark. -</p> - -<p> -'Orl right, Mister Martin!' he said very venomously. 'I'll be even wi' -you over this 'ere!' -</p> - -<p> -'I'll take you on any day you likes!' Pincher threw back. 'I ain't -afraid o' you, you great skinny lamplighter!' -</p> - -<p> -'And I'll never speak to you again, Wilfrid Parkin,' Emmeline put in, -'Call yourself a gentleman! I don't think!' She snorted loudly to show -her contempt. -</p> - -<p> -'Come on, come on! Don't let's 'ave any more o' this, please!' from the -manager. -</p> - -<p> -'Orl right, old puddin'-face. Keep yer 'air on!' Pincher observed with -a smile. -</p> - -<p> -The lookers-on laughed loudly, for the manager was rather unpopular, -and his face really was too fat to be pleasant. -</p> - -<p> -'Pudding-face!' he gasped. 'Who are you calling pudding-face?' -</p> - -<p> -But Pincher was out of earshot. -</p> - - -<h3> -III. -</h3> - -<p> -'Request-men an' defaulters—'shun!' bawled the master-at-arms, as the -commander passed aft along the quarterdeck and took his stand behind a -small scrubbed table upon which were a pile of papers and several -ponderous-looking books. -</p> - -<p> -'Petty Officer Weatherley!' -</p> - -<p> -The petty officer left the line, stepped smartly forward to the table, -clicked his heels, and saluted. -</p> - -<p> -'Petty Officer William Weatherley,' the M.A.A.<a href="#note20" -name="noteref20"> -<span class="fn">[20]</span></a> - went on, 'requests -hextension o' leaf till two <span class="smc">P.M.</span> on Monday.' -</p> - -<p> -The commander looked up. 'Can he be spared?' was his first question. -</p> - -<p> -'Request's signed by the torpedo lootenant, sir,' the M.A.A. explained; -for Weatherley, being a torpedo gunner's mate by calling, was one of -Hatherley's myrmidons. -</p> - -<p> -'Why d'you want this extension?' the commander asked, playing with a -pencil. -</p> - -<p> -'Urgent private affairs, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -'Yes, quite so. But what are the private affairs, and why are they -urgent? Week-end leave expires at nine o'clock on Monday, you know.' -</p> - -<p> -'I can't very well say, sir,' the petty officer said, glancing at the -crowd of ship's corporals round the table. 'My reasons are rather -private, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -'Oh, I see. Can you tell me?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yes, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -The commander left the table, beckoned the man to follow him, and -walked aft out of earshot of every one else. For quite a minute they -talked together, and then the officer nodded, and Weatherley, with a -pleased grin, saluted and marched off. -</p> - -<p> -'Request granted, master-at-arms,' the commander observed, coming back -to the table. 'Next man.' -</p> - -<p> -The M.A.A. made a note in his book. 'Able Seaman Billings!' he called. -</p> - -<p> -Joshua ambled aft at a jog-trot, halted in front of the table, and, -from sheer force of habit, removed his cap. -</p> - -<p> -'Keep yer 'at on!' growled one of the ship's corporals in an undertone. -'You ain't a defaulter!' -</p> - -<p> -The commander turned his face away to hide a smile, and Billings, -covered with confusion and rather redder in the face than usual, -resumed his headgear. -</p> - -<p> -'Able Seaman Joshua Billings. Requests a turn o' week-end leaf out o' -watch.' -</p> - -<p> -'Has he got a substitute?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir.' -</p> - -<p> -'Why d' you want leave out of your turn?' the commander asked, eyeing -the A.B. with a half-smile hovering round his mouth. 'You've been -ashore a good bit lately, haven't you?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir, I 'as,' Joshua answered, fidgeting. 'But ye see, sir, it's -like this 'ere. I've got werry himportant business ashore 'ere, sir, -an' I wants to git it fixed up.' -</p> - -<p> -'What sort of business? Money, or something of that kind?' -</p> - -<p> -'No, sir. 'Ardly that. It's ter do wi' a lady, sir—lady wot lives -ashore 'ere an' keeps a sweet an' bacca shop wot sells noospapers. -I'm—I'm'—— Joshua paused, licked his lips, and shifted his feet -nervously. -</p> - -<p> -The commander smiled. 'Are you—er—in love with the lady?' he asked. -</p> - -<p> -The master-at-arms and one of the ship's corporals cleared their -throats noisily. -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir, that's abart it. Yer see, sir,' Billings went on, in a sudden -burst of confidence, 'I sez ter meself that it's abart time I started -lookin' round fur somethin' ter do w'en I leaves the service, seein' as -'ow I'm close on me pension, an' I sez ter meself'—— -</p> - -<p> -'Yes. I quite understand,' the commander interposed kindly. 'Time is -short, and you needn't go into details as to how it happened. You've -behaved yourself well for the last couple of months, so I'll grant your -request. You mustn't make a habit of it, that's all. Look out, too, you -don't get into trouble, and, above all'—he looked up with a -smile—'beware of evil companions. I wish you luck in your affair, -Billings.' -</p> - -<p> -'Thank you, sir. Same to you, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -'Request granted. 'Bout turn, double march!' broke in the M.A.A. -</p> - -<p> -Joshua saluted and trotted off, very much pleased with himself. -</p> - -<p> -Several other requests were dealt with, and then came the turn of the -defaulters. -</p> - -<p> -'Ord'nary Seaman Martin!' shouted the M.A.A. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher, arrayed in his best serge suit, in the hope that his smart -appearance might mitigate his offence, ran nervously forward and halted -in front of the table. -</p> - -<p> -'Orf cap! Ord'nary Seaman William Martin. First, did remain habsent -over leaf two an' a narf hours, an' was happrehended an' brought aboard -by the naval patrol. Second, did create a disturbance in St John's -Street, Weymouth, at 'arf-parst nine <span class="smc">P.M.</span> hon th' night o' -the eleventh hinstant.' -</p> - -<p> -The commander rubbed his chin thoughtfully and gazed at the buff -charge-sheet on the table in front of him. 'Where's the petty officer -of the patrol?' he asked, without looking up. -</p> - -<p> -'Petty Officer Bartlett!' -</p> - -<p> -The petty officer hurried forward, and halted with a salute. -</p> - -<p> -'Make your report,' said the commander. -</p> - -<p> -'The night before last, sir, at 'arf-parst nine, I was in St John's -Street with the patrol, w'en I sees a bit o' a crowd collected, an' -some one tells me that two sailors was fightin'. I 'urries forward, -sir, disperses the people with the hassistance o' a policeman, an' -finds this 'ere man, sir'—he indicated Martin with his -thumb—'fightin' with hanother man.' -</p> - -<p> -'Who was the other man?' -</p> - -<p> -'Ship's stooard's hassistant from the flagship, sir. I've forgot 'is -exac' name.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, go on.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, sir, I happrehends 'em both, an' takes 'em off an' keeps 'em -under harrest, at the same time hinformin' the orficer o' the picket -wot I done.' -</p> - -<p> -'Who was the officer of the picket?' -</p> - -<p> -'I was, sir,' said Lieutenant English, coming forward. -</p> - -<p> -'Did you see those men fighting?' asked the commander. -</p> - -<p> -'No, sir, not actually fighting. I saw them both immediately -afterwards.' -</p> - -<p> -'Were they drunk?' -</p> - -<p> -'No, sir. They were excited, and the ship's steward's assistant's nose -was bleeding badly.' There was no necessity for the officer to describe -Pincher's injuries, for that youth had a remarkably fine specimen of a -black eye. -</p> - -<p> -'Did they resist the patrol?' the commander asked, turning to Petty -Officer Bartlett. -</p> - -<p> -'Not this man, sir. 'E came along quite quiet. The other man kicked up -a bit o' a dust.' -</p> - -<p> -'H'm! I see,' the commander observed with his lips twitching.—'What -have you got to say?' he added, addressing Martin. 'First, why did you -break your leave?' -</p> - -<p> -'Please, sir,' Pincher explained with the air of an injured innocent, -'I 'adn't no intention o' doin' it. I comes down ter th' pier at seven -o'clock an' finds the boat jest shoved orf. The clocks wus all wrong, -sir. I sez ter meself I'll come orf by the late orficers' boat at -'arf-parst ten; so I goes back, sir, 'as a bit o' supper, an' then, at -'bout 'arf-parst nine, I meets Parkin'—— -</p> - -<p> -'Who's Parkin?' -</p> - -<p> -''Im wot I was fightin' wi', sir.' -</p> - -<p> -'Go on.' -</p> - -<p> -'I meets 'im in the street, sir. We ain't the best o' friends, 'cos me -an' 'im 'ad a bit o' a shimozzle'—— -</p> - -<p> -'Shimozzle!' echoed the commander, looking rather puzzled. 'What on -earth's that?' -</p> - -<p> -'Bit o' a dust-up, sir,' Pincher explained. -</p> - -<p> -'Well, go on.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, sir,' the culprit resumed, 'we 'ad a bit o' a hargument at th' -skatin'-rink abart a week ago. 'E was walkin' in the street along o' a -lady, sir; but as soon as 'e sees me 'e leaves 'er an' comes across ter -me. "You dirty little 'ound!" 'e sez, usin' 'orrible langwidge, "I've -got yer now!" "You keep a civil tongue in yer 'ead, Mister Parkin," I -sez, polite like. 'E don't wait fur no more, sir, but ups an' 'its me -on th' 'ead. I couldn't stand that, sir, so I 'its 'im back. We 'adn't -bin at it no more 'n five minutes,' he added regretfully, 'w'en the -patrol comes along, sir.' Martin, who had been carefully drilled as to -what he had to say by Billings, himself a past-master at the art of -inventing excuses, reeled off his tale glibly enough, and then paused -for breath. -</p> - -<p> -The commander seemed rather perplexed. 'Why is it that Parkin and -yourself are such bitter enemies?' he asked, looking up with a frown. -'Why can't you behave yourselves like ordinary people?' -</p> - -<p> -'It's like this 'ere, sir,' Pincher said, going off into a long-winded -and very complicated explanation, which brought in Emmeline, the affair -at the skating-rink, and how it had all happened. -</p> - -<p> -'Oh, I see,' the commander observed. 'A girl's really at the bottom of -it—what?' -</p> - -<p> -Martin hung his head and made no reply. -</p> - -<p> -'You've got a very good black eye, I see, and a swollen mouth. Did you -do him any other damage besides making his nose bleed?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir,' said Pincher hopefully, looking up with the ghost of a smile. -'I thinks one o' 'is eyes is bunged up too.' -</p> - -<p> -'Indeed! Well, so far as I can see, it's a question of six of one and -half-a-dozen of the other.—Where's his record?' the commander asked, -turning to a ship's corporal, who was holding an enormous conduct-book -open against his bosom. 'H'm! No entries. Clean sheet. What division's -he in?' -</p> - -<p> -'Mine, sir,' said Lieutenant Tickle, coming forward. -</p> - -<p> -'What sort of a man is he? Had any trouble with him?' -</p> - -<p> -'None at all, sir. Does his work quite well.' -</p> - -<p> -The commander turned to the misdemeanant. 'Well,' he said, speaking -quite kindly and quietly, 'you haven't been in the service very long, -my lad; but the sooner you realise we can't have this sort of thing -going on the better. I don't object to fighting—we're all paid to do -that when the time comes; but if you want to take on one of your -squadron-mates, you'd better do it somewhere where you won't be seen. -Brawling in the streets only gets the navy into disrepute, so bear it -in mind.' He paused. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher hung his head. -</p> - -<p> -'I can't say which of you was to blame,' the commander went on, 'but I -can't overlook your offence. However, it's the first time you've been -up before me, so I'll let you off lightly. You'll have seven days No. -10;<a href="#note21" -name="noteref21"> -<span class="fn">[21]</span></a> - and next time you want to fight anybody, or anybody wants to -fight you, you let me know, and we'll provide you with boxing-gloves, -and let you hammer each other on board during the dog watches. This man -was bigger than you, eh?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, I'm glad to see you've got pluck, and that you gave him more -than he gave you. That's all. Don't come up before me again, mind.' -</p> - -<p> -'Seven days No. 10! 'Bout turn! Double march!' ordered the -master-at-arms. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher ran off, rather pleased with himself. It was the first time he -had been a defaulter, and he had dreaded the ordeal; but he found the -commander was quite human, after all. Moreover, he had expected to be -punished far more severely for the affray; while the leave-breaking -offence, for which he was liable to a mulet of one day's pay and -stoppage of one day's leave, had been completely ignored. The fact of -the matter was that the commander, though he took good care not to say -so, sympathised with Pincher in his heart of hearts. He liked a man who -stood up for himself, and when he had interviewed the other defaulters -he called Tickle to his side. -</p> - -<p> -'That fellow Martin of yours,' he said; 'he seems a plucky young devil -for his age?' -</p> - -<p> -'He is, sir,' the lieutenant agreed; 'quite a promising lad. I've had -my eye on him for some time. He's got plenty of—er—guts too, sir. -English tells me that fellow who went for him was double his size.' -</p> - -<p> -'So much the better,' the senior officer grinned. 'I wish he had -knocked him out.' -</p> - -<p> -For the next week Pincher was undergoing the rigours of No. 10 -punishment. He didn't like it at all. To start with, he had to turn out -of his warm hammock at four-thirty <span class="smc">A.M.</span>, had his meal-times -cut down to the barest minimum, while all his spare time was taken up -in rifle exercise, physical drill, or extra work of some kind. It was -far too strenuous to be pleasant, particularly as his leave was -stopped, and he could not go ashore. However, with Billings's -assistance, he found time to write a letter to Emmeline, which the A.B. -delivered. -</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> -<p> - '<span class="sc">Dere Miss Figgins</span>'—it ran—'i am in trubble, having got - in the rattle for fighting Mister Parkin larst thursday night in - Weymouth. i made his nose bleed agen, and bunged up one of his - eyes. i got a black eye and a swollen mouth, and seven days No. 10 - for my trubble; but i hopes to come ashore agen next sunday. i'm - glad he got the wurst of it. Hoping this finds You as it leaves - me—[It is to be hoped that Emmeline, also, had not got a black eye - and a swollen mouth]—I remains, miss, your obedient servant, -</p> - -<p class="sig"> - '<span class="sc">Wm. Martin</span>.' -</p> -</div> - -<p> -The missive elicited a reply. -</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> -<p> - '<span class="sc">Dear Mr Martin</span>'—it said—'I am sorry to hear that you - have been punished, but Mr Billings says it is not serious. I am - glad to hear that Mr Parkin got the worst of it. I do not like him. - The shindy at the skating-rink was all of his making, and he - deserves what he got and more. Mother will be pleased if you will - come to tea next Sunday at five o'clock <span class="smc">P.M.</span> I will be - in, and you can tell us all about it. I hope your face will soon be - all right. My Mother says Zambuk ointment cured Father's face when - he fell off a cab once, and I have asked Mr Billings to get you - some. With compliments, I am yours sincerely, -</p> - -<p class="sig"> - <span class="sc">Emmeline Figgins</span>.' -</p> -</div> - -<p> -For several nights Pincher slept with Emmeline's note beneath his -pillow. -</p> - - - - -<a name="VIII"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER VIII. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -A FAIR SKY.</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -'Leaf!' sniffed Pincher disconsolately. 'Wot's the good o' seven days' -leaf ter a bloke wot ain't got no money?' -</p> - -<p> -'No money!' exclaimed Billings, rather surprised. 'Why ain't yer got -none? Thought yer wus one o' these 'ere chaps wot counted every penny.' -</p> - -<p> -'I've bin spendin' a good bit lately one way an' another,' Martin -explained, removing a half-used cigarette from the interior of his cap -and lighting it. -</p> - -<p> -Joshua grinned. He knew well enough that an ordinary seaman's pay of -one shilling and threepence <i>per diem</i>, less various necessary -personal expenses, did not go far when one was 'walking out' with a -young lady. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher loved his Emmeline very dearly, and Emmeline, she said, had -come to love him; but he was bound to admit she was rather an expensive -luxury. Moreover, he was far too proud to allow her to pay her share of -their amusements when he was with her, which was pretty often. So, what -with picture-palaces and visits to confectioners' shops, his -eight-and-ninepence a week went nowhere. He had even been forced to -borrow from his shipmates—always a difficult matter. -</p> - -<p> -Then there had been the affair of the locket, over which Pincher felt -he had been badly done. He had had his photograph taken, and had had it -mounted in a rolled-gold ornament of chaste design for which he had -paid the sum of seven shillings and sixpence, and this he had presented -to Emmeline to be worn round her neck in place of the one which already -hung there. He had imagined that this nine-carat gold case hid the -features of some other admirer. It did nothing of the kind. Its -interior, when he was allowed to investigate it personally, contained -nothing but a faithful likeness of the girl's father—top-hat, -side-whiskers, and all. Emmeline seemed rather amused. Pincher never -quite got over it. -</p> - -<p> -'Carn't yer get a hadvance o' money from th' paybob?'<a href="#note22" -name="noteref22"> -<span class="fn">[22]</span></a> - Joshua -suggested. "E ain't a bad old bloke so long as yer goes ter 'im wi' a -yarn o' bein' desperate 'ard up, an' yer pore ole farther's 'ome bein' -sold up, an' 'im an' yer ma an' the kids goin' ter th' work'ouse.' -</p> - -<p> -'I've tried that,' Pincher answered glumly. 'Leastways, orl excep' the -yarn wot yer said. 'E simply tells me I'm in debt ter the Crown 'cos o' -clothes an' other gear wot I've bought, an' that 'e carn't do nothink.' -</p> - -<p> -'I calls it a houtrage!' said Billings sympathetically, looking very -solemn. 'The way they bleeds us pore matloes is enuf—enuf—I carn't -think o' wot I wus goin' ter say,' he added lamely; 'but it's abart -time somethin' wus done. S'welp me, it is!' -</p> - -<p> -'An' abart time you pays back that two bob wot you borrowed off me,' -Pincher chipped in, remembering the debt. -</p> - -<p> -'Two bob!' cried Joshua, screwing up his face and trying hard to appear -as if he didn't know what Pincher was driving at. 'Wot two bob?' -</p> - -<p> -'Th' two bob I lends yer the night yer took Missis Figgins along ter -th' pictures. You knows orl abart it.' -</p> - -<p> -'Thought it wus a present ter me,' said the old sinner, unable to feign -further forgetfulness, but affecting to be very grieved. 'A bit o' a -return like fur me trubble in introjoocin' yer to th' gal. That's wot I -thought it wus; strite I did.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher laughed, for Billings's dissimulation was so very palpable. -'Don't act so barmy,' he observed. 'Yer knows it wasn't. Yer don't 'ave -me on like that.' -</p> - -<p> -'But two bob ain't no good ter yer fur Christmas leaf,' protested the -A.B., veering off on another tack. -</p> - -<p> -'Carn't 'elp that. I wants it back.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, you shall 'ave it,' Joshua grumbled. 'But I calls it a dirty -sort o' way ter treat a chap wot's done for you wot I 'ave.' -</p> - -<p> -'Garn! don't act so wet, I tell yer.' -</p> - -<p> -'Orl right! orl right! Don't go an' git rattled abart it,' said -Billings resignedly. 'You shall 'ave yer money. You shall 'ave it if I -'as ter go without bacca fur a month; but where'd you be, I should like -ter know, if yer 'adn't got a bloke like me ter look arter yer? Look -wot I done fur yer since yer jined this ship! Bin yer sea-daddy, I -'ave, same as if you were my own son, an' yet yer treats me like this! -Hingratitoode's wot I calls it. 'Orrible hingratitoode! Orl you young -blokes is the same!' He sighed deeply, and regarded Pincher with a -pained expression. -</p> - -<p> -The latter seemed rather concerned. 'If yer looks on it like that, -Billings, o' course I carn't'—— -</p> - -<p> -The A.B. waved an arm with a gesture of dissent. 'It's too late ter -start talkin' now,' he observed sadly. 'Th' 'arm's done. You shall 'ave -yer money, but you've gorn back on a pal, an' orl fur the sake o' two -bob. Two bob! Wot is it?' -</p> - -<p> -'Let's 'ave it, then,' said Pincher, holding out a tentative hand. -</p> - -<p> -''Ave it! Yer don't reely want it, do yer?' -</p> - -<p> -'Course I do.' -</p> - -<p> -'I'll give it yer afore I goes on leaf.' -</p> - -<p> -'I wants it now,' Pincher persisted, remembering Joshua's extremely -short memory. -</p> - -<p> -'D' you think I ain't honest?' the latter demanded. ''Cos, if yer do, -jest say th' word, an' see wot yer gits!' -</p> - -<p> -'I never sez you wasn't honest; but I wants me money back!' -</p> - -<p> -Billings saw that further argument was useless, sighed once more, -replaced his pipe in his mouth, fumbled under his jumper, and produced -a leather purse from the money-belt round his waist. Its contents -chinked opulently; but, shielding it from Pincher's wistful gaze, he -extracted a shilling and two sixpenny-pieces and handed them across. -'There ye are!' he grunted. 'Don't git sayin' as 'ow I doesn't pay me -debts.' -</p> - -<p> -'Yer pays 'em a bit be'ind time,' Pincher retorted with some truth, -secreting the coins on his own person. -</p> - -<p> -Joshua laughed in quite a friendly way. 'Tizzy-snatcher!' he growled, -with his eyes twinkling. -</p> - -<p> -But Pincher was bitterly disappointed about the leave. The men were to -be sent away for seven days, one party being at home for Christmas and -the other for the New Year. His watch were to start the following day; -but, beyond the two shillings he had just obtained from Billings, he -literally had not a penny to pay his train fare home. He could get the -usual third-class return ticket from Weymouth to London, and from there -on to his home, for the single fare; but even that would cost him the -best part of a sovereign. He had tried hard to induce the fleet -paymaster to give him an advance of pay, but that harassed officer, -pointing out that Pincher was already in debt to the Crown, firmly -declined to do so. Then Martin had endeavoured to borrow money from his -shipmates; but they, though sympathetic, wanted every penny they could -lay their hands on for their own purposes. He then thought of writing -to his people for the necessary sum, but abandoned the idea, because he -knew well enough that they, on their very limited income, always had -great difficulty in making both ends meet. Christmas, moreover, was -always an expensive time, and there were three younger Martins to be -considered. -</p> - -<p> -It was really rather galling, and he half-regretted having spent all -his money on Emmeline. Since joining the service he had been home on -leave before, of course, but not as an ordinary seaman of a first-class -battleship, and he was well aware that as such he would be a person of -some importance in the village. The blacksmith's son, Tom Sellon, had -left Caxton a mere country yokel to join the army. The winter previous, -as a strapping, full-fledged private of one of his Majesty's line -regiments, he had come home on a few days' furlough resplendent in a -wonderful red tunic. His arrival created no small stir, for Caxton lay -in the heart of the Midlands, and its inhabitants were unused to the -pomp and circumstance of war. Sellon, moreover, thought a great deal of -himself. According to him, Great Britain was inhabited by two classes -of people, those who were in the army and those who were not, and he -treated all 'civvies,' as he called them, with kindly tolerance. He -stood treat in a lordly sort of way at the 'Flying Swan,' and -condescended to drink what beer the village magnates offered him in -return for this hospitality. He was not averse to being friendly with -their pretty daughters either. In short, a scarlet tunic and an air of -self-assurance had worked wonders, for before he donned the red coat -Tom had been a mere nonentity. Now he was a personage, with a capital -P, and had even pretended to be rather diffident about accepting -half-a-sovereign which the squire, who had known him since childhood, -pressed into his palm one Sunday after church. -</p> - -<p> -Now Pincher, who knew little of the army, cordially despised soldiers -in his heart of hearts. He longed to cut out Tom Sellon, but this -cursed lack of money at the critical moment had upset all his plans. He -could have wept from sheer vexation, for there seemed no alternative to -spending Christmas on board. -</p> - -<p> -But it so happened that the railway company wished to know the number -of men proceeding by rail the next morning, and at 'Quarters' that -afternoon Tickle ordered all the men of the starboard watch of his -division to fall in on the right. Pincher went with them. -</p> - -<p> -'Are any of you men not going away by rail to-morrow morning?' the -officer asked. -</p> - -<p> -Four hands went up at once. -</p> - -<p> -'Why aren't you going?' Tickle asked the first man. -</p> - -<p> -'Spendin' the leaf in Weymouth, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -'And you?' to the next. -</p> - -<p> -'I lives in Dorchester, sir. Goin' on by a later train.' -</p> - -<p> -'Ain't takin' th' leaf, sir,' said the third. -</p> - -<p> -'Why not?' -</p> - -<p> -'Nowhere to go, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -'Have you no parents, or relations, or any one else you can go and stay -with?' -</p> - -<p> -'I'm an orphing, sir,' the man rather flummoxed him by replying. 'I'd -rather stay aboard the ship than go an' see me old uncle wot lives in -Peckham, sir. 'E's married agen, sir, an' 'is wife keeps a fried-fish -shop.' -</p> - -<p> -Tickle smiled and passed on. 'And what about you?' he queried, coming -to Martin. -</p> - -<p> -'Ain't got no money, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -'Have you been to the paymaster for an advance?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir.' -</p> - -<p> -'What did he say?' -</p> - -<p> -'Said I was in debt, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -'How much does it cost you to get home?' -</p> - -<p> -'Best part of a quid—sovereign, I means, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -Tickle thought for a minute, nodded, numbered those men who were going, -and then dismissed them. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher thought nothing more of the conversation, but that evening he -was told to go to the ship's office. -</p> - -<p> -'Is your name Martin?' asked an assistant-paymaster when he arrived. -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir.' -</p> - -<p> -'You want some money to go on leave with, eh?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir, please,' said the ordinary seaman, feeling hopeful. -</p> - -<p> -'We can let you have thirty shillings. Is that enough?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir,' Pincher exclaimed, his eyes glistening. -</p> - -<p> -'Are you willing to pay it back at the rate of three shillings a -month?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir.' -</p> - -<p> -'All right. Sign that receipt.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher, astounded at his good fortune, hurriedly scrawled his name, -was handed a golden sovereign and ten shillings in silver, and left the -office with a satisfied grin all over his face and the coins jingling -in his hand. He was so pleased at his good luck that he didn't stop to -consider where the money came from. All he cared about was that he had -got it, and that he could go home and cut out Tom Sellon, after all. -</p> - -<p> -As a matter of fact, it was Tickle himself who had acted the part of a -nautical fairy godmother. He had noticed that Pincher seemed very -unhappy, and had guessed the reason, and at first thought of lending -him the money outright. Thirty shillings more or less meant nothing to -him. But then, remembering that Martin would probably refuse the loan -from feelings of pride, he hit upon a better plan; so he went to the -fleet paymaster, handed him the money, and requested him to pay it over -to Pincher as if it were an official advance. -</p> - -<p> -'My dear Tickle,' protested Cashley, 'you'll never get it back! The -boy's already in debt to the Crown, and his pay's only one-and-three a -day!' -</p> - -<p> -'Let him pay it back at the rate of three bob a month, sir,' suggested -the lieutenant. 'I'm not particular. He looks so damned miserable at -not being able to get away on leave that I must do something. Don't -tell him it comes from me, though. He won't take it if he knows that.' -</p> - -<p> -'All right. I'll see to it,' the fleet paymaster acquiesced, smiling. -'I suppose,' he asked jokingly, 'you wouldn't lend a poor old buffer -like me twenty or thirty pounds to buy the wife a turkey and a -plum-pudding?' -</p> - -<p> -'I'd watch it, sir!' Tickle laughed. 'What about that new car you -bought a fortnight ago?' -</p> - -<p> -'That's why I want to borrow from you,' Cashley grinned. 'However, I'll -fix Martin's money up for you, though I must say I think you're a -tender-hearted fool, Tickle. You'll be badly had one of these days.' -</p> - -<p> -Tickle merely smiled. The prospect did not alarm him. -</p> - -<p> -So the next morning, at seven-thirty, Pincher, arrayed in his best -clothes, left the ship with a sweet smile and a little bundle of -necessaries done up in a blue-striped handkerchief. An hour later he -was sitting in a third-class carriage on his way to London, munching a -doubtful-looking sausage-roll, and listening to a slightly intoxicated -sailor next to him, who insisted on giving the company what he called -'a little moosic.' It consisted of a few fragmentary remarks in a -deep-bass rumble about the perils of a sailor's life, sudden hiccups as -full stops, and frequent gurgling noises and sounds of enjoyment as the -songster upended a quart bottle of Bass's light dinner ale, and applied -the business end to his mouth. He eventually finished the song and the -bottle at the same time, and, shying the latter playfully through the -open window, volunteered to fight the whole carriage. This pleasure -being denied him, he solemnly kissed the company all round, and then -went comfortably off to sleep with his mouth wide open, his head -resting affectionately on Pincher's shoulder, and his feet on the -opposite man's lap. Thus he remained until they arrived at Waterloo, -where, on disembarking, he never noticed that one of his -carriage-mates, by the skilful use of a burnt cork, had decorated his -upper lip with a large black moustache. -</p> - -<p> -History does not relate if he arrived home in this condition, for, -after vainly endeavouring to induce various laughing porters and the -amused guard of the train to 'come an' 'ave a wet, ole dear!' and then, -when they refused, wanting to show there was no ill-feeling by -exchanging headgear, he was last seen proceeding at three and a quarter -knots on rather an erratic course towards the nearest refreshment-room. -</p> - -<p> -But Pincher got home safe and sound without any difficulties of this -kind, and by four o'clock was in the bosom of his admiring family. -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -The leave was all too short, though Pincher did succeed in attracting -more attention than Tom Sellon, and was, after church on Christmas Day, -the bashful recipient of a congratulatory speech and a golden sovereign -from the squire. -</p> - -<p> -Captain the Hon. James Lawson, J.P., the lord of the manor and a good -many other things besides, was an old naval officer himself. He knew -all the villagers by name, and took more than a passing interest in any -of the boys who joined either the navy or the army. Pincher was aware -of this, and imagined that he had received a pound, as against Tom -Sellon's ten shillings the year before, because he happened to be a -member of the senior service. As a matter of fact, it was due to -nothing of the kind. It so happened that the squire had no smaller -change in his waistcoat pocket. -</p> - -<p> -But, at any rate, the news of Pincher's windfall was blurted far and -wide, and his reputation rose accordingly. It was quite simple. If -Thomas Sellon got ten shillings and William Martin a sovereign, -obviously 1 Martin = 2 Sellons;∴ the two families -almost came to blows to settle which was the better. Sellon père, in -fact, felt himself so bitterly offended that he nearly went to the -squire to complain. It was lucky for Captain Lawson that he didn't, for -that would have cost the worthy squire another ten shillings to soothe -his injured feelings. -</p> - -<p> -The week flew by, and when Pincher returned to the ship and his -Emmeline he soon settled down into the old routine. The girl, who -seemed to have adopted him as her permanent 'young man,' now took it -upon herself to correct the defects in his speech. -</p> - -<p> -'Billy,' she said one day as they were walking arm-in-arm along the -front at Weymouth, 'I don't like the way you talk.' -</p> - -<p> -'You don't like my talk!' he returned, rather nettled. 'It's orl right, -ain't it? Good enuf ter git on wi' aboard th' ship, any'ow!' -</p> - -<p> -'There you go again!' she pointed out, smiling. 'You say "ain't" -instead of "isn't," and "ter" instead of "to," and you drop your h's -something horrid.' -</p> - -<p> -'Wot's it matter if I do?' he demanded. 'I ain't—'aven't, I mean—'ad -th' hadvantage o' a heddication same as you.' -</p> - -<p> -The girl laughed outright. 'Don't get angry. I'm only telling you for -your own good.' -</p> - -<p> -'Orl right!' he retorted with asperity, disengaging his arm from hers; -'if I ain't good enuf for yer we'd best chuck the 'ole show, an' you -can go back to yer Mister Parkin—'im wot smells o' 'air-oil!' -</p> - -<p> -'Don't be silly, stupid!' she chided, slipping her arm through his -again and squeezing it affectionately. 'You know I don't like him a -little bit.' -</p> - -<p> -'You carn't like me, any'ow,' he remarked, bitterly offended. -</p> - -<p> -'Leastways, if yer did yer wouldn't go talkin' the same as yer do.' -</p> - -<p> -'Oh! don't I, indeed? Think I'd go walking out with you, and let -you—er—behave as you do, if I wasn't fond of you?' -</p> - -<p> -'Let's 'ave a kiss now,' Pincher suggested, drawing a little closer. -</p> - -<p> -Emmeline pulled back. 'Go away, you naughty boy!' she laughed, blushing -becomingly. 'Not in public, anyhow.' -</p> - -<p> -'Yer knows I loves yer, Hemmeline, don't yer?' Pincher asked. -</p> - -<p> -'M'yes,' she answered softly. 'If you didn't I don't suppose you'd -carry on the way you do. But plenty of boys have said the same thing -before, so you're not the only one—no, not by a long chalk.' -</p> - -<p> -'D' you love me, Hemmeline?' Pincher wanted to know. -</p> - -<p> -'Ah,' she said archly, 'now you're asking.' -</p> - -<p> -'Come on, tell us if yer do.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well,' she answered coyly, looking up at him through her long -eyelashes, 'just a little, perhaps, when you're a good boy. That's why -I want to tell you how to talk properly,' she went on to explain. 'I -want you to get on—see?' -</p> - -<p> -'Oh!' said Pincher, slightly mollified, but not knowing in the least -how a correct pronunciation would make him rise in his profession, -'that's the lay, is it?' -</p> - -<p> -Emmeline nodded. -</p> - - -<h3> -III. -</h3> - -<p> -By the end of February Martin had passed his examination in gunnery -without much difficulty, and was half-way through his seamanship -course. Here, under the guidance of Petty Officer Bartlett, he and -several others like him were taught the rudiments of boat-work under -oars and sail, the use of the compass and the helm, the rule of the -road at sea, heaving the lead, knotting and splicing, signalling, and a -hundred and one other things. The practical boat-work Pincher enjoyed, -and soon got into; while the knots and splices, thanks to private -tuition in his spare time from Joshua Billings, were comparatively easy -to master. The more theoretical part of the business, however, was a -little more difficult to absorb. -</p> - -<p> -'The compass,' Petty Officer Bartlett explained to the class, as they -sat round on stools in the foremost bag-flat—'the compass is what we -steers the ship with—see? It's supposed to point to the north pole, -but it don't really. On the cont'ary, it points to wot we calls the -north magnetic pole—see?' -</p> - -<p> -The pupils looked rather puzzled. -</p> - -<p> -''Owever,' the petty officer went on hurriedly, as one youth opened his -mouth to ask what might have been an awkward question, 'we needn't -worry our 'eads about that this arternoon, and you can take it from me -that it does point pretty nearly to the north—see? -</p> - -<p> -'This,' he continued, drawing an irregular circle on the blackboard, -'represents our compass-card, and 'ere we 'ave wot we calls the four -cardinal points—north, south, east, and west.' He divided the circle -into four parts by means of a vertical and a horizontal line, and -labelled their extremities. ''As anybody not got 'old o' that?' -</p> - -<p> -Everybody appeared to have grasped it, for they all sucked their teeth -and remained silent. -</p> - -<p> -The explanation continued, but half-way through his lecture Bartlett -had reason to suppose that certain members of the class were not paying -attention. -</p> - -<p> -''Udson!' he said, pausing, chalk in hand, and addressing a -freckle-faced youth, who had spent the afternoon surreptitiously eating -apples and sticking pins into the most prominent portion of the anatomy -of the man immediately in front of him, 'wot is the hopposite to -west-nor'-west?' -</p> - -<p> -'Sou'-sou'-west,' the youngster replied glibly. -</p> - -<p> -'Look 'ere, my son, you're not payin' hattention; that's wot's the -matter wi' you. D' you think I'm standin' up 'ere 'longside a -blackboard chawin' my fat<a href="#note23" -name="noteref23"> -<span class="fn">[23]</span></a> - for the good o' my 'ealth, or wot? Try -agen.' -</p> - -<p> -'Sou'-sou'-east,' the ordinary seaman attempted. -</p> - -<p> -'You thick-'eaded galoot!' Bartlett growled. 'Don't you want to learn -nothin'? Cos, if you don't, you're goin' the right way about it. Didn't -you 'ave no teachin' afore you joined the navy? Think it's a 'ome for -lost dogs, or wot? I asked you wot was hopposite to -west-nor'-west—see?' -</p> - -<p> -'East-sou'-east,' said Hudson at last. -</p> - -<p> -'Right! Why couldn't you 'ave said so before, 'stead o' wastin' my time -like this 'ere, you lop-eared, razor-necked son of a sea-cook? You -perishin' O.D.'s don't seem to 'ave no common-sense, some'ow.' -</p> - -<p> -And so, point by point, degree by degree, the petty officer gradually -hammered the subject into their skulls until their brains whirled and -their heads ached. Much of what he told them went in at one ear and out -at the other; but something stuck, and at the end of a fortnight most -of them could box the compass with a fair degree of accuracy, knew that -its circumference was divided into thirty-two points and three hundred -and sixty degrees, and were aware that each point was exactly eleven -degrees fifteen minutes from the next. In short, they came to regard it -as what it really is, an instrument whereby 'the mariner is able to -guide a ship in any required direction,' and not merely as a -complicated invention of the Evil One specially designed to involve the -moribund brains of ordinary seamen in intricate mental gymnastics. What -little wizard inside the compass-needle induced it to keep pointing -towards the magnetic pole, a spot which most of them pictured as a -desolate region of Esquimaux, icebergs, and polar bears, they did not -know. They were quite content to take it for granted that it did so. -The science of terrestrial magnetism, luckily for them, did not enter -into their curriculum. -</p> - -<p> -The learning of the marks and other details of the hand lead-line was -quite a simple matter, and all the class—even Hudson, the fool of the -party—could recite it all, poll-parrot fashion, at the end of the -first day's instruction. -</p> - -<p> -'Th' weight o' th' lead is ten ter fourteen pound, an' at th' bottom of -'im is a 'ole ter take a lump o' taller or soap ter hascertain th' -nature o' th' bottom.' Here the reciter took a deep breath, and gazed -anxiously at the instructor to see if he was correct. -</p> - -<p> -Bartlett nodded encouragingly. -</p> - -<p> -'Th' line is one an' a heighth hinches in circumference, an' is -twenty-five fadum long, an' one end is secured ter an 'ide becket at -th' top o' th' lead by means of a heye-splice. Th' hother end is made -fast to a stanchion in th' chains. Th' line is marked as follers: at -two fadum, two strips o' leather; at three fadum, three strips; five -an' fifteen, a piece o' white buntin'; seven an' seventeen, red -buntin'; thirteen, blue buntin'; ten, a piece o' leather wi' a 'ole in -'im; twenty, two knots. These is orl known as marks, cos they are -marked, an' orl them fadums wot ain't marked is called deeps.' -</p> - -<p> -Even Hudson knew all about the theoretical part of the business, so we -need go no further. -</p> - -<p> -But actually heaving the lead was a very different matter, for here the -learner was forced to take up his stand in the chains, a small platform -on a level with the forecastle, projecting perilously out over the -water. The victim rested his middle against the breast-rope, grasped -the line about two fathoms from the lead, and coiled the rest of the -line in his free hand. Then, very nervously, he proceeded to swing the -lead like an ordinary pendulum over the side of the ship to obtain -impetus, until, when the line was horizontal on its forward swing, he -was supposed to—what Bartlett called—'swing it over the 'ead in a -circle by bendin' the harm smartly in at the helbow as the lead is -risin', an' then let the harm go hout agen w'en the lead 'as passed the -perpendicular. Then, arter completin' two circles, slip the line from -orf the 'and, just before the lead comes 'orizontal, let 'im fly -for'ard into the water, release the coil o' line in the other 'and as -'e goes, gather up the slack w'en 'e reaches the bottom, an' call out -the depth o' water w'en the ship passes over the spot w'ere the lead -dropped—see?' -</p> - -<p> -He then proceeded to demonstrate, and, stepping into the chains, -whizzed the lead round his head with such ease and rapidity that his -pupils were gulled into the belief that it was quite simple. -</p> - -<p> -They all tried it in turn, but speedily found that a fourteen-pound -weight on the end of twelve feet of thin line is not really a pleasant -plaything. When they were at it by themselves the lead seemed horribly -unwieldy and dangerous, and, as often as not, through sheer fright, -they forgot to give the line at the right moment the vigorous twitch -which brought the lead circling round in a beautiful curve. The -consequence was that it would either descend perpendicularly from the -air in close proximity to their heads, or else would fall with a jerk -which nearly pulled their arms out of their sockets, neither of which -alternatives was exactly pleasant. But they practised it steadily for -half-an-hour daily, with the ship at sea and in harbour, and, -notwithstanding a few misadventures like heaving the lead on to the -forecastle in the midst of a group of men, or nearly braining -themselves, they improved by degrees. -</p> - -<p> -And so, in course of time, Pincher became rather less of a hobbledehoy -and rather more of a seaman. Fresh air and regular exercise worked -their usual wonders, for his pasty face became ruddy and his flabby -muscles hard; while plenty of good beef, bread, and potatoes caused his -spare figure to swell until he had to have his clothes let out by the -ship's tailors. Moreover, he was no longer the meek and timid Pincher -who had joined the ship a few months before. He was not behind-hand in -using his fists, and had come to find his own level; and many of the -youths who used to amuse themselves at his expense while he was still -in the verdant stage now found their little attentions repaid with -interest. Peter Flannagan, even, still an ordinary seaman, always in -trouble, and rapidly going to the dogs, shunned him like the plague. -</p> - -<p> -But Pincher, whatever his qualities, was no plaster saint. He did not -drink to excess, and never became what is known as 'tin 'ats,'<a href="#note24" -name="noteref24"> -<span class="fn">[24]</span></a> - but -was not averse to visiting public-houses when he went ashore. There was -really no reason why he shouldn't, provided he behaved himself. -</p> - -<p> -Emmeline's influence, moreover, kept him straight in other ways; and on -one occasion she saved him from getting into serious trouble for -breaking his leave. It was rather a long story, involving an evening -entertainment to which the girl had been invited, and to which Pincher -dearly longed to accompany her. He would have done it, too, if he had -been left to his own devices, quite regardless of the fact that all -leave expired at seven o'clock that night, as the ship was due to go to -sea at eight the next morning. -</p> - -<p> -Now, breaking one's leave is a serious offence at all times; but doing -it with the ship under sailing orders is far and away worse, and -Emmeline knew this. So at six-forty <span class="smc">P.M.</span> precisely she -sallied out with the unsuspecting Pincher on the pretext of going for a -walk, took him towards the pier, and, before he could stop her, marched -him straight up to a petty officer wearing a <i>Belligerent</i> -cap-ribbon. -</p> - -<p> -'D'you mind taking this young man off to the ship with you?' she asked. -'I'm afraid he's going to do something silly.' -</p> - -<p> -''Ere!' Pincher exclaimed angrily, 'wot's up wi' you? Wot's it got ter -do wi' you?' -</p> - -<p> -The P.O. seemed rather surprised at the girl's request. 'Wot's 'e bin -doin', miss?' he asked, touching his forelock. -</p> - -<p> -'It's not what he's been doing,' Emmeline explained; 'it's what he's -going to do. Says he's going to break his leave and get himself into -trouble.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher looked round with the obvious intention of breaking away; but -the P.O. nodded and grabbed him by the arm. 'You come along o' me, my -son,' he remarked gruffly. 'Come on! Don't git kickin' up a shindy -'ere!' -</p> - -<p> -'Interferin'!' Pincher blustered, wild with rage and struggling hard to -get free. 'Interferin'—that's wot I calls it! Wot's it got ter do wi' -you? Think becos you've got a killick<a href="#note25" -name="noteref25"> -<span class="fn">[25]</span></a> - on yer arm yer can do wot yer -likes, I suppose!—Has fur you, Miss Figgins, I'll'—— -</p> - -<p> -But the girl had discreetly turned her back, and was hurrying -homewards. -</p> - -<p> -'Come on!' growled the P.O., dragging him along. 'I reckons you ought -to be jolly thankful to the gal for takin' such a hinterest in you. -None o' that, now!' as Pincher began to struggle again. 'If you don't -come quiet like I'll call the patrol an' have you harrested. S' welp -me, I will! Come on! We've not got too much time on our 'ands!' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher, very chastened, saw that further resistance was useless, and -suffered himself to be conducted on board the boat without more -trouble. -</p> - -<p> -The ship was at sea for only a few days; and a week later, when he went -to see Emmeline again, he arrived in a very repentant mood, carrying a -bunch of violets as a peace-offering. -</p> - -<p> -'Well,' she said severely, as he entered the shop, 'I didn't think -you'd dare to come here again after what happened last Monday night.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher hung his head and got very red. 'Wouldn't dare!' he repeated. -'Why not?' -</p> - -<p> -'You know very well why not,' she said, eyeing him. 'What's that you've -got in your hand?' -</p> - -<p> -'Wilets,' he said. -</p> - -<p> -'Who for?' -</p> - -<p> -'I got 'em fur you,' he stammered. 'Thought p'r'aps you'd like 'em.' -</p> - -<p> -Emmeline's heart softened. 'Bill,' she said kindly, 'you know I didn't -want to make a fool of you, don't you?' -</p> - -<p> -No answer. -</p> - -<p> -'I only did it to save you getting into trouble,' she continued, -emerging from behind the counter and coming very close to him. 'It's -very kind of you to bring me the violets, dear Bill; I'll wear 'em in -my dress. You're not angry with me, are you?' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher looked up at her with a slow smile hovering round his lips. She -had called him 'dear,' a thing she had never done before, and that -showed he was forgiven. -</p> - -<p> -'Angry!' he said, tucking his offering clumsily into the front of her -blouse. 'Course I ain't. I wus a bit rattled at th' time, but I -shouldn't 'a bin 'ere if I 'ad broke me leaf. I reckons you done me a -good turn, Hemmeline.' He gulped, and gazed wistfully at a little -strand of golden hair which curled tantalisingly behind her left ear. -'Give us a kiss, ole gal?' he pleaded softly. 'I've bin longin' ter see -yer agen.' He put his arm round her waist, drew her towards him, and -touched her face with his lips. -</p> - -<p> -Emmeline squeaked, pushed him away, and darted behind the counter with -a flutter of a white petticoat and a momentary glimpse of a pair of -well-shaped ankles clad in black silk stockings. 'You're a naughty -boy!' she scolded, safe in her refuge—'a very naughty boy, to behave -like that when customers may come in at any minute! You've rumpled my -new blouse, too,' she added, patting herself and rearranging the -violets. 'My, they do smell nice!' She bent her head and buried the tip -of a very fascinating and somewhat <i>retroussé</i> nose in the -flowers. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher laughed happily. He felt he was very lucky. -</p> - -<p> -'You go through into the sitting-room, Mister Martin,' she went on, -with a mischievous wink and a jerk of her thumb. 'I'll be along in a -minute, and—and mother's out!' -</p> - - -<h3> -IV. -</h3> - -<p> -Soon afterwards, when the bleak and stormy winter was nearly over, the -<i>Belligerent</i> and the other vessels of the squadron started off on -their first real cruise since Pincher had joined. They had had plenty -of time at sea before this, of course; for gunnery, gunnery, -<i>toujours</i> gunnery—unless it was torpedo-running, steam tactics, -or P.Z. Exercises<a href="#note26" -name="noteref26"> -<span class="fn">[26]</span></a> -—was carried on throughout the year, winter, -spring, summer, and autumn alike. They were always at it; and though -the frequent south-westerly gales made the winter work very unpleasant -and trying, though officers and men bemoaned their fate and swore 'twas -a 'mug's game,' it did them all the good in the world. So, at the end -of February, the squadron left the short, choppy seas of the Channel -and the familiar hump of Portland behind them, and waddled south, for -all the world like a family of turtles migrating to a sunnier sea. It -was then, for the first time, that Pincher knew what it was to be -really seasick. -</p> - -<p> -Their first port of call was Arosa Bay, in Spain, just to the southward -of Cape Finisterre, and for once the much maligned Bay of Biscay upheld -its reputation by providing a very fair sample of a south-westerly blow -for Pincher's especial benefit. But he was by no means the only -sufferer, though. -</p> - -<p> -It was a snorter of a gale, a regular snorter, and the short, snappy -little seas of the Channel were nothing to these long, gigantic, -foam-crested mountains of water rolling in with all the might of the -Atlantic behind them. The battleships wallowed and plunged about to -their hearts' content Their movements were slow, deliberate, and very -stately; but how they rolled! One could feel their enormous weight -smashing through the seas instead of riding over them. Water came over -the fore-castle in solid gray-green masses, until the deck was buried -and the fore-turret, with its pair of twelve-inch guns, looked like a -half-tide rock. Sheets of spray drove over the bridges. The -quarterdecks were untenable; and at times gigantic, white-capped -billows would blot out every vestige of the next ship astern—only five -hundred yards away—except her topmasts. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Belligerent</i> was battened down, but even then a considerable -amount of water found its way below. The atmosphere on the mess-decks, -well impregnated with the mingled odours of cooking, damp clothes, and -crowded humanity, was nauseating. Tables and other fittings had carried -away from their fastenings, and a horrible mixture of sea-water, hats, -caps, boots, food, broken crockery, pickle-jars, tins of condensed -milk, and pots of jam swished to and fro across the deck every time the -ship heeled over. Each roll added something fresh to the collection. -</p> - -<p> -On one particularly heavy lurch the door of the officers' galley shot -open, and the wardroom cook slid gracefully out on to the mess-deck, -accompanied by an avalanche of frying-pans and saucepans, the -stock-pot, and a large receptacle full of Irish stew for the officers' -lunch. -</p> - -<p> -'If this ain't the ruddy limit!' he observed dismally, picking himself -up and gazing at the débris with disgust written on his pea-green face. -'They'll git nothin' 'ot fur lunch ter-day, that I'm bloomin' well -certain!' Nobody listened to what he said; and, after surveying the -scene for another instant, he yawned twice, and then bolted hastily -towards the upper deck. He got there just in time, poor man! -</p> - -<p> -Most of the younger men were past caring whether it was Christmas or -Easter. They merely became as limp and as pale as pocket-handkerchiefs, -wedged themselves in convenient corners, unconscious of the water and -rubbish washing round them, and wished that they might die. Some of -them nearly did. It was only the old stagers like Billings who were not -affected, and they, instead of offering consolation to their suffering -shipmates, went about casting rude gibes at the poor wretches. -</p> - -<p> -''Ullo!' remarked Joshua, strolling aft to his mess at dinner-time, and -coming to a halt opposite a miserable little party sitting with their -backs up against the ship's side. ''Ullo! 'ere we 'ave Mister Pincher -Martin, Rile Navy! 'Ow are we, ole son? Feelin' a bit squeamish—wot?' -</p> - -<p> -The 'ole son,' whose face was a ghastly yellow, whose eyes were closed, -and whose head rested carelessly on the shoulder of his next-door -neighbour, a man whose name he didn't even know, looked up with a -sickly grin, and then relapsed into torpitude. -</p> - -<p> -Billings, swaying easily to the violent rolling of the ship, looked at -him with amusement. ''Ave a bit o' somethin' t' eat?' he suggested, -with horrible cheeriness. 'Nice little bit o' corned beef, or a drop o' -pea-soup? Pea-soup's fine scran fur blokes wot's seasick.' He smacked -his lips appreciatively. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher shook his head. -</p> - -<p> -'Then 'ave a nice bit o' fat 'am?' suggested his tormentor. 'Slips down -nice an' easy like, an' don't rest 'eavy on th' stummick, fat 'am -don't.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher groaned at the idea. -</p> - -<p> -''Strewth! you ain't 'arf a sailor, you ain't!' the elder man snorted -contemptuously, moving off. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher expressed no emotion at all. The very sight of Billings's -rubicund countenance made him feel worse than ever, while a man who -could mention food at such a time was surely beyond the pale. Moreover, -a sailor's life was the very last thing that he took any interest in at -that particular time. -</p> - -<p> -Even some of the officers were unwell. The <i>padre</i> retired to his -bunk, and was fed by his marine servant on soda-water and Bath Oliver -biscuits; while Cutting, the young surgeon, Hannibal Chance, the -captain of Marines, and the fleet pay-master refused nourishment of any -kind whatsoever. Nearly all the others made some attempt to eat their -meals; but all except the most hardened sea-dogs bolted a few -mouthfuls, and then beat a hasty retreat to their cabins. The only -person who did really enjoy it was Harry Derrick, the Royal Naval -Reserve lieutenant, or 'Cargo Bill,' as his messmates invariably called -him. He always had an insatiable appetite, whatever the weather, and a -'little bit of a sea like this' did not incommode him in the slightest. -It was nothing to what he had experienced off Cape Horn in the -wind-jammer days he never tired of talking about when he could persuade -any one to listen. -</p> - -<p> -But all things come to an end in time; and, after thirty-six hours of -absolute misery, Pincher revived to find the squadron steaming into -Arosa Bay. -</p> - -<p> -So this was Spain! he thought to himself, looking round with interest -as they passed into the sheltered anchorage. He had imagined it to be -rather a wonderful country, but if this was a fair sample, he didn't go -much on it. A large indented bay; a few blue hills in the distance; a -low-lying, arid-looking country, dotted here and there with wooded -clumps and patches of cultivated ground; a few small white houses and a -gray stone church or two; a straggling town and a long pier at the head -of the bay; and many fishing-boats with strangely cut sails. There was -a peculiar tang in the air, the nature of which he could not at first -determine. It was neither the sweet odour of freshly turned earth, -new-mown hay, or heather, nor yet the honest salty smell of the open -sea. It was something far more pungent and overpowering. He found out -afterwards that it emanated from various sardine-preserving factories, -and the discovery put him off canteen 'sharks' for quite a week. There -are sardines and sardines; let us be thankful they are not all Spanish -sardines! -</p> - -<p> -No, Pincher's impressions of the first foreign country he had ever -visited were not exactly enthralling. Spain looked a very ordinary -place from the water, and it did not improve on further acquaintance -when he went ashore with Billings the same afternoon. -</p> - -<p> -The town, Villagarçia, was not a delectable spot. It smelt of garlic -and ancient fish. Its streets, badly paved and odoriferous with heaps -of nameless garbage, seemed to provide a happy hunting-ground for many -lean, fierce dogs, perambulating pigs and goats accompanied by their -families, and prowling poultry. The people, too, looked dirty and -ill-favoured, and the better-class men all smoked cigarettes and wore -long black cloaks and wideawake hats, like clergymen at home in -England. Numbers of barefooted boys and girls of all ages between three -and seventeen followed Pincher and Billings about wherever they went. -'I say! On' penni!' they demanded persistently, holding out their -grubby hands. 'I say, Jack! Damn you! I say, on' penni!' There was no -getting rid of them until the pennies were forthcoming; and their stock -phrases—all the English they knew—seemed to have been handed down -from generation to generation, ever since British men-of-war first -started to visit the place in the year one. It was a paying game, for -the bluejacket is always free with his hard-earned money. -</p> - -<p> -No, Villagarçia was not attractive. There was nothing to do except to -drink vinegary <i>vino blanco</i> in the taverns, and to buy picture -post-cards, silk shawls, paper fans showing fierce and bloodthirsty -bullfights, and hideous tambourines depicting plump, gaily dressed -ladies in short skirts dancing the <i>mattiche</i>. On the whole, -Pincher was not sorry to get back to the ship, and he did not trouble -to go ashore again. -</p> - -<p> -A fortnight later they arrived at Gibraltar, where the ships went -alongside the Mole in the inner harbour to take in coal. But here the -operation was quite gentlemanly compared with coaling from a collier, -for the fuel was carried on board in small baskets on the backs of -nondescript, garlic-scented aliens known as 'rock scorpions,' and all -the ship's company had to do was to stow it in the bunkers as it came -on board. There was none of the back-breaking work of shovelling. -</p> - -<p> -Coaling completed, the ships went out almost daily for aiming rifle -practice; and then came the annual 'gunlayers' test' with the -twelve-inch, six-inch, and lighter guns. -</p> - -<p> -'Wot is this 'ere gunlayers' test they talks abart?' Pincher, rather -mystified, asked Billings. -</p> - -<p> -'Gunlayers' test!' the A.B. returned, staring at him very much -surprised. 'You've bin in this 'ere ship nigh on six months, an' yer -don't know wot a gunlayers' test is?' -</p> - -<p> -''Ow can I know wot it is?' Martin sniffed. 'I ain't see'd it, 'ave I?' -</p> - -<p> -'Ain't see'd it, ain't yer?' Joshua snorted. 'Ignerance, that's wot it -is! 'Owever, I'll larn yer. Gunlayers' test is wot we carries art every -year wi' orl th' guns in th' ship—see? Th' ship steams parst a targit -at fairly close range, an' orl th' gunlayers fires in turn. It's a bit -of a competition like, an' they orl 'as a certain number o' rounds ter -fire in a certain time—see? It's just ter see if'—— -</p> - -<p> -''Ow fur orf is th' targit?' Pincher wanted to know, for even he could -understand that this was rather a vital point. -</p> - -<p> -'Don't yer git interruptin' w'en I'm spinnin' a yarn!' Joshua -remonstrated. 'I loses th' thread o' wot I'm sayin'.' It was fairly -early in the morning, and he was still feeling cantankerous. -</p> - -<p> -The ordinary seaman apologised. 'Sorry,' he said. 'I didn't mean no -'arm.' -</p> - -<p> -'Course yer didn't; but if yer gits arskin' stoopid questions, 'ow kin -a bloke remember wot 'e's sayin'? Wot wus it yer wanted ter know?' -</p> - -<p> -''Ow fur orf th' targit wus.' -</p> - -<p> -'Not werry fur,' Joshua explained. 'Leastways, it ain't exac'ly fur, -an' it ain't exac'ly close. You oughter know wot I means; I carn't -remember th' exac' distance. Any'ow, gunlayers' test ain't th' same as -battle practice, 'cos then we fires orl th' guns at once, same as we do -in haction, likewise at long range—see? Gunlayers' test is simply a -competition like, ter see if th' blokes kin shoot strite—see?' -</p> - -<p> -'An' wot 'appens then?' Pincher asked, still rather hazy as to what -really did take place. -</p> - -<p> -'Wot 'appens? Orficers comes aboard from other ships as humpires, an' -they takes th' time each bloke takes ter fire 'is rounds, an' counts -th' number o' rounds 'e gits orf; likewise th' number of 'its an' -misses on th' targit. The results is then packed up an' sent ter th' -Admiralty, an' them blokes wot's done extry well gits medals an' money -prizes, an' them wot ain't 'as a court o' hinquiry on 'em, an' probably -gits disrated from bein' gunlayers—see?' -</p> - -<p> -'An' kin I git a medal fur this 'ere?' Martin eagerly asked, for he, -also, was a humble member of one of the twelve-pounder guns' crews. -</p> - -<p> -Joshua was amused. 'Kin you git a medal?' he laughed. 'A little -cock-sparrer like you! Course yer bloomin' well carn't! They only -whacks 'em art ter them gunlayers wot's done extry well, an' there's -werry few on 'em given. You ain't a gunlayer, an' ain't likely to be -one neither. Gunlayers 'as brains.' -</p> - -<p> -'But 'oo gives these 'ere medals?' Pincher asked, ignoring the insult. -'The admiral?' -</p> - -<p> -'No; th' King gives 'em. Leastways they 'as 'is likeness on 'em, so I -reckons they comes from 'im. Nutty Buttolph, th' gunlayer o' my gun, -'ad one larst year. 'E wears it Sundays wi' 'is No. 1's. I reckons I -oughter got it too, 'cos I'm th' loadin' number wot shoves in th' -projectile, an' each six-inch projectile weighs a 'undred pounds. We -got orf eight rounds an' got eight 'its on th' targit, an' I reckons it -wus me wot done it just as well as 'im.' Billings's chest swelled with -pride at the recollection. -</p> - -<p> -''Ard luck!' Pincher murmured. -</p> - -<p> -''Ard luck?' remarked Joshua. 'Course it wus 'ard luck! 'Owever, I took -ten bob orf my opposite number in th' flagship, an' fifteen bob orf -another bloke wot thought 'is gun could shoot strite. We were top o' -th' 'ole bloomin' squadron larst year,' he added; 'precious near top o' -th' 'ole navy, an' don't yer bloomin' well forgit it. Our ship's -company made a bit of a pay-day over it.' -</p> - -<p> -'Pay-day! 'Ow d' yer mean?' -</p> - -<p> -Joshua grinned and winked one eye. 'Bettin'!' he said in a hoarse -whisper. -</p> - -<p> -'But I thought bettin' wusn't allowed?' Martin remonstrated, -remembering the regulations. -</p> - -<p> -'No more it is, me son; but th' skipper won 'is ten quid from th' -flagship's skipper, 'oo said 'is ship 'u'd beat us; an' w'en 'e won it -'e whacked it art among th' guns' crews, 'e did. Proper gennelman, 'e -is. Th' Bloke, an' Jimmy the One,<a href="#note27" -name="noteref27"> -<span class="fn">[27]</span></a> - an' most o' th' other orficers -made a bit too. We're wot we calls 'ot stuff in th' shootin' line, I -kin tell yer.' -</p> - -<p> -Billings was quite right. There was certainly no lack of rivalry, for -the officers and men of the squadron were as keen on the results -obtained by their respective ships as they possibly could be. The -gunlayers' test was treated in much the same way as a regatta or a -race-meeting, for sweepstakes were got up and bets were freely offered -and taken on the performances of individual gunlayers. Strictly against -the regulations, of course, but nobody seemed to mind, and the -favourites themselves became very important personages for the time -being. -</p> - -<p> -To the ship's company of any man-of-war, 'our ship' is invariably the -best shooting and the smartest ship not only in the whole squadron, but -also in the entire British navy. Disputes as to the merits of two crack -vessels have been known to lead to regrettable incidents ashore. Pewter -beer-mugs are handy missiles, and black eyes and contusions, though -rare, are by no means unheard of. Moreover, if a smart ship which -fancies herself is beaten at gunnery by some dark horse, the obvious -inferences, from her men's point of view, are: (1) that the umpires -have been bribed; (2) that the ammunition was bad, and it therefore -affected the shooting; (3) that the sea was much rougher and the ship -had far more motion than when H.M.S. So-and-so fired; (4) that the sun -was in the wrong place, and that the light was bad; (5) that the -weather was misty; and so on, <i>ad infinitum</i>, all the excuses -being equally futile. -</p> - -<p> -But rivalry between ships, despite occasional bickerings ashore when -their respective partisans wax argumentative, does no harm. On the -contrary, it is a good sign. It shows there is <i>esprit de corps</i>. -</p> - -<p> -On this occasion, however, the <i>Belligerent's</i> guns were possessed -of a devil. She did very well, it is true, and came out second in the -squadron, but was just beaten by the <i>Tremendous</i>. The defeat came -as a severe blow, particularly as a treasured silver challenge cup, -presented by the admiral and awarded annually to the best ship, now -left its resting-place on the <i>Belligerent's</i> mess-deck and found -its way to the flagship. It was carried off in triumph by the winners; -but the <i>Belligerent's</i> gunlayers cursed long and loud, and swore -by all their gods that it had been won by a fluke. So did some of the -officers. -</p> - -<p> -'This 'ere's th' ruddy limit!' Billings muttered fiercely. 'Ter think -o' these 'ere Duffos<a href="#note28" -name="noteref28"> -<span class="fn">[28]</span></a> - 'avin' th' imperence ter say they 'ave beaten -us! They ain't done it fair! S' welp me, they ain't! It's enuf ter make -a bloke take ter—ter anythin'!' He was going to say 'beer;' but, -remembering Mrs Figgins and his new-found respectability, he wisely -refrained. -</p> - -<p> -After spending a month at Gibraltar, they returned to Portland to give -four days' Easter leave, and then sailed off to Berehaven, where they -did more gunnery. Then on to the west coast of Scotland for a cruise, -and finally back to Portland again. -</p> - -<p> -The time passed very rapidly. Spring gave way to summer, and in due -course Pincher found himself passed out of the seamanship -training-class and handed over to the tender mercies of a torpedo -gunner's mate, who crammed his head with an astounding number of facts -pertaining to electricity and torpedo work generally. -</p> - -<p> -One Sunday in the early summer, however, the chaplain rather -electrified his congregation. 'I publish the banns of marriage,' he -read, 'between Able Seaman Joshua Billings, bachelor, of this ship, and -Martha Ann Figgins, widow, of the parish of St Cuthbert's, Weymouth. If -any of you know cause or just impediment why these two persons should -not be joined together in holy matrimony, you are to declare it. This -is for the first time of asking.' -</p> - -<p> -The commander, and various other officers who knew Joshua intimately, -could hardly restrain their mirth. -</p> - -<p> -'The old devil!' Tickle exclaimed in the smoking-room after the -service. 'To think of any woman wanting to marry him!' -</p> - -<p> -'There are plenty of worse men than Billings,' the commander disagreed. -'He's not very attractive to look at, I'll admit; but, provided he -keeps off beer, he and his Martha'll get on all right. What he wants is -a woman to rule him with a rod of iron.' -</p> - -<p> -'You'd better give the lady a few tips, sir,' Tickle suggested. -</p> - -<p> -'Not I!' laughed the commander. 'I shall merely present them with an -ormolu timepiece—whatever that may be. It shall be suitably inscribed, -too. You see,' he added, 'Billings, in spite of beer, is quite one of -the best seamen in the ship, and I shall be very sorry to lose him when -he takes his pension.' -</p> - -<p> -There is no need to describe Joshua's wedding, or to tell how some of -the officers and a goodly proportion of the ship's company attended the -ceremony, how Pincher performed his duties as 'best man,' and how the -commander himself was prevailed upon to make a speech and to drink the -health of the happy couple in grocers' port wine. It all went off like -a house on fire; but at the tea-party afterwards Pincher seemed rather -distracted. -</p> - -<p> -''Ullo, chum!' the beaming bridegroom asked him, 'wot's up wi' yer? -You've got a face on yer like a sea-boot.' -</p> - -<p> -'I'm just thinkin' somethin',' Pincher explained. -</p> - -<p> -'Thinkin' wot?' Joshua wanted to know. 'Wot an 'appy hoccasion this is, -or wot?' -</p> - -<p> -'No, 'ardly that.' -</p> - -<p> -'Wot is it, then?' -</p> - -<p> -'I wus thinkin' that now you've gorn an' married Missis Figgins you are -Hemmeline's farther, ain't yer?' -</p> - -<p> -'S'pose I am,' Billings assented, scratching his head, for the question -had not occurred to him before. 'Leastways, 'er step-farther.' -</p> - -<p> -'An' s'pose I marries Hemmeline, wot relation are yer to me?' -</p> - -<p> -'You ain't arsked my leaf to court 'er,' Joshua pointed out. 'An' -s'pose yer does, I don't know as 'ow I shall give my consent. These -haffairs is important—see? I'll 'ave ter hinquire as ter yer prospex, -an' suchlike. Supposin' yer wusn't respeccable?' -</p> - -<p> -'Respeccable!' Pincher retorted. 'Don't talk so wet! If I ain't good -enuf ter marry Hemmeline, you ain't good enuf fur Missis Figgins—see? -She's 'er mother, ain't she?' -</p> - -<p> -'Don't go an' git dizzy on this 'appy day,' Joshua went on with mock -gravity. 'Don't go gittin' rattled! Carn't you see w'en a bloke's -'avin' a joke like?' -</p> - -<p> -'It ain't no subjec' ter make fun o',' Pincher answered, rather -mollified. 'But, any'ow, s'posin' I does marry 'er, wot relation would -you be ter me? That's wot I wants ter know.' -</p> - -<p> -'I reckons I'd be yer step-farther-in-lor,' Joshua answered after due -consideration. 'Leastways, that's 'ow I looks at it. I'll arsk th' -missis, though. Come an' 'ave a wet.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher, nothing loath, acquiesced. They went off arm-in-arm. -</p> - - - - -<a name="IX"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER IX. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -THE CLOUD.</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -It all happened very suddenly. The fleet had been reviewed by his -Majesty the King at Spithead in the middle of July, and after this -certain exercises were carried out in lieu of the usual summer -manœuvres. They did not last very long, however, for on Friday, 24th -July, the <i>Belligerent</i> arrived at her home port to effect some -necessary repairs, and, incidentally, to give four days' leave to her -men; so the next morning half the ship's company, including Pincher, -left for their homes. -</p> - -<p> -Now the Martin family, being country-people, did not worry their heads -with newspapers on weekdays. For one thing, the papers cost money and -were difficult to get; and, for another, they had little time to read -them. Mr Martin usually bought <i>Reynolds's Weekly</i> on Sunday; but -on that particular Sunday, 26th July, there was nothing in it to give -rise to any anxiety. He did notice that there was some sort of trouble -between Austria and Serbia; but that could not possibly affect his -weekly wages, and beyond remarking casually to his wife that 'them -there Balkan nations is 'oly 'orrors for gettin' up rows,' he paid no -further attention to it. -</p> - -<p> -On the following Tuesday, 28th July, at ten-forty-three <span class="smc">A.M.</span> -precisely, Pincher left the cottage to buy a packet of cigarettes at -the village shop. Albert, his youngest brother, aged five, clutching a -penny with which he proposed to purchase two sticks of glutinous but -very succulent pink nougat, accompanied him. They were away exactly -fourteen minutes, and on their return found Mrs Martin, fresh from her -wash-tub and with her arms covered in soapsuds to the elbows, bubbling -over with suppressed excitement. She was gazing in a perturbed manner -at a telegram; for, to the Martin <i>ménage</i>, the arrival of an -orange envelope was a matter of some importance. It generally spelt -trouble. The last one had arrived over a year before to announce that -Mrs Martin's sister had been run over by an omnibus. -</p> - -<p> -''Ullo, ma!' Pincher exclaimed, noticing his parent's agitated -condition; 'wot's th' racket?' -</p> - -<p> -'This 'ere's just come,' she said excitedly, handing the telegram -across with very damp fingers. 'For you, it is. You've got to go back -to the ship at once!' -</p> - -<p> -'Go back!' he echoed indignantly, taking the offending missive. 'My -leaf ain't up till fu'st train ter-morrer mornin'!' -</p> - -<p> -'Ye'd best read it, son,' remarked the lady, wiping her arms on her -apron. 'See for yerself.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher did so. 'Gosh!' he exclaimed with a whistle of surprise, 'there -ain't no bloomin' error abart this 'ere.' -</p> - -<p> -There was not. It was addressed to him personally, and was signed, -'Commanding Officer.' 'Leave cancelled,' it said abruptly, almost -brutally. 'Rejoin ship immediately.' -</p> - -<p> -''Strewth! Wot's th' buzz, I wonder?' he murmured, very much puzzled, -and looking at the back of the paper as if to find the answer to his -question there. 'Wot's it mean?' -</p> - -<p> -'That's wot I'm wonderin',' said his mother. 'Wot does it mean? Ye're -not in trouble, are yer?' She had a vague suspicion at the back of her -mind that Pincher might have absented himself without leave. -</p> - -<p> -'Trouble! Course I ain't. It ain't that. There's somethin' else in th' -wind. One o' these 'ere bloomin' war buzzes, I reckons.' He spoke as if -wars and rumours of wars were of everyday occurrence. -</p> - -<p> -Mrs Martin seemed rather alarmed. 'War!' she gasped, looking up with a -horrified expression. 'Wot d' you mean, Bill? Surely we're not goin' to -war?' -</p> - -<p> -'Course we ain't, ma,' he replied, laughing, and patting her -consolingly on the shoulder. 'This 'ere don't mean nothin'; only a bit -of a buzz round like. Yer see,' he pointed out with pride, 'we—th' -navy, that is—always 'as ter be ready fur these 'ere shows, 'cos if -anythin' did 'appen an' we wasn't ready things 'u'd be in a pretty hot -mess. S'pose I'd best be makin' a move, though,' he added ruefully. -'Bit orf, I calls it!' -</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="152"><img src="images/003.jpg" alt="'Gosh! there ain't no bloomin' error abart this 'ere.'" width="335" height="500"></a></div> -<p class="caption">'Gosh! there ain't no bloomin' error abart this 'ere.'</p> -<p class="captionalignr"><span class="sc">Page 152.</span> -</p> - -<p> -'Goin' now?' -</p> - -<p> -'Fu'st train,' he said, nodding. 'This 'ere telegraph says rejoin -immediate. I expec's th' ship's goin' ter sea in an 'urry like, an' -they wants me back perticular.' -</p> - -<p> -Mrs Martin gazed at her son with motherly pride. She did not like the -idea of his leaving so soon; but it was very consoling to think that he -was a person of such importance on board the <i>Belligerent</i> that -the ship could not go to sea without him. He must be very valuable, -otherwise they would not have telegraphed. -</p> - -<p> -Albert, who had already assimilated half a piece of nougat, and had -covered his face with pink stickiness, looked up inquiringly. 'Bill -goin'?' he queried fretfully. -</p> - -<p> -'Yes, ducky,' answered his mother. 'Called back to 'is ship. 'E's goin' -now.' -</p> - -<p> -The information was too much for Albert. He withdrew the sweetmeat from -his mouth, screwed up his face, and suddenly burst into a howl. 'Ow!' -he bellowed; 'Bill's goin' back to 'is ship! Bill's goin' back!' It was -a matter of some importance to him, for the presence of his elder -brother meant an occasional honorarium of one penny, and one penny -meant a plentiful supply of nougat. His little soul delighted in -nougat. His mother never gave him pennies. -</p> - -<p> -'Stop yer 'owlin', Albert!' Mrs Martin ordered severely. 'Has if I -'adn't enough to think about without listenin' to yer noise!—Bill,' -she went on, glancing at the clock, 'you'd best be off. The Lunnon -train stops at the station at eleven-forty-four, same one yer uncle -Charles come by yesterday. There's not another till the arternoon. The -clock's a bit fast, but it's about quarter-past eleven now, an' the -station's a good couple o' miles.' -</p> - -<p> -''Strewth!' muttered Pincher, darting from the room, 'I'll 'ave ter -run.' He went to his bedroom, collected his few belongings, and -presently reappeared with an oilskin over his shoulder and a small blue -bundle in his hand. -</p> - -<p> -Albert, with his mouth wide open, gazed at him tearfully. -</p> - -<p> -'S' long, ma,' Pincher said, putting his arm round his mother's neck -and kissing her gently. 'Say good-bye ter farther w'en 'e comes 'ome, -an' th' kids w'en they gits back from school.' -</p> - -<p> -'Good-bye, son. Good luck to yer,' she answered, drawing his head down -and embracing him, with the tears in her eyes. 'I do 'ope it's not -nothin' serious. Write an' let me know 'ow yer gets on.' -</p> - -<p> -'Right you are, ma.—S'long, Halbert,' he went on cheerfully, bending -down and kissing his small brother. 'Be a good boy, now, an' don't git -worritin' ma, now I'm goin'.' -</p> - -<p> -The tears streamed down the youngster's cheeks. He began to whimper -loudly. -</p> - -<p> -'Be a good boy, I tells yer,' Pincher went on, patting him. 'If ma -writes an' tells me you've be'aved yerself I'll send yer another penny -nex' week. If yer don't, yer won't git no penny—see? Gosh!' he added -hastily, 'it's 'igh time I wus orf.' He gave his mother another hurried -kiss, and a second later was out of the cottage and racing down the -road as fast as his legs would carry him. The shrieks of the -inconsolable Albert pursued him. -</p> - -<p> -Mrs Martin watched him till he gave a final wave before disappearing -round a bend in the lane, and then returned to admonish her small son. -'Ye're a naughty boy, ye are!' she scolded shrilly. 'If yer don't stop -it I'll put yer across my knee an' give yer wot for; straight, I will! -Stop it. D'you 'ear wot I say?' -</p> - -<p> -Albert's howls gradually died away into sobs. -</p> - -<p> -Mrs Martin returned to her wash-tub with dismal forebodings in her -heart. Telegrams always meant trouble. -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -'Bless yer 'eart an' soul!' exclaimed Billings, with a loud snort, ''e -ain't goin' ter fight. Orl this 'ere racket's only a bit o' bounce -like. Same as wot 'e did in that 'ere show in nineteen eleven.' He -rammed the tobacco down into his pipe and relit it, with one watchful -eye on his companion. -</p> - -<p> -'I presooms ye're talkin' abart that there Meroccer bizness,' said -Tubby M'Sweeny, producing a cigarette from the lining of his cap. -'Aggie-dear wus wot they called it.' He seemed rather proud of his -superior knowledge. -</p> - -<p> -'Yus, that's it,' Joshua agreed with a nod. 'I knowed it wus Aggie -somethin'. But, any'ow, look wot this 'ere Kayser Bill does then! -Directly 'e see'd we meant bizness 'e piped down smart, an' sed 'e wus -sorry for wot 'e'd done. That's wot 'e'll do this time, I reckons.' -</p> - -<p> -'I dunno so much abart that,' M'Sweeny disagreed. 'Look 'ow them -Germans downed France an' done th' dirty on them! I reckons they thinks -they kin do the same wi' us—s'welp me, I do.' -</p> - -<p> -'Garn!' jeered the other. 'They've got ter reckon wi' our bloomin' -navy, an' it's more'n double as good as theirs. I'm not sayin' they -doesn't mean ter fight us later on,' he added, wagging a finger; 'but I -says they won't try it on now. 'Sides, they ain't sailors!' To show his -contempt he expectorated violently, and with deadly precision, into an -adjacent spitkid. -</p> - -<p> -M'Sweeny seemed sceptical. 'Maybe they ain't sailors,' he pointed out -solemnly; 'but we ain't see'd nothin' of 'em. We knows nothin' of 'em, -either. I've 'eard tell, too, that that there Kayser bloke o' theirs -'as gingered 'em up somethin' crool, an' a navy wot's been gingered up -must be on th' top line same as us, mustn't it?' -</p> - -<p> -Joshua shook his head. 'I tell yer they ain't goin' ter fight yet -awhile,' he persisted. 'Orl this 'ere racket's only a bit o' bounce. D' -you think they doesn't know wot our navy's like? Ain't they bloomin' -well scared of it?' Billings, a staunch and very insular Briton, still -held to the belief that his own countrymen were the only really good -seamen in the world. Those of other nationalities were either 'Dagoes' -or 'niggers,' and which of the two terms was the more opprobrious was -rather a moot point. -</p> - -<p> -'An' wot abart our army?' came an irrelevant remark from Pincher, who -happened to be listening. 'I knows a bloke wot's in th' Black -Watch—lance-corporal 'e is—an' 'e reckons our army's bin properly -gingered up an' is properly on th' top line.' -</p> - -<p> -'Th' men is orl right,' said M'Sweeny mournfully, 'an' so is the -orficers; but we ain't got enuf of 'em. We ain't got a million men in -th' army, nor yet 'arf that number, an' that there Kayser's got -millions an' millions!' He waved a hand vaguely to give some idea of -the Teuton hordes. -</p> - -<p> -'But if we goes ter war our army 'as a slap at somethin', I suppose?' -Pincher queried. -</p> - -<p> -'Course they does, fat'ead,' Joshua replied with fatherly -condescension. 'They goes an' 'elps th' Frenchies ter take Berlin, -while we—th' navy, that is—'as a desprit battle in th' North Sea, an' -wipes th' deck with their bloomin' 'Igh Sea Fleet. The army blokes'll -be at Berlin in a month or six weeks, an' we'll 'ave done our job in -'arf th' time. W'en we've done it we orl goes 'ome on leaf wi' our -medals an' V.C.'s, an' becomes public 'eroes wot saved the country. But -you mark my words, the 'ole bloomin' war'll be over in three months -w'en it comes. 'Owever, they ain't goin' ter fight now, so wot's the -use o' yarnin' abart it? This 'ere racket's only a spasm like. It don't -mean nothin'.' -</p> - -<p> -But M'Sweeny, obviously a pessimist, shook his head. 'I dunno so much,' -he answered sadly. 'I've bin 'avin' feelin's in me 'ead that somethin' -'s goin' ter 'appen soon, an' me feelin's allus comes true. W'en you -wus made a leadin' seaman, Josh, I 'ad a feelin' that you'd be an A.B. -agen afore long; an' w'en'—— -</p> - -<p> -'Wot! d' yer mean yer 'ad a feelin' abart me?' Billings interrupted, -rather annoyed. ''Ow dare yer?' -</p> - -<p> -'I 'as feelin's in me 'ead abart lots o' people,' Tubby reiterated -solemnly. 'They allus comes true.' -</p> - -<p> -Joshua lifted up his head and laughed. 'Feelin's in yer 'ead!' he -jeered. 'Feelin's in yer stummick, more like. It's beer wot's done it, -Tubby; an' if it ain't beer, it wus them canteen termarters yer 'ad fur -supper larst night!' -</p> - -<p> -'Termarters be damned!' retorted M'Sweeny. -</p> - -<p> -Now this conversation took place during the dinner-hour of Thursday, -30th July, two days after the watch on leave had been hurriedly -recalled, and all further shore-going had been cancelled. -</p> - -<p> -Neither Billings, M'Sweeny, nor Pincher—nor, for that matter, any -other member of the ship's company—knew exactly how they could become -embroiled. They were all painfully aware that there was trouble in -Eastern Europe, and that, in some remote sort of way, this trouble -transmitted itself to them. But beyond anathematising the 'spasm,' as -they called it, on somebody's part which had caused their leave to be -stopped, and extra work in the way of coaling and embarking ammunition -to be carried out, they regarded the affair as of no more importance -than the annual summer manœuvres. War was utterly unthinkable. -</p> - -<p> -But by this time, if they had only known it, practically the whole of -the British fleet was on a war footing, and ready for instant action. -The newspapers had remained discreetly silent, and the whereabouts of -squadrons, flotillas, and individual ships was unknown to the public. -They had vanished into the air; but, except in isolated cases, every -vessel in the navy was already at her war station or on her way there. -Dockyards were working night and day. Naval reservists and pensioners -were flocking to their depots; retired officers were coming forward in -dozens to volunteer their services. Colliers, oil-fuel ships, -ammunition ships, and a thousand and one other fleet auxiliaries had -been chartered, and the Admiralty had taken their 'precautionary -measures' so rapidly and so unostentatiously that hardly a soul in the -country realised that anything untoward was happening. -</p> - -<p> -The fleet was ready, and well it was for Britain that it was so. -Germany, relying perhaps on a surprise attack at some 'selected moment' -before an actual declaration of war, and while our fleets and squadrons -were still dispersed, had bungled badly. She may not have expected us -to join in the war; may have imagined that Britain, fettered with the -possibility of complications in Ireland, preferred to keep out of a -Continental struggle at all costs. But she had made a grievous mistake, -an error which, combined with the wisest forethought on the part of the -British Admiralty, made it practically impossible for the trident of -Britannia ever to pass into the hands of the Teutonic Michael. -</p> - -<p> -Early the next morning, 31st July, the <i>Belligerent</i> left her home -port, and steamed to her base in the English Channel to rejoin the rest -of the squadron. It was quite a short trip, but it was on the passage -that the eyes of the ship's company were opened to the fact that -something serious really was in the wind. For one thing, the ammunition -for all the six-inch and lighter guns was brought up from the magazines -and shell-rooms and distributed to the casemates and batteries; while -certain of the weapons were kept constantly manned—what for, exactly, -none of the men quite knew. The captain and the commander looked graver -than usual; and Chase, the gunnery lieutenant-commander, rather -worried, held hurried consultations with the gunner about shell and -cartridges, and had a party of armourers constantly at work throughout -the day testing and adjusting the mechanism of his weapons. -</p> - -<p> -The commander and the carpenter, too, the latter armed with a large -piece of chalk and a note-book, made a solemn peregrination of the -ship, decorating various wooden fittings with cabbalistic signs as they -went. Pincher, who happened to be working on the boat-deck at the time, -heard part of their conversation. It rather frightened him. -</p> - -<p> -'All this wood of yours will have to be landed or slung overboard, Mr -Chipping,' the senior officer remarked, coming to a halt beside a pile -of spars and planks on the boat-deck, and eyeing it with evident -disfavour. 'If a shell burst in the middle of this little lot we'd have -a bonfire in a couple of seconds.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher pricked up his ears. -</p> - -<p> -'It's all on charge, sir,' the carpenter answered ruefully, with -horrible visions of subsequent discrepancies in his store-books. 'I've -got to account for every inch of it.' -</p> - -<p> -The commander laughed. 'You storekeeping officers are born -obstructionists, Mr Chipping,' he exclaimed. 'If we go to war your -store-books will go to the devil, anyhow, so what on earth does it -matter? I'm always greeted with the same remark when I'm trying to make -the ship a little less like a bonfire. They're invariably "on charge," -dammit!' -</p> - -<p> -'And so they are, sir,' put in the carpenter. 'I have to account for -'em.' -</p> - -<p> -'Can't help that. You'd better send in your bill to the Kaiser. Anyhow, -we can't have all this lumber up here; it's a regular death-trap.' -</p> - -<p> -Mr Chipping scratched his grizzled head. 'I'll land all what I can't -strike below, sir,' he grudgingly assented at last. -</p> - -<p> -'Yes, see to it at once, please. If this pile of wood catches fire -it'll play Old Harry on the upper deck with the twelve-pounders and -their ammunition.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher listened open-mouthed, for it was quite obvious from the way -they talked that things were far more serious than Joshua had led him -to believe. Moreover, he, Martin, was in full agreement with the -commander as to the expediency of removing the pile of wood from the -boat-deck. His station in action was at one of the upper-deck -twelve-pounder guns, and he had no wish to emulate Shadrach, Meshach, -and Abednego of the Old Testament in their blazing, fiery furnace. -</p> - -<p> -The carpenter got busy with his chalk, and before long the whole pile -of lumber was ornamented with little noughts and crosses. The noughts, -Pincher assumed, meant that the articles so marked were to be retained, -and the crosses that those bearing this mark were to be thrown -overboard or landed; and when, a little later, he had occasion to go on -to the upper deck he found many other things decorated with the same -mystic signs. Certain of the smaller boats, spare spars, cabin doors, -accommodation ladders, gratings, lockers, anything and everything -wooden, inflammable, or likely to make splinters, were apparently to go -by the board. It gave him furiously to think. -</p> - -<p> -The ship arrived at her base during the afternoon, and Captain Spencer -went on board the flagship to report his arrival. He was away for an -hour and a half, and came back with what the officer of the watch -called 'a face like a sea-boot,' and the information that the situation -was very serious. Beyond that he professed to know nothing, but every -one noticed that the commander was closeted with him in his cabin for -fully three-quarters of an hour on his return from the flagship. Petty -Officer Finnigan, moreover, the captain's coxswain and a great friend -of the admiral's cook on board the flagship <i>Tremendous</i>, told his -messmates with much gusto that the cook had informed him that the -admiral's steward had told him (the cook) that war with Germany was -only a matter of hours. -</p> - -<p> -We have heard of yarns emanating from ships' cooks generally being -treated with derision, but presumably admirals' cooks are above -suspicion in this respect, for the news spread rapidly, and the -'Belligerents,' believing it implicitly, were flung into a state of -ill-suppressed excitement in consequence. Most of them had never seen a -shot fired in anger; but the prospect of war—the awful prospect of the -unknown—did not seem to alarm them. On the contrary, officers and men -went about their business with light hearts and smiles on their faces, -for, as Tickle had once pointed out when referring to the same subject, -'it's a bit thick if we're doomed to fire our guns at a canvas target -all our lives.' Most of them longed for a run for their money, and to -all appearances they were going to have it. The graver possibilities of -war did not intrude themselves upon their minds until long afterwards. -They all felt cocksure that they, individually, were not fated to die -violent deaths by the enemy's shell, torpedoes, mines, bombs, or by -drowning. If any one was to be killed, it was not they. They merely -pictured to themselves a short and triumphant struggle, at the -conclusion of which—in six months at the very most—they, having sunk -the enemy's navy, would go home on leave with medals on their manly -bosoms, to be hailed as the saviours of their country. Alas for their -dreams! -</p> - -<p> -The squadron was in a state of feverish activity. Some ships were -taking in final supplies of coal and ammunition, working night and day; -while others were landing all their superfluous wooden or inflammable -fittings and non-necessary stores. The 'Belligerents' themselves -started on the job early the next morning. Such a collection there was! -Many tons of paint and varnish; some of the smaller boats; quantities -of timber for building targets; wooden accommodation ladders; baulks, -spars, and planks; chests of drawers from the officers' cabins, and tin -cases and trunks containing their personal effects and more treasured -possessions; the midshipmen's and chief petty officers' chests; doors -of cabins; gratings; even the wardroom pianola, an instrument which was -being paid for on the instalment system, were taken ashore and lodged -in a place of security. The work took them a full forty-eight hours. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Belligerent</i>, being a pre-Dreadnought battleship, had to have -more done to her to make her ready for battle than a similar vessel of -a later class, and Sunday, 2nd August, brought no cessation of labour. -If anything, it was a more strenuous day than the previous one, for -except for a brief service on the quarterdeck, lasting exactly ten -minutes, officers and men alike were hard at work preparing the ship -for war. There was plenty to be done. Extra lifts and tackles were put -upon the yards on the foremast to prevent them crashing down from aloft -if struck by a shell, the rigging was snaked down with hawsers to stop -it flying away if severed, and extra protection, in the shape of -tightly rolled-up canvas awnings, thick enough to stop a substantial -shell-splinter, was improvised round the bridge and fire-control -positions up aloft. -</p> - -<p> -Fire, first-aid, and stretcher parties were told off and organised, and -everything was done, beyond the final wetting of decks, to make the -ship ready for immediate action, and to lessen the chances of damage to -vessel or men through fire or fragments of flying débris almost as -dangerous as the shell-splinters themselves. -</p> - -<p> -Surgical bags containing bandages, dressings, splints, and tourniquets -were placed ready to hand in all the gun positions in case men were -wounded; morphia tabloids were served out to all the officers of -quarters for administration to badly injured men; while the fleet -surgeon and Cutting, the 'young doctor,' saw to the gruesome implements -of their profession, and caused the operating-table to be transferred -from the sick-bay to a convenient site behind armour on the lower deck. -</p> - -<p> -Tickle's cabin was next to the 'young doc's' in Rogues' Alley, as it -was called; and, happening to go below during the forenoon, he noticed -Cutting through the half-drawn curtain busy with a chamois leather and -an array of murderous-looking knives, probes, and forceps laid out on -his bunk. -</p> - -<p> -'Hallo, Sawbones!' he remarked, putting his head inside; 'I see you've -got all your ironmongery out. Think you're going to have something to -do at last—eh?' -</p> - -<p> -'Hallo, Toby! That you? Come inside and have a look. I've an excellent -line in cutlery, guaranteed to kill or cure while you wait. What d'you -think of that?' He held out a horrible-looking knife with a thin curved -blade. -</p> - -<p> -'Ugh!' shuddered Tickle. 'Take the beastly thing away! What d'you do -with it?' -</p> - -<p> -'Cut, my dear chap,' the doctor gloated. 'One sharp snick like -that'—and he gave the blade a downward jerk, and clicked suggestively -with his tongue—'and then we get to work and remove—er—anything you -like. Ripping little thing, isn't it?' he laughed. 'This,' the medico -continued, laying the knife down and picking up a probe and a pair of -forceps, 'is what we use for feeling for a bit of shell inside a chap, -and this is what we fish it out with. Quite simply done. Topping little -operation to watch.' -</p> - -<p> -'You bloodthirsty little blighter!' Tickle ejaculated. -</p> - -<p> -'Bloodthirsty! Why, it's my job, isn't it? We hardly ever get a chance -of doing any decent operations in peace, worse luck!' he added -regretfully; 'your sailors are so disgustingly healthy; and if they do -get really ill and promise to be interesting cases, they're packed -straight off to hospital. Sickening, I call it!' -</p> - -<p> -'M'yes, that's true, I suppose,' Tickle agreed, smiling. 'Look here, -though, doc; if you ever have to—er—extract a bit of shell or other -foreign substance from my anatomy, look out you don't chuck it away. I -want to keep it as a relic.' -</p> - -<p> -Cutting grinned. 'Right-o, Toby; I'll see to it. Now you'd better clear -out of here, young fellow, and get on with your work. I'm busy, and I'm -sure you ought to be.' -</p> - -<p> -Tickle departed. -</p> - - -<h3> -III. -</h3> - -<p> -The marine postman, who should have been off at eight o'clock, was -delayed, and did not come on board with the mails and Sunday papers for -the ship's company until nearly noon. But when he did finally turn up -he was nearly carried off his feet by the rush of men. -</p> - -<p> -''Ere, posty!' shouted some one, 'got my <i>Dispatch</i>?' -</p> - -<p> -'Wot abart my <i>Lloyd's</i> and <i>People</i>?' roared another man, -elbowing his way through the throng. -</p> - -<p> -'Ain't ye got my <i>Reynolds's?</i>' from somebody else. -</p> - -<p> -'Oh, go to 'ell!' retorted the exasperated marine, vainly endeavouring -to make his way forward through the crowd with a large leather satchel -slung over his shoulder and three bulbous mail-bags on his back. 'Oh, -go to 'ell, the 'ole boilin' lot o' you! Orl in good time! 'Aven't none -o' you blokes got no patience?' He was annoyed, poor man, and had every -right to be, for he had gone breakfastless, and the mail, arriving -late, had delayed him many hours. -</p> - -<p> -'Well, tell us th' noos!' some one bellowed above the uproar. -</p> - -<p> -'Noos!' he replied. 'Germany's declared war on Russia, an' all the -naval reserves an' pensioners is called out! Wot more d'you want?' -</p> - -<p> -It was quite sufficient; enough, indeed, to reduce a good many of them -to a state of excited incoherence. It seemed practically impossible -that Great Britain could keep out of the conflict; and, though -throughout the ship the general feeling was one of warlike joy, it was -tempered here and there by a touch of subdued solemnity. The mail -despatched the same evening constituted a 'bloomin' record,' as the -long-suffering postman put it, for every officer and man on board had -spent the afternoon in writing letters. -</p> - -<p> -'I know'd my feelin's 'u'd come true,' remarked M'Sweeny in his mess -during supper. 'I know'd this 'ere wus comin' orl along. I know'd yer -wus wrong, Josh.' He wagged his head wisely, and looked at Billings, -who was sitting opposite. -</p> - -<p> -'Don't start chawin' yer fat, Tubby,' Joshua retorted. 'Things is quite -bad enuf without yer makin' of 'em worse.' He was feeling rather -peevish and irritable. He was thinking of his wife, and wondered -vaguely when he was likely to see her again. -</p> - -<p> -''Owever,' he added, putting down his fork with a throaty sigh, 'I -don't much care wot 'appens now so long as we 'as a decent smack at -them blighters. I owes 'em one fur gittin' me bloomin' leaf stopped, -an', by gum, they'll git it w'en I runs acrost 'em!' He glared savagely -at the man opposite as if he, too, was a potential enemy. -</p> - -<p> -''Ear, 'ear!' shouted another man, banging heavily on the table. -'Them's my feelin's.' -</p> - -<p> -'There, there, me boy-o!' snapped M'Sweeny. 'W'en ye've finished -upsettin' me tea, Mister Jones, I'll git along wi' me supper, thankin' -yer orl the same. Them bloomin' Germans can wait. Supper carn't.' -</p> - -<p> -''Ark at 'im,' jeered 'Mister Jones.' 'Just 'ark at him! Allus worryin' -abart 'is vittles!' -</p> - -<p> -'An' why shouldn't 'e?' suddenly demanded Billings, veering round and -taking M'Sweeny's part. 'Better ter be a well-covered bloke like 'im -than a lop-eared, spindle-shanked son of a perishin' light'ouse like -you. It makes me feel 'ungry ter look at yer.' -</p> - -<p> -Both M'Sweeny and Jones promptly became covered in confusion; for, -whereas the former's adiposity was his sore point, Jones was as touchy -on the subject of his excessive leanness. -</p> - -<p> -That same night, or, rather, early the next morning, they had their -first alarm. The immaculate Aubrey Plantagenet FitzJohnson happened to -be the officer of the middle watch—midnight till four -<span class="smc">A.M.</span>—and at two-thirty, having absorbed two large cups of -hot cocoa and half-a-dozen tongue sandwiches, he was sauntering up and -down the silent quarterdeck, pipe in mouth, and longing for his bunk. -It was chilly for the time of year. There was no moon, and though here -and there stars peeped out between rifts in the clouds moving down from -windward on the gentle breeze, the sky generally was overcast and the -night was dark. -</p> - -<p> -Quite suddenly the silence was broken by the sound of footsteps running -along the boat-deck. Next came the clattering of a ladder and a muffled -exclamation as some one fell down the last few steps and landed -painfully on the deck, and then the footsteps advanced on to the -quarterdeck. Whoever it was was evidently in great haste. FitzJohnson -turned round. -</p> - -<p> -'I wants th' orficer o' th' watch,' he heard an agitated voice telling -the quartermaster. 'Where is 'e?' -</p> - -<p> -'Here I am. What's the matter? Who's that?' -</p> - -<p> -'It's me, sir—Grimes, ord'nary signalman,' the man panted -breathlessly. 'Please, sir, th' yeoman o' th' watch on th' bridge told -me to tell you there's a Zeppeling comin' over th' 'ill!' -</p> - -<p> -'A Zeppelin coming over the hill!' the officer echoed, in astonishment, -half-suspecting that some one was pulling his leg. 'What the devil -d'you mean, my man?' -</p> - -<p> -'It's gawspul truth, sir. 'E's burnin' lights, an' me an' th' yeoman -saw 'im quite plain.' -</p> - -<p> -Grimes was obviously in earnest, and the lieutenant did not wait to -hear any more. He crammed his cap firmly on his head, darted from the -quarterdeck, ran up the ladder leading to the after shelter-deck, sped -along the boat-deck, barking both shins badly as he went, and finally -clambered up the ladder leading to the fore-bridge, breathless and limp -with excitement. 'Where is it?' he gasped. -</p> - -<p> -'Over there on the port bow, sir!' answered an equally agitated yeoman -of signals, busy with a pair of binoculars. 'D'ye see where that 'ump -sticks up on top o' the 'ill, sir?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yes!' -</p> - -<p> -'There's a bit o' dark cloud on top of it, and just to the left, sir. -'E's be'ind that now. We'll see 'im agen in a minute w'en the cloud -passes.' -</p> - -<p> -They both gazed at it anxiously, and presently the mass of vapour -thinned and drifted away on the light breeze. -</p> - -<p> -'There, sir!' exclaimed the yeoman, triumphantly waving an arm. 'See -'im now, sir? 'E seems to 'ave altered course to port a bit since I -see'd 'im first; but 'e's there all right. See 'is lights, sir!' -</p> - -<p> -The man was quite right; for, looking in the direction indicated, the -lieutenant distinctly saw in the sky a bright white light, with, just -below and to the left of it, a green light They both seemed to be -moving rapidly in a north-easterly direction, and looked for all the -world like the steaming and starboard bow lights of a ship suspended in -mid-air. He snatched the glasses from the yeoman's hand and looked -intently through them. Yes, the white and green lights were quite -distinct. They seemed to twinkle as he watched them, and behind them -there appeared to be a dark phantom shape rushing through the sky. A -Zeppelin, without a shadow of doubt. -</p> - -<p> -Dashing down the glasses with an exclamation, he fled from the bridge -as if Satan himself was after him, and running aft, hastily told the -marine corporal of the watch to turn out twenty marines with their -rifles and ball ammunition, and then to inform Captain Hannibal Chance, -R.M.L.I., that a Zeppelin was in sight. -</p> - -<p> -Aubrey P. FitzJohnson was no fool. Not he. He knew that hostilities had -not started, but he had read enough history to be aware that hostile -acts had frequently been committed before actual declaration of war. -Moreover, he was officer of the watch, and as such was responsible for -the safety of the ship, and it would never do if he were to be caught -napping by a bomb-dropping dirigible. Therefore he must take -precautions. There were no anti-aircraft guns mounted in the -<i>Belligerent</i>, so the next best thing which occurred to him was -twenty marines with their rifles. He might just as well have paraded -five thousand schoolboys armed with catapults or pea-shooters, for all -the good they could do. -</p> - -<p> -A few seconds later he was knocking frantically on the door of the -commander's upper-deck sleeping-cabin. -</p> - -<p> -'Who's making that infernal din?' growled the sleepy occupant, waking -up with a start. 'What the devil d'you want?' The commander, poor man, -had had a long and busy day, and was inclined to be irritable. -</p> - -<p> -'It's me, sir—FitzJohnson,' the lieutenant exclaimed, putting his head -inside the curtain. 'There's a Zeppelin in sight!' -</p> - -<p> -'A <i>what</i>!' ejaculated Commander Travers, sitting up in his bunk -and switching on the electric light. -</p> - -<p> -'A Zeppelin, sir. I saw her quite distinctly. She's on our port bow, -steering to the north-east'ard, and travelling pretty fast. You can see -her from the fore-bridge. I've turned out twenty marines with their -rifles!' -</p> - -<p> -The commander glared at him for an instant, and seeing he was in -earnest, hopped out of his bunk, crammed his feet into a pair of rubber -sea-boots, flung on a purple dressing-gown, and dashed out of his -cabin. 'You'd better go and call the captain,' he cried back over his -shoulder. -</p> - -<p> -Captain Spencer, who had been sleeping soundly, was at first inclined -to be sceptical and annoyed; but, convinced from FitzJohnson's manner -that an airship really was in sight, he too left his bunk, and, arrayed -in a suit of green-striped pyjamas and a uniform cap, joined the -commander on the fore-bridge. -</p> - -<p> -The marines meanwhile, in various stages of deshabille, were mustering -on the quarterdeck under the orders of their imperturbable -sergeant-major. -</p> - -<p> -'Have you served out ball ammunition?' FitzJohnson demanded. -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir; five rounds a man.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, double your men on to the forecastle, load your rifles, and -stand by to open fire as soon as you get orders.' -</p> - -<p> -'Party! 'shon! Trail arrms! Left turn! Double marrch!' -</p> - -<p> -At that moment Captain Chance appeared up one of the quarterdeck -ladders. He was wearing a uniform tunic, pink pyjama trousers, -dancing-pumps, and a monocle. 'What the dooce is happenin'?' he wanted -to know. 'That damfool of a corporal came down to my cabin; but the -silly ass was so bally excited, I couldn't make head or tail of what he -was talkin' about. For the Lord's sake, old man, what the devil is the -matter?' -</p> - -<p> -'There's a Zeppelin in sight,' FitzJohnson told him. 'I've just sent -the marines on to the forecastle.' -</p> - -<p> -'Great Cæsar's aunt!' gasped the marine officer, running forward after -his men. -</p> - -<p> -The quartermaster, boatswain's mate, corporal of the watch, and -Ordinary Signalman Grimes, meanwhile, had spread the news far and wide. -Officers in scanty raiment, armed with binoculars, came up the -after-hatches and congregated on the quarterdeck; and most of the -ship's company, determined not to miss the fun, seemed to have left -their hammocks and repaired to the upper deck. It was literally crowded -with excited men, who were all talking at the top of their voices. -</p> - -<p> -'There 'e is!' FitzJohnson heard a shrill voice saying as he retraced -his footsteps to the bridge. 'See 'im?' -</p> - -<p> -'Where?' -</p> - -<p> -'There!' -</p> - -<p> -'No, that ain't 'im. That's one o' them lights ashore.' -</p> - -<p> -'No, it ain't; not wot I'm lookin' at!' -</p> - -<p> -'I tells yer it is!' -</p> - -<p> -'It ain't, I sez. Ye're lookin' at th' wrong one!' -</p> - -<p> -FitzJohnson eventually arrived on the bridge, to find the captain, the -commander, and the first lieutenant already there. The last-named -seemed to be rather amused. -</p> - -<p> -'You can fall your men out, Captain Chance,' Captain Spencer called out -to the forecastle. 'I'm afraid there's nothing for you to shoot at -to-night.' -</p> - -<p> -'I beg your pardon, sir,' said FitzJohnson, coming forward. 'Did you -see the Zeppelin? There, sir,' he added, waving an arm; 'you can still -see her green and white lights; and when I looked through the glasses -just now I distinctly saw her shape.' He was rather afraid that the -marines were being sent away prematurely. -</p> - -<p> -Chase, the first lieutenant, unable to bottle himself up any longer, -burst out into a hoarse chuckle. -</p> - -<p> -The captain turned round. 'Is that you, Mr FitzJohnson?' he snapped. -</p> - -<p> -'Yes, sir. I'—— -</p> - -<p> -'Are you trying to make damfools of the commander and myself?' demanded -Captain Spencer. He seemed very much put out about something. -</p> - -<p> -'I beg your pardon, sir,' stuttered the lieutenant. 'I don't quite -understand what you mean.' -</p> - -<p> -The commander suddenly flung back his head, and went off into a roar of -laughter. 'Oh,' he gasped, 'this is the limit!' -</p> - -<p> -FitzJohnson stared. Had they all taken leave of their senses? -</p> - -<p> -'Did you really see a Zeppelin,' the skipper asked sarcastically, 'or -did you merely get me up here in these garments so that I should catch -my death of cold?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yes, sir, I really did see it,' the lieutenant faltered, beginning to -realise that he had made some horrible mistake. -</p> - -<p> -'What! showing its white and green lights?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yes, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -The captain glowered. 'I believe you're a zealous officer, Mr -FitzJohnson,' he said grimly; 'otherwise I should believe that you were -treating me with unseemly levity.' -</p> - -<p> -'I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -'You don't understand—eh? Well, next time you report a Zeppelin, -kindly make quite certain that it is a Zeppelin. This time you've -dragged us all out of our beds to look at a couple of rather bright -stars.' -</p> - -<p> -'Stars, sir! But I saw the shape behind the lights!' -</p> - -<p> -The captain shook his head. 'Merely a cloud,' he explained. 'If you -look at your so-called lights now, you'll see they haven't moved a -fraction of an inch since you first saw them. The nearer clouds -travelling across them gave you the impression that they were moving. -One of 'em does look rather like a green light, I'll admit, but that's -merely the dampness in the air.' -</p> - -<p> -'I'm awfully sorry, sir,' FitzJohnson stammered, covered with -confusion. 'I had no idea'—— -</p> - -<p> -'Of course you hadn't,' Captain Spencer interrupted. 'Nobody realises -he's made a fool of himself until afterwards. However,' he added with a -chuckle of amusement, 'I'm not really angry; but nobody, except perhaps -the Astronomer-Royal, likes being dragged out of bed to look at -celestial bodies. Good-night.' -</p> - -<p> -'Good-night, sir,' said the culprit sheepishly. -</p> - -<p> -The captain and the commander left the bridge together. They both -seemed amused. -</p> - -<p> -Chase came across to FitzJohnson. 'Dook, old man,' he laughed, digging -him in the ribs, 'you've made a bally ass of yourself. The least you -can do, after digging me out of my cabin at this unearthly hour, is to -give me a cup of your cocoa. Grr, it's beastly cold!' -</p> - -<p> -'Of course I will, No. 1. Come along.' -</p> - -<p> -They left the bridge chuckling. -</p> - -<p> -'Well,' remarked the yeoman of signals when they disappeared, 'I could -'a swore I'd seen 'im!' -</p> - -<p> -Perhaps he could; but he, the cause of all the trouble in the first -instance, had taken very good care to maintain a discreet position in -the background during the captain's presence. -</p> - - - - -<a name="X"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER X. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -WAR.</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -Dinner in the wardroom had been over for some time, and the long table -in the centre of the apartment was cleared. The mess, though it was -close on ten o'clock, seemed very full of officers, far more crowded -than on ordinary evenings, and it was noticeable that all wore -'monkey-jackets'—the ordinary eight-buttoned reefer coats usually seen -in the daytime—instead of the customary mess-jackets, low waistcoats, -and starched white shirts. -</p> - -<p> -The unusual size of the gathering was accounted for partly by the fact -that it happened to be the evening of 4th August 1914, when people were -expecting things to happen, and partly because a six-inch gun casemate, -which ordinarily served as an officers' smoking-room, had been bereft -of its furniture, supplied with a number of evil-looking shell, and had -otherwise been converted to the grim legitimate function for which it -had originally been intended—that is, as an armoured position for the -gun and its crew. -</p> - -<p> -Pipes and cigarettes were going full blast, and the air in the wardroom -was blue with tobacco-smoke. A few of the occupants were seated in -arm-chairs or on the sofas, re-reading the morning papers or -assimilating the latest news from the early evening editions, which had -arrived with the last post at eight o'clock. But by far the greater -number were arguing and talking loudly, as was their habit. -</p> - -<p> -The mess itself looked rather bare, for pictures had vanished from the -bulkheads, and the carpet, the piano, and certain other not strictly -necessary articles of furniture had disappeared. They had gone the way -of a good many other things—ashore out of harm's way, where their -presence could not be the cause of possible fires or splinters. Less -than a fortnight later, however, the younger members of the mess were -all clamouring for the return of the piano. They couldn't have their -sing-songs without it, they explained—which was perfectly true. -Moreover, they said, they were sick unto death of Peter Wooten's -bagpipes, the <i>padre's</i> banjo, and Boyle's penny whistle, the only -other musical instruments in the mess; and so, after some discussion, -the piano came back, like the landlady's cat. The cabins, too, were -practically gutted. FitzJohnson, who loved comfort, nearly wept when he -entered his. His silk hangings and curtains, pictures, and photographs -had been torn ruthlessly from their fastenings and sent ashore. They -had filched his carpet and his chest of drawers. A score or so of -exquisite striped shirts, many suits of plain clothes, his uniform full -dress, frock-coats, and mess-jackets, which fitted his figure like a -glove, and shore-going boots of all kinds, shapes, and colours, had -been packed up in a box and sent to his long-suffering outfitter's for -storage. Little had been left him beyond his shallow bath, the drawers -under the bunk, a bookcase containing the King's Regulations and -Admiralty Instructions, the Addenda thereto, and a washstand. -Everything else seemed to have gone. He complained bitterly, poor -fellow, for his exquisite soul rebelled at this wholesale desecration. -</p> - -<p> -The general atmosphere in the wardroom was by no means gloomy or sad. -On the contrary, every one seemed to be bubbling over with good -spirits. In some cases, perhaps, the hilarity was a trifle forced, for -when folk realise that war is practically inevitable they think they -must appear to be cheerful whatever their personal feelings may be. As -a consequence, they sometimes overdo it. But there were no signs of -depression; neither did one see the fierce aspect, tightly shut mouth, -puckered brow, and general 'do or die' appearance usually associated -with the eve of hostilities by sensational writers. They all knew that -the chances were fully 100 to 1 that they were about to take part in -the greatest struggle the world had ever known. Germany was already at -war with Russia; Teuton troops had violated the neutrality of Lùxemburg -and Belgium, and had crossed the French frontier at various points; so -it seemed impossible that Great Britain could refrain from joining in -the conflict. -</p> - -<p> -Ever since the early afternoon things had been humming. Urgent -telegrams in cipher and wireless signals in code, the purport whereof -was unknown to any but the senior officers, had been pouring in all -day. Steam for full speed had been raised, and the ships were ready to -move at an instant's notice; while Captain Spencer had been on board -the flagship during the afternoon, and was away for a very long time. -But not till afterwards did any of them know that the British ultimatum -had already been handed to Germany. -</p> - -<p> -Nobody was anything but cheerful. Their loyalty to their king, their -anxiety to fight and overcome in a just cause, and, if need be, their -readiness to die could not be expressed in mere words. There was no -necessity for it. They took all that as a matter of course. They had -been brought up to the idea ever since they had joined the service, so -why talk about it? -</p> - -<p> -Cashley, the fleet paymaster, was vainly endeavouring to get up a four -at auction bridge. 'What about it, <i>padre</i>?' he asked. 'Going to -take a hand?' -</p> - -<p> -His reverence, deep in the <i>Globe</i>, looked up. 'Bridge,' he said, -shaking his head; 'not to-night, Pay; thanks, all the same.' -</p> - -<p> -'What about you, No. 1?' -</p> - -<p> -'Can't be done, Pay. Too busy, I'm afraid.' -</p> - -<p> -'Busy! You're not busy now?' -</p> - -<p> -Chase laughed. 'It's all jolly well for you to talk,' he answered -good-naturedly. 'You've the prospect of a night in your bunk. I may be -dragged out at any time to get the anchor up if we go to sea. Besides, -the sailors are at night defence stations, and it's my morning watch. -Heigho! it's jolly nigh time I turned in.' He glanced up at the clock. -</p> - -<p> -'Won't any one play bridge?' the fleet paymaster inquired plaintively, -looking round. 'The night's still young.' -</p> - -<p> -All the usual habitués of the game shook their heads in dissent. -</p> - -<p> -'This isn't an evening for bridge at all,' chipped in the -engineer-commander disapprovingly, looking up over the edge of his -paper. 'We don't want to be like Nero, fiddling while Rome burnt.' -</p> - -<p> -'What bunkum you talk, chief!' retorted Cashley. 'Because we're going -to war is no reason why we shouldn't have a little innocent amusement. -What about Drake and his game of bowls on Plymouth Hoe?' -</p> - -<p> -'That yarn's all rot!' said the engineer-commander. 'I know it's quoted -in all the history books; but I don't believe it's true, all the same.' -</p> - -<p> -'And I,' said Chase, knocking out his pipe, 'would most respectfully -submit, my dear Pay, that the defeat of the Spanish Armada took place -in Anno Domini 1588.' -</p> - -<p> -'And what the deuce has that got to do with it?' -</p> - -<p> -'Merely that such things as wireless telegraphy, submarines, and -destroyers steaming thirty-five knots weren't invented when Sir Francis -served in the Home Fleet under Lord Howard of Effingham.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well,' Cashley observed with a sigh, seeing his efforts were quite -futile, 'I'm sure bridge wasn't invented in Drake's time either, or -he'd have taken to the game at once. It's an excellent stimulant for -one's brain. However, since you're all so mouldy, I suppose I must hie -me to the fastnesses of my apartment and turn in. Good-night, -everybody.' He left the wardroom and closed the door behind him. -</p> - -<p> -'Poor old Pay!' the first lieutenant remarked with a yawn; 'he's so -devilish keen on his bridge. This is the first evening he's not had it -for weeks, and the old dear misses it. However, I shall follow his most -excellent example by retiring to my cabin.—Peter, old son,' he added, -kicking the senior watch-keeper gently as he sprawled in an arm-chair, -'you're keeping the middle watch at the guns, aren't you?' -</p> - -<p> -'I am, No. 1,' Wooten nodded. 'What of it?' -</p> - -<p> -'Be a good chap, and have me called if war's declared, if any one fires -a torpedo at us, or if you sight another Zeppelin.' He winked slyly at -FitzJohnson. 'Also, at ten minutes to four; and tell the messenger to -drag me out of bed. If you love me very much, Peter boy, you can have a -nice cup of hot cocoa waiting for me when I come up.' -</p> - -<p> -Peter rose from his chair and blinked sleepily. 'My love for you, No. -1' he declared with great gravity, making a low bow with his hand on -his heart, 'has long since passed its platonic stage. I will prepare -your cocoa with mine own fair hands, and would even embrace your chaste -cheek before you retire to your couch.' He stretched out his arms and -advanced. -</p> - -<p> -'Touch me if you dare, varlet!' Chase exclaimed, avoiding him neatly, -and darting to the door.—'Well, s'long, all you chaps; sleep well' He -paused with the door open.—'I say, Dook, old man!' -</p> - -<p> -FitzJohnson looked up. -</p> - -<p> -'If you see another Zep, old bird, you might take a photo of it. -There's a camera in my cabin.' He vanished, chuckling. -</p> - -<p> -Some time after eleven <span class="smc">P.M.</span>, when the wardroom had been -closed for the night and the officers had retired to their cabins, the -sound of frantic cheering suddenly echoed out over the water. It came -from the direction of the flagship; and Tickle, the officer of the -watch in the <i>Belligerent</i>, paused in his perambulation. It could -only mean one thing. -</p> - -<p> -Ten minutes later he was reading his Majesty's message to Sir John -Jellicoe, the Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet: -</p> - -<p> -'At this grave moment in our national history, I send to you, and -through you to the officers and men of the fleet of which you have -assumed command, the assurance of my confidence that under your -direction they will revive and renew the glories of the Royal Navy, and -prove once again the sure shield of Britain and her Empire in her hour -of trial.' -</p> - -<p> -'And a jolly fine message, too,' Tickle muttered to himself. 'God bless -him!' -</p> - -<p> -Almost simultaneously came the official intimation that a state of war -existed between Great Britain and Germany as from eleven -<span class="smc">P.M.</span> on 4th August. The news spread like wildfire, and the -'Belligerents,' not to be outdone, left their hammocks <i>en masse</i>, -crowded on the upper deck, and gave vent to their pent-up feelings and -enthusiasm in volley after volley of cheers. They were quite -irrepressible, and before very long the 'squeegee band,'<a href="#note29" -name="noteref29"> -<span class="fn">[29]</span></a> - composed of -two drums, a dozen fifes, many mouth-organs, and an unholy number of -mess kettles and other noisy utensils, was marching round the deck -making the night hideous. The noise did not cease till well after -midnight. -</p> - -<p> -War had come. -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -The chaplain leant back in his chair with a yawn, knocked out and -refilled his pipe, lit it, and then gazed wearily and with great -distaste at the pile of letters and post-cards on the table in front of -him. He, Peter Wooten, the senior watch-keeper, and Hannibal Chance, -the captain of marines, were the three officers whose unenviable duty -it was to censor all the outgoing private correspondence of the -officers and men. As a rule they took the days in turn; but on -Saturdays and Sundays, when the men had had more time to themselves and -more opportunities for writing, the mail bound London-wards assumed -colossal proportions, and all three censors had to buckle to to get the -work done in time. To-day happened to be a Sunday, and his reverence -had retired to his cabin after tea with a bag full of letters and -post-cards to be read through before he took his evening service at six -o'clock. Wooten and Chance were in their respective apartments doing -the same. -</p> - -<p> -It was a dismal job at the best of times, this prying into other -people's private correspondence, and the <i>padre</i>, for one, hated -it. But he realised it was necessary. The censorship had been enforced -from the very outbreak of hostilities; and though letters could be -written, provided they were presented unsealed, post-cards seemed more -fashionable. They were examined, stamped 'Passed by Ship's Censor,' and -then despatched in sealed bags to the G.P.O., London, whence they were -forwarded to their destinations. Sealed letters, uncensored, could also -be sent in the ordinary way; but these were subject to considerable -delay in transmission, and were not very popular. They could, moreover, -be examined at any time if considered at all suspicious. The movements -of the fleet or of individual ships, and details of other vital matters -which might be of use to the ever-inquisitive Hun, were rigidly taboo. -The restrictions, sweeping as they were, did away at one fell swoop -with practically all the subject-matter for an ordinary peace-time -communication; but in spite of it officers and men found plenty to -write about, and plenty of people to write to. Long-forgotten -grandmothers, aunts, female cousins, and other people's sisters seemed -to have come up to the scratch in a most extraordinary way, and those -men who had few friends and relations, and whose correspondence was -limited in ordinary times to perhaps one letter a month, now received -and wrote three or four a week. Very nice for the men, no doubt, to be -able to feel that those at home took an interest in their welfare, but -rather trying for the censors in a ship with a company of eight to nine -hundred souls. -</p> - -<p> -Taking up his blue pencil, the <i>padre</i> selected a missive from the -pile in front of him. It was from FitzJohnson, and was addressed to his -outfitter: -</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> -<p> - '<span class="sc">Dear Sir</span>,—I shall be much obliged if you will kindly - send me as soon as possible one pair of uniform trousers, one pair - of patent leather evening pumps, and one uniform cap, size 6⅞. - The last monkey-jacket I had from you a week ago I am returning for - alteration. It is rather tight across the'—— -</p> -</div> - -<p> -Having got thus far, his reverence inserted the letter in its envelope, -moistened the flap with a small sponge, and then dabbed at it with a -large rubber stamp and pushed it aside. It was 'passed' all right; but -he vaguely wondered what on earth the Dook proposed to do with -dancing-pumps on board a battleship in time of war. -</p> - -<p> -The next missive, a post-card, written by some one to his wife, was -slightly more exciting: -</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> -<p> - '<span class="sc">My dear Wife</span>,—a p.-c. to let you know that I am still - alright, dear, hoping you and the children are the same dear. - received your letter alright dear and I was pleased to hear that - you are getting on alright also the children. well, Darling, I am - sending you the flannel dear hope you will get it alright. I hope - you get my Post-cards regular. I see by your letter you have not - got any yet. let me know if you have got the money yet dear if not - I will send you a letter to copy out and send for it it will be - quite alright dear. let me know as soon as possible Dear. so now - with love to you dear and the children with many kisses from your - loving husband, -</p> - -<p class="sig"> - '<span class="sc">Bert</span>.' -</p> -</div> - -<p> -The <i>padre</i> chuckled, stamped the affectionate and strangely -punctuated effusion, and passed on to the next. -</p> - -<p> -It was a letter from one of the sub-lieutenants to his aunt Janet—a -rich Aunt Janet, judging from the letter. He thanked her affectionately -for one pound of peppermints, a beautiful knitted muffler, and a pair -of mittens, and assured her that they would keep him as warm as toast -during the rigours of the coming winter. And did Aunt Janet know of any -place where one could buy cheap but reliable vacuum flasks to hold a -quart, and a decent pair of six-power prism binoculars? He had broken -his own, he said, but had heard that those made by Messrs Ross of -Cockspur Street, London, were very good. He was not quite certain, -however, and would like to have her advice before buying them. He added -one or two bloodthirsty remarks about Huns, remarks calculated to -reduce the good lady to a state of considerable alarm if she was at all -inclined to be timid, furnished the information that he was as fit as a -fiddle, and remained her loving nephew. -</p> - -<p> -The censor smiled, remembered that the young officer in question had -written to numerous other ladies thanking them for winter comforts, and -asked himself how many mufflers, mittens, balaclava helmets, body -belts, and pairs of socks the sub really possessed. They must run into -dozens. -</p> - -<p> -He stamped and sealed the letter, took the next envelope which came to -hand, but, having read a few lines of its contents, frowned: -</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> -<p> - '<span class="sc">Dere Wife</span>'—it ran—'i hope this finds you as it leaves - me. we have had a terrible time, and last week we had a fierce and - bloody battle in the North sea with the Germans, sinking many of - them and some of ours likewise was sunk and many brave lads killed, - we come back into harbour with the mainmast gorn and the funnels - nearly falling down with the holes in them the ship was a terrible - sight and the skipper was wounded bad but still fought on, the - commander was killed and 40 men likewise the engineer commander and - the chief pusser wot was in the sick bay at the time. Our ship done - gallant and our decks running in blood i am alright and did not - suffer a scratch but still feel the strain it was awful and now - dere wife goodbye and many kisses from your loving husband -</p> - -<p class="sig"> - <span class="sc">Ted</span>.' -</p> -</div> - -<p> -The <i>Belligerent</i>, to the great disgust of her ship's company, had -not as yet been in action, while every one of her officers and men was -still very much alive and kicking. The whole letter was a tissue of -lies from beginning to end, and what had induced the man to write it, -or had led him to imagine that the censors would pass it, the -<i>padre</i> could not think. He glanced through the bloodthirsty -missive again, picked up the envelope and looked at the address, and -then stretched out a hand and pressed an electric bell-push. -</p> - -<p> -'I want to see Stoker Walley of No. 67 mess,' he said when a bluejacket -messenger answered his ring. -</p> - -<p> -Ten minutes later there came a knock at the door. 'Did ye send for -Stoker Walley, surr?' inquired a voice. -</p> - -<p> -'Yes,' said the <i>padre</i> wearily. 'Come inside, Walley.' -</p> - -<p> -The stoker, a burly fellow six feet tall, and broad in proportion, -removed his cap, entered gingerly, and stood strictly to attention. He -was unused to being invited into officers' cabins. -</p> - -<p> -'Did you write this letter to your wife, Walley? the chaplain asked, -picking up the offending missive. -</p> - -<p> -'Oi did, surr,' said the man, not the least abashed. -</p> - -<p> -'Don't you know that the censorship regulations forbid you to say -anything about the movements of ships or what they're doing?' -</p> - -<p> -'Oi do, surr. But what Oi've put in me letter isn't what's been -happenin', surr.' He was perfectly correct in his statement, for what -he had written was nothing but the wildest fiction. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>padre</i> smiled. 'No,' he remarked, turning round in his chair -and looking up at him, 'I dare say it isn't true. But doesn't it strike -you, Walley, that you're doing a very wrong thing in writing like this? -The letter's a falsehood from beginning to end.' -</p> - -<p> -'Oi didn't mean no harm, surr,' the stoker protested, rather puzzled. -</p> - -<p> -'No, perhaps not. Have you ever heard of the Defence of the Realm Act?' -</p> - -<p> -'Oi have not, surr.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, I believe the Act lays it down that any one spreading false -information is liable to a very severe penalty. You don't want to be -punished, do you?' -</p> - -<p> -'Oi do not, surr,' said Walley stolidly, quite unable to understand how -he had offended. 'Oi've never been a defaulter since I joined the -navy.' -</p> - -<p> -'You'll soon get into trouble if you write letters like this,' the -<i>padre</i> observed grimly. 'Suppose I took this one to the captain, -and asked him to read it? I think you'd find he would regard it as a -very serious offence.' -</p> - -<p> -'Oi'm sorry, surr, if Oi've done wrong, surr,' the stoker answered, -nervously fidgeting with his cap. 'Oi only wrote a bit of a yarn like -t' amuse the missis.' -</p> - -<p> -'To amuse your wife!' ejaculated the chaplain. 'Surely, surely your -wife must be feeling a little anxious about you?' -</p> - -<p> -'P'r'aps, surr. Oi don't rightly know,' admitted the culprit. 'P'r'aps -she is a bit anxious like, surr.' -</p> - -<p> -'Of course she is, Walley. Any woman is bound to be anxious with her -husband at sea in war-time. Tell me now, truthfully, do you really -think that a letter like this will make her feel any less anxious? You -go into gruesome details of a fight at sea which has never taken place, -and expect her to be—er—amused. 'Pon my soul, I've never heard of -such a thing.' -</p> - -<p> -'Oi'm sorry, surr. Oi didn't mean no harm.' -</p> - -<p> -The chaplain sighed. 'Well,' he pointed out, 'I consider you acted very -wrongly in writing this letter at all; and besides that, you're being -very unfair to your wife. After all, she deserves a little -consideration—what?' -</p> - -<p> -'Ye haven't seen me wife, surr,' said the stoker. 'She likes a bit of -excitement now and then.' -</p> - -<p> -The chaplain got rather annoyed. 'I dare say she does,' he answered; -'but that is no excuse for your sending her a letter which is nothing -but a pack of lies. Now look here, Walley,' he added very sternly, 'if -I took this matter forward you would find yourself in serious trouble. -I don't want that to happen, though, so I'll tear it up; but you must -promise me faithfully you'll never write a letter like this again. Will -you promise?' -</p> - -<p> -'Oi will, surr,' said the man, looking genuinely frightened. 'Thankin' -ye very much all the same, surr.' -</p> - -<p> -The censor tore the letter into minute fragments and dropped it into -the waste-paper basket. 'There,' he said, 'that's the last you'll hear -of it, Walley; but don't let it occur again. You can keep the envelope, -and if you're quick you'll just have time to write another letter -before the mail leaves. No horrors this time, mind. Tell your wife -you're well and happy, and all that sort of thing. D'you understand?' -</p> - -<p> -'Oi do, surr,' the stoker replied sheepishly, taking the envelope. -'Thank ye, surr.' He left the cabin. -</p> - -<p> -'Heigho!' yawned the <i>padre</i>, resuming his unwelcome occupation; -'I've been in the service for seven years, but it seems I don't -understand the men yet. I wonder if I ever shall!' He often asks -himself the same question. -</p> - - -<h3> -III. -</h3> - -<p> -'I'm fed up wi' this 'ere war!' exclaimed Pincher Martin, flinging away -the fag-end of a cigarette with a petulant gesture. 'It's bin goin' on -fur over four bloomin' months, an' we ain't see'd a ruddy thing yet!' -</p> - -<p> -'Th' way some o' you blokes talks makes me fair sick,' Able Seaman -Billings retorted. 'S'pose yer 'ad see'd somethin', as yer calls it, -yer might 'ave lost th' number o' yer mess. W'y carn't yer be content -wi' wot ye've got? That's wot I wants ter know.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher snorted. 'Content wi' wot I've got!' he jeered. ''Ow kin I be? -I reckons I wants ter fight, same as other blokes.' -</p> - -<p> -Joshua laughed. ''Ark at th' little cock-sparrer!' he said, turning to -M'Sweeny. 'Did ye 'ear wot 'e sed, Tubby?' -</p> - -<p> -'I did, chum,' agreed M'Sweeny severely, sucking hard at a particularly -evil-smelling pipe. ''E sez 'e wants ter fight, an' I reckons 'e'll git -orl 'e wants afore long. We'll all git more'n we wants in th' way o' -fightin' afore we've finished this 'ere war. Them Germans ain't fools.' -</p> - -<p> -'Don't yer want ter fight yerself, Tubby?' Pincher inquired. -</p> - -<p> -M'Sweeny thought for a moment. 'Carn't say 'xactly as 'ow I don't, -Pincher, an' carn't say as 'ow I does.' -</p> - -<p> -'Wot yer jine th' navy fur else?' -</p> - -<p> -'Jine the navy! W'y, I jines th' navy 'cos I thought it wus a good -perfession.' -</p> - -<p> -'Fightin' perfession,' Pincher supplemented. -</p> - -<p> -'Yus; but yer don't seem t' understand wot I means,' Tubby explained. -'It's like this 'ere. I don't mind fightin' if it comes ter fightin'; -but I sez that any bloke wot sez 'e likes it arter 'e's once 'ad it is -a bloomin' liar. I ain't afraid o' them Germans,' he added. 'I ain't -afraid o' any one wot I knows of; but I sez war's a norrible thing.' -</p> - -<p> -'An' so it is,' agreed Joshua. 'You wait till yer 'as yer fu'st little -bu'st up, Pincher; yer won't want another fur a bit. It's orl right ter -talk th' same as yer do, but yer don't know wot it's like same as me -an' Tubby.' -</p> - -<p> -'But you an' Tubby ain't never bin in action,' Pincher protested. -</p> - -<p> -'No, we ain't,' said Billings. 'But we ain't 'ot-'eaded young blokes -same as you. We thinks abart things, an' looks at things more serious -like. We doesn't mind fightin' w'en it comes; but we ain't anxious ter -fight 'cos we likes it—see? I reckons no bloke really does, an' them -as talks most gen'rally does least w'en it comes ter th' time. Me an' -Tubby 'as seen things you 'aven't,' he added; 'so we two knows wot -we're talkin' abart.' -</p> - -<p> -M'Sweeny gave an assenting nod. -</p> - -<p> -''Ow d'yer mean?' Pincher wanted to know. 'Wot is it ye've seen wot I -ain't?' -</p> - -<p> -'I'll tell yer,' said Billings.—'Tubby, d'yer remember that 'ere gun -explosion we 'ad w'en me an' you wus shipmates up th' Straits?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yus, I do, chum.' -</p> - -<p> -'Explosion! 'Ow did it 'appen?' Pincher demanded. 'Spin us th' yarn.' -</p> - -<p> -'Ain't I spinnin' it as fast as I can?' said Joshua, rather testily. -'Don't be so impatient! Well, we 'ad our six-inch guns in that ship in -casemates like we've got 'ere. Yer knows wot a casemate is, don't yer?' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher did not condescend to reply. -</p> - -<p> -'Well, they wus firin' at th' time, an' somethin' 'appened, an' a -cartridge hexploded afore th' breech o' th' gun was properly closed.' -Joshua paused. -</p> - -<p> -'An' wot 'appened?' -</p> - -<p> -'There was an 'ell of an explosion an' a big flare up, an' four blokes -belongin' ter th' gun wus blowed sky-'igh, an' orl th' others wus badly -messed up. I wus in there soon arter it 'appened. It makes me fair sick -ter think of it.' -</p> - -<p> -'Wot! blood?' Pincher queried breathlessly. -</p> - -<p> -'Blood!' Billings sniffed. 'Buckets of it, an' bits o' poor blokes wot -'ad bin breathin' men a few minutes afore plastered orl over th' sides -an' roof. 'Orrors ain't in it. Arms an' legs blowed orf, an' th' 'ole -place drippin' somethin' crool!—Wasn't it, Tubby?' -</p> - -<p> -'It wus, chum,' M'Sweeny corroborated. -</p> - -<p> -'I reckons that if ye'd seen that, Pincher, ye'd never say as 'ow ye -likes th' idea o' fightin',' Joshua went on. 'If we goes into action -it'll be somethin' like that, only wuss.' -</p> - -<p> -'Don't sound good,' Pincher admitted grudgingly. -</p> - -<p> -'Don't look good neither, w'en bits o' blokes 'as ter be scraped up in -shovels,' said M'Sweeny grimly. 'We ain't frightened o' fightin', me -an' Billings isn't, yer see, but we've see'd things wot you youngsters -'asn't, an' we knows wot it's like.' -</p> - -<p> -Martin made no reply. -</p> - -<p> -So, on the whole, their only feelings, after four months of war, were -those of regret and envy—regret because they themselves had not been -in action, envy for those of their comrades who had. They were sorry -for those of their relations and friends who had been killed in action -ashore and afloat, but, like the inscrutable people they were, accepted -their fate in a calm and philosophical spirit which must have seemed -positively callous to any outsider. To people who do not understand -them, however, our seamen always do appear callous. They seem to treat -death in a very casual and light-hearted fashion, due, perhaps, to the -fact that they themselves have stared Him in the face so often that -they have become inured to His presence. Familiarity with danger does -breed contempt for death. -</p> - -<p> -But yet, in reality, bluejackets are among the kindest-hearted men -alive, and the sight of a howling infant in a street will attract the -hard-earned coppers from their pockets like steel filings to a magnet. -It is said that one child in a certain naval port discovered this -generous trait, and invented a new profession on the strength of it. He -did not beg or whine—did not utter a word, in fact; but, with true -commercial instinct, plastered his face with mud, stationed himself -near the dockyard gates when the libertymen were streaming back to -their ships in the evening, and wept bitterly—merely wept. The -pathetic sight aroused the bluejackets' sympathy and opened their -purse-strings, and at the end of the nightly performance the -youth—aged eight—went home with a cheerful grin and his pockets -bulging with pennies. The game could not go on for long, of course; but -it was a very paying one while it lasted. -</p> - -<p> -But though Christmas was nearly upon them, and they had never had a -'scrap,' as they termed it, the men secretly revelled in the thought -that they, in common with the remainder of the navy and army, also came -under the category of what to the great British public were 'our -gallant defenders.' Their natural modesty forbade them thinking about -themselves as 'gallant,' 'brave,' or 'heroic,' adjectives which were -sometimes hurled at their heads by people at home. They were merely -doing their ordinary peace-time job, with a few extra dangers thrown in -in the shape of submarines and mines; but they did derive no small -satisfaction in realising that folk at home recognised that they were -doing their bit, and liked to know that a sudden and very overwhelming -interest was being taken in their welfare. Overwhelming in more senses -than one. -</p> - -<p> -Wives, mothers, aunts, female cousins, sweethearts, and lady friends -seemed to be consoling themselves for the absence at sea of their -husbands, sons, nephews, cousins, 'young men,' and acquaintances by an -orgy of knitting. Avalanches of woollen home-knitted mufflers, -balaclava helmets, mittens, gloves, jerseys, and body-belts, besides -shoals of socks, soon came pouring in by every mail, until every -officer and man in the <i>Belligerent</i> had received a full outfit of -everything necessary to keep out the cold. They were duly grateful for -the kind attention, for the mufflers of thick blue wool and the warm -socks were as different from the ordinary articles of commerce as -cheese is from chalk. Some of the things had stamped post-cards -attached on which the fair knitters desired an acknowledgment; and, -judging from what the censors said, the ladies were not disappointed. -Others bore little silver paper horseshoes for good luck, while many of -the socks arrived with cigarettes and chocolates, either loose or in -packets, snugly ensconced inside. -</p> - -<p> -'I thought there wus somethin' wrong wi' this 'ere!' Pincher remarked -one day, removing his right sock, turning it inside-out, and -discovering the coagulated remains of several chocolate creams. 'I -thought it felt a bit knobby-like w'en I puts 'im on, an' now I've bin -an' gorn an' wasted 'em!' It was a dire calamity, for Pincher had a -sweet tooth, and regretted the loss of his chocolates far more than the -energy he would presently have to expend on cleansing the sock of its -stickiness. -</p> - -<p> -People who did not knit sent other things instead. Well-to-do folk -provided gramophones and records, boxes of fruit and game, vacuum -flasks, warm waistcoats, books, jig-saw puzzles, and games, all of -which were very welcome. One public-spirited gentleman, a yacht-owner, -forwarded a consignment of many dozen brand-new 'sevenpennies,' and -was blessed for his gift. Societies and clubs sent more reading matter; -and though it is true that <i>Chatterbox</i> for 1891 and bound copies -of a poultry journal for 1887 do not appeal to modern sailors as they -should, the greater portion of what arrived was eagerly seized upon and -as eagerly read. -</p> - -<p> -The men's friends themselves contributed regular consignments of -newspapers, tobacco, cigarettes, soap, tooth-powder, biscuits, -home-made cakes, sweets of all kinds, fruit, tomatoes done up in flimsy -brown-paper parcels, and many other articles of food and utility too -numerous to be mentioned in detail. These gifts also were most -acceptable, though it was found that bull's-eyes and peppermints -sometimes had an unhappy knack of melting in transit, while as often as -not the fruit and tomatoes were found at the very bottom of the -mail-bags in the form of a nauseating, ready-made salad well -impregnated with brown paper, string, and the rapidly disintegrating -contents of other people's parcels. -</p> - -<p> -What with the extra food and their warm garments, the figures of the -'gallant defenders' rapidly assumed elephantine proportions. Thin -sailors became bulbous; fat sailors became colossal. They had never had -such a time in all their lives. -</p> - - -<h3> -IV. -</h3> - -<p> -Christmas came and went; but, though the ship's company made a point of -keeping up the time-honoured traditions and customs, things were hardly -the same as usual. They did not suffer from lack of seasonable fare, -for volleys of plum-puddings and other comestibles from home had -temporarily superseded the deluge of mufflers, mittens, and cigarettes; -while the canteen did a roaring trade in turkeys, geese, boiled hams, -fruit, holly, and chains of coloured paper for decorations. -</p> - -<p> -On the morning of the 25th itself the squadron happened to be in -harbour, and at daylight the <i>Belligerent</i> and every other ship -appeared with the customary branches of fir and evergreen lashed to the -mastheads and the yardarms. -</p> - -<p> -At eight o'clock came a signal from the vice-admiral wishing all the -officers and men under his command 'A Happy Christmas;' and at -divisions at nine-thirty the officers took the opportunity of saying -the same. -</p> - -<p> -Then came church and the issue of Princess Mary's gifts; and if the -donors to the fund could have seen the way these gilt boxes, with their -cards, pipes, packets of tobacco, and cigarettes, were appreciated by -their recipients they would have felt that their generosity had been -repaid. A gift was always a gift and something to be appreciated, but a -gift from a Royal Princess was to be treasured as an heirloom. As a -consequence, the greater number of the men sent their boxes home by -registered post without smoking the contents. They were far too -valuable to be kept on board when there was a chance of the ship being -torpedoed by a hostile submarine or sunk by a mine. -</p> - -<p> -Shortly before noon the band assembled outside the captain's cabin, and -as eight bells struck, Captain Spencer, preceded by the musicians -playing 'The Roast Beef of Old England' and the 'funny party' with -blackened faces and attired in a variety of strange costumes, and -followed by a procession of all the officers, made the usual tour of -the mess-deck. Some of the messes were embellished with festoons of -paper chains, sprigs and bunches of holly and mistletoe, and home-made -mottoes. Others were hardly decorated at all, but all the tables were -well laden with food. At the foot of each mess stood a man with a plate -of cake, pastry, or pudding, which he offered to all the officers in -turn as they passed by. Every one of them took a small piece, wished -the occupants of the mess 'A Happy Christmas,' nibbled the cake or -whatever it was, and then hastily secreted the remains in his pocket. -There were several dozen messes to be visited, and a few ounces of -stodgy cake from each of them would provide more than enough for a -schoolboy. -</p> - -<p> -Opposite one of the chief petty officers' messes the procession came to -a halt close to a blackboard on which was chalked in large letters: -</p> - -<p> -'The Ship's Company of H.M.S. <i>Belligerent</i> wish Captain Spencer -and the officers a very happy Christmas and a bright and joyful New -Year. They deeply regret that up to the present Captain Spencer has not -had the opportunity of taking them into action, but are anxiously -awaiting the time when he will.' -</p> - -<p> -The captain smiled, took the proffered chalk, and made his reply. -</p> - -<p> -'The same to you,' he wrote. 'Captain Spencer will be only too pleased -to take the ship into action whenever the enemy give him the chance. -When the time comes he and the officers know that they may rely on the -"Belligerents" to give a good account of themselves. Let 'em all come!' -</p> - -<p> -Loud and prolonged cheering before the procession moved on. -</p> - -<p> -It took fully half-an-hour to do the whole round of the messes; but at -last the officers disappeared to their own lunch, and left the men to -go on with their meal. They acquitted themselves nobly. -</p> - -<p> -Soon after lunch, when Tickle had retired to his cabin and was -composing himself for his usual afternoon slumber, there came a knock -at his door. 'Well, what is it?' he inquired lazily. -</p> - -<p> -'It's me, sir,' said Petty Officer Casey, insinuating his head through -the curtain. 'The foc's'lemen sends their compliments, sir, an' would -yer be so kind as to visit 'em in their messes for a few minutes?' -</p> - -<p> -Tickle yawned, hoisted himself out of his bunk, and stepped outside. -Here he was promptly seized by four stalwart A.B.'s, hoisted -shoulder-high, and, with a man in front playing triumphantly upon a -mouth-organ, was carried off. Down ladders and up ladders they went, -through cheering crowds on the mess-deck, until they finally allowed -him to slide gracefully to earth among the men of his own forecastle -division. -</p> - -<p> -They proceeded to drink his health in navy rum, a compliment which he -was bound to return; but even then the ordeal was not over. -</p> - -<p> -'They'd like yer to say a few words, sir,' Petty Officer Casey prompted -him hoarsely. -</p> - -<p> -Tickle cleared his throat nervously. 'I'm not much of a hand at making -a speech,' he began; 'but I'm very glad to come here and wish you all a -happy Christmas again. From what I can see'—he looked round the -tables—'you all seem to have been enjoying yourselves. My only -regret—our only regret, I should say—is that we haven't had a chance -of meeting the enemy yet; but that's a pleasure we all look forward -to'—— -</p> - -<p> -Here he was interrupted by loud cheers and bangings on the tables. -</p> - -<p> -'It's quite unnecessary for me to tell you that I know the -<i>Belligerent</i> will do jolly well when the time comes, and that the -men of the forecastle division will do better than any one else'—— -</p> - -<p> -Loud cries of ''Ear, 'ear!' and more shouting. -</p> - -<p> -'I've clean forgotten what I was going to say,' he went on, laughing. -'Oh yes. I'm sure the forecastlemen will do better than any one else -when it comes to a scrap; but don't get down-hearted if we have to wait -for some time before we get it. Other ships have had a run for their -money, and we haven't; but we're all doing our bit for the country, and -it's up to us to do our duty wherever the Admiralty choose to send us. -At the same time, I hope the war will not be over before we have our -look in. Well,' he concluded, 'I don't think there is anything else I -can say, except to wish you all the best of luck.' He lifted the -fanny<a href="#note30" -name="noteref30"> -<span class="fn">[30]</span></a> - to his lips and sipped its contents. -</p> - -<p> -'An' th' same to you, sir!' came a roar. 'Three cheers for Lootenant -Tickle!' -</p> - -<p> -'One more, boys!' somebody yelled excitedly. 'Hip, hip, hip, -<span class="sc">hurrah</span>!' -</p> - -<p> -Tickle, feeling very awkward and red in the face, bowed his -acknowledgments. 'Thank you very much indeed,' he said quietly. He -could not express his feelings in mere words. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Belligerent</i> was a happy ship, and the officers were popular -with their men, and many of them, including the commander, the -engineer-commander, all the officers of divisions, captain of marines, -and most of the midshipmen and warrant-officers, were ruthlessly -dragged from their afternoon slumber and carried forward to the -mess-decks to make speeches. Christmas, the time of good-fellowship and -goodwill, only came once a year, but it was one of the rare occasions -when the men were able to show their officers what they really thought -of them. -</p> - -<p> -So, taking it all round, they managed to enjoy themselves, for -bluejackets always succeed in being cheerful under any circumstances; -but nobody could help having a feeling at the back of his mind that -this particular Christmas was not quite the same as others, as indeed -it was not. They were thinking of their homes and of what was happening -there, and many of them, officers as well as men, had not set foot on -shore for weeks—months, in some cases. -</p> - -<p> -Boxing Day found the squadron at sea. -</p> - - - - -<a name="XI"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER XI. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -BLACK FRIDAY.</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -''Appy Noo Year, chum,' said the lookout-man on the starboard side of -the <i>Belligerent's</i> bridge, as Pincher Martin came up to relieve -him at five minutes past midnight on the morning of 1st January. -'Lawd!' he added with a shiver, stamping his sea-booted feet, 'I shall -be glad ter git inter me bloomin' 'ammick.' -</p> - -<p> -'Noo Year, is it?' Pincher queried with a prolonged yawn. 'Well, th' -compliments o' th' season to yer, Shiner White. 'Strewth!' he added, -'it's a bit parky, ain't it?' He undid the toggles of his thick lammy -coat,<a href="#note31" -name="noteref31"> -<span class="fn">[31]</span></a> - and gave the muffler another turn round his neck. -</p> - -<p> -The other man nodded. 'There ain't nothink in sight,' he went on -hastily, anxious not to prolong the conversation; 'but if yer sees a -light or anythink, look out yer sings out sharp an' loud, so that th' -orficer o' the watch'll 'ear yer. S'long, chum!' -</p> - -<p> -'S'long, Shiner! 'Appy dreams.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher, left to his own devices, looked about him. The squadron was at -sea, and to his unpractised eye the night seemed unusually fine. What -little wind there was seemed to be coming in from the south-westward in -fitful, erratic puffs, and the great ship rode over a smooth, gradually -increasing swell without perceptible movement. If he had been a weather -prophet the state of the sea and the sky would have warned him to -expect a change in the weather; but he was a novice at such things, and -the signs and portents of sky and sea conveyed little to his mind. -</p> - -<p> -The moon was up, and the night was not really dark as nights go; but -every now and then the brilliance of the moon was temporarily dimmed by -great high cloud-masses travelling down from windward across the face -of the blue, star-spangled heavens. Away to the south-westward a heavy -piled-up bank of dark hue, looking for all the world like a gigantic -mountain range overtopping the horizon, was gradually encroaching on -the sky as it mounted up and up into space. Its upper edges were frayed -and fretted by the wind, and occasional wisps of cloud torn from the -main mass were being flung off into space by the upper air-currents, to -come scurrying to leeward in low-lying, streaky fragments like spun -silk. They were mares'-tails, and the swell and the watery halo round -the moon were other bad tokens. They portended wind—wind, and plenty -of it. Soon the sky would be completely overcast. Before daylight it -would probably be blowing hard. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Belligerent</i> was somewhere near the tail of the line of -battleships. A short distance in front of her came the huge hull of the -next ahead clearly silhouetted against the sky. Farther ahead again -were the dark outlines of other vessels, their shapes getting smaller -and less distinct as they merged in the deep shadows on the horizon. -</p> - -<p> -On board the <i>Belligerent</i> herself half the seamen were at their -stations at the guns ready for repelling a possible torpedo attack, and -the other half, who had been relieved at midnight, had just retired to -their hammocks for four hours' rest before being called up for the -morning watch at four o'clock. The ship was in the charge of the -officer of the watch, who leant placidly against the standard compass -on the upper bridge gazing at the next ahead; while Colomb, the -navigator, was asleep on the settee in the charthouse. Captain Spencer -was in his sleeping-cabin just underneath, and was dozing, fully -dressed, in an arm-chair in front of the stove. The book he had been -reading had dropped to the floor, and Joe, his fox-terrier, lay curled -up in a tight little bundle at his feet. The captain was a light -sleeper at the best of times, and the least unusual sound, even the -opening of the door, would have brought him to his feet in an instant. -As an extra precaution there was an electric bell screwed to the -bulkhead close beside his left ear, and if the officer of the watch -desired his immediate presence all he had to do was to place a finger -on a push close by the standard compass. The resulting jangle would -have roused the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, let alone the skipper, who -never indulged in anything but cat-naps at sea. The officers of watches -were well aware of it, for Captain Spencer had a habit of prowling -about at night, and frequently came on to the bridge when he was least -expected. Once or twice he had found the ship some distance out of -station, and then there had been trouble. -</p> - -<p> -Of what really occurred, how long it lasted, and of the actual sequence -of events, Pincher had a very hazy recollection. He remembered noticing -the captain come on to the bridge and start walking up and down with -his hands in his great-coat pockets and his dog padding softly after -him. Then, quite suddenly, and for no apparent reason, there came the -shattering roar of a heavy explosion. The ship quivered and shook -violently; and, glancing aft with his heart in his mouth, Pincher saw a -great column of whity-gray water towering high over the boat-deck -half-way along the starboard side. He watched it spell-bound. The mass -hung for a moment glimmering in the half-light, and then tottered and -fell with a sound like a waterfall. He could feel the damp spray of it -on his face. -</p> - -<p> -The familiar throb of the engines died away, and there came the roaring -bellow of escaping steam; and the ship, evidently holed far below the -water-line, heeled over to starboard. Then the roaring of the steam -ceased, and there came a moment's dead silence, followed by excited -shouting as the men who had been asleep in their hammocks thronged on -to the upper deck. -</p> - -<p> -The whole thing happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that for the -moment Captain Spencer was taken by surprise; and, running to the after -side of the bridge, he stood there gripping the rail spasmodically, -with a look of utter astonishment on his face. A bare instant later, -however, he turned forward again with a gesture of annoyance; while -Joe, taking it for some new game for his especial benefit, frisked -beside him. 'Down, Joe! down!' Pincher heard him say in his ordinary -voice.—'Stop both engines!' came his first order.—'Officer of the -watch!' -</p> - -<p> -'Sir.' -</p> - -<p> -'Go down and tell the commander to get the collision-mat out, and then -to turn out all boats. He's not to lower them without orders from me; -and tell him to let me know the damage as soon as he can!' -</p> - -<p> -'Ay, ay, sir,' said English quite calmly, leaving the bridge. -</p> - -<p> -The captain turned on his heel and dictated a signal informing the -flagship of what had occurred. Pincher watched, for even now Captain -Spencer's face was absolutely inscrutable, and showed nothing of the -awful anxiety which must have been in his heart. -</p> - -<p> -The commander, who had rushed from his cabin when the crash came, had -already taken charge on deck. Order was evolved out of chaos, and the -shouting had ceased. An instant later a bugle blared the 'Still,' and -the boatswain's mates could be heard piping. -</p> - -<p> -There was dead silence among the men as the word was passed, and then -the bugle sounded 'Carry on,' and the tramping of feet could be heard -as the ship's company ran to their stations. -</p> - -<p> -All except a few unimportant watertight doors, which were closed at the -last moment by specially detailed men, were always kept shut at sea; so -little could be done to add to the safety of the ship beyond -endeavouring to prevent the ingress of water. -</p> - -<p> -The men were well disciplined. They must have felt nervous, must have -realised that there was an enormous hole below the water-line through -which the water was pouring like a mill-race; added to this, it was -dark, and there were no lights on deck. But there were not the smallest -signs of panic or confusion. They behaved splendidly, and worked -silently under the orders of their officers as if it were an ordinary -peace-time evolution instead of grim reality. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher himself was undecided for the moment as to what he should do. -Ought he to join his part of the ship and assist in getting out the -collision-mat, or should he remain where he was? He had no orders to -leave his post, but it was hardly likely that any one would trouble his -head about him now. For a moment he was torn with doubt, but finally -made up his mind that he would stay on the bridge. He might be of some -use in carrying messages, he thought. -</p> - -<p> -The stricken vessel seemed to be leaning more and more over to -starboard; but before very long the collision-mat, a large square of -several thicknesses of the stoutest canvas well thrummed with oakum, -was being lowered into place under the bottom. It was designed, by -being stretched taut over the orifice, to reduce the flow of water -through a comparatively small hole caused by a collision with another -ship, and it seemed hardly likely that it would be of any use in -checking the inrush through the gigantic rent caused by an underwater -explosion; but there was no harm in trying it. It might do some good. -</p> - -<p> -'Haul away the bottom line!' the first lieutenant's voice could be -heard. 'That's the way, lads! Away with her!' -</p> - -<p> -''Vast hauling!' came the next order, accompanied by the shrill -trilling of a boatswain's whistle. 'Away with the fore and afters!' -</p> - -<p> -The mat was out of sight below the water, its bottom corner dragged -taut against the ship's side by the bottom line passing under the keel -and hauled taut on the opposite side of the deck, and the upper corner -held in place by the depth-line. The fore and afters were the ropes -secured to the side corners, and they, on being hauled taut and -belayed, held it out square. -</p> - -<p> -'Mat's placed, sir!' came Chase's voice again. -</p> - -<p> -The wind had increased, and white-capped seas had replaced the smooth -swell of an hour before. The ship, listing to an angle of about fifteen -degrees, seemed to be remaining fairly steady, but she was appreciably -lower in the water, and the starboard edge of the forecastle was barely -six feet above the crests of the waves as they raced by. -</p> - -<p> -The cutters at the davits had been turned out ready for lowering, but -all the smaller boats, galley, whalers, and gigs, had been landed. -Hatherley, who was working the steam boat-hoist used for getting out -the heavier boats stowed on the booms between the after funnel and the -mainmast, had the derrick topped and the largest rowing-boat in the -ship—the forty-two-foot launch, which, at a pinch, could carry one -hundred and forty men—hooked on all ready for swinging out into the -water as soon as he got orders to do so. -</p> - -<p> -Circling round the injured ship were a couple of light cruisers which -had been sent by the vice-admiral to render what assistance they could. -Flashing-signals were passing between them and the <i>Belligerent</i>, -and they were evidently asking if they should lower their boats. -</p> - -<p> -'Tell 'em to wait,' Pincher heard Captain Spencer say to a signalman, -without a tremor in his voice. 'Tell 'em to wait. I think we shall be -able to keep afloat.' -</p> - -<p> -The sky was nearly overcast, and the night had become very dark, and -all the remainder of the squadron had vanished. They were only acting -in accordance with their orders, however, for since the loss of the -<i>Aboukir</i>, the <i>Cressy</i>, and the <i>Hogue</i> in the North -Sea the previous September, it had been definitely laid down that -heavy, deep-draught ships were not to go to the assistance of vessels -which had been torpedoed or mined, lest they should share the same -fate. It went sadly against the grain for British officers to be forced -to leave comrades in distress; but every one realised the necessity for -the order, and the two small cruisers were the only ships available for -the work of rescue. -</p> - -<p> -'Messenger!' the captain called. -</p> - -<p> -No reply. -</p> - -<p> -'Here, boy, come here!' he went on, catching sight of Pincher on the -starboard side of the bridge. -</p> - -<p> -Martin went forward, and felt himself grabbed by the sleeve. -</p> - -<p> -'Go down and tell the commander that I'm waiting to know what damage -there is,' Captain Spencer said hurriedly. 'Away you go!' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher scrambled down the sloping ladder with difficulty, but had -barely reached the boat-deck to go aft when he cannoned into Commander -Travers coming in the opposite direction. 'The capten would like ter -know wot th' damage is, sir,' he explained. -</p> - -<p> -'All right, I'm on my way to tell him,' the officer returned curtly. -'Get out of the way, boy!' -</p> - -<p> -Martin stood aside, and followed him up the ladder again, without -really meaning to overhear his conversation with the captain. -</p> - -<p> -'How goes it, Travers?' was Captain Spencer's first anxious question. -</p> - -<p> -'Pretty bad, sir,' the commander replied with the least trace of -anxiety in his voice. 'Some of the boiler-rooms are flooded, and the -water seems to be making its way forward and aft. One or two bulkheads -have gone already!' -</p> - -<p> -'Good God!' the captain exclaimed; 'is it as bad as that? Is the mat -doing any good?' -</p> - -<p> -The commander shook his head. 'Might just as well try to stop the hole -with a bit o' stickin'-plaster, sir,' he said tersely. 'I've just seen -the engineer-commander,' he went on, 'and he tells me he's doing all he -can, but that the water's gaining on us fast. I've got men down below -shoring up bulkheads to prevent their bursting, but I doubt if they'll -do much good. However, sir,' he added hopefully, 'she hasn't listed -much during the last few minutes, and perhaps we'll be able to save her -yet.' -</p> - -<p> -'Pray God we shall, Travers!' Captain Spencer returned gravely. 'You'd -better get all the boats out as soon as you can, and keep 'em -alongside; but don't allow the men into them until I give orders. I'll -tell the cruisers to send theirs across, but we'll make 'em lie off for -the time being. Well, so long, commander, in case we don't meet each -other again. Do all you can.' -</p> - -<p> -'I hope it's not so bad as I think, sir,' Travers said with a forced -laugh as he turned to leave the bridge. 'It's a damned nasty night to -go swimmin', I must say. It was a submarine, I suppose, sir?' -</p> - -<p> -'Must have been. By the way, you'd better warn 'em to blow up their -swimming-collars.' The captain was ever mindful of his men. -</p> - -<p> -'I will, sir. What about you?' -</p> - -<p> -'Don't worry about me, man. You see to the ship's company. I'll look -out for myself.' -</p> - -<p> -The commander disappeared. -</p> - -<p> -The time passed. There was still a chance of the ship remaining afloat, -and by about three o'clock, merely as a precautionary measure, the -launch and the pinnace had been hoisted out and the boats lowered; -though one cutter, lowered too rapidly, had capsized and disappeared. -During the interval the ship did not seem to have listed any more to -starboard, and favourable reports had come from down below as to the -chances of remaining afloat. In fact, they were all congratulating -themselves that the damage had been overrated, when another heavy -explosion roared out from the port side aft. -</p> - -<p> -'By God!' muttered the captain under his breath; 'that's another -torpedo!' -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Belligerent</i>, with a fresh wound open to the sea, shuddered -violently, and then gave a sickening lurch to starboard, and lay over -until her masts were at an angle of thirty degrees from the vertical. -The starboard side of the upper deck was under water, and the other -lifted high in the air, while the inclination was so great that it was -barely possible to walk. Realising that the end could not be long -delayed, Captain Spencer dragged himself to the bridge-rail and raised -a megaphone to his lips. 'Abandon ship!' he roared in a voice which -could be heard above the howling of the wind and the raging of the sea. -'Save yourselves, men! Save yourselves!' -</p> - -<p> -The word was passed along, but still there was no undue haste or -confusion. Stokers and other men of the engine-room department who had -been employed below until the last moment, some of them clad in their -grimy working-clothes, others nearly naked, came pouring up the -hatchways leading to the upper deck. -</p> - -<p> -A cloud drifted away from the face of the moon, and a subdued silvery -light lit up the awful scene. -</p> - -<p> -The boats, plunging wildly on the rapidly rising sea, pounded and -crashed alongside. A small group of officers stood beside each one -superintending the disembarkation, and the men, standing in long -queues, could be seen jumping into them one by one. Several, leaping -too late or too early, fell between the boats and the ship's side, and -were never seen again. -</p> - -<p> -The doctors and the sick-berth staff, unmindful of their own safety, -passed their sick and ailing into the boats, and remained behind -themselves. -</p> - -<p> -'Steady, lads! steady!' the chaplain, gallant man that he was, could be -heard saying coolly. 'One at a time! Keep cool, boys! Keep cool!' -</p> - -<p> -Many men, relying on their life-belts or swimming-collars, had flung -themselves overboard and were swimming in the direction of the -cruisers, whose rescuing boats were on their way across as fast as -their eager crews could drive them. A certain number of the swimmers -were eventually picked up and saved, but by far the greater proportion -perished in the wild tumult. Every one knew that there was room for -barely more than a fifth of the ship's company in the boats; but, in -the face of almost certain death, there was no panic. -</p> - -<p> -''Ullo, 'Orace,' a burly stoker remarked to a friend with a laugh, -'comin' swimmin'?' -</p> - -<p> -'Looks like it, chum,' answered the other glumly, eyeing the -white-capped seas with nervous apprehension. 'Ain't much of a night fur -a picnic like, this 'ere, is it?' -</p> - -<p> -'Rottenest bloomin' regatta ever I saw,' rejoined the first speaker, -who was attired in nothing but a singlet and an inflated -swimming-collar. ''Ow's this fur a bathin'-costoom? What'd my ole -'ooman say if she see'd me on th' beach at Margit in this 'ere? Ow!' he -yelled, as a breaking wave deluged him with icy spray. 'Gawd! ain't it -cold? Come on, boys; come an' 'ave a dip! Any more fur th' shore?' -</p> - -<p> -The others hung back. -</p> - -<p> -'Wot! not comin'?' he went on, walking to the edge of the boat-deck and -gazing out at the sea. 'Well, s'long, blokes. 'Ere goes!' -</p> - -<p> -He clambered down the ship's side on to the net-shelf, waited till a -large sea came swishing past, and then slipped into the water, to -vanish in a smother of foam. An instant later he reappeared, swimming -strongly in the direction of the nearer cruiser. He was never seen -again. -</p> - -<p> -Somebody started the chorus of 'Tipperary' to cheer the flagging -spirits of his shipmates, but the gallant effort met with little -response. Numbers of men, trying to nerve themselves for the ordeal of -leaping overboard and of saving themselves by swimming, shrank back at -the sight of the raging sea. It was enough to appal the bravest heart, -and the ship, though sinking fast, still seemed to offer a safer refuge -than that wild waste of water. -</p> - -<p> -The captain, holding on to the bridge-rail to prevent himself from -being carried off his feet, surveyed the scene calmly. 'Jump, men! -jump!' he bellowed to a hesitating group on the boat-deck. 'For God's -sake, jump! It's your only chance!' Turning round, he noticed that -Pincher and one or two signalmen were still on the bridge. 'What are -you doing here?' he demanded with a touch of his old asperity. 'The -ship's sinking! Get down out of it, and save yourselves!' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher and some of the others obeyed, but the chief yeoman of signals, -noticing that the captain wore no life-belt or swimming-collar, calmly -proceeded to divest himself of a cork jacket. 'Take this, sir,' he -said, handing it across; 'I've got my collar.' -</p> - -<p> -Captain Spencer pushed it away. 'Use it yourself, man!' he said firmly. -'Use it yourself!' -</p> - -<p> -'But I don't want it, sir,' the chief yeoman persisted. -</p> - -<p> -'Do what you're told, Morris,' came the answer. 'Leave the bridge and -save yourself; she'll go in another minute or two! I'll look out for -myself!' -</p> - -<p> -Morris hesitated for another instant, saw his commanding officer was in -earnest, and left the bridge. -</p> - -<p> -'Good luck to you, Morris!' the captain called out after him. -</p> - -<p> -'Good luck, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -Captain Spencer, alone with his dog, leant down and lifted him into his -arms. 'I'm afraid we're done in this time, old man,' he whispered -sadly. 'We may as well go together. Good-bye, old Joe!' His voice was -husky with emotion as he buried his face in the animal's warm coat; and -the dog, seeming to understand, turned his head and licked his master's -cheek. -</p> - -<p> -The end came almost immediately, for before some of the boats had got -clear the ship lurched drunkenly to starboard, to hurl men and movable -fittings in one awful chaotic avalanche into the water. For one moment -there was wild confusion, and the sea was covered with the heads of -swimmers fighting for their lives; the next, there came the muffled -roar of bursting bulkheads, and the <i>Belligerent</i> hove herself -back on to an even keel, with the water washing across her decks. -</p> - -<p> -A searchlight flickered out from one of the cruisers and lit up the -scene. Lower and lower sank the doomed ship, until at last the waves -were breaking across the top of the boat-deck, and only the two masts, -the funnels, and the bridge showed above the surface. She seemed to -hesitate for a moment as if unwilling to take the final plunge, and -then, with a dull, booming sound as the water reached the boilers, -slowly slid from view. -</p> - -<p> -There was no vortex or upheaval of spray, merely a swift rush of sparks -and a cloud of smoke and steam, which rapidly dissolved on the wind, -and in a few more seconds the ship had vanished for ever. Nothing -remained to tell of her presence except the boats, the dark heads of -the battling survivors, some débris, and an ever-widening circle of -calm, oil-strewn water, on the outskirts of which the waves leapt -tumultously. But on the bridge, game to the very last, two heroic -spirits, a man and a dog, had gone to their long last rest together. -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -To this day Pincher never really remembers how he got into the water. -The events of that night still seem like some ghastly nightmare, a -horrible dream in which incidents and impressions succeeded each other -with such rapidity that the memory of them seems almost unreal. He -recollects standing on the boat-deck with a group of other men and -divesting himself of his thick duffel coat. He did it reluctantly, for -it was bitterly cold. Then, after inflating the rubber swimming-collar -round his neck, he waited. The ship lay over at an alarming angle, and -it was all he could do to stand upright. -</p> - -<p> -'Jump, men! jump!' an officer kept on shouting. 'For God's sake, save -yourselves!' -</p> - -<p> -A few, nerving themselves for the effort, cast themselves overboard, -and were lost to sight in the raging sea; but Pincher and many others, -eyeing the tumult with horror, instinctively hung back. Life was very -dear at that moment, and it seemed sheer madness to cast one's self -into that seething maelstrom of one's own free-will. Then it was that -he remembered his heavy sea-boots. Fool! They would infallibly drag him -under if he had to swim for it; and, bending down, he kicked and -wriggled his right foot free. He was repeating the process with the -other when the end came. The ship lurched horribly to starboard, and -flung him to the deck with a shock which jarred every bone in his body. -The next instant he started slithering and sliding down a steep slope, -to bring up with a thud against a projection on the deck. The impact -nearly knocked the wind out of his body; but, stretching out his arms -with an instinct of self-preservation, he grasped something solid with -both hands, and clung madly on to it with all his strength. For a -second or two he hung there, gasping for breath, with sheets of spray -flying over his head. Then something soft cannoned into him and tore -him from his hold. He felt himself sliding again, then falling, -falling. -</p> - -<p> -Next a feeling of bitter cold and utter darkness as a sea snatched him -in its grasp and flung him away. He went down and down until his lungs -seemed on the point of bursting for want of air; but the -swimming-collar was still round his neck, and with a swift upward rush -he felt himself borne to the surface. On opening his mouth for air a -gigantic white-cap promptly broke over his head and left him -spluttering and gasping. At one moment he was carried high on the crest -of a sea, and the next he was deep down in a hollow; but by some -miracle he still managed to breathe, and retained sufficient presence -of mind to strike out away from the sinking ship. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="203"><img src="images/004.jpg" alt="Raising his voice, he tried to shout for help." width="359" height="500"></a></div> -<p class="caption">Raising his voice, he tried to shout for help.</p> -<p class="captionalignr"><span class="sc">Page 203.</span> -</p> - -<p> -He could see nothing, but the sea all round him was dotted with the -heads of other swimmers. Some had life-belts, some swimming-collars or -flotsam, and, like Pincher, were making the best of their way from the -scene of the disaster. Others had no life-saving appliances at all, and -were drowning in dozens. -</p> - -<p> -Twice was Pincher clutched round the body, but each time he fought with -the mad energy of despair, and wrenched himself free of the suffocating -embrace of a shipmate less lucky than himself. He was no coward, but it -was a case of each man for himself, and his desire to live was -overwhelming. -</p> - -<p> -How long he was in the water he never knew. He merely battled on, -fighting for breath. Presently, when all but exhausted and numb through -and through with cold, he was carried to the summit of a huge wave to -see the dark shape of a boat barely twenty feet from him. In the dim -half-light he could see it was crowded with men, and raising his voice, -he tried to shout for help. He emitted no sound but a feeble croak, and -the next time he was borne aloft the boat had vanished. Then it was -that Pincher commended his soul to his Maker. He could do no more. -</p> - -<p> -He seemed to have been swimming for hours, and was breathless and very -weary. His limbs felt incapable of further movement, and it was with -almost a feeling of relief that he gave up the struggle as hopeless. -But for his swimming-collar he would have sunk then and there. How long -he remained quiescent he could not tell; but during this awful time his -senses never left him, and he found himself wondering how long it would -take him to die. He did not dread the prospect; anything seemed better -than this awful shortness of breath and the constant buffeting by the -seas. The most trivial events and the most important happenings of his -short life crowded into his overwrought brain. His thoughts travelled -to his home, and he pictured his mother the last time he had seen her, -framed in the doorway of her cottage. He almost laughed when he -remembered himself tearing down the road to catch the train. He must -have looked funny, excruciatingly funny, but he felt a slight pang of -regret on thinking that he would never tread that road again. Next his -mind reverted to Billings, and he wondered hazily what had become of -him. Poor Joshua, he had been a good friend to him! He hoped he was not -drowned. What was Emmeline doing at this moment? The recollection of -her seemed indistinct and shadowy, somehow. He could not picture her -face, merely remembered that she was pretty and fascinating. What would -she say when she heard he had been drowned? Would she go into mourning -and cry her pretty eyes out? Perhaps she would marry some one else. -</p> - -<p> -Then, quite suddenly, he heard a voice. ''Ere's another on 'em!' it -said gruffly. He felt his head come into violent contact with something -solid and unyielding, and the next moment he was seized by the hair. -The pain of it hurt him abominably, but he was far too weak and short -of breath to expostulate. Then he was grasped under the armpits, and, -after describing what seemed a giddy and interminable parabola through -the air, heard himself descend with a crash on to something very hard. -The impact should have hurt him, but he felt nothing, and merely -realised in a hazy sort of way that he was in the bottom of a boat. -</p> - -<p> -It was bitterly cold. He shivered as with ague, while constant showers -of spray left him coughing and gasping for breath. Water washed over -him perpetually, and a horrible, never-ceasing oscillation flung him -violently to and fro. It was almost as bad as being in the water. But -he was past caring. Then came a feeling of terrible nausea, and, -rolling over abjectly, he was violently sick. Next, darkness, the utter -blackness of absolute oblivion. Pincher Martin had fainted. -</p> - -<p> -When he recovered his senses some hours later he could not for the -moment recollect where he was or what had happened. He felt chilled -through and through with the cold, but some kind Samaritan had removed -his sodden garments, and had left him lying in the bottom of the boat -covered with a portion of the sail and its tarpaulin cover. Several -other men lay there with him. Then he remembered. He felt bruised all -over, stiff, miserable, and very weak; but he could breathe, and found, -on trying to shift his position, that he had recovered the use of his -limbs, though the effort caused him agony. Glancing round, he saw he -was in the stern-sheets of the <i>Belligerent's</i> forty-two-foot -launch, the largest pulling-boat she had carried. -</p> - -<p> -The sea was still running very high, and the boat pitched and rolled -violently and unceasingly, while constant showers of spray came driving -aft as her bluff bows plunged into the waves. At one moment he found -himself watching the dark clouds chasing each other across the gray sky -overhead; and the next, as the boat rolled, he was vouchsafed momentary -glimpses of a heaving expanse of gray-green sea, lashed and torn into -white, insensate fury by the wind. It was blowing a full gale. -</p> - -<p> -The boat was half-full of water, and amidships some men were busy -bailing, one with a bucket, and others with boots and caps. Crouching -down under the thwarts, with the water washing over them, were many -more men in the last stages of misery. Some showed signs of life; some -looked almost dead. Another melancholy party were clustered in the -stern, huddling together to get some warmth into their numbed limbs. -All sorts and conditions of men were there—stokers in their grimy -flannel shirts and fearnought trousers, just as they had come up out of -the stokehold; bluejackets in jerseys and blue serge trousers; some -marines; and a ship's steward's assistant with nothing but a -swimming-collar and a sodden white cotton shirt. Their lips were blue -with cold, their teeth were chattering, they looked abject and utterly -forlorn, but they were still alive. One or two of them were actually -talking. -</p> - -<p> -Standing up in the stern with the gunner and the boatswain was Petty -Officer Bartlett. The last-named was attired in his undergarments, a -cholera-belt, and one blue stocking, and in the intervals of gazing -anxiously round the horizon he was flapping his arms to restore his -circulation. How he managed to keep on his feet at all was a marvel. -</p> - -<p> -'Anythink in sight?' somebody asked in a husky whisper. -</p> - -<p> -'Not a ruddy thing!' Bartlett returned. 'I thought I seen somethin' -'bout ten minutes since, the smoke of a steamer on the 'orizon, but she -ain't there now.' -</p> - -<p> -The questioner, an able seaman, cursed under his breath. ''Ow long's -this —— show goin' ter last?' he queried plaintively. 'I'm so —— -cold. Such a —— picnic I never did see. Gawd! why didn't I join th' -ruddy army? They kills yer quick there, not like this 'ere. I'll be a -gonner in another hour, see if I ain't,' he added weakly, trying to get -a little sympathy. 'Carn't feel me bloomin' legs no'ow; ain't got none -p'r'aps.' -</p> - -<p> -'Cheer up, Joe!' said the man alongside him, who seemed a little -happier; 'we ain't dead yet. Like me ter give yer another rub dahn?' -</p> - -<p> -Joe nodded wearily and closed his eyes. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher, unwilling to leave the shelter of his canvas, tried to attract -some one's attention. He endeavoured to speak, but could get no more -than a husky, almost inaudible, whisper; so, withdrawing one arm from -its covering, he moved it feebly up and down. After a lengthy pause one -of the marines noticed him. -</p> - -<p> -''Ere,' he said, patting Petty Officer Bartlett on the leg, 'one o' -them 'ere deaders 'as come back ter life!' -</p> - -<p> -Bartlett turned round. 'Deader!' he said. 'Which one?' -</p> - -<p> -'One o' them 'ere blokes yer pulled out o' th' ditch,' the marine -answered. -</p> - -<p> -'Blimy! So 'e 'as!' the petty officer exclaimed, rather surprised. 'I -thought 'e'd chucked 'is hand in long ago.—'Ere, me son,' he added, -coming across to where Martin lay, ''ow goes it?' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher smiled wearily. -</p> - -<p> -'Carn't talk, eh?' Bartlett remarked with rough kindliness. 'Like a -drop o' rum<a href="#note32" -name="noteref32"> -<span class="fn">[32]</span></a> - an' a bit o' somethin' t' eat?' -</p> - -<p> -Martin nodded. -</p> - -<p> -'Hand us that there rum-jar,' the petty officer said over his shoulder. -'Easy now—easy!' as the man he had spoken to nearly let it fall. 'That -there may 'ave to last us for days!' He extracted the cork from the -wicker-covered jar and poured some of the spirit into a small tin mug. -'Damn me eyes!' came an angry ejaculation, as the boat gave a -particularly violent lurch and a few drops of the precious liquid -slopped over the edge. He replaced the cork carefully, and, putting one -arm under Pincher's head, held the pannikin to his lips. 'Try to -swaller it,' he said. 'It'll do you good.' -</p> - -<p> -Martin obeyed; and, though a certain amount of the liquor trickled over -his face, the greater proportion went down his throat. The burning -fieriness of the neat spirit made him choke and splutter, but the -feeling of warmth it induced was very comforting. -</p> - -<p> -''Ere's a bit o' biscuit,' said Bartlett again, extracting a broken -fragment from the waistband of his nether garments, where he had been -keeping it dry. 'Put that inside you, an' w'en you've finished it I'll -come along an' give you a bit of a rub down like to warm you up—see?' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher, still too weak to bite, consumed the flinty fragment by -nibbling round its edge until he could nibble no more, and then, when -the petty officer had rubbed his numbed and aching body with a pair of -horny hands, which rasped him like a file and threatened to take every -inch of skin off his long-suffering limbs, he felt tolerably warm and -much better. The blood coursed through his veins. Life was again worth -living. -</p> - -<p> -'Thanks!' he was able to murmur feebly when the painful ordeal was -over. -</p> - -<p> -'That's all right, me son. See if you carn't git a bit of a caulk,' -said Bartlett, getting up from his knees. -</p> - -<p> -It may have been the dose of rum, a spirit to which he was entirely -unaccustomed, which had the desired effect, but five minutes later -Pincher Martin was asleep. -</p> - -<p> -Immediately on being hoisted out, the launch had been dashed bows on -into the ship. She had been badly damaged; but men, stripping -themselves, had stuffed their clothes into the rents to keep the water -out. Time after time breaking seas had nearly swamped her; but by dint -of constant bailing with boots, caps, and anything they could lay their -hands upon, they had somehow managed to keep her afloat. -</p> - -<p> -Most of the oars had been broken in frantic efforts to fend the boat -off from the ship, and none remained to keep her head on to the sea -when they finally got clear of the wreck. Then they had lashed all the -boat's lumber together, and had dropped it overboard to form a floating -sea-anchor; and the launch, secured to it by a rope, rode head on to -the waves. But still the wretched survivors were in a bad way. They had -yearned, with all the longing their souls possessed, that a ship would -be in sight when morning came. They had practically pinned their faith -to it, for they were aware that they were in a part of the English -Channel where traffic was constant. But when the night lifted and the -gray dawn gave way to full daylight there was nothing in sight. Not the -least vestige of a steamer or the welcome gleam of a rescuing sail; -only the gray-white expanse of the raging sea, and the sombre, -wind-driven clouds chasing each other across the gray void overhead. -Then a faint feather of smoke had shown up over the rim of the horizon -to the southward. It was fully ten miles off, but they all thought for -one wild moment that salvation was at hand. Their drooping spirits -revived; but a minute later the smoke had disappeared, and their hopes -were dashed to the ground. -</p> - -<p> -They were exhausted, wet through, chilled to the bone, and utterly -miserable, and some of that little band of two warrant-officers and -seventy odd men resigned themselves to their fate. They could not last -much longer. And so the launch, with a woollen scarf lashed to an oar -amidships fluttering as a mute signal of distress, drifted on at the -mercy of the wind and sea. Her crew were past caring. -</p> - - -<h3> -III. -</h3> - -<p> -Early in the morning of that fateful New Year's Day the Brixham trawler -<i>Providence</i> was running back to her port for shelter from the -gale; but when she was off Start Point the wind and sea had increased -to such an extent that there was nothing to be done but to heave-to and -ride out the storm. Between eleven o'clock and noon the smack was -hove-to on the starboard tack, when the third hand, who was on deck, -saw a large gray open boat to leeward. She was full of men, and was -flying a muffler tied to an upright oar as a signal of distress; but so -heavy was the sea that she was obscured for minutes at a time in the -trough of the waves. -</p> - -<p> -The smack's crew of three men and a boy, Little Dan, were soon on deck, -and promptly got to work to take another reef in the mainsail and to -set their small storm jib. It was a hard tussle, for the wind was -blowing with hurricane force, and seas were constantly breaking over -the deck; but it was the only thing to be done if a rescue was to be -effected. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Providence</i> was on the starboard tack, let it be understood. -This meant that the wind was blowing from her starboard side; but, to -reach the launch at all, she had to pass round on to the port tack. -There are two ways of manœuvring a sailing-vessel from one tack to -the other. The first, the shortest method, is by 'going about,' or -turning the vessel round head to wind, and then allowing her sails to -fill on the other side. The second way, a longer method, in which more -ground is lost, is by 'gybing' or 'wearing,' in which the ship passes -from tack to tack by turning her stern to the wind. Both are -comparatively simple evolutions in calm weather, but any sailor will -say that in a small fore-and-aft rigged craft both are dangerous in a -heavy sea and a gale of wind. Of the two, however, gybing is by far the -more hazardous, even perilous, for there is a grave risk of the craft -being pooped by a heavy sea, or of her being dismasted when the large -mainsail swings across the deck and suddenly bellies out on the other -side. But Captain Pillar, the skipper, realised it was the only thing -to be done. He was a thorough seaman, who knew his craft well, and he -decided to take the risk. -</p> - -<p> -The helm was put hard up, and the <i>Providence</i> paid off gradually -until her stern was in the wind's eye, and then, sweeping round on the -crest of a gigantic billow, came on to the port tack. An enormous sea -broke on board as she did so, and the heavy mainsail came across with a -crash and a jerk which nearly wrenched the mast out. But the men who -had built the sturdy <i>Providence</i> knew their work, and the mast -was a good sound stick, and the rigging honest steel wire. It was a -good test of their workmanship, for by some miracle the gear held. -</p> - -<p> -Drawing close to windward of the launch, the smacksmen hove a rope -across as they drifted by. It missed. Another attempt, and yet another, -but on each occasion the line fell short. Then, when those in the boat -had almost given it up as hopeless, a fourth heave was successful. The -rope was caught by the bluejackets, held, and belayed, and slowly but -surely the launch was hauled toward the stern of her rescuer. Then the -warp was passed forward along the lee side of the <i>Providence</i>, -and the man-of-war's boat was drawn cautiously ahead until her bows -were level with the lee quarter of the smack. -</p> - -<p> -The exhausted bluejackets were ordered to jump on board, and one by one -they obeyed. It was a perilous business, for the waves were running -twenty to thirty feet high, and at one moment both craft were lifted -high in the air, while the next they were deep down in a hollow, with -an awful, roaring breaker threatening to overwhelm them. It took -half-an-hour before the whole seventy of them reached their haven of -refuge; but the work was accomplished without the loss of a single -soul; while the senior officer present, the torpedo gunner, true to the -traditions of the service, was the last man to leave. Then the launch -was cast adrift. She had served her purpose, and was never seen again. -</p> - -<p> -The rescued men, many of them in the last stages of exhaustion and -numbness after their frightful ordeal, were accommodated wherever room -could be found for them. What food and tobacco the smack carried were -shared out equally, and hot coffee was served out all round. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Providence</i> then shaped her course for home, and, after being -taken in tow by another vessel when close to her destination, -eventually berthed alongside the quay at Brixham at eight o'clock in -the evening. And so, from the very jaws of death, Pincher Martin -stepped ashore. -</p> - - - - -<a name="XII"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER XII. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -H.M.S. 'MARINER.'</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -Your modern destroyer differs from her prototype of twenty years ago in -much the same way as the present-day Rolls-Royce differs from the early -motor-car of 1895. She is just about four times as large, is infinitely -more seaworthy, is much faster, and better armed. She is an ocean-going -craft which, with judicious handling, can keep the sea in practically -any weather, whereas her more elderly sister usually had to run for -shelter in a really bad gale of wind, and was unfit for constant work -in the North Sea except in summer. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher had seen destroyers at work, and had heard a great deal about -them in one way and another; and when, in the first week of February, -he found himself detailed as one of the crew of a new craft of this -type on the verge of completion in a northern port, he was happy. True, -he knew he 'wouldn't be 'arf seasick,' as he put it, and did not at all -relish the idea, though the extra sixpence a day 'hard-lying money' was -always something to be grateful for. He was aware, moreover, that life -in a destroyer in war-time was considered rather a hard and risky -existence; but he would probably be in the thick of anything which took -place in the North Sea, and he owed 'them 'Uns' something for sinking -his first ship and drowning many of his shipmates. -</p> - -<p> -He wondered why he had been sent to a destroyer at all, however, for he -knew that as a rule ordinary seamen were not eligible. As a matter of -fact, it was Peter Wooten, the late senior watch-keeper of the -<i>Belligerent</i>, who had worked the oracle. Wooten was the sort of -person whom nothing could kill. I don't know how many times he had been -wrecked, or how often his life had been in danger; but after the -battleship sank he had been in the water for half-an-hour in nothing -but a singlet and a pair of socks, in one of which was stuffed his last -five-pound note. He had been picked up by a boat from one of the -cruisers at the last moment, and purely by a lucky accident; but even -then he had been rather annoyed with his rescuers because they laughed -at his scanty and unofficer-like attire. He also had a grievance -because he had lost his best uniform cap, a brand-new article which, he -informed any one who cared to listen, had cost him the sum of -twenty-two shillings and sixpence, and had last been on his head when -he jumped overboard. Incidentally he had saved the lives of two men by -helping them to reach pieces of wreckage; but, being as hard as nails -himself, he was not one whit the worse for his aquatic adventures. -</p> - -<p> -He eventually got ashore in a borrowed overcoat, proceeded on a -fortnight's leave, and then, as the result of a visit to a friend at -the Admiralty, found himself appointed to the <i>Mariner</i>, a new -destroyer. Naturally he was delighted, and at once set about collecting -a good ship's company for his new ship. He far preferred having men he -knew to strangers who had never served with him before; and, by dint of -a little judicious conversation with the officer in charge of the -drafting-office at the barracks, Petty Officer Casey, Billings, -M'Sweeny, and Pincher were officially detailed for his ship. It was -Casey himself who had suggested Martin's inclusion, though that youth -was unaware who had caused a point to be stretched in his favour. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher was not really a nervous, highly strung individual with a vivid -and preying imagination; but even so, five weeks had elapsed before the -doctors consented to allow him to go to sea again. His nerves had been -badly shaken, and the sudden banging of a door or unusual sounds of any -kind brought him out in a cold and horrible perspiration. Crossing a -street through traffic or entering a boat was an ordeal which caused -him many moments of poignant mental agony. -</p> - -<p> -They had sent him on three weeks' leave, and the twenty-and-one days of -blissful ease, during which he saw nothing of the sea, and was treated -as more or less of an invalid and as very much of a war-worn hero, -helped to restore him to his normal self. The presence of Emmeline, by -special request, also had its effect, for with the girl as his constant -companion he was able to forget many painful incidents which it was as -well should be forgotten. -</p> - -<p> -But the advent of Emmeline certainly did involve him in complications -of another kind. A porter had told the stationmaster that he had seen -Mrs Martin embrace the girl when she arrived at the railway station. -The stationmaster imparted the information to his wife; and that lady, -an inveterate gossip, spread the news far and wide. It caused no small -flutter among the maidens of Caxton. It was neither correct nor proper -for the mother of an eligible youth to go kissing a girl in public -unless the youth himself regarded the maiden as his 'intended,' on -approval, as it were; so Mrs Martin, quite inadvertently, put her foot -in it, and caused the cat to leap out of the bag in one act. -</p> - -<p> -Not that Emmeline or Pincher cared a jot who knew. It was bound to come -out sooner or later, and each found the company of the other quite -sufficient and pleasant enough to make life well worth living. The fact -that the village girls were bitterly incensed and obviously jealous was -rather amusing than otherwise. Though not admitting it, they would have -regarded it as an honour to be seen about with a sailor or a soldier in -uniform now that it was war-time. They considered that Pincher had -played them a low-down trick in ignoring their charms and in going -elsewhere for an object for his affections, and they did not hesitate -to say so. They took the precaution of making their remarks in private, -however, for with their parents Pincher was something of a hero. Their -mothers knitted him socks and comforters, and at the 'Bull and Bottle' -he could, if he had wished it, have absorbed sufficient malt liquor at -the fathers' expense to float a battleship. So when he heard that busy -tongues were wagging in his direction he laughed happily and said -nothing. Emmeline, wise girl, did the same. -</p> - -<p> -Some of the <i>Mariner's</i> ship's company and all the officers had -been sent up north beforehand to become acquainted with their new ship; -but at last came the day when the remainder—some sixty odd seamen and -stokers—were put into a train with their bags, hammocks, and some -mascots, in the shape of a monkey, two cats, and one small goat, for -which they had not taken tickets. -</p> - -<p> -The goat, Pompey, was young, but had a voracious appetite, for before -they got to London he had eaten two pork-pies, the property of Pincher -Martin, three packets of Wild Woodbine cigarettes of M'Sweeny's, and -half a magazine belonging to some one else, while the respective owners -slumbered peacefully. On arrival in the Metropolis he was so overcome -by his miscellaneous diet as to be violently and unexpectedly ill in -the omnibus on the way to King's Cross; whereupon the conveyance was -stopped for brandy to revive him. As a consequence, they very nearly -missed their train to the north; while Pompey, unused to potations in -any form, spent the remainder of the journey in a state of coma. -</p> - -<p> -The two cats behaved well; but, in the small hours of the morning, just -before the train was due to start from one station, Jane the monkey was -discovered to be missing. The whistle had already blown, but the train -was stopped, and forty-three bluejackets, vowing that nothing on earth -would induce them to be parted from their pet, swarmed from their -carriages and went off in search of the truant. Ten minutes later, -Jane, gibbering like a lunatic, but with absolutely no malicious -intent, was discovered chasing a middle-aged, portly, highly -respectable, and very terrified female round and round the table in the -third-class waiting-room. The monkey was enjoying herself hugely; not -so the lady. -</p> - -<p> -'Such goin's on didn't oughter be allowed, young man!' she panted -breathlessly when Billings stormed her retreat, and Jane abandoned the -pursuit. -</p> - -<p> -'Lor' bless yer, marm!' laughed Joshua, helping her to collect her -scattered parcels, 'she's that tame she'd feed out o' yer 'and.—Come -'ere, Jane,' he added coaxingly. 'Come an' show th' lady 'ow nice ye -kin be'ave.' -</p> - -<p> -The animal, busily investigating the contents of the water-carafe on -the table, clucked twice, and evinced no further interest. -</p> - -<p> -'Them wild hanimals didn't oughter be allowed!' the woman retorted -nervously. 'An' you, young man,' she went on, fixing Joshua with a -horny eye, 'is a disgrace to your uniform! You oughter be fightin' them -Germans instead o' chasin' monkeys round railway stations at this time -o' night. I'm a respectable married woman, I am, an' if my 'usband knoo -o' these goin's on 'e'd be very angry. My 'usband's a foreman -bricklayer'—— -</p> - -<p> -'I'm sorry yer takes it that way, marm,' said Joshua apologetically, -picking up the protesting animal by the scruff of her neck, and then -touching his forelock. 'I'm sure our Jane didn't mean no 'arm. I'm a -respeccable married man meself, an''—— -</p> - -<p> -'Married man, are you?' interrupted the lady, with a snort, as the -seaman, with Jane perched on his shoulder, prepared to take his -departure. 'Married? Shame on you! What'd your poor wife say if she -see'd you be'avin' like this, an' chasin' respectable women with your -wild hanimals instead o' fightin' for your country? I've a good mind to -'ave the lor on you! The wild beast nearly bit me; would 'ave done if I -'adn't run'—— -</p> - -<p> -There was no pacifying her, and Joshua, smothering his amusement, beat -a hasty retreat. Her strident remarks followed him down the platform. -</p> - -<p> -It took some time to collect the others, who had scattered all over the -station in search of the deserter; but eventually, after a long and -heated altercation with two ticket-collectors and three porters, -reinforced by the guard and a sleepy station-master, the train was -suffered to proceed on its journey twenty minutes late. The travellers, -hungry, irritable, and very peevish, arrived at their destination at -six o'clock in the morning, in a thick fog and a depressing -north-country drizzle, to discover, on disembarking with their -menagerie, that half-a-dozen hammocks and three kit-bags had, by -inadvertence on some one's part, been left behind in London. -</p> - -<p> -But all's well that ends well; and, two hours later, after breakfast, -the party, slightly more cheerful, arrived at the shipyard where the -<i>Mariner</i> was being completed. They found the workmen still busy -upon her; and as she would not be ready for commissioning for another -week, the men were billeted in lodgings for the time being. -</p> - -<p> -But they were not allowed to kick their heels in idleness. There is -always plenty to be done before a new ship is ready for sea; while in -war, when every one is working at full pressure, the labour of a -fortnight has often to be crammed into three or four days. Ammunition -had to be transferred from railway trucks to the magazines and -shellrooms; torpedoes had to be placed in their tubes; and a whole -trainload of stores unloaded, sorted out, checked, and carried on -board—dozens of drums of oil, tons of paint, bolts of canvas, bundles -of cotton-waste, coils of wire and hemp rope, broomsticks and boat-hook -staves, oars, cooking utensils, crockery, knives, spoons, forks, -bedding, provisions, rum, and many other things too numerous to -mention! It was like furnishing a new and empty house, except that a -dwelling is not expected to cruise about the countryside at something -over thirty knots, and does not as a rule contain sufficient in the way -of lethal weapons and explosives to sink a squadron of battleships. -Neither does the average residence accommodate eighty odd people. It -was hard work, for the men were busy all day and every day, from early -morn till dewy eve. -</p> - -<p> -In the meantime, the contractors' workmen, using every effort to get -the ship completed by the proper date, swarmed on board in their -dozens. All day and all night the air resounded with the clanging of -their hammers and the deafening rattle of their pneumatic drills. A -party of bluejackets, under the orders of Mr Daniel Menotti, the gunner -(T), once spent the whole of a bitterly cold forenoon stowing shell in -the after shellroom. At eleven-thirty, when the men were looking -forward to their midday meal, and were congratulating themselves that -their labours were nearly finished, one of the contractors' foremen -suddenly appeared. -</p> - -<p> -'Hallo!' he remarked affably; 'what's going on here?' -</p> - -<p> -'We're stowin' the after shellroom,' said Mr Menotti blithely. 'Reckon -we've done it in record time, too.' He rubbed his hands contentedly. -</p> - -<p> -The foreman scratched his right ear. 'That's rather unfortunate,' he -observed, with a smile hovering round his mouth. 'We've not finished -the woodwork yet, and we can't get on with it if all your projectiles -are stowed.' -</p> - -<p> -'Can't get on with it!' echoed the gunner. 'Why, Mr Scroggins—your Mr -Scroggins—told me it was all right to carry on with the job!' -</p> - -<p> -'I,' retorted the foreman dourly, tapping his bosom—'I am the man in -charge, and Mr Scroggins isn't. You shouldn't have taken his word. If -you'd come to me I could have told you that'—— -</p> - -<p> -'Mean to say you want the whole blessed lot humped out again?' the -gunner demanded wildly. 'We've spent the whole bloomin' forenoon over -the job, and'—— -</p> - -<p> -'That's just exactly what I do mean,' interrupted the foreman, smiling -benignly. 'We can't put the woodwork up if your shell are there, and if -the woodwork's not put up the ship'll be delayed. That's all about it.' -It was his ultimatum, and with a polite nod to the exasperated officer -he walked off. -</p> - -<p> -'Lord love us!' Mr Menotti ejaculated; 'd'you mean to say'—— Words -failed him, and he contented himself with shaking his fist at the -foreman's retreating back. 'Damn an blast!' he muttered fiercely, -recovering his breath but not his composure; 'of all the ruddy sons o' -Ham you're about the worst! Why couldn't you have told me this three -hours earlier, you lop-eared tinker? Why didn't you—— Oh, you -perishin' swab, you!—Come on, lads,' he added mournfully, shrugging -his shoulders; 'we'll have to hump the whole bloomin' lot out again, -damn an' blast him!' He ground his teeth with rage. -</p> - -<p> -The 'lads' expressed their disapproval of things in general and -contractors' foremen in particular in loud, full-blooded nautical -blasphemy. But uncompleted ships are still under the control of the -firm building them, and the firm—well, the firm takes precedence next -to the Admiralty itself. So there was nothing for it but to undo the -work of hours. Every single projectile had to be removed. There were -one hundred and fifty of them, and each weighed thirty-one pounds, -neither more nor less. -</p> - -<p> -But they were all busy. Wooten kept a watchful eye upon everything that -went on, and in the intervals of interviewing Admiralty overseers and -foremen wrestled with his correspondence and confidential books and -documents. MacDonald, the Scots first lieutenant, grappled with his -watch and station bills, arranged the men in their various messes and -boats, and detailed them for their guns, torpedo-tubes, and stations. -He, as the executive officer, was entirely responsible for the -organisation and interior economy of the ship, and found it a difficult -job to think of and provide for all the possible contingencies which -might arise when once they got to sea. Sometimes he tore his hair and -cursed aloud, more particularly over the matter of the Smiths. -</p> - -<p> -It so happened that some person at the drafting-office at the barracks, -with a sense of misguided humour, had thought fit to include no fewer -than four Smiths in the <i>Mariner's</i> crew. There was Reuben Smith, -an able seaman; John Smith, a stoker; Peter Smith, the cook's mate; and -Harry Smith, a long-haired officers' steward of the second class, with -a pale face and a mournful aspect. The ubiquitous surname, cropping up -at every turn, became the first lieutenant's bugbear. It haunted him -night and day. Once, after a couple of hours' hard work, he discovered -that he had placed Reuben Smith in the stokers' mess, John Smith with -the seamen, Peter Smith in the wardroom, and the undesirable Harry with -the petty officers. He had made out a fair copy of his list before -discovering the error, and then, adding up the total, found he had two -men too many. He checked it again, to discover that he had included not -four but five Smiths, while yet another man had been counted twice -over. -</p> - -<p> -Thompson, the engineer-lieutenant-commander, who had stood by the ship -while she was being built, wore a suit of brown overalls and a harassed -expression. It was not to be wondered at, for, amongst other things, he -was responsible for all the stores, and nearly every morning he -received pathetic or peremptory missives from the officials of the -dockyard whence the destroyer had been supplied. His stores reminded -him of the pieces of a jig-saw puzzle. He had packing-cases, crates, -and parcels of every imaginable shape, size, description, and weight, -all of which had to be unpacked, checked, and acknowledged. He hoped -fervently that the things would sort themselves out and fit into their -proper places at some period in the dim future; but every train which -arrived brought him fresh consignments, until his pile reached such -colossal proportions that he had serious doubts if they would be able -to get it all on board. -</p> - -<p> -However, he had no time to worry too much about the stores, for he had -quite enough to think about with the machinery and boilers of the ship -herself. He had seen all his air-pumps, feed-pumps, air-compressors, -and what-nots erected and tested in the shop before they had been built -into his ship. He had examined his boilers, bearings, and -thrust-blocks, and had supervised the delicate adjustments of the -turbines; and now he spent all his days and most of his nights in the -engine-room seeing if everything worked in harmony. Occasionally things -went wrong, and he found himself embroiled in long and highly technical -arguments with the representatives of the firm. They wanted things done -in their way because they were building the ship; while he, quite -rightly, preferred his own method because he would have to run her when -she got to sea. They generally came to some sort of a compromise; but -Thompson always avers that that last awful week took at least ten years -off his life, and I am inclined to believe him. -</p> - -<p> -The sub-lieutenant, Hargreaves, who had only his charts to correct, was -perhaps the lightest-worked officer of them all; but Mr Menotti became -apoplectic about the face, and was brought to the verge of lunacy -thrice daily. First he had discovered that he had too much ammunition; -and then, on counting again, that he had thirty projectiles too few. He -promptly sent a frantic telegram to the ordnance depot which had -supplied the ammunition in the first instance, to receive in reply a -curt message stating that so many shell—the proper number—had been -despatched on such and such a date. They held his signed receipt for -them, so would he kindly verify his statement? Their meaning could not -have been plainer if they had wired, 'If <span class="sc">you're</span> such a silly -juggins as to go losing shell, it is certainly not <span class="sc">our</span> fault!' -</p> - -<p> -The gunner, with awful visions of courts of inquiry and courts-martial -for the loss of valuable Government stores—to wit, shell, lyddite, -thirty in number—searched high and low, but without success. They -eventually turned up the day the ship sailed, arriving in a hand-cart -propelled by two small youths, who said they—the shell, not the -youths—had been found in a remote storehouse in the shipyard where Mr -Menotti himself had put them for safety. The gunner always had a very -short memory when he was harassed. -</p> - -<p> -The shipyard was a depressing place, full of gaunt cranes, overhead -gantries, grimy buildings, and huge corrugated-iron erections with tall -chimneys which befouled and blotted out every vestige of the sky with -their oily black smoke. Besides two destroyers and some other small -craft, the firm were building a battleship, and the noise and clatter -of the pneumatic riveters and drilling-machines was deafening. Cranes, -with steel plates hanging precariously from their jibs, staggered -drunkenly to and fro on their lines, screeching as they went. Piles of -rusty plates, which presently would be built into some ship, lay -everywhere in seeming confusion for people to bark their shins against -after dark; while pale, apathetic youths stood here and there working -the bellows of huge brazier affairs with coke fires for heating rivets. -A shout from a grimy gentleman perilously balanced on a plank some ten -feet overhead would warn them that another rivet was wanted; and, -seizing the morsel of red-hot steel in a pair of tongs, the boys, with -a dexterous flick of their wrists, would send it flying through space, -to be caught as cleverly by a man with a bucket. To an outsider the -whole yard seemed to be in a state of chaotic confusion, but in reality -it was very highly organised, for gang relieved gang, and the work went -on night and day. -</p> - -<p> -It was nearly always raining, and the horrible slime was carried on -board the <i>Mariner</i> until her decks and living-spaces were -literally an inch deep in black filth well trodden in by the feet of -many workmen. The white wooden tables and stools on the mess-decks were -caked in grime and covered with paint-splashes and candle-grease, while -workmen shocked the susceptibilities of the first lieutenant by their -monotonous and indiscriminate expectoration. He nearly wept every time -he went on board. He would have to get the ship clean some day, and at -present the labours of Hercules in the Augean stables seemed nothing to -what he would have to undertake. -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -At last came the day when the <i>Mariner</i> left the river to carry -out the first of a series of steam trials. As yet she was not a -full-fledged man-of-war, and, being still in the hands of the -contractors, was in the charge of a pilot. Wooten was present merely as -a spectator, and to take over the command in the rare eventuality of -their happening to sight an enemy. They sighted no enemy; but the trip -shook many of the civilian voyagers to the core. -</p> - -<p> -It was a cold and blustery day. The wind was off the shore, and had -raised what Wooten called 'a little bit of a lop,' but what, in the -opinion of the contractors' men, was 'a terrible storm.' It is true -that the motion was supremely uncomfortable, and that when the -destroyer was travelling at something over thirty knots she was deluged -fore and aft in sheets of spray. The ship was very crowded, too. To -start with, she carried the eighty odd souls who formed her proper -naval crew. Then there were the Admiralty officers, overseers, and -officials, the builders' representatives and foremen, and others from -different sub-contracting firms who had supplied various portions of -the machinery. The firm, who never did anything by halves, provided -lunch in the wardroom for the officers and the more important -officials. And such a lunch it was, brought on board in three enormous -wicker hampers which filled the officers' bathroom! It would seem that -food and drink were presently to circulate as freely in the wardroom as -would lubricating oil and north-country blasphemy in the engine-room. -But most of them had no food until the ship returned into harbour in -the afternoon. They had reckoned without that fickle mistress, the sea, -and she flattened many of them out. Bovril and brandy were more to -their liking than solid food. Moreover, some of them were rather -nervous about going out of the harbour at all. -</p> - -<p> -'I say, commander,' one of the firm's bigwigs had said to Wooten as -they steamed down the river, 'is it true that the Germans have been -laying mines off the coast?' -</p> - -<p> -'M'yes,' said the lieutenant-commander; 'I believe it is.' -</p> - -<p> -'Is there any chance of our being blown up?' -</p> - -<p> -'No-o,' said Wooten slowly; 'I don't really think there is, though of -course this bad weather we've been having lately will have broken many -of 'em adrift.' -</p> - -<p> -'And what'll happen if we hit one?' his companion wanted to know. -</p> - -<p> -'Happen!' said the naval officer. 'The bloomin' thing'll probably go -off, and we shall take single tickets to heaven in a puff of smoke. -We're chock-full of lyddite and gun-cotton, and'—— -</p> - -<p> -The civilian seemed rather perturbed. 'Of course, I'm not really -nervous,' he hastened to explain, looking rather white about the gills -as he fidgeted with an inflatable rubber life-belt round his middle; -'but I do hope you'll keep a careful eye on the pilot.' -</p> - -<p> -'Of course I will. I'm not going to let him bump one of the bally -things unless I can't help it. She's still your ship, though,' added -Wooten, 'and I'm not really responsible.' -</p> - -<p> -'No, I quite understand that,' said the other; 'but, you see, I'm not -used to—er—risks of this kind. I'm not paid for it, and I've a wife -and five children.' -</p> - -<p> -'You're insured, I suppose?' asked Wooten, smiling to himself. -</p> - -<p> -'Yes; but my policy doesn't cover war risks.' -</p> - -<p> -'H'm! that's bad; but I shouldn't worry about it if I were you. If we -do go sky-high'—— Wooten paused. -</p> - -<p> -'What were you going to say?' the bigwig asked apprehensively. -</p> - -<p> -'I was thinking,' Wooten went on with a malicious twinkle in his -eye—'well, I was thinking that if we are blown up there will be quite -a merry little lot of us—nearly a couple of hundred—what? I can -almost see myself as a nice fat little cherub sitting on a damp cloud -twanging a harp—eh? They'll probably serve you out with a trombone. -Can you play one?' He laughed, for somehow his companion reminded him -of the man who had played that instrument in the orchestra of the -Portsmouth Hippodrome in pre-war days. -</p> - -<p> -'I do wish you'd be serious,' the contractors' representative observed -sadly. 'This is no joking matter.' -</p> - -<p> -'I am serious,' Wooten protested, trying hard to control his face. -</p> - -<p> -'But you seem to like the idea.' -</p> - -<p> -Wooten shook his head. 'Don't you believe it,' he replied. 'But just -think what a glorious death it would be for you if you did go sky-high! -Why, your name would be in the Roll of Honour, and your photo in the -<cite>Daily Mirror</cite>. You'd be a public hero!' -</p> - -<p> -'Better be a live convict than a dead hero,' observed the bigwig -glumly, going off to seek consolation elsewhere. -</p> - -<p> -But when they did get to sea, and the <i>Mariner</i> started first to -bob and curtsy, and then, as she gathered speed, to kick and dance like -a bucking mule, the violent motion drove all thoughts of mines or -German submarines out of their heads. They were seasick—fearfully and -wonderfully seasick. The joys of a sailor's life were not for them, and -most of the contractors' men and not a few of the ship's company wished -that they might die. The very thought of food made their gorges rise in -disgust, so lunch was delayed until their return into harbour just -before dark. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten and the officers were enthusiastic about the ship. 'She's a -rattling good sea-boat,' the former remarked, rubbing the caked salt -out of his eyes as he sat down in the wardroom when the ship had -secured alongside her wharf. 'We hardly took a green sea on board the -whole time.—Give me some of that game-pie and a whisky-and-soda, -steward! I'm perishing with hunger.' -</p> - -<p> -'Green seas!' laughed a lately revived contractors' official, busy with -a plate of galantine on the opposite side of the table; 'the water -seemed to be coming on board everywhere. I thought the weather was -absolutely poisonous.' -</p> - -<p> -'Poisonous!' echoed the skipper, looking up with his mouth full. 'My -dear sir, it was a ripping day. Nearly flat calm.' -</p> - -<p> -'You call that nearly flat calm?' -</p> - -<p> -'Course I do. There was nothing but a little bit of a lop.' -</p> - -<p> -'A lop, d'you call it? And what the deuce are these craft like in a -gale?' -</p> - -<p> -'A bit lively, and most damnably wet,' said Wooten. -</p> - -<p> -'Well, thank God I'm not a destroyer sailor!' exclaimed the civilian -with a sigh of heartfelt relief. 'I think you fellows ought to get -treble pay in bad weather.' -</p> - -<p> -'So do I,' the naval officer agreed. 'But none of us get our deserts, -thank Heaven!' -</p> - -<p> -Every one laughed. -</p> - -<p> -The first trial was not a complete success, and the ship was delayed -for a few days with defective fan engines. Then, with the faults -rectified, they went to sea again, and this time everything worked -smoothly—far more smoothly than Thompson, the -engineer-lieutenant-commander, had dared to hope. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Mariner</i> was a flyer, or at least she flew faster than any -other ship most of them had ever been in before. The ship's company -talked of her being able to do thirty-seven knots, and thought -themselves no small beer in consequence; but as a matter of fact their -estimate was exaggerated. -</p> - -<p> -They carried out several more trials, and eventually, in the third week -of February, the ship commissioned. Her officers and men shifted -themselves and their belongings on board from their respective hotels -and lodgings. Pompey, Jane, the two cats, and a newly acquired -fox-terrier puppy rejoicing in the name of Tirpitz were dragged -ruthlessly on board, and the destroyer hoisted her pendant and ensign. -She was a man-of-war at last. -</p> - -<p> -Two days later she sailed to the southward. The good wishes of her -builders went with her; for, if anything serious went wrong with her -interior economy within the next few months, they, by their contract, -were due to pay the piper. -</p> - -<p> -And so the <i>Mariner</i> put out to sea. -</p> - - -<h3> -III. -</h3> - -<p> -All things are said to have their uses; but I have never yet been able -to discover any utilitarian purpose attached to a fog. I believe that -the men serving in lighthouses and lightships benefit by them to the -extent that they receive extra pay in return for their want of sleep -while their hooters and sirens are working; but I am more than certain -that this small addition to their salaries would be more than made up -by annual subscriptions from cheerful captains, masters, and officers -of His Majesty's Royal Navy and the Mercantile Marine were fogs to be -abolished altogether. -</p> - -<p> -There are fogs and fogs. A fog ashore is a nuisance which may cause one -to arrive as much as an hour late at the office, may make one miss an -appointment with one's dentist, or, worse still, an appointment to -lunch or dinner with some opulent acquaintance. I have even heard of a -London fog which was so thick that the conductor of a motor-omnibus, -who had left his vehicle to discover his whereabouts, was unable to -find it again. I feel sorry for that man, for a fog ashore is always an -inconvenience and a nuisance, sometimes even a positive danger. But a -real fog at sea is ever a ghastly nightmare; while thick weather in -war-time, when one has to pursue a zigzag and serpentine track along a -coast to dodge well-sown minefields laid for one's especial -discomfiture and disintegration by an obliging and thoughtful cousin -from the other side of the North Sea—well, the less said about it the -better. Moreover, when the restricted navigable channels are crowded -with merchant ships which the presence of mines and enemy submarines -does not seem to deter, and when most of the buoys and navigational -safeguards have been removed for the annoyance of the afore-mentioned -Hun submarine, the difficulties are increased. Piloting a vessel in -such circumstances might perhaps appeal to some jaded individual in -search of new thrills; but to the ordinary simple sailor, who gets his -thrills as regularly as clockwork free, gratis, and for nothing, an -off-shore fog is an invention of the Evil One. -</p> - -<p> -So when, during the <i>Mariner's</i> first passage, Wooten noticed the -horizon to seaward was gradually becoming obliterated in a luminous -haze, and the outline of the land was rapidly becoming less and less -distinct in white, cotton-wool-like puffs of vapour, he cursed gently -and felt anxious. -</p> - -<p> -'Yes,' he growled disgustedly to the first lieutenant, whose watch it -was, 'we're in for a regular thick un. D'you see this little lot?' He -placed a finger on a large red oblong outlined on the chart. -</p> - -<p> -MacDonald nodded. -</p> - -<p> -'That's their latest minefield,' the skipper continued. 'According to -all accounts it's a pretty good un, as four steamers have been blown up -there within the last two days. We shall be up to this corner of it in -about a quarter of an hour, and we've got to snuggle in between it and -the shore somehow. I don't much fancy running along within a mile of -the coast if we can't see a yard in front of our faces. However,' he -added with a sigh, 'I suppose it's got to be done.' -</p> - -<p> -The first lieutenant looked at the chart. 'We can ease down and run a -line of soundings, sir,' he observed; 'but even then I doubt if the -lead'll tell us much. The water's under ten fathoms the whole way, and -we might pile up on one of these banks before we know where we are. -They're steep to.'<a href="#note33" -name="noteref33"> -<span class="fn">[33]</span></a> - He pointed to some patches of closely clustered -dots representing sandbanks. 'Perhaps we might pick up one of the -buoys, sir?' he added hopefully. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten seemed doubtful. 'Most of 'em have been taken away,' he -answered. 'I do wish these perishin' Huns would go and do their dirty -work somewhere else! Our compasses are none too accurate, and Heaven -alone knows exactly what the tide is doing.' He was very much annoyed, -and not a little apprehensive; for the haze over the land was getting -thicker every minute, and there was no breeze to dispel it. -</p> - -<p> -Ten minutes later the <i>Mariner</i> was travelling in a cold and -clammy mist through which it was impossible to see more than a mile; -while five minutes afterwards she had run into a solid wall of thick -gray fog, and their range of vision was bounded by a narrow circle with -a radius of barely a hundred yards. -</p> - -<p> -'Damn!' Wooten muttered fiercely, stepping to the engine-room telegraph -and turning the handle until the pointer showed the revolutions of the -turbines for ten knots. -</p> - -<p> -With the sounding-machine going every five minutes, the siren wailing -mournfully every two, and extra lookouts placed on the forecastle, they -groped their way blindly on. It was trying work; for, now that the fog -had shut down, the neighbourhood at once seemed crowded with other -ships, the dismal hooting of whose sirens and steam-whistles came from -all directions at the same time. The noises they made were curious. -Some barked like dogs; others cleared their throats noisily, or -stammered and yelped shrilly; while more boomed and bellowed like -cattle, howled liked wolves, or laughed like jackasses. -</p> - -<p> -'I've heard a farmyard in the early mornin',' Wooten observed; 'but the -racket that's going on now fairly licks creation.' -</p> - -<p> -Once they sighted a huge dull blur in the haze right ahead, and the -skipper, holding his breath, jammed the helm over just in time to avoid -a large Norwegian tramp laden with timber. The vessels slid by each -other barely twenty feet apart, and as they passed a man with an -excited purple face and a white beard leant over her bridge-rail -gesticulating wildly. 'Why for you no look where you come?' he bellowed -in incoherent and very bad English. -</p> - -<p> -'Don't get excited, Father Christmas!' Wooten retaliated, justly -annoyed. 'Why the deuce don't you sound your hooter, you perishin' -pirate?' -</p> - -<p> -The master of the steamer waved his fists excitedly, but before he -could collect his wits and think of anything further to say the vessels -had slid past each other and were out of sight and earshot. -</p> - -<p> -For an hour the <i>Mariner</i> travelled on, with the fog as thick as -ever. They were running down the Channel between the minefield and the -banks lying off the shore; but in spite of the fact that they were -working entirely by dead reckoning, and the tide was an unknown -quantity, nothing unforeseen occurred. -</p> - -<p> -'What the deuce is that?' asked MacDonald, as an excited, irregular, -and strident 'He-he-haw-haw-haw!' burst out from the murk ahead. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten laughed. 'Sounds exactly like a donkey braying,' he said. 'As a -matter of fact, it's some blighter playing on one of those hand -fog-horns. Sailing-craft of sorts. He's right ahead, too. Keep your -eyes skinned!' -</p> - -<p> -A moment later there came a wild yell from the forecastle, 'Ship right -a'ead, sir!' -</p> - -<p> -'Starboard! Hard a-starboard!' the skipper ordered at once, as a -blurred silhouette came out of the mist right under the destroyer's -bows. 'By George! we've got her!' His heart was in his mouth, and he -gripped the rail convulsively and waited for the crash. -</p> - -<p> -But they didn't hit her quite; for the <i>Mariner</i>, turning sharply -to port under her helm, just shaved past within a fathom of a small -decked sailing-boat with brown, idly flapping sails. An ancient mariner -in a billycock hat at her wheel stared up open-mouthed at the -destroyer's bridge, and then, yelling like a maniac, darted aft and -hauled in on the painter of the dinghy towing astern. He did it just in -time to save his small boat from being run into and destroyed. Farther -forward a red-faced boy, with one hand on the pump-handle of a battered -brass fog-horn, looked up with frightened eyes, as they passed so close -that Wooten could almost see the drops of moisture on his rough blue -jersey. -</p> - -<p> -The midship gun's crew happened to be cleaning their weapon as the boat -drifted by. -</p> - -<p> -''Ow do, granfer?' said the irrepressible Billings, stepping to the -rail and removing his cap with a low bow. 'Where did yer git that 'at?' -</p> - -<p> -'You keep a civil tongue in yer —— 'ead!' retorted the aged fisherman -with some heat. -</p> - -<p> -'Now then, yer naughty boy,' answered the seaman, wagging a finger -reprovingly, 'don't git usin' sich langwidge. Comin' aboard ter 'ave a -nice drop o' rum?' -</p> - -<p> -'Go to 'ell!' shouted the naughty boy, purple in the face. 'You —— -torpeder deestroyers'll be the —— death o' th' likes o' me! Second -—— time we've bin nearly run down this marnin'! W'y can't you —— -look where you're —— well goin'? We've got our —— livin' to -get'—— The remainder of his remarks were inaudible as his craft -dropped astern and was swallowed up in the fog. -</p> - -<p> -'Nice ole gent, ain't 'e?' Billings remarked with a grin, gazing after -the boat with admiration. 'Don't 'e talk well? I 'specs, if we really -know'd it, that ole bloke is a shinin' light in one o' these 'ere -chapels ashore. Don't matter wot yer sez an' does in the week, s'long -as yer good an' goes ter chapel reg'lar o' Sundays.' -</p> - -<p> -''Ow often does we git these 'ere fogs?' queried Pincher, a trifle -anxiously. ''Ow in 'ell does the skipper know where-abouts th' bloomin' -ship is if 'e carn't see nothink?' -</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="230"><img src="images/005.jpg" alt="''Ow do, granfer? Where did yer git that 'at?'" width="351" height="499"></a></div> -<p class="caption">''Ow do, granfer? Where did yer git that 'at?'</p> -<p class="captionalignr"><span class="sc"> Page 230.</span> -</p> - -<p> -Joshua smiled condescendingly. 'Fawgs!' he said. 'Sometimes we 'as 'em -in th' North Sea fur days an' days on end—weeks sometimes.' -</p> - -<p> -'But 'ow does ships find their way abart then?' Pincher persisted. -</p> - -<p> -'Find their way abart?' Billings repeated, scratching his nose with an -oily forefinger. 'I dunno rightly. They eases down an' keeps their -soundin'-machines goin' reg'lar, an' uses their compasses; but I -reckons they doesn't allus know where they is. They pretends to, o' -course, but I believe they trusts ter luck more 'n 'arf th' time.' -</p> - -<p> -Martin sucked his teeth. 'But supposin' we 'its somethink?' he asked. -'Supposin' we 'ad a bargin' match wi' another ship, or runs ashore?' -</p> - -<p> -Billings grunted. 'W'en that 'appens yer kin start thinkin' abart it,' -he returned. 'It's no good yer troublin' yer 'ead abart wot may 'appen; -yer won't git no sleep, an' won't 'ave no happetite, if yer does. -S'pose we gits blowed up by a mine or by one o' them there ruddy -submarines; s'pose we 'as a collision wi' somethink a bit bigger'n -ourselves, or per'aps 'as a bomb dropped on our 'eads from a bloomin' -hairyoplane or a Zeppeling?' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, an' wot abart it?' demanded the ordinary seaman, rather -perturbed at Billings's summing up of the different ways in which they -might meet their fate. -</p> - -<p> -'Wot abart it? Why, I tells yer it ain't no use yer worryin'. If we -does 'ave bad luck an' 'as an 'orrible disaster, shove yer life-belt on -an' trust ter luck, same as yer did in th' ole <i>Belligerent</i>. It -takes an 'ell of a lot to sink a deestroyer,' Joshua added. 'I've seen -'em 'arter collisions wi' their bows cut orf, their starns missin', an' -chopped clean in 'alves, I 'ave; but still they floated some'ow, an' -wus towed back 'ome inter 'arbour.' -</p> - -<p> -'I don't fancy seein' this 'ere ship chopped in 'alves,' said Pincher -dubiously. -</p> - -<p> -'Don't talk so wet,' Joshua growled. 'Yer ain't frightened, are yer?' -</p> - -<p> -'Course I ain't!' came the indignant reply. -</p> - -<p> -'Yer looks ter me as if yer wus,' said the A.B. 'But, any'ow, don't -worry yer 'ead. A deestroyer's a ruddy sight safer'n some other ships. -We've got speed, we 'ave, an' kin run away if we're chased by an -'ostile cruiser, an' we don't draw too much water fur bumpin' mines and -sichlike. Jolly sight safer 'n livin' ashore, I calls it.' -</p> - -<p> -'I dunno so much.' -</p> - -<p> -'Course it is. Look at th' ways yer kin lose th' number o' yer mess -w'en ye're livin' on th' beach,' Billings replied with a snort. 'Yer -kin be run over an' laid out by a motor-bus. Yer kin be drownded in yer -barth, or git a chimney-pot dropped on yer napper in a gale o' wind. -Yer kin be suffocated in yer bed if yer leaves th' gas burnin', -an''—— -</p> - -<p> -'An' yer nearly dies o' suffocation if yer drinks more 'n a gallon o' -beer,' chimed in another man, who knew Billings's past history. -</p> - -<p> -Joshua turned round wrathfully. 'I don't stan' no sauce from th' likes -o' you, Dogo!' he exclaimed, advancing threateningly. -</p> - -<p> -'It's true, ain't it?' queried Dogo, retreating to a convenient -distance. 'Besides, I never said 'oo it wus 'oo nearly died o' -suffocation, did I?' -</p> - -<p> -'No, but I knows ruddy well 'oo yer means, yer perishin' lop-eared -milkman; an' nex' time yer sez things ter me I'll give yer a clip -'longside th' ear'ole as'll keep yer thinkin' abart it fur a week!' -</p> - -<p> -The bystanders laughed. -</p> - -<p> -'Don't you take no notice o' 'im, Pincher,' Joshua went on. ''E ain't -no sailor. Afore this 'ere war started 'e wus drivin' one o' these 'ere -milk-carts an' shoutin' "Milk-o!" artside th' 'ouses, an' makin' love -ter th' slaveys!' It was perfectly true so far as the driving of the -milk-chariot was concerned, for Dogo Pearson, after serving his first -period in the navy, had retired into civil life as a milkman, only to -be called up again on the outbreak of war. -</p> - -<p> -It was Dogo's turn to get angry. 'Look 'ere, Billin's!' he said -angrily; 'I'll 'ave yer know'—— -</p> - -<p> -'You men had better be gettin' on with cleanin' that gun!' came the -wrathful voice of Mr Menotti, who had come forward unseen. 'It's not -half done, red rust everywhere, an' you're all standin' round spinnin' -yarns. Get a move on, or I'll have you up here cleanin' it in your -spare time!' -</p> - -<p> -The argument ceased, and the gun's crew, stifling their amusement, -busied themselves with their emery-paper, bath-brick, and -polishing-rags. -</p> - -<p> -'You wait till I gits yer on th' mess-deck, me boy-o!' growled Joshua -<i>sotto voce</i> when the gunner's back was turned. -</p> - -<p> -'Orl right, chum,' Dogo grinned unconcernedly; 'don't go gittin' -rattled.' -</p> - -<p> -Billings was really a great friend of his. -</p> - -<p> -All things come to an end in time, even sea fogs, and that same evening -the <i>Mariner</i> steamed jauntily into her first port of call and -dropped her anchor. -</p> - -<p> -'I'm glad you've arrived all right,' said the senior naval officer when -Wooten went over to report himself. 'To tell the truth, we were a bit -anxious about you.' -</p> - -<p> -'Anxious, sir! Why?' -</p> - -<p> -'We've had to close the Channel to all traffic until it's been swept,' -said the S.N.O. 'A steamer went up on a mine bang in the middle of the -fairway about an hour after you must have passed the place.' -</p> - -<p> -'Good Lord!' the lieutenant-commander ejaculated with a sigh of relief. -</p> - -<p> -The S.N.O., who was used to such things, smiled blandly. 'Have a -cigarette,' he said, pushing the box across. 'What about a glass of -brown sherry? I've just got a new lot in, and it's rather good stuff.' -He reached up and fingered a hanging bell-push. -</p> - -<p> -'Thank you, sir. I think I will.' -</p> - -<p> -The S.N.O. rang the bell for his steward. -</p> - - - - -<a name="XIII"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER XIII. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -FRITZ THE FRIGHTFUL.</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -Pincher soon discovered that life on board a battleship and life in a -destroyer were two totally different existences. -</p> - -<p> -In the <i>Belligerent</i> a cast-iron routine had always been adhered -to, at sea or in harbour, fair weather or foul. Nothing was suffered to -disturb that routine, unless it were occasional excursions to sea in -the small hours of the morning and frequent coalings. Times were laid -down for everything. Day after day bugles blew or pipes twittered at -exactly the same hours; and to the ship's company, the actual workers, -things seemed to run as smoothly as clockwork with a minimum of effort -on the part of every one. They all knew what to do, and when to do it; -and the men themselves never realised the forethought, the energy, and -the capacity for organisation on the part of the commander and other -responsible officers which were necessary to produce such a result. -They took it for granted. Their groove was made for them, so to speak, -and they suffered themselves to slide along its well-oiled length -without troubling their heads as to what supplied the motive-power. -Moreover, men were told off for their jobs collectively, not -individually. Their bodies seemed to be regarded as machines capable of -so many units of work, and there were such numbers of them in the ship, -and the vessel herself was so huge, that the labours of any single -person, provided always he was not a very important person, did not -seem to have any effect on the community as a whole. Indeed, a seaman -could even go on the sick-list, or leave the ship altogether, without -his absence being noticed or felt except by his own messmates and -friends. -</p> - -<p> -But in the <i>Mariner</i> things were very different, for here the -labours of every single individual counted. If a man neglected his work -or idled his time away, his shortcomings had their effect on some one -else. They were soon noticed, and the laggard speedily found himself -chased and goaded into a proper state of activity by Petty Officer -Casey; and Casey, a glutton for work himself, always had a persuasive -way with him, and a horny fist to back up his arguments. -</p> - -<p> -There was a routine, of course, and very nice it looked on paper; but -the life was so full of sudden surprises that as often as not any -preconceived time-table went by the board. It was not surprising, for -the <i>Mariner</i> and the other destroyers of her flotilla had always -to be ready for service at the shortest notice, and her men frequently -found themselves bundled unceremoniously out of their hammocks in the -middle of the night to get the ship to sea. It did not matter whether -it was blowing a gale, raining, or snowing; go to sea they must, and -did. -</p> - -<p> -Sometimes they chivied Fritz; and he—a wise man, but no -gentleman—waited for no one. It was not the fault of the destroyers -that he had usually vanished into space by the time they arrived to -strafe him. Fritz was the ubiquitous Hun submarine, any 'untersee-boot' -which happened to come into their domain, and a merry little dance he -sometimes led them. Occasionally, to vary the monotony, they called him -Hans, Adolf, Karl, or some other Teutonic appellation; but more often -than not he was just Fritz, and Fritz he will remain until the end of -the war. Sometimes, though reported as such, he was not really Fritz at -all. -</p> - -<p> -'The skipper of the trawler <i>Adam and Eve</i> reports having sighted -a periscope flying a large flag in latitude <i>xy</i>^° <i>z</i>^′ N., -longitude <i>a</i>^° <i>bc</i>^′ E., at six-thirty this morning,' was -the sort of thing they were sometimes told. 'Proceed to the vicinity -with all despatch, and search.' -</p> - -<p> -Proceed they did, hot-foot and full of warlike energy, only to find -that the skipper of the <i>Adam and Eve</i> had been mistaken, and that -his periscope with its large flag was nothing but some other -fisherman's dan buoy broken adrift from its nets. Dan buoys, seen in -the half-light of the early morning or evening, are apt to be -deceptive, particularly when the imagination is stirred at the thought -of the substantial honorarium to be earned for authentic information of -the enemy. -</p> - -<p> -But even battleships and cruisers make mistakes sometimes. The -newspapers have never mentioned one fierce engagement which took place -in a certain northern harbour, in the chill gray light of an early -dawn, when a long black submarine was suddenly seen approaching the -outer cruiser of a line of men-of-war lying peacefully at their -anchors. He came in on the flood-tide, grim and menacing, causing a -great commotion in the water, and with his periscope raising its -flutter of spray. Now and then he disappeared altogether. -</p> - -<p> -It was Fritz, they thought, come to pay them an early morning visit, -and with all the joy in the world the officer of the watch in the -cruiser opened fire. It was easy shooting. The guns barked angrily, and -four-inch shell spouted, foamed, and burst round the invader until he -was a submarine no longer. The fleet was flung into a state of -considerable excitement; but the submarine sank gracefully to the -bottom, while the officer of the watch, metaphorically patting himself -on the back, told his agitated pyjama-clad commanding officer of what -had occurred. -</p> - -<p> -'Are you quite certain you got him?' the latter inquired anxiously. -</p> - -<p> -'Absolutely certain, sir,' the lieutenant replied. 'We all saw him hit -several times. He sank by the bows.' -</p> - -<p> -'Have sunk hostile submarine,' was the signal made to the flagship a -few minutes later. 'Request permission to send down divers to -investigate.' -</p> - -<p> -'Approved!' came back the answer. 'Report results.' -</p> - -<p> -'Divers have been down, but report they can find no traces of the -alleged submarine,' another semaphore message went across three hours -afterwards. -</p> - -<p> -The flagship did not deign to answer, but her signalmen tittered; the -'alleged' tickled them. -</p> - -<p> -'I'm absolutely certain he was hit, sir,' the officer who had opened -fire reiterated for the thousandth time. 'I'm positive I saw him -sink—absolutely positive!' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, where the deuce has he got to, then?' the captain wanted to -know, shrugging his shoulders unbelievingly. 'The damned thing surely -can't sink and not leave a trace of anything behind him!' He seemed -rather irritable. -</p> - -<p> -Three days later a light cruiser anchored towards the entrance of the -harbour, and started talking. 'There is a large black object stranded -on the beach abreast the ship,' she said by semaphore. 'Am sending boat -to investigate.' -</p> - -<p> -'Object previously reported is a whale,' came a supplementary message -in less than half-an-hour. 'It has been dead some days, and appears to -have been killed by shell-fire.' -</p> - -<p> -The defunct monster advertised his presence far and wide when the tide -fell. People approached him wearing gas-masks and with ammonia-soaked -handkerchiefs held to their noses. How the authorities got rid of him -history does not relate. One cannot very well bury a thing the size of -a house. Perhaps they sold him for fertiliser. -</p> - -<p> -There were no C.B.'s or D.S.O.'s conferred for that battle, though the -shooting certainly had been good. -</p> - -<p> -But all this has carried us rather far from the <i>Mariner</i> and her -men. They always found Fritz, Hans, Adolf, Karl, or whatever they chose -to call him, as cunning as a hatful of monkeys; but the destroyers and -other craft which sought to compass his destruction admired him for his -efficiency, for efficient he certainly was. He combined boldness with -seaman-like caution, and would suddenly appear in an area crowded with -traffic, sink a merchant ship or two, and then disappear into space. -Occasionally he behaved as a sportsman, and towed the boats containing -the crews of the ships he had just sunk in towards the shore. -Sometimes, when it came to sinking liners and passenger-ships with -women and children on board, his reputation was unsavoury; but even the -righteous wrath and indignation of his pursuers, who always played the -game themselves, were not levelled so much at Fritz himself as at those -who had given him orders to go out and do his dirty work. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Mariner</i> was once working in an area in which Fritz was very -active indeed, when Hills the telegraphist clambered on to the bridge -in a state of purple excitement, flourishing a sheet of paper. -</p> - -<p> -'Well, what is it?' Wooten demanded. 'What's the matter?' -</p> - -<p> -'There's a steamer down to the south-east'ard makin' the S.O.S. call, -sir!' the man ejaculated agitatedly. 'Says she's bein' overhauled by a -submarine, who's firin' on her. I've got her position, course, and -speed!' -</p> - -<p> -'The devil you have!' said Wooten, putting the telegraphs to 'Full -speed,' and giving the helmsman a new course. 'Let's have her -position.' He took the paper from the telegraphist, and laid the -latitude and longitude off on the chart. 'Lord!' he remarked, rather -perturbed, 'we're a good forty miles off. It'll take us over an hour to -reach her. They'll be strafed by then, poor devils!' -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Mariner</i>, meanwhile, with smoke pouring from her funnels and -a great bow-wave creaming aft from her sharp stem, was dashing off at -something over thirty knots. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten scratched his head. 'Hills,' he said at last, as an inspiration -seized him, 'call her up by wireless, and make her in plain -English—not in code, mind—"Hang on. Destroyer will be with you in -twenty minutes." Got that?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir,' said the man, writing it down. -</p> - -<p> -'Very well. Don't make our name, but use all the juice you can, so that -they'll think we're very close. Understand?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir,' nodded Hills, leaving the bridge rather mystified. -</p> - -<p> -'You see, sub,' the skipper went on, 'we can't possibly get to this -chap in time to save him from being sunk. All we can do is to try to -frighten Fritz and to make him abandon the chase. D'you see?' -</p> - -<p> -Hargreaves nodded vaguely. -</p> - -<p> -'I don't believe you understand in the least what I'm driving at,' -Wooten continued, smiling. 'Fritz has got wireless, and is on the -surface. If he's the wily bird I imagine him to be, he'll have a fellow -in his box-office listening to what's going on. He'll hear my signal, -will take it in, translate it—they all know English—and there's just -a chance it'll scare the life out of him, and make him shove off out of -it. Savvy?' -</p> - -<p> -Hargreaves nodded. -</p> - -<p> -The scheme actually did work successfully, and Fritz was badly had, for -in less than twenty minutes the unknown steamer was talking again. -'Submarine has abandoned chase, and has dived,' she said abruptly. 'Who -are you?' -</p> - -<p> -'Mind your own perishing business!' went back the reply in rather -politer language. -</p> - -<p> -Fritz seemed to work in spasms, for a fortnight would go by without a -sign of him; and then, quite suddenly, there would come another -recrudescence of his activity in another and quite unexpected locality. -But the small craft were always hot on the scent the moment he bobbed -up. They made his life a misery and a burden; and, though it is true he -succeeded in sinking many a merchant ship, many of his species did not -return to Wilhelmshaven. There were various effective ways of dealing -with him, though exactly what those methods were must perforce be left -a secret. -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -But Fritz was not the only thing they hunted; for once, in the English -Channel, the <i>Mariner</i> was sent to sea to look for Fritz's mother, -a suspicious sailing-vessel supposed to be supplying him with petrol -and other commodities. -</p> - -<p> -It was midnight when the orders came, pitch-dark, snowing hard, and -blowing half a gale of wind, and there was considerable risk in taking -the ship to sea at all. First they had an altercation with the side of -the jetty, the brunt of which was taken by the whaler at her davits, -and caused that boat to open her seams and crack her ribs in resentful -indignation. Then, since there was no room to turn, Wooten had to -perform the rather ticklish manœuvre, in the midst of a snow-flurry, -of steering stern first through a line of closely anchored ships with -no lights. Any naval officer will agree that handling a destroyer in -such circumstances, with a strong wind broad on the beam, the night so -dark that it is impossible to see more than a hundred yards, and clouds -of black, oil-fuel smoke making it darker still, is apt to be -hair-raising and startling. Wooten found it so at any rate, and -congratulated himself that he succeeded in getting to sea with no -further damage than a badly squeezed whaler. -</p> - -<p> -Shortly before daylight they arrived at the spot where the suspicious -sailing-vessel had been sighted from the shore. They were all in a -state of suppressed excitement, for they fully believed they were in -for something at last; while the guns' crews, fidgeting with -impatience, were standing by their weapons ready to open fire. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten himself was very hopeful. 'If this report is true,' he said to -the first lieutenant, 'I shouldn't at all wonder if we found a -submarine taking in petrol alongside her.' -</p> - -<p> -MacDonald, inclined to be sceptical, shook his head and smiled. 'I have -my doubts, sir,' he said with true Scottish caution. 'It's my opinion -that the whole yarn is pure bunkum.' -</p> - -<p> -When the dawn broke in a blaze of scarlet and orange there was a -sailing-craft in sight, and she was barely a mile away from the place -where the submarine supply-ship had been reported. She seemed rather an -ordinary-looking vessel, ketch rigged, with a sturdy, broad-beamed -hull, and was hove-to under the lee of the land. Her sails were patched -and dingy, and, like Joseph's coat, were of many colours. But really -and truly there was nothing at all remarkable about her, though most of -the officers and fully half the men were firmly convinced that she was -a Hun of most immoral character. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Mariner</i> approached her warily, with guns trained, and the -men's fingers itching on their triggers. They longed to fire. The -<i>Jessie and Eva</i>, however, evinced no particular interest in the -proceedings; and when the destroyer steamed up close alongside, and -went astern to check her way, only a small, sleepy-eyed boy was visible -on deck. -</p> - -<p> -'Where d'you come from?' Wooten bellowed through a megaphone. -</p> - -<p> -'Brixham, surr!' answered the youth with a broad west-country burr, as -a tousled head appeared up the after-companion and stared at the -destroyer in amazement. -</p> - -<p> -'Where's your skipper?' the lieutenant-commander asked. -</p> - -<p> -'Here Oi be, surr!' said the owner of the head, scrambling out of his -cubby-hole, and appearing on deck in jersey and sea-boots. 'What'll you -be waantin', surr?' -</p> - -<p> -'Where d'you come from?' -</p> - -<p> -'Brixham, surr.' -</p> - -<p> -'How long have you been out?' -</p> - -<p> -'Nigh on three-fourr days, surr.' -</p> - -<p> -'What's your name?' -</p> - -<p> -'Jarge, surr—Jarge Willyum Cobley,' answered the man, in unmistakable -Devonshire accents. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten turned to the first lieutenant. 'Lower the dinghy, and go on -board and have a look at her,' he said rather disappointedly. 'Seems to -me she's as innocent as a new-born babe; but ask 'em if they've seen -any men-of-war or submarines about, and find out how long they've been -here. Get back as soon as you can.' -</p> - -<p> -'Ay, ay, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -The boat was lowered, and the <i>Jessie and Eva</i>, for the first time -in her career, found herself boarded by an officer and two men armed to -the teeth. -</p> - -<p> -'Whaat du th' li'l man-o'-warr waant, surr?' queried the skipper, -eyeing MacDonald's holstered weapon with some apprehension. 'Us is from -Brixham, surr.' -</p> - -<p> -'Yes, that's all right. I merely want to have a look round.' -</p> - -<p> -He examined the smack fore and aft; but there was not the least vestige -of anything incriminating about her. Her papers were in order, her two -men and the boy were obvious west-countrymen, and she herself was full -of fish. She had been in her present position or thereabouts for the -last three days, the skipper said, and he intended returning to Brixham -with her catch that afternoon. -</p> - -<p> -'Well, there's nothing the matter with you,' said the first lieutenant -with a laugh, as he prepared to get back to his boat. 'Care for a bit -of navy plug?' He knew well enough how to get the right side of -fishermen, and never dreamt of boarding a trawler without a couple of -inches of strong navy plug tobacco in his pocket. -</p> - -<p> -Old Cobley beamed. 'Ay, surr,' he said, accepting the gift. 'Us doan't -of'en get navy 'bacca. Would 'e care fur some fish, surr? 'Tis fine -fresh caught.' -</p> - -<p> -'Thanks very much,' answered the lieutenant, who had taken the -precaution of bringing two buckets across in the boat with him; 'I -should.' -</p> - -<p> -'Peterr!' the old fisherman bellowed to the boy, 'put some fish inter -th' orficer's boat, an' luk lively naow.' -</p> - -<p> -Peter obeyed his orders, and the dinghy eventually returned to the ship -with the buckets full and her bottom covered with a slippery, sliding -mass of newly caught herrings, a turbot or two, and dozens of other -varieties which nobody could put a name to. They had sufficient to -provide the ship's company of the <i>Mariner</i> with two excellent -meals, and the total value of the haul, if brought ashore, could not -have been far short of thirty shillings. Tobacco to the approximate -value of four-pence sometimes does work wonders, and well MacDonald -knew it. He was a Scotsman. -</p> - -<p> -But Wooten was anxious to find out how the report had originated. His -orders to search for a suspicious vessel had mentioned 'a black-hulled, -ketch-rigged craft, with several white patches in her mainsail,' and -this description suited old Jarge Cobley's smack to a T. Moreover, she -had been found close to the position mentioned in the report. -</p> - -<p> -'Any silly juggins could have seen that she was innocent!' the -lieutenant-commander declared wrathfully. He forgot that it was easy to -be wise after the event, and that, barely half-an-hour before, he and -most of his men had been quite firm in their conviction that the -<i>Jessie and Eva</i> was a Hun in disguise. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Mariner</i> first signalled to a coastguard station ashore, but -the coastguardmen declined all responsibility, and merely stated that -they had heard a rumour that, the previous afternoon, some agitation -had been caused amongst the military authorities in the neighbouring -coast town of Baymouth by a report that a strange vessel had been seen -hovering in a most suspicious manner off the coast. The coastguardmen, -having satisfied themselves that there was no such craft in the -neighbourhood, had taken no further interest in the matter. That was -all they professed to know about it. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten himself did not know until afterwards that the garrison of -Baymouth consisted of a small detachment of the 8th (Service) battalion -of the Midshire Rangers. It was commanded by a major who, having -contracted a chill, was absent on sick-leave. Next came a captain, and -he, the day being Sunday, had gone off on his motor-bicycle to see his -wife, leaving Second Lieutenant Tarry-Diddle, a newly caught subaltern, -in charge of the gallant troops. Tarry-Diddle, a most promising and -zealous youth, was the 'military authority' referred to. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Mariner</i> steamed three miles along the coast to Baymouth, and -here the first lieutenant was landed in the dinghy to make inquiries. -There was some surf on the beach, and he was very wet before he got -ashore; but, escorted by a local constable and a tribe of urchins, who -were firmly convinced that he was a prisoner from a German submarine -just sunk in the bay by the destroyer, he was eventually ushered into -the presence of the senior military officer in the town. This time it -was Captain Bumble-Dyke, and he was having his breakfast. -</p> - -<p> -An hour later MacDonald returned to the ship and described the scene to -Wooten. 'I got ashore,' he said, 'and asked for the boss military man -in the place. He was having his breakfast when I arrived, and was quite -affable; asked me if I'd care for some of his bacon and eggs, in fact. -I was wet through and beastly cold, so said I'd have a cup of coffee. -Then I asked him about the suspicious sailing-vessel of his. He -evidently thought at first that I'd come to pay an official call, -though why he should imagine I'd come at that hour in the morning, wet -through, and wearing a dirty muffler and sea-boots, I'm sure I don't -know. He seemed rather surprised, and stared at me for a bit, and then -asked what suspicious sailing-vessel I meant. He said he hadn't heard -of one, and went off into a yarn about his having been away all the day -before, his motor-bike having punctured, and his only having got back -at two o'clock that morning.' No. 1 smiled at the recollection. -</p> - -<p> -'Go on with the yarn,' said Wooten, beginning to laugh. -</p> - -<p> -'Well, sir, I told him that the military people at Baymouth had -reported a suspicious craft off the coast yesterday evening. "It's the -first I've heard of it," he said. "Well, your people reported her, -anyhow," I told him. "It must have been Tarry-Diddle!" he answered. "He -was in charge here all yesterday. He's not said anything to me about -it, though it's true I haven't seen him since I returned." "Who's -Tarry-Diddle?" I asked. "He's my subaltern," he said. "We'd better send -along for him." We did, and he fetched up in about ten minutes. Seemed -a decent little chap, but a bit nervous. "What's this about a -suspicious vessel off the coast?" asked the captain. "Yes, sir. We -sighted one yesterday, and reported it," says Tarry-Diddle, looking at -me rather anxiously. "Most suspicious-looking craft. Ketch rigged, -black hull, and several white patches in her mainsail. She's been -hovering round the bay for three days, sir." I laughed; couldn't very -well help it, for he'd described the <i>Jessie and Eva</i> exactly. -"What's the matter?" the captain asked me. "Matter!" I said. "Why, your -suspicious craft is nothing but an ordinary Brixham trawler. We've just -examined her." "The deuce she is!—Whom did you report her to, -Tarry-Diddle?" "I sent a wire straight to the Admiralty, sir," the poor -little chap said. The captain got rather purple in the face. "Good -God!" he shouted, jumping up, "d'you mean to say that you wired to the -Admiralty to tell 'em that—— Oh Lord! you'll get me hanged! What the -deuce d'you mean by it?" "I'm awfully sorry, sir," said Tarry-Diddle, -rather frightened and very white about the gills. "I thought I'd done -the right thing." "Done the right thing, you blithering young jackass!" -roared the captain. "Why the devil didn't you get the naval people to -have a look at her? How on earth can you tell whether a ship's -suspicious or whether she isn't? I go away for twelve hours, and leave -you in charge, and this sort of thing happens! I tell you, -Tarry-Diddle, it won't do. It won't do at all! I shall have to report -the matter to the colonel!" He started stamping up and down the room in -a fearful state of excitement. I couldn't help laughing.' -</p> - -<p> -Wooten was laughing himself. 'What happened then?' he spluttered. -</p> - -<p> -'Tarry-Diddle got in a bit of a funk, sir. "It happened like this, -sir," he explained. "The sergeant-major was walking along the front -yesterday afternoon"—— "To hell with the sergeant-major!" shouted -Bumble-Dyke; "where the deuce does he come in?" "That's just what I'm -trying to explain, sir," said Tarry-Diddle; and I do believe the young -devil was laughing. "Oh, go on, and let's hear what you have to say!" -spluttered the captain. "Well, sir, the sergeant-major was walking -along the front yesterday afternoon behind two retired naval -officers—at least, he said they were retired naval officers. They were -talking, and one of them drew the attention of the other to the -sailing-craft, and said he thought she looked rather suspicious. The -other chap agreed, and said the Admiralty ought to be asked to send a -ship to have a look at her." "I've never met any retired naval officers -here," grumbled Bumble-Dyke. "I've seen most of the residents in the -club, too." "I'm only telling you what the sergeant-major said, sir," -Tarry-Diddle went on. "He came back to me at once, and told me what -he'd heard, so I sent the wire off to the Admiralty on one of those -yellow forms." "That accounts for our little excursion, then," I -chipped in.' -</p> - -<p> -'Oh Lord!' gasped Wooten, 'this is the limit. Go on. What happened -then?' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, sir,' MacDonald continued, laughing, 'the captain called the -poor little chap all the names he could think of; told him he ought to -be court-martialled, and shot at dawn, and all the rest of it. They -were still at it hammer and tongs when I came away.' -</p> - -<p> -Wooten smiled. 'I feel rather sorry for Tarry-Diddle,' he said. 'But -I'm not certain he didn't deserve it, draggin' us out of harbour in the -middle of the night all for a ruddy craft which any darned son of a gun -could have seen was only a Brixham trawler.' It did not occur to him -that he had been badly taken in himself. 'By the way,' he added, 'who -were the two retired naval officers?' -</p> - -<p> -'They were invented by the sergeant-major,' MacDonald chuckled. 'One of -them was the steward at the yacht club, who goes about in a -yachting-cap and a gold badge, and t' other was the man who's in charge -of the bathing-machines in the summer. That's what I was told, at any -rate.' -</p> - -<p> -'Lord!' said the skipper, laughing, 'it reminds me of that parson, at -the other place, who said he had seen the periscope of a submarine at -seventeen miles. Seventeen perishin' miles, mark you! He sent a wire to -the Admiralty, too, and they called out every destroyer within a -hundred miles. But it wasn't Fritz at all, merely the mast of a ship -hull down on the horizon. It was rather a clearer day than usual, -that's all!' -</p> - -<p> -No. 1 laughed. 'They're all so jolly keen on reporting things, sir; but -I must say this sort of thing is the limit.' -</p> - -<p> -'I agree,' said Wooten, chuckling. 'However, we mustn't let Tarry -What's-his-name get into trouble. I'll send in a report sayin' we -couldn't find any rakish-lookin' craft in the neighbourhood, and that I -expect the military people were mistaken. You know,' he added, 'these -fellows who've joined the new army are devilish good chaps and devilish -keen, and one doesn't want to have 'em strafed unless one can't help -it—what?' -</p> - -<p> -'I quite agree, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -'And when we get in I'll write a letter to Bumble-Dyke, asking him not -to be too hard on him.' -</p> - -<p> -He was as good as his word, and never regretted it, for less than a -year later the name of Temporary Lieutenant Richard Tarry-Diddle, as he -was then, appeared in the Honours List. He had won his Victoria Cross -at Ypres. -</p> - - - - -<a name="XIV"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER XIV. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -THE NORTH SEA.</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -There were many different topics of conversation in the wardroom of the -<i>Mariner</i>. The seven members of the mess talked learnedly upon -dozens of subjects, no matter whether they knew much about them or not. -Nothing was too abstruse. They discussed the Mendel theory, atavism, -and how onions acquired their flavour and violets their scent with as -much zest and freedom as they argued about the possibilities of a -German invasion of Britain, and the rights and wrongs of universal -service. Conversation frequently became strident, and heated argument -occasionally gave way to flat contradiction; while contradiction -sometimes terminated in a babel in which every one aired opinions to -which nobody listened. One can hardly expect anything else when seven -men of widely divergent views and ideals, and with different characters -and temperaments, live cheek by jowl in the same small ship. The -subjects most often brought under discussion, however—the hardy -perennials, so to speak—were: -</p> - -<p> -(1) Whether or not the High Sea Fleet of his Imperial Majesty the -Emperor of all the Germans was likely to emerge into the North Sea. -</p> - -<p> -(2) Former ships. -</p> - -<p> -(3) The iniquities of one Harry Smith, officers' steward of the second -class. -</p> - -<p> -Opinions on No. 1 varied, and need not be entered into here; but No. 2 -provided them with many hours' conversation. -</p> - -<p> -'When I was in the old <i>Somerset</i>, in nineteen-nine,' somebody -would start the ball rolling, 'we had a fellow who'—— -</p> - -<p> -'By George, yes!' continued some one else; 'that reminds me of the -<i>Saturn</i> in China in nought-five. Did you ever hear the yarn about -the watch-keeper who'—— And straightway the floodgates of -reminiscence were opened. -</p> - -<p> -It was perfectly natural, for there were seven of them, and among them -they had served his Majesty or his predecessors for nearly eighty -years. Moreover, they had been in every imaginable type of ship, in -many different parts of the world, and had never been shipmates before. -Five of the seven we have already met. The other two were Augustus -Black, the surgeon-probationer of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, -and George Bonar, the midshipman of the Royal Naval Reserve. Of them, -more anon. -</p> - -<p> -Topic No. 3, the sins and omissions of Harry Smith, came up for -consideration at least twice daily. He was an unkempt individual, with -long black hair and sallow complexion, who had just entered the -service. Before deciding to serve the King he had, or had not, been a -shining light in a livery and bait stable. He may have been an -excellent ostler, but did not scintillate as an officers' steward. -Nominally he was supposed to assist Watkins, the senior steward, who, -under the supervision of Mr Menotti, did for the officers as regards -their messing. Watkins himself was all that could be desired, but the -redoubtable Harry frequently 'did for' the members of the mess in more -senses than one. -</p> - -<p> -The galley, where all the cooking was done, lived forward, and though -it must have been painful for Smith to fall on the slippery steel deck -on the way aft with the joint for the evening meal, it was still more -annoying for seven officers with healthy appetites to discover that -their leg of mutton, together with its dish, had flopped gracefully -overboard and had sunk to the bottom of the harbour. On one occasion -the dish of bacon for breakfast came to grief; whereupon Smith, -trusting that nobody was looking, gathered up what remained on the -deck, and replaced it in the dish with his fingers. But the eagle eye -of the first lieutenant was upon him, and there was trouble. -</p> - -<p> -Besides being the food-carrier to and from the galley, Smith acted as -the wine steward in Watkins's absence, was supposed to clean and wash -up the table silver and crockery, and to keep a watchful eye upon the -table-napkins and tablecloths. It was unfortunate that he poured the -sherry into a decanter half-full of port; but he was forgiven, for the -mixture, under the guise of 'madeira,' was offered to, and accepted as -a <i>quid pro quo</i> by, unsuspecting dockyard employees who had -provided the first lieutenant with—well, certain things which he -required for the ship. Smith was not pardoned for losing the upper half -of an expensive silver-plated entrée-dish, for breaking or losing in -ten days no fewer than seventeen tumblers, four plates, two cups, and a -butter-dish, or for using the best damask table-napkins as dishcloths -or for boot-polishing, for all those articles had to be accounted for. -Wooten was also extremely annoyed one Sunday morning when, on going the -rounds, he discovered the hairbrushes and celluloid dickey of the -culprit, together with one toothbrush, a shirt, six raw and juicy chops -done up in newspaper, some emery-paper, knife-powder, and three loaves -of wardroom bread, nestling side by side in the same cupboard. No! -Harry Smith, though undoubtedly a feature of the ship, and a source of -abundant and animated conversation, was not an acquisition. -</p> - -<p> -'Let's get rid of the blighter!' some one suggested. -</p> - -<p> -They tried to, but the only substitute available was a callow, pimply -faced youth who, before the war, had been a railway porter. -</p> - -<p> -'Lord!' laughed the skipper, 'if he comes we sha'n't have any crockery -at all at the end of a fortnight.' -</p> - -<p> -And so Smith remained. -</p> - -<p> -Augustus Black was a medical student at one of the London hospitals who -had volunteered his services on the outbreak of war. The powers that be -had accepted his offer, enrolled him in the Royal Naval Volunteer -Reserve as a surgeon-probationer, provided him with the sum of twenty -pounds wherewith to purchase the necessary uniform, and presently -desired him to repair forthwith to his duties on board H.M.S. -<i>Mariner</i>. -</p> - -<p> -The ship's company as a whole were disgustingly healthy; but Black -attended to their minor ailments, cuts, and contusions, packed them off -to the depot ship or hospital if they became really ill, held what he -vulgarly called 'belly musters' once a month or oftener, and gave them -lectures on first-aid and personal hygiene. In the ordinary piping -times of peace a destroyer carries nothing but a medical chest -containing the simpler remedies, together with bandages, splints, -tourniquets, and dressings. She has no doctor, and if a man is hurt or -becomes ill he is given first-aid or relief by one of his shipmates, -and is sent to the depot ship or hospital for treatment as soon as -possible. In war, however, when any ship may conceivably be in action -at any moment, and when twenty-four hours or more may elapse before -wounded men can see a medical officer, valuable lives may be saved if -injuries are properly attended to and dressed on the spot. That was why -Black and many others like him had been sent to destroyers. -</p> - -<p> -In addition to his other duties, he acted as wine-caterer for the mess, -and, since there was no cabin available, slept on a settee in the -wardroom, and shaved, bathed, dressed, and kept his clothes and other -belongings in the sub-lieutenant's cabin, or wherever else he could -find room. His existence must have had its drawbacks and -inconveniences; but, being adaptable, he did not seem to mind them, for -he was an excellent messmate, always cheerful, and was not in the least -addicted to sea-sickness. -</p> - -<p> -Bonar, the R.N.R. 'snotty,' slept in a hammock in the tiny flat outside -the officers' cabins, and where he kept his possessions was always -something of a mystery. He had been at sea in the mercantile marine -before the war, and, in spite of his youth, was a most useful member of -society. He helped the sub with his charts, assisted Wooten with his -official correspondence, wrote up the fair log, and justified his -existence in many other ways. -</p> - -<p> -The authorities realised that life in small ships was sometimes apt to -breed staleness; so, though the <i>Mariner</i> and her flotilla were -often at sea, and while in harbour were always ready to sail at short -notice, officers and men were allowed ashore in the afternoons whenever -they could be spared. They were always liable to instant recall, of -course, and never got very far from their ships; but this did not -prevent them from playing games or otherwise amusing themselves. It did -them all the good in the world, and kept them fit and contented. -</p> - -<p> -On board, their amusements were simple. They all read a great deal, and -their expenditure on 'sevenpennies,' cheap books at one shilling, and -magazines must have put considerable profit into the pockets of the -publishers who catered for their needs, notwithstanding the enhanced -price of paper and the shortage of labour. One thing all agreed upon -was their debt of gratitude to Jack London. They read his books not -once, but a dozen times; and, prolific writer though he is, they wished -he were more prolific, for there was a snap and a liveliness about his -work which appealed to them. In the evenings in harbour the officers -either read, argued, listened to the gramophone, played with the -doctor's Meccano set, or indulged in ping-pong. It is true that the -wardroom of a destroyer is not an ideal place for this game. The table -was small; collisions with hanging lamps, furniture, and Harry Smith -with his arms full of newly cleaned glasses and cutlery were frequent -and sometimes painful; while the balls had an unhappy knack of losing -themselves under settees and cupboards. But in spite of these -disadvantages the players became expert. -</p> - -<p> -Farther forward the men also contrived to keep themselves happy. They -had their band—consisting of a drum, a couple of concertinas, many -mouth-organs, and a flute—which disported itself on deck on fine -evenings. They also sang loudly and sentimentally; while one versatile -person imitated Mr Charles Chaplin, bowler hat, moustache, baggy -trousers, and all. They had their racing crews for the whaler and the -dinghy, and in the dog-watches were not slow in challenging other -destroyers to races. Sometimes they won and sometimes they did not; but -the contests always gave the onlookers the opportunity of indulging in -ribald and strident remarks at other people's expense. -</p> - -<p> -Amongst the ship's company were a certain number of men who had done -their time in the navy, had retired into civil life after their various -periods of service, and had either volunteered or been recalled on the -outbreak of war. They were all excellent men, just as good as any of -their shipmates, while what little rustiness there was about them wore -off within a month of their joining the ship. Their experiences and -occupations ashore had been varied, to say the least of it. -</p> - -<p> -'Dogo' Pearson, the milkman, has appeared before; but besides him there -was an ex-member of the Liverpool police, an Edinburgh fireman, a -cattle-puncher from Arizona, and a man who had served as a -steward-valet on board a yacht belonging to some rich potentate in the -Argentine. Then there was David MacLeod, who hailed from Stornoway; -Donald MacIver, from the Orkneys; and Roderick Mackay, from Lerwick. -They were all fishermen and members of the Royal Naval Reserve, and -naturally were good seamen. Moreover, Wooten found them most useful as -reliable weather prophets. -</p> - -<p> -'Well,' he would say to MacLeod on the bridge at sea, 'what d'you make -of the weather?' -</p> - -<p> -The Scotsman would look up at the sky and note the direction and force -of the wind. 'Sur,' he would answer slowly, 'we'll ha'e a wee bit blaw -afore the mornin'.' -</p> - -<p> -'Blow!' Wooten would echo, rather surprised. 'Why d'you say that? The -glass is high, and there's a fine enough sky; isn't there?' -</p> - -<p> -MacLeod would wag his head wisely. 'I dinna ken why,' he would say. -'The wund'll ha'e gone roond tae the north-east, an'll start blawin' -fresh afore the mornin'.' -</p> - -<p> -And blow it invariably did, precisely from the quarter MacLeod had -mentioned. -</p> - -<p> -The torpedo coxswain of a destroyer is a very important person indeed. -He is always a chief petty officer or petty officer who acts as <i>ex -officio</i> master-at-arms of the ship, and as such supervises the -discipline, is the mouthpiece between the men and the officers, brings -men up for punishment when they have misconducted themselves, and makes -out and forwards the punishment returns to the depot ship. This, since -serious offences are infrequent in torpedo-craft, is perhaps the least -of all his duties. He also performs the work carried out by the ship's -steward in a big ship, being responsible, under the supervision of the -C.O., for the drawing and issue of all clothing, victuals, and rum, -besides keeping the store-books for the same. As these have to be -forwarded to the victualling paymaster of the depot ship at certain -intervals, this, since it involves no small amount of paper work and -much calculation, may be called the most onerous of his tasks. -</p> - -<p> -But the coxswain's chief function, his <i>raison d'être</i>, is to act -as a skilled helmsman. He is generally a man of long service and tried -experience, who has done all his time in torpedo-craft. He knows, or -should know, the individual idiosyncrasies of practically every type of -destroyer in the navy; and, this being the case, he is the commanding -officer's right-hand man if he is good—and he usually is—and his -<i>bête noir</i> if he is bad. He steers the ship going in or out of -harbour, when she is moving away from or going alongside a jetty or -another ship, during steam tactics and manœuvres, or in action. In -short, he is the qualified helmsman whose presence is required at the -wheel in any circumstances calling for special skill and knowledge. He -draws extra pay for his attainments, and has been through special -courses to fit him for his rating; but his value lies in the fact that -he has learnt his trade through long experience at sea. -</p> - -<p> -William Willis, the coxswain of the <i>Mariner</i>, was a short, -well-covered little man, with a laughing red face and a pair of -twinkling blue eyes. He was always laughing, no matter how bad the -weather, no matter what happened; while he had the peculiar knack of -always appearing on the bridge at the very instant he was wanted, and -without having to be sent for. How, when, and where he slept or ate at -sea Wooten never discovered; for no sooner had the next destroyer ahead -hauled out of the line to avoid a floating mine, or an important signal -been made, than Willis, breathing like a grampus, clambered ponderously -up on to the bridge and relieved the helmsman. It seemed second nature -to him to arrive at the moment he was most needed. One peculiar trait -of his was that he never would admit that the weather was really bad. -</p> - -<p> -'Bit rotten, cox'n, eh?' Wooten would remark, shaking the drops of -water out of his eyes after a green sea had lolloped over the -forecastle and deluged every one on the bridge with spray. -</p> - -<p> -'Not near so bad as I 'ave 'ad, sir,' Willis always answered stolidly. -'When I was in the <i>Boxer</i> we was once 'ove-to for three days in -weather like this 'ere.' He occasionally varied the formula by -mentioning the <i>Zephyr</i>, the <i>Angler</i>, the <i>Kangaroo</i>, -the <i>Albatross</i>, the <i>Garry</i>, the <i>Mohawk</i>, or various -others of the destroyers in which he had served; but no matter if the -barometer had dropped half-an-inch in an hour, or the wind was blowing -with almost hurricane force, or the ship was rolling and pitching to an -extent that nobody would have believed possible if he had not seen and -felt it, her weather, in the coxswain's opinion, was never so bad as -that experienced by the other craft he had been in. -</p> - -<p> -Sometimes, in the days when Wooten was still new to the ship, and -before he had come to understand the ways and tricks of handling -her—and a destroyer does occasionally take a deal of handling—they -got into difficulties. Perhaps they would be going alongside an -oiler -<a href="#note34" -name="noteref34"> -<span class="fn">[34]</span></a> - at dead of night to replenish their fuel, and the wind would -get on the wrong bow, and a strong tide sweep the ship the wrong way. -Willis rarely talked on the bridge, but then it was that he considered -himself entitled to speak. -</p> - -<p> -'Why not try 'er with a touch astern starboard, sir?' would come a -hoarse remark. 'Slew 'er stern round—see?' He never spoke as if he -were offering advice; he merely made a suggestion, as it were, and -oftener than not Wooten acted upon it, and found it good. -</p> - -<p> -Daniel Bulpit, the chief engine-room artificer, Thompson's trusted -assistant and second in command, had few peculiarities. He was a -hard-working, conscientious, and thoroughly capable west-countryman, -who was always cheerful and always obliging. In appearance he was short -and thick-set, with a fresh complexion, hair slightly tinged with gray, -and blue eyes; and what he didn't know about the <i>Mariner</i> and her -internal economy was not worth thinking about. Before joining the -destroyer he had been at the College at Dartmouth, teaching the naval -cadets their business in the pattern-shop. He had evidently been -popular there, for when he went ashore he was frequently recognised and -accosted by certain of his 'young gentlemen,' most of whom by this time -had attained the dignity and single gold stripes of sub-lieutenants. -</p> - -<p> -Gartin, the chief stoker, was a character, and, among other duties, had -charge of the engineer's stores and tools. He was a tall man, with -shaggy eyebrows, black hair, and a black beard, and, judging from the -conversation occasionally heard issuing from the storeroom hatch, took -his job very seriously indeed, and regarded most people, certainly all -seamen, as disciples of Barabbas. -</p> - -<p> -'Please, will yer let us 'ave the loan of a cold chisel an' a nammer?' -once asked Pincher Martin. -</p> - -<p> -The chief stoker glared. He had a rooted antipathy to all men who came -to borrow tools, for as often as not they omitted to return them. This -necessitated a game of hide-and-seek throughout the ship on the part of -Gartin himself; while, when the implements were eventually retrieved, -the edges of the chisels were generally found to be jagged, the saws -blunt, and the punches broken. 'What d'you want 'em for?' he asked -suspiciously. -</p> - -<p> -'Ter cut a length o' three an' a narf wire in 'alves.' -</p> - -<p> -'Ain't got none!' snapped Gartin. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher knew full well that he had. 'We carn't do th' job without 'em,' -he expostulated mildly. -</p> - -<p> -'Can't 'elp that; you'll 'ave to do the best you can, or else borrow -'em off some one else. I ain't got no 'ammers nor chisels, I tells -you!' -</p> - -<p> -'But I see'd'—— -</p> - -<p> -'Can't 'elp what you see'd. I ain't got none; that's flat, ain't it?' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, if yer really 'aven't got 'em I s'pose I'll 'ave ter go an' tell -the bloke wot sent me ter borrow 'em,' said Martin with an air of -resignation. -</p> - -<p> -Gartin pricked up his ears. ''Oo was it 'oo sent you?' -</p> - -<p> -'Fu'st lootenant,' said Pincher, inventing a polite fiction on the spur -of the moment. -</p> - -<p> -'Why didn't you say so afore?' Gartin demanded wrathfully, opening a -tool-box. 'Think I'm 'ere to 'ave my time wasted like this? You're -quite certain it was th' fu'st lootenant sent you?' He thought he had -seen a twinkle in Pincher's eye. -</p> - -<p> -'Well, 'e said 'e wanted the job done this mornin', any'ow,' the -ordinary seaman prevaricated. -</p> - -<p> -The chief stoker produced the hammer and the chisel, and handed them -across as if he were making a gift of the Crown Jewels. ''Ere you are. -Look out you returns 'em. If you don't'—— He glared fiercely and -shook his head. -</p> - -<p> -'If I doesn't?' -</p> - -<p> -'If you don't I'll take you afore the engineer horficer an' the captin, -an' 'ave the price of 'em stopped outa your pay. I'm fed up wi' chasin' -people round the ship. They comes to me borrowin' things right an' -left, never says so much as "Thank you," an' never troubles to return -the gear wot they borrowed. I ain't 'ere to get runnin' round arter -seamen wot isn't no better'n a pack o' thieves!' -</p> - -<p> -'I'll look out I returns 'em orl right,' said Pincher, retreating up -the ladder with a broad grin all over his face. -</p> - -<p> -'I'll look out you pays for 'em if you don't!' was the chief stoker's -final remark. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher retired chuckling, with the tools in his possession. He did not -feel the least bit uneasy. Gartin's bark was always worse than his -bite, and nobody ever took him really seriously. -</p> - -<p> -Hills, the petty officer telegraphist, was a burly, powerful-looking -man of average height. His eyebrows, like Gartin's, were long and -bushy, the hair on his head was thick and luxuriant, while his chin, -though he shaved every morning regularly, was always bristly and blue -by the evening. At sea he spent most of his time in the wireless office -abaft the charthouse. It was a tiny apartment, about eight feet by -five, and every conceivable nook and cranny, and almost every square -inch of the walls and ceiling, was occupied by instruments. Where there -was room on the walls Hills had decorated his little den with -photographs of his wife, children, relations, and friends, and sundry -flamboyant and highly coloured picture post-cards. There was just room -for a mahogany slab which served as a table, and a chair bolted to the -deck, in which, with a pair of telephone-receivers clipped over his -ears, Hills sat enthroned like some mysterious wizard in his cave. The -wireless office was soundproof and practically airtight. Its occupant -detested draughts, and at sea in winter, when the two small side -windows were kept tightly shut, the atmosphere could almost be cut with -a knife. In the early mornings, when Hills had had an all-night -sitting, and felt peevish and looked dishevelled, his shipmates always -said his hairy face assumed a simian aspect, and that he himself -reminded them of a gorilla in his cage. It was a libel, but this did -not prevent certain irreverent persons from forgathering outside his -den at cockcrow, opening the door gently, and then, scratching -themselves after the manner of apes, inquiring tenderly as to his -health. -</p> - -<p> -''Ullo, "Birdie," 'ow goes the zoo? Wot time does th' hanimals feed -this mornin'?' -</p> - -<p> -'Oh, go to 'ell!' 'Birdie' would exclaim irritably. Sometimes he -adopted stronger measures, emerged from his lair with a ferocious -expression, and, armed with a broom-handle, pursued his tormentors -round the forecastle to the accompaniment of yelps of pain and howls -for mercy as he belaboured them roundly. -</p> - -<p> -But Hills was popular on board, and was thoroughly good at his work; -so, taking things all round, Wooten and the officers had reason to -congratulate themselves upon having a good ship's company. -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -Who would not sell a farm and go to sea? Life in the navy, even in war, -has its compensations. At any rate, the sailor's commodious residence -conveys him, his belongings, his food, and his weapons to the scene of -his activities at a speed of anything between seven and a half and -thirty-six knots, according to circumstances. The soldier, on the other -hand, though he may sometimes ride upon a horse or travel in a train, -generally has to rely upon his own flat feet for locomotion. Moreover, -he carries on his person several days' provisions, spare clothing, a -rifle, a bayonet, ammunition, and equipment, together with an -assortment of bombs, gas-masks, and entrenching tools. Any spare space -or weight-carrying capacity which may remain to him is presumably at -his own disposal, and may be utilised for accommodating gifts of -tobacco, magazines, and socks from home. So the sailor is lucky in a -way; while he also escapes the mud of the trenches, the plagues of -flies, and other abominations—for which he is duly grateful. It is -true, though, that his floating home, particularly if it is a small one -like a destroyer, is very subject to the vicissitudes of the weather, -and has a knack of being abominably wet and very unstable in a seaway. -But life at sea in peace and life at sea in war are not so very -different. The ocean, with its gales, calms, and fogs, is always the -same, and hostilities only mean more time spent at sea, a few extra -dangers thrown in, in the shape of mines and submarines, and the chance -of a 'scrap' with the enemy. -</p> - -<p> -Sometimes, during their expeditions to that region known as 'the other -side,' for the express purpose of discomforting the Hun, the -<i>Mariner</i> and the light cruisers and other destroyers with her had -bad weather. Occasionally it was very bad indeed, and until they got -used to it some of the ship's company wished fervently that they had -never joined the navy at all. When their little ship was punching home -against a rapidly rising gale, the green seas had a playful habit of -breaking over the bows and of washing waist-deep over the upper deck; -while, even in the quiet intervals, sheets of spray came flying on -board until every one was soaked through and through, in spite of -oilskins. -</p> - -<p> -The movement was dizzy and maddening. It was usually a combined pitch -and roll, a horrible corkscrew motion which left one wondering what -antics the ship was going to indulge in next. At one instant the bows -would be flung high into the air on the crest of a wave until the -forefoot and some length of the bottom were clean out of the water. -Then the sea would fall away from underneath, and, after hesitating a -little, the bows would fall into the next hollow with a sickening -downward plunge. Then a great gray wall of advancing water, topped with -a mass of yeasty foam, would rear itself up and obliterate the horizon -ahead. Sometimes the ship lifted in time to ride over it. Sometimes she -seemed to hang, and the liquid avalanche broke on board and surged over -the forecastle with a crashing and a thudding which made the whole ship -quiver and tremble. At such times the mess-decks, the wardroom, and the -cabins, however watertight they were supposed to be, were usually -inundated with several inches of water. Hot food was often out of the -question, for even if the cook were not seasick, or his fire were not -extinguished by the sea, he, not being blessed with the tentacles of an -octopus, could hardly prevent himself from being hurled violently forth -through his galley door, let alone retain an array of saucepans, -kettles, and frying-pans on the top of a nearly red-hot stove. -Something was bound to go, and 'cookie' took very good care it was not -he. Then it was that officers and men ate and drank what they could. -Wooten favoured Bovril from a vacuum flask, corned beef sandwiches, and -cheese; but some people, having no appetites, preferred to fast. -</p> - -<p> -Destroyers cannot steam very fast against a heavy head-sea, and with -bad weather from the west there was always the possibility that the -enemy's battle-cruisers might emerge from their lair and chase and sink -the retiring British ships one by one as they punched slowly homewards. -Small craft are not suited for fighting in very bad weather, and such -an eventuality might have been disastrous; but nobody seemed to trouble -his head about it. -</p> - -<p> -Life at sea in the summer, when there was hardly a ripple on the water, -with a brilliant sun and no fog, was enjoyable, though it is true that -they always ran a certain amount of risk from mines, floating or -otherwise. The dangerous red squares, oblongs, and circles on the chart -were abundant and well scattered. Ships did not willingly venture over -them; but summer sun and absence of wind breed fogs, and they might be -at sea in misty weather for a couple or more days with no glimpse of -the land, no chance of taking an observation of the sun, and nothing -but a dead reckoning position to work from. This—since tides, -currents, and wind have a variable effect—might sometimes be anything -up to twenty miles wrong, so destroyers occasionally trespassed upon -the red danger areas without really meaning to do so. How could they -help it? -</p> - -<p> -Liberties should not be taken with mines. They are inventions of the -Evil One, and at the beginning of the war caused many people to suffer -from insomnia; but later on those who did nothing but traverse waters -in which some unscrupulous mine-layer had deposited her eggs lost much -of their dread of them. Familiarity had bred not actually contempt, but -a species of fatalistic indifference which is rather difficult to -describe. A mine explosion is always serious, sometimes disastrous, and -it is never exactly pleasant to know that your ship may be blown up at -any moment, and that you and your shipmates may have to take to the -boats, if there is room in them for all hands and the cook, or if there -is not, to go bathing in life-belts or swimming-collars. Moreover, some -of you may be killed or wounded by the explosion itself, particularly -if it occurs under a magazine; and if it happens close to the enemy's -coast one may possibly be rescued by the Huns and incarcerated in -Germany for the duration of the war. There is a chance of being saved -by a British ship if one is anywhere near; but whichever way one looks -at it, an under-water explosion is never anything but unpleasant to the -victim thereof. -</p> - -<p> -But there is nothing to be gained by worrying. In war one can go to -Kingdom Come in such a variety of ways, all equally violent and all -horrible, that it is as well never to allow the mind to dwell on any -particular method of extinction. People never run unnecessary risks, -naturally; but risks have to be taken, and mines moored beneath the -surface are invisible at any time. 'Floaters,' too, are a source of -danger; and, though mines which have become parted from their moorings -are nominally supposed to be harmless, Hague Conventions and the tenets -of International Law are sometimes disregarded. War has lost its -old-time chivalry. It is now a dirty and an ungentlemanly business—one -at which the modern Hun excels. -</p> - - -<h3> -III. -</h3> - -<p> -One dark winter evening the <i>Mariner</i> and three other destroyers -were groping their way back toward the British coast after being at sea -for two days and two nights. They had had the usual North Sea weather, -thick haze and some rain; but during the later portion of the trip -there had been a gale of wind from the south-west and an unusually bad -sea. Even now, when they were close to the coast, and should have been -more or less under the lee of the land, it still blew hard, with a -heavy perpendicular lop which made the little ships pitch and wallow as -they drove through it. The evening was as black as the mouth of the -nethermost pit, and the sky was completely overcast, while for the last -forty-eight hours they had never had a glimpse of the sun or the land. -Their position, as usual in such circumstances, was more or less an -unknown thing, a mere matter of dead reckoning and guesswork, which -even the constant use of the sounding-machine could not verify. -</p> - -<p> -Making the land after dark in peace-time, with all shore lights -blazing, sometimes gives cause for anxiety; but in war, when all the -lighthouses and lightships are extinguished, when many buoys are -removed, and there are various dangerous mined areas to be dodged and -avoided, it becomes something more than a joke. If mines are known to -be present, the feeling is not at all a pleasant one. It is rather like -being blindfolded and trying to find the door in a pitch-dark room, the -floor of which is well strewn with bombs ready to explode on being -touched. That was the sort of sensation at the back of Wooten's mind. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Mariner</i> happened to be the third ship in the line of four, -and at five-fifty-one precisely, when the skipper, the sub-lieutenant, -and the usual quartermaster, signalman, and lookouts were on the bridge -watching the next ahead, there came a rumbling, crashing roar from -somewhere close astern. It made the ship dance and tremble, and was -nothing the least like the sharp report of a gun. The sound was more or -less muffled, and the violent, reverberating thud could only be -compared with the sudden banging of a heavy steel velvet-covered door -in a jerry-built villa, if such a thing can be imagined. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten, who had heard such reports before, knew at once what it was. -'God!' he exclaimed anxiously, looking astern; 'some one's got it in -the neck!' -</p> - -<p> -Some one had—the <i>Monsoon</i>, the ship astern—and a moment later -her signal-lamp was flickering agitatedly in and out in the darkness. -'Have struck a mine!' she spelt out hastily. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten cursed under his breath. 'These things always happen on nights -like this!' he observed bitterly. 'Just like our rotten -luck!—Signalman!' -</p> - -<p> -'Sir?' -</p> - -<p> -'Tell <i>Monsoon</i> I'm coming to her assistance,' Wooten gave the -necessary orders to the quartermaster at the wheel.—'Hargreaves, have -the boats turned out ready for lowering in case she goes, and send down -to No. 1, and tell him to be ready for taking her in tow. As fast as -you can!' -</p> - -<p> -The sub. hurriedly left the bridge, and Wooten, working the helm and -the twin screws, circled round until his ship was about fifty yards -away from and abreast of the damaged vessel, which had fallen off into -the trough of the sea. The <i>Mariner's</i> men, meanwhile, in all -stages of deshabille, had thronged to the upper deck at the sound of -the explosion, and were making the various necessary preparations. -</p> - -<p> -'Are you all right?' the skipper bellowed as the ship slid slowly past, -rolling heavily. -</p> - -<p> -'I don't know about being all right,' came back a voice. 'My stern, -with the rudder, screws, and the whole bag o' tricks, is missing. I -think she'll float, though.' -</p> - -<p> -'Right! I'll take you in tow!' went back the reply.—'Good Lord!' added -Wooten, swaying to the heavy rolling and looking at the sea; 'it's -going to be the devil's own job, though.' -</p> - -<p> -It was. When a searchlight shone out and illuminated the scene, the -<i>Monsoon</i> seemed to be in a very bad way. She was not rolling very -heavily, for some portion of her damaged stern was still connected to -the hull, causing her to lie over to starboard toward the wind until -the mast was at an angle of thirty degrees to the vertical, and broken -water could be seen washing half-way across her upper deck. The -spectacle was an alarming one, for she seemed to be in some danger of -capsizing. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Mariner</i>, meanwhile, had drawn slightly ahead. She was -rolling so heavily that at one moment her rails were under water, and -the next were high in the air, while the men working on the wet and -slippery deck had the greatest difficulty in preventing themselves from -being hurled bodily overboard. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten manœuvred his ship until her stern was on a level with the -<i>Monsoon's</i> bows, and about thirty feet distant; where-upon men -stationed aft endeavoured to hurl heaving-lines across on to the -forecastle of the damaged vessel. If a small line could be got across -from ship to ship, the end of it would be made fast to a coir hawser in -the <i>Monsoon</i>. The coir would then be dragged over to the -<i>Mariner</i>, and on the end of it would be secured the steel-wire -towing-hawser, one end of which would be hauled on board and secured in -the towing ship, and the other in the vessel being towed. But, try as -they might, they could not bridge the space. The wind simply laughed at -them, and hurled their lines back in their faces, while all the time -the throwers were in constant danger of being shot into the sea by the -movement. Except for the glare of the searchlight, it was pitch-dark. -Wooten could not approach any closer for fear of bringing the -vulnerable stern, with its rudder and screws, into collision with the -<i>Monsoon's</i> bows, and if he allowed that to happen his own ship -would be disabled and rendered helpless, and the last state of affairs -would be worse than the first. There was only one alternative, and that -was to lower a boat to take the lines across; but this again was easier -said than done. -</p> - -<p> -Hargreaves, the sub-lieutenant, and five men took their places in the -whaler hanging at her davits, and the boat was then lowered gradually -toward the water. The skipper watched them with his heart in his mouth, -for as she descended, and the falls lengthened, the scope of her -oscillation became longer and longer, and dizzier and dizzier. The ship -herself was still rolling horribly, and at one instant the whaler was -swung giddily out at an impossible angle over the water, while the next -she came into contact with the ship's side with a crash and a thump -which threatened to stave in her planks and to precipitate every -mother's son of her crew into the sea. Watching the business was a -ghastly nightmare which seemed to last for minutes. In reality it must -have been over in a few seconds, but Wooten heaved a sigh of heartfelt -relief when he saw the boat fall with a splash on to the top of a -gigantic sea. But the next moment he held his breath again, for she was -flung bodily aft on the crest of the billow until she was all but -deposited on deck as the ship rolled drunkenly toward her. Then she -sank out of sight somewhere under the bottom as the <i>Mariner</i> -lurched over the other way, to reappear a few seconds later, with her -crew plying their oars lustily. How they ever succeeded in getting -clear nobody quite knew, for in that sea only a merciful Providence -saved Hargreaves and his five men from disaster. -</p> - -<p> -The line was passed across by the boat, and the end of the -<i>Monsoon's</i> wire hawser was shackled on to a length of chain cable -at the <i>Mariner's</i> stern, and when this had been done the two -ships were connected and everything was ready for going ahead. The -whaler was then rehoisted after another series of hairbreadth -experiences, and the struggle began to get the damaged ship head on to -the sea and wind preparatory to towing her into safety. A bare hour and -twenty-four minutes had passed since the explosion had occurred. To -Wooten and his men it had seemed like half the night. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher Martin, who was on the bridge at one of the engine-room -telegraphs up till midnight, saw and heard all that went on. By the -time the <i>Monsoon</i> was safely in tow both vessels were lying -broadside on to the wind and sea, with their heads to the -south-eastward. The course to get the damaged ship head on to the waves -and toward the shelter of the coast was south-west, and at first Wooten -went dead slow ahead with both engines to tug her round. But it was a -more difficult task than he had bargained for. He could not go fast, -for the violent motion on his ship and the consequent jerking on the -towing-wire would have caused the latter to part like a piece of -thread; and even as it was, the wire was jerking out of the sea one -minute, humming like a harp-string, while the next the bight of it was -sagging loosely under the water. Moreover, a destroyer is not an ideal -ship for towing another at the best of times. The tow-rope necessarily -has to be made fast in the extreme stern, not, as is the case in a -properly fitted tug, more or less amidships in the spot where the -vessel pivots when turning. The consequence is that manœuvring-power -is reduced almost to a minimum, while on this particular occasion the -<i>Monsoon</i>, with her stern cut off and some of the wreckage -trailing behind her, lay like a log on the water, and did her very -utmost to pull the <i>Mariner</i> round the wrong way—that is, to the -east, instead of through south to south-west. It was rather like trying -to tow a derelict motor-bus with a bicycle. -</p> - -<p> -The skipper worked his engines very gingerly, and tautened out the tow -with his helm to port. Then he gradually increased the revolutions of -the turbines until they should have been travelling at eight knots. -</p> - -<p> -'How's her head, coxswain?' he asked after an interval. -</p> - -<p> -'South sixty-five east, sir,' said Willis. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten sighed deeply, and verified the statement by glancing at the -compass. 'Lord!' he said, 'she was there ten minutes ago. Isn't she -moving at all?' -</p> - -<p> -'Wagglin' about a bit,' the coxswain answered, gazing at his -compass-card in his usual imperturbable way. 'She's all over the shop. -Up to sou'-east one minute, an' back to south-eighty the next. She's -just startin' to move to starboard now, sir,' he added eagerly an -instant later. 'Blarst!' in a very audible undertone; 'no, she ain't. -She's startin' to fall off the wrong way.' -</p> - -<p> -'Damn!' Wooten muttered; 'I don't believe we'll ever get her round.' -</p> - -<p> -Willis gave vent to a throaty sigh. He evidently thought the same. -</p> - -<p> -It certainly did seem an impossible job, for with the drag on her stern -the <i>Mariner</i> was practically stationary, while using more speed -was out of the question without running a dangerous risk of snapping -the towing-wire. Time after time the ship's head came round to -south-east, sometimes a few degrees farther; but on each occasion, -after hesitating for a moment or so, she fell back to her original -starting-point, south sixty-five degrees east. -</p> - -<p> -They tugged and tugged for over an hour with no effect. Wooten -exhausted all his unparliamentary vocabulary, and Willis became -speechless and purple about the face; but nothing happened—absolutely -nothing. The <i>Monsoon</i> was making signals all the while—urgent -signals, signals of real distress. 'Please tow me head to sea and wind -as soon as you possibly can,' they said. 'Sea may smash in my after -bulkheads, and cause ship to sink.' -</p> - -<p> -'Am doing my very utmost,' said the <i>Mariner</i> in reply. -</p> - -<p> -They certainly were. They could do no more. -</p> - -<p> -By about eight-thirty, at which time both ships were still in the -trough of the sea, and the <i>Mariner</i> was oscillating like the -pendulum of a clock, thin, drizzling rain came to add to their -discomfort. -</p> - -<p> -'Damn it all!' growled Wooten between his teeth, 'we must do something -drastic. We haven't budged an inch since we started.' -</p> - -<p> -'Please don't go any faster, sir!' protested MacDonald. 'The wire won't -stand it. It's on the verge of carrying away as it is.' -</p> - -<p> -'We shall have to chance it, No. 1. We can't spend the whole night -messing about here like this.' -</p> - -<p> -Wooten solved the difficulty by going slow astern with the starboard -propeller and putting the port engine-room telegraph to 'half-speed -ahead,' and gradually increasing the revolutions of the port screw to -sixteen knots. This exerted a greater thrust, tending to turn the ship -to starboard, and at last, after ten minutes of it, she actually began -to move. -</p> - -<p> -'How's she going now?' Wooten inquired five minutes later. -</p> - -<p> -'Comin' round very, very slow, sir,' said Willis. 'She's at south-forty -east.' -</p> - -<p> -They persevered. Sometimes the ship swung round a matter of ten degrees -or so in the right direction with a rush, only to fall back seven of -them a moment later. Sometimes the lubber's line of the compass went -back beyond the original starting-point, but generally they managed to -gain a degree or two. The <i>Monsoon</i> had been in tow at -seven-fifteen, and it was not until three hours later that they finally -got her on to the desired course of south-west. -</p> - -<p> -The mere recital of the incident seems commonplace and trivial enough; -but to Wooten the period was one of poignant anxiety, for the damaged -ship, judging from what could be seen of her in the glare of the -searchlight, seemed to be on the verge of capsizing. Her signals said -as much, too; and if her bulkheads had burst, and she had turned over, -the <i>Mariner</i>, with a wire made fast to her stern, and a gale of -wind blowing, and a sea running in which a small, heavily laden boat -had very little chance of remaining afloat, would have been able to do -little toward saving her crew. They would have attempted it, of course, -but all would probably have perished together. Moreover, in the -darkness and generally bad conditions which prevailed, there was always -the chance that Wooten would have bad luck, and damage, if not lose, -his ship. If he did that people would call him a silly fool behind his -back, and would say he should have known better than to attempt the -impossible, while his career in the service might be marred. If, on the -other hand, he succeeded in doing what he set out to do, the powers -that be might pat him on the back and call him a good boy, but very -possibly would refrain from doing anything of the kind. The standard in -the navy is ever a high one, and in time of war incidents of this kind -are all in the day's work. -</p> - -<p> -But all's well that ends well, and on this particular occasion they did -succeed, and the <i>Mariner</i>, with the <i>Monsoon</i> in tow, -steamed slowly off toward the land. The speed they made was roughly -three and a quarter knots, perhaps a trifle less; but it was all in the -right direction, and by midnight the damaged vessel was under the lee -of the shore and in safety. They finally dropped the tow at six o'clock -the next morning, when the skipper, in a sudden fit of exuberance, went -on faster than he really should have done, and promptly parted the -wire. But no harm was done, for by this time they were in calm water, -and a light cruiser was in attendance. -</p> - -<p> -The same afternoon he met the commanding officer of the <i>Monsoon</i>. -</p> - -<p> -'Well, Peter,' said the latter, 'we got jolly well out of that show -last night.' -</p> - -<p> -'By George! yes,' Wooten agreed. 'I thought we'd never get you round -head to wind. How did your chaps take it?' -</p> - -<p> -'They weren't particularly cheery at first,' said the other, laughing. -'But as soon as you got us in tow they spent their time singing "Lead, -kindly Light." You know how it brings in "The night is dark, and I am -far from home," so it was quite suitable to the occasion. The ship was -in a shocking mess, though; and when the mine went up it blew the after -storerooms and most of the wardroom into the sea, so we hadn't any -food. We were all jolly glad to get back into harbour again, and it was -only by the mercy of God that we had no casualties.' -</p> - -<p> -Wooten nodded. -</p> - -<p> -'I suppose you know, Peter,' continued the other, 'that we were bang on -the top of a Hun minefield.' -</p> - -<p> -'Minefield! I thought the one that got you was a floater.' -</p> - -<p> -'Don't you believe it. They tell me the place we were in is fairly -thick with 'em. You can thank your lucky stars you didn't bump one.' -</p> - -<p> -The possibility of the <i>Mariner</i> also being blown up had never -really occurred to Wooten at the time. Perhaps it was just as well for -him that it didn't, and that the taking of the <i>Monsoon</i> in tow -gave him little or no time to think of anything else. 'Great Scott!' he -observed, with his usual slow smile and a little whistle of -astonishment; 'I'm glad we didn't come a mucker—jolly glad! What about -a glass of sherry to celebrate the auspicious occasion?' -</p> - -<p> -'I'm on, Peter,' said his friend; 'but I really think it's up to me to -pay for it.' -</p> - - - - -<a name="XV"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER XV. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -COMINGS AND GOINGS.</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -''Ere, wot's that over there?' inquired Pincher Martin, coming on to -the forecastle early one morning with a basin of hot cocoa for one -Billings, able seaman. -</p> - -<p> -Joshua looked round. 'Na then, young fella, don't go spillin' the ruddy -stuff,' he grunted agitatedly, taking the bowl with a nod of thanks. -'Wot's wot?' -</p> - -<p> -'That there,' said the ordinary seaman, pointing. -</p> - -<p> -''Er?' remarked the A.B. huskily, breathing heavily on to the hot -liquid to cool it. 'That there? Only a bloomin' Zeppeling, Pincher. -You've see'd 'em afore, ain't yer?' -</p> - -<p> -'Course I 'as. Only I thort to meself as 'ow she looked a bit -different, some'ow. Quite pretty like, ain't she?' -</p> - -<p> -The distant airship, floating apparently motionless above the eastern -horizon, certainly did appear a thing of beauty for the time being. Her -elongated body, dwarfed by the distance until it appeared barely an -inch long, was plainly silhouetted as a gray-blue shape against the -clear, rosy sky of the dawn, while her curved under-side reflected the -scarlet and orange of the rapidly rising sun. She looked graceful and -almost ethereal—not a thing of bombs, terror, and destruction. -</p> - -<p> -Joshua drank his cocoa with noisy gulps. 'I don't know abart wot she -looks like,' he observed at length, wiping his mouth with the back of a -particularly grimy hand. 'You wait till she starts droppin' 'er bombs. -I reckons them blokes is no better'n murderers.' -</p> - -<p> -'Why doesn't we 'ave a pop at 'er?' -</p> - -<p> -''Ave a pop at 'er! She's twenty mile orf, if she's a hinch, an' yer -knows as well as I does that none o' our ships 'ere 'as got -hanti-haircraft guns wot'll 'it 'er at that range.' Joshua sucked his -teeth, and proceeded to explore the inner recesses of his mouth with -the end of a burnt match. -</p> - -<p> -'Why doesn't we chase 'er, then?' -</p> - -<p> -'Chase 'er! Wot's the good? She kin go 'er fifty knots, an'll be orf -like a rigger afore we gits anywheres near 'er. She'll watch it she -don't git inter trouble. You ain't got a fag or a fill o' bacca abart -yer, I s'pose?' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher shook his head firmly. He knew Joshua of old. -</p> - -<p> -Billings smiled affably, produced a well-blackened clay from the pocket -of his lammy coat, and proceeded to light it. 'Ah!' he sighed -contentedly, patting himself gently on the stomach and puffing out a -cloud of smoke, 'that drop o' cocoa done me orl th' good in the world. -I feels has bright an' has fresh as a li'l dicky-bird.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher smiled, for the simile was hardly an apt one. Joshua had kept -the first watch till midnight, and, after four hours' sleep in his -clothes, had been up again since four o'clock as a member of the duty -gun's crew. His eyes were sleepy and bloodshot, his hands and face were -indescribably filthy, and his chin sported an ugly stubble of three -days' growth. He was not a pleasant sight. Moreover, it was summer, and -the weather was perfectly fine and unusually warm; but, true to the -custom of the British bluejacket, he was wearing sufficient clothing to -keep the cold from an Antarctic explorer. His figure was ponderous at -the best of times; it was now elephantine, and anything less like a -dicky-bird it was impossible to imagine. -</p> - -<p> -'That bloke,' he went on, pointing with his pipe-stem at the far-away -airship, 'is spyin' art th' land. She's 'avin' a "looksee" at wot we're -doin' of, an' I shouldn't wonder but wot ole Zep wus up there hisself. -I did 'ear as 'ow 'e'd bin given th' Iron Cross.' -</p> - -<p> -'Garn!' chortled Pincher rudely. 'Wot for?' -</p> - -<p> -'Strafin', fat'ead; wot else d'you think? Probably 'e's usin' 'is -wireless an' tellin' ole Tirpitz as 'ow we've come 'ere to pay 'im a -visit. "Tirps, ole fella," 'e sez, "these 'ere gordamned Henglish swine -'ounds 'ave come agen." "Sorry, Zep, ole chum," sez Tirps; "I carn't -attend to 'em now. I'm hinvited ter breakfuss wi' th' Hadmiral o' th' -'Igh Sea Fleet, an' I carn't git wastin' of 'is bacon an' heggs in -these 'ere 'ard times. Tell th' Henglish ter shove orf outa it, an' ter -come agen, an' I'll 'ave a few submarines an' mines awaitin' for 'em. -Th' navy's 'avin' its make an' mend,<a href="#note35" -name="noteref35"> -<span class="fn">[35]</span></a> - an' carn't be disturbed." -That's wot ole man Tirps is sayin', I'll give yer my word.' -</p> - -<p> -The men round about laughed. -</p> - -<p> -'I reckons they'll never come out o' their 'arbour 'cept they knows -Jellicoe an' Beatty is outa th' way,' some one observed. -</p> - -<p> -'An' our boss!'<a href="#note36" -name="noteref36"> -<span class="fn">[36]</span></a> - chipped in another man. ''E's a 'oly 'orror for -scrappin'. Look wot 'e done at 'Eligoland! "If yer sees a 'Un, go fur -'im;" that's 'is motter.' -</p> - -<p> -'An' a damn good motter, too,' said Joshua approvingly. 'But I reckon -they knows wot they're up against. This 'ere war's like 'ide an' seek. -W'en we pops inter 'arbour fur a bit, they pops art, takin' mighty good -care not ter git too far from 'ome, mind yer; an' w'en we pops art -arter 'em, they pops back 'ome agen. It ain't play in' the game, in a -manner o' speakin'. 'Ow many times 'as we bin scullin' round th' North -Sea an' never see'd a ruddy thing? Dozens an' dozens! It makes me fair -sick sometimes.' -</p> - -<p> -'But they 'ave bin acrost once or twice, an' bombarded places,' Pincher -ventured. -</p> - -<p> -Billings snorted loudly. 'Course they 'as; but it don't take much guts -ter come scuttlin' acrost th' North Sea durin' th' night, an' ter start -pluggin' shell at an undefended town th' nex' mornin'! They takes jolly -good care they doesn't stay too long, I hobserves, an' they shoves orf -back 'ome agen afore anythin' big 'as a chawnce o' gettin' a slap at -'em. Arter orl, wotever blokes ashore may say abart th' navy not bein' -there ter pertect 'em, we carn't ruddy well be everywheres. Th' North -Sea ain't no bloomin' duck-pond; an' look at th' time we spends on th' -briny!' -</p> - -<p> -His hearers nodded in agreement. -</p> - -<p> -'I reckons some o' these 'ere shore-loafers don't know w'en they're -well orf,' Joshua went on. 'They gits orl their meals reg'lar; but a -good many on 'em don't recollec' as 'ow it's th' likes of us wot's -keepin' their stummicks full. They 'as ter pay a bit extry fur their -vittles p'r'aps; but that ain't nothink ter start 'owlin' abart in -war-time.' -</p> - -<p> -'That's a fac',' said Pincher wisely. -</p> - -<p> -'Course it is; but a good many o' th' blokes wot I'm talkin' abart -starts yellin' somethink horful w'en they gits a few shells plugged at -'em, an' wants ter know wot th' navy's doin' of. I don't 'xactly blame -'em, fur no blokes wot ain't mad likes bein' shot at; but they might -recollec' that we're keepin' 'em from starvin', in a manner o' -speakin', an' that we is doin' our bit; damn sight bigger bit than wot -some of 'em himagines.' Joshua paused for breath. -</p> - -<p> -'If them Germans 'ad a coast as long as ourn,' he went on—for when -once he started to give vent to his opinions little could stop -him—'an' if they 'ad undefended seaside towns th' same as we 'ave, I -reckons we could go an' do th' dirty on 'em. Only we wouldn't, 'cos it -ain't war ter go killin' a lot of innercent wimmin an' children wot -ain't done no 'arm. I reckons we treats them 'Uns too good; fur wi' -their submarines, an' Zeppelings, an' the way they treats our -prisoners, they're no better 'n murderers!' He cleared his throat -noisily, and expectorated with extraordinary violence into the sea. -They were somewhere near the German coast at the time, so perhaps that -accounted for his expression of contempt. -</p> - -<p> -Billings only voiced the opinions of the remainder of his shipmates. -Nobody thought for a single instant that Zeppelins would have any real -effect on the war, and as often as not their advent, even at home, was -taken as a joke; while people flocked from their houses to see the fun, -thereby running a far greater risk than they themselves imagined. -</p> - -<p> -Billings happened to be on shore leave during one raid, and in the -midst of a very heavy fire from the anti-aircraft guns he discovered an -elderly, scantily attired, and very irate female standing in the road. -She had her umbrella up to ward off stray fragments of bombs or pieces -of shell, and indeed splinters from the A.A. guns were falling far too -close to be pleasant. The Zeppelin, illuminated by the glare of many -searchlights, and surrounded by the flashes and little puffs of smoke -of exploding projectiles, was almost immediately overhead; but the -woman was far too wrathful to be frightened. -</p> - -<p> -''Ere, missis,' said Joshua gallantly, ''adn't you better go 'ome?' -</p> - -<p> -'Go 'ome!' she retorted; 'what for?' -</p> - -<p> -''Er,' said Billings, pointing at the sky. -</p> - -<p> -''Er!' snorted the lady contemptuously. 'I'm not afraid of the likes of -'er.—You dirty dog!' she added angrily, shaking her fist at the -invader. 'Come down, you dirty 'ound!' -</p> - -<p> -The 'dirty 'ound' evinced no particular emotion. -</p> - -<p> -If the German public believed the mendacious Berlin <i>communiqués</i> -as to the damage inflicted on the hated British by their perambulating -gas-bags they must have been very well pleased. -</p> - -<p> -'A detachment of our naval airships visited London on the night of the -26th,' wrote Von Ananias, his tongue in his cheek. 'Several important -points were attacked. At Poplar three shipbuilding yards were set on -fire and completely destroyed, and a battleship in course of completion -for the British navy was badly damaged. At Houndsditch a heavy battery -was completely demolished, while bombs were successfully dropped on the -barracks at Whitechapel, flinging the troops into a state of the utmost -consternation and causing many casualties. Near Ludgate Hill a munition -factory was observed to be in flames. One light cruiser and three -destroyers anchored in the Thames near Gravesend were struck by bombs -and sank with enormous loss of life. The inhabitants of the invaded -districts are said to be petitioning the Government to stop the war, -while many of them are leaving the neighbourhood. Our airships, though -fired upon heavily from many points, have all returned in safety.' -</p> - -<p> -No Zeppelin had been anywhere near Poplar, no battleship had been -damaged, while Houndsditch was as innocent of heavy guns as Whitechapel -was of soldiers. Neither was there a munition factory near Ludgate -Hill; while the light cruiser and three destroyers which had foundered -off Gravesend were nothing more or less than one old and empty barge -sunk, and one waterman's wherry badly damaged. A more truthful account -would have read as follows: -</p> - -<p> -'Near X. a bomb fell into a kitchen-garden and completely overwhelmed a -detachment of early lettuces and uprooted three apple-trees. A brigade -of spring onions was also completely annihilated, while a regiment of -tomatoes in their billets in a greenhouse suffered severe casualties. -The owner of the garden is now charging threepence admission to view -the damage. The proceeds will be handed over to the local Red Cross -Funds, and the sum of twenty-four pounds three shillings and ninepence -has already been collected. Fragments of the bomb are on view at Mr -Button's shop at 45 High Street, and will be sold by auction at the -next Red Cross sale. -</p> - -<p> -'On the outskirts of Y. one aged donkey and four chickens were killed, -while one cow, two pigs, and twenty-three fowls were wounded. A black -tom-cat, which was visiting the chicken-run at the time of the raid, is -also suffering from shock and nervous prostration, but is expected to -recover. -</p> - -<p> -'At B. a bomb exploded with terrific force in the street near the -statue of the late Alderman Theophilus Buggins, J.P. This well-known -work of art was hurled from its pedestal and badly shattered. It is -feared it cannot be repaired.' -</p> - -<p> -Truly 'tis an ill wind that blows nobody any good. -</p> - -<p> -Purely from a spectacular point of view I should imagine that all -Zeppelin raids are much the same. They generally seem to take place -late at night or in the small hours of the morning, while their usual -accompaniment is the glare of many searchlights, the barking of guns, -the bursting of shell, and the dropping of bombs with or without loss -of life and damage to property. The <i>Mariner's</i> men saw several -raids; but it was the first one they witnessed which left the most -lasting impression on their minds. -</p> - -<p> -There had been the usual report early in the evening to the effect that -Zeps might be expected; but they had been warned so often before that, -beyond taking the usual precautions in regard to lights, nobody on -board really paid very much attention to it. The first intimation of -the arrival of the invader was the sullen report of a distant -anti-aircraft gun; whereupon Wooten, always a light sleeper, rose -hastily from his bunk, attired himself in a green dressing-gown and a -pair of sea-boots, and repaired to the deck with his binoculars. The -other officers and the men, determined not to miss their share of the -entertainment, followed his example, and in less than two minutes the -deck was thronged with an excited, inquisitive crowd, all peering -anxiously at the sky. It was rather like a regatta or a race meeting, -except that the greater proportion of the spectators were far too -lightly clothed to be strictly presentable. -</p> - -<p> -The long pencils of light from many searchlights streamed forth and -swept slowly across the starlit heavens. -</p> - -<p> -'Where is the bloomer?' some one asked impatiently, as if he were at a -music-hall waiting for a new turn. 'Why don't she come?' -</p> - -<p> -'She's got cold feet, an' ain't comin',' laughed another man. 'There'll -be no show ter-night.' -</p> - -<p> -'I think I'll go back to me 'ammick,' cried somebody else. 'I carn't -git standin' abart 'ere in these 'ere clo'es. Grr! ain't it parky?' It -must have been, for the speaker was simply attired in a flannel shirt. -His legs were bare, and his teeth were chattering. -</p> - -<p> -'There she is!' exclaimed a stoker, pointing vaguely overhead. 'See -'er?' -</p> - -<p> -'That ain't 'er. That's a bloomin' cloud!' -</p> - -<p> -'Garn! That ain't no cloud. Not wot I'm lookin' at.' -</p> - -<p> -'Tell yer it is.' -</p> - -<p> -'No, it ain't. It's 'er, right enuf!' -</p> - -<p> -Further conversation was rudely interrupted by the crash of a gun from -ashore, and a thin trail of dim light climbed skywards in a curve as a -tracer shell<a href="#note37" -name="noteref37"> -<span class="fn">[37]</span></a> - hurtled its way through the air. -</p> - -<p> -More guns roared out. More trails of light in the air, rather like the -sparks from the tails of rockets! -</p> - -<p> -The sky to the eastward suddenly began to flash and twinkle with -momentary spurts of vivid orange flame as the shell started to burst; -the searchlights swung round and became stationary, with their beams -all pointed at one particular spot in the heavens. But still the -spectators could see nothing of the raider. Before very long all the -anti-aircraft guns in the place were hard at work pumping projectiles -into the atmosphere as fast as they could. Streaks of light sped -upwards like the stars from a Roman candle, and presently the heavens -toward the point of junction of the searchlight-rays sparkled wickedly -and with redoubled energy. Puffs of smoke from the shell explosions -filtered slowly through the blue-white beams of the lights; but though -the gunners could obviously see what they were firing at, the men on -board the <i>Mariner</i> had not been vouchsafed a glimpse of anything. -</p> - -<p> -'Ow!' yelled some one, stamping on the deck in his excitement and -impatience, 'why cawn't we see 'er? Where is she?' -</p> - -<p> -'Keep yer flat feet 'orf o' me toes!' expostulated a gruff and -much-injured voice. 'I ain't got no boots on. Knock orf jumpin' abart -like a perishin' loonatic, carn't yer?' -</p> - -<p> -The air was as full of sound as were the heavens of bursting shrapnel. -Little guns and big guns were having the time of their lives. They -banged, boomed, coughed, and spluttered together, and every now and -then in the ear-splitting medley of sound one heard the hiccuping, -deep-throated <i>poom-poom</i> of an anti-aircraft pom-pom, the shrill -staccato <i>ra-ta-ta-ta</i> of a little ·303-inch high-angle Maxim, and -the faint but quite unmistakable whistle and report of the shell as -they clove their way through the air and exploded. -</p> - -<p> -'Lord!' muttered Wooten with a laugh, his eyes glued to his glasses, 'I -wonder where all the bits are coming down. We'll have to get under -cover if they start loosin' off anywhere near us.' -</p> - -<p> -It was a magnificent sight, quite the best fireworks display most of -them had ever seen. The many searchlights made the night as light as -day. The heavens were ablaze with the tell-tale sparkling flashes, -while the earth seemed to vomit the fiery trails of tracer shell which -crossed and recrossed in all directions. Brock's Benefit at the Crystal -Palace was not in it. -</p> - -<p> -Then, quite unexpectedly, there came a roaring thud from somewhere far -away. Another, another, and yet another! The reports were loud and -reverberating, and almost drowned the sound of the guns. They were bomb -explosions, and the onlookers held their breath and glanced anxiously -round to see how their neighbours were taking it. Nobody seemed unduly -anxious, but some of them wondered vaguely what would happen if a -missile fell on board the <i>Mariner</i>. Her thin decks offered no -protection whatsoever, and if a bomb did hit her—— -</p> - -<p> -At last, after what seemed an eternity of waiting, a great, elongated, -silvery-looking mass slid rapidly into view at the point of -intersection of two of the searchlight-beams. It looked like an -enormous hexagonal pencil suspended from the sky, and travelled with -awe-inspiring sedateness and solemnity. It was the Zeppelin; but, from -her size, she seemed to be at least ten thousand feet up. The -searchlights followed her unremittingly. Her great bulk became -indistinct and nebulous amidst wreathing eddies of smoke, while the -shell-flashes seemed to be bursting out into space all round her. -</p> - -<p> -'Ow!' yelled the excitable, dancing gentleman, as a particularly -brilliant gout of flame flashed out immediately in line with the -airship's blunt bows; 'that's got 'er! Did yer see 'er waggle?' -</p> - -<p> -But shooting at a rapidly moving object high up in the air and almost -immediately overhead is a much more difficult task than people imagine; -and though some of the shell may have caused the Hun a certain amount -of annoyance, it was tolerably certain that a good many more expended -their energy in space. -</p> - -<p> -But whatever the result, the raider evidently received a warmer -reception than she had bargained for, for after being in sight for -barely a minute she swung off and disappeared from view at a good fifty -miles an hour. Whether or not she had been hit remained a mystery. -Every anti-aircraft gunner in the place, even the man at the little -·303 Maxim, would have taken his solemn affidavit that missiles from -his own particular weapon had hit her not once, but many times; while -the <i>Mariner's</i> men, judging from their conversation, were of the -same opinion. Some of them were even prepared to swear that they had -seen gaping holes in the Zeppelin's bows, stern, and amidships—all -over her, in fact; but if their accounts were to be believed their -eyesight must have been abnormally abnormal, while the Zep should have -come down a mass of punctured fabric and twisted aluminium framework. -She had done nothing of the kind. -</p> - -<p> -The guns ceased firing; one by one the searchlights flickered, glowed -redly, and went out. All was peace. -</p> - -<p> -The men, chattering like monkeys, sought their hammocks. Their officers -repaired to the wardroom and indulged in a nocturnal orgy of sardines, -bread-and-butter, and bottled stout. The mixture was hardly a good one -to sleep upon, but the sardines of Jean Peneau and the stout of Messrs -Guinness were the invariable concomitants to a Zeppelin raid if the -<i>Mariner</i> was anywhere in the neighbourhood. -</p> - -<p> -'I hope nobody got strafed by those bombs,' observed the sub. with his -mouth full. -</p> - -<p> -'I think they fell clear of the town,' said the skipper, removing the -froth from a tumbler with a spoon. -</p> - -<p> -They had. There had been no casualties. -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -Altercations with Hun seaplanes were by no means uncommon, and their -novelty soon wore off. -</p> - -<p> -The North Sea is not celebrated for its clear weather, and in it one's -horizontal range of vision is frequently restricted to four miles or -less. The vertical visibility, when the clouds are lying low, is -sometimes a few hundred feet, while in summer the absence of wind and -the heat of the sun often bring fog or a luminous low-lying haze. -Moreover, when there is any mist it is presumably easier for an -aeroplane to see the comparatively large bulk of a ship upon the sea -than it is for the ship to spot the slender shape of the aeroplane -overhead. -</p> - -<p> -In the earlier days of the war, when the flotilla and a couple or more -light cruisers in massed formation were nosing round not far from the -German coast, according to their habit, it was disconcerting, to say -the least of it, suddenly to see a neat little line of four or five -equally spaced upheavals of water close alongside one or other of the -ships. It was more disconcerting still to hear the loud thud of the -explosions, and to realise that they were caused by bombs dropped from -the heavens for one's benefit by an aerial Hun of most immoral -character. An aeroplane bomb exploding ashore may quite conceivably do -comparatively little damage; but if the same missile descends upon the -deck of a small ship the vessel will be severely injured, and may -possibly sink. It is not pleasant to get into difficulties and to have -one's ship incapable of movement within a short distance of a hostile -coast. It is still more unpleasant to have her sink in the same -locality. -</p> - -<p> -On seeing the explosions one instinctively looked overhead, and there, -flying low and dimly outlined in the haze, was usually the shape of a -hostile seaplane, the inevitable black crosses on his wings proclaiming -his nationality. In misty weather he often succeeded in approaching -unseen, and sometimes dropped his unsavoury eggs before the -anti-aircraft guns could get to work and make his life a misery and a -burden. No sooner had he done his dirty work, moreover, than he either -climbed and vanished in the clouds, or else circled rapidly round and -disappeared whence he had come. His departure was always hastened by a -burst of fire from every gun which would bear, but one rarely had a -real chance of strafing him, for the whole affair was usually all over -and done with in a minute or two. It was good luck that his aim was bad -and that his bombs invariably missed, though sometimes they missed so -close that people on deck were drenched with spray, and spent the rest -of the day searching for splinters to keep as mementoes. If one had -struck—— But what was the good of considering the possibility? At any -rate, it was always very comforting to realise that a ship under way -presents a very small and difficult target to a seaplane at the best of -times; while, however numerous and thickly clustered a fleet, squadron, -or flotilla may be, there is always far and away more area of water -than there is of ships. -</p> - -<p> -When the weather was really clear the boot was generally on the other -foot, for then the seaplanes were usually driven off before they could -get overhead. A good lookout was always kept, and at the first sight of -a speck like a mosquito on the horizon, a mosquito which presently -assumed the shape and proportions of a dragon-fly, the anti-aircraft -guns' crews came tumbling up to their stations, and the muzzles of -their weapons started twitching ominously. Then, when the Hun arrived -within range, they let drive and let him have it. -</p> - -<p> -With the older type of anti-aircraft gun, shooting at an aeroplane -reminded one of trying to bring down a snipe with a Webley revolver. -But now that we are provided with the best sort of weapon which brains -and money can produce, the process of strafing the aerial Hun may be -likened to dealing with the aforesaid bird with a 12-bore hammerless -ejector loaded with No. 8 shot. The odds, of course, are usually on the -snipe or the Hun, as the case may be, but more often than not we -succeed in being accurate enough to make him supremely uncomfortable. -</p> - -<p> -So the shooting with the A.A. guns was generally good. Puffs of smoke -from the exploding shell darted out into space all round their target. -The blue sky speedily became pock-marked with the white, bulbous, -cotton-wool-like clusters, each one contributing its share of splinters -to the unpleasantness of the upper atmosphere. The Hun as speedily -retired. But not always. Sometimes he climbed high to get out of range, -and then, at a height of twelve thousand to fourteen thousand feet, -when scarcely visible, dropped his bombs. But the higher he went the -more erratic became his practice, so really it did not matter much. -</p> - -<p> -Occasionally, in the vicinity of their own coast, he and his friends -attacked in coveys of six, seven, or a dozen at a time, and then things -became very lively, and the A.A. guns had the time of their lives. Once -the Huns attacked continuously from eight <span class="smc">A.M.</span> until noon. -There were never less than three of them in range at any one time, and -each one, after dropping his noisome cargo, hurried back to his base -for a fresh consignment, and then returned for another strafe. But the -bombs always fell wide, and in course of time people came to treat -seaplane attacks with positive indifference. In early days all in the -ship who could get away came on deck to watch the fun. They indulged in -loud and ribald remarks, and gave the benefit of their advice to the -men at the guns, to the Hun or Huns, and to anybody else who cared to -listen. They also jeered uproariously when bombs fell a few yards wide -and deluged them with water, and fought madly for any splinters which -might fall on board. But later on, when they got used to the feeling, -the advent of a seaplane or two did not disturb them very much, -particularly if it was soon after the midday meal, and they had -composed themselves for short naps on the sunny deck before -recommencing their labours in the afternoon. -</p> - -<p> -It seems that the British sailor, like his comrade in the trenches, can -get used to anything. Moreover, the war seems to have set a new -standard of excitement, and what will happen when hostilities cease and -the men have to go back to the humdrum life of peace I really do not -know. It would seem impossible to raise much real enthusiasm over -regattas, boxing competitions, picture-palaces, or football matches -after playing the far more thrilling game with men's lives and ships -for the stakes. -</p> - -<p> -But bluejackets are always peculiar people, and the most trivial -happenings in the midst of the most appalling danger cause them the -greatest amusement. In one merry little destroyer action in the North -Sea one of the British vessels was having a very hot time, and a -bursting shell caused a small fire in the engine-room. It was promptly -extinguished by the fire-party under the charge of the chief stoker, -and shortly afterwards an officer noticed this worthy coming aft with -broad grins all over his face. -</p> - -<p> -'What's the joke?' he wanted to know, for it struck him as rather -peculiar that a man should be so much amused at such a time. -</p> - -<p> -'I carn't 'elp larfin', sir!' said the man, bubbling over with glee. -'We 'ad a bit of a bonfire in the hengine-room jest now, sir, an' w'en -I 'ears 'em 'ollerin' I runs along with the 'ose-pipe, shoves the end -of 'im down the hengine-room 'atch, an' switches the water on.' -</p> - -<p> -'What is there funny about that?' queried the officer. -</p> - -<p> -'Only that we 'arf-drownded the Chief E.R.A., 'oo was standin' at the -foot o' the ladder, sir,' gurgled the man. 'Funniest thing I've see'd -fur a long time. 'E ain't got a dry stitch on 'im, and 'is langwidge -was somethink 'orrid.' He finished with another cackle of amusement, -and went off to spin the yarn to some one else. -</p> - -<p> -At the time of the incident, which has the merit of being quite true, -the ship was undergoing a very hot fire. Shell were falling all round -her, and splinters were whistling through the air in all directions, -and for the man to be convulsed with genuine merriment at the wetting -of the chief engine-room artificer, at a moment when he himself was in -imminent peril of his life, speaks well for his nerve. It rather -reminds one of the true story of two marines, the loading numbers at -the after-gun of a light cruiser which shall be nameless. She too was -in the middle of a strenuous little action when a shell burst on board, -and shortly afterwards both men saw a most desirable memento in the -shape of a splinter lying on the deck. They made a simultaneous dart to -secure the trophy, but Jones got there first. -</p> - -<p> -''Ere!' said Smith, bitterly aggrieved, ''old on. I saw 'im first!' -</p> - -<p> -'I've got 'im first!' chortled Jones, stooping down and picking up the -morsel of steel. 'Ow!' he yelled the next instant, dropping it as if it -had stung him, and sucking his fingers; 'the bloomin' thing's red-'ot!' -</p> - -<p> -'Serve you ruddy well right,' retorted Smith. 'It ain't yourn, any'ow. -You leave it alone!' -</p> - -<p> -'I tell you it is mine,' answered the burnt gentleman. 'I got 'im -first!' -</p> - -<p> -'Look 'ere, Jones, if you carn't play fair I'll give you a punch on the -jaw; s'welp me I will. I'm bigger'n wot you are, and I tells you I -see'd the bloomin' thing first!' -</p> - -<p> -'I got 'old of 'im first, an' don't care wot you says an' does,' -exclaimed Jones, putting his foot on the coveted fragment. 'I'—— -</p> - -<p> -Further conversation was interrupted by the advance of Smith, and in -another instant the quarterdeck of H.M.S. —— was the scene of an -impromptu battle. It would have been quite a pretty little tussle, for -Smith was large, breathless, and bulky, while Jones was thin and wiry; -but unfortunately the gunlayer, a sergeant, noticed that something was -amiss with his weapon, and removed his eye from the telescopic sight. -</p> - -<p> -'Here, you two,' he shouted, 'behave yourselves, and get on with -loading the gun!' -</p> - -<p> -''E's tryin' to pinch my splinter, sargint!' wailed Jones, applying a -grimy hand to a rapidly swelling eye. 'I got 'im first!' -</p> - -<p> -'No, sargint, 'e's a liar,' Smith cried with an air of injured -innocence; 'I see'd it first!' -</p> - -<p> -'Can't help that!' roared the N.C.O. 'Get along with the loading of the -gun, and hafter the haction don't you forget I takes you both before -the officer of the watch for unseemly conduc' and neglec' of dooty in -the face of the enemy!' -</p> - -<p> -The malcontents, rather crestfallen, ceased their bickering, and the -gun went on firing. But the sergeant, a strict disciplinarian, was as -good as his word. Smith and Jones, both good characters, were let off -lightly. They each received fourteen days' No. 10 punishment for their -misdeeds. The sergeant, a Solomon in his way, appropriated the -shell-splinter and presented it to his wife. -</p> - - -<h3> -III. -</h3> - -<p> -There was once a German steam-trawler called the <i>Anna -Schrœder</i>. That was not her real name; but as she now flies the -White Ensign and is known as the <i>Anita</i>, her original appellation -does not matter. Hargreaves, the sub-lieutenant of the <i>Mariner</i>; -Joshua Billings, A.B.; Pincher Martin, ordinary seaman; and several -more of the destroyer's men, can tell you all about her, for they spent -four days on board. They were four unforgettable days, and rumour says -that the sub. and his braves are scratching themselves still. -</p> - -<p> -From the <i>Anna Schrœder</i>, too, the 'Mariners,' in exchange for -sundry excellent British cigarettes and a pound or so of ship's -tobacco, procured some samples of particularly noisome 'war bread' and -a small female pig. The bread, they said, was an excellent 'coorio' to -send home to their friends; and, having the consistency and appearance -of wood, it could, with due diligence, be manufactured into -photograph-frames and tobacco-boxes. It took a beautiful polish. The -sow, Annie, was retained on board as a mascot, and within a week of -changing hands became quite friendly with her new masters. Inside a -month she was sleeping in a specially made hammock, wore her own -life-belt at sea, and ate her meals off a plate like a proper -Christian. It is true that the rest of the menagerie on board—Jane, -the monkey; Tiger and Mossyface, the two cats; Pompey, the goat; and -Tirpitz, the fox-terrier—at first regarded her with some suspicion, -but before long they appeared to have combined forces, and to have -formed an alliance for the carrying on of offensive operations against -any animal from any other ship which dared to come on board the -<i>Mariner</i>. Annie's severest tussle was with the wire-haired -terrier of the <i>Monsoon</i>, a plebeian but very conceited dog, who -treated all vessels but his own with lordly contempt. She was ably -assisted in the struggle by her willing allies, and for some minutes -the battle raged furiously, to the accompaniment of barks, growls, -squeals, shrill yelps, and much snorting from the fighters. But before -much damage had been done on either side the engagement was brought to -a sudden and wholly unexpected termination by both the principal -combatants falling overboard in their excitement. They were duly -rescued in the dinghy; and the contest, since they were both exhausted -by swimming, was postponed <i>sine die</i>. -</p> - -<p> -But all this has little to do with the <i>Anna Schrœder</i>. It so -happened that at one period of the war the enemy was making himself -particularly obnoxious by sinking many of our fishing-vessels in the -North Sea. It was no very gallant mode of warfare; and, partly in a -spirit of retaliation, and partly because My Lords Commissioners of the -Admiralty may have conceived a sudden desire for some steam-trawlers -for mine-sweeping and other purposes, it was determined to pay the Hun -back in his own coin. The authorities were always eager to save money -if they possibly could, and acquiring the necessary craft free, gratis, -and for nothing from the enemy was obviously far cheaper than -chartering them from British owners. -</p> - -<p> -That is how it came about that the <i>Mariner</i>, many more -destroyers, and several light cruisers suddenly appeared one early -morning in the midst of a German fishing-fleet engaged in its -occupation not very far from its own coast. The visit came as a bolt -from the blue, and since there was nobody present to protect them, the -trawlers had no alternative but to surrender. Twenty-three of them, I -think, were captured; while several more, too ancient and too rickety -to be worth taking home as prizes, were sunk. -</p> - -<p> -The serene atmosphere of that calm and peaceful summer morn was -befouled with Teutonic oaths and much profanity. One could not help -having some sympathy for the execrators, snatched off as they were -practically within hailing distance of their own coast. But every -German male person of a certain age and not a cripple is <i>ipso -facto</i> a soldier or a sailor; while every harmless trawler is a -potential mine-layer or mine-sweeper. Most of the prisoners were young -and lusty, and Fritz, Hans, Adolf, Karl, Heinrich, and many more of -them had the not altogether joyful prospect of spending the rest of the -war in British hands. Some of them disliked the idea intensely, and -their scowling, sullen faces showed as much. Others, after making -anxious inquiries as to how they would be treated and fed, expressed -the opinion that things were not quite so bad after all, and that being -a prisoner was far and away a happier prospect than serving in trenches -at the front, whence they might never return. -</p> - -<p> -It was this early morning strafe which accounted for the -<i>Mariner's</i> dealings with the <i>Anna Schrœder</i>; the -adoption of Annie, the pig; and the adventures of the sub-lieutenant -and his merry men. -</p> - -<p> -The prize crew consisted of Hargreaves, one stoker petty officer, -Joshua Billings, Pincher Martin, and three others whose names do not -matter; and after ten minutes spent in transferring them, their -belongings, food, water, weapons, a chart, and sundry other impedimenta -to the trawler, and in removing certain of the prisoners to the -destroyer, the <i>Mariner</i> steamed off on her business, and left the -sub. to his own devices, with orders to make the best of his way to the -nearest British port. -</p> - -<p> -How he proposed to get there he did not quite know. The deviation of -the <i>Anna Schrœder's</i> compass might be anything, and he had no -means of checking it; but the fact did not seem to worry him much. He -knew that if he steered west or thereabouts he would hit the English -coast in time; and, having hit it, he proposed to steam north or south -along it, and go into the nearest and most convenient harbour which -happened to come into sight. What harbour it was he probably would not -find out until after his arrival. -</p> - -<p> -He was intensely proud of his first independent command, and his first -care was to commandeer all the German ensigns he could find for -trophies, to hoist an enormous White Ensign at the mizzen, and to -display his badge of authority in the shape of a long white man-of-war -pendant at the masthead. Then, when some one had persuaded the German -engineer to raise a full head of steam in the antiquated boiler, and to -start the engines, one of the <i>Mariner's</i> men was put at the -wheel, armed sentries were posted on deck and in the engine-room, and -course was shaped for home. The men, inquisitive as usual, set about -exploring the prize. She had on board more than three hundred pounds' -worth of fresh-caught fish, but even the thought of this excellent food -could not reconcile the bluejackets to certain other things they -discovered. The first complaint came from Billings, who, as the eldest -A.B. on board, had been selected as a spokesman by the others. -</p> - -<p> -'Beggin' yer pardon, Mister 'Argreaves, sir,' he said, first -expectorating over the ship's side, and then approaching the sub. with -a very wry face, 'would yer mind 'avin' a look at th' quarters lately -hoccupied by them Germans?' -</p> - -<p> -'What's the matter with them?' asked the officer. -</p> - -<p> -'They ain't fit fur 'uman 'abitation, sir; an' we 'as ter sleep there.' -</p> - -<p> -'Why aren't they fit to live in?' -</p> - -<p> -'Crawlin', sir,' said Billings disgustedly. 'Crawlin' wi' li'l -hanimals! Cockroaches I don't mind, sir, bein' used to 'em in a manner -o' speakin', an' there's plenty on 'em there; but there's hother -hanimals present in hinnumerable quantities; creepin' things wi' legs -the likes o' which I've never see'd afore.' -</p> - -<p> -'Vermin?' queried the sub. in a whisper. -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir. The beddin' 's one mass on 'em.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, I'm determined to have the ship clean before I've finished with -her,' said Hargreaves, as if he were the commander of the latest -Dreadnought, 'so heave all the bedding overboard. When you've done -that, collect three of the German deckhands and make 'em scrub the -place out. I'll inspect it when it's clean.' -</p> - -<p> -'We ain't got no carbolic, I s'pose, sir?' Joshua queried anxiously. 'I -doubts if soap an' water'll shift 'em.' -</p> - -<p> -The sub. laughed. 'We brought none with us, I'm afraid. But find the -man who looks after the stores, get what you can, and do your best.' -</p> - -<p> -Joshua saluted and walked off. Five minutes afterwards a long line of -blankets and straw mattresses was floating gaily astern. -</p> - -<p> -But their troubles had only started, for a quarter of an hour later -Billings reappeared with Pincher Martin, and between them they dragged -the resisting figure of one of the prisoners, a small, dark man with a -pair of shifty black eyes. Pincher, Hargreaves noticed, was armed with -a cutlass and a revolver, and displayed the latter weapon -ostentatiously. -</p> - -<p> -'Good Lord!' he muttered; 'what's the matter now?' -</p> - -<p> -'Prisoner an' hescort, 'alt!' bellowed Joshua.—'I brings this man -afore you, sir, fur refoosin' ter scrub art 'is quarters w'en hordered, -an' fur hassaultin' me.' -</p> - -<p> -'And I haf von gomplaint to make,' put in the prisoner truculently. -'Von of ze sailors heet me!' -</p> - -<p> -'What happened?' asked the sub. with a sigh. -</p> - -<p> -'Well, sir,' Billings explained, 'it wus like this 'ere. I tells this -man—'e knows Henglish just as well as I does, sir—ter start scrubbin' -art, an' ter be smart abart it. 'E sezs 'e won't, 'cos 'e 'as 'is -rights as a prisoner o' war, an' ain't goin' ter do no work.' -</p> - -<p> -'Oh! did he?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir, 'e did; an' I sez to 'im that if 'e doesn't hobey horders 'e'd -best look out; an' wi' that 'e tries ter dot me one in the face.' -</p> - -<p> -Hargreaves, stifling his amusement as best he could, scowled fiercely, -and endeavoured to look judicial. 'And what happened then?' he -inquired. -</p> - -<p> -'Well, sir, ord'nary seaman Martin sees wot wus 'appenin', an' catches -'im one acrost th' 'ead wi' a broom-'andle.' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher's bosom swelled with pride at the recollection. -</p> - -<p> -'What have you got to say?' demanded the sub., turning to the German. -</p> - -<p> -'My name ees Charrlie Smeeth, an' I haf lif in Englan' many year. I -serve in Engleesh sheeps, an' I say to zis man'—— -</p> - -<p> -'I don't want to hear all that. What d'you mean by refusing duty?' -</p> - -<p> -Smith, or Schmidt, as he probably was, licked his lips. 'I say to zis -man, why he treat me like zat? And zen zis man,' indicating Martin, -'heet me on ze head with ze steeck and hurt me mooch.' He pointed to a -large lump on the side of his cranium. -</p> - -<p> -'That ain't true, sir,' Joshua interrupted. 'If Pinch—ordinary seaman -Martin—'adn't sloshed 'im 'e'd 'a got me.' -</p> - -<p> -The sub. scratched his beardless chin thoughtfully, for he hardly knew -what to do. 'Look here,' he said at last, addressing the culprit -sternly, 'you are a prisoner of war, and have to obey orders. If I have -any further trouble with you, your hands and feet will be tied, and you -will be put in the fish-hold for the rest of the passage. I will also -report you on arrival in England, and have you court-martialled and -shot. I mean what I say, mind; but I will give you this one warning, so -you had better take it to heart. Do you understand what I say?' -</p> - -<p> -'I onterstan',' said Schmidt, fidgeting nervously. -</p> - -<p> -'Remove the prisoner and let him carry on with his work,' the officer -ordered. 'If he offers any further violence shoot him at once.' He -winked. Billings grinned understandingly, and the hapless German was -led away in a cold and clammy perspiration. They had no further trouble -with him. -</p> - -<p> -Hargreaves was no fool, and, being fully aware that idleness only -breeds discontent and bickering, took very good care to keep his -prisoners busy. They were not treated with undue severity, and received -exactly the same food as their captors; but they experienced for the -first time the rigours of British naval discipline. All day long they -were kept hard at work in scrubbing and scraping the <i>Anna</i> to a -state of hitherto undreamt-of cleanliness; while at night all of -them—except the cook and the man on watch in the engine and boiler -room, who perforce had to be allowed a certain amount of liberty, but -were kept under constant supervision—slept in the stuffy little -forecastle, with an armed sentry standing guard at the door. -</p> - -<p> -Nothing on earth would induce the bluejackets to poke their noses -inside the place, much less to inhabit it. They preferred to snatch -what sleep they could under the stars; for though—thanks to the energy -instilled into the unwilling Germans—the forecastle had been scrubbed -far cleaner than it had ever been before, its cleanliness was merely -superficial, and it was still well infested with 'hanimals,' as -Billings called them. -</p> - -<p> -'Them bugs is pisenous German bugs,' he had remarked, wrinkling his -nose in disgust. 'Maybe them 'Uns is used ter 'em. I ain't, an' I'll -watch it I don't go ter sleep in a place wi' wild hinsects a-suckin' o' -me blood. It ain't fit an' proper, an' I sleeps on deck.' -</p> - -<p> -Incidentally, it was the cook who gave Hargreaves one of the finest -frights of his life. At midnight on the night they had come on board, -the sub., leaving Billings in charge as officer of the watch, with -orders to steer west and to call him at once if anything happened, -retired to rest in a small compartment under the wheelhouse which had -evidently been used as a charthouse, cabin, and storeroom all rolled -into one. It was innocent of insects other than cockroaches, and had a -cushioned locker at one side; while the rest of the space was filled -with nets, cordage, canvas, paint, oil, and a quantity of food. -Dependent from hooks in the ceiling were several dried fish, two -bloated sausages, and a large raw ham. The place was stuffy and -odorous; but Hargreaves was tired, and so, swathed in a blanket, he -soon settled off to sleep on the locker with the door wide open. -</p> - -<p> -Towards two in the morning some slight sound caused him to wake up with -a start, and on opening his eyes his blood nearly froze in his veins. -There, in the door, clearly silhouetted against the flood of moonlight -beyond, was the dark figure of a man peering into the room in an -attitude of rapt, listening attention. He was the German cook, from the -shape of his bullet-head, and in one hand he held a murderous-looking -knife with a long and glittering blade. He could only be there for one -purpose, and his knife could only be intended for Hargreaves's throat. -</p> - -<p> -The sub.'s first impulse was to shout for help, for an armed sentry -should have been on the deck outside. Then he scouted the idea as -impracticable, for the man would be upon him the instant he raised his -voice, so he lay still, hardly daring to breathe. Then, with a feeling -of great relief, he suddenly remembered the loaded automatic pistol -under his pillow. He withdrew it softly, cocked the hammer without -making a sound, and then, with the weapon poised, his finger on the -trigger, and his nerves tingling, made up his mind to fire on the first -sign of aggression. -</p> - -<p> -The cook, treading stealthily, entered the room and looked round to the -right and left. He next came towards the locker on which the sub. lay, -and seemed to be examining the ceiling intently. Then he raised his -knife for the blow. -</p> - -<p> -The muzzle of the pistol went up and followed his every movement, but -an instant later the sub. dropped the weapon with a chuckle of -amusement…. The German was busily cutting a couple of inches off a -particularly succulent sausage hanging from its hook. -</p> - -<p> -When Hargreaves laughed his visitor dropped the knife with a clatter, -and leapt from the room like a rabbit. The sub.'s mirth overcame him -completely. -</p> - -<p> -'Is everythink orl right, sir?' queried the anxious voice of Pincher -Martin, who had been just outside the door the whole time. -</p> - -<p> -'Yes,' spluttered the officer; 'there's nothing the m-matter.' -</p> - -<p> -'Beg pardon, sir; only th' cook jumped art o' this 'ere door as if 'e'd -see'd a ghost, sir. 'E seems a bit scared like.' -</p> - -<p> -He was, poor man, badly scared, nearly as frightened as the sub. -himself had been a few moments before; but he never quite realised how -very near death the cravings of his stomach had led him. After all, no -ordinary person is in the habit of making a hearty meal off a pungent, -onion-flavoured sausage at two o'clock in the morning! All's well that -ends well, but cookie escaped sudden death by the skin of his teeth. -</p> - -<p> -Hargreaves never suffered his discipline to relax, and all through the -second day of the passage the work of cleaning the ship went on. Even -the German skipper, a very fat person, was pressed into service, and, -since nothing else could be found for him to do, he volunteered to -spend the morning in scrubbing out the wheelhouse. -</p> - -<p> -'I hope onter-see boot com' an' tak' us all back to Germany!' he -remarked feelingly in very bad English after half-an-hour's hard work -on his hands and knees. -</p> - -<p> -'If one does I'm afraid you won't get there,' retorted the hard-hearted -sub-lieutenant with a wicked twinkle in his eye. -</p> - -<p> -'If we sight a German submarine all the prisoners will be thrown -overboard in life-belts, so that she'll have to stop to pick you up. -Then, while she's doing it, I shall ram her at full speed.' -</p> - -<p> -The German believed him implicitly. The brutal British were capable of -anything. '<i>Ach!</i>' he exclaimed, sitting up on his haunches and -wiping the drops of perspiration from a very scared face, 'dey vill nod -pick us op. Ve shall be drown!' -</p> - -<p> -'But surely your own countrymen won't stand by and see that happen?' -said Hargreaves with pleasant curiosity. -</p> - -<p> -'I do not know. Bot efen ef dem pick us op, you dry do sink der -onter-see boot, so ve drown anyhows! I haf wife an' childrens, -capitan,' he added agitatedly; 'many childrens. Von, do, dree, four, -fif, six childrens. I doo old do fight. <i>Ach!</i>' he suggested with -an oily smile, 'you safe me an' drown de ozzers. Dey not marriet. Dey -not care!' -</p> - -<p> -The sub. shook his head. 'I'm sorry,' he said; 'war is a very terrible -thing.' -</p> - -<p> -'I hope ve do not see onter-see boot!' murmured the other. -'<i>Ach!</i>' he nodded, noticing Hargreaves's grinning face; 'you -choke, es et nod?' -</p> - -<p> -'I beg your pardon?' -</p> - -<p> -'You make fon, hey? You no drown der prisoners?' -</p> - -<p> -'Depends upon how you behave yourselves,' came the noncommittal reply. -</p> - -<p> -The skipper fell to with redoubled energy. -</p> - -<p> -The weather was fine and the sea calm, but the <i>Anna's</i> engines -and boiler were long past their early youth, and they had steamed -across the North Sea at a speed of barely seven knots. It was a -heart-rending performance; and though Coggins, the stoker petty -officer, exhorted the German fireman to shovel coal on the furnace -until he was purple with passion and they were limp with weariness, the -steam pressure to the engines dropped and dropped. -</p> - -<p> -Shortly after noon on the second day, by which time they were on the -Dogger Bank with not a vestige of another vessel in sight—there is not -much fishing done in war-time—the climax came. It was not exactly due -to the boiler, though the propeller had been revolving more and more -slowly; but all of a sudden there came a peculiar grinding sound from -the engine-room, and the screw refused duty altogether. -</p> - -<p> -A moment or two later Coggins, breathless and blasphemous, appeared at -the top of the hatch. 'It's no good, sir,' he wailed; 'it's no —— -good. I've done me best to tinker up they damned hengines to get 'em to -'eave round, but now the metal's bin and run in the cross'ead, and they -won't 'eave round no more.' -</p> - -<p> -'Is there nothing we can do to it?' queried the sub. -</p> - -<p> -'I ain't seen nothin' aboard we can patch 'im up with, sir. Them -hengines—them —— hengines—ain't fit to crack nuts, let alone be -aboard a ship!' -</p> - -<p> -The sub. bit his lip, for there they were, well out of sight of land, -the ship helpless, and nothing in sight. But he had been trained as an -engineer himself, and was better at the job than some people imagined. -</p> - -<p> -'I'll come and have a look at it,' he announced. 'We must do something. -I can't sail the damned ship home, and there's nobody here to tow us!' -</p> - -<p> -Eventually, after three hours' hard labour, they succeeded in repairing -the damage with a piece of sheet-brass filched from somewhere else. It -is doubtful if any fully qualified engineer would have passed the -repair as either safe or satisfactory; but by the time they had -finished, and were black, bad-tempered, and greasy, the engines were -persuaded to produce the revolutions for four knots without running -very hot. Even four knots was better than drifting aimlessly about the -sea with the prospect of being bagged by a submarine or dying of thirst -and starvation. -</p> - -<p> -The next thing which refused duty was the boiler itself. It gave out at -eight o'clock the same evening, and once more Coggins, looking more -like a demon from the nethermost pit than a respectable stoker petty -officer of his Majesty's Navy, a rabid teetotaler, a strict -chapel-goer, and the father of four children who attended Sunday school -regularly, arrived on deck in a state of incoherent vituperation. -</p> - -<p> -'And what's the matter now?' Hargreaves inquired. -</p> - -<p> -'The biler, sir. 'E ain't bin cleaned for eight months, them Germans -says. The uptake and toobes is all sooted up, and we carn't get no -steam to the hengines no'ow!' -</p> - -<p> -The sub. sighed. 'How long's it going to take to clean it?' -</p> - -<p> -''Bout six or seven hours, sir.' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, carry on with it at once.' -</p> - -<p> -In ordinary circumstances a boiler is cleaned when it is stone-cold and -the fires are drawn; but Coggins, in some miraculous manner unknown to -any one save himself and his victims, goaded the Germans into such a -state of frenzied activity that they swept the tubes and uptakes in -five hours. They did it with the fires damped down but still alight, -and what they suffered from the heat only they themselves knew. But the -job was done somehow, the firemen were revived with neat navy rum, and -by one o'clock the next morning the <i>Anna Schrœder</i> resumed her -journey at the exasperating speed of 3·75 knots. -</p> - -<p> -They eventually arrived in a certain harbour late the same evening -without further mishap; and Hargreaves, after seeing the prize and the -prisoners turned over to the responsible authorities, and his own men -comfortably housed and fed in the Sailors' Home, retired to an hotel, -ate a hearty meal, had a hot bath well impregnated with Jeyes's Fluid, -borrowed a suit of pyjamas, a razor, and a new toothbrush from the -manager, and then turned in and slept for nearly twelve hours. -</p> - -<p> -Little more remains to be told, for the next morning they left by train -to rejoin their ship, taking with them sundry mementoes from the prize. -They have passed through many vicissitudes since, but neither the sub. -nor his men will ever forget the <i>Anna Schrœder</i>. -</p> - - - - -<a name="XVI"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER XVI. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -MINOR INCIDENTS.</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -'Signal just come through, sir,' said Rosser, the signal-man, thumping -on the door of Wooten's cabin at half-past one in the morning. -</p> - -<p> -The skipper grunted, sat up, switched on the light, and blinked. He was -used to sudden calls and excursions in the middle of the night, and -knew instinctively from the tone of the man's voice that the message -was urgent. -</p> - -<p> -'Read it out,' he sighed, throwing one leg out of the bunk. -</p> - -<p> -<i>'Menelaus</i>, <i>Monsoon</i>, <i>Manner</i>, and <i>Minx</i> raise -steam, and report when ready to proceed.' -</p> - -<p> -'I thought so. What's the weather?' -</p> - -<p> -'Very dark, and blowing a bit, sir,' said Rosser cheerfully, the -moisture from his dripping oilskins forming a nice little puddle on the -skipper's carpet. 'It's been raining hard this last half-hour.' -</p> - -<p> -Wooten groaned. 'Right! Tell all the officers, and ask Mr Thompson to -let me know how soon he'll be ready. And on your way forward tell Spry -I want him.' -</p> - -<p> -Spry, able seaman, was the captain's body-servant and general factotum. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten threw open the small scuttle over his bunk and looked out. It -was as black as pitch, the wind whistled and moaned mournfully, and a -wave of moisture smote him in the face. It would be a wild and wet -night at sea. Altogether a depressing night, there was not the least -doubt about that. 'Ugh!' he grunted, slamming the scuttle to and -drawing the bedclothes up to his chin. -</p> - -<p> -Enter Spry. -</p> - -<p> -'Usual sea-gear,' his master murmured. -</p> - -<p> -The man nodded. He knew exactly what was wanted. -</p> - -<p> -'We're in for a dusting, Spry.' -</p> - -<p> -'We are that, sir. Will you 'ave your blue muffler or the white one?' -</p> - -<p> -'The blue one, and the clean sweater.' -</p> - -<p> -'You can't 'ave 'im, sir,' said the bluejacket, busy opening drawers -and cupboards and pulling out clothes like a juggler. ''E's at the -wash.' -</p> - -<p> -'At the wash?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yessir, and so's most of our flannel shirts and stiff collars. If we -'re to be away long I'll 'ave to wash some shirts out, and you'll 'ave -to wear them soft collars of yours.' Spry was always a pessimist in the -small hours of the morning. 'Is there anything else you'll be wanting, -sir?' -</p> - -<p> -'No, thanks. Nothing bar the cocoa.' -</p> - -<p> -Spry took a vacuum flask from a cupboard, and left the cabin to fill -it. This also was a matter of routine; for cocoa, a cushion, and a rug -were always put in the charthouse every night for Wooten's use when the -ship was at sea. -</p> - -<p> -The skipper clambered out of his bunk, lit a pipe, and dressed. This -operation took him quite ten minutes. First came his ordinary garments, -and a heavy woollen sweater and blue muffler; then a pair of thick -socks; next a pair of fisherman's white woollen stockings worn over his -trousers and reaching well above his knees; over them, a pair of rubber -sea-boots. Next a uniform jacket, a lammy coat, another muffler, and an -oilskin on top of everything. It was wet, and the weather was cold, and -Wooten did not intend to be chilled through to the marrow if he could -help it. His apparel was completed by a sou'-wester and a pair of -glasses slung round his neck; and, thus arrayed, he clambered slowly up -the ladder and waddled forward along the deck to the charthouse. It was -too dark, and he was too bloated, to proceed briskly. -</p> - -<p> -Hargreaves, the sub., yawning his head off, was already up there -sorting out his charts. -</p> - -<p> -'Morning, sir. D'you know where we're going?' -</p> - -<p> -'Haven't the vaguest notion. The <i>Menelaus</i> is the boss, and will -get the orders. She may tell us when we get outside.' -</p> - -<p> -'How long are we likely to be away?' -</p> - -<p> -'Don't know. Last time we left in a hurry we didn't come back for a -fortnight. The time before, we were away for six weeks.' -</p> - -<p> -'What'—— -</p> - -<p> -'If you ask me any more questions I shall be peevish,' Wooten -interrupted. 'It's high time you knew that I'm not fit for polite -conversation at this unholy hour of the morning.' -</p> - -<p> -'Sorry, sir. I forgot.' -</p> - -<p> -Half-an-hour afterwards, by which time steam had been raised, and the -fact had been reported, Wooten climbed the ladder on to the bridge. -</p> - -<p> -'Signal for destroyers to slip, sir,' came from Rosser a minute or two -later, as a lamp winked frenziedly in and out in the darkness about a -mile away. 'Form single line a'ead; speed ten knots.' -</p> - -<p> -'Let go forward!' went the order to the first lieutenant on the -forecastle. -</p> - -<p> -There came the splash of the end of the wire as it fell into the water, -and a moment later a hail from MacDonald. 'All gone, sir!' -</p> - -<p> -'Half ahead port. Half astern starboard. Helm hard aport.' -</p> - -<p> -The engine-room reply-gongs clanged, and the <i>Mariner</i> began to -turn on her heel. -</p> - -<p> -'Slow astern starboard—Stop starboard—Half ahead both—one-eighty -revolutions,' in succession. 'Helm amidships. Steady!' -</p> - -<p> -The four destroyers, falling into line astern of each other, groped -their way down the congested harbour like wraiths in the night. Wooten -glanced at the dark shapes of the other ships as they slid by. 'Lucky -dogs!' he murmured. 'You've got a lie in. I envy you. This is not a -night for poor old Peter to be at sea.' -</p> - -<p> -He was right. By the time they reached the entrance the rain was coming -down in sheets, and the wind had increased. Then the bows lifted to the -first swell, and a dollop of spray flew over them, and rattled against -the bridge-screens. -</p> - -<p> -'It's going to be wet,' Hargreaves observed glumly, securing the top -button of his oilskin. -</p> - -<p> -'It is,' the skipper agreed; 'damned wet!' -</p> - -<p> -In ten minutes, by which time they were clear of the harbour, and speed -had been increased to eighteen knots, the ship was prancing and -curveting like a frisky pony, and the spray was flying over in sheets. -Five minutes later the seas were coming in green over the upper deck. -</p> - -<p> -'Oh hell!' the captain groused, stowing away his useless pipe after -vainly endeavouring to relight its sodden contents; 'this is the -limit!—Look out, sub.,' he added, glancing at the next ship ahead, -whose dim shadow danced through a welter of spray a cable and a half in -front. 'Shove her on a bit. You're astern of station, and dropping -fast. Lord!' he added, 'I wish I knew where we're off to.' -</p> - -<p> -His prayer was not answered until daylight, by which time they were far -to the southward, and the <i>Menelaus</i> informed them of their -destination. They were going to the warmest spot most of them had ever -known, though they were not aware of it at the time. Warmth can come -from the Huns as well as from the sun. -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -The intermittent rumble of heavy guns had sounded continuously all -through the night, and with the approach of dawn and the commencement -of the usual 'early morning hate,' the intensity of the dull -reverberations increased. The <i>Mariner</i> and her consorts were -within about twelve miles of the spot where the long line of opposing -trenches debouched into the North Sea; but even at this distance they -could see the brilliant illumination caused by the star-shell as they -burst. The dark-blue sky above the horizon to the south-east was never -free of them. -</p> - -<p> -'Lor'!' said Billings in an awed whisper, watching the blue-white -flashes as they burst suddenly out in the air, hung for a moment, and -then waned slowly away, to be replaced by others; 'some poor blokes -ain't arf gittin' it in the neck!' -</p> - -<p> -There was a romance and an interest about the spectacle which it is -rather difficult to define. For one thing, it was the closest they had -ever been to the front; but here, on board the ship, everything was -going on in the same old way, and the men went about their business as -usual. But there, a bare twelve miles off, the deep-throated murmur of -the guns showed that men were striving to kill each other, while the -star-shell must have been flooding the closely packed trenches with -unwelcome light. It seemed a little difficult to realise it, somehow. -</p> - -<p> -The morning was cloudless and calm. The light increased, and as the sun -neared the horizon a band of pale rose-madder and dull orange slowly -began to encroach on the dark blue of the upper sky to the eastward. -Before long they could see the hostile coast itself as a thin, -blue-gray streak punctuated here and there by the spires and houses of -the coast towns, magnified out of all proportion by the deceptive -light. Hanging in the air, and all but invisible to the naked eye, was -the bloated, caterpillar-shape of a German observation balloon. It -looked ominous and menacing, and the Hun in the basket suspended -beneath it was evidently going aloft to see whom his guns might devour -for breakfast. The coast was reputed to bristle with weapons, some of -them of prodigious range, and the men in the destroyer hoped fervently -that they might not be victims of his wrath. -</p> - -<p> -Then, quite suddenly, the dull blue above the broadening band of colour -began to twinkle and sparkle with little spurts and splashes of bright -yellow flame. They did not appear in ones, twos, or threes, but in -batches of twenty or thirty at a time. The rumbling of the guns started -afresh, for the flashes were the bursts of the enemy's anti-aircraft -shell, fired at a swarm of allied aeroplanes making an early morning -bombing attack; and, from the look of things, somebody was getting a -tolerably hot time. More killing! It was rather like watching a -gladiatorial combat in the arena; but it was a fine sight, and the -'Mariners' would not have missed it for worlds. -</p> - -<p> -Presently, when the rosy light of the dawn had mounted up into space, -the thudding of the distant guns ceased. The attack was over, and the -bombs had evidently been dropped; but the clear sky over the shore was -still flecked and stained with hundreds of smoke-puffs slowly -dissolving on the gentle breeze. They showed blue and purple against -the vivid contrasting colour beyond. -</p> - -<p> -Air raids, and their subsequent reprisals, were a speciality of this -locality. They took place nearly every morning and evening the -<i>Mariner</i> was there; and as the visiting machines had a -comparatively short distance to travel before reaching their objective, -they were carried out by too many aeroplanes, and with too great a -frequency, to be pleasant. -</p> - -<p> -In the French town within reach of the aerial Hun business went on as -usual; but at the first wailing of the warning hooter the inhabitants -bolted to earth like rabbits to their burrow. Every house which -possessed a cellar showed a small red flag over the doorway, and any -one who cared to claim admittance was given shelter. Trams stopped and -disgorged their living freights. Adipose tram conductors, elderly women -dragging frightened children, ancient male civilians, <i>poilus</i> in -their slate-blue uniforms, any one and every one, made a bee-line for -the nearest symbol of a cellar and safety. It was a wise precaution -which must have saved many lives; for, though the Hun may be given the -credit of only wishing to damage places of 'military importance,' and -to kill members of 'the armed forces of the enemy,' his bombs, as often -as not, were liberally sprinkled upon the residential and commercial -portions of the town. Added to this, every anti-aircraft gun in the -neighbourhood—and there were many of them—sent its shell hurtling -skywards to drive the invaders away. The bits had to fall somewhere; -and if a jagged morsel of steel weighing one ounce falls on the head of -a human being from a height, say, of ten thousand feet, there is -nothing for it but a funeral and mourners. So it is wise to keep -indoors in any case, wiser still to repair to somebody else's cellar if -you do not possess one of your own. -</p> - -<p> -But after the raids, when the inhabitants emerged from their burrows, -the small boys and girls collected splinters and sold them as -mementoes. The trade was very brisk, and prices sometimes ran high. -Bomb fragments—and one could not help suspecting that many of these -were manufactured at home in the quiet intervals—commanded fabulous -sums. I still treasure a fleeting vision of a British army captain in -khaki, flourishing five-franc notes, pursuing a sky-blue <i>poilu</i> -down the street in the midst of an air raid. The Frenchman hugged to -his bosom the dangerous remains of an aeroplane bomb, a wicked-looking -affair painted bright yellow, and filled with some devilish compound -guaranteed to kill or to cure. The Englishman wanted it badly, and, -being the faster of the two, eventually overtook his quarry, and -obtained the relic for fifteen francs. What he did with it I cannot -say. One can hardly think that it was received with gratitude by his -loving parents, or that it occupied the niche of honour in the hall of -his rich but nervous aunt. -</p> - -<p> -But whatever we may have said about bombing attacks at sea, air raids -on a town are not the least bit amusing until afterwards. The whistle -of a descending bomb is the most uncanny and unpleasant sound it is -possible to imagine, far and away nastier than the howling and -screeching of a passing shell. Moreover, in an air raid on a town the -visitors can hardly fail to hit some one or something, and it may -possibly be us. -</p> - - -<h3> -III. -</h3> - -<p> -'The Secretary of the Admiralty announces that an action took place -yesterday afternoon between British and German destroyers. The enemy -suffered considerable damage, and were forced to retire. Our casualties -were insignificant.'—<i>Daily Press.</i> -</p> - -<p> -It is rather galling to find one of the most eventful and crowded hours -of one's existence disposed of in four lines of cold print, not even -the name of a ship mentioned! -</p> - -<p> -It made the ship's company of the <i>Mariner</i> feel very small and -insignificant, and the puffed-up, proud sort of feeling they had when -they came out of their first real action oozed from them like gas from -a punctured Zeppelin. -</p> - -<p> -Sailors are peculiar animals. They long to frustrate and confound the -Hun—that goes without saying; but, having done their best in this -direction, they are equally desirous that their friends and relations -shall be aware of the fact. Most of the men expected at least to see -the <i>Mariner's</i> name in the newspapers. A good many of them, -though they would not have admitted it, would have been highly -flattered had their likenesses appeared in the <i>Morning Mirror</i>. -'A naval hero who has been doing his bit' would have sounded well as a -superscription, though perhaps a trifle fulsome; while further -photographs of the 'naval hero's' wife and family, his father and -mother, the schoolmaster who had taught him, and the public-house which -he sometimes patronised, would also have been suitable to the occasion. -But unfortunately the newspapers took no notice of the affair; and, -since the censorship of naval news was strict, they probably never even -realised that such a ship as the <i>Mariner</i> existed. It was a pity, -for, from the point of view of the men and their friends, anything and -everything which appeared in the Press must, of necessity, be a fact. -If a man went home and said he had been in an action which had never -publicly been announced, it was possible that his immediate neighbours -might believe what he said. It was more than probable, however, that 50 -per cent. of outsiders would treat his story <i>cum grano salis</i>, -and think that he had exaggerated. Corroborative evidence is always -useful. -</p> - -<p> -To Pincher Martin the recollection of his first action at sea is still -a vague and shadowy impression of mingled fact and fancy. He had kept -the forenoon watch, and on going below at noon had consumed his usual -midday meal with great relish. Then, with a satisfied feeling of -repletion, he stretched himself at full length on a hard and very -uncomfortable mess-stool, and went off to sleep. He was not the only -one; but he had kept the middle watch, so there was some excuse for -him. -</p> - -<p> -Towards three o'clock he was suddenly brought back to his senses by the -prolonged and irritating jangle of an electric alarm-bell. 'Gawd!' he -murmured, sitting up with a start, and rubbing his sleepy eyes; 'wot's -the buzz now?' -</p> - -<p> -He was not long in finding out, for at that same moment Petty Officer -Casey put his head down the hatch. 'Below there!' he howled cheerfully. -'Tumble up! Enemy in sight! General Quarters!' -</p> - -<p> -His words were punctuated by the sound of men running along the upper -deck and the rumble of a gun. The report was faint but unmistakable, -and it did not come from the <i>Mariner</i>. -</p> - -<p> -Followed by various of his messmates, Pincher darted for the hatch, -clambered up the steep ladder, and ten seconds later appeared at his -gun on the forecastle breathless and inquisitive. -</p> - -<p> -''Ere,' he queried, more by instinctive curiosity than because he -really wanted the opinion of any one else, 'wot's up?' -</p> - -<p> -'You stan' by to 'ump them projectiles!' grunted an A.B. 'This 'ere -ain't the time to git askin' stoopid questions!' -</p> - -<p> -Pincher obediently placed a lyddite shell in the loading-tray and -waited. -</p> - -<p> -Three British destroyers were in single line ahead, the fourth being -away on some business best known to herself. The <i>Mariner</i> was the -centre ship, and she quivered and shook to the thrust of her turbines; -while, from the sensation of speed, and the great mass of white water -heaped up under the stern of the next ahead, Pincher guessed they must -be travelling at about thirty knots. Three or four miles away to port, -rather difficult to see against the gray background of shore beyond, -were the lean shapes of three other torpedo-craft. They also were -steaming at high speed, and left a long white trail in the water astern -of them, and seemed to be steering an approximately parallel course. -They were German, of course, and as he watched a ripple of bright flame -and a cloud of brown smoke leapt out from their leading vessel. They -were firing, and at him. He felt rather frightened, and suddenly became -possessed of a bitter resentment against the enemy who were striving to -kill him and his shipmates. He had done them no personal wrong, so why -should they try to take his life? -</p> - -<p> -He held his breath and waited for the shell to drop, but the pause -seemed interminable. Then he heard the sound of the reports, and saw -three or four whity-gray splashes in the water between him and the -enemy. The shell were fully six hundred yards short, and harmless. He -breathed again. -</p> - -<p> -Some order came through a voice-pipe to the gun; whereupon the -sight-setter twiddled a small wheel and peered anxiously at a graduated -dial, while the gunlayer, breathing heavily, applied his eye to the -telescope. The muzzle of the gun began to move up and down in the air -as the sights were kept on the enemy. -</p> - -<p> -'Train right a bit, Bill!' came a smothered remark. 'Train right, damn -yer eyes! That'll do! Keep her like that!' -</p> - -<p> -A bell rang somewhere. A moment's pause, and then, with a sheet of -flame and a crash, the weapon went off. -</p> - -<p> -When once the business really started Pincher felt better. The -anticipation, that awful period of suspense between the time of the -enemy being sighted and the first shot being fired, was far and away -worse than the actual fight itself. The noise and excitement acted as a -sort of anæsthetic. They had a deadening effect which dulled the finer -workings of his mind, and did away with most of his previous and -poignant mental agony. He realised in a vague sort of a way that he -might be killed; but the process of being under fire, when once it had -started and the enemy was being fired at in return, was not nearly so -bad as he had imagined it would be. -</p> - -<p> -He had the task of placing a projectile in the loading-tray every time -after the gun had fired, recoiled, ejected the spent cylinder neatly to -the rear, and then had run out again and had been reloaded. He did it -almost automatically, and without having to think about it. Time became -an unknown quantity. Seconds sometimes seemed like hours, and hours may -have dwindled to minutes for all he knew. All the sensations he was -really conscious of at the time were a supreme desire to keep up the -supply of shell, an overwhelming hatred for the enemy who dared to fire -upon him, a most unpleasant feeling of heat, and an intolerable and -raging thirst. The acrid taste and smell of the burning cordite may -have produced the thirst; but, after five minutes of firing, Martin -would have bartered everything he possessed for a mug of really cold -water. -</p> - -<p> -Incident succeeded incident with such rapidity that he could not -concentrate his attention on any one particular thing. He saw great -white splashes in the water, some of them perilously close. The noise -of the <i>Mariner's</i> own guns overpowered every other sound, but -between their reports he heard the fainter thudding of the enemy's -weapons, the peculiar whining drone of hostile shell as they hurtled -through the air, and the fiendish whirring and whizzing of their -fragments as they burst. There came a jar and a metallic crash which -told him that the ship had been hit somewhere close. He had no time to -look round, but waited anxiously for the missile to pulverise; waited -for what seemed minutes for the flame and roar of an appalling -detonation and a shower of splinters which would sweep him to eternity. -They never came. The shell had passed through the forecastle, and out -again through the side of the ship, without exploding. -</p> - -<p> -His own gun was firing very fast, and he could not see much, but in the -rifts between the sheets of flame and clouds of smoke caused by its -discharge he caught occasional glimpses of the enemy. They were still -steaming fast, and seemed rather closer than before, and from the sea -round about them spout after spout of spray leapt into the air as the -British shell pitched. The brilliant gun-flashes still twinkled up and -down their sides as they fired; but he was glad they were having a hot -time. -</p> - -<p> -The next time he saw them they seemed to have turned shorewards, while -the British, still firing heavily, steamed in pursuit. Then, in the -after-part of the middle German destroyer, the one the <i>Mariner</i> -was firing at, he suddenly noticed a wicked red flash and a cloud of -oily black smoke. A shell had gone home. He could have shouted in glee -had he not been so breathless. -</p> - -<p> -The long-range action lasted for a full fifty-five minutes, with both -sides blazing away merrily the whole time. What damage was done to the -enemy it was impossible to say, but it was clear that they suffered -considerably, and that they were forced back to their own coast. As -regards their numbers, guns, size, and speed the opposing craft were -pretty evenly matched; and if the action had taken place in the open -sea it would have been fought to a finish at close range, or until one -or other of the combatants retired post-haste from the contest. In this -eventuality, given average luck, it would not have been the British; -not because the German is any less brave than his antagonist, but -because he has fewer ships to risk, and is supposed to have orders not -to give battle unless he has a good chance of winning. But man proposes -and God disposes, and the fight was more or less a drawn one. -</p> - -<p> -At length there came the time when the enemy could be pursued no -longer, on account of the proximity of the shore. So close in had they -steamed that some one in the <i>Mariner</i> even declared that he was -able to count the windows in the buildings and the tiles on the red -roofs; and though the tile part may have been an exaggeration, the -window-counting certainly was not. The yellow, wave-lapped beach, with -the turf-covered sand-dunes beyond it, looked strangely calm and -peaceful; but concealed in those dunes were guns of almost every -imaginable size from fourteen-inch downwards, some of which were -reputed to be able to pitch their shell on a sixpence at a range of -fifteen miles. The <i>Mariner</i> and her consorts were a long, long -way inside this distance, and there was nothing for it but to -discontinue the action, and to beat a hasty retreat. -</p> - -<p> -Brother Boche, with his guns in among the dunes, was no fool. He was -merely waiting for a good opportunity to open fire, and his chance came -at the precise moment when the British helms went over and the -destroyers started to steam seawards. Then the whole line of coast -suddenly began to sparkle from end to end, and before one had time to -think the shell were pitching. The fire of the destroyers, both as -regards its volume and its accuracy, had been as nothing to this. Great -white-water fountains seemed to spout up everywhere at the same moment, -ahead, astern, and on either side. How many projectiles fell within a -few feet of the ship during the next ten minutes it is impossible to -say. The shooting was very accurate indeed—far too accurate to be -pleasant. It was extremely unpleasant. -</p> - -<p> -Words can convey no conception of the breathless sort of sensation -caused by those falling shell. They howled like wolves and screeched -like express trains passing through wayside stations. They fell into -the water with heavy liquid plops, detonated in gigantic upheavals of -water and with roaring concussions compared with which the reports of -heavy guns faded into insignificance, and sent their jagged-edged -fragments whirring off into space with the humming and buzzing of angry -hornets. It was a sickening, uncanny feeling to see a fifty-foot -geyser-like spout spring into the air a bare fathom off the stem, to -notice the black patch at the spot in the water where the shell had -burst as if one had emptied a bucket of ashes, and then to steam -through the descending spray, and to smell the horrible, reeking stench -of the explosive. It was more alarming still to see a bouquet of four -or five such splashes jump into the air within a few feet of the stern -or on either side of the ship. If a single one of these projectiles -drove home the <i>Mariner</i> would probably be brought to a -standstill, in which case her subsequent demolition and the slaughter -of her crew would only be a matter of time. If three or four shells -struck at once she would probably founder immediately. -</p> - -<p> -It is one thing to be fired at by a similar vessel, and to be able to -fire at her in reply; but it is something quite different to be -subjected to the individual attention in broad daylight of a heavy -ship, or many shore batteries, when there is no possible chance of -retaliation. It leaves one breathless and cold; and though, perhaps, -one may not actually show one's fear, one would give much to be -elsewhere. It is only natural. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="310"><img src="images/006.jpg" alt=""The shooting was very accurate, far too accurate to be pleasant."" width="500" height="333"></a></div> -<p class="caption">"The shooting was very accurate, far too accurate to be pleasant."</p> -<p class="captionalignr"><span class="sc">Page 310.</span> -</p> - -<p> -Shell from modern heavy guns can drive their way through the armoured -sides of a battleship, but they will pulverise a destroyer into mere -powder. There are no bombproofs, no funk-holes, no armour, not even a -conning-tower—not that it would be used if there were. The officers -and the men at the guns and torpedo-tubes are all on deck and in the -open, while those below in the engine and boiler rooms have nothing -between them and the deep sea but a steel skin barely thicker than a -substantial biscuit-tin. Moreover, the greater portion of the hull is -crammed with machinery, ammunition, and explosives; and, however much -of a safeguard a destroyer's speed and small size may be, she must -always seem very vulnerable to those who serve in her. I say 'seem' -advisedly, for it is surprising how much hammering the tough little -craft can withstand without being knocked out; while, as any gunner who -is used to the game will tell you, she is not a very easy target to -hit. But, for all that, one lucky shell may do the trick, in which case -every man-jack of her crew may be killed or drowned. There is never -much chance of escape if once the ship goes, and any man who says he -relishes being under heavy fire in a T.B.D. is either a born hero or an -Ananias. It is easy to make light of things after they have happened, -but no words can adequately portray the inner feelings of the ordinary -mortal while the ordeal is still in progress. They are indescribable. -</p> - -<p> -But by some miraculous intervention of Providence the <i>Mariner</i> -and her sister-ships escaped practically scot-free. According to people -who witnessed the withdrawal from a distance, people who well knew the -range and accuracy of the coast guns, the odds were a thousand to one -that they would never escape, for at times they were hardly visible in -the spray fountains leaping up all around them. They were literally -buried in the splashes, but still they came on—and escaped. -</p> - -<p> -It was not until afterwards that the men thoroughly realised how lucky -they were. At the time, whatever they may have felt in their hearts or -minds, there were no suggestions of fear in their faces, no trace of -nervousness in their demeanour. They behaved just the same as -usual—jeered uproariously when a shell fell a few feet short and -deluged them with spray, and made facetious remarks when projectiles -from 'Fractious Fanny,' as some one adroitly christened a particularly -obnoxious 11·2, lumbered gracefully over their heads and exploded -merrily in the sea a hundred feet or so beyond them. Perhaps they were -a little more talkative than usual; perhaps their laughter was -sometimes a little forced; but, for all that, they behaved as British -bluejackets always do. -</p> - -<p> -'I wouldn't 'a missed that there show fur a lot,' said Pincher Martin -after supper the same evening. -</p> - -<p> -'I reckons we kin think ourselves lucky ter git outa it,' Billings -murmured with his mouth full. 'It's orl right lookin' back on it w'en -once it's orl over; but it takes a bloomin' 'ero not ter 'ave a cold -feelin' in 'is stummick wi' them there guns a-pluggin' at 'im.' -</p> - -<p> -'Did you 'ave a cold feelin' in yer inside, Josh?' M'Sweeny queried -anxiously. -</p> - -<p> -'Course I 'ad. I wus cold orl over. I ain't no bloomin' 'ero. But, orl -the same, Tubby boy, I reckons it's done us orl good ter 'ave a bit of -a shake up like this 'ere. Makes us a sort of understan' 'ow every -bloke aboard 'as 'is own job ter do; don't it?' -</p> - -<p> -Joshua's way of expressing himself may have been crude, but M'Sweeny -quite understood what he meant. -</p> - -<p> -The engagement, short as it had been, had given the men confidence in -themselves, each other, their officers, and their ship. It had banded -them together in some extraordinary and quite inexplicable manner which -no years of peace training could have done. Together they had been -tried and had not been found wanting; and now, more than ever, they had -become 'we few, we happy few, we band of brothers.' They felt -themselves inspired with a new patriotism and a new ardour, and it was -that very feeling which, on 21st October 1805, had helped their -forebears to win the battle of Trafalgar. -</p> - - - - -<a name="XVII"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER XVII. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -THE DAY.</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -All through the peaceful night of 30th May 1916 British squadrons were -at sea steaming steadily eastward. Fighting-ships of almost every class -were represented; great battleships and battle-cruisers, armoured -cruisers of an older type, new and very fast light cruisers, the -ubiquitous destroyers in their dozens, all converging silently towards -the area on the other side of the North Sea which was presently to -become the scene of the mightiest and most terrible battle in British -naval history. -</p> - -<p> -The Commander-in-Chief and the Admirals in command of squadrons may -possibly have known that something unusual was in the air; but it is -doubtful if any subordinate officers or men had the least inkling of -what the next day would bring forth. They knew that a battle was always -possible, and were ready and anxious for it. Off and on for nearly -twenty-two months they had scoured the gray wastes of the North Sea, -and had explored its grayer fogs, always hoping that the next dawn -would bless their tired eyes with a view of the far-flung battle-line -of the enemy stretched out across the horizon before them. But morning -after morning the sun had risen to display the same bare and monotonous -vista of sea and sky. -</p> - -<p> -Sometimes the ocean was calm and peaceful, the sun shone undimmed, and -the blue sky towards the horizon was piled high with mass upon mass of -mountainous white cumulus. Sometimes they had fogs, when they could see -barely a hundred yards; sometimes the prevailing North Sea mists, in -which the visibility alternated between two and five miles. At other -times the wind howled, and the leaden sea was whipped into fury by -gales; while the sky became overcast with dark clouds and streaked with -the white, frayed-out streamers of mares' tails. They had come to know -the vagaries of their cruising ground by heart; but whatever its aspect -the sea was ever innocent of the one thing they all wished to see—the -German High Sea Fleet. -</p> - -<p> -Their wistful longing was just as acute as that of the men in the -storm-battered ships of Columbus when straining their eyes towards the -western horizon for the first dim blue traces of the new continent; and -now, through sheer disappointment, not a few of them had come to -believe that the chance they all prayed and longed for would never -come. -</p> - -<p> -Daylight on 31st May found the <i>Mariner</i> and many other destroyers -still steaming eastward in company with the battle-cruiser fleet under -the command of Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty in the <i>Lion</i>. -Certain light-cruiser squadrons, acting as scouts, were stationed some -distance ahead of the heavier vessels. The morning—which had broken -beautifully fine, with a calm sea—passed without incident, and it was -not until shortly after half-past two in the afternoon that the -advanced squadrons reported the enemy in force to the eastward. -</p> - -<p> -It is impossible to give any idea of the thrill of excitement which -passed through the officers and men of the ships when the facts became -known. The bugles blared, and they hurried to their action stations. -'Enemy in force!' Did it mean that they were in touch with the High Sea -Fleet? Had their chance come at last, the chance for which they had all -been hoping ever since that fateful 4th August 1914? -</p> - -<p> -Men looked anxiously at their neighbours to see how they took the -momentous news; but nowhere did a face show signs of fear. On the -contrary, their expression and demeanour testified to their implicit -and unshaken confidence in themselves and their leaders. They laughed, -jests passed from man to man and from group to group, and they went -about their business with an intense keenness born of a new hope. -</p> - -<p> -The big battle-cruisers swung rapidly into fighting formation and -increased speed, their wash churning the calm sea into great waves. -They presented a magnificent spectacle as they steamed into action with -the smoke curling from their funnel-tops, white ensigns flying at each -masthead, and the huge guns in their turrets pointing their lean -muzzles skywards. -</p> - -<p> -At two-thirty-five <span class="smc">P.M.</span> a considerable amount of smoke was -sighted to the eastward, and a little less than an hour later the -gigantic shapes of five hostile battle-cruisers were looming up over -the horizon. -</p> - -<p> -'All guns, load!' came the first order from the control positions. -'Salvos by director! Guns—ready!' -</p> - -<p> -Inside a turret a burly A.B., clad in flannel shirt and trousers, spat -solemnly on his hands, stretched out a hairy tattooed arm, and moved a -small, brightly polished steel lever. Instantly a clattering hydraulic -chain rammer uncoiled itself like a snake, and an enormous shell -weighing three-quarters of a ton was pushed bodily out of the -loading-tray to vanish into the open breech of the gun with a smack and -a thud. The rammer was withdrawn, another man manipulated a handle, and -two cream-coloured, sausage-shaped bundles with red ends rolled into -the space just vacated by the projectile. They were the cordite -charges, swathed in innocent-looking silk coverings, the red -extremities being the muslin bags containing the powder-igniters. The -silk, somehow, seemed strangely out of place in the gun-turret of a -battle-cruiser. It reminded one irresistibly of the counter of a -drapery establishment; but for many a long year artillery experts have -known that a silk-covered cartridge leaves little or no burning residue -in the breech of the gun when the weapon is fired. Hence its use. -</p> - -<p> -Again the hairy, tattooed gentleman moved his lever, and the rammer, -darting forward, propelled two quarter charges into the yawning breech -of the gun. The operation was repeated, while a man fiddled for a -moment with the lock, and then the great steel breech-block swung to -with a clang. -</p> - -<p> -'Right gun, loaded!' some one bawled, as something slipped into place -with a click. -</p> - -<p> -'Right gun, ready!' from another man. -</p> - -<p> -The gunlayer watched a dial, and the gun's crew stood tense and -expectant, while the huge breeches of the weapons moved ponderously up -and down, with a wheezing and a groaning of the water through the -hydraulic machinery. The turret twitched slowly to the right, stopped, -and then moved again. Ammunition-cages containing more shell and -cartridges ready for the next round came clattering up from the -loading-chambers. -</p> - -<p> -The officer in charge, a lieutenant with absurdly pink cheeks and curly -hair, was stationed at his periscope, one end of which protruded -through a hole in the armoured roof of the turret, and gave him a view -of the surrounding sea. -</p> - -<p> -'Can yer see anythink, sir?' some one asked in a hoarse whisper, his -curiosity getting the better of him as the officer bent down to wipe -the eyepiece of his instrument with a gaudy bandana handkerchief. -</p> - -<p> -'Yes,' he answered cheerily, 'five battle-cruisers, some light -cruisers, and a good many destroyers! Stand by. It'll be starting in a -minute.' He replaced the handkerchief in his pocket, and applied his -eyes to the periscope again. -</p> - -<p> -The loading number of the right gun, he with the hairy arms, was busy -with a piece of chalk, and the other members of the gun's crew who had -nothing particular to do watched him with some amusement. '<span class="sc">To -Hunny, with love from Bill Mason, A.B.</span>,' he traced out laboriously -on the sleek, yellow-painted side of the huge lyddite projectile. He -stepped back to survey his handiwork with a little chuckle of glee. -'That'll tickle 'em!' he remarked, winking solemnly. -</p> - -<p> -The men tittered. -</p> - -<p> -The lieutenant at the periscope suddenly held his breath as a muffled, -whistling shriek and the roar of an explosion from outside brought the -men's heads up in eager, listening attention. -</p> - -<p> -'Garn!' said Mason with a grin; 'that ain't gone nowhere near us. 'Ave -another go, ole son!' -</p> - -<p> -'Stand by, men!' cautioned the officer, who was the only person who -could see what went on in the outside world. -</p> - -<p> -Mason licked his hands and rubbed them unconcernedly on the seat of his -trousers. -</p> - -<p> -<i>Whe-e-e-w!</i> <i>whe-e-e-e-w!</i> <i>B-o-o-m!</i> from the outside -again, followed by the sound of another detonation and a slight jar, -which showed that the ship had been struck somewhere. -</p> - -<p> -The gun's crew looked at each other. The turret moved slowly to the -right, and went on moving. The breeches of the guns began to see-saw -gently up and down in rhythm with the movement of the ship. Then a bell -rang, and with a roar and a thud the right gun suddenly went off and -recoiled backwards along its slide. It ran out again with a wheezing, -sucking sound, and the massive breech-block flew open with a metallic -crash. -</p> - -<p> -'Left gun, ready!' came a shout. -</p> - -<p> -The turret became filled with the warm, acrid smoke of burnt cordite. -There came the swishing sound of the washing-out apparatus, and the -clatter of the chain rammer. -</p> - -<p> -The bell rang again. <span class="sc">B-o-o-m!</span> roared the left gun. The great -battle had begun. -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -It is impossible for any single spectator to describe a naval action as -a whole from his own personal observations and experiences, -particularly a battle which divides itself into many different phases, -lasts intermittently from about three-thirty in the afternoon until the -same time next morning, and is fought over many miles of sea. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Mariner</i> and various other destroyers were present with the -battle-cruisers throughout the first shock of the engagement and the -running fight which ensued. Some of them, the <i>Mariner</i> included, -assisted to repel the attacks of hostile torpedo-craft during daylight, -and delivered their own attacks on the heavy ships of the enemy during -the afternoon and night; but though Pincher Martin saw a great deal of -the fighting, he had no very clear conception of how the engagement -went as a whole or of how the time passed. -</p> - -<p> -When he first saw the enemy they appeared as a row of immense gray -shapes stretched out across the horizon. They were battle-cruisers—he -knew that from their build; and though they must have been fully ten -miles distant, they looked grim and menacing. With them were several -light cruisers, looking absolute pygmies alongside their overgrown -sisters; while on the farther side he saw, or thought he could see, a -swarm of destroyers. It was now about three-thirty <span class="smc">P.M.</span>, and -the weather was quite clear. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Mariner</i> was stationed close to the line of battle-cruisers, -and between them and the enemy. She occupied one of the best seats in -the house, the front row of the stalls, so to speak, a position from -which, but for the clouds of smoke and masses of spray flung up by the -falling shell, those on board her would have seen practically -everything that happened. But the billet was not exactly a comfortable -one. Indeed, it was most unpleasant; for when the firing began the shot -from both the British and the German guns whistled and thundered -overhead, while there was always the chance that the destroyers would -receive the benefit of hostile shell falling short of their intended -target. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher watched the enemy with a certain amount of fascinated -apprehension. They seemed to swing into a single line, and then, quite -suddenly, he noticed five or six tongues of bright orange flame and -clouds of brown smoke leap out from the side of their leader. There was -a lengthy pause, followed by a terrifying crescendo of howling and -screeching as the giant projectiles came hurtling through the air. They -fell in a bunch a bare fifty yards short of one of the battle-cruisers, -and exploded with a roar, the great upheaval in the sea almost -completely shutting out all traces of the ship beyond. The British guns -instantly flashed out in reply, and the next moment the engagement -became general. -</p> - -<p> -From this time forward the whole affair seemed ghastly and unreal, an -awful nightmare in which it was quite impossible to remember exactly -what had happened. The air shook and trembled with a turmoil of -ear-splitting sound, in which one heard the deep booming note of the -British guns as they gave tongue, the shrill whistling or droning of -shell as they passed overhead, and the sharper concussion of the -hostile projectiles as they fell and burst. -</p> - -<p> -Looked at from a distance, the huge hulls of the German ships seemed -literally buried in a spouting maelstrom of shell fountains rising from -the sea all round them. At times a shadowy gray mass, sparkling with -wicked-looking gun-flashes, slid slowly into view behind some great -upheaval in the water, to disappear the next instant as another salvo -of shell fell and burst. The British guns seemed to be making very good -shooting, but it was impossible to note exact results from the low deck -of the destroyer. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher glanced at the <i>Lion</i> and the other ships, and the -spectacle held him spell-bound and made him feel almost dizzy. They -were enduring a veritable tornado of shell, and the sea all round them -leapt and boiled until at times the rushing shapes of the great -vessels, close as they were, seemed actually hidden in the turmoil of -flung-up water. Some of the shell were going home, too, for here and -there in the rifts in the spray and smoke he saw the deep-red flash, a -cloud of oily smoke, and a shower of flying débris as they struck and -exploded. There were a few ragged holes in the gray steel sides; here -and there the symmetrical shape of a ship's superstructure was marred -by a twisted and distorted mass of steelwork, and pierced funnels -vomited forth their black contributions to add to the already -smoke-laden atmosphere. Star-shaped splashes of yellow and white showed -where shell had struck armour, had exploded, and had failed to -penetrate; but it seemed nothing short of a miracle how any ships built -by human agency could withstand such a terrific hammering without being -battered to pieces. It was an awesome sight. -</p> - -<p> -It was well for the <i>Mariner</i> and her neighbours that the German -shooting was so accurate. The hostile fire was concentrated on the -battle-cruisers, and every shell seemed either to strike or else to -fall within a few yards of them. The destroyers in their precarious -position were untouched, but for all that the experience was -nerve-racking, and Pincher had a feeling of intense relief when he saw -the brilliant flashes and rolling clouds of brown, rapidly dissolving -smoke from the British guns. They were firing fast, and it was no small -consolation to think that the enemy were enduring the same terrible -ordeal themselves. -</p> - -<p> -One of the most awful incidents of that eventful day was the blowing up -of the <i>Indefatigable</i>. The catastrophe, utterly unexpected, was -appalling in its suddenness. At one moment the huge, -nineteen-thousand-ton ship was steaming bravely along with her guns -firing; the next, a salvo of five or six shell seemed to strike her -simultaneously amidships. There came the splintering crash of the -explosions, some spurts of flame, and upheavals of yellow, brown, -black, gray, and white smoke. The great ship seemed literally to be -divided in two, for both the bow and the stern reared themselves out of -the water at the same moment. The thundering, shattering roar of the -explosion made the nearer ships dance and tremble. The report seemed to -compress the air until one's ear-drums threatened to burst, and masses -of débris, large and small, were precipitated skywards, presently to -come raining down into the sea in all directions. -</p> - -<p> -The smoke-cloud spread and rose into the air to a height of three or -four hundred feet. Soon it completely blotted out the scene of the -disaster, and hung there impalpably, wreathing and eddying in thick, -rolling masses. Then some freakish air-current caused another cloud of -brown vapour to rise and overtop the first, until the whole mass looked -for all the world like some gigantic, overbaked cottage loaf sitting -squarely on the sea. -</p> - -<p> -Within two minutes the ship had disappeared for ever, taking with her -her gallant crew of nearly eight hundred officers and men. Barely a -soul was saved, though destroyers, hurrying to the scene at imminent -danger to themselves, searched the flotsam-strewn area for survivors. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Queen Mary</i> met a precisely similar fate. Again there came -the terrible roar and flare of an explosion, followed by the cloud of -smoke, in which the great ship sank almost instantly to the bottom. It -was an awful moment; but one of the most magnificent spectacles of the -battle was the sight of the great three-funnelled <i>Tiger</i> steaming -at full speed through the pall a few moments after her unfortunate -sister met her fate. At one moment she was in full view; the next her -bows disappeared, then her midship portion with its three great -funnels, and finally her stern, until the whole enormous length of the -ship was completely swallowed up in the mass of brown vapour. Then her -sharp stem with its creaming bow-wave emerged into sight on the other -side of the pall, to be followed by the rest of the vessel as she drove -clear of the scene of the catastrophe with her guns flashing defiance -and her glorious white ensigns fluttering. It was an inspiring sight, -but of the gallant crew of the stricken <i>Queen Mary</i>, comprising -nearly a thousand souls, only four young midshipmen and under twenty -men were rescued. -</p> - -<p> -The loss of these vessels was a sad blow, but still the battle raged -furiously. The hostile shooting, however, seemed to be becoming -erratic, a fact which told its own tale, while ours steadily improved. -Indeed, the next time Pincher was vouch-safed a fleeting glimpse of the -enemy, two of their largest ships seemed to be badly on fire, while a -third had quitted the line and was some distance astern of her -consorts. But it was with a feeling of intense relief that the sorely -tried British saw a welcome reinforcement of four battleships -approaching at full speed, firing heavily as they came. -</p> - -<p> -It was at about this time that some signal was hoisted in the -<i>Lion</i>, and before Pincher quite realised what was happening, the -<i>Mariner</i> and most of the other destroyers swung round and steamed -for the enemy as hard as they could go. -</p> - -<p> -'Gawd!' he whispered breathlessly; 'we're goin' in to attack!' -</p> - -<p> -It seemed a suicidal sort of business, another charge of the Light -Brigade, as the ship, quivering and shaking to the thrust of her -turbines, drove on at full speed. They were between the lines, and the -screeching and howling of the heavy projectiles as the two squadrons -fired at each other became fainter and more distant. They drew nearer -and nearer to the enemy. They were travelling at something over thirty -knots—fifty feet a second, one thousand yards a minute. -</p> - -<p> -'Lie down!' came a sudden order to the guns' crews, for in another -moment the enemy's secondary guns would be opening fire. The men flung -themselves to the deck and watched. -</p> - -<p> -It was at this moment that Pincher first saw a cloud of enemy -destroyers and some light cruisers coming from behind the line of -German heavy ships. They darted out at full speed to ward off the -British attack, perhaps to deliver one of their own; but whatever -happened they were too late, for the British small craft, swinging -round, turned to meet them. -</p> - -<p> -'Guns' crews, close up!' came an order. 'Load with lyddite!' The men -scrambled to their feet and waited. -</p> - -<p> -'Enemy destroyers bearing green four-five,' came through the -voice-pipe. 'Rapid independent! Commence!' -</p> - -<p> -For the next few minutes Pincher was so hard at work cramming shell -into his gun that he could hardly see what was happening, much less -understand it all. He realised the ship was being fired at, for there -were splashes in the sea all round, and he could hear the shrieking -whistle of the shell-splinters; but the roaring of the <i>Mariner's</i> -own guns drowned every other sound. It was glorious to think that his -own gun was firing at last, and somehow he did not very much care what -happened so long as the enemy suffered. -</p> - -<p> -It was an exciting experience. The hostile flotilla appeared as a drove -of rushing gray shapes in the midst of a turmoil of shell fountains, -smoke, and gun-flashes. There were so many of them, and they were so -closely packed, that it was unnecessary to single out any one -particular vessel as a target, and the British guns merely fired into -'the brown,' with the almost absolute certainty of hitting something. -</p> - -<p> -Nearer and nearer they came—four thousand yards, three thousand five -hundred, three thousand. In numbers the two forces were about equal, -but the effects of the heavier British guns soon made themselves felt, -for before long two of the enemy seemed to crumple up and vanish in a -cloud of smoke and steam. A bare thirty seconds later another shared -the same fate, while a fourth, badly hit, lay nearly motionless on the -water and very much down by the bows, with a storm of shell spurting, -foaming, and bursting all round her. The hostile attack was beaten off, -for after a very sharp close-range action the enemy's flotillas turned -tail and scuttled back to the shelter of their heavier ships. -</p> - -<p> -Then the British flotillas, with the ground cleared, charged on again -to press home the attack on the German battle-cruisers. The moment they -came within range they were fired upon, and within a few seconds all -the enemy's lighter guns came into action in a furious and frantic -endeavour to drive them off. The gray shapes of the hostile vessels -scintillated with gun-flashes and became shrouded in smoke, and once -more the sea started to spout and boil angrily. But the destroyers were -not to be denied, and after the gigantic shell fountains of the earlier -portion of the battle, these smaller splashes, alarming as they might -have been in ordinary circumstances, seemed puny and insignificant. -Indeed, they came as a positive relief, and nobody worried his head -about them. -</p> - -<p> -The little craft still drove on under an awful fire, and the -<i>Mariner</i>, following round in the wake of her leader, turned and -fired two torpedoes in rapid succession when she came within range. -Others did the same, some ships arriving within three thousand yards of -the enemy to do so. Some of the torpedoes must have gone home; but -before they reached the enemy the attackers had turned about and were -steaming hard to get out of range. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Mariner</i> had been hit by only one small projectile, which -burst aft, but did no damage to speak of except inflicting slight -flesh-wounds on two men, much to their subsequent satisfaction. Other -ships had not been so lucky, and Pincher noticed one destroyer which -had been struck in the engine-room and could not steam. The last time -he saw her she lay motionless between the two fleets, enduring a -terrible fire from every German gun which would bear. The greater -number of her men must have been killed and her deck converted into a -reeking shambles, but her colours were still flying. -</p> - -<p> -The action between the opposing battle-cruisers had continued with -unabated fury, both forces steaming to the southward on roughly -parallel courses; but at four-forty-two the German High Sea Fleet had -been sighted to the south-eastward from the <i>Lion</i>. Sir David -Beatty thereupon swung round to an opposite course to lead the -new-comers towards Sir John Jellicoe, who, with the battleships of the -Grand Fleet, was somewhere to the north. The enemy's battle-cruisers, -maintaining their station ahead of the High Sea Fleet, conformed to the -movement of the British shortly afterwards. -</p> - -<p> -The Fifth Battle-Squadron, under the orders of Rear-Admiral Evan Thomas -in the <i>Barham</i>, with the sister-ships <i>Valiant</i>, -<i>Malaya</i>, and <i>Warspite</i>, were now approaching from the -north, firing heavily as they came on to the head of the hostile line; -but shortly before five o'clock they swung round into line astern of -the battle-cruisers, coming under a heavy but more or less ineffectual -fire from the leading German battleships as they did so. -</p> - -<p> -Up to now the weather conditions had been favourable alike to both -sides, but at about four-forty-five a thick mist and a great mass of -dark cloud settled on the eastern horizon, and blurred the outlines of -the enemy's vessels until they appeared vague, shadowy, and indistinct. -To the westward, however, the sky was still quite clear, and the -British were plainly silhouetted against the horizon, which gave the -Germans the advantage in so far as the light was concerned. -</p> - -<p> -Between five and six <span class="smc">P.M.</span> the action continued, Sir David -Beatty's force, with the four battleships astern of it, gradually -drawing ahead of the enemy, and concentrating a very heavy fire on the -battle-cruisers at the head of his line at a range of about fourteen -thousand yards. The hostile battleships, meanwhile, farther astern, -could do little to reply, and ship after ship of the enemy was badly -battered, while one of their battle-cruisers, terribly damaged, was -observed to quit the line. -</p> - -<p> -At about six o'clock the leading British battleships were sighted to -the north from the <i>Lion</i>, and at this time Sir David Beatty, to -clear the way for them to come into action, altered course to the east -and crossed the enemy's <b>T</b>, reducing the range to twelve thousand -yards as he did so, and inflicting terrible damage with his heavy fire. -At this time only four hostile vessels were in sight, three -battle-cruisers and one battleship, the others being obliterated in the -mist. -</p> - -<p> -Twenty minutes later the Third Battle-Cruiser Squadron, commanded by -Rear-Admiral the Hon. H. L. A. Hood, joined Sir David Beatty. The -reinforcement was ordered to take station ahead, and steamed gallantly -into action at a range of eight thousand yards. The <i>Invincible</i>, -subjected to a concentrated fire from every hostile gun which would -bear, was sunk. -</p> - -<p> -Previous to this, between five-fifty and six <span class="smc">P.M.</span>, -Rear-Admiral Sir Robert Arbuthnot, with the older cruisers -<i>Defence</i> and <i>Warrior</i>, had steamed in to attack the enemy's -light cruisers, and the two vessels, with their 9·2 and 7·5 inch guns, -sank or inflicted severe damage upon their opponents. But in doing so, -unaware, on account of the mist, of the immediate presence of the -enemy's heavier ships, they suddenly came within easy range of monster -weapons against which their comparatively light armaments were -impotent. -</p> - -<p> -An awful fire was concentrated upon them. The <i>Defence</i>, to use -the words of an eye-witness, was 'blown clean out of the water' by a -salvo of shell. The <i>Warrior</i> was hit repeatedly by heavy shell, -and suffered terrible injury, for before escaping from her unenviable -position she had arrived within a range of about five thousand four -hundred yards of two hostile battle-cruisers. -</p> - -<p> -The ship was little more than a battered wreck. A distance of five -thousand four hundred yards is nothing at sea. It is point-blank range, -and may be compared with using a rifle at fifty yards. Her casualties -in killed and wounded had been very severe. The engine-rooms and -stokeholds were flooded through shell striking and penetrating below -the water-line, while she was blazing furiously aft, and was making -water fast. The whole vessel was pierced and perforated until she -resembled a gigantic nutmeg-grater, and as time went on she settled -lower and lower in the water. Certain of the survivors tried to quench -the fire with hoses, while the remainder set to work to build rafts, -practically all the boats having been demolished. The conflagration was -eventually subdued, and then came the piteous and gruesome task of -identifying the dead, while the wounded were brought on deck in case it -should be necessary to abandon the ship. -</p> - -<p> -For over an hour she lay there helpless, and we can imagine the relief -of officers and men when, later in the evening, the <i>Engadine</i>, a -cross-Channel steamer converted into a seaplane depot ship, arrived on -the scene and took her in tow. The energy of every soul on board was -then concentrated on keeping the ship afloat; and, as the steam-pumping -arrangements were useless, the exhausted men were at the hand-pumps all -through the hours of darkness. -</p> - -<p> -But it was not to be. The weather during the night grew rapidly worse, -and when the next dawn came the wind and sea had risen, and waves were -breaking over the quarterdeck. The cruiser could not last much longer. -She was sinking fast, and there was nothing for it but to abandon her. -</p> - -<p> -One by one the wounded were passed down into boats and were ferried -across to the rescuing vessel. They were followed in turn by the -remainder of the ship's company, the officers, and finally the captain; -and when last seen, between nine and ten in the morning, the -<i>Warrior</i> was sinking by the stern. But she had upheld her name. -She came to a noble end, for she had fought valiantly against -overwhelming odds until she could fight no more, and her name, together -with those of other brave ships lost on that eventful day, will never -be forgotten. Her heroic dead did not sacrifice their lives in vain. -</p> - -<p> -Of the gallant work of the <i>Engadine</i>, which towed the cruiser for -seventy-five miles between eight-forty <span class="smc">P.M.</span> and -seven-fifteen <span class="smc">A.M.</span> the next morning, and was instrumental in -saving the lives of her ship's company, we need make no mention here. -The exploit occupies its deserved position of prominence in Sir John -Jellicoe's official despatch. -</p> - - -<h3> -III. -</h3> - -<p> -It was immediately after the destroyer action between the lines that -the <i>Mariner</i> first sighted another body of ships looming up to -the southward. The new-comers, about sixteen large ships accompanied by -many smaller vessels, came on at full speed towards the scene of -action, and at first the men in the destroyers imagined them to be the -battleships of the British Grand Fleet. Their spirits rose accordingly, -for with the arrival of these powerful units the enemy's -battle-cruisers, cut off from their base, could not escape -annihilation. But a few minutes later, when the great ships had come -nearer, their unfamiliar shape and unusual light-gray colouring -proclaimed them for what they really were—the battleship squadrons of -the German High Sea Fleet. -</p> - -<p> -Some of the destroyers which were favourably placed at once dashed in -to attack with torpedoes, retiring as soon as they had fired, and -before very long most of them had rejoined the heavier vessels.<a href="#note38" -name="noteref38"> -<span class="fn">[38]</span></a> - -Their next chance of doing something was to come after nightfall. -</p> - -<p> -From about six-fifteen onwards it is very difficult to give a -comprehensive account of what occurred, for with the arrival on the -scene of the British Grand Fleet, the German main squadrons turned and -retired to the southward. Sir John Jellicoe chased at full speed; and, -as he says in his despatch, 'the enemy's tactics were of a nature -generally to avoid further action,' while he refers to his own ships as -the 'following' or 'chasing' fleet. Moreover, in the engagements which -ensued, the enemy were favoured by the weather, for banks of heavy mist -and smoke-clouds from the hostile destroyers reduced the visibility to -six miles or less, and periodically screened the opponents from each -other's view. -</p> - -<p> -The fighting between the opposing battleships, which began at -six-seventeen <span class="smc">P.M.</span>, seems to have resolved itself into a -series of ship to ship and squadron to squadron encounters rather than -a formal fleet action; but, while our vessels remained in their -organised divisions throughout, the enemy, soon after the fight began, -seem to have become more or less scattered, and to have had a trail of -injured ships struggling along in rear of their main body. -</p> - -<p> -A hostile vessel would suddenly loom up out of the haze a bare eight or -ten thousand yards distant, to be greeted with salvo after salvo of -shell as the British battleships drove by. She would reply to the best -of her ability; but, whereas our vessels had just come into action, and -their shooting was very accurate, the German firing was not good, and -had little or no result. Ship after ship of the enemy appeared through -the murk to be fired at heavily for three, four, or five minutes, then -to disappear in the haze, badly hammered and perhaps on fire. -</p> - -<p> -To give some idea of what took place during this period it is advisable -to quote largely from the official despatches of Sir John Jellicoe and -Sir David Beatty. There was the battleship <i>Marlborough</i>, which, -with the First Battle-Squadron, came into action with the retiring -enemy at six-seventeen <span class="smc">P.M.</span> at a range of eleven thousand -yards. She first fired seven rapid salvos at a German vessel of the -<i>Kaiser</i> class, then engaged a cruiser, and again a battleship, -doing them all serious injury. At six-fifty-four she was struck by a -torpedo, the only one which took effect out of the many fired by the -hostile destroyers; but, though damaged and with a considerable list to -starboard, she remained in the line, and opened fire again at a cruiser -at seven-three <span class="smc">P.M.</span> Nine minutes later she started to fire -fourteen rapid salvos at another battleship, hitting her badly and -forcing her out of the line. Her firing throughout was most effective -and accurate, and this in spite of the injury caused by the underwater -explosion of the torpedo. -</p> - -<p> -The First Battle-Squadron closed the range to nine thousand yards, and -wrought great havoc with its fire, but only one of its vessels, the -<i>Colossus</i>, was struck, despite the hail of shell from the enemy. -</p> - -<p> -The Second Battle-Squadron was in action with other German battleships -between six-thirty and seven-twenty <span class="smc">P.M.</span>, and also with a -battle-cruiser which had dropped astern seriously injured; while the -Fourth Battle-Squadron, with which was Sir John Jellicoe's flagship the -<i>Iron Duke</i>, engaged two battleships, as well as battle-cruisers, -cruisers, and light cruisers. The vessels of the Fourth Light-Cruiser -Squadron remained ahead of the British battleships until seven-twenty -<span class="smc">P.M.</span>, when they moved out to counter the attack of hostile -destroyers, and successfully drove them off. They did it again an hour -later, in company with the Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla, and came under -a heavy fire from the enemy's battleships at ranges of between six -thousand five hundred and eight thousand yards. It was then that the -<i>Calliope</i>, flying the broad pendant of Commodore Le Mesurier, was -hit several times, and suffered casualties, but luckily escaped serious -injury. In the course of these attacks torpedoes were fired at the foe, -while four hostile destroyers were sunk by the British fire. -</p> - -<p> -At seven-fourteen Sir David Beatty, who, with his battle-cruisers, was -apparently separated from Sir John Jellicoe, sighted two -battle-cruisers and two battleships in the mist. He promptly engaged -them, and, setting one on fire, so damaged another that she was forced -to haul out of the line. The enemy's destroyers thereupon emitted dense -volumes of gray smoke, under cover of which the enemy turned away and -disappeared. -</p> - -<p> -But they were very soon relocated by the British light cruisers acting -as scouts, and between eight-twenty and eight-thirty-eight -<span class="smc">P.M.</span> Sir David was once more in action at ten thousand -yards. During this period the <i>Lion</i> forced one of the enemy, -badly on fire and with a heavy list to port, out of the line; the -<i>Princess Royal</i> set fire to a three-funnelled battleship; and the -<i>New Zealand</i> and the <i>Indomitable</i> caused another vessel to -leave the line heeling over and blazing furiously. The enemy then -disappeared in the mist and were no more seen. -</p> - -<p> -These various semi-isolated actions, and particularly the performance -of the <i>Marlborough</i>, which fired at no fewer than five different -ships between six-seventeen and seven-twelve, show only too well how -the mist aided the foe; but in spite of it, the enemy was badly beaten, -and suffered far greater casualties than the British. -</p> - -<p> -At nine <span class="smc">P.M.</span> darkness was rapidly approaching, and at about -this time the British heavy forces retired temporarily from the -immediate neighbourhood to avoid hostile destroyer attacks, remaining, -however, in positions between the enemy and his base from which the -battle could be renewed at daylight. At the same time the light -cruisers and destroyers were ordered in to do what damage they could. -</p> - -<p> -To those in certain of the destroyers which were present during the -latter part of the afternoon and evening, and happened to be unengaged, -the sensation was a most uncanny one. Their area of vision was bounded -by a narrow circle of four or five miles radius, but all round them -until nightfall the air resounded and shook with the distant rumble and -the nearer thudding of heavy guns as the great ships engaged each -other. The uproar never ceased. Fighting seemed to be furious and -continuous; but though the vessels of the <i>Mariner's</i> flotilla -were steaming to the southward with their guns ready and torpedo-tubes -manned, it was not until after darkness had fallen that they were -vouchsafed another chance of using them. But they saw many signs of the -battle. At one moment they would catch a glimpse of a huge British -battleship vomiting flame and smoke as she engaged some invisible -opponent. She would fade away in the mist, to be followed presently by -a fleeting vision of two light cruisers, one British and the other -German, their sides a quivering spangle of gun-flashes as they mutually -hammered each other. They also would disappear, swallowed up in the -haze; and a British destroyer, steaming at full speed, would dash -across the horizon on some errand of destruction, with smoke pouring -from her funnels and an immense white wave piled up in her wake. -</p> - -<p> -They passed the bows of a sunken enemy light cruiser standing up out of -the sea like some gigantic spearhead; and once, just before dark, they -sighted what remained of a sorely wounded German cruiser. She was -sinking fast. Her guns were silent, and she lay over to an alarming -angle, with a blaze of orange and cherry-coloured flame leaping and -playing about her from end to end. The whole interior of the ship must -have been a raging furnace; and a mushroom-shaped pall of dark smoke, -its under-side stained a vivid carmine by the flames, hung over her -like a canopy, and added its contribution to the thickness of the -atmosphere. The sea was strewn with wreckage, masses of débris, and -floating corpses wearing life-belts. -</p> - -<p> -And so the night came. -</p> - - -<h3> -IV. -</h3> - -<div class="blockquote"> -<p> - 'And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his - weapons.'—<cite>Jeremiah</cite> xxii. 7. -</p> -</div> - -<p> -The fighting and the destroyer attacks of the night are even more -difficult to follow than the actions which took place during the -afternoon and evening. The British heavy squadrons had withdrawn at -dark to avoid the expected torpedo attacks of the hostile flotillas, -and the retreating enemy, meanwhile, damaged and undamaged ships, some -singly, others in pairs or in groups of four or five, still steamed -hard for their own waters. It was upon these scattered units and -divisions that the British destroyer attacks presently took place. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Mariner</i> and her next ahead had somehow become separated from -the others after dark, and to Pincher this desperate rush after the -enemy was an awesome business. Owing to the mist and the haze the night -was unusually dark; but though with the retirement of the larger ships -the incessant booming and thudding of the heavy guns ceased, frequent -outbursts of fire from lighter weapons, sharp, blinding flashes of -flame, the redder glare of exploding shell, the white gleam of -searchlights, and the occasional thud of a distant, heavy explosion -showed where torpedo attacks were being delivered. The night was an -inferno. -</p> - -<p> -It was very difficult to tell which were the attackers and which the -attacked, and it was this very uncertainty, and the not knowing what -was happening, which were so trying to the nerves. All they were aware -of was that the German fleet, with many of its ships badly battered, -was somewhere ahead of them. They all realised that a torpedo attack -after dark was a desperate game at the best of times; but they had -witnessed a succession of such awful scenes during the fighting of the -afternoon and evening that their feelings of personal danger and the -dread of being killed seemed to have gone. They felt themselves keyed -up to the highest pitch of excitement, excitement so intense and so -utterly abnormal that they had neither the time nor the inclination to -think of themselves and their own danger. The German fleet was -somewhere in the darkness ahead of them, and it was their duty to sink -and destroy what they could. Nothing else seemed to matter. -</p> - -<p> -Their chance was not very long in coming. The two destroyers were -steering on a south-south-westerly course at twenty-five knots, and -shortly after ten o'clock a band of lighter colour began slowly to -encroach on the dark sky on the eastern horizon. Ten minutes later the -dense blackness from about south-east to north-east had given way to -the usual indigo blue of the night; and there, some distance abaft the -port beam, and dimly silhouetted against the sky, were the blurred -shapes of two vessels. They were fully two miles distant, perhaps more, -and seemed to be steaming slowly on much the same course as the -<i>Mariner</i> and her consort. What class of vessel they were it was -quite impossible to determine. But, from their position and course, -they were certainly not British; while, from the background of -intensely dark cloud to the south-westward, it seemed unlikely that -they had seen the destroyers. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Mariner's</i> next ahead must have seen the ships at much the -same time, for she suddenly increased speed and turned slightly to port -until she was steaming across the strangers' bows. The <i>Mariner</i> -conformed to her movements. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten, gazing through his glasses, felt himself quivering with -excitement. Had his chance come, the chance for which they had all -hoped and prayed? He gave some order over his shoulder to a man at a -voice-pipe, who passed it to the torpedo-tubes. 'Lord!' he ejaculated -to the first lieutenant, still busy with his binoculars, 'they look to -me like two lame ducks, No. 1; but they're big ships, whatever they -are.' -</p> - -<p> -'I sincerely hope they are, sir,' MacDonald replied calmly. 'It's time -we had a look in at something. Shall I go down to the tubes?' -</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><a name="333"><img src="images/007.jpg" alt="The dark hulls of the enemy were hidden in the - blinding glare of their searchlights." width="376" height="500"></a></div> -<p class="caption">The dark hulls of the enemy were hidden in the blinding glare of their searchlights.</p> -<p class="captionalignr"><span class="sc">Page 333.</span> -</p> - -<p> -'Yes, do. And fire when your sights come on if you get no further -orders. For God's sake, don't miss!' -</p> - -<p> -The two great vessels were drawing rapidly nearer, and became more and -more distinct. The leading destroyer was still altering her course -gradually to port, until at last she remained steady on the opposite -and parallel course to the enemy. The <i>Mariner</i> travelled in her -wake, and the track they were following seemed as if it would take them -past the ships, now nearly a mile and a half distant, at a range of -about six hundred yards. -</p> - -<p> -It was at this moment that the enemy first seemed to realise what was -happening, for a gun suddenly boomed out from the leading vessel and a -shell went screeching by overhead. Where it fell nobody saw. Almost -instantaneously a searchlight flickered out, and after sweeping slowly -across the water, fell full on the <i>Mariner's</i> leader and remained -steady. Another beam shone out, another, and yet a fourth, until both -destroyers were illuminated in a dazzling glare which for the moment -blinded everybody on board. Then the guns started in in earnest. -</p> - -<p> -The destroyers were steaming at about thirty knots, and the enemy at -ten or twelve. In other words, attackers and attacked were nearing each -other at the combined rate of about forty knots, or one and a half -miles in two minutes fifteen seconds. It was the longest and most -trying two and a quarter minutes that Wooten or any of his crew had -ever experienced, for, though the speed of the approach tended to make -accurate shooting difficult, the difficulty was largely mitigated by -the point-blank range. -</p> - -<p> -The dark hulls of the enemy were hidden in the blinding glare of their -searchlights and the incessant sparkle and spurting of bright golden -flame as their guns were fired as fast as they could be loaded. Filmy -streamers of smoke from the discharges wreathed and eddied -fantastically through the blue-white rays of the lights. The air -suddenly began to reverberate with a succession of ear-splitting -crashes, the screeching whistle of shell passing overhead, and the dull -<i>plop</i> of others as they pitched in the water to raise their -shimmering, ghostly spray fountains. There came the roaring thud of the -explosions, and the same old familiar humming and buzzing as fragments -drove through the air. But above the din and turmoil of the firing -there was another and quite new noise: a short, sharp, -metallic-sounding explosion in the air, followed by a hissing and -soughing like the wind among trees—the enemy were using shrapnel. -</p> - -<p> -There came a crash, and a sheet of brilliant greenish flame from aft. -The ship seemed to wince, but still drove on. Another shell, bursting -on the water a few feet short, sent its jagged splinters flying over -the bridge and across the upper deck. Something whizzed within a few -inches of Wooten's head, and there was an infernal clanging and -clattering as slivers of steel drove through and against the ship's -side and funnels. It was followed by the thud of a falling body, as one -of the signalmen, standing just behind the coxswain at the wheel, -slithered to the deck. -</p> - -<p> -'Gawd!' he muttered, with an air of intense astonishment, sitting up -and nursing his side; 'they've 'it me! Gawd blimy, blokes, they've 'it -me?' But nobody had time to pay attention to him. -</p> - -<p> -Another jar, the roar of a detonation, a burst of flame from the -forecastle, and a whining and whirring of splinters! Another, close -beside the foremost funnel, and a sound of splintering and crashing as -some object fell and went overboard! Something red-hot and sharp grazed -Wooten's cheek. He put up his hand to brush it aside, and his fingers -came down sticky and wet. -</p> - -<p> -A hideous metallic explosion in the air and a fiendish rattling of -bullets upon steel, as a shrapnel burst and sent its contents flying on -board. Willis, the coxswain, hit through the left shoulder, released -his hold on the wheel and fell to his knees; but in an instant he was -up again, steering the ship with his uninjured right hand. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten suddenly felt a burning sensation in his left arm as if a -red-hot knitting-needle had been passed through the flesh. The shock of -it sent him staggering backwards, and he gritted his teeth with the -pain. His left arm seemed numbed and useless, and a little trickle of -blood ran down inside his coat-sleeve and pattered to the deck. The air -was full of the sickening stench of explosives. -</p> - -<p> -They were very close now. The enemy seemed to be nearly on top of them, -and their huge blurred shapes, almost invisible in the glare of the -searchlights and the vivid gun-flashes, seemed literally to obscure the -horizon. But the destroyers still drove on. They had not been stopped. -</p> - -<p> -The lights of the nearer ship suddenly went out, and a column of water -and smoke shot into the air at her side. It hung there for a moment, -glistening in the ruby and orange flashes of the guns, and then there -came the thundering reverberation of a heavy underwater explosion quite -close at hand. It seemed to compress the air, and caused the destroyers -to stagger in their stride. A torpedo from the leading destroyer had -gone home. -</p> - -<p> -Wooten instinctively looked aft, and as he did so a little puff of dull -flame flickered out amidships. It was followed by a loud, snorting hiss -and a heavy splash as a torpedo left its tube. Another came almost -instantaneously with the first. -</p> - -<p> -The enemy's fire, though still furious, became very wild; and two -minutes later, with the sound of a couple more thudding explosions -ringing in their ears, the destroyers were out of danger. The roaring -of the guns gradually died away, and then ceased altogether. -</p> - -<p> -'Good God!' muttered Wooten, trembling in his excitement. -</p> - -<hr class="short"> - -<p> -Daylight found the <i>Mariner</i> and her leader some distance across -the North Sea, steaming slowly homewards. They were battered and -leaking, while the <i>Mariner</i> was badly down by the stern and -listed slightly to starboard. Her funnels were riddled through and -through; there were gaping holes in her side and her deck where shell -had penetrated, and many smaller punctures where splinters had struck -and gone through. A large projectile, bursting on the forecastle, had -torn the deck and the ship's side, and had flung the foremost gun off -its mounting, killing or wounding every member of the gun's crew except -one. The wardroom and one mess-deck were open to the sea; boats were -splintered and useless; and the topmast, taking with it the aerial of -the wireless telegraphy, had been shorn off and had gone overboard. The -mizzen-mast also had disappeared, and a brand-new white ensign now -fluttered from an improvised flagstaff in the stern. It was the only -respectable-looking thing in the ship. -</p> - -<p> -But the surprising thing was that neither vessel was vitally injured. -They could both steam, though slowly, and by dint of plugging the more -serious holes and keeping the pumps going, they were still tolerably -seaworthy. How they had escaped from the inferno without being blown -clean out of the water was nothing short of a miracle. -</p> - -<p> -Casualties had been heavy. Wooten went about with his arm in a sling -and a bandage round his head; but his hurts, though painful, were not -sufficiently severe to incapacitate him for duty. The first lieutenant -had not been so lucky, for he, peppered badly by a shell, had been -confined to his bunk with more serious injuries. -</p> - -<p> -The eight dead had been buried at dawn, and now the wounded lay in -their hammocks on the battered mess-deck under the forecastle. Some of -the slighter cases, with their hurts bandaged, were smoking cigarettes -and talking quite cheerfully; others were asleep. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher Martin was one of them. He had three neat little -splinter-wounds in his back—three insignificant-looking and trivial -little punctures which caused Brown, the surgeon-probationer, to purse -his lips and to frown in his most professional manner when first he saw -them. 'D'you feel any pain?' he had asked. -</p> - -<p> -'Not unless I moves, sir,' the patient had answered with a wan smile, -his tightly compressed lips giving the lie to his words. -</p> - -<p> -An operation was impossible, and they dressed the wounds as best they -could and made him comfortable; but the slivers of steel somewhere -inside him hurt atrociously, and it was all he could do to refrain from -moaning when they touched him. So Brown, seeing how things stood, dozed -him with morphia, and poor Pincher, with his young face unnaturally -haggard, drawn, and very white, was presently slumbering as peacefully -as a child. -</p> - - - - -<a name="XVIII"> </a> -<h2> -CHAPTER XVIII. -<br><br> -<span class="small"> -CONCLUSION.</span> -</h2> - - -<h3> -I. -</h3> - -<p> -'Am safe,' the telegram said tersely, in Billings's ungrammatical -English. 'Martin wounded, progressing favourable.—<span class="sc">Joshua</span>.' -</p> - -<p> -Mrs Billings, drying her eyes with a handkerchief, read it for the -third time. 'Emmeline!' she called softly, going to the door of the -sitting-room at the back of the shop. -</p> - -<p> -'Yes, mother.' -</p> - -<p> -'There's news, my gal!' -</p> - -<p> -'News!' cried her daughter, darting forward. -</p> - -<p> -The elder woman sniffed loudly and held out the flimsy paper. 'Read -that, my dear.' -</p> - -<p> -The girl snatched it in her agitation. 'Martin wounded, progressing -favourable,' she read slowly. 'My Bill wounded!' She stood there for a -moment wide-eyed and swaying ominously. Then her pent-up feelings -overcame her, and, collapsing suddenly on to a chair, she fell forward -with her head on the table and her face buried in her hands. Her whole -body shook with sobs. -</p> - -<p> -Her mother was at her side in an instant. 'There, there, my pretty,' -she murmured consolingly, patting her daughter on the shoulder; 'don't -take on so. Don't cry, my gal. He's only wounded.' She was crying -herself. -</p> - -<p> -But Emmeline refused to be comforted. 'My Bill's wounded!' she moaned -again and again. -</p> - -<p> -Mrs Billings leant down and put her arms round the girl's neck. 'Don't -take on so, dear,' she said huskily, with the tears streaming down her -own face; 'it's all right, my pet. There, there,' as Emmeline shook -with another paroxysm of sobbing, 'don't fret; it's all right; he's -only wounded. We've—b-both got a—deal to be thankful for.' -</p> - -<p> -Mother and daughter wept together. -</p> - -<p> -For the last forty-eight hours they had both been living in a state of -awful suspense. First had come the tidings of the engagement in the -North Sea, with the depressing information that the British losses had -been very heavy. Then came the news that eight destroyers had been -sunk; but no mention of the <i>Mariner</i>. They had no means of -finding out whether or not she had even taken part in the battle; but -both of them, with dismal forebodings in their hearts, had made up -their minds for the worst. -</p> - -<p> -All day and all night the two women had prayed and hoped. The agony of -their suspense was almost more than they could bear, and their hearts -nearly broke during that frightful period of waiting. Emmeline, -pale-faced and red-eyed, went to the railway station twice a day to -procure the earliest copies of the morning and evening newspapers. -Together they had read them eagerly, trying to piece together some sort -of a connected narrative to relieve their tortured minds. But still -there was nothing about the <i>Mariner</i>. They read about the -desperate destroyer attacks on the German fleet, and of the losses -incurred by the British flotillas. They could not bring themselves to -believe that 'no news was good news.' -</p> - -<p> -Emmeline looked up with the tears still trickling down her face, and -reaching for her handkerchief, proceeded to dab her eyes. 'I'm a fool,' -she said, sniffing; 'I suppose I ought to be thankful he isn't killed.' -</p> - -<p> -Her mother kissed her gently. 'There, there, my dear,' she said softly; -'that's better. Be brave. It's all over now.' -</p> - -<p> -The girl dried her eyes, rose from her chair, and walked slowly across -to the mirror over the mantelpiece. 'Lor'!' she said bravely, a little -smile hovering round the corners of her quivering mouth; 'I do look a -sight, and no mistake!' -</p> - - -<h3> -II. -</h3> - -<p> -When the <i>Mariner</i> struggled home to her east coast port after the -engagement, Martin was one of the first to be packed off to the local -hospital. Then had followed an operation, and a fortnight's delay -before he was sufficiently recovered to be sent to the Royal Naval -Hospital at Haslar. It was here that he again saw his mother and -father, who came down for the day, called him a brave boy, and -inconsiderately wept over him through sheer thankfulness. -</p> - -<p> -Then, at four o'clock on one never-to-be-forgotten afternoon, Joshua -Billings suddenly appeared. He was grinning sheepishly, and Pincher -noticed at once that he wore the badge of a leading seaman. -</p> - -<p> -''Allo, Josh!' he exclaimed, very much pleased to see him, and shaking -his horny hand; ''ow goes it?' -</p> - -<p> -'Orl right, Pinch. 'Ow's yerself?' -</p> - -<p> -'Gittin' along fine, chum. They're sendin' me 'ome on leaf in four -days. Wot's th' noos; an' wot's that?' Pincher pointed to the single -anchor which adorned the sleeve of his friend's jumper. -</p> - -<p> -Joshua looked solemn. 'I gits rated up ten days ago,' he explained; -'death vacancy. Poor ole Byles got laid out, yer remember. I'd sooner -'e wus still wearin' th' killick, poor bloke!' He spoke huskily. -</p> - -<p> -Pincher nodded. 'Wot are yer doin' 'ere?' he asked. -</p> - -<p> -'The ship's in dock, an' they gave us ten days' leaf,' answered his -friend. 'By the way,' he added, 'I suppose you 'eard as 'ow you'd bin -rated up.' -</p> - -<p> -'Wot?' -</p> - -<p> -'They've made yer an A.B.' -</p> - -<p> -'S'welp me!' Pincher ejaculated; ''ave they?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yus, they 'ave, Pinch; an' if yer don't watch it we'll see yer a -leadin' seaman afore long.' -</p> - -<p> -'Yer didn't come 'ere a purpose ter tell me that, did yer?' Martin -queried suspiciously. -</p> - -<p> -''Ow d'yer mean?' -</p> - -<p> -''Ow's Hemmeline an' Mrs Fig—— yer ole woman? I've 'ad a letter from -Hemmeline every day 'cept yesterday an' ter-day, an' I thought—— -'Ere!' Pincher suddenly blurted out, a vague hope dawning in his heart, -'why ain't you on leaf at Weymouth?' -</p> - -<p> -'We come round 'ere ter give yer a chuck up, Pincher.' -</p> - -<p> -'We! 'Oo d'yer mean? 'Er an' 'er mother?' -</p> - -<p> -'Yus. They're outside. I come in fu'st to prepare yer like.' -</p> - -<p> -'W'y couldn't yer 'ave said so afore?' Pincher demanded wrathfully. -'Bring 'er in!' -</p> - -<p> -'Orl right, ole son; don't go gittin' rattled abart it. Me an' my -missis'll go an' see Dogo Pearson, wot's wounded an' in another ward. -I'll tell Hemmeline as 'ow you'd like ter see 'er, an' me an' the -missis'll be back afore long.' Joshua winked twice and went away. -</p> - -<p> -Two minutes later Emmeline was sitting by Pincher's bed. Her eyes were -full of tears, tears of happiness, and to Pincher she was the most -adorable thing in the world. -</p> - -<p> -'Oh Hemmeline!' he sighed huskily, his throat working and his fingers -clutching her hand. 'Oh Hemmeline!' -</p> - -<p> -'Well, Bill, what's the matter?' she asked dreamily, turning her head -and smiling at him through her long lashes. -</p> - -<p> -''Ow I love you!' -</p> - -<p> -'Silly boy!' she chided softly. -</p> - -<p> -We will draw a veil over what happened next. The ward was a very public -place; but the other patients discreetly turned their heads away and -pretended not to see. -</p> - -<p> -Mr and Mrs Joshua Billings were away for fully half-an-hour. To -Emmeline and Pincher it seemed more like five minutes. -</p> - - -<h3> -III. -</h3> - -<p> -The wedding, a month later, was a very quiet one. -</p> - -<br> -<p class="ctr"> -THE END. -</p> -<br> -<p class="ctrsmall"> -Edinburgh: Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited. -</p> - -<hr class="med"> -<p class="ctr"> -Footnotes -</p> - -<dl> - <dt class="notelabel"><a name="note1"> </a> -<a href="#noteref1"><small>[1]</small></a></dt> - <dd class="notetext">'The Straits' = the Mediterranean.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note2"> </a> -<a href="#noteref2"><small>[2]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">'In the rattle' = in trouble.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note3"> </a> -<a href="#noteref3"><small>[3]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">O.D. = the slang term for 'ordinary seaman.' 'O.S.' is one -official naval contraction, and 'Ord.' another. 'O.D.' is derived from -the latter, in the same way as an able seaman is known as an 'A.B.'</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note4"> </a> -<a href="#noteref4"><small>[4]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">The term 'matlo,' derived from the French for 'sailor,' is -always used by bluejackets in referring to themselves.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note5"> </a> -<a href="#noteref5"><small>[5]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">E.R.A. = engine-room artificer.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note6"> </a> -<a href="#noteref6"><small>[6]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">A 'killick' is an anchor, which is the badge worn by a -leading seaman. 'Dipping the killick' means that the badge is removed, -and that its wearer has been disrated to A.B.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note7"> </a> -<a href="#noteref7"><small>[7]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">'Pompey' is the naval slang term for Portsmouth.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note8"> </a> -<a href="#noteref8"><small>[8]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">Men serving in destroyers receive sixpence a day extra -pay. It is known as 'hard-lying money.'</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note9"> </a> -<a href="#noteref9"><small>[9]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">K.H.B. = King's hard bargain, a term used in connection -with a man who is an undesirable character.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note10"> </a> -<a href="#noteref10"><small>[10]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">The commanding officer of a man-of-war is frequently -referred to as 'the owner,' or 'the old man.'</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note11"> </a> -<a href="#noteref11"><small>[11]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">Weighed anchor.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note12"> </a> -<a href="#noteref12"><small>[12]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">A fraction of a knot.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note13"> </a> -<a href="#noteref13"><small>[13]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">A 'godown' is a warehouse.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note14"> </a> -<a href="#noteref14"><small>[14]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">'Snotty' is the naval slang term for midshipman.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note15"> </a> -<a href="#noteref15"><small>[15]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">Assistant-paymaster.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note16"> </a> -<a href="#noteref16"><small>[16]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">Going on the 'razzle' = going on the spree.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note17"> </a> -<a href="#noteref17"><small>[17]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">To 'part brassrags' is to sever friendly intercourse with -a chum. Chums frequently use one another's rags in polishing the -brasswork of the ship; when they quarrel they naturally cease to do -this.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note18"> </a> -<a href="#noteref18"><small>[18]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">'Tickler' is a derogatory term for an ordinary seaman.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note19"> </a> -<a href="#noteref19"><small>[19]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">A ship's steward's assistant is always known as a 'dusty -boy.'</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note20"> </a> -<a href="#noteref20"><small>[20]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">M.A.A., master-at-arms.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note21"> </a> -<a href="#noteref21"><small>[21]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">No. 10 = a particular form of punishment.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note22"> </a> -<a href="#noteref22"><small>[22]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">Paymaster.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note23"> </a> -<a href="#noteref23"><small>[23]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">'Chawing the fat' = spinning a yarn.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note24"> </a> -<a href="#noteref24"><small>[24]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">'Tin 'ats' = drunk.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note25"> </a> -<a href="#noteref25"><small>[25]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">A 'killick' is an anchor, and a petty officer wears -crossed anchors as his distinctive badge.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note26"> </a> -<a href="#noteref26"><small>[26]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">'P.Z. Exercises'—that is, mock actions, fought between -two opposing squadrons; so called from the two-flag signal directing -the fleet to carry out these manœuvres.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note27"> </a> -<a href="#noteref27"><small>[27]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">'The Bloke' = the commander. 'Jimmy the One' = the first -lieutenant.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note28"> </a> -<a href="#noteref28"><small>[28]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">The ship's company of a ship hailing from Devonport are -known as 'Duffos' to the men of ships with Portsmouth and Chatham -crews. A 'duff' is a pudding, and the term probably originated on -account of the west-countrymen's supposed liking for that comestible.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note29"> </a> -<a href="#noteref29"><small>[29]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">Most ships, even those carrying proper musicians, have a -home-made band formed by the men themselves. It always goes by the name -of the 'squeegee band,' though why I cannot say.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note30"> </a> -<a href="#noteref30"><small>[30]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">'Fanny,' the receptacle from which a bluejacket drinks his -rum.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note31"> </a> -<a href="#noteref31"><small>[31]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">'Lammy coats,' the name given by the men to the thick -duffel coats with hoods served out in cold weather. They are fastened -with toggles and beckets instead of buttons and button-holes.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note32"> </a> -<a href="#noteref32"><small>[32]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">When a ship is abandoned a certain amount of water, -biscuit, and rum is placed in all the boats.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note33"> </a> -<a href="#noteref33"><small>[33]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">A coast or a shoal is said to be 'steep to' when -comparatively deep water extends right up to its seaward edge. The -lead, therefore, gives little indication of a ship's proximity to -danger.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note34"> </a> -<a href="#noteref34"><small>[34]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">Oil-fuel supply ship.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note35"> </a> -<a href="#noteref35"><small>[35]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">'Make and mend' = an afternoon set apart for making and -mending clothes—that is, a half-holiday.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note36"> </a> -<a href="#noteref36"><small>[36]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">'Our boss,' the commodore in command of the force to which -the <i>Mariner</i> was attached.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note37"> </a> -<a href="#noteref37"><small>[37]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">A tracer shell for use against aircraft has a small cavity -in its base filled with composition which is ignited when the gun -fires. It emits a thin trail of smoke in the daytime and a luminous -track at night, so that the gunners are able to see where their -projectiles are going.</dd> -</dl> - -<dl> -<dt class="notelabel"><a name="note38"> </a> -<a href="#noteref38"><small>[38]</small></a></dt> -<dd class="notetext">That is, those destroyers attached to Sir David Beatty's -squadron.</dd> -</dl> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Pincher Martin, O.D., by H. 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Taprell Dorling - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Pincher Martin, O.D. - A Story of the Inner Life of the Royal Navy - -Author: H. Taprell Dorling - -Illustrator: C. Flemming Williams - -Release Date: January 4, 2013 [EBook #41774] -Last updated: February 1, 2013 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PINCHER MARTIN, O.D. *** - - - - -Produced by sp1nd and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from -images generously made available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - [Illustration: 'That's 'er.' - ''Oo?' - PAGE 1.] - - - - -Pincher Martin, O.D. - -A STORY OF THE INNER LIFE OF THE ROYAL NAVY - - -By - -'TAFFRAIL' -Author of 'Carry On,' &c., &c. - - -ILLUSTRATED BY - -C. Fleming Williams - - -LONDON: 38 Soho Square, W. -W. & R. CHAMBERS, LIMITED -EDINBURGH: 339 High Street -1916 - -Edinburgh: -Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -This story was written in rather difficult circumstances, and subject -to frequent interruption. Indeed, when the first chapters appeared -in _Chambers's Journal_ early in 1916 the narrative was barely -half-finished. Sometimes I almost despaired of ever completing it, -for it can perhaps be understood that writing on board a small ship -actually at sea in time of war is impossible for more reasons than one. - -The reader is cautioned against accepting the story as an official -account of the part played by a certain section of the Navy during the -war. Incidents described are true; but, for reasons which must be -obvious, it has been necessary to give them fictitious colouring. It -also seems desirable to add that all my characters are fictitious, and -that each chapter was submitted to the censors at the Press Bureau -before publication. - -It should be added that a considerable amount of matter is contained -in this volume which did not appear in _Chambers's Journal_ when the -story appeared in serial form. - -More than ever am I deeply sensible of the very real debt which I owe -to my wife, both for her help in revising and correcting the proofs, -and for her many suggestions for improvements. - -TAFFRAIL. - -1916. - - - - -TO MY WIFE. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - -CHAPTER PAGE - - I. HIS FIRST SHIP 1 - - II. THE DAILY ROUND 12 - - III. WORK AND PLAY 30 - - IV. THE STRENUOUS LIFE 50 - - V. THE OFFICERS 67 - - VI. 'THE 'ORRIBLE DEN' 84 - - VII. AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART 101 - - VIII. A FAIR SKY 124 - - IX. THE CLOUD 151 - - X. WAR 171 - - XI. BLACK FRIDAY 191 - - XII. H.M.S. 'MARINER' 212 - - XIII. FRITZ THE FRIGHTFUL 234 - - XIV. THE NORTH SEA 248 - - XV. COMINGS AND GOINGS 271 - - XVI. MINOR INCIDENTS 298 - - XVII. THE DAY 313 - -XVIII. CONCLUSION 338 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - PAGE - -'That's 'er.' ''Oo?' _Frontispiece_ - -'It was 'is fault! I saw 'im stick 'is foot out!' 115 - -'Gosh! there ain't no bloomin' error abart this 'ere' 152 - -Raising his voice, he tried to shout for help 203 - -''Ow do, granfer? Where did yer git that 'at?' 230 - -The shooting was very accurate, far too accurate to be pleasant 310 - -The dark hulls of the enemy were hidden in the blinding -glare of their searchlights 333 - - - - -PINCHER MARTIN, O.D. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -HIS FIRST SHIP. - - -'There ye are, Martin. That's 'er.' - -The leading seaman in charge of the party paused, and waved a hand -toward a squat gray battleship lying on the other side of one of the -basins in Portsmouth Dockyard. - -The little expedition of which he was the leader consisted of himself; -Martin, the man he had spoken to; and a small hand-cart propelled by -another ordinary seaman, breathing heavily. The cart contained a -sausage-shaped, khaki-coloured hammock, bound with its seven regulation -turns of lashing, and a bulbous brown kit-bag. They were Martin's -belongings. He was joining his first seagoing ship. - -''Er?' he queried in answer to the leading seaman's remark, shivering -and looking rather puzzled. ''Oo?' - -He was a puny, undersized little rat of a man, with a pallid, freckled -face and a crop of sandy hair. It was early winter, and the piercing -wind bit through to his very marrow, while the drizzling rain had -already found its way through his oilskin and down the back of his -neck. It was distinctly chilly. The tip of his nose and his fingers -were blue with cold, and he looked, and felt, supremely miserable. - -He repeated his question as the leading seaman executed a few violent -steps of a clog-dance, and flapped his arms like an elderly penguin to -restore his circulation. ''Er?' he said at last, pausing for breath and -seemingly rather surprised at Martin's ignorance. 'That there's the -_Belligerent_. That's the ship we're goin' to join--you're goin' to -join, that is.' - -'That 'er?' Martin ejaculated, gazing with awe at the battleship's -great bulk. 'That 'er? Gor' blimy!' He seemed rather appalled. - -The leading seaman tittered and sucked his teeth. 'Lor'!' he laughed, -not unkindly, noticing the anxiety in the youngster's eyes, 'you -needn't look like that. They can't eat yer; leastways not if you -be'aves yourself they won't. 'Er commander's a werry nice gentleman; -'e wus shipmates along o' me in th' _Duncan_ up the Straits[1] six -year ago. 'E wus a lootenant then, an' a bit of a flyer; but 'e's a -gent so long as you don't get in the rattle.'[2] - - [1] 'The Straits' = the Mediterranean. - - [2] 'In the rattle' = in trouble. - -He paused and eyed the ordinary seaman with the hand-cart, who had -released the shafts and was swinging his arms. ''Ere, young fella, not -so much of it!' he ordered abruptly, quite forgetting that he had -called the halt himself. 'Get a move on yer! You ain't no bloomin' -baronite drivin' your own motor-car, to stop 'ere an' stop there has -you thinks fit. You ain't wheelin' no perishin' whelk-barrer down -Commercial Road neither. Show a leg, me lad!' - -The ordinary seaman seized the shafts, and the procession moved -forward. - -Ten minutes later Martin, with his bag and hammock, was standing on the -quarterdeck of his Majesty's first-class pre-Dreadnought battleship -_Belligerent_. The leading seaman and the man with the hand-cart were -already on their way back to the Royal Naval Barracks, and Pincher -Martin, alone, for the first time, felt horribly nervous and -uncomfortable. He had been received with scant courtesy or interest by -the marine corporal of the watch, who had told him to remain where he -was while he fetched a ship's corporal; and now, eyed critically by the -grinning side-boy and the messenger, youngsters like himself, who made -facetious, rather uncomplimentary, and very audible remarks about his -personal appearance, he shivered and waited. - -Over on the other side of the deck a tall officer, clad in a greatcoat -and swinging a telescope, was walking up and down dodging the -rain-drips from the awning. He was a lieutenant, from the two gold -stripes and the curl on his shoulder-straps, and was, as a matter of -fact, the officer of the watch. Presently the merriment at Martin's -expense became rather raucous, and the officer turned round and saw the -messenger and the side-boy laughing together. The chubby-faced youths -caught his eye roving over them, and immediately both became rigid, -with an innocent expression on their faces. - -'Come here, you two!' he called, beckoning with his telescope. - -The two youngsters trotted up and halted before him with a salute. - -'Skylarking again, eh?' the lieutenant asked. - -'Oh no, sir. We wusn't skylarkin',' the elder of the two protested. - -'Humph! I don't know so much about that. I suppose you were making fun -of that man who's just joined, eh?' - -'Oh no, sir. I only said to Horrigan'---- - -'I don't want to hear what you said to Horrigan, or what Horrigan said -to you,' interrupted the officer of the watch, smiling to himself. -'Evidently the time hangs heavily on your hands, and I'll not have the -quarterdeck turned into a bally music hall.' He looked round the deck, -and noticed some untidy ends of rope near the ship's side. - -'You, Bates,' he went on, 'can amuse yourself by coiling down the ends -of these boats' falls and awning jiggers; and you, Horrigan, can broom -all that water into the scuppers.' He waved his hand toward some pools -of rain-water near the edge of the deck. 'When you've done that you can -let me know, and I'll find you another job. Go on--away you go!' - -The boys pattered off, and the lieutenant resumed his perambulation. - -Presently a ship's corporal, accompanied by the marine who had gone in -search of him, came through the battery door and went up to Martin. - -'Name and rating?' he demanded abruptly, referring to a book in his -hand. - -'Martin. Ord'nary seaman.' - -'You'll be in No. 47 mess,' said Ship's Corporal Puddicombe, 'and will -be in the forecastle division, starboard watch, first part, first sub. -The capten of your top--Petty Officer Casey's 'is name--will tell you -off for your stations in your part of the ship. You'll stow your bag in -the fore cable flat, starboard side, and your 'ammick in the starboard -forecastle rack. I'll show you where to put 'em, and if you comes along -to my office after tea to-day I'll give you a card with it all written -on--see?' - -'Yessir,' said Martin, looking very bewildered, for he had hardly -understood a word of what the man had said. - -'It's all right, me lad,' the corporal went on, more kindly. 'You -needn't look so scared. You'll soon shake down. Is this your first -ship?' - -'Yessir.' - -The corporal nodded and went off to report to the officer of the watch, -who presently returned with him. - -'Ord'nary Seaman Martin, sir. Come to join the ship from the barricks.' - -The lieutenant eyed the new arrival critically. 'What division's he in, -corporal?' he queried. - -'Yours, sir. Forecastle division.' - -'How long have you been in the service?' the officer asked next. - -'Six an' a narf months, sir,' said Martin. - -'Well, it's about time you got your hair cut, my lad. It's much too -long. The forecastle division's my division, and the smartest in the -ship, so look out you uphold its reputation. Is your kit complete, by -the way?' - -'Yessir, all but one pair o' socks.' - -'All right; we'll see to that another day. Show him where to put his -bag and hammock, corporal, and tell him where his mess is. You'd better -introduce him to the barber, too. I can't have the men of my division -looking like a beauty chorus.--You,' he added, addressing Martin, 'had -better get yourself thoroughly warm. We don't want you to start off by -catching a chill.' - -'Thank you, sir.' - -'Come along o' me,' said the ship's corporal gruffly; and Pincher, -picking up his bag and hammock, followed him along the deck. - -In another minute they were on the mess-deck. It was a strange place to -Martin, accustomed as he was to the large and airy rooms in the -barracks ashore. It seemed cramped and restricted. The steel beams -supporting the deck above were barely eighteen inches over his head, -and every inch of space seemed occupied with something or other. But a -sense of order and cleanliness prevailed; for, though the ship was in -dockyard hands, and the first lieutenant would have described the -mess-deck as 'filthy,' it seemed specklessly clean to an outsider. The -glare of the electric lights shone on the spotless white enamel and -polished metal-work, and every inch of wood-work which was not -varnished and polished was well scrubbed and white. - -Moving along a narrow gangway about eight feet wide, they passed the -officers' and men's galleys or kitchens. These were placed amidships, -and the great cooking-ranges, newly blacked and with their polished -steel knobs and utensils winking in the glare, vomited wisps of steam -and savoury smells. The black-and-white tiled floors were spotless, and -so were the wooden slabs upon which the meat and the vegetables were -cut up. Farther forward came small, curtained-off enclosures serving as -messes for the chief petty officers; and then, forward again, white -enamelled steel bulkheads stretching from floor to ceiling. - -Extending out from the ship's side, with its row of scuttles and wooden -mess shelves and boot-racks, were numbers of white wooden mess tables -and narrow wooden forms. They were spaced at precisely equal intervals, -and at the end of each table was a neatly rolled strip of white -linoleum which served as a tablecloth at meal-times, a couple of -shining tin mess kettles, and a teapot. On the deck at the foot of each -table was a bread-barge, a squat-shaped tub, to contain the bread -belonging to the mess. The barges were all exactly similar, having -scrubbed teak sides and polished brass hoops, with the number of the -mess in neat brass figures, and each stood at precisely the same -distance from its own table. - -From the ceiling or deck overhead hung racks for the reception of the -men's circular, black-japanned cap-boxes, and others for their white -straw hats--each in its duck cover to keep out dust and dirt--and the -newly scrubbed ditty-boxes. These, of white wood, are the receptacles -in which sailors keep their small personal belongings. They contain, as -a rule, photographs of wives, sweethearts, relations, and friends; -letters; and other purely private and valued relics; but, though -provided with a lock and key, it is an unwritten and invariable law of -the mess-deck that they shall be left unlocked. A man must show his -trust in his messmates, and a thief has no place on board one of his -Majesty's ships. If petty pilfering does occur, there is no mercy for -the culprit, and he is speedily discovered and removed. - -It was a Saturday afternoon, and, as the ship was in dockyard hands -undergoing a refit, more than half the men were on leave, and the -mess-deck was comparatively empty. Those men who were left on board -were spending the half-holiday in blissful slumber, for many of the -tables and forms bore sleeping figures wrapped in blankets or -greatcoats. They snored melodiously and in many keys. - -Here and there a man writing a letter or reading looked up with some -curiosity as Martin passed, but otherwise he attracted little -attention. The advent of another ordinary seaman was too common an -occurrence to call for remark, though to the ordinary seaman himself -the day of his arrival on board his first seagoing ship would -thereafter be mentally marked with a red figure in the calendar of his -life. - -The ship's corporal, anxious to resume his interrupted sleep in the -police-office, hurried on; and soon, after climbing down one slippery -steel ladder and up another, they arrived in the foremost bag-flat. -This compartment was provided with tiers of numbered racks stretching -from deck above to deck below. Each division in the racks held its own -brown canvas or painted kit-bag, with the brightly polished brass tally -on the bottom stamped with the owner's name, all the tallies being set -at precisely the same angle. The guide halted and pointed to a vacant -space. 'There you are,' he said. 'That's where you stow your bag.' - -Martin dropped his hammock, and after some difficulty succeeded in -insinuating his bag into its appointed place. - -''Ere, that won't do,' observed the ship's corporal, shaking his head -with a pained expression on his face. 'Slew 'er round till the letters -on your tally are 'orizontal. The first lootenant'll 'ave a fit if 'e -sees it shoved in any'ow like that.' - -Martin did as he was told, and when at last he had stowed his bag to -the corporal's satisfaction, was taken to another flat somewhere in the -bowels of the ship, where he was shown where to put his hammock. - -He was next taken to his mess, and was introduced to the leading seaman -who acted as senior member and caterer. This worthy, a ruddy-faced, -heavily built man called Strumbles, was discovered asleep on the table, -and was none too pleased when the ship's corporal tapped him on the -shoulder and woke him up. - -'Strumbles,' he said, ''ere's another O.D.[3] come to join your mess. -Martin's 'is name. Just keep an eye on 'im. 'E's a bit noo to the -service. 'E wants 'is 'air cut, too, so you might send 'im along to the -'aircutter after tea.' - - [3] O.D. = the slang term for 'ordinary seaman.' 'O.S.' is - one official naval contraction, and 'Ord.' another. 'O.D.' is - derived from the latter, in the same way as an able seaman is - known as an 'A.B.' - -Strumbles sat up sleepily and signified his willingness to perform -these favours, but the moment the corporal was safely out of sight -glared unpleasantly at the new arrival. 'Bit noo to the navy, are yer?' -he demanded. 'Name o' Martin, eh?' - -'Yessir.' - -'Don't call me "sir." My name's Strumbles. Nutty Strumbles they calls -me. Is this yer first ship?' - -'Yes.' - -'Thought so. If it wasn't, you'd know better than to come wakin' up a -bloke wot's 'avin' 'is Saturday arternoon caulk.' - -'I'm sorry,' Martin stammered. 'It wusn't my fault. I didn't know'---- - -'Course you didn't. 'Owever, now you're 'ere you can just wake me up at -seven bells. Know what seven bells is, eh?' - -'Yes. 'Arf-parst three.' - -'Right. At 'arf-parst three you wakes me up, an' when you done that you -can go along to the galley an' wet the tea. Me, an' Ginger Strudwick, -an' Nobby Clarke, an' one or two others, is the only blokes o' this -'ere mess aboard. Them two's on watch now, but they'll be down at eight -bells clamourin' for their scran like a lot o' wolves; so look out you -'as it ready. When you've wetted the tea you can run along to the -canteen an' git height heggs an' height rashers for our supper--I'll -give you a _chit_ for it when I wakes up; an' when you done that -you can tidy up them there mess shelves an' polish the mess kettle an' -teapot ready for the rounds to-morrow. Understan'?' - -'Yes,' said Martin, hesitatingly. - -'Orl rite, look out you does it, then,' remarked Strumbles, laying his -head back and resuming his interrupted slumbers. - -Martin began to feel rather sorry he had ever joined the navy, for as a -young and very ordinary seaman on board a ship it appeared as if every -one was his master. The recruiting posters which had been responsible -for his entry had said something about 'seeing the world, with plenty -of pocket-money.' This was what they meant, evidently. He sniffed -dubiously. In the barracks where he had undergone his preliminary -training he had been one of many others of his own age; but here he was -cast entirely on his own resources. He felt lonely and miserable; -nobody seemed to take any interest in him, and everybody ordered him -about in a dictatorial way which he didn't like at all. He gulped -suspiciously, and then looked round with a nervous expression lest the -slight sound should have awakened Strumbles. - -When, seven months before, Martin had put on his bluejacket's uniform -for the first time, he had felt immensely proud of himself. Everybody -in his own small village had turned round to stare when he first -appeared in it; and he was rather disappointed when, on his arrival in -Portsmouth, people in the street neglected to notice him. He liked his -jumper, with the V-shaped opening in front, and the blue woollen jersey -underneath. He was proud of his blue jean collar with its three rows of -narrow white tape, which, he had been told, commemorated Nelson's three -great victories of the Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar. He had heard, -too, that the black silk handkerchief worn round his neck and tied in -front was a badge of mourning for the same great naval hero. But both -in the matter of the collar and the handkerchief he had been led into -believing a very popular fallacy. - -The square collar was first introduced in the latter portion of the -eighteenth century as a means of preventing the grease and flour with -which the sailors anointed their pigtails from soiling their clothes. -The three rows of tape, moreover, were placed upon it merely for -ornament, for there is no evidence to support the belief that they -commemorate the three famous victories. The black silk handkerchief -came in at much the same time. In early sea-fights the heat on the -gun-decks was stifling, so much so that the men were forced to strip to -the waist. To prevent the perspiration from running down into their -eyes and blinding them, they were in the habit of tying handkerchiefs -round their foreheads, and at ordinary times these were worn round the -neck for the sake of convenience. It is true that up till a few years -ago our modern bluejackets wore their spare black silk handkerchiefs -tied in a bow on the left arm when attending funerals; but there is -nothing to support the theory that they were introduced as badges of -mourning for the immortal Nelson. - -But Martin believed these things implicitly, and perhaps, as it -fostered the traditions of the service, it did him no harm. - -Another portion of his attire of which he was inordinately proud was -his bell-bottomed trousers. He firmly imagined that these had been -introduced merely to give the sailor a rakish appearance, and was not -aware that they were brought in so that the garments could conveniently -be rolled up to the knee when their barefooted wearers were giving the -decks their usual morning scrub. - -Some few years ago a proposal was on foot to do away with the loose -trousers, and to clothe the seamen in garments shaped like those in -everyday use ashore. As a reason for the change it was urged, with some -truth, that in modern ships the men seldom went barefooted, and that -less flowing trousers would be less likely to catch in the intricate -machinery with which modern ships were supposed to be crammed. But the -storm of indignation with which the proposal was received by the men -speedily caused it to be dropped. The seamen take no small pride in -their nether garments; some of them even go to the trouble and expense -of providing themselves with specially wide pairs in which to go ashore -on leave. - -The wide-brimmed straw hat, which constitutes the modern bluejacket's -full-dress headgear, was first introduced in the West Indies early in -the nineteenth century, but was not made an article of uniform until -much later. Before that time, and up till thirty or forty years ago, -shiny black tarpaulin hats, much the same shape as the straw 'boater' -of commerce, were _de rigueur_ in the navy. The term 'bluejacket,' -too, owes its origin to the short, blue, brass-buttoned jacket--rather -similar in shape to an Eton jacket, but with no point at the -back--which was worn until 1891. - -But all Martin's ideas as to his own importance were speedily knocked -on the head. By the time he sought his hammock at nine-thirty on that -first eventful day he had come to realise that he was very small beer -indeed, a mere excrescence on the face of the earth; and that, like -Agag, it behoved him to walk warily and with circumspection. - -The captain of the forecastle, Petty-Officer Casey--'Mister Casey,' as -he insisted on being called--had taken him to his bosom in a gruff, -fatherly sort of way, and had given him a few words of advice. - -'It's like this 'ere, me lad,' he had pointed out, but not unkindly. -'You're an ordinary seaman, an' wot you've got to do is to carry out -other people's orders. If you're told off to do a thing, do it at once, -an' cheerful like; don't slouch about th' ship like a ploughboy, nor -yet a Portugee militiaman neither. 'Old yourself erec'; take a pride in -yourself, an' obey all orders at the rush. If you gives no trouble I'm -yer friend, remember that; but if you gits up agin me, an' starts -givin' trouble, I won't raise a finger to 'elp you, an' you'd best -stan' clear. Don't forget, neither, that I've got my eye on you the -'ole time; an' don't run away wi' the idea that you're doin' the navy a -good turn by joinin', like so many on 'em do. It's the navy wot's doin' -you a favour by 'avin' you. If you bears orl this in mind me an' you'll -get along orl right, an' some day, p'r'aps, you'll be a petty-orficer -the same as me.' - -Martin remembered Casey's words of wisdom, and derived no small benefit -therefrom. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE DAILY ROUND. - - -I. - -A considerable amount of art is necessary in laying out a kit for -inspection; but when he had folded his clothes, and had placed the neat -rolls and bundles, together with his cap-box, ditty-box, hairbrush, -comb, toothbrush, type, and other small belongings, in the exact order -prescribed by the clothing regulations, Martin was by no means -dissatisfied with his attempt. - -Now, Mr Midshipman Taut, R.N., was used to the wiles and deceptions of -those men who would sooner do anything than purchase new clothes. He -had known individuals who borrowed garments from their friends to make -up for the deficiencies in their own kits when these were being -inspected. Sometimes, to heighten the deception, they even went to the -trouble of marking the loaned clothes with their own names. The -regulations on the subject lay it down that blue articles shall be -marked with white paint and white garments in black, each man being -provided with a wooden type inscribed with his name for this purpose. -But the gay deceivers had discovered that white chalk and ordinary -boot-blacking were very efficient substitutes for the paint, for the -temporary markings so caused could easily be brushed out before the -garments were returned to their rightful owners after kit inspection. -Moreover, unless the mustering officer was particularly inquisitive or -suspicious, the chances were fully fifty-four to one that the deception -would never be noticed. - -But the midshipman, though he had left the college at Dartmouth less -than a year before, was up to all these dodges. He kept the divisional -clothing-book, wherein was recorded the contents of the bag of each -seaman in the division, whether the clothes therein were in a state of -thorough repair and cleanliness, and whether the condition of the man's -hammock was 'V.G.,' 'G.,' 'Mod.' or merely 'Bad.' He regarded all men -with a certain amount of suspicion unless he had positive truth that -they were guileless; while newly joined ordinary seamen, in particular, -were brands to be snatched from the burning. - -'Serge jumpers?' he asked, sucking his pencil. - -'Two 'ere, sir,' said Martin, holding up a couple of neat bundles; 'an' -one on.' - -The officer took one, unrolled it, and lifted the square collar to look -at the marking underneath. There was no deception, for the name W. -Martin stared at him in large white letters. He gently rubbed it with a -finger, but it did not brush off; and, holding the garment up by its -sleeves, he examined it with a critical eye. There was nothing the -matter with it. - -'That's all right,' he remarked, handing it back, and making a note in -the book. 'Let me see your serge trousers.' - -One by one the articles comprising Martin's kit, even down to his -'pusser's dagger' or seaman's knife, the more intimate garments of -underwear, towels, socks, toothbrush, blacking-brushes, were minutely -examined. The midshipman even went to the length of producing a tape -measure, wherewith he measured the distance between the three rows of -tape on the collars, the depth of the V-shaped opening in the front of -the jumpers, and the width of the trousers at the foot. But nothing was -really wrong. One pair of socks was missing and another required -darning, one flannel shirt was unwashed, a pair of white duck trousers -had been left unmarked, and one pair of blue serge ditto proved -slightly wider in the leg than was permissible; but everything else was -in good order and of the proper uniform pattern. - -He seemed slightly surprised. 'Hm,' he observed, making further -hieroglyphics in the clothing-book; 'not at all bad. Look out you keep -it so.' - -He went off to make his report to the lieutenant of the division, who -presently arrived to make his own inspection. But he also was tolerably -satisfied, and Martin was told that he could restore his belongings to -his bag, and report himself to Petty Officer Casey for work. - -For many a long day Pincher was sorely puzzled by the different -varieties of uniform he was called upon to wear. They were all -designated by numbers, and the 'rig of the day' was always piped at -breakfast-time, when the men were allowed the necessary extra minutes -to change their clothes. On Sundays, for instance, the boatswain's -mates, after a preliminary twitter on their pipes, would bellow, 'Dress -o' the day, No. 1, an' 'ats!' This meant that the men were required to -array themselves in their best blue serge suits, with gold good-conduct -badges and badges of rating, and their white straw hats, for the Sunday -inspection by the captain. These garments constituted the seamen's full -dress, for the expensive blue cloth trousers, worn over the jumper and -tied behind with black silk ribbons, had been obsolete for some time. -They are retained, however, in the royal yachts; and here, also, as a -distinctive mark, the men wear their badges in silver and white, -instead of the customary gold and red. - -Dress No. 2, Martin found, was a similar rig to No. 1, except that a -cap was usually worn instead of the hat, and the badges were red -instead of gold. No. 3, again, was the same as No. 2, except that the -jumper was not buttoned at the wrists; while No. 4 (known as 'night -clothing') was an old suit of No. 3, worn without the collar. No. 5 was -of white duck, and was worn without the collar, and with a white-topped -cap. The suit was washable, and hence was usually donned by men doing -dirty work or in hot weather in the summer. White caps, or blue caps -with white covers, both of which were kept pipeclayed for the sake of -appearance, were worn at home from May to the end of September, or with -white clothing at other times. - -The _Belligerent_, like every other large vessel in the navy, carried a -stock of ready-made garments of various sizes, besides underclothing, -boots, shoes, stockings, socks, shirts, collars, rolls of serge and -flannel, and sixty-and-one other articles necessary to the bodily -comfort and personal adornment of the ship's company. There was hardly -a thing in the clothing line which could not be obtained from the -paymaster; and the 'slops,' as they were called, were issued about once -a month, their value being deducted from the men's pay. - -When Martin joined his first ship, toward the end of 1913, ready-made -garments, supplied by the Government, were almost universally worn. -Within the past fifteen years or so the blue-jackets have lost much of -their original handiness with the needle and the sewing-machine. It is -hardly to be wondered at, for in the days of sailing-ships the men were -sailors pure and simple. Now they are seamen-specialists, with an -expert and highly technical knowledge of gunnery, torpedo-work, -electricity, wireless telegraphy, signals, or some other highly -important subject. They are essentially busy men, with little time to -spend on making their own clothes. Twenty years ago one afternoon of -the week (Thursday) was always set aside as a half-holiday, or 'make -and mend clothes afternoon.' Then it was no uncommon sight to see the -sheltered corners of the upper deck and mess-deck crowded with men, -some busy with sewing-machines, making clothes from the raw serge or -duck as issued from the store; others furbishing up their wardrobes; -and the rest either sleeping or looking on. The term 'jewing,' as -sewing is still called, came in because the men with the machines -manufactured their shipmates' clothes for a consideration, such things -as 'reach-me-downs' being still undreamt of. By Pincher's day, however, -the 'make and mend' day had been altered to Saturday, to allow the men -to indulge at intervals in the week-end habit. Moreover, most of the -clothes were issued ready-made, being afterwards altered to fit -individuals by the ship's tailors, seamen with sewing-machines, who had -a special aptitude for the work, and were entitled to charge stipulated -sums for their labours. They were still known as 'jews,' and, like the -'snobs' (bootmakers) and the barbers, often had considerable sums -standing to their credit in the savings bank. - -On the afternoon of the day on which he had had his kit inspected -Martin found himself detailed as a member of a working-party told off -to draw stores from the dockyard. Eleven other men went with him; and, -taking a small hand-cart, the little expedition set off at one-thirty -P.M. in the charge of a petty officer. The rain had stopped, and it was -a sunny winter day, with a touch of frost; and, as it gave him an -opportunity of looking about him, Martin rather enjoyed the experience. -Before joining the navy he had lived in the depths of the country, and -had spent most of his days trundling the local baker's hand-cart. His -experience of the sea and ships had been limited to a single visit to -Skegness as a member of the village choir; and even during his training -in the barracks he had seen practically nothing of men-of-war. Now for -the first time in his life he came across battleships, cruisers, -destroyers, torpedo-boats, and submarines at close quarters. - -'Gosh!' he ejaculated, marvelling exceedingly. - -''Ullo! Wot's up wi' you, Pincher?' asked another ordinary seaman, -Hawkins by name. Martin had already been nicknamed, and 'Pincher,' he -understood, was the sobriquet accorded to all men with his particular -surname. - -'I wus only wonderin' to meself if'--he hesitated timidly. - -'Wonderin' wot?' persisted his companion. - -'Wonderin' if this wus the 'ole navy. There seems plenty o' ships -'ere.' - -'Lawks, 'ark at 'im!' exclaimed the other youngster, going off into a -shrill cackle of amusement 'Jist 'ark at 'im, you blokes! Arskin' if -the 'ole navy is 'ere. 'Strewth! there ain't a quarter nor a 'undredth -of 'em in this 'ere bunch.' - -Martin, rather ashamed of his ignorance, reddened and nodded. 'Wot's -that there?' he asked, changing the subject, and pointing to a gray, -cigar-shaped vessel lying in a dry dock, with dockyard 'maties' -swarming on board her. - -'That there's a submarine,' Hawkins explained; 'one o' them there craft -wot goes under water.' - -'Gosh! She's a funny-lookin' thing. Wot sort o' blokes serves in 'em?' - -'Matloes,[4] Pincher, the same as you an' me. They doesn't carry -O.D.'s, though; only A.B.'s an' E.R.A.'s,[5] an' such like. They get -extra pay for wot they does. It's a bit dangerous like.' - - [4] The term 'matlo,' derived from the French for 'sailor,' - is always used by bluejackets in referring to themselves. - - [5] E.R.A. = engine-room artificer. - -Martin thought for a minute, looking interestedly at the submarine as -they trundled past. ''Ow does men jine 'em?' he asked eventually. - -''Ow does they qualify for 'em, d'you mean?' Hawkins queried. - -Martin nodded. - -'Well,' his neighbour explained, with a broad grin on his face, and -inventing a still broader fiction on the spur of the moment, 'they -fu'st ties a five-'underweight sinker to yer feet an' a rope round yer -neck. Then they lowers you down to nineteen fathom, an' leaves you -there for two minutes.--Let's see, Shorty,' he added, pretending to -consider, and, turning to another ordinary seaman with a solemn wink, -'is it two minutes or three minutes they leaves yer down?' - -'Three minutes, chum,' answered the other unblushingly. - -'Well, they leaves you down three minutes, an' they pulls you up again, -an' if yer nose ain't bleedin' they reckons as 'ow you're fit an' -proper for submarines. If you are bleedin' you ain't no good--see?' - -'That's a bit 'ard, ain't it?' Martin queried innocently. - -'Yus, it is a bit 'ard,' Hawkins replied, without a smile on his face. -'But then, o' course, the men wot man the submarines 'as to be extra -special sort o' blokes wot 'as got plenty o' guts.' - -Martin drank it all in; but at that moment the story-teller's face -failed him, and he burst into uncontrollable laughter. 'Oh Pincher!' he -gasped, spluttering, 'I believes you'd swaller anythink any one tells -yer!' - -'D' you mean that wot you said ain't true?' Martin asked. - -'Course it ain't, fat'ead. I wus only kiddin' yer,' guffawed the other, -with tears of amusement trickling down his cheeks. 'Lawks! you'll be -the death o' me yet.--Did yer 'ear wot he arsked, you blokes?' - -But the 'blokes' had no opportunity of replying, for at that instant -Petty Officer Simpson turned round. 'Not so much noise there!' he -ordered abruptly.--' 'Awkins, if I sees you larfin' an' shoutin' agen I -takes you before the orficer of the watch when we gets back to the -ship!' - -Their faces fell. There was dead silence. - -Rattling over the cobbled roadways and railway lines, they presently -came to a store, where, in return for paper demand-notes handed in by -the petty officer, they received sundry drums of paint, turpentine, and -varnish. Then on again to another building, where an apoplectic-looking -storekeeper condescended to allow them to load the cart still further -with coils of rope and spun-yarn, and hanks of cod and mackerel line. -Presently there came another stoppage to receive a bundle of -broomsticks and some boathook staves. By this time the cart was heavily -laden, and its manipulators were perspiring and far from cheerful; but, -stopping again, they were solemnly presented with half-a-dozen shallow -tin baths. They were the 'baths, sponge, thirty inches, pattern -seventeen,' commonly seen suspended from the ceilings in the officers' -cabins on board a man-of-war; and Martin, as he helped to drag the -conveyance back to the ship, with the last consignment lodged -precariously on the summit of the other articles and threatening every -instant to descend in a noisy avalanche, wondered vaguely to himself if -the dockyard was a sort of glorified general store, and if, by the -simple presentation of a demand-note, they could obtain, say, -half-a-dozen kippers or a cargo of tinned salmon. He was frightened to -ask the question for fear of having his leg pulled again; but as -everything in the way of ironmongery, furniture, ship's stores, paint, -rope, and blocks seemed obtainable, why not also provisions? - -They got back to the _Belligerent_ without further incident, and -the articles were carried on board and stowed in the various -storerooms. - - -II. - -At first, until he got used to it, the regular routine of the ship was -not altogether to Martin's liking. At five-thirty each morning they -were all roused out of their warm hammocks by the strident shouting of -the boatswain's mates and the ship's corporals. 'All hands! turn out, -turn out, turn out! show a leg, show a leg, show a leg!' they yelled -with insistent monotony. He soon learnt, from being shot violently out -of his hammock, and from sundry threats of being taken before the -officer of the watch for slackness in turning out, that it did not pay -to disregard the noisy summons to wake up. Other men had tried the -game, and it generally ended in their being turned out at five -A.M. for several days together. - -By five-forty-five, therefore, Martin had stowed his hammock, had given -his face and neck a perfunctory dab with a damp towel, and was having a -bowl of steaming hot ship's cocoa in his mess. Splendid stuff this, so -thick that a spoon would nearly stand upright in it; and he little -realised that the long-suffering cooks were turned out of their -hammocks at about three each morning to prepare it. The cocoa was -issued in large slabs the best part of an inch thick. It was the best -of its kind; and though it required a deal of boiling, it was an -excellent drink wherewith to start the day's work. - -At six o'clock both watches were piped to fall in on the upper deck; -and when parties had been told off for various other odd jobs, the rest -of the men were detailed to scrub decks under the supervision of their -petty officers. Cold work this, with the thermometer nearly down to -freezing, the hoses spouting water, and one's feet bare and trousers -turned up to the knee. Lines of men armed with hard, short-haired -brooms went solemnly up and down, scrubbing as they went, and woe -betide the hapless individual who did not exhibit the necessary energy! -On Saturdays the routine was varied, for then the decks were sprinkled -with sand and were well holystoned. This work was more back-breaking -and chilly than ever, for one had to get down on one's knees and -manipulate a heavy holystone in each hand. - -When Martin joined, the ship was in dockyard hands, and a special -routine was in force; and at seven o'clock, by which time the men who -had been granted night-leave had returned, the decks had been finished -and the guns cleaned. A quarter of an hour later the bugle sounded off -'Cooks,' when the men detailed as cooks of messes went to the galley to -procure their own and their messmates' breakfasts; and at -seven-twenty-five the boatswain's mates heralded the first meal by more -shrill whistling, and the hungry men trooped below. - -Breakfast, Martin always thought, was quite the most satisfactory meal -of the day, and with the addition of a couple of canteen kippers, or -eggs and bacon, he generally managed to acquit himself pretty well. The -dietary of the modern bluejacket is a liberal one, while a paternal -Government allows each man the sum of fourpence a day with which to -purchase extra articles. An hour was allowed for the meal, for washing, -for changing into the 'rig of the day,' and for smoking; and at -eight-twenty-five the men were once more summoned to work. Shortly -before nine o'clock the guard of marines and the band marched on to the -quarterdeck; and when two bells struck, the marine bugler sounded the -'Attention,' the guard presented arms, the band played 'God Save the -King,' and every officer and man on deck stood rigidly at the salute -while the White Ensign was slowly hoisted. This ceremony is carried out -at nine A.M. in winter, and an hour earlier in summer. - -At nine-five came a warning blast on the bugle, followed five minutes -afterwards by 'Divisions.' This was the usual morning muster, at which -the entire ship's company--seamen, marines, stokers, and artisan -ratings--fell in in their respective groups. The seamen themselves were -divided up into four 'parts of the ship'--forecastlemen, foretopmen, -maintopmen, and quarterdeckmen; and each was responsible for, and so -far as possible manned, the guns in its own particular portion of the -vessel. Each division, moreover, had its own lieutenant in charge, one -or two midshipmen, and its quota of petty officers and leading seamen. - -Now, Martin knew all about saluting. He had learnt how to do it by -spending many weary hours in a windy barrack square at Portsmouth -paying obeisance to a red brick wall under the horny eye of an -irascible gunner's mate. He was aware that one saluted when addressed -by an officer, when meeting an officer in uniform ashore, and the first -time each morning one passed any particular officer on board ship. He -had also been taught that it was customary to raise a hand to one's cap -when the band played 'God Save the King,' and, for some reason unknown -to him, whenever one had occasion to go on the quarterdeck. He was not -aware that in medieval days the ship's shrine or crucifix was always -kept on the quarterdeck under the break of the poop, and that, on -passing, officers and men made an obeisance. Hence the origin of -'saluting the quarterdeck.' - -But all this was nothing to the saluting which took place every morning -at divisions. - -The game started by the 'captain of the top'--the senior petty -officer--calling the division to attention, saluting, and reporting it -'Present' to the midshipman, Mr Henry Taut. The midshipman, returning -the salute, produced a notebook, mustered the men by name, and -satisfied himself that the petty officer's statement was correct; and -then, touching his cap, made known the fact to Lieutenant Tobias -Tickle, R.N. The lieutenant, walking round the ranks, found fault with -irregularities in the men's attire, or asked searching and personal -questions as to when they had last washed, shaved, or had their hair -cut, and requested the midshipman to make a note of the delinquents' -names. - -Taut acquiesced, with a salute. - -The inspection complete, Taut saluted Tickle, and Tickle saluted Taut, -and the lieutenant then walked aft to the quarterdeck, saluted as he -reached it, approached the commander, saluted again, and reported his -men 'Present.' - -The commander returned the courtesy, and murmured, 'Thank you.' - -When all the divisions had been reported present, the commander, in his -turn, reported the fact to the captain, with another salute. The latter -raised his hand to his gold-peaked cap and muttered, 'Carry on, -please;' whereupon the commander held up his hand, a bugle blew, some -one forward tolled a bell, the band on the after shelter-deck played a -lively march, and the divisions marched aft to the quarterdeck for -prayers. Here they were halted, and presently the chaplain appeared -from one of the after-hatches, with his surplice flapping in the -breeze. He did not salute. He was bareheaded. - -'Ship's company! 'Shun!' from the commander. 'Off caps! Stand easy!' - -The chaplain read the prayers, followed by the usual intercession for -those at sea: 'O Eternal Lord God, who alone spreadest out the heavens, -and rulest the raging of the sea; who hast compassed the waters with -bounds until day and night come to an end: Be pleased to receive into -Thy almighty and most gracious protection the persons of us Thy -servants, and the fleet in which we serve. Preserve us from the dangers -of the sea and from the violence of the enemy; that we may be a -safeguard unto our most gracious Sovereign Lord King George and his -Dominions, and a security for such as pass on the seas upon their -lawful occasions.'... - -'The dangers of the sea,' 'the violence of the enemy,' 'a safeguard,' -'a security.' The words conveyed little to Martin's mind when first he -heard them. Less than a year later, in the autumn of 1914, he had come -to learn their true meaning. - -The short service was over by nine-twenty, and was followed by a -quarter of an hour's hard physical drill, conducted by the lieutenants -of divisions. This strenuous exercise was a daily feature of the -routine, and there was no doubt that it kept the men in excellent -condition. At any rate, Pincher was generally perspiring freely by the -time it was over. - -This finished, both watches were piped to fall in, and the various -parties of men were detailed for the day's work. The commander, with a -notebook, would be present on the quarterdeck, and would hold a hurried -conversation with the first lieutenant, the gunner, the boatswain, and -the carpenter, all of whom required men for the performance of various -odd jobs. - -'Party painting on the mess-deck yesterday, fall in aft!' would come -the first order. A group of about a dozen men and a petty officer, clad -in ancient, paint-stained overalls, would detach themselves from the -remainder. The first lieutenant, in charge of the mess-decks, gave his -detailed orders to the petty officer, and he, in turn, doubled his men -off to their work. 'Two hands from each part of the ship of the -starboard watch, and a leading hand from the foretop, fall in aft!' The -captain of the top told off the men, who were then taken charge of by -the gunner--a warrant officer--who required them for restowing the -small-arm magazine. Next the boatswain wanted a party, some for -refitting rigging, and others for drawing stores from the dockyard; -and, lastly, the carpenter took his toll for some purpose best known to -himself. - -The Royal Marines, meanwhile, had been sent down below to clean the -flats, under the orders of their own non-commissioned officers; and -when the various flat-sweepers and the mess-deck sweepers had been -detached to their work, the remainder of the seamen were detailed for -their labours, under the direction and supervision of their petty -officers. There were always a hundred and one different jobs to be -done. Nobody was ever idle in working-hours, and sometimes Martin found -himself armed with a pot of gray paint and a brush to touch up bare -portions of the superstructure. On other mornings he was detailed to -scrape and red-lead rusty plates on the ship's side, or to holystone a -particularly obstinate section of deck which was not quite up to the -mark. At other times he found himself told off as assistant to a fully -qualified A.B., one Joshua Billings, who was quite the best hand in the -ship at splicing or putting an eye in a wire hawser, neither of which -is a job for an amateur. Martin liked this sort of work, for he was -keen and anxious to learn, and the able seaman taught him far more in -an hour than he could pick up elsewhere in a fortnight. - -The worthy Joshua, by reason of an inordinate thirst and capacity for -malt liquor, had served in his present rank for seven years, and did -not hesitate to give the youngster good advice. 'It's like this 'ere,' -he would remark, deftly tucking in an obstinate strand of springy wire. -'It's beer wot's bin the ruin o' me, and I don't mind ownin' it. I've -bin in the navy ten years come January, and most o' them men wot served -along o' me as boys in the trainin'-ship is now petty orficers. I -reckons I'm as good a man as they is aboard a ship; but, though I was -rated leadin' seaman once, I dipped the killick[6] abart six weeks -later for comin' off drunk. It's beer wot done it; I carn't keep orf -it, some'ow, w'en I gits ashore. Give us that there ball o' spun-yarn, -young fella.' - - [6] A 'killick' is an anchor, which is the badge worn by a - leading seaman. 'Dipping the killick' means that the badge is - removed, and that its wearer has been disrated to A.B. - -''Ard luck,' Martin murmured, handing the spun-yarn across. - -The hoary-headed old sinner shook his head and gave vent to a throaty -sigh. 'No,' he said sadly, 'I reckons it wus orl right. The commander -'e sez to me, "Billings," 'e sez, "w'y is it you carn't go ashore -without gittin' a skinful?" "It's like this 'ere, sir," I tells 'im. "I -'as the rheumatics werry bad, an' as soon as I gits 'longside a pub I -comes orl over a tremble, an' directly I gits inside I meets with hevil -companions." "Rheumatics!" 'e sez. "I've 'eard that yarn before; an' -has for your hevil companions, my man, you ain't a baby!" "No, sir," -sez I, gittin' rattled, "I ain't; but directly I gits a pint inside me -my legs orl gits dizzy like." "A pint!" sez 'e, werry surprised. -"Surely it wus more'n a pint?" "Well, sir," I sez to 'im, "maybe it wus -a quart; I carn't 'xactly remember." "Several quarts, I should think," -sez 'e, waggin' 'is 'ead; "you wus werry drunk." "No, sir, not drunk, -only a bit shaky like," I sez, though I knowed orl the time I'd bin -properly tin 'ats. "Well," 'e sed, shakin' 'is 'ead werry sad, "I -should 'ave liked to 'ave given you another chance; but I'm afraid you -ain't fit to be a leadin' seaman. You must go before the capt'in." I -sees the owner, an' has a consequence wus dipped to A.B.; an' now I -shall never be anythin' else. Sad 'istory, ain't it?' concluded Joshua -sadly. 'But it's beer wot's done it, so look out you don't git meetin' -with hevil companions.' He solemnly winked one eye. - -Now, Joshua Billings, A.B., though officially a bad hat, was one of the -best seamen in the ship when there was any work on hand, and the -commander knew it. Only that fatal predilection for beer kept him from -rising to the top of the tree. Martin took his advice to heart, and was -rather proud to have him as a friend. - -At ten-thirty in the forenoon came a ten-minute stand easy for smoking; -after which work was resumed until eleven-forty-five, when the decks -were cleared up and the bugle sounded 'Cooks.' At noon there was -dinner, the staple meal of the day; and half-an-hour later the cooks of -messes were summoned on deck to receive the allowance of grog for the -members of their messes. The rum, mingled with its due proportion of -water, was served out with some ceremony. It stood in a huge -brass-bound tub bearing in brass letters the words, 'The King: God -bless him;' and when the recipients had assembled in a long queue with -their mess kettles and other receptacles, the liquid was solemnly -measured out by the ship's steward, under the supervision of the -warrant officer and the petty officer of the day. Martin, being under -twenty, was not officially allowed to partake of the beverage. He -tasted it once, and it made him cough and splutter. - -At one-ten the bugle sounded 'Out pipes,' and the decks were cleared -up; and at one-thirty the forenoon's work was resumed. At -three-forty-five labour, except for odd jobs done by the watch on -board, was over for the day; and at four o'clock came 'evening -quarters,' a repetition of the morning 'divisions,' without the prayers -and the music. Immediately afterwards the men went to tea, and the -watch whose turn it was to go ashore were sent on leave till seven -o'clock the next morning. Each man, provided his character was good, -thus got leave every alternate night; but Martin, with the rest of the -newly joined ordinary seamen, was not allowed out of the ship after ten -P.M. - -Saturday afternoon was generally a half-holiday, and a portion of the -ship's company went away till seven o'clock on the following Monday; -while on Sundays those men left on board had the usual service in the -forenoon, and did no work that was not absolutely necessary. - -Every day of the week supper came at seven-fifteen P.M., and after this -the hammocks were piped down and were slung on the mess-decks. At -eight-thirty came another clearing up of the ship, and at nine o'clock -the commander, preceded by the master-at-arms with a lighted lantern, -and followed by the sergeant-major of marines, made his final rounds of -the ship to see that everything was correct for the night, and that the -galley fires were extinguished. At ten o'clock the boatswain's mates -'piped down,' and everybody was chased off to his hammock. So ended the -day. - - -III. - -In a mixed company of eight hundred and fifty odd souls, comprising -seamen, marines, and stokers; boiler-makers, copper-smiths, and -moulders; blacksmiths, plumbers, shipwrights, caulkers, carpenters, and -joiners; butchers, bakers, and bandsmen; signalmen and telegraphists; -ship's police, stewards, and writers--men of all ranks and ratings, of -forty-and-one different trades and persuasions--it took Martin some -little time to find his own level. The subtle little differences -between the various grades and ranks were rather puzzling, and, as a -new-comer fresh to the navy and its traditions, he was constantly -making mistakes. At first he imagined that any one who wore clothes of -the ordinary shore-going cut, with a collar and tie, was a person to be -respected and called 'sir.' On one never-to-be-forgotten occasion he -used the title in addressing a 'dusty-boy,' or ship's steward's -assistant, a youth scarcely older than himself. For this he was -seriously taken to book by his messmates, and had his leg pulled -unmercifully. - -Some of his shipmates, moreover, were not slow to take advantage of his -ignorance as a 'softy' to amuse themselves at his expense. One ordinary -seaman in particular, a fresh-complexioned Irish youth of bullying -propensities, rejoicing in the name of Peter Flannagan, regarded a -newly joined ordinary seaman as a gift sent from heaven for his -especial amusement, though he himself had joined the ship only a few -months before. He was for ever devising new schemes of petty -persecution, until Martin's soul grew bitter, and he longed to -retaliate. But Flannagan was larger and heavier than himself, and a -direct assault could only end in defeat; so for a fortnight he stood -the ragging without complaint, and nursed his grievance in silence. -Then one morning he came late to breakfast to find powdered soap -mingled with his food, pepper in his coffee, and Flannagan sniggering -on an adjacent seat. He did nothing at the time, but that morning -sought the advice of Joshua Billings. - -That same afternoon Flannagan happened to be watch ashore. He had asked -a messmate to sling a hammock for him, and when, at ten o'clock, he -returned to the ship he promptly undressed and turned in. He had barely -had time to get comfortably to sleep, however, when his foot lanyard -gave an ominous crack. He knew what was about to happen, and tried to -save himself, but in an instant found himself precipitated abruptly to -the deck, feet first. Falling from a height of five odd feet, and -landing in rather scanty attire across the sharp edge of a mess-table, -is necessarily a painful business; and Martin, who was lying four tiers -away, with one cautious eye peering over the edge of his hammock, could -hardly restrain his merriment as the victim hopped round on one leg, -swearing and rubbing a badly barked shin. - -'Wot yer makin' all that bally row abart?' demanded the Irishman's -next-door neighbour with a chuckle. 'Fallen out o' yer 'ammick, 'ave -yer?' - -'Did you cut me foot lanyard?' demanded the angry Flannagan. - -'Me? Lord, no!' guffawed the other. - -'Well, you knows 'oo did it, any'ow!' - -'I knows nothin',' retorted the A.B., getting angry in his turn. 'If -yer says I did it you're a bally liar. I'll give yer a clip 'longside -the ear'ole if you ain't careful. Don't act so wet. Wot 'ave I to do -wi' yer rotten 'ammick?' - -'Some one's cut it,' the Irishman replied furiously, examining a clean -cut through two strands of the rope. 'If it ain't you wot done it, you -must know 'oo it was. 'Oo was it? tell us.' He looked round to see if -anybody else was awake, but every one seemed to be snoring peacefully. -Sailors are very heavy sleepers sometimes. - -It took Flannagan fully a quarter of an hour to repair damages and turn -in again. It was bitterly cold, and he cursed vehemently. - -But his troubles were not over yet. Towards eleven-thirty, when he had -got thoroughly warm and was dozing off, he felt an uncomfortable, -prickly sensation down his back and legs. He sat up blinking, and put a -hand under the blanket to find a thin film of something warm and -sticky. It resembled glue. The best part of a pound of finely ground -brown sugar, cunningly insinuated between the bedclothes, is not a -pleasant bedfellow. It melts with the heat of the body. The results are -nasty in the extreme. - -He leapt out, fuming. ''Ere!' he shouted, violently shaking the A.B. -next to him. ''Ave you bin puttin' sugar in my 'ammick?' - -'Look 'ere!' exclaimed the newly awakened man, 'I'm fair sick o' yer. I -told you afore I 'adn't touched yer 'ammick, an' I sed I'd give yer a -thick ear if yer went on worryin' me. Now I'm goin' to do it.' He -hopped out, gave the astonished Irishman a box on the ear which sent -him sprawling, and then stood over him with clenched fists. 'D'you want -any more?' he asked grimly. - -Flannagan did not. - -Martin and the other men in the neighbourhood, meanwhile, had been -waked by the disturbance, and were enjoying the fun. 'Go on, Ginger! -Give 'im another!' somebody advised the A.B. 'Give 'im a clip under the -lug! Slosh 'im one on the ruddy boko! Wakin' of us orl up at this time -o' night!' - -'Look 'ere, you blokes,' protested the still recumbent victim, 'some -one 'as put sugar in my 'ammick!' - -A roar of laughter greeted his words. His hearers were not sympathetic. -They longed to see a really good fight, and there would have been more -bloodshed if Flannagan, terrorised by the A.B.'s fists, had not thought -discretion the better part of valour. He retired grumbling, to spend -the rest of the chilly night on the hard mess-table, wrapped in a -greatcoat. - -At five-forty-five the next morning he sidled up to Martin, as the -latter sat drinking his cocoa. 'Look 'ere!' he exclaimed aggressively, -'was it you wot done that to my 'ammick last night?' - -'Done wot?' asked Pincher, grinning innocently. - -'Cut my ruddy foot lanyard an' put sugar on my blanket,' the Irishman -shouted, advancing threateningly with his fists clenched. 'I see'd yer -larfin' last night, an' yer larfin' now. If it wos you 'oo done it -I'll'---- - -'Stop yer bloomin' noise, Paddy!' chipped in Strumbles, who was always -inclined to be irascible in the early morning. 'If yer wants ter fight -Pincher you'd best take 'im on in the dog watches arter tea, not at -this un'oly hour o' the mornin'.' - -'But if it was 'im wot cut'---- - -'Don't chaw yer fat!' growled the leading seaman, giving the Irishman a -push in the chest. 'If it was Pincher wot done it, I reckons you arsked -for it. If you comes makin' a row 'ere I'll land you one on the conk, -so you'd best clear out!' - -Popular opinion was evidently not on his side; and, seeing how affairs -stood, Flannagan slouched off, vowing vengeance on some person or -persons unknown. - -But he never had his revenge; for, though he had a shrewd suspicion -that Martin was somehow responsible for his discomfiture, he could -never fix the blame on him for certain. The tables were turned at last, -and Pincher suffered no further inconvenience at the hands of Peter -Flannagan. The end had justified the means. Joshua Billings, A.B., was -an adept at dealing with a young and bumptious ordinary seaman who made -himself objectionable. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -WORK AND PLAY. - - -I. - -'Nice sort o' craft, isn't she?' growled the first lieutenant, eyeing -the grimy collier lying alongside. 'Enough to break the heart of a -plaster saint!' - -Tickle, the junior watch-keeping lieutenant, nodded in agreement. -'She's broken mine already,' he observed dolefully. 'How on earth we're -going to take in six hundred tons from her the Lord alone knows.' - -Chase, the first lieutenant, refilled his pipe. 'I'd like to get hold -of the blighter who charters these colliers,' he mumbled savagely. -'This one doesn't appear to have a winch that'll lift more than -half-a-ton; and as for her hatches--lord! they're only the size of--of -that.' He could think of no suitable simile, so held his hands out a -couple of feet apart. - -'You should just see her whips, No. 1,' put in the watch-keeper. 'They -were new in the year one; used by Admiral Noah in the Ark, by the look -of 'em. I tried to lift one of the cross beams in No. 1 hold just now. -Took me about twenty minutes to get the winch to gee to start with. -Then, when I'd gingered it up, and had got the beam in mid-air, the -whip parted, and the whole caboodle came down with a crash. It would -have gone clean through her bottom if there'd been no coal in the -hold.' - -'M'yes. I heard the yelling,' observed Chase. 'Any one hurt?' - -'No. A silly young ass of an ordinary seaman--chap called Martin, who's -just joined--jolly nearly got it in the neck, but not quite, luckily -for him. It weighed the best part of half-a-ton, and it missed him by -about six inches. He'd have been done in all right if his head had been -in the way.' - -'Silly blighter!' said the first lieutenant unsympathetically. 'What -the dooce did he want to get in the way for?' - -'Ask me another,' laughed Tickle. 'Some of these O.D.'s keep their eyes -in the back of their head. However, this chap seems a bit better than -some of 'em, though that's not saying much. He had the fright of his -life, though, and won't do it again, I'll bet.' - -The first lieutenant snorted. - -S.S. _Ben Macdhui_ certainly deserved all the strictures passed upon -her by both officers. She was no chicken, merely a nine-and-a-half -knot, pot-bellied monstrosity of a tramp built in the early 'eighties, -which, by inadvertence on somebody's part, or through a shortage of -more suitable craft, had temporarily been chartered as an Admiralty -collier. She belonged to a small company who appeared to earn their -dividends by buying all the old crocks of ships they could lay their -hands upon, and then running them on the cheap, for all her gear and -fittings were as elderly and unsafe as herself. Her middle-aged winches -wheezed cheerfully, and vomited forth jets of steam, scalding water, -and gouts of oil when they could be persuaded to revolve. Her derricks -groaned and sagged perilously when they lifted half their proper load; -while the less said about her coaling-whips--supposed to be brand-new -two-and-a-half-inch steel wire of the best quality--the better. The -officers and men were thoroughly in keeping with their ship. The -former, according to their own account, had all seen better days; while -the latter, bleary-eyed and stiff in the joints, looked more like a -party of workhouse inmates than the crew of a British merchant ship. A -more decrepit and ancient set of mariners it would be impossible to -find. They all had bald heads, several were grandfathers with flowing -white whiskers--when they washed; but then, of course, Messrs Catchem & -Flintskin preferred men of experience to mere scatter-brained -youngsters. They were more reliable, they said; but they also got them -cheaper, and their appetites were smaller. - -The 'Belligerents' swore lustily when the venerable _Ben Macdhui_ -secured alongside. The commander shared their feelings; while the first -lieutenant--who was in general charge of the collier during -coaling--nearly wept, and retired to the wardroom to seek liquid -consolation. The lieutenants in charge of the holds, who would have to -bear the brunt of the whole business if the coal did not come in at its -usual rate, cursed long and loud. They were all justified, poor souls, -for a bad collier may mean a long coaling; and a long coaling in the -winter is the 'perishin' limit,' as some one put it. - -The collier came alongside before dark, and that evening new whips were -rove, derricks were rigged and topped, bags and shovels were brought up -from the dim recesses of the _Belligerent's_ bowels and distributed -among the holds, the battleship's deck was brushed over with a moist -mixture of sand and lime to prevent the coal-dust from soaking in, and -all paintwork on the upper deck was swathed in canvas for the same -reason. - -Martin, as Lieutenant Tickle has already explained, had nearly lost the -number of his mess when assisting in the collier. He thought his narrow -escape was deserving of a certain amount of sympathy, but precious -little he got. He was bluntly called a '---- young fool,' and asked -'why the ---- he wanted to get his ---- head in the way.' Even his -messmates laughed at him, for to all bluejackets a miss is as good as a -mile. In the course of their careers, even in time of peace, they look -death in the face so often as to be utterly unmindful of narrow -squeaks. Their calling is essentially a risky one, and to become inured -to danger is part and parcel of their training. If a man has a close -shave he is chaffed unmercifully; if he is killed, his shipmates -express their sympathy, shrug their shoulders, attend the funeral with -tears in their eyes and a glass case of wax flowers in their hands, and -subscribe their shillings and pennies toward providing for the widow -and children. It is all in the day's work. - -Punctually at five-thirty the next morning, while it was yet dark, the -boatswain's mates were piping, 'Clear lower deck! 'Ands fall in for -coaling ship!' and officers and men, clad in the oldest and grimiest of -garments, repaired to the quarterdeck. Coaling ship was always a 'clear -lower deck' evolution, and nobody was excused except a few privileged -officers and men. - -On the quarterdeck was the commander; and presently, when the men had -been reported present, he gave them a few words. - -'Men,' he said, 'we've got a bad collier this time, just about the -worst thing in colliers I've ever seen. We have six hundred tons to -take in, so let's see if we can't make an evolution of it. We've been a -pretty good ship for coaling up to date, remember, so don't let us -spoil our good record now. Coal ship!' - -The groups of men scattered and fled to their several stations. The -forecastlemen, foretopmen, maintopmen, and quarterdeckmen repaired to -their respective holds in the collier, where they were divided up into -gangs of five for shovelling the coal into the two-hundredweight bags, -which were hoisted on board ten at a time. The 'dumping-ground -parties,' composed principally of artisan ratings like the carpenter's -mates, shipwrights, plumbers, and blacksmiths, were sent to the places -on the battleship's deck where the hoists would presently be coming in. -Their duty was to unhook and unstrap the bags as they arrived, and to -place them on the barrows, which were then trundled to the various -bunker-openings in the deck by the Royal Marines. Here the bags were -seized by the 'tippers,' and their contents emptied down the shoots -into the bunkers below, where they were stowed by the stokers doing -duty as 'trimmers.' The empty bags were collected by a number of -ordinary seamen and boys, who returned them to the holds in the -collier; and woe betide these youths if the men digging in the holds -were delayed through a shortage of empties! - -Practically all the officers coaled with their men. The commander was -in general charge of the whole operation, while the first lieutenant -exercised supervision in the collier. The lieutenants and midshipmen of -divisions worked with their men in the holds; while Vernon Hatherley, -the lieutenant-commander (T.), clad in an ancient Panama hat and a suit -of indescribable overalls, acted the part of traffic manager on the -upper deck. He had the assistance of a couple of midshipmen, and among -them they organised the movement of barrows between the dumping-grounds -and the bunker-openings, so that no two streams moving in opposite -directions should come into sudden and violent contact, and so cause a -congestion in the traffic. The captain of marines, Hannibal Chance, -supervised his barrow-men, and, assisted by the sergeant-major, -exhorted them when they became languid. Nearly every other officer in -the ship, save only the fleet surgeon, the fleet paymaster, the -surgeon, and the assistant-paymasters, was in charge of something or -other. The lieutenant-commander (N.), Christopher Colomb, otherwise the -navigator, kept the 'day on' as officer of the watch; while even the -chaplain, the Reverend Stephen Holiman, set an example by shedding his -clerical garments and trundling a barrow. The men loved seeing Holy Joe -'sweatin' hisself,' as they put it; but, for all that, they voted him a -good fellow, and he was immensely popular on the lower deck. - -Martin found himself detailed as a member of one of the gangs of -diggers in the forecastlemen's hold. The work of shovelling the coal -into bags was back-breaking, for no two consecutive shovelfuls were -exactly the same weight; in addition, he found it extremely difficult -to keep his footing. The confined space reeked of coal-dust, and before -long he and his companions were jet-black from head to foot. He -breathed the fine powder down into his lungs. He perspired profusely. -His back, shoulders, arms, and thighs ached with the strain; but he was -game, and managed to struggle on somehow. Five other gangs were at work -besides his own. Each one was responsible for a hoist of ten bags, and -had to have them filled and strapped together by the time the whip was -ready to hoist them. They occasionally had a few minutes' rest between -the hoists, but otherwise the work went on continuously; and it was a -point of honour that the whip, which visited all the gangs in rotation, -should not be kept waiting. If there was any undue delay in hooking on, -there were loud shouts from above, and angry, nautical exhortations -from the lieutenant, midshipmen, and petty officers working in the -hold. - -It was sultry work, very sultry, though it was winter. The dust was so -thick that the powerful arc lights could only be seen in a blurred -glare across the hold. Jet-black figures whirled in and out of the -murky cloud like demons on the brink of the nethermost pit. Shouts of -'Stand from under!' and empty bags came from the deck above; and every -now and then there came a shrill screech on a whistle, a frenzied shout -of 'Mind your backs! Stand clear!' a frantic clattering from the -long-suffering winch, and a hoist would go hurtling, swinging, and -banging across the hold as the wire whip strained and tautened out. The -labouring men would spring aside to get clear, for a ton of coal in the -small of the back will send a twelve-stone man flying, and may cause -him serious injury. But still the work went on without a stop, and -hoist after hoist left the hold, disappeared in the darkness above, -swung through space, and finally landed with a thud and more shouts on -the battleship's deck. - -The _Ben Macdhui_ was certainly a bad collier. Twice during the first -hour did two of her winches break down, and each time they caused a -delay of fully twenty minutes. Another time a block on the head of a -derrick carried away, and the suspended hoist fell back into the hold -with a crash, knocking over two men. They were not seriously hurt, and -picked themselves up with many full-blooded sea oaths, to resume their -work as if nothing had happened. - -The 'Belligerents' prided themselves on their coaling. With a good -collier they had been known to average one hundred and seventy-seven -tons per hour; but this time they had only embarked one hundred and -ninety-eight by eight o'clock, at which time there came half-an-hour's -respite for breakfast. They had been at it since about five-forty (two -hours twenty minutes), and the commander was not at all pleased. But -even he realised that it was not the fault of the men. 'Bad!' he -growled. 'Damned bad! We're only averaging eighty-four point eight an -hour. What can one do with a collier like this?' - -During breakfast-time, wardroom, gunroom, and mess-decks were invaded -by hordes of black-faced demons, ravenous and clamouring for food. Some -of the more fastidious among them had washed their hands and had -cleared a circle of grime from about their mouths; but time was short, -and most of them had not troubled to do even this. Officers' messes, -cabins, and mess-decks were pervaded with the strange, penetrating -smell of coal. The dust hung and lodged everywhere, and even the -porridge, eggs and bacon, and milk were covered with films of black -powder. But what did it matter? They were hungry, and the food tasted -just as good, dust or no dust. - -At eight-thirty work was resumed, and the ship's company, rejuvenated -by breakfast, set to with redoubled energy. The _Belligerent's_ once -white deck was covered with black dust, caked by the wheels of the -barrows. Officers and men alike were black from head to foot; but still -the hoists crashed in, still the barrows flew round the deck, and still -the coal went tumbling down the shoots into the bunkers. On the after -shelter-deck the bandsmen were doing their share of the work by braying -out the latest music-hall songs; but even their strident and not very -tuneful efforts could only be heard at intervals in the clatter of the -winches and the hollow rumble of the barrows. - -The best hour's work was done between ten and eleven, when one hundred -and twenty-four tons were taken in, and shortly before noon the full -six hundred had been embarked. The bugle sounded the 'Cease firing,' -the last hoists of empty bags and shovels came clattering inboard from -the collier with throaty cheers from the tired men, and swarms of -bluejackets set about lowering the derricks and unrigging the gear. - -Soon afterwards, when the _Ben Macdhui's_ chief engineer had raised -sufficient steam in his tin-pot boiler to revolve the engines, and when -the ancient crew could be induced to bestir themselves, the collier let -go her wires and waddled off. The 'Belligerents' cheered and waved -ironical farewells as she departed. They were heartily glad to see the -last of her. - -'Gosh!' muttered Martin, with a heartfelt sigh, as he watched her go -from the forecastle, 'I ain't sorry that job's done!' His back ached, -and he felt very weary. He also wanted his dinner. - -Able Seaman Billings heard his remark and smiled. 'Garn!' he jeered -good-naturedly; 'this 'ere coalin' ain't bin nothin', only six 'undred -ton. You wait till we joins up wi' the fleet, me lad, w'en we coals -once a fortnight reg'lar.' - -It was quite true, as Martin afterwards discovered. - -That afternoon, armed with the hose, scrubbers, and soap, they set -about cleaning the ship, themselves, and their clothes. Coal-dust -seemed to be everywhere; it had lodged in every nook and cranny, but by -dark most of it was removed and the battleship was looking more or less -like her old self. So ended Martin's first experience of 'coaling -ship,' an evolution which subsequently was carried out with such -frequency that it became a mere incident. - -The next day they took in ammunition and explosives enough to send a -whole squadron of Dreadnoughts to the bottom. Innocent-looking lighters -and barges, crammed to the hatches with shell for the twelve-inch, -six-inch, and smaller guns; cases of cordite-cartridges; boxes -containing the copper war-heads for the torpedoes, filled with -gun-cotton; small-arm ammunition; gun-cotton charges in cylindrical -red-painted cases, and detonators, came alongside in the early morning -while it was yet dark. - -Soon after eight o'clock the work began. It was preferable to coaling, -as it was cleaner; but the labour was very strenuous. There were three -lighters on each side, and each had its own party of men employed in -hooking on the projectiles and metal cordite-cases, which were then -hoisted on board by the battleship's winches. Other men on deck with -barrows transported the shell and cases as they arrived to square -hatches in different parts of the deck, through which they were lowered -to the magazines and shell-rooms in the bowels of the ship, to be -stowed in their proper racks, bays, and compartments. - -The great eight hundred and fifty pound projectiles for the twelve-inch -guns dwarfed all the others, and they were slung inboard singly on -account of their weight. The hundred-pound shell for the six-inch guns -came in in canvas bags a couple at a time, while the lighter -projectiles for the smaller weapons were hoisted in consignments. - -Such a variety of shell there was! Some had bright-yellow bodies with -red bands round their middles, and sundry stencil-marks on their sides -denoting the date and place of manufacture, date of filling with -explosive, and other purely personal details. These were the lyddite -high-explosive shell Martin had often heard about; and he was informed, -by an A.B. who was lowering them below as if they had been mere sacks -of potatoes, that they burst into thousands of minute fragments on -impact, and that they were designed primarily for use as man-killing -projectiles against the unarmoured portions of an enemy's ship. Then -there were the common shell with black-painted bodies and red-and-white -bands round their noses. They, too, were deadly in their way, but not -quite so deadly as the lyddite, since they were filled only with black -powder, and did not burst so violently on striking. The armour-piercers -were also black, and had white-red-white bands round their heads. They, -Martin was told, had very thick walls and specially toughened points, -and were designed to bore their way through an enemy's armoured sides -and to burst inside. Then came the shrapnel shell for the lighter guns, -with their red tips and red bands; they were provided with a small -bursting charge, were filled with bullets, and had time-fuses, so that -they could be burst in the air at any moment, to send their leaden -bullets flying on over a cone-shaped region of destruction. The -practice projectiles were black, with yellow bands round their middles -and white tips. They were quite harmless, being made of cast-iron, with -small quantities of salt inside to bring them up to the exact weight. - -It was quite six o'clock in the evening by the time the ammunition had -all been taken in, and even then there were many hours' work in stowing -the shell, cordite, and explosives in their several shellrooms and -magazines. - -The next morning, at cock-crow, they started another very similar job, -taking in slops and stores of provisions from the victualling yard. -This time the deck was littered with bundles of clothing done up in -sacking, bags of flour, boxes and cases containing boots, shoes, straw -hats, caps, biscuits, condensed milk, tea, coffee, chocolate, jam, -preserved meat, tinned salmon and rabbit, mustard, pepper, salt, -raisins, rice, dried beans and peas, pickles, suet, compressed -vegetables, oatmeal, split peas, celery-seed for flavouring pea-soup, -soap, and tobacco. There were also casks or drums of rum, vinegar, and -sugar. The total consignment ran into well over a hundred tons dead -weight, and all the hundred and one different articles had to be -hoisted on board, sorted out, transported, and stowed in their proper -storerooms. - -The ship's steward and his assistant 'dusty boys' had a very busy day. -Quite early in the proceedings a flour-bag burst like a shell and -deluged the steward with its contents. He was powdered from head to -foot, and remained so for the rest of the day; and the little runnels -of perspiration running down his whitened face made a strange -criss-cross pattern which transformed his ordinarily rubicund -countenance into a very fair representation of a map of the planet -Mars, with all the canals clearly marked. His appearance caused titters -of amusement and howls of derisive merriment when his back was turned, -as, armed with an enormous note-book and a sheaf of coloured pencils, -he flitted in and out of the piles of boxes and packing-cases like a -lost soul. He was endeavouring to trace odd cases of raisins, or errant -boxes of jam or pickles, and looked very worried, poor man! At any -rate, it was hardly safe to talk to him, for finding the mislaid things -among the heaps of barrels, drums, cases, and boxes, which covered the -deck in places to a height of fully five feet, was for the time being -rather like searching for a pebble on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. - - -II. - -The _Belligerent_ was a 'Pompey'[7] ship. Many of her officers and men -had their homes in or near the port, so the 'funny party'--otherwise -the ship's concert troupe--prevailed upon the first lieutenant, their -honorary president, to petition the commander for permission to give a -farewell entertainment on board the evening before they sailed to -rejoin the squadron. - - [7] 'Pompey' is the naval slang term for Portsmouth. - -The commander, with visions of endless trouble in rigging a stage for -the performance, and the sacred quarterdeck being littered with -cigarette-ends, banana-skins, and orange-peel, was not altogether -pleased at the prospect. 'They want to give a show!' he said, in -surprise, when the first lieutenant mooted the subject. 'Great Scott! -they must be mad. It's mid-winter. Suppose it's raining or blowing a -gale o' wind?' - -'Yes, sir. I pointed that out to them,' answered No. 1. 'I quite -realise there are serious objections. They're so jolly keen on it, -though, that I couldn't choke 'em off.' - -'And they propose that we shall bring all the guests off in our boats, -eh?' - -Chase nodded. 'They do, sir,' he said. 'But I'll take the management of -all that off your hands if you'll let me. They want the show to start -at eight o'clock.' - -'The devil they do!' laughed the commander, beginning to relent. -'You'll have to cut the encores, though. It'll have to be over by -ten-fifteen at the latest. We're sailing the next morning.' - -'I'll see to that, sir.' - -'Are the officers and their wives to be asked?' the commander wanted to -know. - -'Oh yes, sir. They specially mentioned that.' - -'Well, for goodness' sake censor the programme. Last time we gave a -show and had ladies on board, one of the songs was altogether -too--er--spicy. I can't remember who sang it, but one of the captain's -guests was very much shocked. For heaven's sake make certain it doesn't -occur again!' - -'Yes, I'll do that, sir,' smiled No. 1, with vivid recollections of the -incident. - -'All right. I'll ask the captain, then. I don't expect he'll object. -You'd better tell me beforehand how many boats you want to bring the -people off, and I'll leave all the rest in your hands.' - -'Thank you, sir.' - -The captain raised no objections; and on the afternoon of the -entertainment the carpenter and his men, assisted by the members of the -'funny party' and many willing volunteers, set about preparing the -quarterdeck. The day, luckily, was fine, but bitterly cold. A temporary -stage, built up of planks placed upon biscuit-boxes, was rigged right -aft athwartships. It was provided with the necessary scenery painted on -board, was decorated with flags and coloured bunting, and was flanked -by a brightly polished twelve-pounder gun and a Maxim on their -field-carriages. The awning overhead was shrouded in enormous foreign -ensigns, while canvas side-curtains were laced all round the -quarterdeck to keep off the wind. Seating accommodation for several -hundred people was provided by bringing all the available stools from -the mess-decks, and placing them in rows on the deck and the top of the -after-barbette with its two 12-inch guns. The first two rows of stalls, -so to speak, were reserved for the officers, and consisted of -arm-chairs and other chairs borrowed at the last moment from the -officers' cabins and messes. - -By seven-forty-five the preparations were complete, and the guests were -beginning to arrive. As they stepped over the gangway they were claimed -by their respective hosts, presented with printed programmes, and -conducted to seats. By seven-fifty-five the last boats had come off, -and the quarterdeck was tightly packed with men and their female -belongings. They were all very much on their best behaviour, talked in -hushed, expectant whispers, and spent the time criticising their -neighbours and admiring the drop-scene. - -The drop-scene was a truly terrific representation of the _Belligerent_ -in action. It had been painted on board, and the artist had allowed his -colours to run riot. The sea, well covered with shell-splashes, was -very, very blue, and so was the sky. The ship herself, with flaunting -White Ensigns hoisted everywhere, was fiercely blazing away with every -gun at some invisible enemy over the horizon. Here and there the blue -expanse of sky was punctuated with large yellow and white blotches. -Whether or not they represented clouds, the bursting of hostile shell, -or cordite smoke, nobody but the artist could say. They did equally -well for any one of them. At the bottom was an elaborate scroll, royal -blue in colour, inscribed with the battle honours of previous -_Belligerents_ in gold letters; while in the centre came the ship's -crest and motto, '_Ut Veniant Omnes_' the Latin equivalent of 'Let -'em all come!' - -Before long the guests thawed a little, and the place began to hum like -a beehive. The ladies produced chocolate and other edibles from -handbags, and thrust them on their neighbours in token of friendship. -The men lit pipes and cigarettes until the air was blue with -tobacco-smoke. Martin, with several other youngsters, had installed -himself in an excellent position on the top of the after-turret, and -waited anxiously for the performance to start. - -The chattering ceased as the orchestra filed out from the wings and -took their places behind a zareba of bunting-covered biscuit-boxes and -hired palms erected in front of the stage. They all wore their best -tunics, had their hair well parted and greased, and seemed very full of -their own importance. They concealed themselves behind their barricade -until only the tops of their heads were visible, leaving the bandmaster -perched precariously on a chair set on a couple of rather insecure -boxes. He wore a brand-new pair of white gloves in honour of the -occasion, twirled his moustache, and tried hard not to look -self-conscious. - -'Swanker!' came a loud and very raucous remark from the top of the -after-turret. Martin, greatly daring, but carried away by the -excitement of the moment, had been responsible for the utterance. He -looked round apprehensively, half-expecting to get into trouble for his -temerity; but every one seemed quite pleased. The audience was actually -tittering. The titter became a laugh, and the laugh a roar of delighted -amusement. The bandmaster, with his back to the gathering, seemed -rather agitated. He half-turned on his chair, thought better of it when -it gave a dangerous wobble, and then pretended he had not heard. - -The culprit, undiscovered save by his immediate neighbours, hugged -himself at the success of his sally. - -A minute later, when the band began to tune up for the overture, the -first lieutenant appeared from one of the after-hatches. He had the -reputation of being a 'taut hand;' but the men loved him dearly, and -his arrival was the signal for a volley of cheers and hand-claps. He -faced the audience nervously, bowed and smiled, and then, watch in -hand, walked across to the bandmaster and held a whispered -conversation. - -Other officers came up the after-hatches and filed into their places. -They were greeted with round after round of applause, as, very red in -the face and very uncomfortable, they settled down in their seats. The -_Belligerent_ was notoriously a happy ship, and on occasions of this -kind her ship's company were not slow in showing their appreciation for -their officers. - -The captain had been having a dinner-party in his cabin for some of the -married officers and their wives; and he, the commander, the -engineer-commander, the fleet surgeon, Hatherley, and Tickle, with -their respective wives, arrived last. They, too, received their share -of cheers while taking their seats. The captain, however, remained -standing, and held up his hand for silence. - -'Ladies and gentlemen,' he said when the uproar had subsided, 'I am -very glad to see you all here to-night, and I hope you will enjoy the -entertainment. The first lieutenant asked me to sing you a song myself, -but I'm afraid I'm getting too old for that sort'---- - -Loud cries of 'No, no!' and more cheering. - -'I am,' he continued, laughing, 'though you may not believe it. What I -want to tell you is that I have arranged for light refreshments to be -served in the battery during the interval, so I hope you will -all--er--do full justice to them.' - -Loud cheers, during which Captain Spencer sat down and nodded to the -first lieutenant for the entertainment to begin. - -The latter rose from his chair and glanced at his programme. 'Ladies -and gentlemen,' he said, 'the first item on the list is a selection by -the band. It is called--er--"Down Channel," and has been specially -composed for the occasion by Mr Johnson, the bandmaster.' He sat down -again. - -The bandmaster rapped twice with his baton, and with a rattle of drums -the music began. The selection was a strange pot-pourri of every -nautical song that Mr Johnson had ever heard. It started off with a -variation of 'Hearts of Oak,' wandered into 'The Bay of Biscay,' 'Tom -Bowling,' 'They all love Jack,' and several other tunes, ancient and -modern, and finished off with 'The Red, White, and Blue' and 'Rule -Britannia.' It was hardly original, but it was received with vociferous -applause. The bandmaster, highly satisfied, turned and bowed his -acknowledgments with great dignity. - -'The next item on the programme,' said the first lieutenant, rising to -his feet again, 'is a comic song entitled "Archibald," by Stoker -Williams.' - -The footlights were turned on, and the curtain went up to disclose -Stoker Williams dressed in the height of fashion. He wore a morning -coat, gray trousers, patent-leather boots and spats, eyeglass, -immaculate shirt, collar, and tie. He represented, it would seem, a -young man about town looking for a friend named Archibald. Presumably -he had some difficulty in finding him, for he walked mincingly across -the stage, grasping a cane and a pair of gloves in one horny hand, and -in the other a very glossy top-hat, which he twirled violently when the -spirit moved him. The first lieutenant fidgeted uneasily. The hat, a -brand-new Lincoln & Bennett, belonged to him. So did the clothes. The -chorus of the song went something like this: - - Har-ar-chibald! Har-ar-chibald! - Son of a belted hearl. - Har-ar-chibald! Har-ar-chibald! - I'll bet 'e's mashin' 'is girl. - 'E promised to meet me at 'arf-past three; - But 'e's such a nut that 'e's gone on the spree, - With 'is girls, girls, girls. - (_Spoken_) 'Har-ar-chibald! where are you?' - -The words were not conspicuous for their wit or cleverness, but the -tune went with a swing, and the audience, highly appreciative, rocked -with laughter; and after the performer's 'Now all together, please,' at -the end of the first verse, joined in the inane chorus until the roar -of 'Har-ar-chibald! where are you?' could have been heard as far as the -dockyard gates. - -The song eventually came to a close with Archibald still missing, and -Stoker Williams, very pleased with himself, left the stage amidst -clapping, cat-calls, and loud cries of 'Encore!' But encores were -barred, and the curtain came down with a crash. - -The next turn was by the P.T.I. (Physical Training Instructor). He was -a magnificently built man, and appeared, despite the weather, clad in -flesh-coloured tights, sandals, and an imitation tiger-skin. 'Ladies -and gentlemen,' he said, advancing to the front of the stage and -addressing the audience in the approved music-hall manner, 'with your -kind indulgence I will now introduce a few lifting feats without -apparatus of any kind. After that I shall have pleasure in giving a -display with the Indian clubs. For the first part of my performance I -must ask a member of the audience weighing at least ten stone to join -me on the stage.' - -After some hesitation and tittering, the challenge was presently -accepted by Able Seaman M'Sweeny. Tubby, as he was called by his -shipmates, was a short, rotund, and very bulbous person, who was a -source of unfailing amusement to his friends. He had a fat red face -rather like an apple, and a pair of humorous blue eyes; and, being -something of a buffoon, was delighted at the idea of making himself -conspicuous. He pretended to be very nervous, left his seat amid shouts -of laughter and cries of 'Good old Tubby boy!' from the lookers-on, and -presently appeared on the stage with the P.T.I. - -'This gentleman informs me that he weighs thirteen stone,' said the -P.T.I., producing a broad strap; 'one hundred and eighty-two pounds. I -first place the strap round him, so'--buckling it round Tubby's -middle--'and will now ask him to lie flat on the deck in the centre of -the stage.' - -This was rather more than M'Sweeny had bargained for, for he guessed -what was coming next. But he acquiesced nevertheless, and, turning his -funny face toward the audience with a solemn wink, began to agitate his -arms and legs as if he were swimming. - -Martin, on the verge of hysterics, was slowly becoming purple in the -face. He had never seen anything quite so funny in all his life. - -'Look at our Tubby boy!' came another loud remark from a youth seated -near him. 'Ain't 'e the limit?' - -The P.T.I., seeing that Tubby was getting all the applause, became very -wroth. 'Look here!' he growled in a very audible whisper, 'is this your -turn or is it mine? Knock off playing the fool, can't you!' - -The victim, breathing heavily and balanced on his most prominent part, -with the tips of his toes just touching the floor, looked up with a -grin. ''Ere,' he asked loudly, 'w'ere do I come in?' - -The audience rocked in their seats, with tears streaming down their -faces. - -'Shut your fat head!' whispered the gentleman in the -tiger-skin.--'Ladies and gentlemen,' he went on, producing another -short strap fitted with a stout hook, 'I hook this into the strap -passing round the gentleman's body, so, and shall now carry him round -the stage in my mouth.' - -The 'gentleman' seemed distinctly nervous, but it was too late to back -out now. - -The band broke into slow music. The P.T.I, bent down, seized the strap -in his mouth, and, bracing himself with his hands on his knees, lifted -M'Sweeny a few inches off the floor. Then, with another heave which -very nearly precipitated his victim and himself into the middle of the -orchestra, he swung his burden waist-high, and staggered slowly round -the stage with his back bowed and his muscles bulging. - -Tubby, suspended by his centre of gravity, hung limply, with drops of -perspiration trickling off his face. He was desperately alarmed lest he -should be dropped with a crash, poor man! - -The P.T.I., who, judging from his stertorous breathing, had undertaken -more than he had bargained for, tottered once round the stage, and then -went to the side and lowered his prey gently to the floor out of sight -of the audience. At the same time the big drum gave a prearranged and -very resounding crash. The audience laughed themselves hoarse, and -cheered uproariously. After sundry other feats of strength with a long -wooden bar from which depended the limp figures of two Royal Marines, -one ordinary seaman, and one stoker, the performer gave his -club-swinging display with lively music from the band. It was quite -effective, and came to a close with great _eclat_. - -The next item was a very doleful sentimental ditty about a lonely -robin. It was sung by an intensely serious A.B., and the bird, it -appeared, was on terms of great intimacy with a lady suffering from an -incurable disease, who was slowly dying in the top back-room of a -cottage. Every morning at breakfast-time the robin appeared on the -window-sill; but on one memorable occasion he came rather late, to find -the undertakers in the house. The shock unnerved him to such an extent -that he died too, poor bird! It was so intensely pathetic that some of -the ladies in the back-rows actually wept. The two rows of officers and -their wives blew their noses and hid their faces in their programmes. -Their shoulders shook visibly, but not with grief. - -'The next thing,' said the master of ceremonies--rather perturbed -because the last man had exceeded his appointed time by three -minutes--'is a song called "Slattery's Mounted Foot," by the members of -the troupe.' - -The curtain went up to show a man clad more or less as a soldier. He -wore a marine's red tunic, baggy blue trousers with broad yellow -stripes, a cocked hat with an enormous plume, a naval cutlass, and a -pair of leather sea-boots with huge tin spurs. He sang the first verse -of a song amidst much amusement, and then started the rollicking chorus: - - Down from the mountains came the squadrons and platoons, - Four-and-twenty fighting men and a couple of stout gossoons. - -At the cue 'squadrons and platoons' the Mounted Foot, riding home-made -hobby-horses with flowing manes and tails, galloped on to the stage. -Their appearance was the signal for a volley of shouts and laughter, in -which the music was quite inaudible, and truly they were comical. There -were six others besides the first man, who, it would appear, was -General Slattery himself. They all wore burlesque military uniforms. -One was a hussar, another a lancer, a third a soldier in a British line -regiment, a fourth an Indian cavalryman with lance and turban all -complete, a fifth a cross between a Chasseur d'Afrique and a Chinese -brave, and the last an artilleryman. The _piece de resistance_ was -the artillery itself, for the last man to arrive led the very unwilling -Nellie, the ship's pet pig, to which was attached a large cardboard -cannon. Headed by their General, they pranced about the stage enjoying -themselves hugely. Their efforts brought the house down, for they quite -succeeded in making fools of themselves, and 'Slattery's Mounted Foot' -was a long way the best event of the evening. - -The remaining turns were too numerous to be mentioned in detail. They -included further ditties by the singers of 'Archibald' and 'The Lonely -Robin,' a banjo solo, some really clever conjuring and lightning -sketching by an engine-room artificer, and an absurd sketch, written on -board, called 'The Broker's Man.' The plot of this production, if it -could be called by such a name, can be deduced from the list of -characters: - - _Mr Stony-Broke_--an impoverished aristocrat. - _Mrs Stony-Broke_--his wife. - _Miss Gertrude Stony-Broke._ - _General Sir Thomas Dammit, K.C.B._--a rich uncle. - _Mr Hardcash_--a hard-hearted landlord. - _Mr Theodore Buggins_--the broker's man. - _Hon. Bertie de Montmorency_--Gertrude's fiance. - _Giles_--a footman. - - Scene--The Stony-Brokes' drawing-room in London. - - Time--The present. - -The parts of Mrs and Miss Stony-Broke were played by seamen. Mrs -Stony-Broke appeared in black satin and a shawl, and the fair Gertrude -in an evening-dress of pale yellow. Both mother and daughter were very -shapeless, while their home-made wigs, white cotton gloves, bare red -arms, and enormous feet brought tears of joy to the eyes of the -audience. So did the gallant General Sir Thomas Dammit, who, it would -seem, made a habit of wearing his full-dress uniform, cocked hat, and -sword on all occasions. - -Mr Hardcash, the villain of the piece, was loudly hissed; while his -emissary, Mr Theodore Buggins, a truly dissolute fellow, became -hilariously intoxicated at Mr Stony-Broke's expense. But everything -ended happily. Gertrude and the Hon. Bertie plighted their troth, and -were duly set up for life with a handsome cheque from Sir Thomas. - -The curtain came down amidst scenes of the wildest enthusiasm from the -audience, and the orchestra playing Mendelssohn's 'Wedding March.' - -When finally the band played 'God Save the King,' Pincher Martin was -convinced that it was quite the best entertainment he had ever seen. -His shipmates agreed with him. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -THE STRENUOUS LIFE. - - -I. - -Twenty-four hours later the _Belligerent_ was at bleak, wind-swept -Portland; and during the next fortnight Martin began to realise what -life in the navy really meant. He fondly imagined that he had been -hard-worked at Portsmouth, but it was mere child's-play compared with -what went on when they were with the squadron. - -The anchorage was full of men-of-war. First came seven other -battleships precisely similar to the _Belligerent_ herself, squat, -ponderous-looking vessels, with piled-up superstructures and heavy -gun-turrets which gave them an aspect of strength rather than of speed. -They were commanded by a vice-admiral, who flew his flag in the -_Tremendous_. Next came an independent cruiser squadron of four -sister-ships under the orders of a rear-admiral. They were long, lean -craft, with four funnels like factory chimneys, and raking masts. They -had an ungainly appearance, but looked fast. Then came a couple of -light cruisers, slender, graceful vessels, with beautiful lines. They, -too, had four funnels, and gave the impression that they were fliers, -as indeed they were. Innumerable black destroyers, with another light -cruiser as their flagship, lay in glorified sheep-pens jutting out from -the shore. They were evil-looking craft, and could do their thirty -knots with ease. - -But the ships were not always in harbour. Most days of the week they -spent outside the breakwater, indulging in what was officially known as -'aiming rifle practice.' It meant that 1-inch or .303-inch aiming -rifles were placed in all the guns, and that the ship steamed past a -minute target, firing as she went. It kept the gunlayers and guns' -crews proficient, for the weapons were worked, aimed, and fired exactly -as if they had been using their proper ammunition. Unofficially, this -practice was known as _piff_, from the feeble sound of the -reports. - -Sometimes the whole battle-squadron went to sea for steam tactics under -the orders of the vice-admiral; while at least one night a week was -spent somewhere out in the Channel without lights, to give the -destroyers practice in making torpedo attacks under war conditions. - -It was all very wonderful to Martin; but what impressed him most was -the way in which the entire squadron of eight battleships steamed about -as a whole. Each vessel remained at precisely the same distance from -her next ahead, until it seemed as if they were all joined together by -some invisible string, rather than free units capable of independent -motion and movement. How they managed to achieve this result he could -not imagine. It savoured of necromancy. He did not know until later -that on the bridge of each vessel was a young lieutenant with a -sextant, whose duty it was to measure the angle between the masthead -and the water-line of the next ship ahead. Briefly, if the angle grew -larger it meant that the ship was drawing up on her next ahead; if -smaller, that she was dropping behind; and the revolutions of the -engines were accordingly decreased or increased to get her back into -her correct position. 'Station keeping!'--the officers of watches would -have laughed if they had been asked how they did it. 'My dear chap, -it's as easy as falling off a log. Any fool could do it.' Perhaps he -could; but then there are fools and fools. Some of them are wise fools. - -Steam tactics, too, were very impressive. The eight battleships would -be steaming along in two ordered columns of four ships each. A string -of gaily coloured bunting would suddenly appear at the flagship's -masthead, to be repeated by the rear-admiral leading the other line. -Hardly had the flags blown out clear than every other vessel would be -flying a white-and-red 'answering pendant,' meaning 'I have seen and -understood.' The flagship's signal would come down with a rush, and -after a brief interval of suspense every ship would be swinging round -under the influence of her helm. They formed single line ahead, line -abreast, and quarter line, each gray ram cutting the water at precisely -the same distance from the next ahead. Now and then they broke off into -pairs. Sometimes they circled round in succession, each vessel -following dead in the wake of her leader. Occasionally they wheeled, -the pivot ship reducing her speed, the wing ship increasing, and the -intermediate vessels adjusting the revolutions of their engines until -every foremast was exactly in line. They twisted themselves into knots, -and unravelled themselves again. The effect was really rather -wonderful. The squadron seemed to manoeuvre this way and that with -the same ease and flexibility as a company of well-drilled soldiers. - -It must be very difficult, Martin concluded; but he wondered vaguely -why the admiral should take it upon himself to act the part of a -glorified drill-sergeant. He did not know that flexibility of movement -and ability to change formation with rapidity and precision are even -more important in a squadron at sea than with a regiment ashore. - -The admiral, experienced officer though he was, was merely accustoming -himself to handling his squadron as a compact and organised whole -against the time when he might be called upon to do it with an enemy's -fleet looming up over the horizon. Moreover, no two ships are ever -handled in quite the same way, and he was giving his captains--who, -provided they lived, would be admirals themselves one day--an -opportunity of learning the ways and tricks of their several ships, so -that, when the time came, they should not fail him. Practice makes -perfect, even with such gilded potentates as admirals and captains. - -The destroyer attacks after dark, too, were very spectacular. The long -winter nights were usually overcast and very dark, and the squadron -would be steaming without lights; but even then the lynx-eyed young -gentlemen on the bridge would not admit that they had any real -difficulty in keeping station. They were used to it. On such occasions -the men kept their watches, and the lighter guns and the searchlights -were manned exactly as they would be in war. Martin, being an ignorant -new-comer, found himself detailed as a bridge messenger; and there, in -the very nerve-centre of the ship, he had an excellent opportunity of -seeing everything that went on. He never forgot the first destroyer -attack he ever saw. - -Looking ahead, he could just see the next ship as an intense black blur -against the lighter darkness of the sky and sea. Astern came another -ponderous mass. The intervals seemed dangerously close, but the officer -of the watch showed no anxiety. On the contrary, he stood at the -standard compass on the upper bridge, using his binoculars every now -and then, and giving occasional muffled orders in a calm voice through -the voice-pipe communicating with the man stationed at the engine-room -revolution telegraph below. Even the captain and the navigator, who -were up there as well, did not seem to be taking things very seriously, -though in reality they both had their weather-eyes very much lifting, -and were using their glasses constantly. They were always on very -friendly terms, and were carrying on an animated conversation about -nothing more important than--golf! - -'Well, sir,' Colomb was chuckling, 'if your putting hadn't been so bad -you'd have knocked me endways. You were shocking on the greens.' - -'Yes; but you wait till I get used to that new putter of mine,' the -skipper returned, not in the least offended. 'I botched every single -putt, and if I hadn't done that---- Hallo!' he suddenly broke off, -sniffing; 'd'you smell that?' - -'That' was a pungent whiff of crude petroleum floating down from -windward, and Captain Spencer knew well enough that it meant the -attacking craft were somewhere fairly close. The greater number of -modern destroyers consume nothing but oil-fuel in their furnaces, and -in a strong wind the reek of its burning can often be smelt for several -miles. - -'M'yes. They're pretty close, sir,' Colomb agreed. - -'Keep your eyes skinned, officer of the watch,' the captain cautioned, -busy with his own glasses. 'Warn the group officers and guns' crews!' - -'Ay, ay, sir,' said the lieutenant, pressing a push by his side, which -caused an alarm-bell to sound at all the anti-torpedo-craft guns -throughout the ship. - -For some minutes there was silence, broken only by the humming of the -wind through the rigging and the liquid plop of breaking seas. But all -the time the smell of oil-fuel became gradually stronger; and then, -quite suddenly, the flagship--two ships ahead--switched on a -searchlight. She had seen something! - -The powerful blue-white beam flickered out, swung round slightly, and -then fell on a black phantom shape rushing through the water. She was a -destroyer, and came along with the wind and sea dead astern; but even -then sheets of spray were flying over her low decks and bridge. - -Martin held his breath. - -The moment the attacker was lit up by the ray there came the loud crash -of a gun, and an instant later more searchlights joined the first. - -_Boomp! Bang! Boom! Boomp!_ went the guns in an irregular volley, as -the first and second ships in the line got to work. Sharp stabs of red -flame danced in and out of the beams of the lights. The thick smoke of -the blank discharges wreathed and eddied through the rays as it drifted -down the line on the wind; but the destroyers--two of them--still came -on at full speed, pitching and rolling horribly. - -They seemed to be about six hundred yards on the starboard bow of the -flagship, travelling down the line of battleships in an opposite -direction to that in which the latter were steaming, and so brilliantly -were they illuminated in the glare that even the figures of the men -crouching on deck round the torpedo-tubes were clearly visible through -glasses. The water was washing knee-deep over their decks as they -rolled, but it was not until they were nearly abeam of the flagship -that a ball of red fire shot up into the air from each of them. This -indicated the moment at which, if it had been the real thing, their -torpedoes would actually have been discharged. - -'That pair were sunk all right,' muttered Captain Spencer, watching -them through his glasses as they swept past barely three hundred yards -off. 'They were under fire for quite half-a-minute before they let go -their torpedoes. Poor devils! they're having a pretty rotten time. -Great Scott! just look at that sea!' - -The leading destroyer had put her helm over to alter course outwards. -It brought her nearly head on to the sea, and she had shoved her nose -straight into the heart of an advancing wave. It was not really rough, -as seas go, but the speed with which she was travelling caused the mass -to break on board until she seemed literally to be buried in a smother -of gray-white water, while sheets of spray swept high over her -mastheads and funnels. For quite an appreciable time she was hidden, -but then slid back into sight on the crest of a sea, with her twin -propellers revolving wildly in the air, to disappear in the darkness as -suddenly as she had come, with her consort still in close station -behind her. - -'Thank the Lord I'm not in a T.B.D.!' muttered the officer of the watch -to the navigator. - -Martin shared his feelings. - -For the next forty minutes the guns' crews in the battleships were very -busy; for, having sighted the searchlights during the first attack, the -remainder of the flotilla, attracted to the spot like wasps to a -honey-pot, came dashing in from all directions to deliver their -assaults. They came on gallantly, some singly, others in pairs or fours -at a time; and though, naturally enough, the battleships claimed to -have sunk every mother's son of them long before they had had a chance -of getting home with their torpedoes, the destroyers themselves thought -otherwise. - -The attacks were over by two A.M., and at this time the weary men at -the guns and searchlights were free to go to their hammocks, the -scattered destroyers were collected by their senior officer, and -attackers and attacked, with navigation lights burning, turned their -bows homeward. - -By eight o'clock the battleships had moored in Portland Harbour, and -the destroyers, in a long single line, headed by their light cruiser, -came silently in through the northern entrance on their way to the -pens. Their funnels were caked white with dried salt, but they steamed -past jauntily, showing few traces of their buffeting. - -Martin watched them with a new interest, for to him it seemed nothing -short of miraculous how such slender-looking vessels could stand the -weather he had seen them in a few hours before. - -'Wot yer lookin' at, Pincher?' asked Billings, stopping on his way to -his mess for breakfast. - -'Them,' said Martin, jerking his head in the direction of the -destroyers. - -'Them!' said Joshua, rather surprised. 'Wot's up wi' 'em?' - -'I wus thinkin' it must be a dawg's life to be aboard one o' 'em. They -looked somethink horful larst night.' - -Billings, who had served in a destroyer himself in his young and palmy -days, grinned broadly. 'They ain't so bad,' he murmured. 'You gits a -tanner a day,[8] 'ard lyers in 'em, an' that's a hextry three an' a -tanner a week. It's werry welcome in these 'ere 'ard times.' The old -reprobate smacked his lips longingly, for three-and-six a week meant -many pints of beer. - - [8] Men serving in destroyers receive sixpence a day extra - pay. It is known as 'hard-lying money.' - -'I reckons they deserves it,' Martin remarked. - -'I reckons all matloes deserves double wot they gits,' laughed his -companion. 'But larst night weren't nothin'. You wait till yer sees 'em -in a gale o' wind; then they carries on somethin' horful. Larst night -it weren't blowin' nothin' to speak o'. They 'ad a bit o' a dustin' -p'r'aps, an' got their shirts wet, but that ain't nothin'!' - -Martin gasped. He had seen the destroyers plunging about like maddened -racehorses, with water breaking over their decks; but yet Billings -referred to it casually as a 'bit o' a dustin'.' If their behaviour of -last night was nothing out of the ordinary, he prayed his gods he might -never serve in one of them. 'A bit o' a dustin',' indeed! What must -they be like in a gale of wind? It nearly made him seasick to think of -it. - - -II. - -As a start to his seagoing training, Martin found himself put in the -gunnery-training class with eleven other youngsters like himself; and -here, under the expert guidance of Petty Officer Samuel Breech, he was -soon being initiated into the mysteries of squad drill, the rifle and -field exercise, the various parts of a rifle and their uses, gun drill, -the anatomy and interior economy of lighter weapons and machine-guns, -and their ammunition. Much of it he had already learnt before, during -his period of preliminary training at the barracks, and the -instruction, essentially practical, did not overtax his intelligence. - -Petty Officer Breech, a fully qualified gunner's mate, was a strict -disciplinarian and something of a martinet. He was a short, burly -little man, with a bull-neck and a rasping voice; and the former, -combined with a closely clipped red beard and a pair of piercing gray -eyes, gave him an air of ferocity which he really did not possess. He -was naturally kind-hearted, and the buxom Mrs Breech could twiddle him -round her little finger. But on board ship he upheld his dignity with -firmness. After long experience with ordinary seamen and their ways, he -had come to the conclusion that the only way of getting them thoroughly -in hand was to frighten them at the start, and to keep them frightened; -so he invariably commenced operations by giving each new class a short -lecture. - -'You 'ave joined the navy,' he used to say, glaring fiercely, 'to learn -discipline, an' you've come to me to learn somethin' about gunnery, or -as much of it as I can drive into your thick 'eads. The sooner we -understand each other the better; an' before we start work I warns you -that I'll stand no sauce from the likes o' you, so just bear it in -mind. W'en I gives you an order I expects it to be obeyed at once, an' -at the rush. I don't want no shufflin' about in the ranks, nor -skylarkin' neither,' he added, gazing ferociously at Martin, who was -endeavouring to remove a spot of moisture from the end of his nose -without using a handkerchief. - -'I wants to blow me nose,' murmured the culprit, reddening. - -'An' I wants no back answers unless I asks you a question,' Breech went -on, wagging an admonitory finger. 'Wen you're standin' at attention you -must keep still, no matter whether a moskeeter's bitin' you 'longside -the ear'ole, or a wild monkey's chewin' your stummick. I wants you to -look like a squad o' Henglish sailors, not a party o' mourners at a -Hirishman's funeral, nor yet a gals' school out for a airin.' It's no -laughin' matter, neither,' he continued, eyeing one of his pupils who -had a suspicion of a smile hovering round the corners of his mouth. -'Wen I makes a joke you can laugh--bu'st if you like; but if I sees you -laughin' w'en I'm not, that's hinsolence, an' you knows wot to expect.' - -The smile vanished. - -'I'm 'ere to enforce discipline,' the petty officer resumed, 'an' -discipline I'll 'ave. I wants you to be smart, an' if I sees you're -tryin' to learn I'll do my best for you. If I sees any one skylarkin' -or talkin' in the ranks I runs 'im in at once, so don't forget it. To -start with, I'm goin' to teach you the parts o' the rifle; an' w'en you -knows that, we passes on to squad drill with an' without arms. -Squad!--stand easy! This 'ere,' he explained, balancing a Lee-Enfield -in his hand, 'is a magazine rifle, Lee-Enfield, Mark 1 star. Its weight -is a trifle over nine pounds, as you'll find w'en you 'ave to carry it; -an' its length, without the bay'nit, is four foot one an' a narf -inches. This 'ere's the bay'nit, with a blade 'xactly twelve inches -long, an' 'e fixes on to the muzzle o' the rifle, so. The bay'nit is -only sharpened on the outbreak o' 'ostilities, an' is provided for -stickin' your enemy; not, as most sailors thinks it's for, for openin' -corned-beef tins, an' such like. 'Owever, we'll 'ave plenty o' bay'nit -exercise later on.' - -It took them a full day and a half to learn the ins and outs of the -rifle; and, having mastered it thoroughly, the class passed on to squad -drill and the rifle and field exercise. The greater number of them -already had some smattering of these, but that fact did not prevent -Petty Officer Breech marching and counter-marching them up and down the -deck as if their very lives depended upon it. He kept up a running -commentary the whole time. - -'Squad!--'shun! Stand at--ease! A little more life in it; an' keep still -w'en you're standin' at attention, can't you? Knees straight, 'ead an' -body erect, eyes straight to the front.--'Awkins, you're waggin' your -'ead.--Flannagan, keep your knees straight, an' stand up.--Now then, try -again. Squad!--'shun! Ah, that's more like it now. Number! Form fours! -As you were! A little life in it, please! Form fours! Right turn! Quick -march! Come along, come along, step out smartly with the left foot, an' -take a full pace. Left--left--left--right--left! Mark time! Pick your -feet up! Pick 'em up! Bend the knees! That's more like it! Forward! -About turn! Not a bit like it. Squad!--halt! Left turn! Stand easy! -Look 'ere, now. Wen I says, "About turn!" I don't want you to shuffle -round any'ow. I gives the order "turn" as the left foot comes to the -ground, an' each man turns on 'is own ground in three paces. At the -fourth pace step off with the left foot in this manner.' He marked -time himself, and proceeded to demonstrate how easy it really was. - -For a whole week they were hard at it, learning to march, side step, -change step, double, form fours, turn, and change direction. Sometimes, -when one or other of the pupils was called out to drill the class, they -got tied up into inextricable knots, with the rear rank facing the -front, and the men in their wrong places; but after seven hard days -even Breech admitted that he was fairly satisfied with their progress. - -Then they spent hours fixing and unfixing bayonets, ordering, -shouldering, sloping, trailing, changing, grounding, and securing arms, -until they were sick of the very sight of a rifle. It was dreary -work--very dreary; and if they showed the least signs of slackness or -inattention they were doubled round the deck until they were ready to -drop from sheer fatigue, or did 'muscle drill' until their biceps -ached. - -They saluted mythical officers, varying in rank from the sovereign -himself to second lieutenants and midshipmen, and attended imaginary -funerals as the escort or firing-party. On these occasions Breech -walked solemnly up and down to represent the officer or party to be -saluted, or, in the case of the funerals, the corpse on its -gun-carriage. 'The next time I passes I represents 'is Majesty the King -inspectin' a guard o' honour, mounted at Bucking'am Palace,' or 'Now -I'm a Field-Marshal,' and 'Now I'm a lootenant in the navy,' he would -say, approaching with what he considered the slow and stately gait -befitting his exalted rank. 'Now I represents a regiment o' soldiers -with their colours flyin'.' 'Now I'm the corpse comin' out o' the -mortu-ary.' - -The first time he made this last remark it caused the second man from -the left in the rear rank to burst out into a raucous chuckle of -amusement, and in another instant the whole class was tittering. - -Breech fixed the culprit with a horny eye. 'There's not nothin' to -laugh at, 'Awkins,' he observed without the ghost of a smile. 'This is -a very sad occasion. You'll be the corpse yourself one day.' - -They made pretty good progress on the whole--all except Peter Flannagan, -that is. He was by way of being a 'bird'--a man who is constantly in -trouble--and had already been through the gunnery-training class once, -but had failed in the examination at the end of it. As a result he had -been put back for a further period. He was naturally as obstinate as a -mule, and unusually thick-headed; but, instead of doing his best with -what wits he possessed, he endeavoured to show his superiority by -taking as little trouble as he dared. He was Breech's _bete noire_; -and, if ever anybody was wrong, it was pretty certain to be Flannagan. -But he deserved everything he got, and was very unpopular with the -others. - -On one never-to-be-forgotten occasion the petty officer cautioned him -for talking and joking in the ranks whilst at drill. The Irishman, in -some fit of devilment, promptly repeated the offence, and, not content -with that, put out his tongue to show his contempt. - -Breech saw it. 'Flannagan,' he thundered in a voice of iron, 'come out -to the front!' - -The Irishman came out and stood before him with a sullen scowl. - -'You disobeys my order wilfully, an' puts out your tongue,' the petty -officer said. 'Disobedience an' hinsolence. 'Ave you anythin' to say?' - -'Nothin', except that I'm fair fed up wi' bein' chased about this 'ere -deck like a dawg.' - -'Fed up, are you?' Breech answered, keeping his temper, but with a -dangerous ring in his voice. 'You 'ave the himpertinence to spin me a -yarn like that! If I chooses to take you on the quarterdeck, you gets a -couple o' months in the detention quarters for hinsolence. But you're -long past the stage where punishment'll do you any good. No; I shall -'ave to deal wi' you another way, my lad. I'll see that you're taken -out o' the trainin' class, to start with, an' you comes an' reports -yourself to me at five o'clock this evenin'. Now you takes off your -accoutrements, returns your rifle, an' reports yourself to the capt'n -o' your top. Perhaps 'e'll find some use for you; you're no good to -me.' - -Flannagan, rather ashamed of himself, slouched off. - -What happened at five o'clock that afternoon the class never -discovered; but the fact remains that Mr Peter Flannagan trod rather -delicately, and had some slight difficulty in sitting down for the next -ten days or so. Rumour had it that Breech, who was a powerful little -man, had armed himself with a singlestick, and had taken the law into -his own hands. Very reprehensible conduct on his part, no doubt, for it -was strictly against the regulations, and might have got him into -trouble if the Irishman had lodged an official complaint. But Breech -knew his victim to a nicety, and was perfectly well aware that he -lacked the necessary courage to make the matter public. He knew, -moreover, that to a man of Flannagan's type a little concentrated -physical pain was far and away a better deterrent than any other form -of punishment. Whatever his method was, it had the desired effect, for -thereafter Ordinary Seaman Peter Flannagan treated Petty Officer Samuel -Breech with a respect which almost amounted to reverence. A strong arm -and a thick stick do sometimes achieve wonders. - -Martin and the remainder of the class waxed hilarious over Peter's -downfall. He was not popular. He was a K.H.B.,[9] and they were not -sorry to be rid of his presence. - - [9] K.H.B. = King's hard bargain, a term used in connection - with a man who is an undesirable character. - - -III. - -The life, however, was not all work, and Martin found he had a certain -amount of leisure for amusement. He was allowed ashore every alternate -day from four o'clock in the afternoon till ten o'clock at night, and -on Saturdays and Sundays from one-thirty. - -The _Belligerent_ ran her own football team--she ran everything, -from a concert-party, a pipe-band, and a tame pig, to a monthly -magazine (written, edited, and produced on board); and Pincher, who had -been rather a shining light as a wing forward in his village team at -home, invariably went ashore to watch the matches. - -The squadron always played a football league competition during the -winter, each ship playing every other vessel in turn, and the winner -of the most points at the end of the season holding a challenge -cup--presented by the flag officers and captains--for the ensuing year. -In addition to this, the members of the winning team received personal -prizes in the shape of inscribed silver medallions. The _Belligerent_ -had come out top in the league the year before, and the victorious team -had promptly had their photographs taken, with, of course, the -medallions and the cup; and the latter, enshrined in its glass case, -now lived on the fore mess-deck as a tribute to their prowess. They -were very proud of it. They were keen to win again, but rumour had it -that the _Tremendous_, which had been newly commissioned, had a -remarkably good team. Two of them were reported to be county players, -so the 'Belligerents' were rather fearful of their laurels. - -Now Martin, small and puny though he was, was fleet of foot and very -tricky with his feet, but he was far too modest to let anybody know it. -He always watched the matches, however, and took an intelligent -interest in the games, and eventually, by dint of being present on many -occasions, found himself installed as a sort of honorary member of the -team in the shape of their recognised touch-judge. He was even -permitted to appear in the photograph which was taken soon after the -ship arrived at Portland. He was in the back row, it is true, and wore -his seaman's clothes instead of a highly coloured shirt, blue shorts, -stockings, and football boots. But he carried a small hand-flag as his -insignia of office, and considered himself no small beer in -consequence. It was an honour to be associated with the team in any -way; and as most of the officers, and practically the whole of the -ship's company who happened to be ashore, made a point of attending the -matches, Martin, running about with his flag, felt he was a--if not -the--centre of attraction. At any rate, he was quite a personage, and -talked about the game to the other ordinary seamen and boys with an air -of great authority. - -The scenes of excitement during some of the matches baffled description. -'Play up, Yaller-bellies!' two hundred of the _Belligerent's_ men would -shout in unison. The yellow referred to the canary-coloured shirts -worn by their team, while the other rather inelegant word was the -abbreviated name of the ship. - -'Come on, the Cockneys!' or 'the Duffos!' would come the answering roar -from the partisans of the other team, according to whether their ship -hailed from Chatham or Devonport. 'Down wi' the Pompeyites!' - -For minutes at a time the repartee bandied to and fro was so vociferous -that the whistle was well-nigh inaudible; but the referee was used to -it. He had an unenviable time in other ways, poor man! for whatever -decision he gave was quite certain to be wrong from the point of view -of fully half the spectators, in spite of the fact that he was a -strictly neutral man from some other ship. 'Foul!' somebody would -bellow, as the whistle blew for a free kick. 'Garn! That ain't no -foul!' was hurled back from the men of the ship against which the -penalty had been given. 'Play the game! Play the game, carn't you?' -'Goal! Well shot! Good old Yaller-bellies!' would come a roar, -accompanied by a shower of caps in the air, as the ball flew past the -white posts into the net. 'That's the style! Knock 'em end-ways!' -'Offside! Offside!' came louder yells from the other side. 'Where's the -referee? What's 'e thinkin' of?' And so it went on. - -But the referee, used to the ways of seamen, merely smiled, and paid no -attention whatever to the ribald remarks hurled at his head, personal -as some of them were. He was proof against such attacks, and his -decisions were always fair. - -Occasionally there were stormy scenes at the end of the matches; for -when a favourite team had lost, their adherents were sometimes anxious -to take on the partisans of the other side with their fists to discover -which really was the better ship. More than once men returned on board -with black eyes and swollen noses; but actual bloodshed was rare, -though feeling always ran high. More often than not, victors and -vanquished alike repaired to the canteen, and absorbed malt liquor at -each other's expense, the former to celebrate the victory and the -latter to drown their sorrow. They were very keen on the result of the -league matches. The canteen did a roaring trade. - -At one of the most important matches a member of the _Belligerent's_ -eleven happened to be absent at the time the game was due to start, and -Lieutenant Boyle, who captained the team, was at his wits' end to find -a suitable substitute. 'Have any of you men played this game?' he -asked, going up to a group of seamen belonging to the _Belligerent_ who -had come to watch. 'Parkins hasn't turned up. We want a forward badly.' - -Pincher, seizing the opportunity, stepped forward before any one else -had a chance of answering. 'I've played at 'ome, sir,' he said, -reddening at his own temerity. 'I used to be on the right wing.' - -Boyle seemed rather surprised. 'You!' he said. 'Can you run? D' you -know how to dribble and shoot?' - -'Yessir.' - -The officer looked at him for a moment without replying. He seemed -rather doubtful. - -''E's orl right, sir,' chipped in Billings, who happened to be present. -''E's pretty nippy on 'is feet. I've seen 'im kickin' the ball abart.' - -The lieutenant looked up with a laugh. 'All right, Billings; we'll take -him on your recommendation.--Martin, rush across to the pavilion and -borrow some gear. Hurry up about it; we're late already.' - -Pincher, overjoyed and very proud of himself, flew off like the wind, -and presently reappeared clad in full regalia, yellow shirt and all. It -was his first really important match; but he felt he was on his mettle, -and played well, almost brilliantly. At any rate, he shot two goals; -whereat the 'Belligerents' howled themselves hoarse, raised cheers for -'young Pincher,' and wished to treat him with much beer at the end of -the game. It was the first time in his life he had ever received -adulation, and he was a proud man. His play had undoubtedly helped to -win the match. - -He was prouder still when Boyle sought him out afterwards. 'You played -excellently, Martin,' he said. 'Why on earth didn't you let us know you -played?' - -'Didn't like to, sir.' - -The officer laughed. 'I wish you men wouldn't be quite so modest,' he -remarked. 'How d' you expect us to raise a decent team if you all hide -your lights under bushels? You're the very man we've been looking for.' - -'I'm sorry, sir,' said Martin sheepishly. 'I didn't know as 'ow I wus -wanted.' - -'We didn't know you were a player. However, now we've got you, you will -remain in the team; so look out you keep yourself in decent training. A -pint of beer after each game, and no more, mind. If you come to my -cabin this evening I'll give you your jersey and other gear.' The -lieutenant strolled off to change. - -Martin could have jumped for joy. He was a full-fledged 'Yellow-belly' -at last, and would appear before the whole ship's company in all the -glory of a canary-yellow shirt with a large blue 'B' on the left -breast. It was one of the things in this world he had been longing for. -He was no longer a mere excrescence on the face of the earth--a poor, -puny Pincher who was everybody's whipping-boy. On the contrary, he was -a very proud Pincher, for at last he had come into his own. The -_Belligerent_ had some use for him, after all. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE OFFICERS. - - -The _Belligerent's_ captain, John Horatio Spencer, D.S.O., was a fine -type of the modern British naval officer, and a thorough seaman, who -had risen in his profession through sheer merit and force of character. -He had been lucky, it is true, for as a young lieutenant he had seen -much active service in West Africa, had been severely wounded, was -mentioned in despatches for 'great gallantry and resource,' and had -received the Distinguished Service Order. In 1900, again, as the senior -lieutenant of a second-class cruiser on the Cape of Good Hope station, -he was landed with the naval guns for the relief of Ladysmith. He again -did excellent service, was promoted to commander in 1901, to captain -seven years later, and 1914 found him commanding a first-class -battleship at the comparatively early age of forty-three. - -In appearance he was a big, thick-set man, nearly six feet tall, and -broad in proportion. He had a red, clean-shaven face, a pair of -penetrating blue eyes which seemed to read one's innermost thoughts, -and dark hair slightly shot with gray over the temples. - -Every ship he had ever commanded, from a destroyer upwards, had been a -happy one. His officers loved him as a friend and admired him as a -superior, and 'Our John,' as they affectionately called him, spent far -more time in their company than he did in the fastnesses of his own -cabin. He hated the solitude of life in his own apartments in the -after-end of the ship, and, when he had no guests of his own, -frequently had meals in the wardroom as an honorary member, and played -bridge and spun yarns in the smoking-room. He had the happy knack of -being friendly with every one with whom he came in contact, and -invariably treated his officers as equals when he was off duty. - -On deck, of course, it was a different matter, for there he was very -much their commanding officer, and they his subordinates; and, as -Tickle, the junior watch-keeper, once put it, 'the owner[10] was the -whitest and the straightest man on God's earth; but Heaven help you if -you make a fool of yourself on deck!' - - [10] The commanding officer of a man-of-war is frequently - referred to as 'the owner,' or 'the old man.' - -Captain Spencer did bite sometimes, and bite hard; but the culprit -generally deserved all he got, and bore no grudge whatsoever. More -often than not he would be discovered the same evening in the -smoking-room having a sherry-and-bitters with 'the old man,' just to -show there was no ill-feeling on either side. - -On the mess-deck the captain was revered in rather a different way, for -the men, while admiring him, regarded him with a certain amount of awe. -Some of the younger and more timid ordinary seamen and boys, indeed, -looked upon him as a sort of awful deity, an ogre almost, who sat in -his cabin all day long inventing new schemes for their eternal -damnation. They were frightened of him, and, on the rare occasions when -they did catch sight of his four gold stripes on deck, felt rather -inclined to run away and hide their faces. It was foolish of them, for -a kinder-hearted man than the skipper it would be impossible to -imagine. - -But the men saw comparatively little of him, and had few opportunities -of discovering his true character. He appeared on deck for 'divisions' -every morning; walked round on Sundays criticising their clothes, the -length of their hair, and the cleanliness of the ship; was always on -the bridge at sea; and punished them when they misbehaved themselves. -They realised he was just, and justice is what the bluejacket most -admires; but they were not aware that he took a deep interest in them -and their affairs, and that he knew everything that went on on board. -Neither did they perceive that he frequently went to a great deal of -trouble to stretch points in their favour in the way of leave and other -privileges. - -'Our John' hated advertisement in any form; and this, perhaps, was why -the men never really understood his true kindliness of heart. For -instance, when he subscribed five pounds towards a fund for the benefit -of the widow of one of his men who had died, or two pounds towards the -ship's concert party, he gave the money anonymously. When he granted -the men an extra forty-eight hours' leave on his own responsibility, -and because he considered they had earned it by their good behaviour, -he never told them so. - -So, from the lower-deck point of view, Captain Spencer was justly -admired and greatly feared; but there was not a man on board who had -not the fullest confidence in him and his judgment, or who would not -cheerfully have followed him to the very gates of hell if he had asked -them. Neither was there a more efficient or a happier ship than the -_Belligerent_. Her officers and men knew it, and gloried in the fact. - -But no small credit for this excellent state of affairs was due to the -commander and other officers. The former, the Honourable Algernon -D'Arcy Travers, was the direct antithesis of the captain in appearance. -He was tall and very thin, but was a pleasant messmate with a very -pronounced sense of humour, and on occasions behaved with all the -boisterous bonhomie of a junior sub-lieutenant. His excessive leanness -did not worry him in the least, though he did once say that he wished -his 'hinge' were a little better padded and the wardroom chairs rather -softer. It was a matter of some import to his wife, though, for that -lady sent him bottles of malt extract to thicken the flesh on his -bones. This nutritive compound, however, was generally handed over to -his bluejacket messenger, who liked the sweet taste of it; and that -youth, already chubby and well-favoured, was gradually assuming the -proportions of a young elephant. The commander found that being thin -was an advantage in some ways; and on riotous guest nights, when he -made as much noise as anybody present, it certainly permitted him to -scramble through the square opening in the back of one of the wardroom -chairs without much difficulty. - -It was a feat few of his messmates could perform. The -engineer-commander, George Piston, a well-covered officer, had tried it -on one occasion, and had stuck half-way through. His messmates, headed -by the commander himself, cheered him on with howls of merriment; but -the victim was laughing so much that he seemed to have swelled. He -could not budge one way or the other, and there was every prospect of -his having to go through life with a chair securely fastened round his -portly middle. They took off his garments one by one; but it was no -use. They used vaseline and oil as lubricants, and endeavoured to tuck -the folds of flesh through the narrow opening, but without avail. - -'For heaven's sake send for a saw!' spluttered the gasping officer, -relapsing uncomfortably on the sofa and beginning to feel rather -alarmed. 'I can hardly breathe. Give me a whisky-and-soda, some one, or -I shall burst!' - -The saw arrived in due course, and the chair was removed with some -damage to itself. The gallant officer never attempted the feat again. - -The commander, an ex-torpedo specialist, was a good officer at his -work, and the _Belligerent_ always looked as clean and as smart as -a new pin. Her organisation, too, was as perfect as it could be. The -ship's company were very fond of 'the Bloke,' as they called him; and -when men did misbehave themselves he generally made the punishment fit -the crime. When two ordinary seamen, Barter and Hitchcock, began to -give trouble, for instance, he hit upon rather an original method of -dealing with them. He provided both of them with an ordinary -singlestick and a face-mask, but no body-pads, and then promised them -one penny each for every visible wale inflicted on the anatomy of the -other. The instigator imagined that he would have to shell out a -shilling at the most; but after a bout lasting for a fierce fifteen -minutes, examination in the bathroom at the hands of a ship's corporal -showed that Barter had earned one shilling and eightpence, and -Hitchcock two and a penny. They were never obstreperous again, and the -ship's company, instead of offering them sympathy, laughed -immoderately. - -The commander, like other naval officers, had his bad moments, and -sometimes the watch-keepers found it advisable to steer clear of him -before breakfast. But even if an explosion did occur no bones were ever -broken, for they all knew he said a great deal more than he meant. -After breakfast and a pipe he was amiability itself, provided nothing -went wrong. - -Chase, the senior lieutenant-commander and gunnery officer, has already -been described; and the next in seniority was Vernon Hatherley, the -lieutenant-commander (T.). He was something of an exquisite. He took a -great pride in his personal appearance, was reported to wear silk -slumber-wear, and kept a store of cosmetics and unguents in his cabin -for the anointing of his face and hair. His messmates knew this, and, -headed by No. 1, sometimes shampooed him with whisky-and-soda after -dinner. But Torps, as they called him, was an excellent fellow, and -took the ragging all in good part. Moreover, he generally succeeded in -getting his own back by discovering something wrong with the electric -lights in his tormentors' cabins at times when they most wanted to use -them. He was an x-chaser, in that he had done remarkably well in all -his different examinations; but besides being an expert theorist, he -was an officer who knew the practical side of his business from A to Z. - -The navigator, Christopher Colomb, had just married a young and pretty -wife, and did not spend more time on board than he could possibly help. -As a consequence, his messmates saw comparatively little of him, unless -the _Belligerent_ was cruising, and Mrs Colomb could not follow her -husband. The captain occasionally succeeded in getting him to play golf -in the afternoons; but Colomb preferred his wife's society to that of -any one else. When he was on board in the evenings he shut himself in -his cabin, and spent the time writing a learned treatise on _Magnetic -Influences at Sea_. The book is still being written. - -Peter Wooten, the next senior non-specialist officer of the military -branch, was doing a two-year spell in a battleship, after having been -in command of destroyers and gunboats for the past six years. He hated -the drudgery of big-ship life, where he acted as the commander's -understudy on the upper deck, had charge of the midshipmen and their -instruction, arranged the ordinary seamen's training classes, worked -the derrick for hoisting in and out boats, and generally acted as a -sort of 'odd job' man. The life was fairly comfortable, it is true; but -he much preferred the joys of commanding his own small ship to being a -comparative nobody in a vessel the size of the _Belligerent_. He was a -burly, deep-chested man, with fair, curly hair, tanned face, and a pair -of clear, humorous blue eyes. He was fresh from China, where he had -commanded a tiny river gunboat up the Yang-tse-kiang; and there, miles -up the great river, far away from any admiral, and completely 'on his -own,' he had made history in a small way. He was a great character, and -his stories of the Chinese revolution, when he could be induced to tell -them, were sometimes amusing and always interesting. (He was the -commanding officer of Martin's destroyer when that ordinary seaman -joined the 'black navy' soon after the outbreak of the present war, so -perhaps we may be pardoned for allowing him to spin one of his yarns. -It has the advantage of being true.) - -'It was quite a pretty little show,' he said one evening in the -smoking-room after dinner, when somebody had egged him on to talk after -a second glass of port. 'Have any of you fellows ever heard of a place -called Kiang-fu, up the Yang-tse? You might know it, No. 1; you're an -old China bird.' - -Chase shook his head. 'Sorry I don't, Peter. But let's have the yarn, -all the same.' - -Wooten lit his pipe. 'Kiang-fu,' he started, 'is one of their walled -towns on the banks of the river. It's a beastly place, full of stinks -and bugs and abominations generally; and the only white people there -are the consul and his wife, a couple of missionaries, and two -merchants. Well, one morning my old _Kingfisher_ was lying about -twenty miles downstream, and a Chinaman from the consulate at Kiang-fu -arrived in a sampan with a note from the consul to say that five -thousand rebels had arrived before the place, and that there was going -to be some scrapping. There were about a thousand Imperial troops -inside the town, Johnson the consul said, and he was in a bit of a funk -as to what would happen when the rebels took the place. They'd have -butchered every one, of course, Europeans included. My orders were to -protect British interests, but not to fight, so I upped killick[11] and -steamed for Kiang-fu for all I was worth. We got about six and an -onion[12] out of the old bus, I remember, and reached there about noon.' -He paused and sucked thoughtfully at his pipe. - - [11] Weighed anchor. - - [12] A fraction of a knot. - -'And what happened then?' queried some one. - -'I found the bally battle in full swing,' Wooten went on. 'Guy Fawkes -Day wasn't in it, and both sides were blazing away for all they were -worth, and making a hell of a row. However, they weren't doing much -damage to each other. I anchored my hooker about a couple of hundred -yards from the shore, where we could get a decent view of what went on, -manned my two six-pounders and the Maxim, and hoisted an ensign and a -large white flag--wardroom tablecloth it was--in a boat, and then went -ashore to see Johnson. Things were pretty lively, and shells were -bursting and bullets were whistling all over the place. The rebel -attack was to come off that night, and as there could be only one end -to it, I took Johnson and his missus, the two missionaries, the two -shopkeepers, and Heaven alone knows how many Christian Chinese off to -my ship. The upper deck was fairly packed with 'em. Then we sat down to -watch the sport. One of the shopkeepers, I may say, was a Scotsman, and -the other a Yank, and they wanted me to order the rebs. to shove off -out of it and leave Kiang-fu alone. They had a lot of valuable stuff in -their godowns[13] waiting to be shipped down the river, and said the -whole lot of it 'u'd be looted if the city fell. - - [13] A 'godown' is a warehouse. - -'I cursed them for a couple of tizzy-snatchers,' he resumed, grinning -at the recollection; 'I told 'em they ought to be jolly thankful to -have got off with their lives; and asked 'em how the dooce I could -dictate to five thousand ruddy cut-throats with Mauser rifles and Lord -knows how many field guns--decent guns, too; none of your clap-trap -rubbish. I had exactly thirty men all told, a broken-winded eighty-ton -gun-boat, two six-pounders, and one Maxim. Pretty tall order, wasn't -it? However, I was still yapping to 'em on deck when I heard a sort of -_phut_, and a bally bullet buried itself in the deck about a foot -off my leg. It came from the direction of the rebel trenches, about -five hundred yards off, and some silly blighter had evidently eased off -a rifle at us for the fun of the thing. I heard one or two more bullets -come whistling overhead--damned bad shooting they made--so sent all the -refugees over to the lee side of the deck out of harm's way. Then I -trained my guns on the rebs., and hoisted all the ensigns I had. They -knocked off firing then, so I got into the boat with the consul, the -wardroom tablecloth, and the largest ensign I could find, and pulled -ashore.' He paused. - -'Had you any weapons with you?' somebody asked. - -'Lord, no!' said Wooten. 'Doesn't do to let a Chinaman see you're -frightened of him. I took a walking-stick, and Johnson had a white -umbrella. I was in a dooce of a funk, though, and when we landed we -found a whole bally company of soldiers waiting to receive us.' - -'What! a guard of honour?' asked Chase. - -'Don't you believe it. They had fixed bayonets and loaded rifles, and I -felt rather nervous as to what was going to happen. You see, there -wasn't another British ship within a hundred miles of us. However, I -landed with the consul, and a Chinese officer with a drawn sword came -forward to receive us. He wasn't a bad fellow, and talked quite decent -English, with an American accent. I asked him what the dooce they meant -by having the troops there as if they wanted to scupper us, and told -him who the consul was, and that I was the C.O. of the man-of-war, and -that, on behalf of his Britannic Majesty, we wished to see his General. -He said the old bloke was having his afternoon caulk, and that they -daren't wake him. I said he'd better roust the old josser out, and be -damned smart about it. He hummed and hawed a bit over that, and then -said that if we'd come along with him he'd take us to the headquarters, -and see if we could have an interview. I wasn't going to kow-tow to any -bally Chinaman, though, so I told him that if he didn't take steps to -have the General brought to us in less than half-an-hour I'd raise -hell's delight. It's no use being anything but dictatorial with -Chinamen,' he went on to explain; 'and if you can bluff 'em into -believing that you've got the whip-hand they generally knuckle under. -We had some more talkee-talkee, and then he did go off with his men, -and jolly glad I was to see the last of 'em. Twenty minutes later the -General arrived. He was rather a fine-looking old boy, with no pigtail, -and was dressed up in khaki and a sword. He had a couple of A.D.C.'s -with him. He couldn't talk English, so I asked him through the consul -what he meant by allowing his troops to fire on my ship, and said that -I should have to report it, and so on. He said they hadn't done it. I -said they had, and that if he came on board I'd jolly soon prove it. -Well, after a lot of jawbation we got him into the boat, with the -A.D.C.'s, took him off to the ship, and showed him the bullet-mark in -the deck. He got in a bit of a funk then, so Johnson and I drew up a -document in Chinese and English, in which he said he was sorry for what -had occurred, and so on. It went on to say that he agreed to abandon -the siege of Kiang-fu, as British interests were at stake, so we'd more -or less cornered him. He signed like a lamb, wily old devil; but then -we remembered that no document is valid in China unless it's stamped -with the official seal of the man who signed it. We asked him where the -seal was, but he hadn't got it on him. Johnson asked him where it was, -and he said he'd got it in his old headquarters, about ten miles -downstream. He volunteered to go and fetch it, but we weren't having -any. The upshot of the whole affair was that we sent one of the -A.D.C.'s ashore to order the siege to be stopped, and the rebels to -retire, and took the General and the other A.D.C. down the river. Then -we sent the A.D.C. ashore to get the seal, and had the document -properly stamped. That's all, I think.' - -'But did the rebels retire?' asked the commander. - -Wooten nodded. 'Yes,' he said. 'They left the place like lambs, and the -Imperialist colonel inside nearly fell on my neck and wept. The two -shopkeepers gave me a box of a hundred cigars between them! Damned -nasty cigars, too!' - -His listeners laughed. - -'And what happened to you?' asked Chase. - -'Oh,' smiled Wooten, 'I sent the document to the admiral, with a -covering letter, and jolly nearly got badly scrubbed for exceeding my -duty and abducting the General. However, it was all right in the end, -and I believe the old man was secretly rather pleased with what I'd -done.' - -'So he jolly well ought to have been,' remarked one of the -watch-keepers. - -'M'yes, but he was a man who didn't say much. However, a month later a -British colonel and a couple of other officers came down from Pekin to -confer with me about putting Kiang-fu in a state of defence in case the -rebels came again, for by that time the powers that be had come to the -conclusion that if they did capture it, it wouldn't do us any good. The -colonel and I went ashore together, he with his two officers, and I -with a sheet of paper and a pencil. - -'"You'd better loophole that wall," he started off, pointing at a solid -stone affair about three feet thick. "This house had better be -demolished, and you'll have to dig a trench along here, with decent -sand-bag head-cover. I should think a hundred and fifty rifles will be -enough to man it, provided you have a couple of Maxims at each corner. -Over there we'll have an emplacement for a field-gun, and there another -trench." - -'He went on like that the whole of one grilling forenoon, and by the -time he'd finished I'd totted up my figures, and found he'd used the -best part of a thousand men. - -'"That's all right, sir," said I; "and when may I expect the regiment?" - -'"Regiment!" he said, rather surprised. "What regiment d'you mean?" - -'"The regiment for doing all this work and garrisoning the place, sir," -said I innocently. "You've been talking about knocking down houses, -erecting barricades, and digging trenches right and left. I've only got -thirty men." - -'"The deuce you have!" he said thoughtfully. "We'd better"---- - -'"Go and have lunch, sir," I chipped in. - -'"Excellent idea," said he, mopping his face. - -'So off we went, had a top-hole _tiffin_, and that was the last we -ever heard of it. Kiang-fu never was put in a state of defence so far -as I know. However, the rebels never came there again, so every one was -quite happy. I tell you,' Wooten concluded with a grin, 'one -occasionally has some pretty rummy times up the Yang-tse.' - -One had, apparently, and Peter Wooten was an officer of great -initiative and resource, who had served his country well, and had -upheld the dignity of her flag on more than one occasion. Chinese -generals, mandarins, and other Celestial potentates were nothing to -him. He bullied or bluffed them all into doing what he wanted, and they -used to walk in terror of 'the red-faced devil with the loud voice,' as -they called him. No wonder, then, that Peter felt himself tied by the -leg in a battleship, where, to use his own expression, he was a 'mere -dog's body.' - -The watch-keeping lieutenants were George English, Aubrey Plantagenet -Fitz-Johnson (usually known in the wardroom as 'the Dook'), Henry -Archer Boyle, and Tobias Tickle. - -English was a mild, inoffensive little man, whose chief ambition in -life was to retire from the navy while he was still young, marry a -wife, live in a small whitewashed cottage miles away from any sea, rear -pigs and chickens, and collect butterflies. For all his lack of -ambition, however, he was a good and zealous officer. He never made a -bad mistake; but never, on the other hand, did anything very brilliant. -He was a conscientious plodder. - -'The Dook' was a tall, dashing, immaculate person, with sleek and shiny -hair. He had a wonderful taste in dress, and how many different suits -of plain clothes he possessed nobody but himself and his servant knew. -How much he owed his tailor and his haberdasher nobody was aware of but -those long-suffering tradesmen themselves, for Fitz-Johnson cast all -his bills into the fire immediately on their receipt. His garments were -always fashionable and well cut; his ties, collars, shirts, and socks -of the newest and most exclusive pattern. His uniform frock-coat fitted -his _svelte_ figure like a glove; his trousers were always perfectly -creased; and on Sundays he always appeared at 'divisions' with a -brand-new pair of kid gloves--he never wore the same pair twice. The -men called him Algy. He looked it. He was essentially a lady-killer. -His cabin was full of autographed photographs of feminine admirers and -mementoes in the shape of faded dance-programmes and little knots and -bows of ribbon. His bedspread, a wonderful creation in blue silk, -embroidered with his crest and monogram, had been worked by one set of -fair fingers; his door and scuttle curtains, of chintz, by some one -else; and a little bag for his hairbrushes by a third lady. When the -mail arrived his letter-rack in the wardroom was crammed with bills, -and letters in feminine handwriting. He kept up a voluminous -correspondence, but was wise enough never to have more than one ardent -admirer in any one place. He was a regular 'devyl with the girls,' -there was no doubt about that; and if the ship arrived at some new -place, and the wardroom took it into its head it would like to give a -tea-fight, 'the Dook' was immediately sent ashore to prospect. How he -did it nobody quite knew; but at the end of twenty-four hours he would -be on friendly terms not only with all the young and pretty girls in -the place, but also with their mothers, aunts, and female cousins. He -was always on the verge of being engaged to be married, but never quite -pulled it off. His host of unpaid bills, and the fact that he had -little or no money besides his pay, probably frightened him. But, at -any rate, he was a valuable acquisition as a messmate, for he sang -well, and could play almost any musical instrument under the sun. - -His chief failing was that he was never less than a quarter of an hour -late for his watch. 'I'm deuced sorry, old chap,' was his usual excuse -to the officer he had to relieve. 'The fella didn't call me properly.' - -'Oh, to hell with you and your rotten excuses!' would growl the -irritated watch-keeper who had been kept up. 'You're about the frozen -limit! The corporal of the watch was hammering on your cabin door for -at least a quarter of an hour!' - -'It really wasn't my fault, though,' Fitz-Johnson would protest mildly. -'Please don't get shirty, old chap.' - -It was impossible to be really angry with him; but he continued to -relieve late until the other watch-keepers hit upon a scheme of keeping -him up for an extra half-hour at the end of his own watch. That cured -him eventually. - -Boyle, the next in seniority, was a young, enthusiastic, and very -energetic officer, who wished one day to become a gunnery officer. He -had charge of the after-turret, with its pair of twelve-inch guns, and -spent much of his time in a suit of oily overalls scrambling about in -the depths of the hydraulic machinery. He was of an inventive turn of -mind too, and even at the comparatively early age of twenty-four had -already designed a self-stabilising seaplane, a non-capsizable boat, a -patent razor-stropper, and an adjustable chair. This last, which he -used in his cabin, was really most ingenious. It had hidden springs all -over it, and you pushed a button and it did the rest. You could use it -for anything, from an operating-table to a trousers-press; and it was -often brought into the wardroom after dinner on guest-nights for its -various uses to be demonstrated. It worked beautifully, until one night -the _padre_, who was reclining gracefully at full length, pressed -the wrong button in a sudden fit of exuberance. The chair promptly -bucked like a kicking mule. The front shot up and the back fell down, -and the reverend occupant hurtled adroitly backwards straight into the -arms of an astonished marine servant with a tray full of whiskies and -sodas. He came to the ground with a crash, with the marine and the -liquid on top of him, and everybody laughed. - -The servant, drenched through, retired grumbling to change his -garments; and the Rev. Stephen Holiman scrambled to his feet, surveyed -the mess of broken glass and liquor on the deck, and then felt his -pulped collar and examined his clothes. - -'Boyle, you silly ass!' he expostulated, justifiably annoyed, and -trying to mop himself dry with a handkerchief, 'why the d-dickens -couldn't you tell me the thing was going to pitch me over backwards -like that?' - -'I'm awfully sorry, _padre_,' spluttered the inventor, weak with -laughing. 'You must have pressed the wrong button; but even then I've -never known it do that before. Perhaps it wants oiling.' - -'Take the rotten thing away and drown it!' retorted the _padre_, as -angry as he ever got. 'It oughtn't to be allowed on board. It's ruined -my clothes!' But the _padre_ was a sportsman with a sense of humour, -and after a little more grumbling, during which he got no sympathy from -his messmates, cheered up and went off to change. Ever afterwards, when -the chair appeared, he endeavoured to make it play the same trick on -some unsuspecting guest. But it never would. - -Tobias Tickle, commonly known as 'Toby,' was the officer of Martin's -division, whom we have already met. He had married very young, and had -a rich and pretty wife, who was as popular as himself; but this did not -prevent Toby from being a very riotous member of society on occasions. -He was loved by his men; for, while very strict, he took a great -interest in them and their affairs. He knew the surname and Christian -name of every bluejacket in his division; knew whether they were -married, engaged to be married, courting, or single; and always gave -them good advice when they asked for it. They often did. On more than -one occasion he or his wife had helped them in other ways. - -Once, when Mrs Buttings, the wife of an able seaman, had been ailing, -and had had to undergo a rather serious operation, Mrs Toby heard of it -through her husband. She promptly visited the patient, found her living -in a miserable little dwelling in a back street in Landport, with four -children between the ages of six months and five years, and nobody to -look after her except the neighbours. This would not do for Mrs Tickle. -She promptly engaged a trained nurse, sent the children off to a -farmhouse in the country, visited the invalid daily, saw that she had a -proper diet, and provided her with many sovereigns' worth of coal and -luxuries. - -Buttings himself, when he went ashore and saw the transformation in his -usually rather slovenly home, was furious. Like most bluejackets, he -hated the idea of charity in any form, and went straight off to see -Tickle. - -'Look 'ere, sir,' he said; 'with orl my doo respects to you, it ain't -playin' the game!' - -'Not playing the game!' answered the lieutenant, quite at a loss to -understand what the man was driving at. 'What d'you mean?' - -'Well, sir, it's like this 'ere. I goes 'ome an' finds my 'ouse rigged -up like a bloomin' 'orspitle, an' the missus lyin' in bed with flowers, -an' beef-tea, an' port wine, an' sich like. I finds another 'ooman -there a-lookin' 'arter 'er--dressed up like a 'orspitle nurse, she -wus--an' w'en I arsks 'er wot she done with the kids, she sez as 'ow -they'd bin sent to the country. W'en I wants to know 'oo's done it, she -sezs Mrs Tickle. It ain't fair on a man, sir, doin' a thing like that, -an' habductin' of 'is kids. S'welp me, it ain't!' Buttings paused for -breath. - -'I'm sorry you think that, Buttings,' said Tickle gently. 'Your wife -has been very ill, and what she wants is good food and proper -treatment. She's getting that now. The children, too, are out in the -country having an excellent time. After all, my wife didn't do it -without asking Mrs Buttings.' - -'Yessir. That's all werry well; but I pays the rent o' the bally -'ouse.' - -'Of course I understand that. But surely you don't grudge your wife a -little comfort after she's been so ill?' - -'No, sir, o' course not,' said the seaman, scratching his head. 'But -'oo's goin' to pay for orl this 'ere? Port wine an' chicken jelly ain't -got for nothin'.' - -Tickle felt half-inclined to tell him outright that he, or, rather, his -wife, was prepared to pay for everything; but if he had, the able -seaman would at once have been in open rebellion. The nurse alone came -to two guineas a week, and the food and little luxuries for the invalid -to as much again. 'Well, Buttings,' he said, pretending to consider, -'suppose it costs about seven-and-six a week. That's about it, I should -imagine.' - -Buttings seemed rather relieved. 'Seven an' a tanner,' he said, more -happily. 'I kin manage that, sir. I ain't got much money to splosh -abart, o' course,' he hastened to explain; 'but I don't like ter think -as 'ow I ain't payin' for what my old 'ooman's gettin'.' - -And so, for the time being, the matter ended, and both parties were -satisfied. - -Mrs Buttings recovered in due course, and became her old buxom self, -and then it was that she enlightened her husband as to what the Tickles -had really done. Buttings was speechless with rage. - -But Christmas came soon afterwards, and on the morning itself, as -Tickle was having his bath, there came a knock at his cabin door. -'Hallo, what is it?' he asked, springing up and wrapping a towel round -himself. - -'It's Buttings, sir,' said the seaman, pulling aside the curtain. 'I've -got this 'ere for you, sir, from my missus an' meself; an' this, sir, -is for your lady. We both wishes you an' your lady a 'Appy Christmas, -sir.' There was a suspicious huskiness in his voice; and, after pushing -two small parcels into the astonished officer's hands, he fled before -Tickle could say so much as 'Thank you.' - -One package contained a highly ornamental silver cigarette-case, and -the other a small gold brooch of impossible design. Accompanying each -gift was a flamboyant card with a chaste design of clasped hands, -wreaths and sprigs of forget-me-nots, and true-lovers' knots. Below -were the words: 'In friendship we are united.' Inside, in very -laborious handwriting, came the inscription: 'With great gratitude from -Able Seaman and Mrs Reuben Buttings.' - -'Well, I'm damned!' muttered the lieutenant, gazing at the presents, -deeply touched. The little gifts, which had cost Buttings and his wife -many of their hard-earned shillings, were their way of showing that -they had not forgotten. - -Mrs Toby was so overcome when she received her brooch that she nearly -wept with emotion. 'Dear, dear people!' she murmured gently; 'I love -them!' - -And still some folk have the effrontery to say that there is no bond of -sympathy between the officers and men of the Royal Navy. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -'THE 'ORRIBLE DEN.' - - -I. - -From the quarterdeck one climbed down a steep ladder, walked aft along -the maindeck past the wardroom, descended another ladder, and finally -emerged into a large flat lit by electricity. To starboard was a -bulkhead with rifles in racks, their blued barrels gleaming dully in -the glare of the electric bulbs. Behind the rifle-racks came some of -the officers' cabins, through the open doorways of which one was -vouchsafed an occasional fleeting glimpse of sea and sky framed in the -circular opening of a scuttle in the ship's side. - -The small habitations seemed to reflect the personalities and tastes of -their several occupants. Some were gay with pictures, photographs, -brightly coloured bedspreads and curtains, and had easy-chairs, -well-filled bookcases, and a glittering array of silver-backed brushes, -photograph-frames, and ornaments on the chests of drawers serving as -toilet-tables. In others there was little or no attempt at decoration, -and they were furnished with almost Spartan simplicity, with nothing -but what the Admiralty allowed. This consisted of a bunk with drawers -underneath, a solid mahogany chest of drawers, a book-shelf, a folding -washstand, a minute writing-table, a straight-backed cane-bottomed -chair, a small strip of carpet, ugly maroon-coloured scuttle and door -curtains, and, by way of decoration, the inevitable shallow circular -tin bath suspended from the roof. - -Amidships in the flat, in ordered rows, came the midshipmen's -sea-chests. They were painted white, with black lids, and bore their -owners' names on small brass plates. Each was exactly three feet six -inches long, one foot eight and a half inches broad, and three feet -seven and three-quarter inches high, neither more nor less. Admiralty -regulations are explicit and precise, even on the subject of -midshipmen's sea-chests. In these receptacles the 'snotties'[14] kept, -or were supposed to keep, all their worldly belongings, and woe betide -them if the first lieutenant discovered their clothes or boots lying -about when he went his rounds twice a day! The garments were promptly -impounded and placed in the scran-bag, which was opened only once a -week. Moreover, one inch of soap--which went toward cleaning the -ship--had to be paid for each article claimed. - - [14] 'Snotty' is the naval slang term for midshipman. - -On the opposite side of the flat were more rifle-racks and two -curtained doorways. One of these gave access to a pantry, the other to -what the commander called 'the 'Orrible Den,' otherwise the gunroom. It -was the habitat of the junior officers, and provided accommodation for -two sub-lieutenants, an assistant-paymaster, ten midshipmen, and Mr -Hubert Green, the assistant-clerk. - -Imagine an apartment about thirty feet long by twenty feet wide, with -plenty of head-room. It ran fore and aft, and on the ship's side -opposite to the door were four circular scuttles. They were about six -feet above the water-line, and could be left open in harbour or in the -calmest weather at sea. If it was blowing at all hard, however, they -had to be kept tight shut to prevent the entry of the water. On these -occasions the atmosphere, well impregnated with the smell of food from -the pantry, could be cut with a knife. The sub-lieutenant, complaining -bitterly of the 'fug' or 'frowst,' sometimes ordered a junior -midshipman to carry out what was known as 'scuttle drill.' This meant -that the unfortunate youth had to open the port gingerly to let in the -air, but that he must bang it to again whenever a sea came rushing -past. If he allowed water or spray to enter he was chastised. He -generally was, but not really hard. Underneath the scuttles, and along -the after bulkhead, were narrow cushioned settees serving as seats. -Then came two long tables, with, outside them again, padded forms. -Altogether there was seating accommodation for about twenty-four people -at meals. - -On the inner bulkhead near the door was a stove, and beyond this again -a small piano. This instrument had been quite a good one once upon a -time, but, owing to an accumulation of foreign matter in its interior, -caused no doubt by a youthful officers' steward, who found it a -convenient receptacle for dirty cotton-waste, polishing-paste, -bathbrick, and emery-paper, was long past its palmy days. However, it -still made a noise, and was useful for sing-songs. - -On the foremost bulkhead was a small hatch with a sliding door -communicating with the pantry, and underneath it a mahogany sideboard. -The appointments were completed by three wicker arm-chairs, provided by -the occupants themselves, a sofa, a rack for the midshipmen's dirks, a -mahogany letter-rack and notice-board, and rows of small lockers, just -under the ceiling, round two sides over the settees. In these the -'snotties' kept their small personal belongings, books, and pots of jam -or potted meat. But we have forgotten the beer-barrel. It occupied a -conspicuous position near the sideboard. - -Pictures and prints hung on the white enamelled walls, rugs were -scattered about the floor, and the two long tables were covered with -crimson cloths of the usual Admiralty pattern, and were adorned with -palms in pots and vases of flowers. So, taking it all round, 'the -'Orrible Den' was not quite so bad as it was painted. In fact, it was -quite a cheerful apartment. - -Sub-Lieutenant Archibald Bertrain Cook--commonly known as Alphabetical -Cook--was the senior member of the mess and _ex officio_ president. -He was a lusty, riotous, red-faced fellow of twenty-two, and ruled -the midshipmen with a rod of iron. The other sub was Roger More, six -months junior to him. Wilfrid Shilling, the A.P.,[15] was a tall, -anaemic-looking officer, with an incipient beard and rather long hair. -He wore glasses, and was deeply in love with a young lady at Weymouth. -He went by the name of Blinkers. - - [15] Assistant-paymaster. - -Next came the senior midshipmen, Antony Charles Trevelyan, Roderick -MacDonald, William Augustus Trevor, and Henry Taut. They varied in age -between eighteen and a half and nineteen and a half; and the first, on -account of his rather blue chin and heavy growth of hair, went by the -elegant name of Whiskers. MacDonald, who was short and had rather a -barrel-like appearance, was nicknamed Shorty or Tubby; while Trevor, a -small youth, sometimes answered to Winkle. Taut, the midshipman of -Martin's division, was the Long Slab. He was tall and very thin, rather -like a lighthouse. - -Then came the six junior 'snotties,' whose names do not really matter. -They were all under eighteen, and had only just joined the ship from -the training-cruiser. They were, in consequence, very small beer -indeed--mere excrescences on the face of the earth. Collectively they -were referred to as the Warts, Crabs, or Dogs' Bodies, and had to do -what everybody else chose to tell them. - -The Wart of all the Warts was Mr Hubert Green, the assistant-clerk. He -was a small, freckle-faced youth, with a squeaky voice and ginger hair, -and had only just come to sea. He was only seventeen and a half, the -baby of the gunroom, and on account of his youth and general ignorance -of the navy and naval affairs, spent his life having his leg pulled by -the midshipmen. - -Both the subs and the A.P. had cabins of their own. The midshipmen -'lived in chests,' as the saying is; slept in hammocks in the gunroom -flat; and performed their ablutions in a small tiled bathroom farther -forward. Publicity was a thing they had no qualms about whatsoever, and -between seven o'clock and seven-forty-five in the morning, when they -were dressing or parading about with or without towels, waiting for -their turns to wash, the flat was no fit place for the general public. - -Except on Sundays, when they lay in till seven o'clock, the 'snotties' -turned out at six-fifteen, and from six-forty till seven were on deck -at physical drill. At seven, therefore, came the rush for baths, the -usual exaggerated tin saucers, of which there were only six. The -bandsmen servants procured their respective masters' hot water -beforehand; but it was always a case of first come first served, and -nobody hesitated to use anybody else's belongings if he were big and -strong enough to do so with impunity. Such things as hot water, -sponges, soap, and nail-brushes were regarded as common property unless -their owners chose to retain them by force. Towels and toothbrushes -alone were sacred to the individual. - -The subs and the senior midshipmen bathed first, and woe betide any -Crab who was discovered in the bathroom when they arrived! He was -promptly hurled out. Then came the junior 'snotties,' and lastly the -assistant-clerk, who, poor wight, usually had to be content with cold -water. But they were all quite happy, and made a great deal of noise. - -Pay of one shilling and ninepence _per diem_, plus a compulsory -allowance of fifty pounds a year from one's people, which was what the -midshipmen received, is not great affluence, even in the navy, where -living is comparatively cheap. It amounts in all to six pounds fifteen -shillings and tenpence per month of thirty days. - -Mr Tubbs, the long-suffering gunroom-messman, and a bit of a villain, -undertook to provide breakfast, luncheon, and dinner for the sum of -thirty shillings a month a head from each member; but in addition -to this he also took the ten-pence _per diem_ allowed to each -officer by the Government in lieu of rations. Afternoon tea, cake, -bread-and-butter, tins of biscuits, potted meat, jam, fruit, and other -extraneous edibles were charged for as extras, in which category also -came such things as soap, bootlaces, drawing-paper, pens, ink, pencils, -&c. The sum of ten shillings _per mensem_ was supposed, by Admiralty -regulation, to suffice for the midshipmen's needs in the way of extras; -but the most of them, with the connivance of the messman, ran what they -called 'extra-extra bills.' It was on the profit made on these that Mr -Tubbs was able to make two ends meet at all, for one and tenpence a day -is not much wherewith to satisfy the food capacity of a young and lusty -lad with a healthy appetite. - -'Snotties' over eighteen were allowed to expend fifteen shillings a -month on wine, and those under this age five shillings less; but -nobody under twenty was permitted to touch spirits. The mess -fund--for newspapers, breakages, washing, and other small incidental -expenses--came to a nominal five shillings a month, but generally -exceeded it; servant's wages were ten shillings; personal washing, -say, ten shillings; and tobacco--if the officer was over eighteen, -and allowed to smoke--about seven shillings and sixpence or -half-a-sovereign. The monthly balance-sheet, omitting all -extravagances, therefore, worked out somewhat as follows: - - RECEIPTS. - - 1s. 9d. a day for 30 days L2 12 6 - One-twelfth of L50 4 3 4 - -------- - Total L6 15 10 - - DEBITS. - - 30 days' messing at 1s. a day L1 10 0 - Mess Fund 0 5 0 - Wine 0 15 0 - Tobacco 0 7 6 - Extras 0 10 0 - Servant 0 10 0 - Washing 0 10 0 - ------- - Total L4 7 6 - -This, omitting the 'extra-extra,' left a nominal credit balance of two -pounds eight shillings and fourpence wherewith to last out the month. -Only one or two of the 'snotties' received anything extra in the way of -allowances from their people, though their outfitters' bills for all -necessaries in the way of clothing were usually met by their parents. -But even this did not improve matters to any great extent, and not one -of the young officers was ever known to have much in the way of money -unless parents or relations behaved handsomely on birthdays or at -Christmas. Even then the gift dwindled rapidly, for if one of them did -receive a windfall of an odd pound or two, he took care that his -messmates shared his good fortune. The clothes they had, too, were in a -perpetual state of being lost; and if one of them was asked out to dine -in another ship, everybody contributed something towards his attire. -One provided a shirt, and others handkerchief, collar, tie, and evening -shoes; but in spite of it all they somehow always managed to look smart -and well-dressed. - -This state of chronic hardupness is hereditary in midshipmen. History -relates that a youth once came home from China, and landed at -Portsmouth with no soles to his boots, a hole in the crown of his straw -hat--it had been eaten by cockroaches--the seat of his trousers darned -by himself with sail-makers' twine, and no tails to any of his shirts. -With the ready resource of the sailor, he had removed these for use as -pocket-handkerchiefs. - -The Royal Navy is essentially a poor man's service, and comparatively -few of its officers have anything considerable in the way of means over -and beyond their pay. It is sometimes difficult to keep out of debt, -for they are expected to go everywhere and do everything, while uniform -is expensive, and the cost of living is always increasing. It seems to -be part of a midshipman's job to be poor, and one would as soon expect -to find a dustman with a gold-mounted shaving-set as a 'snotty' with -more than half-a-crown in his pocket on the 28th of the month. - -The 'snotties' of the _Belligerent_ were no exception to the -general rule. They were quite irrepressible, and were as happy and -cheerful as they could be, though sometimes they did complain bitterly -that they were half-starved. On occasions, to the accompaniment of -spoons beaten on the table, they chanted a mournful dirge anent the -iniquities of the messman. It was long and rather ribald, but the last -two lines of the chorus ran: - - We're starving! we're starving! - And the messman's name is Mr Tubbs! - -They weren't really so famished as they pretended to be, but Tubbs -certainly was an old rogue. One celebrated morning, when the senior -sub-lieutenant was absent, he peered through the pantry hatch at -breakfast-time. - -'Now, gennelmen,' he said, 'wot we 'ave for breakfast is 'ot sardines -an' 'am. Sardines is a bit orf, the 'am is tainted, an' fruit is extra. -Wot'll you 'ave?' - -The ship was half-way across the Bay of Biscay at the time, and had -been at sea for several days, so perhaps there was some slight excuse -for the inadequacies of the morning meal. But Tubbs had tried this game -before; and, headed by Roger More, the junior sub-lieutenant, the -members of the mess rose _en bloc_ and hastily armed themselves with -dirks. - -The messman, scenting trouble, promptly fled from the pantry with his -satellites after him, while the hungry officers rushed in, broke open -various cupboards, and helped themselves liberally to Tubbs's private -store of tinned kippers and haddock. He complained bitterly, but got no -redress. - -Another time the members of the mess were sitting round the table -waiting impatiently for lunch. Noon was the proper time for the meal; -but at twelve-ten nothing had appeared on the table except the -vegetables. The hungry officers commenced to bang on the table with -eating implements, and started the inevitable dirge, and in the middle -of it Tubbs's face appeared framed in the pantry hatch. - -'I'm sorry, gennelmen,' he said when he could make himself heard in the -uproar. 'The boy's fallen down the 'atch with the joint, an' it ain't -fit be to seen. I've some werry nice corned beef'---- - -A chorus of groans drowned his utterance. 'Let's see the joint,' some -one demanded. - -'It's bin thrown overboard, sir,' the messman explained glibly, -disappearing from view. - -Several of the junior midshipmen and the assistant-clerk were -despatched to visit the scene of the alleged accident, and to report on -what traces they found. There were none. There never had been any -joint. - -'Tubbs!' they yelled in unison when the spies came back. - -The messman's head appeared, and the minute it bobbed up into sight it -was greeted with a volley of vegetables. On the whole the shooting was -good, and Tubbs made an excellent Aunt Sally. Potatoes baked in their -jackets spattered and burst all round the pantry hatch like a -_rafale_ of shrapnel-shell, while some, passing through, exploded -on impact with the messman's head. The _piece de resistance_ was a -cauliflower. It struck the ledge and detonated like a high-explosive -projectile, and the messman received its disintegrated stickiness full -in the face. He slammed the hatch up with a bang, and rushed into the -mess with his face, beard, and hair dripping with vegetable products; -while the culprits, wildly excited, shrieked with laughter. The -bombardment would have continued, but the available ammunition was -expended. - -Tubbs was furious. 'I'll 'ave the law on yer!' he shouted wildly, -waving his fists. 'I'll report yer to the commander, and 'ave yer -court-martialled, see if I don't! It's disgraceful, that's wot it is, -an' wot the navy's comin' to I don't know! Calls yerselves gennelmen, -do yer?' - -He went on for quite a long time; but nothing further ever came of it. -He knew well enough that he had brought it on himself, and thereafter -he became rather more particular over the matter of providing meals. - -It must not be imagined that the inhabitants of the _Belligerent_'s -gunroom always behaved like this. On the contrary, they were an -unusually well-conducted mess, and they broke out only when they were -really exasperated, and their feelings got the better of them. - -The sub, assisted by the senior 'snotties,' had drilled the Crabs into -a high state of discipline and efficiency. He believed in using the -terror of the stick as a deterrent rather than in employing the weapon -itself, and as a consequence the junior midshipmen were never beaten -really hard unless they misbehaved themselves. But as Cook himself once -remarked, 'You can bet your bottom dollar that for every sin they've -been bowled out committing, there are fully fifty more that we haven't -discovered;' and there was some truth in the remark. - -One of the methods of smartening up the Crabs was an evolution known as -'fork in the beam.' This was a time-honoured custom which must have -started in the days of wooden sailing-ships, since it is hardly -possible to stick an ordinary table-fork into the steel beams of a -modern vessel. It generally took place during dinner, when the younger -members of the mess had been making too much noise. - -The sub, standing up at his place at the end of the table, would -insinuate a fork into the electric wires overhead, and at this signal -all the junior midshipmen and the assistant-clerk had to leave the -mess, scamper twice round the boat-deck, and return in the shortest -possible time. In the old-time evolution itself the 'snotties' used to -run up the rigging and over the masthead, but Cook substituted the race -round the boat-deck as being less dangerous. The last officer back had -to repeat the performance; and, as the loser generally found that -somebody had drunk his beer during his absence, there was always great -competition to be away first. It usually started by a seething mass of -seven Crabs being stuck in the doorway. After much struggling and -pushing, they would eventually fall through into the flat amidst shrill -yelps from the young gentlemen who happened to be underneath, and -remarks of 'Get off my face!' 'Ow! let go my leg, you beast!' Then, -sorting themselves out one by one, they would dart off, to return a few -minutes later flushed and breathless after their exercise. - -They were also organised as what were known as the 'dogs of war,' with -the idea, as the sub explained, of instilling them with martial ardour -and making them fierce. On the order, 'Dogs of war out--so and so!' -they were expected to growl viciously, hurl themselves upon the person -named, and cast him forth from the mess. Sometimes the assistant-clerk -was the victim, sometimes one of the 'snotties' themselves; but, to -make things really exciting, the 'dogs' were occasionally divided into -two sides, Red and Blue, and each party endeavoured to expel the other. -It always meant a frantic struggle, for the victim or victims resisted -violently. They were none too gentle either, for clothes were torn, -shirts and collars were destroyed, and bruises were by no means -infrequent. Sometimes people's noses bled, and the fight waxed really -furious; but cases of lost temper were comparatively rare, and the -'dogs' usually enjoyed the fun as much as any one else. Their parents, -had they been present during the strife, might not have been quite so -amused. They paid for the clothes. - -The star turn, however, was the Crabs' _corps de ballet_, and it -occasionally disported itself on guest nights for the amusement and -edification of any strangers who happened to be present. Trevelyan, the -senior midshipman, was the stage manager, and what the ballet lost -through lack of histrionic power on the part of the performers it more -than made up for by its originality. Their attire was sketchy, to say -the least of it. It consisted mainly of bath-towels, sea-boots, and -straw hats; and the songs and dances, to the strains of the elderly, -asthmatic piano, and bagpipes played by a Scots midshipman, MacDonald, -usually brought down the house. If by any chance the performance fell -at all flat through a lack of energy on the part of the performers, -they were promptly converted into 'dogs of war,' with the inevitable -result. So, taking it all round, the occupants of 'the 'Orrible Den' -managed to amuse themselves. - -But because they sometimes became riotous and irresponsible in the -gunroom, it must not be imagined that the younger officers were not -learning their trade. Far from it; they worked really very hard, on -deck, in the engine-room, and in pursuit of the wily and elusive -_x_. Their day started at six-fifteen, and between six-forty and -seven o'clock they were either away boat-pulling or at physical drill -or rifle exercise. After this came baths, and from seven-forty-five -till eight instruction in signals. Breakfast was at eight; and from -nine till eleven-forty-five, and again in the afternoon from -one-fifteen to three-fifteen, they were at instruction in seamanship, -gunnery, torpedo, navigation, or engineering. Voluntary instruction in -theoretical subjects took place for one and a half hours on three -evenings of the week, and those more backward youths who did not -volunteer were compelled to attend. Two nights a week, from -eight-thirty till nine, there were signal exercises with the Morse -lamp, and these had to be attended by all the midshipmen until they -attained a certain standard of proficiency. - -In addition to this, they had their regular watches to keep--day and -night at sea, and from eight-thirty A.M. till eight P.M. in harbour; -while no boat ever left the ship under steam or sail without a 'snotty' -in charge. Their days, therefore, were pretty busy. - -They generally managed to get ashore between three-thirty and seven -P.M. about two days out of every four, and on Saturdays and Sundays -from one-thirty; but no late leave was granted save in very exceptional -circumstances. They amused themselves with hockey and football in the -winter, and golf, tennis, and cricket in the summer; and at places -where games could not be played, solaced their feelings by borrowing -one of the ship's boats on Sunday afternoons, stocking her with great -hampers containing provender of all kinds, and then sailing off for a -picnic. There is an irresistible fascination in cooking sausages and -boiling a kettle over a home-made fire on some unfrequented island or -beach which appeals to the most sober-minded of us. - -Your modern midshipmen are no longer the rosy-cheeked, blue-eyed little -cherubs of fiction. Many of them are over six feet, some of them shave, -and nobody but their aunts and female cousins refer to them as -'middies.' To call them by that diminutive term to their faces would -make them squirm. They refer to themselves as 'snotties,' and -'snotties' they will remain till the end of the chapter. The name, -rather inelegant perhaps, owes its origin to the three buttons on the -cuffs of their full-dress short jackets, which ribald people used to -say were first placed there to prevent their sleeves being put to the -use generally delegated to pocket-handkerchiefs. Any schoolboy will -tell you what a 'snot rag' is; but I have never yet heard of a modern -midshipman being without this rather important article of dress. - -'Snotties' are a strange mixture. They possess all the love of fun and -excitement of schoolboys, but once on duty are very much officers. They -have to undertake responsibility very young, and at an age when their -shore-going brothers are still at public schools their careers in the -service have started. - -Seamanship is not an exact science; it is an art. It comprises, amongst -other things, experience, sound judgment, good nerve, a vast deal of -common-sense, and a happy knack of knowing when risks are justifiable -and when they are not. It is a subject which cannot be taught by rule -of thumb after the first groundwork of elementary knowledge has been -assimilated, and circumstances alter cases so greatly that no preceptor -on this earth could lay down hard-and-fast rules for each of the -thousand-and-fifty contingencies which may arise at sea, and which may -one day have to be guarded against or overcome. The sea, moreover, is a -fickle mistress. The navy is always on active service, in peace or in -war, for its men and its ships are for ever pitting their skill and -strength against the might of the most merciless of enemies--the -elements. From the very moment that midshipmen join their first ship -they are expected to take part in the great game, and sometimes it is a -game of life and death. They start off by being placed in charge of -boats in all weathers. They may be steamboats, or boats under sail; but -whichever they are, the 'snotties' are learning their trade. If they do -something foolish they may cause great damage to valuable property, may -even be the means of men losing their lives; but they generally succeed -in getting out of scrapes and difficulties with some credit to -themselves. - -The strenuous training and habit of early responsibility may convert -them into men before their time; but they still manage to retain their -boyish instincts, and when they are off duty these generally appear -uppermost. At times they are noisy, riotous, and altogether -irrepressible; but when it comes to work they are very much all there. - - -II. - -'Ain't got a fill o' bacca abart yer, 'ave yer?' asked Joshua Billings, -A.B., producing an abbreviated, blackened, and very foul clay pipe -from the lining of his cap and gazing at it pensively. It was -twelve-forty-five P.M., the middle of the dinner-hour, and Joshua, -having just assimilated his tot of navy rum, was at peace with himself -and the world in general. - -'Sorry,' Martin answered, 'I ain't got nothin' but fags.' - -'Fags!' the able seaman growled. 'Why you young blokes smokes nothin' -but them things I dunno. They tastes like smokin' 'ay. W'en I fu'st -jined I takes up me pun' o' bacca reg'lar, an' I done it ever since. -It's got some taste abart it. Fags! S'welp me, I dunno wot th' blessed -navy's comin' to!' - -Martin looked rather sheepish. - -Billings grinned. 'Seein' as 'ow you ain't got no bacca, then I s'pose -I've got ter use me own,' he went on, producing a well-filled pouch -from the waistband of his trousers, and proceeding to ram some coarse, -dark tobacco into his pipe. 'I never believes in usin' me own s'long as -I kin git a fill orf another bloke. Got a match?' - -The ordinary seaman handed a box across, and his companion lit up. - -'Comin' ashore along o' me this arternoon?' Joshua asked, puffing out a -cloud of smoke with a satisfied grunt. - -Martin thought for a moment. For an ordinary seaman to be asked to go -ashore with a man of Billings's age was undoubtedly a great honour; -but, at the same time, he was rather doubtful as to what might happen. -Joshua, on his own statement, had an unquenchable thirst for malt -liquor, and always felt 'dizzy like' outside public-houses, and Martin -had no wish to join him in a carouse, with the prospect of ending the -afternoon under the supervision of the local constabulary. - -'Goin' on th' razzle?'[16] he asked cautiously. - - [16] Going on the 'razzle' = going on the spree. - -Billings laughed. 'Razzle!' he exclaimed. 'No, I ain't on that lay. -I'll 'ave jist one pint w'en I gits ashore, but no more'n that. The -fac' o' the matter is, Pincher, I'm in love.' He paused to give his -words time to sink in. - -'In love!' Martin echoed with some astonishment. - -The A.B. nodded gravely. 'Yus,' he said; 'an' I want some one to come -along an' 'old me 'and like, some bloke wot looks young an' innercent -like you.' He endeavoured to look young and innocent himself, gazed -heavenwards with a rapt expression on his homely face, contorted his -mouth into what he considered was a sweet smile, and sighed deeply. 'I -tell yer,' he added, resuming his normal appearance and winking -solemnly, 'she's a bit o' orl right, an' I reckons she's took a fancy -ter me. Leastways she 'inted that she'd come to th' pictures along o' -me ter-night if I arsked 'er polite like, an' 'ave a bit o' somethin' -t' eat arterwards.' - -'You in love!' Martin gasped again, for to him it seemed impossible -that any woman could succumb to the doubtful charms of the hoary-headed -old reprobate. 'Garn! you're 'avin' me on.' - -Joshua seemed rather annoyed. 'Oh no, I ain't,' he retorted testily. -'An' if yer gits talkin' like that me an' you'll part brassrags.[17] She -ain't th' sort o' 'ooman ter take a fancy to a young bloke. Wot she -wants is some one ter look arter 'er an' 'er property. A bloke wi' -hexperience, the same as me.' - - [17] To 'part brassrags' is to sever friendly intercourse - with a chum. Chums frequently use one another's rags in - polishing the brasswork of the ship; when they quarrel they - naturally cease to do this. - -'Property! 'Oo is she, then?' - -'You mustn't go tellin' the other blokes if I tells yer,' Billings -said, sinking his voice to a whisper. 'Promise yer won't.' - -'Orl right, I won't.' - -'She's a widder 'ooman wot keeps a sweet an' bacca shop, an' sells -noospapers. She's makin' a good thing out o' it, too--clearin' 'bout -three pun' a week, she sez she is; an' as my time's comin' along for -pension, it's abart time I started lookin' round fur somethin' ter do -w'en I leaves the navy. She ain't no young an' flighty female neither, -I gives yer my word. Got a growed-up darter, she 'as, seventeen year -old, an' I reckons it's abart time th' poor gal 'ad another father ter -look arter 'er. You see,' he added, 'if I gits married to th' old un -orl the blokes wot knows me'll come to the shop to buy their fags an' -noospapers, so it ain't as if I was bringin' nothin' to th' business. -I'm a bloke wi' inflooence, I am. 'Er larst 'usband drove a cab, 'e -did, an' I reckons she's betterin' 'erself by marryin' a bloke wot's -bin in the navy.' - -'An' wot's this 'ere gal o' 'ers like?' Pincher wanted to know. 'Is she -a cosy bit o' fluff too?' - -'Cosy bit o' fluff!' exclaimed Joshua with some warmth. 'Wot d'yer -mean, yer lop-eared tickler?[18] She ain't fur the likes o' you, -any'ow.' - - [18] 'Tickler' is a derogatory term for an ordinary seaman. - -'Oh, ain't she?' Martin retorted. 'Well, I ain't comin' ashore along o' -yer, then!' - -''Ere, don't git yer dander up,' Billings interrupted, changing his -tone; 'I didn't mean nothin'.' He was really very anxious that Martin -should accompany him, for he had a vague idea in his head that the -presence of a younger man would lend tone to the proceedings, and to -him a certain air of respectability. - -'Don't act so snappy, then,' the ordinary seaman returned. 'I'm as good -as any other bloke.' He remembered that he was a member of the ship's -football team, and this alone made him a person of some importance. - -'Well, if yer really wants ter know, th' gal's name's Hemmeline, an' -she's walkin' out wi' a ship's stooard's assistant bloke from the -flagship.' - -'Ship's stooards ain't no class!' Pincher snorted, expanding his chest -to its full capacity. 'They ain't fightin' blokes same as me an' you.' - -'No, they ain't,' Billings agreed, puffing slowly at his pipe. 'They -ain't got no prospex neither. Look 'ere, Pincher,' he added, 'she's -only bin along wi' 'im fur a week, an' if yer fancies 'er, my -inflooence wi' 'er ma'---- - -'Meanin' that I can take 'er out?' Martin queried. - -Joshua nodded. 'That's the wheeze,' he said, expectorating with deadly -precision into a spit-kid at least eight feet distant. - -'But wot's she look like?' Pincher demanded with caution. Up to the -present he had felt rather frightened of women; but to have a proper -sweetheart in tow was one of the things he really longed for. It would -complete his new-found manhood. But he had his own ideas of feminine -beauty, and, whatever happened, the young lady must be pretty. - -Billings grinned. 'She's orl right,' he explained. 'She ain't 'xactly -tall, nor yet 'xactly short. Sort o' betwixt an' between like. She -ain't too fat, nor yet too lean; she's sort o' plump. Yaller 'air, she -'as, an' blue eyes, an' plays th' pianner wonderful, 'er ma sez.' - -This rather vague description of the fair Emmeline's charms seemed -quite enough for Martin. 'She sounds orl right,' he said. 'I think I'll -come along o' you.' - -Joshua seemed rather pleased. 'That's th' ticket,' he said. 'We goes -ashore in th' four o'clock boat, mind. Say, chum,' he added in a hoarse -whisper, 'you ain't got 'arf-a-dollar to lend us, 'ave yer?' - -Martin looked rather dubious. ''Arf-a-dollar!' he sniffed. - -'Yus,' urged the A.B. 'I've only got three bob o' me own, an' I've got -ter take th' lady to th' pictures, an' give 'er a bit o' supper -arterwards. The show's orf 'less I kin raise some splosh some'ow. W'y -don't yer come along too, an' bring the gal?' - -'Carn't do it,' the ordinary seaman murmured. 'Me leaf's up at seven, -an' I don't want to go gittin' in th' rattle fur breakin' it. But I'll -lend yer a couple o' bob if yer promises faithful to pay me back. I'll -give it yer afore we goes ashore.' - -'Good on yer, chum,' said Billings effusively. 'I reckons yer knows 'ow -to be'ave to blokes wot takes a hinterest in yer. You take my tip, -though,' he added, wagging an admonitory forefinger. 'Don't yer go -lendin' money to any other blokes wot ain't fit to be trusted.' - -'I'll watch it,' Martin laughed. - -And so it was arranged, and this was how Pincher Martin embarked on his -first love affair. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART. - - -I. - -Miss Emmeline Figgins was a well-built, capable-looking young lady of -seventeen. She wore her hair neatly coiled in a golden aureole on the -top of her head. Her blue eyes were attractive and full of mirth, her -mouth was well-shaped, and she possessed a pair of very red lips and -twin rows of even white teeth. She seemed literally bursting with -health, and her rosy, slightly sunburnt cheeks somehow reminded Pincher -of the girls at home in his own village. She was dressed in a white -blouse and plain dark-blue skirt, and a small gold locket hung round -her neck. - -The first time Martin saw her standing behind the counter in the little -sweet and tobacco shop he thought her quite adorable. He experienced a -vague feeling of jealousy when he saw the locket, though, for he -thought it probable that it contained the photograph of the ship's -steward's assistant from the flagship. - -Billings, strangely redolent of violets--he had purchased a pennyworth -of cachous subsequent to absorbing one pint of beer immediately on -getting ashore--advanced with a sheepish grin. Martin followed close -behind. - -'Good-evenin', miss,' the former remarked, touching his forelock. 'I -'ope I finds yer well?' - -The girl laughed. 'Thank you, Mister Billings,' she said; 'I am -enjoying the best of health, and I hope you are the same.' She regarded -Pincher out of the corner of her eye; and that youth, very ill at ease, -shuffled nervously and began to get red in the face. He was always -rather frightened of women. - -'I'm quite fit, miss,' said Joshua. 'This 'ere's Mr Martin--Pincher -Martin we calls 'im. Friend o' mine, 'e is. Brought 'im along o' me ter -be interjooced.' He pushed the ordinary seaman forward by the arm. - -'Pleased ter meet yer, miss,' said Pincher awkwardly, advancing and -shaking hands over a row of glass bottles filled with sweets. 'I've -'eard a lot abart yer from my frien' Mister Billings.' - -The A.B. warned him of his indiscretion by a violent nudge in the side. - -'I'm glad I'm a celebrity,' the girl remarked, a trifle suspiciously. -'And what did Mr Billings say about me? I hope it was something nice.' - -'Where's yer ma, miss?' Joshua himself interrupted, hastily changing -the subject. - -'She's out now, Mr Billings, but she'll be back home to tea at -half-past five. She's expecting you then, I believe; and if this -gentleman would join us I'm sure he'd be very welcome.' She looked at -Martin. - -'Wot say, Pincher?' asked Joshua with a wink. 'Like ter 'ave a cup o' -tea wi' th' ladies?' - -'Don't mind if I does,' said the youth shyly. - -'Needn't come if you don't want to, mister,' the girl retorted -sarcastically, tossing her head. 'There are plenty who'd be glad to be -asked.' - -Pincher felt more awkward and sheepish than ever. 'I should like ter -come, miss, thankin' yer for yer kindness in arskin' me,' he managed to -stammer. 'No offence meant, I'm sure, miss. 'Fraid I said it a bit -awk'ard like.' - -'No offence taken,' laughed Emmeline, moving off to attend to three -customers. - -'Now, Mister Billings,' she said, coming back in a few minutes, 'I -can't stand gossiping here all the afternoon. This is our busy time, -and the shop will be filling up soon, and I sha'n't know whether I'm -standing on my head or my heels. What with mother being out, and that -plaguy boy having a holiday, I don't know how I shall be able to -manage. If you drop in again at half-past five, mother will be in then. -Is there anything I can serve you with before you go?' - -'I'll 'ave two packets o' woodbines, miss,' Joshua had to reply, quite -forgetting that he did not smoke cigarettes, but unable to ignore the -hint. He put down twopence.--'Wot abart you, Pincher?' - -Martin looked blankly round the shop. - -'A penn'orth of bull's-eyes or almond rock?' suggested the girl, with a -malicious twinkle in her eyes. 'Or perhaps you'd fancy some jujubes or -acid drops, fresh in to-day?' - -'Thank you, miss, I don't fancy sweets,' the ordinary seaman returned, -painfully aware that he was being made fun of. 'I'll 'ave one o' them -there packets o' Egyptian fags. The sixpenny ones.' - -'We generally call them cigarettes,' Emmeline remarked. - -'Lor,' Billings ejaculated, 'we ain't 'arf goin' a bu'st!' - -'Let the boy have what he wants, mister,' retorted Miss Figgins tartly, -her business instinct uppermost, and a little anxious lest Pincher -should change his mind and choose something cheaper. 'They're very good -cigarettes, I'm sure, and excellent value for the money. Don't know -what he wants to go smoking for, though,' she added sweetly, gazing at -Pincher with an innocent smile. 'I'm sure sweets are more in his line.' - -Joshua laughed, but Martin felt he had never been so insulted in his -life. 'Boy,' indeed! She had called him a boy, and had offered him -sweets! - -More prospective customers arrived; and, paying for their purchases, -the two bluejackets started to leave the establishment, when Billings, -remembering something rather important, turned back. 'Say, miss,' he -queried in an anxious, confidential whisper in the young lady's ear, -'did yer ma say anythin' abart comin' ter the pictures along o' me -ter-night?' - -Emmeline paused in the act of weighing out half-an-ounce of shag -tobacco and laughed merrily. 'Go on with you!' she exclaimed roguishly. -'You're a proper caution, Mister Billings!' - -'Did she say nothin' abart it?' - -'I'm not my mother's keeper. She said nothing to me.' - -'Sure?' queried the lovesick one, rather disappointed. - -The girl winked twice and pointed to the door. 'Hop it!' she giggled. -'Don't come worrying round me when I'm busy with customers. Take your -Mister--er--Martin with you; and if I were you I should buy him'--she -sank her voice to a whisper and glanced in Pincher's direction--'a nice -rattle! Ta-ta; see you both later.' - -'Wot did she say yer wus ter buy me?' Martin wanted to know when they -got outside. - -'Didn't 'ear, chum,' Joshua answered hastily, unwilling to hurt the -other's feelings. 'Wot d' yer think o' 'er? Bit o' orl right--wot?' - -'She looks orl right,' Martin agreed, rather depressed. 'But she seems -a bit 'orty-like for a kid o' seventeen. Tryin' ter 'ave me on, she -was, abart them there sweets.' - -'Garn! That's only 'er way. She don't mean nothin'. Yer carn't expec' a -gal ter take a fancy ter a bloke orl of a sudden like. Don't get -rattled abart wot she said. Come on,' Joshua added, glancing at a clock -in a jeweller's window. 'It's only a quarter ter five, plenty o' time -ter go an' 'ave a wet afore we goes back there ter tea.' He made off -across the road in the direction of a public-house. - -'No, yer bloomin' well don't!' Pincher exclaimed, overtaking him, -seizing him by the arm, and swinging him round in the opposite -direction. 'Yer said yer was only goin' ter 'ave one pint. S'welp me, -yer did.' - -'Don't act so barmy, Pincher,' Joshua expostulated, bitterly aggrieved. -'W'en I sez a pint I only means a pint directly I gits ashore. I didn't -say 'ow much I'd 'ave arterwards.' - -'Well, yer ain't goin' ter 'ave one now, any'ow,' Martin retorted. 'If -you goes drinkin' now, I sha'n't come ter tea along o' yer an' Missis -Figgins; an' I wants me two bob back, strite, I do.' - -'Wot d' yer want ter go spoilin' a chap's bit o' sport fur?' Billings -grumbled feelingly. 'I'm that dry I could jist do wi' a pint. No more'n -a pint, I promises yer.' - -But Pincher was adamant. 'If yer feels dry yer kin go and buy yerself -some lemonade. Yer don't git no beer while yer along o' me.' - -'Lemonade! 'Oo wants lemonade, 'orrible pisenous stuff full o' hacids -an' sich like! Only fit fur kids ter swaffle!' - -'Yer won't git no beer, so it ain't no use yer talkin'.' - -'Oh, ain't it bloomin' well?' the A.B. exclaimed, beginning to get -angry. 'Yer ain't lookin' arter me, yer knows. It's me wot's lookin' -arter you.' - -Pincher held out his hand. 'Orl right, then,' he said quietly; 'give me -back me two bob wot yer borrowed.' - -Joshua glared at him in speechless astonishment 'Give it back to yer?' -he almost shouted. 'Not 'arf I don't!' - -'Orl right. S' long, then; I'm not comin' along ter tea wi' Missis -Figgins. Yer knows werry well yer carn't go takin' ladies along ter th' -pictures if yer starts drinkin' now.' Martin pretended to move off. - -There was some truth in the remark, and Billings felt rather foolish. -''Ere, 'arf a mo'!' he expostulated. 'Don't shove orf. Look 'ere, chum; -she 'as a drop 'erself now an' then. Allus 'as a bottle o' stout along -wi' 'er dinner, an' another along o' 'er supper. Told me so 'erself.' -He looked hopefully to see if this information would have the desired -effect, but Martin merely shook his head. - -It took at least five minutes further argument, and much backing and -filling between the two pavements, before Billings could be drawn off -from the glaring portals of the 'Rose and Crown.' He seemed attracted -to the place like a steel filing to a magnet; and it was all Martin -could do to entice him away. But he succeeded eventually, and, with -Joshua still complaining bitterly, the two adventurers entered a -barber's shop to have their hair cut. - -At five-thirty precisely they both returned to the shop to find Mrs -Figgins there. She was a short, bulbous little woman of uncertain age, -with her dark hair, slightly streaked with gray, drawn tightly over her -head and tied in a knob behind. Except for her blue eyes, which -twinkled through her spectacles as she talked, she bore little -resemblance to her daughter, but, for all that, possessed a certain -vivacity of manner and speech which more than made up for lack of good -looks. She greeted them with cordiality. - -'It's pleased I am to see you an' your friend, Mister Billings,' she -said, when Pincher had been solemnly introduced. 'Such a day I 'ave 'ad -you never would believe. Went to see my poor John's brother's wife at -Dorchester. 'Er youngest, Halfred, 'im that was born last Easter, 'as -come out all over in red spots, an' the doctor doesn't know wot to make -of 'em. 'E's a fraud, I think,' she went on--speaking with great -rapidity, and nodding her head to emphasise the point--'a reg'lar -fraud, same as all doctors. I don't 'old wi' them an' their speriments. -I said to Jane that the boy was sickenin' for measles, 'cause the spots -are the same as wot Hemmeline 'ad when she was a baby; but the -doctor'---- - -'Measles!' Joshua ejaculated, with vague visions of being put in -quarantine. 'Infectious, ain't it?' - -'Don't be scared,' the lady laughed. 'It's all right so long as you've -'ad it before.--Hemmeline!' - -'Yes, mother?' came the girl's answer from the sitting-room at the back -of the shop. - -'Is that kettle boilin' yet? 'Ere's Mister Billings an' 'is friend -ready for their teas.' - -'All ready, mother. Look out you shut the outer door in case of -customers coming.' - -Mrs Figgins shut the door, and then ushered her guests into the -sitting-room. It was a bright little apartment, with a cheerful fire -blazing in an old-fashioned grate, before which, judging from the -smell, Emmeline had been making hot buttered toast. The room was -crammed with furniture, and was decorated with china ornaments, velvet -hangings, and pictures, conspicuous among these being a large -photographic enlargement of the late Mr John Figgins. It hung in a -massive gilt frame, and the defunct gentleman was shown in black -cut-away coat, dark trousers, high choker collar, white tie, and a very -shiny top-hat. He gripped a walking-stick and a pair of gloves in one -hand, while the other rested in _neglige_ fashion upon a large -marble column bearing a very palpable imitation palm. He had side -whiskers and rather a fierce expression. There were also three large, -highly coloured oleographs. One depicted the late Queen Victoria at the -time of her 1887 Jubilee; another, entitled 'Lead, Kindly Light,' -showed a sailing-ship in dangerous proximity to the Eddystone -Lighthouse during a terrible storm; and the third, some immaculate -soldiers in tight red tunics saying good-bye to a number of lachrymose, -slim-waisted ladies on the platform at Waterloo Station. They were, it -would appear, about to sail for South Africa--the soldiers, I mean, not -the ladies. - -On the mantelpiece stood a cabinet photograph of Joshua Billings in an -ornate aluminium frame painted with forget-me-nots. The original -glanced at it with a self-conscious smirk. It had been his last present -to Mrs Figgins, and he felt it augured well for his prospects to see it -in the place of honour. - -But Pincher was not so much interested in the appearance of the room as -in that of the round table in the centre of the apartment. It was -spread for tea, and such a tea! There was a fine crusty cottage loaf -and a generous plate of sliced ham; a mountain of shrimps lay cheek by -jowl with an enormous pot of jam; while rounds of hot buttered toast, a -large currant-cake, and a pile of mixed pastry stood on the outskirts -of the more substantial comestibles. Martin sucked his teeth -appreciatively. There were only four places laid, he was glad to see. -The ship's steward's assistant from the flagship was evidently not -coming. - -Mrs Figgins settled herself in front of the teapot, and began pouring -out, keeping up a rapid flow of conversation the while. 'Mister -Billings,' she said, motioning with her head to the place on her right, -'will you sit 'ere? an' you, Mister Martin, 'ere? Hemmeline will be -opposite me. I 'ope you will 'elp yourselves to anything you fancy, and -if hanybody likes heggs, I've got some werry nice ones fresh in from -the country to-day. My poor John was fond of a hegg to 'is tea,' she -added, gazing sadly at the representation of her late husband. - -'I reckons we kin do werry well wi' wot we 'ave 'ere,' remarked -Billings, glancing round the table with an approving smile, and helping -himself to ham and hot buttered toast. 'Thank yer, Missis Figgins,' he -continued, 'two lumps fur me.' He took the proffered cup with a coy -smile, put it down, and began to masticate noisily. - -Pincher fancied shrimps to start with; but Emmeline, who had her own -ideas as to how a lady should behave, scorned the more substantial -eatables, and nibbled daintily at a piece of thin bread and jam. - -''Ave a bit of 'am, my gal,' said her mother, helping herself to that -delicacy, and handing the plate across. - -'No, thanks, mother. I'll spoil my supper if I do.' - -'Quite right, miss,' murmured Billings, with his mouth rather full. 'I -never could understan' 'ow folks wot 'as a reg'lar supper kin stow -their kites full at tea-time. 'Orrible 'abit, I calls it. On board, ye -see,' he hastened to explain, lest he himself should be thought a -glutton, 'we 'as a sort o' 'igh tea, an' a bit o' biscuit or sich like -fur our suppers. It ain't wot you'd call a proper meal.' - -Martin gasped. He knew that on board the _Belligerent_ Joshua -frequently had kippers for his tea, while six rashers of bacon and six -fried eggs often formed his evening meal at a quarter past seven. - -Emmeline raised her eyebrows. 'Kites?' she asked, rather surprised. -'What's kites?' - -'Stummick, 'e means, miss,' put in Pincher, anxious to air his -knowledge. 'Mister Billings'---- He heard a horrified gasp, looked up, -saw Emmeline frowning at him fiercely, thought better of what he was -going to say, and then stared at his plate, with his face getting -redder and redder. He had evidently put his foot into it rather badly. - -But the girl did not intend to let him off. 'We don't mention those -things in polite society,' she pointed out acidly. 'It's not nice.' - -Pincher said nothing, but wished that the floor might open and swallow -him whole. - -'Yer promised ye'd come along o' me ter th' pictures ter-night, Missis -Figgins,' remarked Joshua, finishing his ham and looking round the -table. 'Thought we'd go an' 'ave a bit o' supper at a restorong -arterwards.' - -'Promised you, did I?' the widow returned, handing him a plate of -jam-puffs with a sweet smile.' 'Ave one o' these? Or do you fancy a -piece o' cake? It's 'ome-made.' - -Joshua helped himself to the pastry. 'Yus,' he said, 'yer promised ye'd -come.' - -'Oh, did I?' the lady said archly, determined to keep him on -tenter-hooks. 'Think I've got nothin' to do but to go to them silly -pictures? 'Oo's goin' to mind the shop, I should like to know?' - -'I don't want to go out, mother,' Emmeline put in. - -'Course you don't, my gal,' said her mother. 'It's not respectable for -gals to be hout after dark unless they're hescorted.' - -'No,' Billings agreed, pausing in the act of biting a large chunk off -his jam-puff; 'it ain't fit an' proper fur gals o' your age to go abart -unpertected like.' - -Emmeline glared at him. 'Oh, isn't it?' she retorted. 'And who asked -you to put your oar in, Mister Billings? I'll have you know I'm quite -capable of looking after myself, and I wouldn't go along of you if you -were the last man on earth. You'd best take mother along to the -pictures, and not worry your head about what I'm going to do.' She -tossed her head. - -Billings, covered with confusion, retired from the contest and resumed -his meal. - -Mrs Figgins, anxious to keep the peace, looked up apprehensively. 'No -need to let your tongue run away wi' you, Hemmeline,' she chided. -'Mister Billings agrees wi' what I think about it, an' there's no call -for you to get snappy.--All right, Josh--Mister Billings,' she added; -'I'll come with you. What about your friend?' - -Joshua, insinuating a massive fist under the tablecloth, squeezed his -loved one affectionately by the hand. 'That's orl right,' he murmured, -greatly relieved and very happy. - -'But what about Mister Martin?' - -''Is leaf's up at seven,' Joshua explained. ''E carn't come.' - -'Thank goodness for that!' Emmeline remarked with a loud sniff. What -she meant exactly Pincher could not imagine, but it was quite obvious -that she meant to hurt his feelings. She succeeded, for he felt more of -a fool than ever; and it was just as well, perhaps, that at that moment -the shop door opened with a clang to admit a customer, and the girl -left the room. - -From a purely gastronomic point of view, though Martin did not do full -justice to it, the meal was undoubtedly a success; but he returned to -the ship that evening in a very saddened frame of mind. He was bitterly -disappointed with Emmeline. She was pretty and attractive, he felt -bound to admit; but it was only too evident that she was not the least -taken with him, and, moreover, had no hesitation in showing it. She had -a nasty, snappy way of saying things, too. Billings had wilfully misled -him, and had borrowed two shillings under false pretences. He had led -Pincher to believe that he would be received with open arms; but all -that Joshua really cared about, apparently, was the feathering of his -own downy nest, ungrateful old sinner that he was! Drat Billings! Drat -Emme---- No; drat the ship's steward's assistant from the flagship! - - -II. - -Wilfrid Parkin, the ship's steward's assistant from the _Tremendous_, -was a gay young dog. He was a tall youth of about Pincher's own age, -with sleek, well-greased black hair. His clothes were always immaculate -and well brushed; he affected a crease down the legs of his trousers; -and, when he was ashore, the odour of scent and pomatum generally -emanated from his person. With his peaked cap set jauntily on the side -of his head, a cigarette pendulous from his lower lip, and his -double-breasted coat, white linen collar, and black tie, he imagined -himself to be vastly superior in breeding and deportment to any man -clad in the uniform of a bluejacket. Sometimes he even wore brown kid -gloves, hoping that this would cause ignorant people to take him for an -officer. - -He was not beautiful to gaze upon, but downright ugly, in fact, for his -putty-coloured face was covered with pimples, which he vainly -endeavoured to eradicate with somebody's patent ointment. But in spite -of this, and other blemishes, he had female admirers by the score; and -even the level-headed Emmeline, for some inscrutable reason, had fallen -a victim to his charms. She would not have admitted it if she had been -asked, of course; but the giddy Wilfrid had shown a preference for her -society, and Emmeline had not objected. - -Men disliked Parkin for his affectation and conceit. On board his ship -he had a very poor time; but ashore he was absolutely it, so far as the -ladies were concerned. He was a shining light at the local -skating-rink, where, in company with one or other of his girl friends, -he waltzed and two-stepped to his heart's content. When he could obtain -the necessary leave he always attended dances--'Entrance fee, one -shilling; evening dress optional'--and was never averse to singing -'They all love Jack,' or some other very nautical song, at a tea-party -at which ladies were present. - -It came to pass that one wet afternoon, when there was no football, -Pincher, feeling the want of exercise, was forced to take refuge in the -skating-rink, and almost the first person he saw was Emmeline Figgins -gliding round with the immaculate Wilfrid. They both skated well; but -whereas the girl did it with a really natural grace, her companion, -desperately anxious to create an impression, put in sundry little kicks -and twirls of his own invention which made his performance border on -the ridiculous. He was showing off, in fact. - -Now Pincher could barely skate at all, much less dance, pirouette on -one leg, or hurtle round backwards; and, seeing Emmeline, he became -rather nervous, and wished to seek safety in flight. But he had paid -sixpence to come in, and could not very well demand his money back; so, -with a pair of skates in his hand, he stood sheepishly by the edge of -the rink watching the others. Emmeline spotted him the next time she -came round, smiled cheerily over her shoulder, and said something to -her companion, who shook his head. She was evidently in a good temper, -and Martin smiled back at her. - -The next time she drew near, it was more slowly. Checking her speed, -she came gracefully to rest by the padded balustrade immediately -opposite where Pincher stood. She was flushed with the exercise, and -looked quite adorable. Parkin hovered in the background. - -'Well,' she asked gaily, extending her hand, 'aren't you going to say, -"How d' you do?" Mister Martin?' - -'How d'ye do, miss?' said Pincher, shaking it, but half-suspecting she -was about to make a fool of him. - -'This is Mister Parkin,' Emmeline went on, presenting the spotty-faced -one. 'Mister Parkin--Mister Martin of the _Belligerent_.' - -''Ow do, Parkin?' remarked Pincher with a nod. - -'Pleased to meet yer,' murmured the other, with a low bow and a lofty -expression. 'What terrible weather we are 'avin' for the time of year, -are we not?' - -The ordinary seaman stared at him in astonishment; while Emmeline, -unable to restrain herself, burst out into a little chuckle of -amusement. - -'What's the matter now, Miss Figgins?' Parkin asked, rather aggrieved. - -'I'm amused at your polite talk,' she said, laughing openly. 'You do -put on such airs sometimes, Mister Parkin. I can't help laughing.' - -'Oh, can't you?' retorted the pimply gentleman. 'You needn't go saying -them things in front of--er'--he was going to say 'ordinary seamen,' -but noticed Martin was looking at him, and substituted 'other people.' - -'I'll say exactly what I please, Mister Parkin,' she returned with -asperity, deliberately turning her back upon him.--'Can you skate -well?' she asked Martin. - -'I kin jest git round, miss, but can do none o' them there fancy -touches.' - -'Well, be quick, and get your skates on,' she said. 'I'll help you. -Mister Parkin is tired of my company, I think.--You'd better go and -look for some one else to skate with,' she added to Wilfrid over her -shoulder. - -'You said you was going to skate with me the 'ole afternoon,' he -protested angrily. - -'Can't help what I said,' Emmeline retorted, tossing her head. 'I've -changed my mind. Run away, like a good boy, or I shall get angry with -you.' - -Parkin, after further useless expostulation, eventually skated off, -greatly annoyed. To think that Emmeline, his Emmeline, as he chose to -consider her, should dare to throw herself at the head of an ordinary -seaman, while he, Wilfrid Parkin, admittedly one of the best skaters in -the place, should be sent packing! It was insufferable--absolutely -insufferable! Assuredly he must teach this young woman that it was an -honour for her to be seen in his company at all. - -Martin himself hardly knew what to make of it. The last time he had met -the girl she had been deliberately rude, and had done her best to hurt -his feelings and to make him feel awkward. But now she was all smiles, -and was looking at him in quite a friendly way. He half-suspected a -trap of some kind, and that she intended to make a fool of him, after -all; but, murmuring his thanks, he strapped on his skates, removed his -cap, and stepped gingerly on to the floor. He got on better than he -expected, though he took good care not to try any rash experiments, and -rather enjoyed it. He was skating with quite the prettiest girl on the -rink, for one thing, and he was pleased to see Parkin's sullen scowl of -jealousy every time he flashed by with another lady on his arm. - -'Look at that horrid little thing, Jane Crawley!' Emmeline whispered in -Martin's ear. 'Stuck-up little minx! Giggling and laughing with Mister -Parkin, she is. Thinks it'll annoy me, I suppose.' - -'She don't look up ter much,' Pincher agreed, glancing at Wilfrid's -companion as they went past. - -Emmeline sniffed. 'She's not. She's in Skeets the draper's. Early -closing day to-day; that's why she's out. Never could stand them -shoppies; they give themselves such airs. Can't think what he sees in -her.' - -'Carn't think why you likes Mister Parkin,' murmured Pincher, blurting -out his thoughts without really meaning to. - -To his great surprise, Emmeline laughed. 'I don't like him,' she said. -'I thought I did at first, but I'm beginning to find him out now. He's -that conceited, you've no idea. Thinks he can order me about, too; and -I won't stick that.' - -'I don't think 'e's much class,' Martin observed, holding her hand -tighter. 'Puts on a lot o' swank fur a bloomin' dusty boy.'[19] - - [19] A ship's steward's assistant is always known as a 'dusty - boy.' - -Emmeline nodded. 'I'm fair sick of him. He's---- Hallo! Hold up!' But -it was too late, for Pincher stumbled heavily and sat down with a -thump. His partner released him just in time to save herself. - -Parkin, passing with Jane Crawley, had just touched Pincher's outer -skate. Whether it had been done intentionally or by accident Martin -never really knew; but if it was deliberate, the result far exceeded -Wilfrid's expectations. Pincher merely sat down on the floor rather too -hard to be pleasant; but Parkin, letting go his partner, pitched -forward, and came into violent contact with the wooden flooring with a -resounding bump. - -The two girls went to the rescue of their respective men, and a crowd -soon collected. Pincher, little damaged, picked himself up with a -laugh; but Parkin's injuries, though not really serious, were far more -spectacular. The front of his coat was thick with dirt, both the knees -of his trousers were badly torn, and he applied a handkerchief to his -dirty face to stanch a copious flow of blood from his damaged nose. - -'Look 'ere!' he exclaimed, quivering with passion and advancing on -Pincher with his fists clenched; 'you did that a purpose!' - -'He did nothing of the kind!' Emmeline burst out. 'And well you know -it. It was your own fault. You and your showing off!' - - [Illustration: 'It was 'is fault! I saw 'im stick 'is foot out!' - PAGE 115.] - -'It was 'is fault!' shrilled Jane Crawley, pointing an accusing finger -at Martin. 'I saw 'im stick 'is foot out!' - -'No, I didn't,' Pincher protested. 'Never see'd yer comin'!' - -'Course he didn't,' Emmeline corroborated. 'How could he see you if you -were behind him?' - -'I tell you 'e did!' shouted Jane, becoming excited. - -'I didn't,' Martin expostulated. - -The crowd peered over each other's shoulders and laughed, for there -seemed every prospect of a fight on skates between Emmeline Figgins and -Jane Crawley, and another between Pincher Martin and Wilfrid Parkin. -The situation was most exciting. - -'You'll 'ave to pay for my trousers, any'ow!' Wilfrid blustered, -looking down at his torn garments. - -The onlookers tittered. 'That's it,' some one said jocularly; 'you 'ave -the law on 'im, my son.' - -'Sha'n't pay a penny!' Pincher said. - -'That's right, little un!' came a voice from the crowd; 'don't you be -put upon!' - -'I'll bloomin' well make you!' shouted Parkin, squaring up. 'I'll give -you a thick ear if you don't!' - -'I ain't afraid o' you!' Pincher retorted, glaring at him. 'You 'it me -an' see wot you gits!' - -'Go on, Will. Give 'im one,' advised the pugnacious Jane. - -'You'll do nothing of the sort,' said Emmeline quietly, stepping -between the two men. 'If you want to kick up a shindy, Mister Parkin, -you'd best do it outside.' - -'I say it was the sailor's fault!' reiterated the other lady shrilly. -'I saw 'im'---- - -'Now then, what's all the fuss about?' asked the rink manager severely, -pushing his way through the throng. 'We can't 'ave these sort of -goings-on 'ere. You've 'eld up the 'ole proceedings. Somebody fallen -down--what?' - -''E tried ter knock me down a purpose,' said Pincher, indicating his -adversary. - -'You're a liar!' retorted Parkin. 'It's like this,' he went on, trying -to explain the situation. 'I was skatin' parst this man, w'en all of a -sudden 'e puts out 'is foot an''---- - -'He did nothing of the kind,' Emmeline interrupted. 'It's him who's -telling lies, and well he knows it.' - -'Well, I can't 'ave these goings-on 'ere,' the manager returned, -glaring at them all in turn. 'I must ask the ladies and gentlemen -concerned to step outside and settle their differences elsewhere. Come -on, please.' - -'Come on, Mister Martin. We'd best go. I hate all this fuss,' Emmeline -whispered. She moved off. - -Pincher, nothing loath, unstrapped his other skate--one had already -come off in his tumble--and followed her, but not before Parkin had -hurled a final remark. - -'Orl right, Mister Martin!' he said very venomously. 'I'll be even wi' -you over this 'ere!' - -'I'll take you on any day you likes!' Pincher threw back. 'I ain't -afraid o' you, you great skinny lamplighter!' - -'And I'll never speak to you again, Wilfrid Parkin,' Emmeline put in, -'Call yourself a gentleman! I don't think!' She snorted loudly to show -her contempt. - -'Come on, come on! Don't let's 'ave any more o' this, please!' from the -manager. - -'Orl right, old puddin'-face. Keep yer 'air on!' Pincher observed with -a smile. - -The lookers-on laughed loudly, for the manager was rather unpopular, -and his face really was too fat to be pleasant. - -'Pudding-face!' he gasped. 'Who are you calling pudding-face?' - -But Pincher was out of earshot. - - -III. - -'Request-men an' defaulters--'shun!' bawled the master-at-arms, as the -commander passed aft along the quarterdeck and took his stand behind a -small scrubbed table upon which were a pile of papers and several -ponderous-looking books. - -'Petty Officer Weatherley!' - -The petty officer left the line, stepped smartly forward to the table, -clicked his heels, and saluted. - -'Petty Officer William Weatherley,' the M.A.A.[20] went on, 'requests -hextension o' leaf till two P.M. on Monday.' - - [20] M.A.A., master-at-arms. - -The commander looked up. 'Can he be spared?' was his first question. - -'Request's signed by the torpedo lootenant, sir,' the M.A.A. explained; -for Weatherley, being a torpedo gunner's mate by calling, was one of -Hatherley's myrmidons. - -'Why d'you want this extension?' the commander asked, playing with a -pencil. - -'Urgent private affairs, sir.' - -'Yes, quite so. But what are the private affairs, and why are they -urgent? Week-end leave expires at nine o'clock on Monday, you know.' - -'I can't very well say, sir,' the petty officer said, glancing at the -crowd of ship's corporals round the table. 'My reasons are rather -private, sir.' - -'Oh, I see. Can you tell me?' - -'Yes, sir.' - -The commander left the table, beckoned the man to follow him, and -walked aft out of earshot of every one else. For quite a minute they -talked together, and then the officer nodded, and Weatherley, with a -pleased grin, saluted and marched off. - -'Request granted, master-at-arms,' the commander observed, coming back -to the table. 'Next man.' - -The M.A.A. made a note in his book. 'Able Seaman Billings!' he called. - -Joshua ambled aft at a jog-trot, halted in front of the table, and, -from sheer force of habit, removed his cap. - -'Keep yer 'at on!' growled one of the ship's corporals in an undertone. -'You ain't a defaulter!' - -The commander turned his face away to hide a smile, and Billings, -covered with confusion and rather redder in the face than usual, -resumed his headgear. - -'Able Seaman Joshua Billings. Requests a turn o' week-end leaf out o' -watch.' - -'Has he got a substitute?' - -'Yessir.' - -'Why d' you want leave out of your turn?' the commander asked, eyeing -the A.B. with a half-smile hovering round his mouth. 'You've been -ashore a good bit lately, haven't you?' - -'Yessir, I 'as,' Joshua answered, fidgeting. 'But ye see, sir, it's -like this 'ere. I've got werry himportant business ashore 'ere, sir, -an' I wants to git it fixed up.' - -'What sort of business? Money, or something of that kind?' - -'No, sir. 'Ardly that. It's ter do wi' a lady, sir--lady wot lives -ashore 'ere an' keeps a sweet an' bacca shop wot sells noospapers. -I'm--I'm'---- Joshua paused, licked his lips, and shifted his feet -nervously. - -The commander smiled. 'Are you--er--in love with the lady?' he asked. - -The master-at-arms and one of the ship's corporals cleared their -throats noisily. - -'Yessir, that's abart it. Yer see, sir,' Billings went on, in a sudden -burst of confidence, 'I sez ter meself that it's abart time I started -lookin' round fur somethin' ter do w'en I leaves the service, seein' as -'ow I'm close on me pension, an' I sez ter meself'---- - -'Yes. I quite understand,' the commander interposed kindly. 'Time is -short, and you needn't go into details as to how it happened. You've -behaved yourself well for the last couple of months, so I'll grant your -request. You mustn't make a habit of it, that's all. Look out, too, you -don't get into trouble, and, above all'--he looked up with a -smile--'beware of evil companions. I wish you luck in your affair, -Billings.' - -'Thank you, sir. Same to you, sir.' - -'Request granted. 'Bout turn, double march!' broke in the M.A.A. - -Joshua saluted and trotted off, very much pleased with himself. - -Several other requests were dealt with, and then came the turn of the -defaulters. - -'Ord'nary Seaman Martin!' shouted the M.A.A. - -Pincher, arrayed in his best serge suit, in the hope that his smart -appearance might mitigate his offence, ran nervously forward and halted -in front of the table. - -'Orf cap! Ord'nary Seaman William Martin. First, did remain habsent -over leaf two an' a narf hours, an' was happrehended an' brought aboard -by the naval patrol. Second, did create a disturbance in St John's -Street, Weymouth, at 'arf-parst nine P.M. hon th' night o' the eleventh -hinstant.' - -The commander rubbed his chin thoughtfully and gazed at the buff -charge-sheet on the table in front of him. 'Where's the petty officer -of the patrol?' he asked, without looking up. - -'Petty Officer Bartlett!' - -The petty officer hurried forward, and halted with a salute. - -'Make your report,' said the commander. - -'The night before last, sir, at 'arf-parst nine, I was in St John's -Street with the patrol, w'en I sees a bit o' a crowd collected, an' -some one tells me that two sailors was fightin'. I 'urries forward, -sir, disperses the people with the hassistance o' a policeman, an' -finds this 'ere man, sir'--he indicated Martin with his -thumb--'fightin' with hanother man.' - -'Who was the other man?' - -'Ship's stooard's hassistant from the flagship, sir. I've forgot 'is -exac' name.' - -'Well, go on.' - -'Well, sir, I happrehends 'em both, an' takes 'em off an' keeps 'em -under harrest, at the same time hinformin' the orficer o' the picket -wot I done.' - -'Who was the officer of the picket?' - -'I was, sir,' said Lieutenant English, coming forward. - -'Did you see those men fighting?' asked the commander. - -'No, sir, not actually fighting. I saw them both immediately -afterwards.' - -'Were they drunk?' - -'No, sir. They were excited, and the ship's steward's assistant's nose -was bleeding badly.' There was no necessity for the officer to describe -Pincher's injuries, for that youth had a remarkably fine specimen of a -black eye. - -'Did they resist the patrol?' the commander asked, turning to Petty -Officer Bartlett. - -'Not this man, sir. 'E came along quite quiet. The other man kicked up -a bit o' a dust.' - -'H'm! I see,' the commander observed with his lips twitching.--'What -have you got to say?' he added, addressing Martin. 'First, why did you -break your leave?' - -'Please, sir,' Pincher explained with the air of an injured innocent, -'I 'adn't no intention o' doin' it. I comes down ter th' pier at seven -o'clock an' finds the boat jest shoved orf. The clocks wus all wrong, -sir. I sez ter meself I'll come orf by the late orficers' boat at -'arf-parst ten; so I goes back, sir, 'as a bit o' supper, an' then, at -'bout 'arf-parst nine, I meets Parkin'---- - -'Who's Parkin?' - -''Im wot I was fightin' wi', sir.' - -'Go on.' - -'I meets 'im in the street, sir. We ain't the best o' friends, 'cos me -an' 'im 'ad a bit o' a shimozzle'---- - -'Shimozzle!' echoed the commander, looking rather puzzled. 'What on -earth's that?' - -'Bit o' a dust-up, sir,' Pincher explained. - -'Well, go on.' - -'Well, sir,' the culprit resumed, 'we 'ad a bit o' a hargument at th' -skatin'-rink abart a week ago. 'E was walkin' in the street along o' a -lady, sir; but as soon as 'e sees me 'e leaves 'er an' comes across ter -me. "You dirty little 'ound!" 'e sez, usin' 'orrible langwidge, "I've -got yer now!" "You keep a civil tongue in yer 'ead, Mister Parkin," I -sez, polite like. 'E don't wait fur no more, sir, but ups an' 'its me -on th' 'ead. I couldn't stand that, sir, so I 'its 'im back. We 'adn't -bin at it no more 'n five minutes,' he added regretfully, 'w'en the -patrol comes along, sir.' Martin, who had been carefully drilled as to -what he had to say by Billings, himself a past-master at the art of -inventing excuses, reeled off his tale glibly enough, and then paused -for breath. - -The commander seemed rather perplexed. 'Why is it that Parkin and -yourself are such bitter enemies?' he asked, looking up with a frown. -'Why can't you behave yourselves like ordinary people?' - -'It's like this 'ere, sir,' Pincher said, going off into a long-winded -and very complicated explanation, which brought in Emmeline, the affair -at the skating-rink, and how it had all happened. - -'Oh, I see,' the commander observed. 'A girl's really at the bottom of -it--what?' - -Martin hung his head and made no reply. - -'You've got a very good black eye, I see, and a swollen mouth. Did you -do him any other damage besides making his nose bleed?' - -'Yessir,' said Pincher hopefully, looking up with the ghost of a smile. -'I thinks one o' 'is eyes is bunged up too.' - -'Indeed! Well, so far as I can see, it's a question of six of one and -half-a-dozen of the other.--Where's his record?' the commander asked, -turning to a ship's corporal, who was holding an enormous conduct-book -open against his bosom. 'H'm! No entries. Clean sheet. What division's -he in?' - -'Mine, sir,' said Lieutenant Tickle, coming forward. - -'What sort of a man is he? Had any trouble with him?' - -'None at all, sir. Does his work quite well.' - -The commander turned to the misdemeanant. 'Well,' he said, speaking -quite kindly and quietly, 'you haven't been in the service very long, -my lad; but the sooner you realise we can't have this sort of thing -going on the better. I don't object to fighting--we're all paid to do -that when the time comes; but if you want to take on one of your -squadron-mates, you'd better do it somewhere where you won't be seen. -Brawling in the streets only gets the navy into disrepute, so bear it -in mind.' He paused. - -Pincher hung his head. - -'I can't say which of you was to blame,' the commander went on, 'but I -can't overlook your offence. However, it's the first time you've been -up before me, so I'll let you off lightly. You'll have seven days No. -10;[21] and next time you want to fight anybody, or anybody wants to -fight you, you let me know, and we'll provide you with boxing-gloves, -and let you hammer each other on board during the dog watches. This man -was bigger than you, eh?' - - [21] No. 10 = a particular form of punishment. - -'Yessir.' - -'Well, I'm glad to see you've got pluck, and that you gave him more -than he gave you. That's all. Don't come up before me again, mind.' - -'Seven days No. 10! 'Bout turn! Double march!' ordered the -master-at-arms. - -Pincher ran off, rather pleased with himself. It was the first time he -had been a defaulter, and he had dreaded the ordeal; but he found the -commander was quite human, after all. Moreover, he had expected to be -punished far more severely for the affray; while the leave-breaking -offence, for which he was liable to a mulet of one day's pay and -stoppage of one day's leave, had been completely ignored. The fact of -the matter was that the commander, though he took good care not to say -so, sympathised with Pincher in his heart of hearts. He liked a man who -stood up for himself, and when he had interviewed the other defaulters -he called Tickle to his side. - -'That fellow Martin of yours,' he said; 'he seems a plucky young devil -for his age?' - -'He is, sir,' the lieutenant agreed; 'quite a promising lad. I've had -my eye on him for some time. He's got plenty of--er--guts too, sir. -English tells me that fellow who went for him was double his size.' - -'So much the better,' the senior officer grinned. 'I wish he had -knocked him out.' - -For the next week Pincher was undergoing the rigours of No. 10 -punishment. He didn't like it at all. To start with, he had to turn out -of his warm hammock at four-thirty A.M., had his meal-times cut down to -the barest minimum, while all his spare time was taken up in rifle -exercise, physical drill, or extra work of some kind. It was far too -strenuous to be pleasant, particularly as his leave was stopped, and he -could not go ashore. However, with Billings's assistance, he found time -to write a letter to Emmeline, which the A.B. delivered. - - 'DERE MISS FIGGINS'--it ran--'i am in trubble, having got in the - rattle for fighting Mister Parkin larst thursday night in Weymouth. - i made his nose bleed agen, and bunged up one of his eyes. i got - a black eye and a swollen mouth, and seven days No. 10 for my - trubble; but i hopes to come ashore agen next sunday. i'm glad he - got the wurst of it. Hoping this finds You as it leaves me--[It is - to be hoped that Emmeline, also, had not got a black eye and a - swollen mouth]--I remains, miss, your obedient servant, - - 'WM. MARTIN.' - -The missive elicited a reply. - - 'DEAR MR MARTIN'--it said--'I am sorry to hear that you have been - punished, but Mr Billings says it is not serious. I am glad to hear - that Mr Parkin got the worst of it. I do not like him. The shindy - at the skating-rink was all of his making, and he deserves what he - got and more. Mother will be pleased if you will come to tea next - Sunday at five o'clock P.M. I will be in, and you can tell us all - about it. I hope your face will soon be all right. My Mother says - Zambuk ointment cured Father's face when he fell off a cab once, - and I have asked Mr Billings to get you some. With compliments, I - am yours sincerely, - - EMMELINE FIGGINS.' - -For several nights Pincher slept with Emmeline's note beneath his -pillow. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -A FAIR SKY. - - -I. - -'Leaf!' sniffed Pincher disconsolately. 'Wot's the good o' seven days' -leaf ter a bloke wot ain't got no money?' - -'No money!' exclaimed Billings, rather surprised. 'Why ain't yer got -none? Thought yer wus one o' these 'ere chaps wot counted every penny.' - -'I've bin spendin' a good bit lately one way an' another,' Martin -explained, removing a half-used cigarette from the interior of his cap -and lighting it. - -Joshua grinned. He knew well enough that an ordinary seaman's pay of -one shilling and threepence _per diem_, less various necessary -personal expenses, did not go far when one was 'walking out' with a -young lady. - -Pincher loved his Emmeline very dearly, and Emmeline, she said, had -come to love him; but he was bound to admit she was rather an expensive -luxury. Moreover, he was far too proud to allow her to pay her share of -their amusements when he was with her, which was pretty often. So, what -with picture-palaces and visits to confectioners' shops, his -eight-and-ninepence a week went nowhere. He had even been forced to -borrow from his shipmates--always a difficult matter. - -Then there had been the affair of the locket, over which Pincher felt -he had been badly done. He had had his photograph taken, and had had it -mounted in a rolled-gold ornament of chaste design for which he had -paid the sum of seven shillings and sixpence, and this he had presented -to Emmeline to be worn round her neck in place of the one which already -hung there. He had imagined that this nine-carat gold case hid the -features of some other admirer. It did nothing of the kind. Its -interior, when he was allowed to investigate it personally, contained -nothing but a faithful likeness of the girl's father--top-hat, -side-whiskers, and all. Emmeline seemed rather amused. Pincher never -quite got over it. - -'Carn't yer get a hadvance o' money from th' paybob?'[22] Joshua -suggested. "E ain't a bad old bloke so long as yer goes ter 'im wi' a -yarn o' bein' desperate 'ard up, an' yer pore ole farther's 'ome bein' -sold up, an' 'im an' yer ma an' the kids goin' ter th' work'ouse.' - - [22] Paymaster. - -'I've tried that,' Pincher answered glumly. 'Leastways, orl excep' the -yarn wot yer said. 'E simply tells me I'm in debt ter the Crown 'cos o' -clothes an' other gear wot I've bought, an' that 'e carn't do nothink.' - -'I calls it a houtrage!' said Billings sympathetically, looking very -solemn. 'The way they bleeds us pore matloes is enuf--enuf--I carn't -think o' wot I wus goin' ter say,' he added lamely; 'but it's abart -time somethin' wus done. S'welp me, it is!' - -'An' abart time you pays back that two bob wot you borrowed off me,' -Pincher chipped in, remembering the debt. - -'Two bob!' cried Joshua, screwing up his face and trying hard to appear -as if he didn't know what Pincher was driving at. 'Wot two bob?' - -'Th' two bob I lends yer the night yer took Missis Figgins along ter -th' pictures. You knows orl abart it.' - -'Thought it wus a present ter me,' said the old sinner, unable to feign -further forgetfulness, but affecting to be very grieved. 'A bit o' a -return like fur me trubble in introjoocin' yer to th' gal. That's wot I -thought it wus; strite I did.' - -Pincher laughed, for Billings's dissimulation was so very palpable. -'Don't act so barmy,' he observed. 'Yer knows it wasn't. Yer don't 'ave -me on like that.' - -'But two bob ain't no good ter yer fur Christmas leaf,' protested the -A.B., veering off on another tack. - -'Carn't 'elp that. I wants it back.' - -'Well, you shall 'ave it,' Joshua grumbled. 'But I calls it a dirty -sort o' way ter treat a chap wot's done for you wot I 'ave.' - -'Garn! don't act so wet, I tell yer.' - -'Orl right! orl right! Don't go an' git rattled abart it,' said -Billings resignedly. 'You shall 'ave yer money. You shall 'ave it if I -'as ter go without bacca fur a month; but where'd you be, I should like -ter know, if yer 'adn't got a bloke like me ter look arter yer? Look -wot I done fur yer since yer jined this ship! Bin yer sea-daddy, I -'ave, same as if you were my own son, an' yet yer treats me like this! -Hingratitoode's wot I calls it. 'Orrible hingratitoode! Orl you young -blokes is the same!' He sighed deeply, and regarded Pincher with a -pained expression. - -The latter seemed rather concerned. 'If yer looks on it like that, -Billings, o' course I carn't'---- - -The A.B. waved an arm with a gesture of dissent. 'It's too late ter -start talkin' now,' he observed sadly. 'Th' 'arm's done. You shall 'ave -yer money, but you've gorn back on a pal, an' orl fur the sake o' two -bob. Two bob! Wot is it?' - -'Let's 'ave it, then,' said Pincher, holding out a tentative hand. - -''Ave it! Yer don't reely want it, do yer?' - -'Course I do.' - -'I'll give it yer afore I goes on leaf.' - -'I wants it now,' Pincher persisted, remembering Joshua's extremely -short memory. - -'D' you think I ain't honest?' the latter demanded. ''Cos, if yer do, -jest say th' word, an' see wot yer gits!' - -'I never sez you wasn't honest; but I wants me money back!' - -Billings saw that further argument was useless, sighed once more, -replaced his pipe in his mouth, fumbled under his jumper, and produced -a leather purse from the money-belt round his waist. Its contents -chinked opulently; but, shielding it from Pincher's wistful gaze, he -extracted a shilling and two sixpenny-pieces and handed them across. -'There ye are!' he grunted. 'Don't git sayin' as 'ow I doesn't pay me -debts.' - -'Yer pays 'em a bit be'ind time,' Pincher retorted with some truth, -secreting the coins on his own person. - -Joshua laughed in quite a friendly way. 'Tizzy-snatcher!' he growled, -with his eyes twinkling. - -But Pincher was bitterly disappointed about the leave. The men were to -be sent away for seven days, one party being at home for Christmas and -the other for the New Year. His watch were to start the following day; -but, beyond the two shillings he had just obtained from Billings, he -literally had not a penny to pay his train fare home. He could get the -usual third-class return ticket from Weymouth to London, and from there -on to his home, for the single fare; but even that would cost him the -best part of a sovereign. He had tried hard to induce the fleet -paymaster to give him an advance of pay, but that harassed officer, -pointing out that Pincher was already in debt to the Crown, firmly -declined to do so. Then Martin had endeavoured to borrow money from his -shipmates; but they, though sympathetic, wanted every penny they could -lay their hands on for their own purposes. He then thought of writing -to his people for the necessary sum, but abandoned the idea, because he -knew well enough that they, on their very limited income, always had -great difficulty in making both ends meet. Christmas, moreover, was -always an expensive time, and there were three younger Martins to be -considered. - -It was really rather galling, and he half-regretted having spent all -his money on Emmeline. Since joining the service he had been home on -leave before, of course, but not as an ordinary seaman of a first-class -battleship, and he was well aware that as such he would be a person of -some importance in the village. The blacksmith's son, Tom Sellon, had -left Caxton a mere country yokel to join the army. The winter previous, -as a strapping, full-fledged private of one of his Majesty's line -regiments, he had come home on a few days' furlough resplendent in a -wonderful red tunic. His arrival created no small stir, for Caxton lay -in the heart of the Midlands, and its inhabitants were unused to the -pomp and circumstance of war. Sellon, moreover, thought a great deal of -himself. According to him, Great Britain was inhabited by two classes -of people, those who were in the army and those who were not, and he -treated all 'civvies,' as he called them, with kindly tolerance. He -stood treat in a lordly sort of way at the 'Flying Swan,' and -condescended to drink what beer the village magnates offered him in -return for this hospitality. He was not averse to being friendly with -their pretty daughters either. In short, a scarlet tunic and an air of -self-assurance had worked wonders, for before he donned the red coat -Tom had been a mere nonentity. Now he was a personage, with a capital -P, and had even pretended to be rather diffident about accepting -half-a-sovereign which the squire, who had known him since childhood, -pressed into his palm one Sunday after church. - -Now Pincher, who knew little of the army, cordially despised soldiers -in his heart of hearts. He longed to cut out Tom Sellon, but this -cursed lack of money at the critical moment had upset all his plans. He -could have wept from sheer vexation, for there seemed no alternative to -spending Christmas on board. - -But it so happened that the railway company wished to know the number -of men proceeding by rail the next morning, and at 'Quarters' that -afternoon Tickle ordered all the men of the starboard watch of his -division to fall in on the right. Pincher went with them. - -'Are any of you men not going away by rail to-morrow morning?' the -officer asked. - -Four hands went up at once. - -'Why aren't you going?' Tickle asked the first man. - -'Spendin' the leaf in Weymouth, sir.' - -'And you?' to the next. - -'I lives in Dorchester, sir. Goin' on by a later train.' - -'Ain't takin' th' leaf, sir,' said the third. - -'Why not?' - -'Nowhere to go, sir.' - -'Have you no parents, or relations, or any one else you can go and stay -with?' - -'I'm an orphing, sir,' the man rather flummoxed him by replying. 'I'd -rather stay aboard the ship than go an' see me old uncle wot lives in -Peckham, sir. 'E's married agen, sir, an' 'is wife keeps a fried-fish -shop.' - -Tickle smiled and passed on. 'And what about you?' he queried, coming -to Martin. - -'Ain't got no money, sir.' - -'Have you been to the paymaster for an advance?' - -'Yessir.' - -'What did he say?' - -'Said I was in debt, sir.' - -'How much does it cost you to get home?' - -'Best part of a quid--sovereign, I means, sir.' - -Tickle thought for a minute, nodded, numbered those men who were going, -and then dismissed them. - -Pincher thought nothing more of the conversation, but that evening he -was told to go to the ship's office. - -'Is your name Martin?' asked an assistant-paymaster when he arrived. - -'Yessir.' - -'You want some money to go on leave with, eh?' - -'Yessir, please,' said the ordinary seaman, feeling hopeful. - -'We can let you have thirty shillings. Is that enough?' - -'Yessir,' Pincher exclaimed, his eyes glistening. - -'Are you willing to pay it back at the rate of three shillings a -month?' - -'Yessir.' - -'All right. Sign that receipt.' - -Pincher, astounded at his good fortune, hurriedly scrawled his name, -was handed a golden sovereign and ten shillings in silver, and left the -office with a satisfied grin all over his face and the coins jingling -in his hand. He was so pleased at his good luck that he didn't stop to -consider where the money came from. All he cared about was that he had -got it, and that he could go home and cut out Tom Sellon, after all. - -As a matter of fact, it was Tickle himself who had acted the part of a -nautical fairy godmother. He had noticed that Pincher seemed very -unhappy, and had guessed the reason, and at first thought of lending -him the money outright. Thirty shillings more or less meant nothing to -him. But then, remembering that Martin would probably refuse the loan -from feelings of pride, he hit upon a better plan; so he went to the -fleet paymaster, handed him the money, and requested him to pay it over -to Pincher as if it were an official advance. - -'My dear Tickle,' protested Cashley, 'you'll never get it back! The -boy's already in debt to the Crown, and his pay's only one-and-three a -day!' - -'Let him pay it back at the rate of three bob a month, sir,' suggested -the lieutenant. 'I'm not particular. He looks so damned miserable at -not being able to get away on leave that I must do something. Don't -tell him it comes from me, though. He won't take it if he knows that.' - -'All right. I'll see to it,' the fleet paymaster acquiesced, smiling. -'I suppose,' he asked jokingly, 'you wouldn't lend a poor old buffer -like me twenty or thirty pounds to buy the wife a turkey and a -plum-pudding?' - -'I'd watch it, sir!' Tickle laughed. 'What about that new car you -bought a fortnight ago?' - -'That's why I want to borrow from you,' Cashley grinned. 'However, I'll -fix Martin's money up for you, though I must say I think you're a -tender-hearted fool, Tickle. You'll be badly had one of these days.' - -Tickle merely smiled. The prospect did not alarm him. - -So the next morning, at seven-thirty, Pincher, arrayed in his best -clothes, left the ship with a sweet smile and a little bundle of -necessaries done up in a blue-striped handkerchief. An hour later he -was sitting in a third-class carriage on his way to London, munching a -doubtful-looking sausage-roll, and listening to a slightly intoxicated -sailor next to him, who insisted on giving the company what he called -'a little moosic.' It consisted of a few fragmentary remarks in a -deep-bass rumble about the perils of a sailor's life, sudden hiccups as -full stops, and frequent gurgling noises and sounds of enjoyment as the -songster upended a quart bottle of Bass's light dinner ale, and applied -the business end to his mouth. He eventually finished the song and the -bottle at the same time, and, shying the latter playfully through the -open window, volunteered to fight the whole carriage. This pleasure -being denied him, he solemnly kissed the company all round, and then -went comfortably off to sleep with his mouth wide open, his head -resting affectionately on Pincher's shoulder, and his feet on the -opposite man's lap. Thus he remained until they arrived at Waterloo, -where, on disembarking, he never noticed that one of his -carriage-mates, by the skilful use of a burnt cork, had decorated his -upper lip with a large black moustache. - -History does not relate if he arrived home in this condition, for, -after vainly endeavouring to induce various laughing porters and the -amused guard of the train to 'come an' 'ave a wet, ole dear!' and then, -when they refused, wanting to show there was no ill-feeling by -exchanging headgear, he was last seen proceeding at three and a quarter -knots on rather an erratic course towards the nearest refreshment-room. - -But Pincher got home safe and sound without any difficulties of this -kind, and by four o'clock was in the bosom of his admiring family. - - -II. - -The leave was all too short, though Pincher did succeed in attracting -more attention than Tom Sellon, and was, after church on Christmas Day, -the bashful recipient of a congratulatory speech and a golden sovereign -from the squire. - -Captain the Hon. James Lawson, J.P., the lord of the manor and a good -many other things besides, was an old naval officer himself. He knew -all the villagers by name, and took more than a passing interest in any -of the boys who joined either the navy or the army. Pincher was aware -of this, and imagined that he had received a pound, as against Tom -Sellon's ten shillings the year before, because he happened to be a -member of the senior service. As a matter of fact, it was due to -nothing of the kind. It so happened that the squire had no smaller -change in his waistcoat pocket. - -But, at any rate, the news of Pincher's windfall was blurted far and -wide, and his reputation rose accordingly. It was quite simple. If -Thomas Sellon got ten shillings and William Martin a sovereign, -obviously 1 Martin = 2 Sellons;[Symbol: therefore] the two families -almost came to blows to settle which was the better. Sellon pere, in -fact, felt himself so bitterly offended that he nearly went to the -squire to complain. It was lucky for Captain Lawson that he didn't, for -that would have cost the worthy squire another ten shillings to soothe -his injured feelings. - -The week flew by, and when Pincher returned to the ship and his -Emmeline he soon settled down into the old routine. The girl, who -seemed to have adopted him as her permanent 'young man,' now took it -upon herself to correct the defects in his speech. - -'Billy,' she said one day as they were walking arm-in-arm along the -front at Weymouth, 'I don't like the way you talk.' - -'You don't like my talk!' he returned, rather nettled. 'It's orl right, -ain't it? Good enuf ter git on wi' aboard th' ship, any'ow!' - -'There you go again!' she pointed out, smiling. 'You say "ain't" -instead of "isn't," and "ter" instead of "to," and you drop your h's -something horrid.' - -'Wot's it matter if I do?' he demanded. 'I ain't--'aven't, I mean--'ad -th' hadvantage o' a heddication same as you.' - -The girl laughed outright. 'Don't get angry. I'm only telling you for -your own good.' - -'Orl right!' he retorted with asperity, disengaging his arm from hers; -'if I ain't good enuf for yer we'd best chuck the 'ole show, an' you -can go back to yer Mister Parkin--'im wot smells o' 'air-oil!' - -'Don't be silly, stupid!' she chided, slipping her arm through his -again and squeezing it affectionately. 'You know I don't like him a -little bit.' - -'You carn't like me, any'ow,' he remarked, bitterly offended. - -'Leastways, if yer did yer wouldn't go talkin' the same as yer do.' - -'Oh! don't I, indeed? Think I'd go walking out with you, and let -you--er--behave as you do, if I wasn't fond of you?' - -'Let's 'ave a kiss now,' Pincher suggested, drawing a little closer. - -Emmeline pulled back. 'Go away, you naughty boy!' she laughed, blushing -becomingly. 'Not in public, anyhow.' - -'Yer knows I loves yer, Hemmeline, don't yer?' Pincher asked. - -'M'yes,' she answered softly. 'If you didn't I don't suppose you'd -carry on the way you do. But plenty of boys have said the same thing -before, so you're not the only one--no, not by a long chalk.' - -'D' you love me, Hemmeline?' Pincher wanted to know. - -'Ah,' she said archly, 'now you're asking.' - -'Come on, tell us if yer do.' - -'Well,' she answered coyly, looking up at him through her long -eyelashes, 'just a little, perhaps, when you're a good boy. That's why -I want to tell you how to talk properly,' she went on to explain. 'I -want you to get on--see?' - -'Oh!' said Pincher, slightly mollified, but not knowing in the least -how a correct pronunciation would make him rise in his profession, -'that's the lay, is it?' - -Emmeline nodded. - - -III. - -By the end of February Martin had passed his examination in gunnery -without much difficulty, and was half-way through his seamanship -course. Here, under the guidance of Petty Officer Bartlett, he and -several others like him were taught the rudiments of boat-work under -oars and sail, the use of the compass and the helm, the rule of the -road at sea, heaving the lead, knotting and splicing, signalling, and a -hundred and one other things. The practical boat-work Pincher enjoyed, -and soon got into; while the knots and splices, thanks to private -tuition in his spare time from Joshua Billings, were comparatively easy -to master. The more theoretical part of the business, however, was a -little more difficult to absorb. - -'The compass,' Petty Officer Bartlett explained to the class, as they -sat round on stools in the foremost bag-flat--'the compass is what we -steers the ship with--see? It's supposed to point to the north pole, -but it don't really. On the cont'ary, it points to wot we calls the -north magnetic pole--see?' - -The pupils looked rather puzzled. - -''Owever,' the petty officer went on hurriedly, as one youth opened his -mouth to ask what might have been an awkward question, 'we needn't -worry our 'eads about that this arternoon, and you can take it from me -that it does point pretty nearly to the north--see? - -'This,' he continued, drawing an irregular circle on the blackboard, -'represents our compass-card, and 'ere we 'ave wot we calls the four -cardinal points--north, south, east, and west.' He divided the circle -into four parts by means of a vertical and a horizontal line, and -labelled their extremities. ''As anybody not got 'old o' that?' - -Everybody appeared to have grasped it, for they all sucked their teeth -and remained silent. - -The explanation continued, but half-way through his lecture Bartlett -had reason to suppose that certain members of the class were not paying -attention. - -''Udson!' he said, pausing, chalk in hand, and addressing a -freckle-faced youth, who had spent the afternoon surreptitiously eating -apples and sticking pins into the most prominent portion of the anatomy -of the man immediately in front of him, 'wot is the hopposite to -west-nor'-west?' - -'Sou'-sou'-west,' the youngster replied glibly. - -'Look 'ere, my son, you're not payin' hattention; that's wot's the -matter wi' you. D' you think I'm standin' up 'ere 'longside a -blackboard chawin' my fat[23] for the good o' my 'ealth, or wot? Try -agen.' - - [23] 'Chawing the fat' = spinning a yarn. - -'Sou'-sou'-east,' the ordinary seaman attempted. - -'You thick-'eaded galoot!' Bartlett growled. 'Don't you want to learn -nothin'? Cos, if you don't, you're goin' the right way about it. -Didn't you 'ave no teachin' afore you joined the navy? Think it's -a 'ome for lost dogs, or wot? I asked you wot was hopposite to -west-nor'-west--see?' - -'East-sou'-east,' said Hudson at last. - -'Right! Why couldn't you 'ave said so before, 'stead o' wastin' my time -like this 'ere, you lop-eared, razor-necked son of a sea-cook? You -perishin' O.D.'s don't seem to 'ave no common-sense, some'ow.' - -And so, point by point, degree by degree, the petty officer gradually -hammered the subject into their skulls until their brains whirled and -their heads ached. Much of what he told them went in at one ear and out -at the other; but something stuck, and at the end of a fortnight most -of them could box the compass with a fair degree of accuracy, knew that -its circumference was divided into thirty-two points and three hundred -and sixty degrees, and were aware that each point was exactly eleven -degrees fifteen minutes from the next. In short, they came to regard it -as what it really is, an instrument whereby 'the mariner is able to -guide a ship in any required direction,' and not merely as a -complicated invention of the Evil One specially designed to involve the -moribund brains of ordinary seamen in intricate mental gymnastics. What -little wizard inside the compass-needle induced it to keep pointing -towards the magnetic pole, a spot which most of them pictured as a -desolate region of Esquimaux, icebergs, and polar bears, they did not -know. They were quite content to take it for granted that it did so. -The science of terrestrial magnetism, luckily for them, did not enter -into their curriculum. - -The learning of the marks and other details of the hand lead-line was -quite a simple matter, and all the class--even Hudson, the fool of the -party--could recite it all, poll-parrot fashion, at the end of the -first day's instruction. - -'Th' weight o' th' lead is ten ter fourteen pound, an' at th' bottom of -'im is a 'ole ter take a lump o' taller or soap ter hascertain th' -nature o' th' bottom.' Here the reciter took a deep breath, and gazed -anxiously at the instructor to see if he was correct. - -Bartlett nodded encouragingly. - -'Th' line is one an' a heighth hinches in circumference, an' is -twenty-five fadum long, an' one end is secured ter an 'ide becket at -th' top o' th' lead by means of a heye-splice. Th' hother end is made -fast to a stanchion in th' chains. Th' line is marked as follers: at -two fadum, two strips o' leather; at three fadum, three strips; five -an' fifteen, a piece o' white buntin'; seven an' seventeen, red -buntin'; thirteen, blue buntin'; ten, a piece o' leather wi' a 'ole in -'im; twenty, two knots. These is orl known as marks, cos they are -marked, an' orl them fadums wot ain't marked is called deeps.' - -Even Hudson knew all about the theoretical part of the business, so we -need go no further. - -But actually heaving the lead was a very different matter, for here the -learner was forced to take up his stand in the chains, a small platform -on a level with the forecastle, projecting perilously out over the -water. The victim rested his middle against the breast-rope, grasped -the line about two fathoms from the lead, and coiled the rest of the -line in his free hand. Then, very nervously, he proceeded to swing the -lead like an ordinary pendulum over the side of the ship to obtain -impetus, until, when the line was horizontal on its forward swing, he -was supposed to--what Bartlett called--'swing it over the 'ead in a -circle by bendin' the harm smartly in at the helbow as the lead is -risin', an' then let the harm go hout agen w'en the lead 'as passed the -perpendicular. Then, arter completin' two circles, slip the line from -orf the 'and, just before the lead comes 'orizontal, let 'im fly -for'ard into the water, release the coil o' line in the other 'and as -'e goes, gather up the slack w'en 'e reaches the bottom, an' call out -the depth o' water w'en the ship passes over the spot w'ere the lead -dropped--see?' - -He then proceeded to demonstrate, and, stepping into the chains, -whizzed the lead round his head with such ease and rapidity that his -pupils were gulled into the belief that it was quite simple. - -They all tried it in turn, but speedily found that a fourteen-pound -weight on the end of twelve feet of thin line is not really a pleasant -plaything. When they were at it by themselves the lead seemed horribly -unwieldy and dangerous, and, as often as not, through sheer fright, -they forgot to give the line at the right moment the vigorous twitch -which brought the lead circling round in a beautiful curve. The -consequence was that it would either descend perpendicularly from the -air in close proximity to their heads, or else would fall with a jerk -which nearly pulled their arms out of their sockets, neither of which -alternatives was exactly pleasant. But they practised it steadily for -half-an-hour daily, with the ship at sea and in harbour, and, -notwithstanding a few misadventures like heaving the lead on to the -forecastle in the midst of a group of men, or nearly braining -themselves, they improved by degrees. - -And so, in course of time, Pincher became rather less of a hobbledehoy -and rather more of a seaman. Fresh air and regular exercise worked -their usual wonders, for his pasty face became ruddy and his flabby -muscles hard; while plenty of good beef, bread, and potatoes caused his -spare figure to swell until he had to have his clothes let out by the -ship's tailors. Moreover, he was no longer the meek and timid Pincher -who had joined the ship a few months before. He was not behind-hand in -using his fists, and had come to find his own level; and many of the -youths who used to amuse themselves at his expense while he was still -in the verdant stage now found their little attentions repaid with -interest. Peter Flannagan, even, still an ordinary seaman, always in -trouble, and rapidly going to the dogs, shunned him like the plague. - -But Pincher, whatever his qualities, was no plaster saint. He did not -drink to excess, and never became what is known as 'tin 'ats,'[24] but -was not averse to visiting public-houses when he went ashore. There was -really no reason why he shouldn't, provided he behaved himself. - - [24] 'Tin 'ats' = drunk. - -Emmeline's influence, moreover, kept him straight in other ways; and on -one occasion she saved him from getting into serious trouble for -breaking his leave. It was rather a long story, involving an evening -entertainment to which the girl had been invited, and to which Pincher -dearly longed to accompany her. He would have done it, too, if he had -been left to his own devices, quite regardless of the fact that all -leave expired at seven o'clock that night, as the ship was due to go to -sea at eight the next morning. - -Now, breaking one's leave is a serious offence at all times; but doing -it with the ship under sailing orders is far and away worse, and -Emmeline knew this. So at six-forty P.M. precisely she sallied out with -the unsuspecting Pincher on the pretext of going for a walk, took him -towards the pier, and, before he could stop her, marched him straight -up to a petty officer wearing a _Belligerent_ cap-ribbon. - -'D'you mind taking this young man off to the ship with you?' she asked. -'I'm afraid he's going to do something silly.' - -''Ere!' Pincher exclaimed angrily, 'wot's up wi' you? Wot's it got ter -do wi' you?' - -The P.O. seemed rather surprised at the girl's request. 'Wot's 'e bin -doin', miss?' he asked, touching his forelock. - -'It's not what he's been doing,' Emmeline explained; 'it's what he's -going to do. Says he's going to break his leave and get himself into -trouble.' - -Pincher looked round with the obvious intention of breaking away; but -the P.O. nodded and grabbed him by the arm. 'You come along o' me, my -son,' he remarked gruffly. 'Come on! Don't git kickin' up a shindy -'ere!' - -'Interferin'!' Pincher blustered, wild with rage and struggling hard to -get free. 'Interferin'--that's wot I calls it! Wot's it got ter do wi' -you? Think becos you've got a killick[25] on yer arm yer can do wot yer -likes, I suppose!--Has fur you, Miss Figgins, I'll'---- - - [25] A 'killick' is an anchor, and a petty officer wears - crossed anchors as his distinctive badge. - -But the girl had discreetly turned her back, and was hurrying -homewards. - -'Come on!' growled the P.O., dragging him along. 'I reckons you ought -to be jolly thankful to the gal for takin' such a hinterest in you. -None o' that, now!' as Pincher began to struggle again. 'If you don't -come quiet like I'll call the patrol an' have you harrested. S' welp -me, I will! Come on! We've not got too much time on our 'ands!' - -Pincher, very chastened, saw that further resistance was useless, and -suffered himself to be conducted on board the boat without more -trouble. - -The ship was at sea for only a few days; and a week later, when he went -to see Emmeline again, he arrived in a very repentant mood, carrying a -bunch of violets as a peace-offering. - -'Well,' she said severely, as he entered the shop, 'I didn't think -you'd dare to come here again after what happened last Monday night.' - -Pincher hung his head and got very red. 'Wouldn't dare!' he repeated. -'Why not?' - -'You know very well why not,' she said, eyeing him. 'What's that you've -got in your hand?' - -'Wilets,' he said. - -'Who for?' - -'I got 'em fur you,' he stammered. 'Thought p'r'aps you'd like 'em.' - -Emmeline's heart softened. 'Bill,' she said kindly, 'you know I didn't -want to make a fool of you, don't you?' - -No answer. - -'I only did it to save you getting into trouble,' she continued, -emerging from behind the counter and coming very close to him. 'It's -very kind of you to bring me the violets, dear Bill; I'll wear 'em in -my dress. You're not angry with me, are you?' - -Pincher looked up at her with a slow smile hovering round his lips. She -had called him 'dear,' a thing she had never done before, and that -showed he was forgiven. - -'Angry!' he said, tucking his offering clumsily into the front of her -blouse. 'Course I ain't. I wus a bit rattled at th' time, but I -shouldn't 'a bin 'ere if I 'ad broke me leaf. I reckons you done me a -good turn, Hemmeline.' He gulped, and gazed wistfully at a little -strand of golden hair which curled tantalisingly behind her left ear. -'Give us a kiss, ole gal?' he pleaded softly. 'I've bin longin' ter see -yer agen.' He put his arm round her waist, drew her towards him, and -touched her face with his lips. - -Emmeline squeaked, pushed him away, and darted behind the counter with -a flutter of a white petticoat and a momentary glimpse of a pair of -well-shaped ankles clad in black silk stockings. 'You're a naughty -boy!' she scolded, safe in her refuge--'a very naughty boy, to behave -like that when customers may come in at any minute! You've rumpled my -new blouse, too,' she added, patting herself and rearranging the -violets. 'My, they do smell nice!' She bent her head and buried the tip -of a very fascinating and somewhat _retrousse_ nose in the -flowers. - -Pincher laughed happily. He felt he was very lucky. - -'You go through into the sitting-room, Mister Martin,' she went on, -with a mischievous wink and a jerk of her thumb. 'I'll be along in a -minute, and--and mother's out!' - - -IV. - -Soon afterwards, when the bleak and stormy winter was nearly over, the -_Belligerent_ and the other vessels of the squadron started off on -their first real cruise since Pincher had joined. They had had plenty -of time at sea before this, of course; for gunnery, gunnery, _toujours_ -gunnery--unless it was torpedo-running, steam tactics, or P.Z. -Exercises[26]--was carried on throughout the year, winter, spring, -summer, and autumn alike. They were always at it; and though the -frequent south-westerly gales made the winter work very unpleasant and -trying, though officers and men bemoaned their fate and swore 'twas a -'mug's game,' it did them all the good in the world. So, at the end of -February, the squadron left the short, choppy seas of the Channel and -the familiar hump of Portland behind them, and waddled south, for all -the world like a family of turtles migrating to a sunnier sea. It was -then, for the first time, that Pincher knew what it was to be really -seasick. - - [26] 'P.Z. Exercises'--that is, mock actions, fought between - two opposing squadrons; so called from the two-flag signal - directing the fleet to carry out these manoeuvres. - -Their first port of call was Arosa Bay, in Spain, just to the southward -of Cape Finisterre, and for once the much maligned Bay of Biscay upheld -its reputation by providing a very fair sample of a south-westerly blow -for Pincher's especial benefit. But he was by no means the only -sufferer, though. - -It was a snorter of a gale, a regular snorter, and the short, snappy -little seas of the Channel were nothing to these long, gigantic, -foam-crested mountains of water rolling in with all the might of the -Atlantic behind them. The battleships wallowed and plunged about to -their hearts' content Their movements were slow, deliberate, and very -stately; but how they rolled! One could feel their enormous weight -smashing through the seas instead of riding over them. Water came over -the fore-castle in solid gray-green masses, until the deck was buried -and the fore-turret, with its pair of twelve-inch guns, looked like a -half-tide rock. Sheets of spray drove over the bridges. The -quarterdecks were untenable; and at times gigantic, white-capped -billows would blot out every vestige of the next ship astern--only five -hundred yards away--except her topmasts. - -The _Belligerent_ was battened down, but even then a considerable -amount of water found its way below. The atmosphere on the mess-decks, -well impregnated with the mingled odours of cooking, damp clothes, and -crowded humanity, was nauseating. Tables and other fittings had carried -away from their fastenings, and a horrible mixture of sea-water, hats, -caps, boots, food, broken crockery, pickle-jars, tins of condensed -milk, and pots of jam swished to and fro across the deck every time the -ship heeled over. Each roll added something fresh to the collection. - -On one particularly heavy lurch the door of the officers' galley shot -open, and the wardroom cook slid gracefully out on to the mess-deck, -accompanied by an avalanche of frying-pans and saucepans, the -stock-pot, and a large receptacle full of Irish stew for the officers' -lunch. - -'If this ain't the ruddy limit!' he observed dismally, picking himself -up and gazing at the debris with disgust written on his pea-green face. -'They'll git nothin' 'ot fur lunch ter-day, that I'm bloomin' well -certain!' Nobody listened to what he said; and, after surveying the -scene for another instant, he yawned twice, and then bolted hastily -towards the upper deck. He got there just in time, poor man! - -Most of the younger men were past caring whether it was Christmas or -Easter. They merely became as limp and as pale as pocket-handkerchiefs, -wedged themselves in convenient corners, unconscious of the water and -rubbish washing round them, and wished that they might die. Some of -them nearly did. It was only the old stagers like Billings who were not -affected, and they, instead of offering consolation to their suffering -shipmates, went about casting rude gibes at the poor wretches. - -''Ullo!' remarked Joshua, strolling aft to his mess at dinner-time, and -coming to a halt opposite a miserable little party sitting with their -backs up against the ship's side. ''Ullo! 'ere we 'ave Mister Pincher -Martin, Rile Navy! 'Ow are we, ole son? Feelin' a bit squeamish--wot?' - -The 'ole son,' whose face was a ghastly yellow, whose eyes were closed, -and whose head rested carelessly on the shoulder of his next-door -neighbour, a man whose name he didn't even know, looked up with a -sickly grin, and then relapsed into torpitude. - -Billings, swaying easily to the violent rolling of the ship, looked at -him with amusement. ''Ave a bit o' somethin' t' eat?' he suggested, -with horrible cheeriness. 'Nice little bit o' corned beef, or a drop o' -pea-soup? Pea-soup's fine scran fur blokes wot's seasick.' He smacked -his lips appreciatively. - -Pincher shook his head. - -'Then 'ave a nice bit o' fat 'am?' suggested his tormentor. 'Slips down -nice an' easy like, an' don't rest 'eavy on th' stummick, fat 'am -don't.' - -Pincher groaned at the idea. - -''Strewth! you ain't 'arf a sailor, you ain't!' the elder man snorted -contemptuously, moving off. - -Pincher expressed no emotion at all. The very sight of Billings's -rubicund countenance made him feel worse than ever, while a man who -could mention food at such a time was surely beyond the pale. Moreover, -a sailor's life was the very last thing that he took any interest in at -that particular time. - -Even some of the officers were unwell. The _padre_ retired to his -bunk, and was fed by his marine servant on soda-water and Bath Oliver -biscuits; while Cutting, the young surgeon, Hannibal Chance, the -captain of Marines, and the fleet pay-master refused nourishment of any -kind whatsoever. Nearly all the others made some attempt to eat their -meals; but all except the most hardened sea-dogs bolted a few -mouthfuls, and then beat a hasty retreat to their cabins. The only -person who did really enjoy it was Harry Derrick, the Royal Naval -Reserve lieutenant, or 'Cargo Bill,' as his messmates invariably called -him. He always had an insatiable appetite, whatever the weather, and a -'little bit of a sea like this' did not incommode him in the slightest. -It was nothing to what he had experienced off Cape Horn in the -wind-jammer days he never tired of talking about when he could persuade -any one to listen. - -But all things come to an end in time; and, after thirty-six hours of -absolute misery, Pincher revived to find the squadron steaming into -Arosa Bay. - -So this was Spain! he thought to himself, looking round with interest -as they passed into the sheltered anchorage. He had imagined it to be -rather a wonderful country, but if this was a fair sample, he didn't go -much on it. A large indented bay; a few blue hills in the distance; a -low-lying, arid-looking country, dotted here and there with wooded -clumps and patches of cultivated ground; a few small white houses and a -gray stone church or two; a straggling town and a long pier at the head -of the bay; and many fishing-boats with strangely cut sails. There was -a peculiar tang in the air, the nature of which he could not at first -determine. It was neither the sweet odour of freshly turned earth, -new-mown hay, or heather, nor yet the honest salty smell of the open -sea. It was something far more pungent and overpowering. He found out -afterwards that it emanated from various sardine-preserving factories, -and the discovery put him off canteen 'sharks' for quite a week. There -are sardines and sardines; let us be thankful they are not all Spanish -sardines! - -No, Pincher's impressions of the first foreign country he had ever -visited were not exactly enthralling. Spain looked a very ordinary -place from the water, and it did not improve on further acquaintance -when he went ashore with Billings the same afternoon. - -The town, Villagarcia, was not a delectable spot. It smelt of garlic -and ancient fish. Its streets, badly paved and odoriferous with heaps -of nameless garbage, seemed to provide a happy hunting-ground for many -lean, fierce dogs, perambulating pigs and goats accompanied by their -families, and prowling poultry. The people, too, looked dirty and -ill-favoured, and the better-class men all smoked cigarettes and wore -long black cloaks and wideawake hats, like clergymen at home in -England. Numbers of barefooted boys and girls of all ages between three -and seventeen followed Pincher and Billings about wherever they went. -'I say! On' penni!' they demanded persistently, holding out their -grubby hands. 'I say, Jack! Damn you! I say, on' penni!' There was no -getting rid of them until the pennies were forthcoming; and their stock -phrases--all the English they knew--seemed to have been handed down -from generation to generation, ever since British men-of-war first -started to visit the place in the year one. It was a paying game, for -the bluejacket is always free with his hard-earned money. - -No, Villagarcia was not attractive. There was nothing to do except to -drink vinegary _vino blanco_ in the taverns, and to buy picture -post-cards, silk shawls, paper fans showing fierce and bloodthirsty -bullfights, and hideous tambourines depicting plump, gaily dressed -ladies in short skirts dancing the _mattiche_. On the whole, Pincher -was not sorry to get back to the ship, and he did not trouble to go -ashore again. - -A fortnight later they arrived at Gibraltar, where the ships went -alongside the Mole in the inner harbour to take in coal. But here the -operation was quite gentlemanly compared with coaling from a collier, -for the fuel was carried on board in small baskets on the backs of -nondescript, garlic-scented aliens known as 'rock scorpions,' and all -the ship's company had to do was to stow it in the bunkers as it came -on board. There was none of the back-breaking work of shovelling. - -Coaling completed, the ships went out almost daily for aiming rifle -practice; and then came the annual 'gunlayers' test' with the -twelve-inch, six-inch, and lighter guns. - -'Wot is this 'ere gunlayers' test they talks abart?' Pincher, rather -mystified, asked Billings. - -'Gunlayers' test!' the A.B. returned, staring at him very much -surprised. 'You've bin in this 'ere ship nigh on six months, an' yer -don't know wot a gunlayers' test is?' - -''Ow can I know wot it is?' Martin sniffed. 'I ain't see'd it, 'ave I?' - -'Ain't see'd it, ain't yer?' Joshua snorted. 'Ignerance, that's wot it -is! 'Owever, I'll larn yer. Gunlayers' test is wot we carries art every -year wi' orl th' guns in th' ship--see? Th' ship steams parst a targit -at fairly close range, an' orl th' gunlayers fires in turn. It's a bit -of a competition like, an' they orl 'as a certain number o' rounds ter -fire in a certain time--see? It's just ter see if'---- - -''Ow fur orf is th' targit?' Pincher wanted to know, for even he could -understand that this was rather a vital point. - -'Don't yer git interruptin' w'en I'm spinnin' a yarn!' Joshua -remonstrated. 'I loses th' thread o' wot I'm sayin'.' It was fairly -early in the morning, and he was still feeling cantankerous. - -The ordinary seaman apologised. 'Sorry,' he said. 'I didn't mean no -'arm.' - -'Course yer didn't; but if yer gits arskin' stoopid questions, 'ow kin -a bloke remember wot 'e's sayin'? Wot wus it yer wanted ter know?' - -''Ow fur orf th' targit wus.' - -'Not werry fur,' Joshua explained. 'Leastways, it ain't exac'ly fur, -an' it ain't exac'ly close. You oughter know wot I means; I carn't -remember th' exac' distance. Any'ow, gunlayers' test ain't th' same as -battle practice, 'cos then we fires orl th' guns at once, same as we do -in haction, likewise at long range--see? Gunlayers' test is simply a -competition like, ter see if th' blokes kin shoot strite--see?' - -'An' wot 'appens then?' Pincher asked, still rather hazy as to what -really did take place. - -'Wot 'appens? Orficers comes aboard from other ships as humpires, an' -they takes th' time each bloke takes ter fire 'is rounds, an' counts -th' number o' rounds 'e gits orf; likewise th' number of 'its an' -misses on th' targit. The results is then packed up an' sent ter th' -Admiralty, an' them blokes wot's done extry well gits medals an' money -prizes, an' them wot ain't 'as a court o' hinquiry on 'em, an' probably -gits disrated from bein' gunlayers--see?' - -'An' kin I git a medal fur this 'ere?' Martin eagerly asked, for he, -also, was a humble member of one of the twelve-pounder guns' crews. - -Joshua was amused. 'Kin you git a medal?' he laughed. 'A little -cock-sparrer like you! Course yer bloomin' well carn't! They only -whacks 'em art ter them gunlayers wot's done extry well, an' there's -werry few on 'em given. You ain't a gunlayer, an' ain't likely to be -one neither. Gunlayers 'as brains.' - -'But 'oo gives these 'ere medals?' Pincher asked, ignoring the insult. -'The admiral?' - -'No; th' King gives 'em. Leastways they 'as 'is likeness on 'em, so I -reckons they comes from 'im. Nutty Buttolph, th' gunlayer o' my gun, -'ad one larst year. 'E wears it Sundays wi' 'is No. 1's. I reckons I -oughter got it too, 'cos I'm th' loadin' number wot shoves in th' -projectile, an' each six-inch projectile weighs a 'undred pounds. We -got orf eight rounds an' got eight 'its on th' targit, an' I reckons it -wus me wot done it just as well as 'im.' Billings's chest swelled with -pride at the recollection. - -''Ard luck!' Pincher murmured. - -''Ard luck?' remarked Joshua. 'Course it wus 'ard luck! 'Owever, I took -ten bob orf my opposite number in th' flagship, an' fifteen bob orf -another bloke wot thought 'is gun could shoot strite. We were top o' -th' 'ole bloomin' squadron larst year,' he added; 'precious near top o' -th' 'ole navy, an' don't yer bloomin' well forgit it. Our ship's -company made a bit of a pay-day over it.' - -'Pay-day! 'Ow d' yer mean?' - -Joshua grinned and winked one eye. 'Bettin'!' he said in a hoarse -whisper. - -'But I thought bettin' wusn't allowed?' Martin remonstrated, -remembering the regulations. - -'No more it is, me son; but th' skipper won 'is ten quid from th' -flagship's skipper, 'oo said 'is ship 'u'd beat us; an' w'en 'e won it -'e whacked it art among th' guns' crews, 'e did. Proper gennelman, 'e -is. Th' Bloke, an' Jimmy the One,[27] an' most o' th' other orficers -made a bit too. We're wot we calls 'ot stuff in th' shootin' line, I -kin tell yer.' - - [27] 'The Bloke' = the commander. 'Jimmy the One' = the first - lieutenant. - -Billings was quite right. There was certainly no lack of rivalry, for -the officers and men of the squadron were as keen on the results -obtained by their respective ships as they possibly could be. The -gunlayers' test was treated in much the same way as a regatta or a -race-meeting, for sweepstakes were got up and bets were freely offered -and taken on the performances of individual gunlayers. Strictly against -the regulations, of course, but nobody seemed to mind, and the -favourites themselves became very important personages for the time -being. - -To the ship's company of any man-of-war, 'our ship' is invariably the -best shooting and the smartest ship not only in the whole squadron, but -also in the entire British navy. Disputes as to the merits of two crack -vessels have been known to lead to regrettable incidents ashore. Pewter -beer-mugs are handy missiles, and black eyes and contusions, though -rare, are by no means unheard of. Moreover, if a smart ship which -fancies herself is beaten at gunnery by some dark horse, the obvious -inferences, from her men's point of view, are: (1) that the umpires -have been bribed; (2) that the ammunition was bad, and it therefore -affected the shooting; (3) that the sea was much rougher and the ship -had far more motion than when H.M.S. So-and-so fired; (4) that the sun -was in the wrong place, and that the light was bad; (5) that the -weather was misty; and so on, _ad infinitum_, all the excuses -being equally futile. - -But rivalry between ships, despite occasional bickerings ashore when -their respective partisans wax argumentative, does no harm. On the -contrary, it is a good sign. It shows there is _esprit de corps_. - -On this occasion, however, the _Belligerent's_ guns were possessed -of a devil. She did very well, it is true, and came out second in the -squadron, but was just beaten by the _Tremendous_. The defeat came -as a severe blow, particularly as a treasured silver challenge cup, -presented by the admiral and awarded annually to the best ship, now -left its resting-place on the _Belligerent's_ mess-deck and found -its way to the flagship. It was carried off in triumph by the winners; -but the _Belligerent's_ gunlayers cursed long and loud, and swore -by all their gods that it had been won by a fluke. So did some of the -officers. - -'This 'ere's th' ruddy limit!' Billings muttered fiercely. 'Ter think -o' these 'ere Duffos[28] 'avin' th' imperence ter say they 'ave beaten -us! They ain't done it fair! S' welp me, they ain't! It's enuf ter make -a bloke take ter--ter anythin'!' He was going to say 'beer;' but, -remembering Mrs Figgins and his new-found respectability, he wisely -refrained. - - [28] The ship's company of a ship hailing from Devonport are - known as 'Duffos' to the men of ships with Portsmouth and - Chatham crews. A 'duff' is a pudding, and the term probably - originated on account of the west-countrymen's supposed - liking for that comestible. - -After spending a month at Gibraltar, they returned to Portland to give -four days' Easter leave, and then sailed off to Berehaven, where they -did more gunnery. Then on to the west coast of Scotland for a cruise, -and finally back to Portland again. - -The time passed very rapidly. Spring gave way to summer, and in due -course Pincher found himself passed out of the seamanship -training-class and handed over to the tender mercies of a torpedo -gunner's mate, who crammed his head with an astounding number of facts -pertaining to electricity and torpedo work generally. - -One Sunday in the early summer, however, the chaplain rather -electrified his congregation. 'I publish the banns of marriage,' he -read, 'between Able Seaman Joshua Billings, bachelor, of this ship, and -Martha Ann Figgins, widow, of the parish of St Cuthbert's, Weymouth. If -any of you know cause or just impediment why these two persons should -not be joined together in holy matrimony, you are to declare it. This -is for the first time of asking.' - -The commander, and various other officers who knew Joshua intimately, -could hardly restrain their mirth. - -'The old devil!' Tickle exclaimed in the smoking-room after the -service. 'To think of any woman wanting to marry him!' - -'There are plenty of worse men than Billings,' the commander disagreed. -'He's not very attractive to look at, I'll admit; but, provided he -keeps off beer, he and his Martha'll get on all right. What he wants is -a woman to rule him with a rod of iron.' - -'You'd better give the lady a few tips, sir,' Tickle suggested. - -'Not I!' laughed the commander. 'I shall merely present them with an -ormolu timepiece--whatever that may be. It shall be suitably inscribed, -too. You see,' he added, 'Billings, in spite of beer, is quite one of -the best seamen in the ship, and I shall be very sorry to lose him when -he takes his pension.' - -There is no need to describe Joshua's wedding, or to tell how some of -the officers and a goodly proportion of the ship's company attended the -ceremony, how Pincher performed his duties as 'best man,' and how the -commander himself was prevailed upon to make a speech and to drink the -health of the happy couple in grocers' port wine. It all went off like -a house on fire; but at the tea-party afterwards Pincher seemed rather -distracted. - -''Ullo, chum!' the beaming bridegroom asked him, 'wot's up wi' yer? -You've got a face on yer like a sea-boot.' - -'I'm just thinkin' somethin',' Pincher explained. - -'Thinkin' wot?' Joshua wanted to know. 'Wot an 'appy hoccasion this is, -or wot?' - -'No, 'ardly that.' - -'Wot is it, then?' - -'I wus thinkin' that now you've gorn an' married Missis Figgins you are -Hemmeline's farther, ain't yer?' - -'S'pose I am,' Billings assented, scratching his head, for the question -had not occurred to him before. 'Leastways, 'er step-farther.' - -'An' s'pose I marries Hemmeline, wot relation are yer to me?' - -'You ain't arsked my leaf to court 'er,' Joshua pointed out. 'An' -s'pose yer does, I don't know as 'ow I shall give my consent. These -haffairs is important--see? I'll 'ave ter hinquire as ter yer prospex, -an' suchlike. Supposin' yer wusn't respeccable?' - -'Respeccable!' Pincher retorted. 'Don't talk so wet! If I ain't good -enuf ter marry Hemmeline, you ain't good enuf fur Missis Figgins--see? -She's 'er mother, ain't she?' - -'Don't go an' git dizzy on this 'appy day,' Joshua went on with mock -gravity. 'Don't go gittin' rattled! Carn't you see w'en a bloke's -'avin' a joke like?' - -'It ain't no subjec' ter make fun o',' Pincher answered, rather -mollified. 'But, any'ow, s'posin' I does marry 'er, wot relation would -you be ter me? That's wot I wants ter know.' - -'I reckons I'd be yer step-farther-in-lor,' Joshua answered after due -consideration. 'Leastways, that's 'ow I looks at it. I'll arsk th' -missis, though. Come an' 'ave a wet.' - -Pincher, nothing loath, acquiesced. They went off arm-in-arm. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE CLOUD. - - -I. - -It all happened very suddenly. The fleet had been reviewed by his -Majesty the King at Spithead in the middle of July, and after this -certain exercises were carried out in lieu of the usual summer -manoeuvres. They did not last very long, however, for on Friday, 24th -July, the _Belligerent_ arrived at her home port to effect some -necessary repairs, and, incidentally, to give four days' leave to her -men; so the next morning half the ship's company, including Pincher, -left for their homes. - -Now the Martin family, being country-people, did not worry their heads -with newspapers on weekdays. For one thing, the papers cost money and -were difficult to get; and, for another, they had little time to read -them. Mr Martin usually bought _Reynolds's Weekly_ on Sunday; but -on that particular Sunday, 26th July, there was nothing in it to give -rise to any anxiety. He did notice that there was some sort of trouble -between Austria and Serbia; but that could not possibly affect his -weekly wages, and beyond remarking casually to his wife that 'them -there Balkan nations is 'oly 'orrors for gettin' up rows,' he paid no -further attention to it. - -On the following Tuesday, 28th July, at ten-forty-three A.M. -precisely, Pincher left the cottage to buy a packet of cigarettes at -the village shop. Albert, his youngest brother, aged five, clutching a -penny with which he proposed to purchase two sticks of glutinous but -very succulent pink nougat, accompanied him. They were away exactly -fourteen minutes, and on their return found Mrs Martin, fresh from her -wash-tub and with her arms covered in soapsuds to the elbows, bubbling -over with suppressed excitement. She was gazing in a perturbed manner -at a telegram; for, to the Martin _menage_, the arrival of an orange -envelope was a matter of some importance. It generally spelt trouble. -The last one had arrived over a year before to announce that Mrs -Martin's sister had been run over by an omnibus. - -''Ullo, ma!' Pincher exclaimed, noticing his parent's agitated -condition; 'wot's th' racket?' - -'This 'ere's just come,' she said excitedly, handing the telegram -across with very damp fingers. 'For you, it is. You've got to go back -to the ship at once!' - -'Go back!' he echoed indignantly, taking the offending missive. 'My -leaf ain't up till fu'st train ter-morrer mornin'!' - -'Ye'd best read it, son,' remarked the lady, wiping her arms on her -apron. 'See for yerself.' - -Pincher did so. 'Gosh!' he exclaimed with a whistle of surprise, 'there -ain't no bloomin' error abart this 'ere.' - -There was not. It was addressed to him personally, and was signed, -'Commanding Officer.' 'Leave cancelled,' it said abruptly, almost -brutally. 'Rejoin ship immediately.' - -''Strewth! Wot's th' buzz, I wonder?' he murmured, very much puzzled, -and looking at the back of the paper as if to find the answer to his -question there. 'Wot's it mean?' - -'That's wot I'm wonderin',' said his mother. 'Wot does it mean? Ye're -not in trouble, are yer?' She had a vague suspicion at the back of her -mind that Pincher might have absented himself without leave. - -'Trouble! Course I ain't. It ain't that. There's somethin' else in th' -wind. One o' these 'ere bloomin' war buzzes, I reckons.' He spoke as if -wars and rumours of wars were of everyday occurrence. - -Mrs Martin seemed rather alarmed. 'War!' she gasped, looking up with a -horrified expression. 'Wot d' you mean, Bill? Surely we're not goin' to -war?' - -'Course we ain't, ma,' he replied, laughing, and patting her -consolingly on the shoulder. 'This 'ere don't mean nothin'; only a bit -of a buzz round like. Yer see,' he pointed out with pride, 'we--th' -navy, that is--always 'as ter be ready fur these 'ere shows, 'cos if -anythin' did 'appen an' we wasn't ready things 'u'd be in a pretty hot -mess. S'pose I'd best be makin' a move, though,' he added ruefully. -'Bit orf, I calls it!' - - [Illustration: 'Gosh! there ain't no bloomin' error abart this 'ere.' - PAGE 152.] - -'Goin' now?' - -'Fu'st train,' he said, nodding. 'This 'ere telegraph says rejoin -immediate. I expec's th' ship's goin' ter sea in an 'urry like, an' -they wants me back perticular.' - -Mrs Martin gazed at her son with motherly pride. She did not like the -idea of his leaving so soon; but it was very consoling to think that he -was a person of such importance on board the _Belligerent_ that -the ship could not go to sea without him. He must be very valuable, -otherwise they would not have telegraphed. - -Albert, who had already assimilated half a piece of nougat, and had -covered his face with pink stickiness, looked up inquiringly. 'Bill -goin'?' he queried fretfully. - -'Yes, ducky,' answered his mother. 'Called back to 'is ship. 'E's goin' -now.' - -The information was too much for Albert. He withdrew the sweetmeat from -his mouth, screwed up his face, and suddenly burst into a howl. 'Ow!' -he bellowed; 'Bill's goin' back to 'is ship! Bill's goin' back!' It was -a matter of some importance to him, for the presence of his elder -brother meant an occasional honorarium of one penny, and one penny -meant a plentiful supply of nougat. His little soul delighted in -nougat. His mother never gave him pennies. - -'Stop yer 'owlin', Albert!' Mrs Martin ordered severely. 'Has if I -'adn't enough to think about without listenin' to yer noise!--Bill,' -she went on, glancing at the clock, 'you'd best be off. The Lunnon -train stops at the station at eleven-forty-four, same one yer uncle -Charles come by yesterday. There's not another till the arternoon. The -clock's a bit fast, but it's about quarter-past eleven now, an' the -station's a good couple o' miles.' - -''Strewth!' muttered Pincher, darting from the room, 'I'll 'ave ter -run.' He went to his bedroom, collected his few belongings, and -presently reappeared with an oilskin over his shoulder and a small blue -bundle in his hand. - -Albert, with his mouth wide open, gazed at him tearfully. - -'S' long, ma,' Pincher said, putting his arm round his mother's neck -and kissing her gently. 'Say good-bye ter farther w'en 'e comes 'ome, -an' th' kids w'en they gits back from school.' - -'Good-bye, son. Good luck to yer,' she answered, drawing his head down -and embracing him, with the tears in her eyes. 'I do 'ope it's not -nothin' serious. Write an' let me know 'ow yer gets on.' - -'Right you are, ma.--S'long, Halbert,' he went on cheerfully, bending -down and kissing his small brother. 'Be a good boy, now, an' don't git -worritin' ma, now I'm goin'.' - -The tears streamed down the youngster's cheeks. He began to whimper -loudly. - -'Be a good boy, I tells yer,' Pincher went on, patting him. 'If ma -writes an' tells me you've be'aved yerself I'll send yer another penny -nex' week. If yer don't, yer won't git no penny--see? Gosh!' he added -hastily, 'it's 'igh time I wus orf.' He gave his mother another hurried -kiss, and a second later was out of the cottage and racing down the -road as fast as his legs would carry him. The shrieks of the -inconsolable Albert pursued him. - -Mrs Martin watched him till he gave a final wave before disappearing -round a bend in the lane, and then returned to admonish her small son. -'Ye're a naughty boy, ye are!' she scolded shrilly. 'If yer don't stop -it I'll put yer across my knee an' give yer wot for; straight, I will! -Stop it. D'you 'ear wot I say?' - -Albert's howls gradually died away into sobs. - -Mrs Martin returned to her wash-tub with dismal forebodings in her -heart. Telegrams always meant trouble. - - -II. - -'Bless yer 'eart an' soul!' exclaimed Billings, with a loud snort, ''e -ain't goin' ter fight. Orl this 'ere racket's only a bit o' bounce -like. Same as wot 'e did in that 'ere show in nineteen eleven.' He -rammed the tobacco down into his pipe and relit it, with one watchful -eye on his companion. - -'I presooms ye're talkin' abart that there Meroccer bizness,' said -Tubby M'Sweeny, producing a cigarette from the lining of his cap. -'Aggie-dear wus wot they called it.' He seemed rather proud of his -superior knowledge. - -'Yus, that's it,' Joshua agreed with a nod. 'I knowed it wus Aggie -somethin'. But, any'ow, look wot this 'ere Kayser Bill does then! -Directly 'e see'd we meant bizness 'e piped down smart, an' sed 'e wus -sorry for wot 'e'd done. That's wot 'e'll do this time, I reckons.' - -'I dunno so much abart that,' M'Sweeny disagreed. 'Look 'ow them -Germans downed France an' done th' dirty on them! I reckons they thinks -they kin do the same wi' us--s'welp me, I do.' - -'Garn!' jeered the other. 'They've got ter reckon wi' our bloomin' -navy, an' it's more'n double as good as theirs. I'm not sayin' they -doesn't mean ter fight us later on,' he added, wagging a finger; 'but I -says they won't try it on now. 'Sides, they ain't sailors!' To show his -contempt he expectorated violently, and with deadly precision, into an -adjacent spitkid. - -M'Sweeny seemed sceptical. 'Maybe they ain't sailors,' he pointed out -solemnly; 'but we ain't see'd nothin' of 'em. We knows nothin' of 'em, -either. I've 'eard tell, too, that that there Kayser bloke o' theirs -'as gingered 'em up somethin' crool, an' a navy wot's been gingered up -must be on th' top line same as us, mustn't it?' - -Joshua shook his head. 'I tell yer they ain't goin' ter fight yet -awhile,' he persisted. 'Orl this 'ere racket's only a bit o' bounce. D' -you think they doesn't know wot our navy's like? Ain't they bloomin' -well scared of it?' Billings, a staunch and very insular Briton, still -held to the belief that his own countrymen were the only really good -seamen in the world. Those of other nationalities were either 'Dagoes' -or 'niggers,' and which of the two terms was the more opprobrious was -rather a moot point. - -'An' wot abart our army?' came an irrelevant remark from Pincher, who -happened to be listening. 'I knows a bloke wot's in th' Black -Watch--lance-corporal 'e is--an' 'e reckons our army's bin properly -gingered up an' is properly on th' top line.' - -'Th' men is orl right,' said M'Sweeny mournfully, 'an' so is the -orficers; but we ain't got enuf of 'em. We ain't got a million men in -th' army, nor yet 'arf that number, an' that there Kayser's got -millions an' millions!' He waved a hand vaguely to give some idea of -the Teuton hordes. - -'But if we goes ter war our army 'as a slap at somethin', I suppose?' -Pincher queried. - -'Course they does, fat'ead,' Joshua replied with fatherly -condescension. 'They goes an' 'elps th' Frenchies ter take Berlin, -while we--th' navy, that is--'as a desprit battle in th' North Sea, an' -wipes th' deck with their bloomin' 'Igh Sea Fleet. The army blokes'll -be at Berlin in a month or six weeks, an' we'll 'ave done our job in -'arf th' time. W'en we've done it we orl goes 'ome on leaf wi' our -medals an' V.C.'s, an' becomes public 'eroes wot saved the country. But -you mark my words, the 'ole bloomin' war'll be over in three months -w'en it comes. 'Owever, they ain't goin' ter fight now, so wot's the -use o' yarnin' abart it? This 'ere racket's only a spasm like. It don't -mean nothin'.' - -But M'Sweeny, obviously a pessimist, shook his head. 'I dunno so much,' -he answered sadly. 'I've bin 'avin' feelin's in me 'ead that somethin' -'s goin' ter 'appen soon, an' me feelin's allus comes true. W'en you -wus made a leadin' seaman, Josh, I 'ad a feelin' that you'd be an A.B. -agen afore long; an' w'en'---- - -'Wot! d' yer mean yer 'ad a feelin' abart me?' Billings interrupted, -rather annoyed. ''Ow dare yer?' - -'I 'as feelin's in me 'ead abart lots o' people,' Tubby reiterated -solemnly. 'They allus comes true.' - -Joshua lifted up his head and laughed. 'Feelin's in yer 'ead!' he -jeered. 'Feelin's in yer stummick, more like. It's beer wot's done it, -Tubby; an' if it ain't beer, it wus them canteen termarters yer 'ad fur -supper larst night!' - -'Termarters be damned!' retorted M'Sweeny. - -Now this conversation took place during the dinner-hour of Thursday, -30th July, two days after the watch on leave had been hurriedly -recalled, and all further shore-going had been cancelled. - -Neither Billings, M'Sweeny, nor Pincher--nor, for that matter, any -other member of the ship's company--knew exactly how they could become -embroiled. They were all painfully aware that there was trouble in -Eastern Europe, and that, in some remote sort of way, this trouble -transmitted itself to them. But beyond anathematising the 'spasm,' as -they called it, on somebody's part which had caused their leave to be -stopped, and extra work in the way of coaling and embarking ammunition -to be carried out, they regarded the affair as of no more importance -than the annual summer manoeuvres. War was utterly unthinkable. - -But by this time, if they had only known it, practically the whole of -the British fleet was on a war footing, and ready for instant action. -The newspapers had remained discreetly silent, and the whereabouts of -squadrons, flotillas, and individual ships was unknown to the public. -They had vanished into the air; but, except in isolated cases, every -vessel in the navy was already at her war station or on her way there. -Dockyards were working night and day. Naval reservists and pensioners -were flocking to their depots; retired officers were coming forward in -dozens to volunteer their services. Colliers, oil-fuel ships, -ammunition ships, and a thousand and one other fleet auxiliaries had -been chartered, and the Admiralty had taken their 'precautionary -measures' so rapidly and so unostentatiously that hardly a soul in the -country realised that anything untoward was happening. - -The fleet was ready, and well it was for Britain that it was so. -Germany, relying perhaps on a surprise attack at some 'selected moment' -before an actual declaration of war, and while our fleets and squadrons -were still dispersed, had bungled badly. She may not have expected us -to join in the war; may have imagined that Britain, fettered with the -possibility of complications in Ireland, preferred to keep out of a -Continental struggle at all costs. But she had made a grievous mistake, -an error which, combined with the wisest forethought on the part of the -British Admiralty, made it practically impossible for the trident of -Britannia ever to pass into the hands of the Teutonic Michael. - -Early the next morning, 31st July, the _Belligerent_ left her home -port, and steamed to her base in the English Channel to rejoin the rest -of the squadron. It was quite a short trip, but it was on the passage -that the eyes of the ship's company were opened to the fact that -something serious really was in the wind. For one thing, the ammunition -for all the six-inch and lighter guns was brought up from the magazines -and shell-rooms and distributed to the casemates and batteries; while -certain of the weapons were kept constantly manned--what for, exactly, -none of the men quite knew. The captain and the commander looked graver -than usual; and Chase, the gunnery lieutenant-commander, rather -worried, held hurried consultations with the gunner about shell and -cartridges, and had a party of armourers constantly at work throughout -the day testing and adjusting the mechanism of his weapons. - -The commander and the carpenter, too, the latter armed with a large -piece of chalk and a note-book, made a solemn peregrination of the -ship, decorating various wooden fittings with cabbalistic signs as they -went. Pincher, who happened to be working on the boat-deck at the time, -heard part of their conversation. It rather frightened him. - -'All this wood of yours will have to be landed or slung overboard, Mr -Chipping,' the senior officer remarked, coming to a halt beside a pile -of spars and planks on the boat-deck, and eyeing it with evident -disfavour. 'If a shell burst in the middle of this little lot we'd have -a bonfire in a couple of seconds.' - -Pincher pricked up his ears. - -'It's all on charge, sir,' the carpenter answered ruefully, with -horrible visions of subsequent discrepancies in his store-books. 'I've -got to account for every inch of it.' - -The commander laughed. 'You storekeeping officers are born -obstructionists, Mr Chipping,' he exclaimed. 'If we go to war your -store-books will go to the devil, anyhow, so what on earth does it -matter? I'm always greeted with the same remark when I'm trying to make -the ship a little less like a bonfire. They're invariably "on charge," -dammit!' - -'And so they are, sir,' put in the carpenter. 'I have to account for -'em.' - -'Can't help that. You'd better send in your bill to the Kaiser. Anyhow, -we can't have all this lumber up here; it's a regular death-trap.' - -Mr Chipping scratched his grizzled head. 'I'll land all what I can't -strike below, sir,' he grudgingly assented at last. - -'Yes, see to it at once, please. If this pile of wood catches fire -it'll play Old Harry on the upper deck with the twelve-pounders and -their ammunition.' - -Pincher listened open-mouthed, for it was quite obvious from the way -they talked that things were far more serious than Joshua had led him -to believe. Moreover, he, Martin, was in full agreement with the -commander as to the expediency of removing the pile of wood from the -boat-deck. His station in action was at one of the upper-deck -twelve-pounder guns, and he had no wish to emulate Shadrach, Meshach, -and Abednego of the Old Testament in their blazing, fiery furnace. - -The carpenter got busy with his chalk, and before long the whole pile -of lumber was ornamented with little noughts and crosses. The noughts, -Pincher assumed, meant that the articles so marked were to be retained, -and the crosses that those bearing this mark were to be thrown -overboard or landed; and when, a little later, he had occasion to go on -to the upper deck he found many other things decorated with the same -mystic signs. Certain of the smaller boats, spare spars, cabin doors, -accommodation ladders, gratings, lockers, anything and everything -wooden, inflammable, or likely to make splinters, were apparently to go -by the board. It gave him furiously to think. - -The ship arrived at her base during the afternoon, and Captain Spencer -went on board the flagship to report his arrival. He was away for an -hour and a half, and came back with what the officer of the watch -called 'a face like a sea-boot,' and the information that the situation -was very serious. Beyond that he professed to know nothing, but every -one noticed that the commander was closeted with him in his cabin for -fully three-quarters of an hour on his return from the flagship. Petty -Officer Finnigan, moreover, the captain's coxswain and a great friend -of the admiral's cook on board the flagship _Tremendous_, told his -messmates with much gusto that the cook had informed him that the -admiral's steward had told him (the cook) that war with Germany was -only a matter of hours. - -We have heard of yarns emanating from ships' cooks generally being -treated with derision, but presumably admirals' cooks are above -suspicion in this respect, for the news spread rapidly, and the -'Belligerents,' believing it implicitly, were flung into a state of -ill-suppressed excitement in consequence. Most of them had never seen a -shot fired in anger; but the prospect of war--the awful prospect of the -unknown--did not seem to alarm them. On the contrary, officers and men -went about their business with light hearts and smiles on their faces, -for, as Tickle had once pointed out when referring to the same subject, -'it's a bit thick if we're doomed to fire our guns at a canvas target -all our lives.' Most of them longed for a run for their money, and to -all appearances they were going to have it. The graver possibilities of -war did not intrude themselves upon their minds until long afterwards. -They all felt cocksure that they, individually, were not fated to die -violent deaths by the enemy's shell, torpedoes, mines, bombs, or by -drowning. If any one was to be killed, it was not they. They merely -pictured to themselves a short and triumphant struggle, at the -conclusion of which--in six months at the very most--they, having sunk -the enemy's navy, would go home on leave with medals on their manly -bosoms, to be hailed as the saviours of their country. Alas for their -dreams! - -The squadron was in a state of feverish activity. Some ships were -taking in final supplies of coal and ammunition, working night and day; -while others were landing all their superfluous wooden or inflammable -fittings and non-necessary stores. The 'Belligerents' themselves -started on the job early the next morning. Such a collection there was! -Many tons of paint and varnish; some of the smaller boats; quantities -of timber for building targets; wooden accommodation ladders; baulks, -spars, and planks; chests of drawers from the officers' cabins, and tin -cases and trunks containing their personal effects and more treasured -possessions; the midshipmen's and chief petty officers' chests; doors -of cabins; gratings; even the wardroom pianola, an instrument which was -being paid for on the instalment system, were taken ashore and lodged -in a place of security. The work took them a full forty-eight hours. - -The _Belligerent_, being a pre-Dreadnought battleship, had to have -more done to her to make her ready for battle than a similar vessel of -a later class, and Sunday, 2nd August, brought no cessation of labour. -If anything, it was a more strenuous day than the previous one, for -except for a brief service on the quarterdeck, lasting exactly ten -minutes, officers and men alike were hard at work preparing the ship -for war. There was plenty to be done. Extra lifts and tackles were put -upon the yards on the foremast to prevent them crashing down from aloft -if struck by a shell, the rigging was snaked down with hawsers to stop -it flying away if severed, and extra protection, in the shape of -tightly rolled-up canvas awnings, thick enough to stop a substantial -shell-splinter, was improvised round the bridge and fire-control -positions up aloft. - -Fire, first-aid, and stretcher parties were told off and organised, and -everything was done, beyond the final wetting of decks, to make the -ship ready for immediate action, and to lessen the chances of damage to -vessel or men through fire or fragments of flying debris almost as -dangerous as the shell-splinters themselves. - -Surgical bags containing bandages, dressings, splints, and tourniquets -were placed ready to hand in all the gun positions in case men were -wounded; morphia tabloids were served out to all the officers of -quarters for administration to badly injured men; while the fleet -surgeon and Cutting, the 'young doctor,' saw to the gruesome implements -of their profession, and caused the operating-table to be transferred -from the sick-bay to a convenient site behind armour on the lower deck. - -Tickle's cabin was next to the 'young doc's' in Rogues' Alley, as it -was called; and, happening to go below during the forenoon, he noticed -Cutting through the half-drawn curtain busy with a chamois leather and -an array of murderous-looking knives, probes, and forceps laid out on -his bunk. - -'Hallo, Sawbones!' he remarked, putting his head inside; 'I see you've -got all your ironmongery out. Think you're going to have something to -do at last--eh?' - -'Hallo, Toby! That you? Come inside and have a look. I've an excellent -line in cutlery, guaranteed to kill or cure while you wait. What d'you -think of that?' He held out a horrible-looking knife with a thin curved -blade. - -'Ugh!' shuddered Tickle. 'Take the beastly thing away! What d'you do -with it?' - -'Cut, my dear chap,' the doctor gloated. 'One sharp snick like -that'--and he gave the blade a downward jerk, and clicked suggestively -with his tongue--'and then we get to work and remove--er--anything you -like. Ripping little thing, isn't it?' he laughed. 'This,' the medico -continued, laying the knife down and picking up a probe and a pair of -forceps, 'is what we use for feeling for a bit of shell inside a chap, -and this is what we fish it out with. Quite simply done. Topping little -operation to watch.' - -'You bloodthirsty little blighter!' Tickle ejaculated. - -'Bloodthirsty! Why, it's my job, isn't it? We hardly ever get a chance -of doing any decent operations in peace, worse luck!' he added -regretfully; 'your sailors are so disgustingly healthy; and if they do -get really ill and promise to be interesting cases, they're packed -straight off to hospital. Sickening, I call it!' - -'M'yes, that's true, I suppose,' Tickle agreed, smiling. 'Look here, -though, doc; if you ever have to--er--extract a bit of shell or other -foreign substance from my anatomy, look out you don't chuck it away. I -want to keep it as a relic.' - -Cutting grinned. 'Right-o, Toby; I'll see to it. Now you'd better clear -out of here, young fellow, and get on with your work. I'm busy, and I'm -sure you ought to be.' - -Tickle departed. - - -III. - -The marine postman, who should have been off at eight o'clock, was -delayed, and did not come on board with the mails and Sunday papers for -the ship's company until nearly noon. But when he did finally turn up -he was nearly carried off his feet by the rush of men. - -''Ere, posty!' shouted some one, 'got my _Dispatch_?' - -'Wot abart my _Lloyd's_ and _People_?' roared another man, elbowing his -way through the throng. - -'Ain't ye got my _Reynolds's?_' from somebody else. - -'Oh, go to 'ell!' retorted the exasperated marine, vainly endeavouring -to make his way forward through the crowd with a large leather satchel -slung over his shoulder and three bulbous mail-bags on his back. 'Oh, -go to 'ell, the 'ole boilin' lot o' you! Orl in good time! 'Aven't none -o' you blokes got no patience?' He was annoyed, poor man, and had every -right to be, for he had gone breakfastless, and the mail, arriving -late, had delayed him many hours. - -'Well, tell us th' noos!' some one bellowed above the uproar. - -'Noos!' he replied. 'Germany's declared war on Russia, an' all the -naval reserves an' pensioners is called out! Wot more d'you want?' - -It was quite sufficient; enough, indeed, to reduce a good many of them -to a state of excited incoherence. It seemed practically impossible -that Great Britain could keep out of the conflict; and, though -throughout the ship the general feeling was one of warlike joy, it was -tempered here and there by a touch of subdued solemnity. The mail -despatched the same evening constituted a 'bloomin' record,' as the -long-suffering postman put it, for every officer and man on board had -spent the afternoon in writing letters. - -'I know'd my feelin's 'u'd come true,' remarked M'Sweeny in his mess -during supper. 'I know'd this 'ere wus comin' orl along. I know'd yer -wus wrong, Josh.' He wagged his head wisely, and looked at Billings, -who was sitting opposite. - -'Don't start chawin' yer fat, Tubby,' Joshua retorted. 'Things is quite -bad enuf without yer makin' of 'em worse.' He was feeling rather -peevish and irritable. He was thinking of his wife, and wondered -vaguely when he was likely to see her again. - -''Owever,' he added, putting down his fork with a throaty sigh, 'I -don't much care wot 'appens now so long as we 'as a decent smack at -them blighters. I owes 'em one fur gittin' me bloomin' leaf stopped, -an', by gum, they'll git it w'en I runs acrost 'em!' He glared savagely -at the man opposite as if he, too, was a potential enemy. - -''Ear, 'ear!' shouted another man, banging heavily on the table. -'Them's my feelin's.' - -'There, there, me boy-o!' snapped M'Sweeny. 'W'en ye've finished -upsettin' me tea, Mister Jones, I'll git along wi' me supper, thankin' -yer orl the same. Them bloomin' Germans can wait. Supper carn't.' - -''Ark at 'im,' jeered 'Mister Jones.' 'Just 'ark at him! Allus worryin' -abart 'is vittles!' - -'An' why shouldn't 'e?' suddenly demanded Billings, veering round and -taking M'Sweeny's part. 'Better ter be a well-covered bloke like 'im -than a lop-eared, spindle-shanked son of a perishin' light'ouse like -you. It makes me feel 'ungry ter look at yer.' - -Both M'Sweeny and Jones promptly became covered in confusion; for, -whereas the former's adiposity was his sore point, Jones was as touchy -on the subject of his excessive leanness. - -That same night, or, rather, early the next morning, they had their -first alarm. The immaculate Aubrey Plantagenet FitzJohnson happened -to be the officer of the middle watch--midnight till four A.M.--and -at two-thirty, having absorbed two large cups of hot cocoa and -half-a-dozen tongue sandwiches, he was sauntering up and down the -silent quarterdeck, pipe in mouth, and longing for his bunk. It was -chilly for the time of year. There was no moon, and though here and -there stars peeped out between rifts in the clouds moving down from -windward on the gentle breeze, the sky generally was overcast and the -night was dark. - -Quite suddenly the silence was broken by the sound of footsteps running -along the boat-deck. Next came the clattering of a ladder and a muffled -exclamation as some one fell down the last few steps and landed -painfully on the deck, and then the footsteps advanced on to the -quarterdeck. Whoever it was was evidently in great haste. FitzJohnson -turned round. - -'I wants th' orficer o' th' watch,' he heard an agitated voice telling -the quartermaster. 'Where is 'e?' - -'Here I am. What's the matter? Who's that?' - -'It's me, sir--Grimes, ord'nary signalman,' the man panted -breathlessly. 'Please, sir, th' yeoman o' th' watch on th' bridge told -me to tell you there's a Zeppeling comin' over th' 'ill!' - -'A Zeppelin coming over the hill!' the officer echoed, in astonishment, -half-suspecting that some one was pulling his leg. 'What the devil -d'you mean, my man?' - -'It's gawspul truth, sir. 'E's burnin' lights, an' me an' th' yeoman -saw 'im quite plain.' - -Grimes was obviously in earnest, and the lieutenant did not wait to -hear any more. He crammed his cap firmly on his head, darted from the -quarterdeck, ran up the ladder leading to the after shelter-deck, sped -along the boat-deck, barking both shins badly as he went, and finally -clambered up the ladder leading to the fore-bridge, breathless and limp -with excitement. 'Where is it?' he gasped. - -'Over there on the port bow, sir!' answered an equally agitated yeoman -of signals, busy with a pair of binoculars. 'D'ye see where that 'ump -sticks up on top o' the 'ill, sir?' - -'Yes!' - -'There's a bit o' dark cloud on top of it, and just to the left, sir. -'E's be'ind that now. We'll see 'im agen in a minute w'en the cloud -passes.' - -They both gazed at it anxiously, and presently the mass of vapour -thinned and drifted away on the light breeze. - -'There, sir!' exclaimed the yeoman, triumphantly waving an arm. 'See -'im now, sir? 'E seems to 'ave altered course to port a bit since I -see'd 'im first; but 'e's there all right. See 'is lights, sir!' - -The man was quite right; for, looking in the direction indicated, the -lieutenant distinctly saw in the sky a bright white light, with, just -below and to the left of it, a green light They both seemed to be -moving rapidly in a north-easterly direction, and looked for all the -world like the steaming and starboard bow lights of a ship suspended in -mid-air. He snatched the glasses from the yeoman's hand and looked -intently through them. Yes, the white and green lights were quite -distinct. They seemed to twinkle as he watched them, and behind them -there appeared to be a dark phantom shape rushing through the sky. A -Zeppelin, without a shadow of doubt. - -Dashing down the glasses with an exclamation, he fled from the bridge -as if Satan himself was after him, and running aft, hastily told the -marine corporal of the watch to turn out twenty marines with their -rifles and ball ammunition, and then to inform Captain Hannibal Chance, -R.M.L.I., that a Zeppelin was in sight. - -Aubrey P. FitzJohnson was no fool. Not he. He knew that hostilities had -not started, but he had read enough history to be aware that hostile -acts had frequently been committed before actual declaration of war. -Moreover, he was officer of the watch, and as such was responsible -for the safety of the ship, and it would never do if he were to be -caught napping by a bomb-dropping dirigible. Therefore he must take -precautions. There were no anti-aircraft guns mounted in the -_Belligerent_, so the next best thing which occurred to him was twenty -marines with their rifles. He might just as well have paraded five -thousand schoolboys armed with catapults or pea-shooters, for all the -good they could do. - -A few seconds later he was knocking frantically on the door of the -commander's upper-deck sleeping-cabin. - -'Who's making that infernal din?' growled the sleepy occupant, waking -up with a start. 'What the devil d'you want?' The commander, poor man, -had had a long and busy day, and was inclined to be irritable. - -'It's me, sir--FitzJohnson,' the lieutenant exclaimed, putting his head -inside the curtain. 'There's a Zeppelin in sight!' - -'A _what_!' ejaculated Commander Travers, sitting up in his bunk and -switching on the electric light. - -'A Zeppelin, sir. I saw her quite distinctly. She's on our port bow, -steering to the north-east'ard, and travelling pretty fast. You can see -her from the fore-bridge. I've turned out twenty marines with their -rifles!' - -The commander glared at him for an instant, and seeing he was in -earnest, hopped out of his bunk, crammed his feet into a pair of rubber -sea-boots, flung on a purple dressing-gown, and dashed out of his -cabin. 'You'd better go and call the captain,' he cried back over his -shoulder. - -Captain Spencer, who had been sleeping soundly, was at first inclined -to be sceptical and annoyed; but, convinced from FitzJohnson's manner -that an airship really was in sight, he too left his bunk, and, arrayed -in a suit of green-striped pyjamas and a uniform cap, joined the -commander on the fore-bridge. - -The marines meanwhile, in various stages of deshabille, were mustering -on the quarterdeck under the orders of their imperturbable -sergeant-major. - -'Have you served out ball ammunition?' FitzJohnson demanded. - -'Yessir; five rounds a man.' - -'Well, double your men on to the forecastle, load your rifles, and -stand by to open fire as soon as you get orders.' - -'Party! 'shon! Trail arrms! Left turn! Double marrch!' - -At that moment Captain Chance appeared up one of the quarterdeck -ladders. He was wearing a uniform tunic, pink pyjama trousers, -dancing-pumps, and a monocle. 'What the dooce is happenin'?' he wanted -to know. 'That damfool of a corporal came down to my cabin; but the -silly ass was so bally excited, I couldn't make head or tail of what he -was talkin' about. For the Lord's sake, old man, what the devil is the -matter?' - -'There's a Zeppelin in sight,' FitzJohnson told him. 'I've just sent -the marines on to the forecastle.' - -'Great Caesar's aunt!' gasped the marine officer, running forward after -his men. - -The quartermaster, boatswain's mate, corporal of the watch, and -Ordinary Signalman Grimes, meanwhile, had spread the news far and wide. -Officers in scanty raiment, armed with binoculars, came up the -after-hatches and congregated on the quarterdeck; and most of the -ship's company, determined not to miss the fun, seemed to have left -their hammocks and repaired to the upper deck. It was literally crowded -with excited men, who were all talking at the top of their voices. - -'There 'e is!' FitzJohnson heard a shrill voice saying as he retraced -his footsteps to the bridge. 'See 'im?' - -'Where?' - -'There!' - -'No, that ain't 'im. That's one o' them lights ashore.' - -'No, it ain't; not wot I'm lookin' at!' - -'I tells yer it is!' - -'It ain't, I sez. Ye're lookin' at th' wrong one!' - -FitzJohnson eventually arrived on the bridge, to find the captain, the -commander, and the first lieutenant already there. The last-named -seemed to be rather amused. - -'You can fall your men out, Captain Chance,' Captain Spencer called out -to the forecastle. 'I'm afraid there's nothing for you to shoot at -to-night.' - -'I beg your pardon, sir,' said FitzJohnson, coming forward. 'Did you -see the Zeppelin? There, sir,' he added, waving an arm; 'you can still -see her green and white lights; and when I looked through the glasses -just now I distinctly saw her shape.' He was rather afraid that the -marines were being sent away prematurely. - -Chase, the first lieutenant, unable to bottle himself up any longer, -burst out into a hoarse chuckle. - -The captain turned round. 'Is that you, Mr FitzJohnson?' he snapped. - -'Yes, sir. I'---- - -'Are you trying to make damfools of the commander and myself?' demanded -Captain Spencer. He seemed very much put out about something. - -'I beg your pardon, sir,' stuttered the lieutenant. 'I don't quite -understand what you mean.' - -The commander suddenly flung back his head, and went off into a roar of -laughter. 'Oh,' he gasped, 'this is the limit!' - -FitzJohnson stared. Had they all taken leave of their senses? - -'Did you really see a Zeppelin,' the skipper asked sarcastically, 'or -did you merely get me up here in these garments so that I should catch -my death of cold?' - -'Yes, sir, I really did see it,' the lieutenant faltered, beginning to -realise that he had made some horrible mistake. - -'What! showing its white and green lights?' - -'Yes, sir.' - -The captain glowered. 'I believe you're a zealous officer, Mr -FitzJohnson,' he said grimly; 'otherwise I should believe that you were -treating me with unseemly levity.' - -'I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean, sir.' - -'You don't understand--eh? Well, next time you report a Zeppelin, -kindly make quite certain that it is a Zeppelin. This time you've -dragged us all out of our beds to look at a couple of rather bright -stars.' - -'Stars, sir! But I saw the shape behind the lights!' - -The captain shook his head. 'Merely a cloud,' he explained. 'If you -look at your so-called lights now, you'll see they haven't moved a -fraction of an inch since you first saw them. The nearer clouds -travelling across them gave you the impression that they were moving. -One of 'em does look rather like a green light, I'll admit, but that's -merely the dampness in the air.' - -'I'm awfully sorry, sir,' FitzJohnson stammered, covered with -confusion. 'I had no idea'---- - -'Of course you hadn't,' Captain Spencer interrupted. 'Nobody realises -he's made a fool of himself until afterwards. However,' he added with a -chuckle of amusement, 'I'm not really angry; but nobody, except perhaps -the Astronomer-Royal, likes being dragged out of bed to look at -celestial bodies. Good-night.' - -'Good-night, sir,' said the culprit sheepishly. - -The captain and the commander left the bridge together. They both -seemed amused. - -Chase came across to FitzJohnson. 'Dook, old man,' he laughed, digging -him in the ribs, 'you've made a bally ass of yourself. The least you -can do, after digging me out of my cabin at this unearthly hour, is to -give me a cup of your cocoa. Grr, it's beastly cold!' - -'Of course I will, No. 1. Come along.' - -They left the bridge chuckling. - -'Well,' remarked the yeoman of signals when they disappeared, 'I could -'a swore I'd seen 'im!' - -Perhaps he could; but he, the cause of all the trouble in the first -instance, had taken very good care to maintain a discreet position in -the background during the captain's presence. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -WAR. - - -I. - -Dinner in the wardroom had been over for some time, and the long table -in the centre of the apartment was cleared. The mess, though it was -close on ten o'clock, seemed very full of officers, far more crowded -than on ordinary evenings, and it was noticeable that all wore -'monkey-jackets'--the ordinary eight-buttoned reefer coats usually seen -in the daytime--instead of the customary mess-jackets, low waistcoats, -and starched white shirts. - -The unusual size of the gathering was accounted for partly by the fact -that it happened to be the evening of 4th August 1914, when people were -expecting things to happen, and partly because a six-inch gun casemate, -which ordinarily served as an officers' smoking-room, had been bereft -of its furniture, supplied with a number of evil-looking shell, and had -otherwise been converted to the grim legitimate function for which it -had originally been intended--that is, as an armoured position for the -gun and its crew. - -Pipes and cigarettes were going full blast, and the air in the wardroom -was blue with tobacco-smoke. A few of the occupants were seated in -arm-chairs or on the sofas, re-reading the morning papers or -assimilating the latest news from the early evening editions, which had -arrived with the last post at eight o'clock. But by far the greater -number were arguing and talking loudly, as was their habit. - -The mess itself looked rather bare, for pictures had vanished from the -bulkheads, and the carpet, the piano, and certain other not strictly -necessary articles of furniture had disappeared. They had gone the way -of a good many other things--ashore out of harm's way, where their -presence could not be the cause of possible fires or splinters. Less -than a fortnight later, however, the younger members of the mess were -all clamouring for the return of the piano. They couldn't have their -sing-songs without it, they explained--which was perfectly true. -Moreover, they said, they were sick unto death of Peter Wooten's -bagpipes, the _padre's_ banjo, and Boyle's penny whistle, the only -other musical instruments in the mess; and so, after some discussion, -the piano came back, like the landlady's cat. The cabins, too, were -practically gutted. FitzJohnson, who loved comfort, nearly wept when he -entered his. His silk hangings and curtains, pictures, and photographs -had been torn ruthlessly from their fastenings and sent ashore. They -had filched his carpet and his chest of drawers. A score or so of -exquisite striped shirts, many suits of plain clothes, his uniform full -dress, frock-coats, and mess-jackets, which fitted his figure like a -glove, and shore-going boots of all kinds, shapes, and colours, had -been packed up in a box and sent to his long-suffering outfitter's for -storage. Little had been left him beyond his shallow bath, the drawers -under the bunk, a bookcase containing the King's Regulations and -Admiralty Instructions, the Addenda thereto, and a washstand. -Everything else seemed to have gone. He complained bitterly, poor -fellow, for his exquisite soul rebelled at this wholesale desecration. - -The general atmosphere in the wardroom was by no means gloomy or sad. -On the contrary, every one seemed to be bubbling over with good -spirits. In some cases, perhaps, the hilarity was a trifle forced, for -when folk realise that war is practically inevitable they think they -must appear to be cheerful whatever their personal feelings may be. As -a consequence, they sometimes overdo it. But there were no signs of -depression; neither did one see the fierce aspect, tightly shut mouth, -puckered brow, and general 'do or die' appearance usually associated -with the eve of hostilities by sensational writers. They all knew that -the chances were fully 100 to 1 that they were about to take part in -the greatest struggle the world had ever known. Germany was already at -war with Russia; Teuton troops had violated the neutrality of Luxemburg -and Belgium, and had crossed the French frontier at various points; so -it seemed impossible that Great Britain could refrain from joining in -the conflict. - -Ever since the early afternoon things had been humming. Urgent -telegrams in cipher and wireless signals in code, the purport whereof -was unknown to any but the senior officers, had been pouring in all -day. Steam for full speed had been raised, and the ships were ready to -move at an instant's notice; while Captain Spencer had been on board -the flagship during the afternoon, and was away for a very long time. -But not till afterwards did any of them know that the British ultimatum -had already been handed to Germany. - -Nobody was anything but cheerful. Their loyalty to their king, their -anxiety to fight and overcome in a just cause, and, if need be, their -readiness to die could not be expressed in mere words. There was no -necessity for it. They took all that as a matter of course. They had -been brought up to the idea ever since they had joined the service, so -why talk about it? - -Cashley, the fleet paymaster, was vainly endeavouring to get up a four -at auction bridge. 'What about it, _padre_?' he asked. 'Going to take a -hand?' - -His reverence, deep in the _Globe_, looked up. 'Bridge,' he said, -shaking his head; 'not to-night, Pay; thanks, all the same.' - -'What about you, No. 1?' - -'Can't be done, Pay. Too busy, I'm afraid.' - -'Busy! You're not busy now?' - -Chase laughed. 'It's all jolly well for you to talk,' he answered -good-naturedly. 'You've the prospect of a night in your bunk. I may be -dragged out at any time to get the anchor up if we go to sea. Besides, -the sailors are at night defence stations, and it's my morning watch. -Heigho! it's jolly nigh time I turned in.' He glanced up at the clock. - -'Won't any one play bridge?' the fleet paymaster inquired plaintively, -looking round. 'The night's still young.' - -All the usual habitues of the game shook their heads in dissent. - -'This isn't an evening for bridge at all,' chipped in the -engineer-commander disapprovingly, looking up over the edge of his -paper. 'We don't want to be like Nero, fiddling while Rome burnt.' - -'What bunkum you talk, chief!' retorted Cashley. 'Because we're going -to war is no reason why we shouldn't have a little innocent amusement. -What about Drake and his game of bowls on Plymouth Hoe?' - -'That yarn's all rot!' said the engineer-commander. 'I know it's quoted -in all the history books; but I don't believe it's true, all the same.' - -'And I,' said Chase, knocking out his pipe, 'would most respectfully -submit, my dear Pay, that the defeat of the Spanish Armada took place -in Anno Domini 1588.' - -'And what the deuce has that got to do with it?' - -'Merely that such things as wireless telegraphy, submarines, and -destroyers steaming thirty-five knots weren't invented when Sir Francis -served in the Home Fleet under Lord Howard of Effingham.' - -'Well,' Cashley observed with a sigh, seeing his efforts were quite -futile, 'I'm sure bridge wasn't invented in Drake's time either, or -he'd have taken to the game at once. It's an excellent stimulant for -one's brain. However, since you're all so mouldy, I suppose I must hie -me to the fastnesses of my apartment and turn in. Good-night, -everybody.' He left the wardroom and closed the door behind him. - -'Poor old Pay!' the first lieutenant remarked with a yawn; 'he's so -devilish keen on his bridge. This is the first evening he's not had it -for weeks, and the old dear misses it. However, I shall follow his most -excellent example by retiring to my cabin.--Peter, old son,' he added, -kicking the senior watch-keeper gently as he sprawled in an arm-chair, -'you're keeping the middle watch at the guns, aren't you?' - -'I am, No. 1,' Wooten nodded. 'What of it?' - -'Be a good chap, and have me called if war's declared, if any one fires -a torpedo at us, or if you sight another Zeppelin.' He winked slyly at -FitzJohnson. 'Also, at ten minutes to four; and tell the messenger to -drag me out of bed. If you love me very much, Peter boy, you can have a -nice cup of hot cocoa waiting for me when I come up.' - -Peter rose from his chair and blinked sleepily. 'My love for you, No. -1' he declared with great gravity, making a low bow with his hand on -his heart, 'has long since passed its platonic stage. I will prepare -your cocoa with mine own fair hands, and would even embrace your chaste -cheek before you retire to your couch.' He stretched out his arms and -advanced. - -'Touch me if you dare, varlet!' Chase exclaimed, avoiding him neatly, -and darting to the door.--'Well, s'long, all you chaps; sleep well' He -paused with the door open.--'I say, Dook, old man!' - -FitzJohnson looked up. - -'If you see another Zep, old bird, you might take a photo of it. -There's a camera in my cabin.' He vanished, chuckling. - -Some time after eleven P.M., when the wardroom had been closed for the -night and the officers had retired to their cabins, the sound of -frantic cheering suddenly echoed out over the water. It came from the -direction of the flagship; and Tickle, the officer of the watch in the -_Belligerent_, paused in his perambulation. It could only mean one -thing. - -Ten minutes later he was reading his Majesty's message to Sir John -Jellicoe, the Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet: - -'At this grave moment in our national history, I send to you, and -through you to the officers and men of the fleet of which you have -assumed command, the assurance of my confidence that under your -direction they will revive and renew the glories of the Royal Navy, and -prove once again the sure shield of Britain and her Empire in her hour -of trial.' - -'And a jolly fine message, too,' Tickle muttered to himself. 'God bless -him!' - -Almost simultaneously came the official intimation that a state of war -existed between Great Britain and Germany as from eleven P.M. on 4th -August. The news spread like wildfire, and the 'Belligerents,' not to -be outdone, left their hammocks _en masse_, crowded on the upper deck, -and gave vent to their pent-up feelings and enthusiasm in volley after -volley of cheers. They were quite irrepressible, and before very long -the 'squeegee band,'[29] composed of two drums, a dozen fifes, many -mouth-organs, and an unholy number of mess kettles and other noisy -utensils, was marching round the deck making the night hideous. The -noise did not cease till well after midnight. - - [29] Most ships, even those carrying proper musicians, have a - home-made band formed by the men themselves. It always goes - by the name of the 'squeegee band,' though why I cannot say. - -War had come. - - -II. - -The chaplain leant back in his chair with a yawn, knocked out and -refilled his pipe, lit it, and then gazed wearily and with great -distaste at the pile of letters and post-cards on the table in front of -him. He, Peter Wooten, the senior watch-keeper, and Hannibal Chance, -the captain of marines, were the three officers whose unenviable duty -it was to censor all the outgoing private correspondence of the -officers and men. As a rule they took the days in turn; but on -Saturdays and Sundays, when the men had had more time to themselves and -more opportunities for writing, the mail bound London-wards assumed -colossal proportions, and all three censors had to buckle to to get the -work done in time. To-day happened to be a Sunday, and his reverence -had retired to his cabin after tea with a bag full of letters and -post-cards to be read through before he took his evening service at six -o'clock. Wooten and Chance were in their respective apartments doing -the same. - -It was a dismal job at the best of times, this prying into other -people's private correspondence, and the _padre_, for one, hated -it. But he realised it was necessary. The censorship had been enforced -from the very outbreak of hostilities; and though letters could be -written, provided they were presented unsealed, post-cards seemed more -fashionable. They were examined, stamped 'Passed by Ship's Censor,' and -then despatched in sealed bags to the G.P.O., London, whence they were -forwarded to their destinations. Sealed letters, uncensored, could also -be sent in the ordinary way; but these were subject to considerable -delay in transmission, and were not very popular. They could, moreover, -be examined at any time if considered at all suspicious. The movements -of the fleet or of individual ships, and details of other vital matters -which might be of use to the ever-inquisitive Hun, were rigidly taboo. -The restrictions, sweeping as they were, did away at one fell swoop -with practically all the subject-matter for an ordinary peace-time -communication; but in spite of it officers and men found plenty to -write about, and plenty of people to write to. Long-forgotten -grandmothers, aunts, female cousins, and other people's sisters seemed -to have come up to the scratch in a most extraordinary way, and those -men who had few friends and relations, and whose correspondence was -limited in ordinary times to perhaps one letter a month, now received -and wrote three or four a week. Very nice for the men, no doubt, to be -able to feel that those at home took an interest in their welfare, but -rather trying for the censors in a ship with a company of eight to nine -hundred souls. - -Taking up his blue pencil, the _padre_ selected a missive from the -pile in front of him. It was from FitzJohnson, and was addressed to his -outfitter: - - 'DEAR SIR,--I shall be much obliged if you will kindly send me as - soon as possible one pair of uniform trousers, one pair of patent - leather evening pumps, and one uniform cap, size 6-7/8. The last - monkey-jacket I had from you a week ago I am returning for - alteration. It is rather tight across the'---- - -Having got thus far, his reverence inserted the letter in its envelope, -moistened the flap with a small sponge, and then dabbed at it with a -large rubber stamp and pushed it aside. It was 'passed' all right; but -he vaguely wondered what on earth the Dook proposed to do with -dancing-pumps on board a battleship in time of war. - -The next missive, a post-card, written by some one to his wife, was -slightly more exciting: - - 'MY DEAR WIFE,--a p.-c. to let you know that I am still alright, - dear, hoping you and the children are the same dear. received your - letter alright dear and I was pleased to hear that you are getting - on alright also the children. well, Darling, I am sending you the - flannel dear hope you will get it alright. I hope you get my - Post-cards regular. I see by your letter you have not got any yet. - let me know if you have got the money yet dear if not I will send - you a letter to copy out and send for it it will be quite alright - dear. let me know as soon as possible Dear. so now with love to you - dear and the children with many kisses from your loving husband, - - 'BERT.' - -The _padre_ chuckled, stamped the affectionate and strangely punctuated -effusion, and passed on to the next. - -It was a letter from one of the sub-lieutenants to his aunt Janet--a -rich Aunt Janet, judging from the letter. He thanked her affectionately -for one pound of peppermints, a beautiful knitted muffler, and a pair -of mittens, and assured her that they would keep him as warm as toast -during the rigours of the coming winter. And did Aunt Janet know of any -place where one could buy cheap but reliable vacuum flasks to hold a -quart, and a decent pair of six-power prism binoculars? He had broken -his own, he said, but had heard that those made by Messrs Ross of -Cockspur Street, London, were very good. He was not quite certain, -however, and would like to have her advice before buying them. He added -one or two bloodthirsty remarks about Huns, remarks calculated to -reduce the good lady to a state of considerable alarm if she was at all -inclined to be timid, furnished the information that he was as fit as a -fiddle, and remained her loving nephew. - -The censor smiled, remembered that the young officer in question had -written to numerous other ladies thanking them for winter comforts, and -asked himself how many mufflers, mittens, balaclava helmets, body -belts, and pairs of socks the sub really possessed. They must run into -dozens. - -He stamped and sealed the letter, took the next envelope which came to -hand, but, having read a few lines of its contents, frowned: - - 'DERE WIFE'--it ran--'i hope this finds you as it leaves me. we - have had a terrible time, and last week we had a fierce and bloody - battle in the North sea with the Germans, sinking many of them and - some of ours likewise was sunk and many brave lads killed, we come - back into harbour with the mainmast gorn and the funnels nearly - falling down with the holes in them the ship was a terrible sight - and the skipper was wounded bad but still fought on, the commander - was killed and 40 men likewise the engineer commander and the chief - pusser wot was in the sick bay at the time. Our ship done gallant - and our decks running in blood i am alright and did not suffer a - scratch but still feel the strain it was awful and now dere wife - goodbye and many kisses from your loving husband - - TED.' - -The _Belligerent_, to the great disgust of her ship's company, had not -as yet been in action, while every one of her officers and men was -still very much alive and kicking. The whole letter was a tissue of -lies from beginning to end, and what had induced the man to write it, -or had led him to imagine that the censors would pass it, the _padre_ -could not think. He glanced through the bloodthirsty missive again, -picked up the envelope and looked at the address, and then stretched -out a hand and pressed an electric bell-push. - -'I want to see Stoker Walley of No. 67 mess,' he said when a bluejacket -messenger answered his ring. - -Ten minutes later there came a knock at the door. 'Did ye send for -Stoker Walley, surr?' inquired a voice. - -'Yes,' said the _padre_ wearily. 'Come inside, Walley.' - -The stoker, a burly fellow six feet tall, and broad in proportion, -removed his cap, entered gingerly, and stood strictly to attention. He -was unused to being invited into officers' cabins. - -'Did you write this letter to your wife, Walley? the chaplain asked, -picking up the offending missive. - -'Oi did, surr,' said the man, not the least abashed. - -'Don't you know that the censorship regulations forbid you to say -anything about the movements of ships or what they're doing?' - -'Oi do, surr. But what Oi've put in me letter isn't what's been -happenin', surr.' He was perfectly correct in his statement, for what -he had written was nothing but the wildest fiction. - -The _padre_ smiled. 'No,' he remarked, turning round in his chair and -looking up at him, 'I dare say it isn't true. But doesn't it strike -you, Walley, that you're doing a very wrong thing in writing like this? -The letter's a falsehood from beginning to end.' - -'Oi didn't mean no harm, surr,' the stoker protested, rather puzzled. - -'No, perhaps not. Have you ever heard of the Defence of the Realm Act?' - -'Oi have not, surr.' - -'Well, I believe the Act lays it down that any one spreading false -information is liable to a very severe penalty. You don't want to be -punished, do you?' - -'Oi do not, surr,' said Walley stolidly, quite unable to understand how -he had offended. 'Oi've never been a defaulter since I joined the -navy.' - -'You'll soon get into trouble if you write letters like this,' the -_padre_ observed grimly. 'Suppose I took this one to the captain, -and asked him to read it? I think you'd find he would regard it as a -very serious offence.' - -'Oi'm sorry, surr, if Oi've done wrong, surr,' the stoker answered, -nervously fidgeting with his cap. 'Oi only wrote a bit of a yarn like -t' amuse the missis.' - -'To amuse your wife!' ejaculated the chaplain. 'Surely, surely your -wife must be feeling a little anxious about you?' - -'P'r'aps, surr. Oi don't rightly know,' admitted the culprit. 'P'r'aps -she is a bit anxious like, surr.' - -'Of course she is, Walley. Any woman is bound to be anxious with her -husband at sea in war-time. Tell me now, truthfully, do you really -think that a letter like this will make her feel any less anxious? You -go into gruesome details of a fight at sea which has never taken place, -and expect her to be--er--amused. 'Pon my soul, I've never heard of -such a thing.' - -'Oi'm sorry, surr. Oi didn't mean no harm.' - -The chaplain sighed. 'Well,' he pointed out, 'I consider you acted very -wrongly in writing this letter at all; and besides that, you're being -very unfair to your wife. After all, she deserves a little -consideration--what?' - -'Ye haven't seen me wife, surr,' said the stoker. 'She likes a bit of -excitement now and then.' - -The chaplain got rather annoyed. 'I dare say she does,' he answered; -'but that is no excuse for your sending her a letter which is nothing -but a pack of lies. Now look here, Walley,' he added very sternly, 'if -I took this matter forward you would find yourself in serious trouble. -I don't want that to happen, though, so I'll tear it up; but you must -promise me faithfully you'll never write a letter like this again. Will -you promise?' - -'Oi will, surr,' said the man, looking genuinely frightened. 'Thankin' -ye very much all the same, surr.' - -The censor tore the letter into minute fragments and dropped it into -the waste-paper basket. 'There,' he said, 'that's the last you'll hear -of it, Walley; but don't let it occur again. You can keep the envelope, -and if you're quick you'll just have time to write another letter -before the mail leaves. No horrors this time, mind. Tell your wife -you're well and happy, and all that sort of thing. D'you understand?' - -'Oi do, surr,' the stoker replied sheepishly, taking the envelope. -'Thank ye, surr.' He left the cabin. - -'Heigho!' yawned the _padre_, resuming his unwelcome occupation; -'I've been in the service for seven years, but it seems I don't -understand the men yet. I wonder if I ever shall!' He often asks -himself the same question. - - -III. - -'I'm fed up wi' this 'ere war!' exclaimed Pincher Martin, flinging away -the fag-end of a cigarette with a petulant gesture. 'It's bin goin' on -fur over four bloomin' months, an' we ain't see'd a ruddy thing yet!' - -'Th' way some o' you blokes talks makes me fair sick,' Able Seaman -Billings retorted. 'S'pose yer 'ad see'd somethin', as yer calls it, -yer might 'ave lost th' number o' yer mess. W'y carn't yer be content -wi' wot ye've got? That's wot I wants ter know.' - -Pincher snorted. 'Content wi' wot I've got!' he jeered. ''Ow kin I be? -I reckons I wants ter fight, same as other blokes.' - -Joshua laughed. ''Ark at th' little cock-sparrer!' he said, turning to -M'Sweeny. 'Did ye 'ear wot 'e sed, Tubby?' - -'I did, chum,' agreed M'Sweeny severely, sucking hard at a particularly -evil-smelling pipe. ''E sez 'e wants ter fight, an' I reckons 'e'll git -orl 'e wants afore long. We'll all git more'n we wants in th' way o' -fightin' afore we've finished this 'ere war. Them Germans ain't fools.' - -'Don't yer want ter fight yerself, Tubby?' Pincher inquired. - -M'Sweeny thought for a moment. 'Carn't say 'xactly as 'ow I don't, -Pincher, an' carn't say as 'ow I does.' - -'Wot yer jine th' navy fur else?' - -'Jine the navy! W'y, I jines th' navy 'cos I thought it wus a good -perfession.' - -'Fightin' perfession,' Pincher supplemented. - -'Yus; but yer don't seem t' understand wot I means,' Tubby explained. -'It's like this 'ere. I don't mind fightin' if it comes ter fightin'; -but I sez that any bloke wot sez 'e likes it arter 'e's once 'ad it is -a bloomin' liar. I ain't afraid o' them Germans,' he added. 'I ain't -afraid o' any one wot I knows of; but I sez war's a norrible thing.' - -'An' so it is,' agreed Joshua. 'You wait till yer 'as yer fu'st little -bu'st up, Pincher; yer won't want another fur a bit. It's orl right ter -talk th' same as yer do, but yer don't know wot it's like same as me -an' Tubby.' - -'But you an' Tubby ain't never bin in action,' Pincher protested. - -'No, we ain't,' said Billings. 'But we ain't 'ot-'eaded young blokes -same as you. We thinks abart things, an' looks at things more serious -like. We doesn't mind fightin' w'en it comes; but we ain't anxious ter -fight 'cos we likes it--see? I reckons no bloke really does, an' them -as talks most gen'rally does least w'en it comes ter th' time. Me an' -Tubby 'as seen things you 'aven't,' he added; 'so we two knows wot -we're talkin' abart.' - -M'Sweeny gave an assenting nod. - -''Ow d'yer mean?' Pincher wanted to know. 'Wot is it ye've seen wot I -ain't?' - -'I'll tell yer,' said Billings.--'Tubby, d'yer remember that 'ere gun -explosion we 'ad w'en me an' you wus shipmates up th' Straits?' - -'Yus, I do, chum.' - -'Explosion! 'Ow did it 'appen?' Pincher demanded. 'Spin us th' yarn.' - -'Ain't I spinnin' it as fast as I can?' said Joshua, rather testily. -'Don't be so impatient! Well, we 'ad our six-inch guns in that ship in -casemates like we've got 'ere. Yer knows wot a casemate is, don't yer?' - -Pincher did not condescend to reply. - -'Well, they wus firin' at th' time, an' somethin' 'appened, an' a -cartridge hexploded afore th' breech o' th' gun was properly closed.' -Joshua paused. - -'An' wot 'appened?' - -'There was an 'ell of an explosion an' a big flare up, an' four blokes -belongin' ter th' gun wus blowed sky-'igh, an' orl th' others wus badly -messed up. I wus in there soon arter it 'appened. It makes me fair sick -ter think of it.' - -'Wot! blood?' Pincher queried breathlessly. - -'Blood!' Billings sniffed. 'Buckets of it, an' bits o' poor blokes wot -'ad bin breathin' men a few minutes afore plastered orl over th' sides -an' roof. 'Orrors ain't in it. Arms an' legs blowed orf, an' th' 'ole -place drippin' somethin' crool!--Wasn't it, Tubby?' - -'It wus, chum,' M'Sweeny corroborated. - -'I reckons that if ye'd seen that, Pincher, ye'd never say as 'ow ye -likes th' idea o' fightin',' Joshua went on. 'If we goes into action -it'll be somethin' like that, only wuss.' - -'Don't sound good,' Pincher admitted grudgingly. - -'Don't look good neither, w'en bits o' blokes 'as ter be scraped up in -shovels,' said M'Sweeny grimly. 'We ain't frightened o' fightin', me -an' Billings isn't, yer see, but we've see'd things wot you youngsters -'asn't, an' we knows wot it's like.' - -Martin made no reply. - -So, on the whole, their only feelings, after four months of war, were -those of regret and envy--regret because they themselves had not been -in action, envy for those of their comrades who had. They were sorry -for those of their relations and friends who had been killed in action -ashore and afloat, but, like the inscrutable people they were, accepted -their fate in a calm and philosophical spirit which must have seemed -positively callous to any outsider. To people who do not understand -them, however, our seamen always do appear callous. They seem to treat -death in a very casual and light-hearted fashion, due, perhaps, to the -fact that they themselves have stared Him in the face so often that -they have become inured to His presence. Familiarity with danger does -breed contempt for death. - -But yet, in reality, bluejackets are among the kindest-hearted men -alive, and the sight of a howling infant in a street will attract the -hard-earned coppers from their pockets like steel filings to a magnet. -It is said that one child in a certain naval port discovered this -generous trait, and invented a new profession on the strength of it. He -did not beg or whine--did not utter a word, in fact; but, with true -commercial instinct, plastered his face with mud, stationed himself -near the dockyard gates when the libertymen were streaming back to -their ships in the evening, and wept bitterly--merely wept. The -pathetic sight aroused the bluejackets' sympathy and opened their -purse-strings, and at the end of the nightly performance the -youth--aged eight--went home with a cheerful grin and his pockets -bulging with pennies. The game could not go on for long, of course; but -it was a very paying one while it lasted. - -But though Christmas was nearly upon them, and they had never had a -'scrap,' as they termed it, the men secretly revelled in the thought -that they, in common with the remainder of the navy and army, also came -under the category of what to the great British public were 'our -gallant defenders.' Their natural modesty forbade them thinking about -themselves as 'gallant,' 'brave,' or 'heroic,' adjectives which were -sometimes hurled at their heads by people at home. They were merely -doing their ordinary peace-time job, with a few extra dangers thrown in -in the shape of submarines and mines; but they did derive no small -satisfaction in realising that folk at home recognised that they were -doing their bit, and liked to know that a sudden and very overwhelming -interest was being taken in their welfare. Overwhelming in more senses -than one. - -Wives, mothers, aunts, female cousins, sweethearts, and lady friends -seemed to be consoling themselves for the absence at sea of their -husbands, sons, nephews, cousins, 'young men,' and acquaintances by an -orgy of knitting. Avalanches of woollen home-knitted mufflers, -balaclava helmets, mittens, gloves, jerseys, and body-belts, besides -shoals of socks, soon came pouring in by every mail, until every -officer and man in the _Belligerent_ had received a full outfit of -everything necessary to keep out the cold. They were duly grateful for -the kind attention, for the mufflers of thick blue wool and the warm -socks were as different from the ordinary articles of commerce as -cheese is from chalk. Some of the things had stamped post-cards -attached on which the fair knitters desired an acknowledgment; and, -judging from what the censors said, the ladies were not disappointed. -Others bore little silver paper horseshoes for good luck, while many of -the socks arrived with cigarettes and chocolates, either loose or in -packets, snugly ensconced inside. - -'I thought there wus somethin' wrong wi' this 'ere!' Pincher remarked -one day, removing his right sock, turning it inside-out, and -discovering the coagulated remains of several chocolate creams. 'I -thought it felt a bit knobby-like w'en I puts 'im on, an' now I've bin -an' gorn an' wasted 'em!' It was a dire calamity, for Pincher had a -sweet tooth, and regretted the loss of his chocolates far more than the -energy he would presently have to expend on cleansing the sock of its -stickiness. - -People who did not knit sent other things instead. Well-to-do folk -provided gramophones and records, boxes of fruit and game, vacuum -flasks, warm waistcoats, books, jig-saw puzzles, and games, all of -which were very welcome. One public-spirited gentleman, a yacht-owner, -forwarded a consignment of many dozen brand-new 'sevenpennies,' and -was blessed for his gift. Societies and clubs sent more reading matter; -and though it is true that _Chatterbox_ for 1891 and bound copies of -a poultry journal for 1887 do not appeal to modern sailors as they -should, the greater portion of what arrived was eagerly seized upon and -as eagerly read. - -The men's friends themselves contributed regular consignments of -newspapers, tobacco, cigarettes, soap, tooth-powder, biscuits, -home-made cakes, sweets of all kinds, fruit, tomatoes done up in flimsy -brown-paper parcels, and many other articles of food and utility too -numerous to be mentioned in detail. These gifts also were most -acceptable, though it was found that bull's-eyes and peppermints -sometimes had an unhappy knack of melting in transit, while as often as -not the fruit and tomatoes were found at the very bottom of the -mail-bags in the form of a nauseating, ready-made salad well -impregnated with brown paper, string, and the rapidly disintegrating -contents of other people's parcels. - -What with the extra food and their warm garments, the figures of the -'gallant defenders' rapidly assumed elephantine proportions. Thin -sailors became bulbous; fat sailors became colossal. They had never had -such a time in all their lives. - - -IV. - -Christmas came and went; but, though the ship's company made a point of -keeping up the time-honoured traditions and customs, things were hardly -the same as usual. They did not suffer from lack of seasonable fare, -for volleys of plum-puddings and other comestibles from home had -temporarily superseded the deluge of mufflers, mittens, and cigarettes; -while the canteen did a roaring trade in turkeys, geese, boiled hams, -fruit, holly, and chains of coloured paper for decorations. - -On the morning of the 25th itself the squadron happened to be in -harbour, and at daylight the _Belligerent_ and every other ship -appeared with the customary branches of fir and evergreen lashed to -the mastheads and the yardarms. - -At eight o'clock came a signal from the vice-admiral wishing all the -officers and men under his command 'A Happy Christmas;' and at -divisions at nine-thirty the officers took the opportunity of saying -the same. - -Then came church and the issue of Princess Mary's gifts; and if the -donors to the fund could have seen the way these gilt boxes, with their -cards, pipes, packets of tobacco, and cigarettes, were appreciated by -their recipients they would have felt that their generosity had been -repaid. A gift was always a gift and something to be appreciated, but a -gift from a Royal Princess was to be treasured as an heirloom. As a -consequence, the greater number of the men sent their boxes home by -registered post without smoking the contents. They were far too -valuable to be kept on board when there was a chance of the ship being -torpedoed by a hostile submarine or sunk by a mine. - -Shortly before noon the band assembled outside the captain's cabin, and -as eight bells struck, Captain Spencer, preceded by the musicians -playing 'The Roast Beef of Old England' and the 'funny party' with -blackened faces and attired in a variety of strange costumes, and -followed by a procession of all the officers, made the usual tour of -the mess-deck. Some of the messes were embellished with festoons of -paper chains, sprigs and bunches of holly and mistletoe, and home-made -mottoes. Others were hardly decorated at all, but all the tables were -well laden with food. At the foot of each mess stood a man with a plate -of cake, pastry, or pudding, which he offered to all the officers in -turn as they passed by. Every one of them took a small piece, wished -the occupants of the mess 'A Happy Christmas,' nibbled the cake or -whatever it was, and then hastily secreted the remains in his pocket. -There were several dozen messes to be visited, and a few ounces of -stodgy cake from each of them would provide more than enough for a -schoolboy. - -Opposite one of the chief petty officers' messes the procession came to -a halt close to a blackboard on which was chalked in large letters: - -'The Ship's Company of H.M.S. _Belligerent_ wish Captain Spencer -and the officers a very happy Christmas and a bright and joyful New -Year. They deeply regret that up to the present Captain Spencer has not -had the opportunity of taking them into action, but are anxiously -awaiting the time when he will.' - -The captain smiled, took the proffered chalk, and made his reply. - -'The same to you,' he wrote. 'Captain Spencer will be only too pleased -to take the ship into action whenever the enemy give him the chance. -When the time comes he and the officers know that they may rely on the -"Belligerents" to give a good account of themselves. Let 'em all come!' - -Loud and prolonged cheering before the procession moved on. - -It took fully half-an-hour to do the whole round of the messes; but at -last the officers disappeared to their own lunch, and left the men to -go on with their meal. They acquitted themselves nobly. - -Soon after lunch, when Tickle had retired to his cabin and was -composing himself for his usual afternoon slumber, there came a knock -at his door. 'Well, what is it?' he inquired lazily. - -'It's me, sir,' said Petty Officer Casey, insinuating his head through -the curtain. 'The foc's'lemen sends their compliments, sir, an' would -yer be so kind as to visit 'em in their messes for a few minutes?' - -Tickle yawned, hoisted himself out of his bunk, and stepped outside. -Here he was promptly seized by four stalwart A.B.'s, hoisted -shoulder-high, and, with a man in front playing triumphantly upon a -mouth-organ, was carried off. Down ladders and up ladders they went, -through cheering crowds on the mess-deck, until they finally allowed -him to slide gracefully to earth among the men of his own forecastle -division. - -They proceeded to drink his health in navy rum, a compliment which he -was bound to return; but even then the ordeal was not over. - -'They'd like yer to say a few words, sir,' Petty Officer Casey prompted -him hoarsely. - -Tickle cleared his throat nervously. 'I'm not much of a hand at making -a speech,' he began; 'but I'm very glad to come here and wish you all a -happy Christmas again. From what I can see'--he looked round the -tables--'you all seem to have been enjoying yourselves. My only -regret--our only regret, I should say--is that we haven't had a chance -of meeting the enemy yet; but that's a pleasure we all look forward -to'---- - -Here he was interrupted by loud cheers and bangings on the tables. - -'It's quite unnecessary for me to tell you that I know the _Belligerent_ -will do jolly well when the time comes, and that the men of the -forecastle division will do better than any one else'---- - -Loud cries of ''Ear, 'ear!' and more shouting. - -'I've clean forgotten what I was going to say,' he went on, laughing. -'Oh yes. I'm sure the forecastlemen will do better than any one else -when it comes to a scrap; but don't get down-hearted if we have to wait -for some time before we get it. Other ships have had a run for their -money, and we haven't; but we're all doing our bit for the country, and -it's up to us to do our duty wherever the Admiralty choose to send us. -At the same time, I hope the war will not be over before we have our -look in. Well,' he concluded, 'I don't think there is anything else I -can say, except to wish you all the best of luck.' He lifted the -fanny[30] to his lips and sipped its contents. - - [30] 'Fanny,' the receptacle from which a bluejacket drinks - his rum. - -'An' th' same to you, sir!' came a roar. 'Three cheers for Lootenant -Tickle!' - -'One more, boys!' somebody yelled excitedly. 'Hip, hip, hip, HURRAH!' - -Tickle, feeling very awkward and red in the face, bowed his -acknowledgments. 'Thank you very much indeed,' he said quietly. He -could not express his feelings in mere words. - -The _Belligerent_ was a happy ship, and the officers were popular -with their men, and many of them, including the commander, the -engineer-commander, all the officers of divisions, captain of marines, -and most of the midshipmen and warrant-officers, were ruthlessly -dragged from their afternoon slumber and carried forward to the -mess-decks to make speeches. Christmas, the time of good-fellowship and -goodwill, only came once a year, but it was one of the rare occasions -when the men were able to show their officers what they really thought -of them. - -So, taking it all round, they managed to enjoy themselves, for -bluejackets always succeed in being cheerful under any circumstances; -but nobody could help having a feeling at the back of his mind that -this particular Christmas was not quite the same as others, as indeed -it was not. They were thinking of their homes and of what was happening -there, and many of them, officers as well as men, had not set foot on -shore for weeks--months, in some cases. - -Boxing Day found the squadron at sea. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -BLACK FRIDAY. - - -I. - -''Appy Noo Year, chum,' said the lookout-man on the starboard side of -the _Belligerent's_ bridge, as Pincher Martin came up to relieve -him at five minutes past midnight on the morning of 1st January. -'Lawd!' he added with a shiver, stamping his sea-booted feet, 'I shall -be glad ter git inter me bloomin' 'ammick.' - -'Noo Year, is it?' Pincher queried with a prolonged yawn. 'Well, th' -compliments o' th' season to yer, Shiner White. 'Strewth!' he added, -'it's a bit parky, ain't it?' He undid the toggles of his thick lammy -coat,[31] and gave the muffler another turn round his neck. - - [31] 'Lammy coats,' the name given by the men to the thick - duffel coats with hoods served out in cold weather. They are - fastened with toggles and beckets instead of buttons and - button-holes. - -The other man nodded. 'There ain't nothink in sight,' he went on -hastily, anxious not to prolong the conversation; 'but if yer sees a -light or anythink, look out yer sings out sharp an' loud, so that th' -orficer o' the watch'll 'ear yer. S'long, chum!' - -'S'long, Shiner! 'Appy dreams.' - -Pincher, left to his own devices, looked about him. The squadron was at -sea, and to his unpractised eye the night seemed unusually fine. What -little wind there was seemed to be coming in from the south-westward in -fitful, erratic puffs, and the great ship rode over a smooth, gradually -increasing swell without perceptible movement. If he had been a weather -prophet the state of the sea and the sky would have warned him to -expect a change in the weather; but he was a novice at such things, and -the signs and portents of sky and sea conveyed little to his mind. - -The moon was up, and the night was not really dark as nights go; but -every now and then the brilliance of the moon was temporarily dimmed by -great high cloud-masses travelling down from windward across the face -of the blue, star-spangled heavens. Away to the south-westward a heavy -piled-up bank of dark hue, looking for all the world like a gigantic -mountain range overtopping the horizon, was gradually encroaching on -the sky as it mounted up and up into space. Its upper edges were frayed -and fretted by the wind, and occasional wisps of cloud torn from the -main mass were being flung off into space by the upper air-currents, to -come scurrying to leeward in low-lying, streaky fragments like spun -silk. They were mares'-tails, and the swell and the watery halo round -the moon were other bad tokens. They portended wind--wind, and plenty -of it. Soon the sky would be completely overcast. Before daylight it -would probably be blowing hard. - -The _Belligerent_ was somewhere near the tail of the line of -battleships. A short distance in front of her came the huge hull of the -next ahead clearly silhouetted against the sky. Farther ahead again -were the dark outlines of other vessels, their shapes getting smaller -and less distinct as they merged in the deep shadows on the horizon. - -On board the _Belligerent_ herself half the seamen were at their -stations at the guns ready for repelling a possible torpedo attack, and -the other half, who had been relieved at midnight, had just retired to -their hammocks for four hours' rest before being called up for the -morning watch at four o'clock. The ship was in the charge of the -officer of the watch, who leant placidly against the standard compass -on the upper bridge gazing at the next ahead; while Colomb, the -navigator, was asleep on the settee in the charthouse. Captain Spencer -was in his sleeping-cabin just underneath, and was dozing, fully -dressed, in an arm-chair in front of the stove. The book he had been -reading had dropped to the floor, and Joe, his fox-terrier, lay curled -up in a tight little bundle at his feet. The captain was a light -sleeper at the best of times, and the least unusual sound, even the -opening of the door, would have brought him to his feet in an instant. -As an extra precaution there was an electric bell screwed to the -bulkhead close beside his left ear, and if the officer of the watch -desired his immediate presence all he had to do was to place a finger -on a push close by the standard compass. The resulting jangle would -have roused the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, let alone the skipper, who -never indulged in anything but cat-naps at sea. The officers of watches -were well aware of it, for Captain Spencer had a habit of prowling -about at night, and frequently came on to the bridge when he was least -expected. Once or twice he had found the ship some distance out of -station, and then there had been trouble. - -Of what really occurred, how long it lasted, and of the actual sequence -of events, Pincher had a very hazy recollection. He remembered noticing -the captain come on to the bridge and start walking up and down with -his hands in his great-coat pockets and his dog padding softly after -him. Then, quite suddenly, and for no apparent reason, there came the -shattering roar of a heavy explosion. The ship quivered and shook -violently; and, glancing aft with his heart in his mouth, Pincher saw a -great column of whity-gray water towering high over the boat-deck -half-way along the starboard side. He watched it spell-bound. The mass -hung for a moment glimmering in the half-light, and then tottered and -fell with a sound like a waterfall. He could feel the damp spray of it -on his face. - -The familiar throb of the engines died away, and there came the roaring -bellow of escaping steam; and the ship, evidently holed far below the -water-line, heeled over to starboard. Then the roaring of the steam -ceased, and there came a moment's dead silence, followed by excited -shouting as the men who had been asleep in their hammocks thronged on -to the upper deck. - -The whole thing happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that for the -moment Captain Spencer was taken by surprise; and, running to the after -side of the bridge, he stood there gripping the rail spasmodically, -with a look of utter astonishment on his face. A bare instant later, -however, he turned forward again with a gesture of annoyance; while -Joe, taking it for some new game for his especial benefit, frisked -beside him. 'Down, Joe! down!' Pincher heard him say in his ordinary -voice.--'Stop both engines!' came his first order.--'Officer of the -watch!' - -'Sir.' - -'Go down and tell the commander to get the collision-mat out, and then -to turn out all boats. He's not to lower them without orders from me; -and tell him to let me know the damage as soon as he can!' - -'Ay, ay, sir,' said English quite calmly, leaving the bridge. - -The captain turned on his heel and dictated a signal informing the -flagship of what had occurred. Pincher watched, for even now Captain -Spencer's face was absolutely inscrutable, and showed nothing of the -awful anxiety which must have been in his heart. - -The commander, who had rushed from his cabin when the crash came, had -already taken charge on deck. Order was evolved out of chaos, and the -shouting had ceased. An instant later a bugle blared the 'Still,' and -the boatswain's mates could be heard piping. - -There was dead silence among the men as the word was passed, and then -the bugle sounded 'Carry on,' and the tramping of feet could be heard -as the ship's company ran to their stations. - -All except a few unimportant watertight doors, which were closed at the -last moment by specially detailed men, were always kept shut at sea; so -little could be done to add to the safety of the ship beyond -endeavouring to prevent the ingress of water. - -The men were well disciplined. They must have felt nervous, must have -realised that there was an enormous hole below the water-line through -which the water was pouring like a mill-race; added to this, it was -dark, and there were no lights on deck. But there were not the smallest -signs of panic or confusion. They behaved splendidly, and worked -silently under the orders of their officers as if it were an ordinary -peace-time evolution instead of grim reality. - -Pincher himself was undecided for the moment as to what he should do. -Ought he to join his part of the ship and assist in getting out the -collision-mat, or should he remain where he was? He had no orders to -leave his post, but it was hardly likely that any one would trouble his -head about him now. For a moment he was torn with doubt, but finally -made up his mind that he would stay on the bridge. He might be of some -use in carrying messages, he thought. - -The stricken vessel seemed to be leaning more and more over to -starboard; but before very long the collision-mat, a large square of -several thicknesses of the stoutest canvas well thrummed with oakum, -was being lowered into place under the bottom. It was designed, by -being stretched taut over the orifice, to reduce the flow of water -through a comparatively small hole caused by a collision with another -ship, and it seemed hardly likely that it would be of any use in -checking the inrush through the gigantic rent caused by an underwater -explosion; but there was no harm in trying it. It might do some good. - -'Haul away the bottom line!' the first lieutenant's voice could be -heard. 'That's the way, lads! Away with her!' - -''Vast hauling!' came the next order, accompanied by the shrill -trilling of a boatswain's whistle. 'Away with the fore and afters!' - -The mat was out of sight below the water, its bottom corner dragged -taut against the ship's side by the bottom line passing under the keel -and hauled taut on the opposite side of the deck, and the upper corner -held in place by the depth-line. The fore and afters were the ropes -secured to the side corners, and they, on being hauled taut and -belayed, held it out square. - -'Mat's placed, sir!' came Chase's voice again. - -The wind had increased, and white-capped seas had replaced the smooth -swell of an hour before. The ship, listing to an angle of about fifteen -degrees, seemed to be remaining fairly steady, but she was appreciably -lower in the water, and the starboard edge of the forecastle was barely -six feet above the crests of the waves as they raced by. - -The cutters at the davits had been turned out ready for lowering, but -all the smaller boats, galley, whalers, and gigs, had been landed. -Hatherley, who was working the steam boat-hoist used for getting out -the heavier boats stowed on the booms between the after funnel and the -mainmast, had the derrick topped and the largest rowing-boat in the -ship--the forty-two-foot launch, which, at a pinch, could carry one -hundred and forty men--hooked on all ready for swinging out into the -water as soon as he got orders to do so. - -Circling round the injured ship were a couple of light cruisers which -had been sent by the vice-admiral to render what assistance they could. -Flashing-signals were passing between them and the _Belligerent_, and -they were evidently asking if they should lower their boats. - -'Tell 'em to wait,' Pincher heard Captain Spencer say to a signalman, -without a tremor in his voice. 'Tell 'em to wait. I think we shall be -able to keep afloat.' - -The sky was nearly overcast, and the night had become very dark, and -all the remainder of the squadron had vanished. They were only acting -in accordance with their orders, however, for since the loss of the -_Aboukir_, the _Cressy_, and the _Hogue_ in the North Sea the previous -September, it had been definitely laid down that heavy, deep-draught -ships were not to go to the assistance of vessels which had been -torpedoed or mined, lest they should share the same fate. It went sadly -against the grain for British officers to be forced to leave comrades -in distress; but every one realised the necessity for the order, and -the two small cruisers were the only ships available for the work of -rescue. - -'Messenger!' the captain called. - -No reply. - -'Here, boy, come here!' he went on, catching sight of Pincher on the -starboard side of the bridge. - -Martin went forward, and felt himself grabbed by the sleeve. - -'Go down and tell the commander that I'm waiting to know what damage -there is,' Captain Spencer said hurriedly. 'Away you go!' - -Pincher scrambled down the sloping ladder with difficulty, but had -barely reached the boat-deck to go aft when he cannoned into Commander -Travers coming in the opposite direction. 'The capten would like ter -know wot th' damage is, sir,' he explained. - -'All right, I'm on my way to tell him,' the officer returned curtly. -'Get out of the way, boy!' - -Martin stood aside, and followed him up the ladder again, without -really meaning to overhear his conversation with the captain. - -'How goes it, Travers?' was Captain Spencer's first anxious question. - -'Pretty bad, sir,' the commander replied with the least trace of -anxiety in his voice. 'Some of the boiler-rooms are flooded, and the -water seems to be making its way forward and aft. One or two bulkheads -have gone already!' - -'Good God!' the captain exclaimed; 'is it as bad as that? Is the mat -doing any good?' - -The commander shook his head. 'Might just as well try to stop the hole -with a bit o' stickin'-plaster, sir,' he said tersely. 'I've just seen -the engineer-commander,' he went on, 'and he tells me he's doing all he -can, but that the water's gaining on us fast. I've got men down below -shoring up bulkheads to prevent their bursting, but I doubt if they'll -do much good. However, sir,' he added hopefully, 'she hasn't listed -much during the last few minutes, and perhaps we'll be able to save her -yet.' - -'Pray God we shall, Travers!' Captain Spencer returned gravely. 'You'd -better get all the boats out as soon as you can, and keep 'em -alongside; but don't allow the men into them until I give orders. I'll -tell the cruisers to send theirs across, but we'll make 'em lie off for -the time being. Well, so long, commander, in case we don't meet each -other again. Do all you can.' - -'I hope it's not so bad as I think, sir,' Travers said with a forced -laugh as he turned to leave the bridge. 'It's a damned nasty night to -go swimmin', I must say. It was a submarine, I suppose, sir?' - -'Must have been. By the way, you'd better warn 'em to blow up their -swimming-collars.' The captain was ever mindful of his men. - -'I will, sir. What about you?' - -'Don't worry about me, man. You see to the ship's company. I'll look -out for myself.' - -The commander disappeared. - -The time passed. There was still a chance of the ship remaining afloat, -and by about three o'clock, merely as a precautionary measure, the -launch and the pinnace had been hoisted out and the boats lowered; -though one cutter, lowered too rapidly, had capsized and disappeared. -During the interval the ship did not seem to have listed any more to -starboard, and favourable reports had come from down below as to the -chances of remaining afloat. In fact, they were all congratulating -themselves that the damage had been overrated, when another heavy -explosion roared out from the port side aft. - -'By God!' muttered the captain under his breath; 'that's another -torpedo!' - -The _Belligerent_, with a fresh wound open to the sea, shuddered -violently, and then gave a sickening lurch to starboard, and lay over -until her masts were at an angle of thirty degrees from the vertical. -The starboard side of the upper deck was under water, and the other -lifted high in the air, while the inclination was so great that it was -barely possible to walk. Realising that the end could not be long -delayed, Captain Spencer dragged himself to the bridge-rail and raised -a megaphone to his lips. 'Abandon ship!' he roared in a voice which -could be heard above the howling of the wind and the raging of the sea. -'Save yourselves, men! Save yourselves!' - -The word was passed along, but still there was no undue haste or -confusion. Stokers and other men of the engine-room department who had -been employed below until the last moment, some of them clad in their -grimy working-clothes, others nearly naked, came pouring up the -hatchways leading to the upper deck. - -A cloud drifted away from the face of the moon, and a subdued silvery -light lit up the awful scene. - -The boats, plunging wildly on the rapidly rising sea, pounded and -crashed alongside. A small group of officers stood beside each one -superintending the disembarkation, and the men, standing in long -queues, could be seen jumping into them one by one. Several, leaping -too late or too early, fell between the boats and the ship's side, and -were never seen again. - -The doctors and the sick-berth staff, unmindful of their own safety, -passed their sick and ailing into the boats, and remained behind -themselves. - -'Steady, lads! steady!' the chaplain, gallant man that he was, could be -heard saying coolly. 'One at a time! Keep cool, boys! Keep cool!' - -Many men, relying on their life-belts or swimming-collars, had flung -themselves overboard and were swimming in the direction of the -cruisers, whose rescuing boats were on their way across as fast as -their eager crews could drive them. A certain number of the swimmers -were eventually picked up and saved, but by far the greater proportion -perished in the wild tumult. Every one knew that there was room for -barely more than a fifth of the ship's company in the boats; but, in -the face of almost certain death, there was no panic. - -''Ullo, 'Orace,' a burly stoker remarked to a friend with a laugh, -'comin' swimmin'?' - -'Looks like it, chum,' answered the other glumly, eyeing the -white-capped seas with nervous apprehension. 'Ain't much of a night fur -a picnic like, this 'ere, is it?' - -'Rottenest bloomin' regatta ever I saw,' rejoined the first speaker, -who was attired in nothing but a singlet and an inflated -swimming-collar. ''Ow's this fur a bathin'-costoom? What'd my ole -'ooman say if she see'd me on th' beach at Margit in this 'ere? Ow!' he -yelled, as a breaking wave deluged him with icy spray. 'Gawd! ain't it -cold? Come on, boys; come an' 'ave a dip! Any more fur th' shore?' - -The others hung back. - -'Wot! not comin'?' he went on, walking to the edge of the boat-deck and -gazing out at the sea. 'Well, s'long, blokes. 'Ere goes!' - -He clambered down the ship's side on to the net-shelf, waited till a -large sea came swishing past, and then slipped into the water, to -vanish in a smother of foam. An instant later he reappeared, swimming -strongly in the direction of the nearer cruiser. He was never seen -again. - -Somebody started the chorus of 'Tipperary' to cheer the flagging -spirits of his shipmates, but the gallant effort met with little -response. Numbers of men, trying to nerve themselves for the ordeal of -leaping overboard and of saving themselves by swimming, shrank back at -the sight of the raging sea. It was enough to appal the bravest heart, -and the ship, though sinking fast, still seemed to offer a safer refuge -than that wild waste of water. - -The captain, holding on to the bridge-rail to prevent himself from -being carried off his feet, surveyed the scene calmly. 'Jump, men! -jump!' he bellowed to a hesitating group on the boat-deck. 'For God's -sake, jump! It's your only chance!' Turning round, he noticed that -Pincher and one or two signalmen were still on the bridge. 'What are -you doing here?' he demanded with a touch of his old asperity. 'The -ship's sinking! Get down out of it, and save yourselves!' - -Pincher and some of the others obeyed, but the chief yeoman of signals, -noticing that the captain wore no life-belt or swimming-collar, calmly -proceeded to divest himself of a cork jacket. 'Take this, sir,' he -said, handing it across; 'I've got my collar.' - -Captain Spencer pushed it away. 'Use it yourself, man!' he said firmly. -'Use it yourself!' - -'But I don't want it, sir,' the chief yeoman persisted. - -'Do what you're told, Morris,' came the answer. 'Leave the bridge and -save yourself; she'll go in another minute or two! I'll look out for -myself!' - -Morris hesitated for another instant, saw his commanding officer was in -earnest, and left the bridge. - -'Good luck to you, Morris!' the captain called out after him. - -'Good luck, sir.' - -Captain Spencer, alone with his dog, leant down and lifted him into his -arms. 'I'm afraid we're done in this time, old man,' he whispered -sadly. 'We may as well go together. Good-bye, old Joe!' His voice was -husky with emotion as he buried his face in the animal's warm coat; and -the dog, seeming to understand, turned his head and licked his master's -cheek. - -The end came almost immediately, for before some of the boats had got -clear the ship lurched drunkenly to starboard, to hurl men and movable -fittings in one awful chaotic avalanche into the water. For one moment -there was wild confusion, and the sea was covered with the heads of -swimmers fighting for their lives; the next, there came the muffled -roar of bursting bulkheads, and the _Belligerent_ hove herself back on -to an even keel, with the water washing across her decks. - -A searchlight flickered out from one of the cruisers and lit up the -scene. Lower and lower sank the doomed ship, until at last the waves -were breaking across the top of the boat-deck, and only the two masts, -the funnels, and the bridge showed above the surface. She seemed to -hesitate for a moment as if unwilling to take the final plunge, and -then, with a dull, booming sound as the water reached the boilers, -slowly slid from view. - -There was no vortex or upheaval of spray, merely a swift rush of sparks -and a cloud of smoke and steam, which rapidly dissolved on the wind, -and in a few more seconds the ship had vanished for ever. Nothing -remained to tell of her presence except the boats, the dark heads of -the battling survivors, some debris, and an ever-widening circle of -calm, oil-strewn water, on the outskirts of which the waves leapt -tumultously. But on the bridge, game to the very last, two heroic -spirits, a man and a dog, had gone to their long last rest together. - - -II. - -To this day Pincher never really remembers how he got into the water. -The events of that night still seem like some ghastly nightmare, a -horrible dream in which incidents and impressions succeeded each other -with such rapidity that the memory of them seems almost unreal. He -recollects standing on the boat-deck with a group of other men and -divesting himself of his thick duffel coat. He did it reluctantly, for -it was bitterly cold. Then, after inflating the rubber swimming-collar -round his neck, he waited. The ship lay over at an alarming angle, and -it was all he could do to stand upright. - -'Jump, men! jump!' an officer kept on shouting. 'For God's sake, save -yourselves!' - -A few, nerving themselves for the effort, cast themselves overboard, -and were lost to sight in the raging sea; but Pincher and many others, -eyeing the tumult with horror, instinctively hung back. Life was very -dear at that moment, and it seemed sheer madness to cast one's self -into that seething maelstrom of one's own free-will. Then it was that -he remembered his heavy sea-boots. Fool! They would infallibly drag him -under if he had to swim for it; and, bending down, he kicked and -wriggled his right foot free. He was repeating the process with the -other when the end came. The ship lurched horribly to starboard, and -flung him to the deck with a shock which jarred every bone in his body. -The next instant he started slithering and sliding down a steep slope, -to bring up with a thud against a projection on the deck. The impact -nearly knocked the wind out of his body; but, stretching out his arms -with an instinct of self-preservation, he grasped something solid with -both hands, and clung madly on to it with all his strength. For a -second or two he hung there, gasping for breath, with sheets of spray -flying over his head. Then something soft cannoned into him and tore -him from his hold. He felt himself sliding again, then falling, -falling. - -Next a feeling of bitter cold and utter darkness as a sea snatched him -in its grasp and flung him away. He went down and down until his lungs -seemed on the point of bursting for want of air; but the -swimming-collar was still round his neck, and with a swift upward rush -he felt himself borne to the surface. On opening his mouth for air a -gigantic white-cap promptly broke over his head and left him -spluttering and gasping. At one moment he was carried high on the crest -of a sea, and the next he was deep down in a hollow; but by some -miracle he still managed to breathe, and retained sufficient presence -of mind to strike out away from the sinking ship. - - [Illustration: Raising his voice, he tried to shout for help. - PAGE 203.] - -He could see nothing, but the sea all round him was dotted with the -heads of other swimmers. Some had life-belts, some swimming-collars or -flotsam, and, like Pincher, were making the best of their way from the -scene of the disaster. Others had no life-saving appliances at all, and -were drowning in dozens. - -Twice was Pincher clutched round the body, but each time he fought with -the mad energy of despair, and wrenched himself free of the suffocating -embrace of a shipmate less lucky than himself. He was no coward, but it -was a case of each man for himself, and his desire to live was -overwhelming. - -How long he was in the water he never knew. He merely battled on, -fighting for breath. Presently, when all but exhausted and numb through -and through with cold, he was carried to the summit of a huge wave to -see the dark shape of a boat barely twenty feet from him. In the dim -half-light he could see it was crowded with men, and raising his voice, -he tried to shout for help. He emitted no sound but a feeble croak, and -the next time he was borne aloft the boat had vanished. Then it was -that Pincher commended his soul to his Maker. He could do no more. - -He seemed to have been swimming for hours, and was breathless and very -weary. His limbs felt incapable of further movement, and it was with -almost a feeling of relief that he gave up the struggle as hopeless. -But for his swimming-collar he would have sunk then and there. How long -he remained quiescent he could not tell; but during this awful time his -senses never left him, and he found himself wondering how long it would -take him to die. He did not dread the prospect; anything seemed better -than this awful shortness of breath and the constant buffeting by the -seas. The most trivial events and the most important happenings of his -short life crowded into his overwrought brain. His thoughts travelled -to his home, and he pictured his mother the last time he had seen her, -framed in the doorway of her cottage. He almost laughed when he -remembered himself tearing down the road to catch the train. He must -have looked funny, excruciatingly funny, but he felt a slight pang of -regret on thinking that he would never tread that road again. Next his -mind reverted to Billings, and he wondered hazily what had become of -him. Poor Joshua, he had been a good friend to him! He hoped he was not -drowned. What was Emmeline doing at this moment? The recollection of -her seemed indistinct and shadowy, somehow. He could not picture her -face, merely remembered that she was pretty and fascinating. What would -she say when she heard he had been drowned? Would she go into mourning -and cry her pretty eyes out? Perhaps she would marry some one else. - -Then, quite suddenly, he heard a voice. ''Ere's another on 'em!' it -said gruffly. He felt his head come into violent contact with something -solid and unyielding, and the next moment he was seized by the hair. -The pain of it hurt him abominably, but he was far too weak and short -of breath to expostulate. Then he was grasped under the armpits, and, -after describing what seemed a giddy and interminable parabola through -the air, heard himself descend with a crash on to something very hard. -The impact should have hurt him, but he felt nothing, and merely -realised in a hazy sort of way that he was in the bottom of a boat. - -It was bitterly cold. He shivered as with ague, while constant showers -of spray left him coughing and gasping for breath. Water washed over -him perpetually, and a horrible, never-ceasing oscillation flung him -violently to and fro. It was almost as bad as being in the water. But -he was past caring. Then came a feeling of terrible nausea, and, -rolling over abjectly, he was violently sick. Next, darkness, the utter -blackness of absolute oblivion. Pincher Martin had fainted. - -When he recovered his senses some hours later he could not for the -moment recollect where he was or what had happened. He felt chilled -through and through with the cold, but some kind Samaritan had removed -his sodden garments, and had left him lying in the bottom of the boat -covered with a portion of the sail and its tarpaulin cover. Several -other men lay there with him. Then he remembered. He felt bruised all -over, stiff, miserable, and very weak; but he could breathe, and found, -on trying to shift his position, that he had recovered the use of his -limbs, though the effort caused him agony. Glancing round, he saw he -was in the stern-sheets of the _Belligerent's_ forty-two-foot launch, -the largest pulling-boat she had carried. - -The sea was still running very high, and the boat pitched and rolled -violently and unceasingly, while constant showers of spray came driving -aft as her bluff bows plunged into the waves. At one moment he found -himself watching the dark clouds chasing each other across the gray sky -overhead; and the next, as the boat rolled, he was vouchsafed momentary -glimpses of a heaving expanse of gray-green sea, lashed and torn into -white, insensate fury by the wind. It was blowing a full gale. - -The boat was half-full of water, and amidships some men were busy -bailing, one with a bucket, and others with boots and caps. Crouching -down under the thwarts, with the water washing over them, were many -more men in the last stages of misery. Some showed signs of life; some -looked almost dead. Another melancholy party were clustered in the -stern, huddling together to get some warmth into their numbed limbs. -All sorts and conditions of men were there--stokers in their grimy -flannel shirts and fearnought trousers, just as they had come up out of -the stokehold; bluejackets in jerseys and blue serge trousers; some -marines; and a ship's steward's assistant with nothing but a -swimming-collar and a sodden white cotton shirt. Their lips were blue -with cold, their teeth were chattering, they looked abject and utterly -forlorn, but they were still alive. One or two of them were actually -talking. - -Standing up in the stern with the gunner and the boatswain was Petty -Officer Bartlett. The last-named was attired in his undergarments, a -cholera-belt, and one blue stocking, and in the intervals of gazing -anxiously round the horizon he was flapping his arms to restore his -circulation. How he managed to keep on his feet at all was a marvel. - -'Anythink in sight?' somebody asked in a husky whisper. - -'Not a ruddy thing!' Bartlett returned. 'I thought I seen somethin' -'bout ten minutes since, the smoke of a steamer on the 'orizon, but she -ain't there now.' - -The questioner, an able seaman, cursed under his breath. ''Ow long's -this ---- show goin' ter last?' he queried plaintively. 'I'm so ---- -cold. Such a ---- picnic I never did see. Gawd! why didn't I join th' -ruddy army? They kills yer quick there, not like this 'ere. I'll be a -gonner in another hour, see if I ain't,' he added weakly, trying to get -a little sympathy. 'Carn't feel me bloomin' legs no'ow; ain't got none -p'r'aps.' - -'Cheer up, Joe!' said the man alongside him, who seemed a little -happier; 'we ain't dead yet. Like me ter give yer another rub dahn?' - -Joe nodded wearily and closed his eyes. - -Pincher, unwilling to leave the shelter of his canvas, tried to attract -some one's attention. He endeavoured to speak, but could get no more -than a husky, almost inaudible, whisper; so, withdrawing one arm from -its covering, he moved it feebly up and down. After a lengthy pause one -of the marines noticed him. - -''Ere,' he said, patting Petty Officer Bartlett on the leg, 'one o' -them 'ere deaders 'as come back ter life!' - -Bartlett turned round. 'Deader!' he said. 'Which one?' - -'One o' them 'ere blokes yer pulled out o' th' ditch,' the marine -answered. - -'Blimy! So 'e 'as!' the petty officer exclaimed, rather surprised. 'I -thought 'e'd chucked 'is hand in long ago.--'Ere, me son,' he added, -coming across to where Martin lay, ''ow goes it?' - -Pincher smiled wearily. - -'Carn't talk, eh?' Bartlett remarked with rough kindliness. 'Like a -drop o' rum[32] an' a bit o' somethin' t' eat?' - - [32] When a ship is abandoned a certain amount of water, - biscuit, and rum is placed in all the boats. - -Martin nodded. - -'Hand us that there rum-jar,' the petty officer said over his shoulder. -'Easy now--easy!' as the man he had spoken to nearly let it fall. 'That -there may 'ave to last us for days!' He extracted the cork from the -wicker-covered jar and poured some of the spirit into a small tin mug. -'Damn me eyes!' came an angry ejaculation, as the boat gave a -particularly violent lurch and a few drops of the precious liquid -slopped over the edge. He replaced the cork carefully, and, putting one -arm under Pincher's head, held the pannikin to his lips. 'Try to -swaller it,' he said. 'It'll do you good.' - -Martin obeyed; and, though a certain amount of the liquor trickled over -his face, the greater proportion went down his throat. The burning -fieriness of the neat spirit made him choke and splutter, but the -feeling of warmth it induced was very comforting. - -''Ere's a bit o' biscuit,' said Bartlett again, extracting a broken -fragment from the waistband of his nether garments, where he had been -keeping it dry. 'Put that inside you, an' w'en you've finished it I'll -come along an' give you a bit of a rub down like to warm you up--see?' - -Pincher, still too weak to bite, consumed the flinty fragment by -nibbling round its edge until he could nibble no more, and then, when -the petty officer had rubbed his numbed and aching body with a pair of -horny hands, which rasped him like a file and threatened to take every -inch of skin off his long-suffering limbs, he felt tolerably warm and -much better. The blood coursed through his veins. Life was again worth -living. - -'Thanks!' he was able to murmur feebly when the painful ordeal was -over. - -'That's all right, me son. See if you carn't git a bit of a caulk,' -said Bartlett, getting up from his knees. - -It may have been the dose of rum, a spirit to which he was entirely -unaccustomed, which had the desired effect, but five minutes later -Pincher Martin was asleep. - -Immediately on being hoisted out, the launch had been dashed bows on -into the ship. She had been badly damaged; but men, stripping -themselves, had stuffed their clothes into the rents to keep the water -out. Time after time breaking seas had nearly swamped her; but by dint -of constant bailing with boots, caps, and anything they could lay their -hands upon, they had somehow managed to keep her afloat. - -Most of the oars had been broken in frantic efforts to fend the boat -off from the ship, and none remained to keep her head on to the sea -when they finally got clear of the wreck. Then they had lashed all the -boat's lumber together, and had dropped it overboard to form a floating -sea-anchor; and the launch, secured to it by a rope, rode head on to -the waves. But still the wretched survivors were in a bad way. They had -yearned, with all the longing their souls possessed, that a ship would -be in sight when morning came. They had practically pinned their faith -to it, for they were aware that they were in a part of the English -Channel where traffic was constant. But when the night lifted and the -gray dawn gave way to full daylight there was nothing in sight. Not the -least vestige of a steamer or the welcome gleam of a rescuing sail; -only the gray-white expanse of the raging sea, and the sombre, -wind-driven clouds chasing each other across the gray void overhead. -Then a faint feather of smoke had shown up over the rim of the horizon -to the southward. It was fully ten miles off, but they all thought for -one wild moment that salvation was at hand. Their drooping spirits -revived; but a minute later the smoke had disappeared, and their hopes -were dashed to the ground. - -They were exhausted, wet through, chilled to the bone, and utterly -miserable, and some of that little band of two warrant-officers and -seventy odd men resigned themselves to their fate. They could not last -much longer. And so the launch, with a woollen scarf lashed to an oar -amidships fluttering as a mute signal of distress, drifted on at the -mercy of the wind and sea. Her crew were past caring. - - -III. - -Early in the morning of that fateful New Year's Day the Brixham trawler -_Providence_ was running back to her port for shelter from the gale; -but when she was off Start Point the wind and sea had increased to such -an extent that there was nothing to be done but to heave-to and ride -out the storm. Between eleven o'clock and noon the smack was hove-to on -the starboard tack, when the third hand, who was on deck, saw a large -gray open boat to leeward. She was full of men, and was flying a -muffler tied to an upright oar as a signal of distress; but so heavy -was the sea that she was obscured for minutes at a time in the trough -of the waves. - -The smack's crew of three men and a boy, Little Dan, were soon on deck, -and promptly got to work to take another reef in the mainsail and to -set their small storm jib. It was a hard tussle, for the wind was -blowing with hurricane force, and seas were constantly breaking over -the deck; but it was the only thing to be done if a rescue was to be -effected. - -The _Providence_ was on the starboard tack, let it be understood. -This meant that the wind was blowing from her starboard side; but, to -reach the launch at all, she had to pass round on to the port tack. -There are two ways of manoeuvring a sailing-vessel from one tack to -the other. The first, the shortest method, is by 'going about,' or -turning the vessel round head to wind, and then allowing her sails to -fill on the other side. The second way, a longer method, in which more -ground is lost, is by 'gybing' or 'wearing,' in which the ship passes -from tack to tack by turning her stern to the wind. Both are -comparatively simple evolutions in calm weather, but any sailor will -say that in a small fore-and-aft rigged craft both are dangerous in a -heavy sea and a gale of wind. Of the two, however, gybing is by far the -more hazardous, even perilous, for there is a grave risk of the craft -being pooped by a heavy sea, or of her being dismasted when the large -mainsail swings across the deck and suddenly bellies out on the other -side. But Captain Pillar, the skipper, realised it was the only thing -to be done. He was a thorough seaman, who knew his craft well, and he -decided to take the risk. - -The helm was put hard up, and the _Providence_ paid off gradually -until her stern was in the wind's eye, and then, sweeping round on the -crest of a gigantic billow, came on to the port tack. An enormous sea -broke on board as she did so, and the heavy mainsail came across with a -crash and a jerk which nearly wrenched the mast out. But the men who -had built the sturdy _Providence_ knew their work, and the mast -was a good sound stick, and the rigging honest steel wire. It was a -good test of their workmanship, for by some miracle the gear held. - -Drawing close to windward of the launch, the smacksmen hove a rope -across as they drifted by. It missed. Another attempt, and yet another, -but on each occasion the line fell short. Then, when those in the boat -had almost given it up as hopeless, a fourth heave was successful. The -rope was caught by the bluejackets, held, and belayed, and slowly but -surely the launch was hauled toward the stern of her rescuer. Then the -warp was passed forward along the lee side of the _Providence_, and the -man-of-war's boat was drawn cautiously ahead until her bows were level -with the lee quarter of the smack. - -The exhausted bluejackets were ordered to jump on board, and one by one -they obeyed. It was a perilous business, for the waves were running -twenty to thirty feet high, and at one moment both craft were lifted -high in the air, while the next they were deep down in a hollow, with -an awful, roaring breaker threatening to overwhelm them. It took -half-an-hour before the whole seventy of them reached their haven of -refuge; but the work was accomplished without the loss of a single -soul; while the senior officer present, the torpedo gunner, true to the -traditions of the service, was the last man to leave. Then the launch -was cast adrift. She had served her purpose, and was never seen again. - -The rescued men, many of them in the last stages of exhaustion and -numbness after their frightful ordeal, were accommodated wherever room -could be found for them. What food and tobacco the smack carried were -shared out equally, and hot coffee was served out all round. - -The _Providence_ then shaped her course for home, and, after being -taken in tow by another vessel when close to her destination, -eventually berthed alongside the quay at Brixham at eight o'clock in -the evening. And so, from the very jaws of death, Pincher Martin -stepped ashore. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -H.M.S. 'MARINER.' - - -I. - -Your modern destroyer differs from her prototype of twenty years ago in -much the same way as the present-day Rolls-Royce differs from the early -motor-car of 1895. She is just about four times as large, is infinitely -more seaworthy, is much faster, and better armed. She is an ocean-going -craft which, with judicious handling, can keep the sea in practically -any weather, whereas her more elderly sister usually had to run for -shelter in a really bad gale of wind, and was unfit for constant work -in the North Sea except in summer. - -Pincher had seen destroyers at work, and had heard a great deal about -them in one way and another; and when, in the first week of February, -he found himself detailed as one of the crew of a new craft of this -type on the verge of completion in a northern port, he was happy. True, -he knew he 'wouldn't be 'arf seasick,' as he put it, and did not at all -relish the idea, though the extra sixpence a day 'hard-lying money' was -always something to be grateful for. He was aware, moreover, that life -in a destroyer in war-time was considered rather a hard and risky -existence; but he would probably be in the thick of anything which took -place in the North Sea, and he owed 'them 'Uns' something for sinking -his first ship and drowning many of his shipmates. - -He wondered why he had been sent to a destroyer at all, however, for he -knew that as a rule ordinary seamen were not eligible. As a matter of -fact, it was Peter Wooten, the late senior watch-keeper of the -_Belligerent_, who had worked the oracle. Wooten was the sort of -person whom nothing could kill. I don't know how many times he had been -wrecked, or how often his life had been in danger; but after the -battleship sank he had been in the water for half-an-hour in nothing -but a singlet and a pair of socks, in one of which was stuffed his last -five-pound note. He had been picked up by a boat from one of the -cruisers at the last moment, and purely by a lucky accident; but even -then he had been rather annoyed with his rescuers because they laughed -at his scanty and unofficer-like attire. He also had a grievance -because he had lost his best uniform cap, a brand-new article which, he -informed any one who cared to listen, had cost him the sum of -twenty-two shillings and sixpence, and had last been on his head when -he jumped overboard. Incidentally he had saved the lives of two men by -helping them to reach pieces of wreckage; but, being as hard as nails -himself, he was not one whit the worse for his aquatic adventures. - -He eventually got ashore in a borrowed overcoat, proceeded on a -fortnight's leave, and then, as the result of a visit to a friend at -the Admiralty, found himself appointed to the _Mariner_, a new -destroyer. Naturally he was delighted, and at once set about collecting -a good ship's company for his new ship. He far preferred having men he -knew to strangers who had never served with him before; and, by dint of -a little judicious conversation with the officer in charge of the -drafting-office at the barracks, Petty Officer Casey, Billings, -M'Sweeny, and Pincher were officially detailed for his ship. It was -Casey himself who had suggested Martin's inclusion, though that youth -was unaware who had caused a point to be stretched in his favour. - -Pincher was not really a nervous, highly strung individual with a vivid -and preying imagination; but even so, five weeks had elapsed before the -doctors consented to allow him to go to sea again. His nerves had been -badly shaken, and the sudden banging of a door or unusual sounds of any -kind brought him out in a cold and horrible perspiration. Crossing a -street through traffic or entering a boat was an ordeal which caused -him many moments of poignant mental agony. - -They had sent him on three weeks' leave, and the twenty-and-one days of -blissful ease, during which he saw nothing of the sea, and was treated -as more or less of an invalid and as very much of a war-worn hero, -helped to restore him to his normal self. The presence of Emmeline, by -special request, also had its effect, for with the girl as his constant -companion he was able to forget many painful incidents which it was as -well should be forgotten. - -But the advent of Emmeline certainly did involve him in complications -of another kind. A porter had told the stationmaster that he had seen -Mrs Martin embrace the girl when she arrived at the railway station. -The stationmaster imparted the information to his wife; and that lady, -an inveterate gossip, spread the news far and wide. It caused no small -flutter among the maidens of Caxton. It was neither correct nor proper -for the mother of an eligible youth to go kissing a girl in public -unless the youth himself regarded the maiden as his 'intended,' on -approval, as it were; so Mrs Martin, quite inadvertently, put her foot -in it, and caused the cat to leap out of the bag in one act. - -Not that Emmeline or Pincher cared a jot who knew. It was bound to come -out sooner or later, and each found the company of the other quite -sufficient and pleasant enough to make life well worth living. The fact -that the village girls were bitterly incensed and obviously jealous was -rather amusing than otherwise. Though not admitting it, they would have -regarded it as an honour to be seen about with a sailor or a soldier in -uniform now that it was war-time. They considered that Pincher had -played them a low-down trick in ignoring their charms and in going -elsewhere for an object for his affections, and they did not hesitate -to say so. They took the precaution of making their remarks in private, -however, for with their parents Pincher was something of a hero. Their -mothers knitted him socks and comforters, and at the 'Bull and Bottle' -he could, if he had wished it, have absorbed sufficient malt liquor at -the fathers' expense to float a battleship. So when he heard that busy -tongues were wagging in his direction he laughed happily and said -nothing. Emmeline, wise girl, did the same. - -Some of the _Mariner's_ ship's company and all the officers had been -sent up north beforehand to become acquainted with their new ship; but -at last came the day when the remainder--some sixty odd seamen and -stokers--were put into a train with their bags, hammocks, and some -mascots, in the shape of a monkey, two cats, and one small goat, for -which they had not taken tickets. - -The goat, Pompey, was young, but had a voracious appetite, for before -they got to London he had eaten two pork-pies, the property of Pincher -Martin, three packets of Wild Woodbine cigarettes of M'Sweeny's, and -half a magazine belonging to some one else, while the respective owners -slumbered peacefully. On arrival in the Metropolis he was so overcome -by his miscellaneous diet as to be violently and unexpectedly ill in -the omnibus on the way to King's Cross; whereupon the conveyance was -stopped for brandy to revive him. As a consequence, they very nearly -missed their train to the north; while Pompey, unused to potations in -any form, spent the remainder of the journey in a state of coma. - -The two cats behaved well; but, in the small hours of the morning, just -before the train was due to start from one station, Jane the monkey was -discovered to be missing. The whistle had already blown, but the train -was stopped, and forty-three bluejackets, vowing that nothing on earth -would induce them to be parted from their pet, swarmed from their -carriages and went off in search of the truant. Ten minutes later, -Jane, gibbering like a lunatic, but with absolutely no malicious -intent, was discovered chasing a middle-aged, portly, highly -respectable, and very terrified female round and round the table in the -third-class waiting-room. The monkey was enjoying herself hugely; not -so the lady. - -'Such goin's on didn't oughter be allowed, young man!' she panted -breathlessly when Billings stormed her retreat, and Jane abandoned the -pursuit. - -'Lor' bless yer, marm!' laughed Joshua, helping her to collect her -scattered parcels, 'she's that tame she'd feed out o' yer 'and.--Come -'ere, Jane,' he added coaxingly. 'Come an' show th' lady 'ow nice ye -kin be'ave.' - -The animal, busily investigating the contents of the water-carafe on -the table, clucked twice, and evinced no further interest. - -'Them wild hanimals didn't oughter be allowed!' the woman retorted -nervously. 'An' you, young man,' she went on, fixing Joshua with a -horny eye, 'is a disgrace to your uniform! You oughter be fightin' them -Germans instead o' chasin' monkeys round railway stations at this time -o' night. I'm a respectable married woman, I am, an' if my 'usband knoo -o' these goin's on 'e'd be very angry. My 'usband's a foreman -bricklayer'---- - -'I'm sorry yer takes it that way, marm,' said Joshua apologetically, -picking up the protesting animal by the scruff of her neck, and then -touching his forelock. 'I'm sure our Jane didn't mean no 'arm. I'm a -respeccable married man meself, an''---- - -'Married man, are you?' interrupted the lady, with a snort, as the -seaman, with Jane perched on his shoulder, prepared to take his -departure. 'Married? Shame on you! What'd your poor wife say if she -see'd you be'avin' like this, an' chasin' respectable women with your -wild hanimals instead o' fightin' for your country? I've a good mind to -'ave the lor on you! The wild beast nearly bit me; would 'ave done if I -'adn't run'---- - -There was no pacifying her, and Joshua, smothering his amusement, beat -a hasty retreat. Her strident remarks followed him down the platform. - -It took some time to collect the others, who had scattered all over the -station in search of the deserter; but eventually, after a long and -heated altercation with two ticket-collectors and three porters, -reinforced by the guard and a sleepy station-master, the train was -suffered to proceed on its journey twenty minutes late. The travellers, -hungry, irritable, and very peevish, arrived at their destination at -six o'clock in the morning, in a thick fog and a depressing -north-country drizzle, to discover, on disembarking with their -menagerie, that half-a-dozen hammocks and three kit-bags had, by -inadvertence on some one's part, been left behind in London. - -But all's well that ends well; and, two hours later, after breakfast, -the party, slightly more cheerful, arrived at the shipyard where the -_Mariner_ was being completed. They found the workmen still busy upon -her; and as she would not be ready for commissioning for another week, -the men were billeted in lodgings for the time being. - -But they were not allowed to kick their heels in idleness. There is -always plenty to be done before a new ship is ready for sea; while in -war, when every one is working at full pressure, the labour of a -fortnight has often to be crammed into three or four days. Ammunition -had to be transferred from railway trucks to the magazines and -shellrooms; torpedoes had to be placed in their tubes; and a whole -trainload of stores unloaded, sorted out, checked, and carried on -board--dozens of drums of oil, tons of paint, bolts of canvas, bundles -of cotton-waste, coils of wire and hemp rope, broomsticks and boat-hook -staves, oars, cooking utensils, crockery, knives, spoons, forks, -bedding, provisions, rum, and many other things too numerous to -mention! It was like furnishing a new and empty house, except that a -dwelling is not expected to cruise about the countryside at something -over thirty knots, and does not as a rule contain sufficient in the way -of lethal weapons and explosives to sink a squadron of battleships. -Neither does the average residence accommodate eighty odd people. It -was hard work, for the men were busy all day and every day, from early -morn till dewy eve. - -In the meantime, the contractors' workmen, using every effort to get -the ship completed by the proper date, swarmed on board in their -dozens. All day and all night the air resounded with the clanging of -their hammers and the deafening rattle of their pneumatic drills. A -party of bluejackets, under the orders of Mr Daniel Menotti, the gunner -(T), once spent the whole of a bitterly cold forenoon stowing shell in -the after shellroom. At eleven-thirty, when the men were looking -forward to their midday meal, and were congratulating themselves that -their labours were nearly finished, one of the contractors' foremen -suddenly appeared. - -'Hallo!' he remarked affably; 'what's going on here?' - -'We're stowin' the after shellroom,' said Mr Menotti blithely. 'Reckon -we've done it in record time, too.' He rubbed his hands contentedly. - -The foreman scratched his right ear. 'That's rather unfortunate,' he -observed, with a smile hovering round his mouth. 'We've not finished -the woodwork yet, and we can't get on with it if all your projectiles -are stowed.' - -'Can't get on with it!' echoed the gunner. 'Why, Mr Scroggins--your Mr -Scroggins--told me it was all right to carry on with the job!' - -'I,' retorted the foreman dourly, tapping his bosom--'I am the man in -charge, and Mr Scroggins isn't. You shouldn't have taken his word. If -you'd come to me I could have told you that'---- - -'Mean to say you want the whole blessed lot humped out again?' the -gunner demanded wildly. 'We've spent the whole bloomin' forenoon over -the job, and'---- - -'That's just exactly what I do mean,' interrupted the foreman, smiling -benignly. 'We can't put the woodwork up if your shell are there, and if -the woodwork's not put up the ship'll be delayed. That's all about it.' -It was his ultimatum, and with a polite nod to the exasperated officer -he walked off. - -'Lord love us!' Mr Menotti ejaculated; 'd'you mean to say'---- Words -failed him, and he contented himself with shaking his fist at the -foreman's retreating back. 'Damn an blast!' he muttered fiercely, -recovering his breath but not his composure; 'of all the ruddy sons o' -Ham you're about the worst! Why couldn't you have told me this three -hours earlier, you lop-eared tinker? Why didn't you---- Oh, you -perishin' swab, you!--Come on, lads,' he added mournfully, shrugging -his shoulders; 'we'll have to hump the whole bloomin' lot out again, -damn an' blast him!' He ground his teeth with rage. - -The 'lads' expressed their disapproval of things in general and -contractors' foremen in particular in loud, full-blooded nautical -blasphemy. But uncompleted ships are still under the control of the -firm building them, and the firm--well, the firm takes precedence next -to the Admiralty itself. So there was nothing for it but to undo the -work of hours. Every single projectile had to be removed. There were -one hundred and fifty of them, and each weighed thirty-one pounds, -neither more nor less. - -But they were all busy. Wooten kept a watchful eye upon everything that -went on, and in the intervals of interviewing Admiralty overseers and -foremen wrestled with his correspondence and confidential books and -documents. MacDonald, the Scots first lieutenant, grappled with his -watch and station bills, arranged the men in their various messes and -boats, and detailed them for their guns, torpedo-tubes, and stations. -He, as the executive officer, was entirely responsible for the -organisation and interior economy of the ship, and found it a difficult -job to think of and provide for all the possible contingencies which -might arise when once they got to sea. Sometimes he tore his hair and -cursed aloud, more particularly over the matter of the Smiths. - -It so happened that some person at the drafting-office at the barracks, -with a sense of misguided humour, had thought fit to include no fewer -than four Smiths in the _Mariner's_ crew. There was Reuben Smith, -an able seaman; John Smith, a stoker; Peter Smith, the cook's mate; and -Harry Smith, a long-haired officers' steward of the second class, with -a pale face and a mournful aspect. The ubiquitous surname, cropping up -at every turn, became the first lieutenant's bugbear. It haunted him -night and day. Once, after a couple of hours' hard work, he discovered -that he had placed Reuben Smith in the stokers' mess, John Smith with -the seamen, Peter Smith in the wardroom, and the undesirable Harry with -the petty officers. He had made out a fair copy of his list before -discovering the error, and then, adding up the total, found he had two -men too many. He checked it again, to discover that he had included not -four but five Smiths, while yet another man had been counted twice -over. - -Thompson, the engineer-lieutenant-commander, who had stood by the ship -while she was being built, wore a suit of brown overalls and a harassed -expression. It was not to be wondered at, for, amongst other things, he -was responsible for all the stores, and nearly every morning he -received pathetic or peremptory missives from the officials of the -dockyard whence the destroyer had been supplied. His stores reminded -him of the pieces of a jig-saw puzzle. He had packing-cases, crates, -and parcels of every imaginable shape, size, description, and weight, -all of which had to be unpacked, checked, and acknowledged. He hoped -fervently that the things would sort themselves out and fit into their -proper places at some period in the dim future; but every train which -arrived brought him fresh consignments, until his pile reached such -colossal proportions that he had serious doubts if they would be able -to get it all on board. - -However, he had no time to worry too much about the stores, for he had -quite enough to think about with the machinery and boilers of the ship -herself. He had seen all his air-pumps, feed-pumps, air-compressors, -and what-nots erected and tested in the shop before they had been built -into his ship. He had examined his boilers, bearings, and -thrust-blocks, and had supervised the delicate adjustments of the -turbines; and now he spent all his days and most of his nights in the -engine-room seeing if everything worked in harmony. Occasionally things -went wrong, and he found himself embroiled in long and highly technical -arguments with the representatives of the firm. They wanted things done -in their way because they were building the ship; while he, quite -rightly, preferred his own method because he would have to run her when -she got to sea. They generally came to some sort of a compromise; but -Thompson always avers that that last awful week took at least ten years -off his life, and I am inclined to believe him. - -The sub-lieutenant, Hargreaves, who had only his charts to correct, was -perhaps the lightest-worked officer of them all; but Mr Menotti became -apoplectic about the face, and was brought to the verge of lunacy -thrice daily. First he had discovered that he had too much ammunition; -and then, on counting again, that he had thirty projectiles too few. He -promptly sent a frantic telegram to the ordnance depot which had -supplied the ammunition in the first instance, to receive in reply a -curt message stating that so many shell--the proper number--had been -despatched on such and such a date. They held his signed receipt for -them, so would he kindly verify his statement? Their meaning could not -have been plainer if they had wired, 'If YOU'RE such a silly juggins as -to go losing shell, it is certainly not OUR fault!' - -The gunner, with awful visions of courts of inquiry and courts-martial -for the loss of valuable Government stores--to wit, shell, lyddite, -thirty in number--searched high and low, but without success. They -eventually turned up the day the ship sailed, arriving in a hand-cart -propelled by two small youths, who said they--the shell, not the -youths--had been found in a remote storehouse in the shipyard where Mr -Menotti himself had put them for safety. The gunner always had a very -short memory when he was harassed. - -The shipyard was a depressing place, full of gaunt cranes, overhead -gantries, grimy buildings, and huge corrugated-iron erections with tall -chimneys which befouled and blotted out every vestige of the sky with -their oily black smoke. Besides two destroyers and some other small -craft, the firm were building a battleship, and the noise and clatter -of the pneumatic riveters and drilling-machines was deafening. Cranes, -with steel plates hanging precariously from their jibs, staggered -drunkenly to and fro on their lines, screeching as they went. Piles of -rusty plates, which presently would be built into some ship, lay -everywhere in seeming confusion for people to bark their shins against -after dark; while pale, apathetic youths stood here and there working -the bellows of huge brazier affairs with coke fires for heating rivets. -A shout from a grimy gentleman perilously balanced on a plank some ten -feet overhead would warn them that another rivet was wanted; and, -seizing the morsel of red-hot steel in a pair of tongs, the boys, with -a dexterous flick of their wrists, would send it flying through space, -to be caught as cleverly by a man with a bucket. To an outsider the -whole yard seemed to be in a state of chaotic confusion, but in reality -it was very highly organised, for gang relieved gang, and the work went -on night and day. - -It was nearly always raining, and the horrible slime was carried on -board the _Mariner_ until her decks and living-spaces were literally an -inch deep in black filth well trodden in by the feet of many workmen. -The white wooden tables and stools on the mess-decks were caked in -grime and covered with paint-splashes and candle-grease, while workmen -shocked the susceptibilities of the first lieutenant by their -monotonous and indiscriminate expectoration. He nearly wept every time -he went on board. He would have to get the ship clean some day, and at -present the labours of Hercules in the Augean stables seemed nothing to -what he would have to undertake. - - -II. - -At last came the day when the _Mariner_ left the river to carry -out the first of a series of steam trials. As yet she was not a -full-fledged man-of-war, and, being still in the hands of the -contractors, was in the charge of a pilot. Wooten was present merely as -a spectator, and to take over the command in the rare eventuality of -their happening to sight an enemy. They sighted no enemy; but the trip -shook many of the civilian voyagers to the core. - -It was a cold and blustery day. The wind was off the shore, and had -raised what Wooten called 'a little bit of a lop,' but what, in the -opinion of the contractors' men, was 'a terrible storm.' It is true -that the motion was supremely uncomfortable, and that when the -destroyer was travelling at something over thirty knots she was deluged -fore and aft in sheets of spray. The ship was very crowded, too. To -start with, she carried the eighty odd souls who formed her proper -naval crew. Then there were the Admiralty officers, overseers, and -officials, the builders' representatives and foremen, and others from -different sub-contracting firms who had supplied various portions of -the machinery. The firm, who never did anything by halves, provided -lunch in the wardroom for the officers and the more important -officials. And such a lunch it was, brought on board in three enormous -wicker hampers which filled the officers' bathroom! It would seem that -food and drink were presently to circulate as freely in the wardroom as -would lubricating oil and north-country blasphemy in the engine-room. -But most of them had no food until the ship returned into harbour in -the afternoon. They had reckoned without that fickle mistress, the sea, -and she flattened many of them out. Bovril and brandy were more to -their liking than solid food. Moreover, some of them were rather -nervous about going out of the harbour at all. - -'I say, commander,' one of the firm's bigwigs had said to Wooten as -they steamed down the river, 'is it true that the Germans have been -laying mines off the coast?' - -'M'yes,' said the lieutenant-commander; 'I believe it is.' - -'Is there any chance of our being blown up?' - -'No-o,' said Wooten slowly; 'I don't really think there is, though of -course this bad weather we've been having lately will have broken many -of 'em adrift.' - -'And what'll happen if we hit one?' his companion wanted to know. - -'Happen!' said the naval officer. 'The bloomin' thing'll probably go -off, and we shall take single tickets to heaven in a puff of smoke. -We're chock-full of lyddite and gun-cotton, and'---- - -The civilian seemed rather perturbed. 'Of course, I'm not really -nervous,' he hastened to explain, looking rather white about the gills -as he fidgeted with an inflatable rubber life-belt round his middle; -'but I do hope you'll keep a careful eye on the pilot.' - -'Of course I will. I'm not going to let him bump one of the bally -things unless I can't help it. She's still your ship, though,' added -Wooten, 'and I'm not really responsible.' - -'No, I quite understand that,' said the other; 'but, you see, I'm not -used to--er--risks of this kind. I'm not paid for it, and I've a wife -and five children.' - -'You're insured, I suppose?' asked Wooten, smiling to himself. - -'Yes; but my policy doesn't cover war risks.' - -'H'm! that's bad; but I shouldn't worry about it if I were you. If we -do go sky-high'---- Wooten paused. - -'What were you going to say?' the bigwig asked apprehensively. - -'I was thinking,' Wooten went on with a malicious twinkle in his -eye--'well, I was thinking that if we are blown up there will be quite -a merry little lot of us--nearly a couple of hundred--what? I can -almost see myself as a nice fat little cherub sitting on a damp cloud -twanging a harp--eh? They'll probably serve you out with a trombone. -Can you play one?' He laughed, for somehow his companion reminded him -of the man who had played that instrument in the orchestra of the -Portsmouth Hippodrome in pre-war days. - -'I do wish you'd be serious,' the contractors' representative observed -sadly. 'This is no joking matter.' - -'I am serious,' Wooten protested, trying hard to control his face. - -'But you seem to like the idea.' - -Wooten shook his head. 'Don't you believe it,' he replied. 'But just -think what a glorious death it would be for you if you did go sky-high! -Why, your name would be in the Roll of Honour, and your photo in the -_Daily Mirror_. You'd be a public hero!' - -'Better be a live convict than a dead hero,' observed the bigwig -glumly, going off to seek consolation elsewhere. - -But when they did get to sea, and the _Mariner_ started first to bob -and curtsy, and then, as she gathered speed, to kick and dance like a -bucking mule, the violent motion drove all thoughts of mines or German -submarines out of their heads. They were seasick--fearfully and -wonderfully seasick. The joys of a sailor's life were not for them, and -most of the contractors' men and not a few of the ship's company wished -that they might die. The very thought of food made their gorges rise in -disgust, so lunch was delayed until their return into harbour just -before dark. - -Wooten and the officers were enthusiastic about the ship. 'She's a -rattling good sea-boat,' the former remarked, rubbing the caked salt -out of his eyes as he sat down in the wardroom when the ship had -secured alongside her wharf. 'We hardly took a green sea on board the -whole time.--Give me some of that game-pie and a whisky-and-soda, -steward! I'm perishing with hunger.' - -'Green seas!' laughed a lately revived contractors' official, busy with -a plate of galantine on the opposite side of the table; 'the water -seemed to be coming on board everywhere. I thought the weather was -absolutely poisonous.' - -'Poisonous!' echoed the skipper, looking up with his mouth full. 'My -dear sir, it was a ripping day. Nearly flat calm.' - -'You call that nearly flat calm?' - -'Course I do. There was nothing but a little bit of a lop.' - -'A lop, d'you call it? And what the deuce are these craft like in a -gale?' - -'A bit lively, and most damnably wet,' said Wooten. - -'Well, thank God I'm not a destroyer sailor!' exclaimed the civilian -with a sigh of heartfelt relief. 'I think you fellows ought to get -treble pay in bad weather.' - -'So do I,' the naval officer agreed. 'But none of us get our deserts, -thank Heaven!' - -Every one laughed. - -The first trial was not a complete success, and the ship was delayed -for a few days with defective fan engines. Then, with the faults -rectified, they went to sea again, and this time everything worked -smoothly--far more smoothly than Thompson, the engineer-lieutenant-commander, -had dared to hope. - -The _Mariner_ was a flyer, or at least she flew faster than any -other ship most of them had ever been in before. The ship's company -talked of her being able to do thirty-seven knots, and thought -themselves no small beer in consequence; but as a matter of fact their -estimate was exaggerated. - -They carried out several more trials, and eventually, in the third week -of February, the ship commissioned. Her officers and men shifted -themselves and their belongings on board from their respective hotels -and lodgings. Pompey, Jane, the two cats, and a newly acquired -fox-terrier puppy rejoicing in the name of Tirpitz were dragged -ruthlessly on board, and the destroyer hoisted her pendant and ensign. -She was a man-of-war at last. - -Two days later she sailed to the southward. The good wishes of her -builders went with her; for, if anything serious went wrong with her -interior economy within the next few months, they, by their contract, -were due to pay the piper. - -And so the _Mariner_ put out to sea. - - -III. - -All things are said to have their uses; but I have never yet been able -to discover any utilitarian purpose attached to a fog. I believe that -the men serving in lighthouses and lightships benefit by them to the -extent that they receive extra pay in return for their want of sleep -while their hooters and sirens are working; but I am more than certain -that this small addition to their salaries would be more than made up -by annual subscriptions from cheerful captains, masters, and officers -of His Majesty's Royal Navy and the Mercantile Marine were fogs to be -abolished altogether. - -There are fogs and fogs. A fog ashore is a nuisance which may cause one -to arrive as much as an hour late at the office, may make one miss an -appointment with one's dentist, or, worse still, an appointment to -lunch or dinner with some opulent acquaintance. I have even heard of a -London fog which was so thick that the conductor of a motor-omnibus, -who had left his vehicle to discover his whereabouts, was unable to -find it again. I feel sorry for that man, for a fog ashore is always an -inconvenience and a nuisance, sometimes even a positive danger. But a -real fog at sea is ever a ghastly nightmare; while thick weather in -war-time, when one has to pursue a zigzag and serpentine track along a -coast to dodge well-sown minefields laid for one's especial -discomfiture and disintegration by an obliging and thoughtful cousin -from the other side of the North Sea--well, the less said about it the -better. Moreover, when the restricted navigable channels are crowded -with merchant ships which the presence of mines and enemy submarines -does not seem to deter, and when most of the buoys and navigational -safeguards have been removed for the annoyance of the afore-mentioned -Hun submarine, the difficulties are increased. Piloting a vessel in -such circumstances might perhaps appeal to some jaded individual in -search of new thrills; but to the ordinary simple sailor, who gets his -thrills as regularly as clockwork free, gratis, and for nothing, an -off-shore fog is an invention of the Evil One. - -So when, during the _Mariner's_ first passage, Wooten noticed the -horizon to seaward was gradually becoming obliterated in a luminous -haze, and the outline of the land was rapidly becoming less and less -distinct in white, cotton-wool-like puffs of vapour, he cursed gently -and felt anxious. - -'Yes,' he growled disgustedly to the first lieutenant, whose watch it -was, 'we're in for a regular thick un. D'you see this little lot?' He -placed a finger on a large red oblong outlined on the chart. - -MacDonald nodded. - -'That's their latest minefield,' the skipper continued. 'According to -all accounts it's a pretty good un, as four steamers have been blown up -there within the last two days. We shall be up to this corner of it in -about a quarter of an hour, and we've got to snuggle in between it and -the shore somehow. I don't much fancy running along within a mile of -the coast if we can't see a yard in front of our faces. However,' he -added with a sigh, 'I suppose it's got to be done.' - -The first lieutenant looked at the chart. 'We can ease down and run a -line of soundings, sir,' he observed; 'but even then I doubt if the -lead'll tell us much. The water's under ten fathoms the whole way, and -we might pile up on one of these banks before we know where we are. -They're steep to.'[33] He pointed to some patches of closely clustered -dots representing sandbanks. 'Perhaps we might pick up one of the -buoys, sir?' he added hopefully. - - [33] A coast or a shoal is said to be 'steep to' when - comparatively deep water extends right up to its seaward - edge. The lead, therefore, gives little indication of a - ship's proximity to danger. - -Wooten seemed doubtful. 'Most of 'em have been taken away,' he -answered. 'I do wish these perishin' Huns would go and do their dirty -work somewhere else! Our compasses are none too accurate, and Heaven -alone knows exactly what the tide is doing.' He was very much annoyed, -and not a little apprehensive; for the haze over the land was getting -thicker every minute, and there was no breeze to dispel it. - -Ten minutes later the _Mariner_ was travelling in a cold and clammy -mist through which it was impossible to see more than a mile; while -five minutes afterwards she had run into a solid wall of thick gray -fog, and their range of vision was bounded by a narrow circle with a -radius of barely a hundred yards. - -'Damn!' Wooten muttered fiercely, stepping to the engine-room telegraph -and turning the handle until the pointer showed the revolutions of the -turbines for ten knots. - -With the sounding-machine going every five minutes, the siren wailing -mournfully every two, and extra lookouts placed on the forecastle, they -groped their way blindly on. It was trying work; for, now that the fog -had shut down, the neighbourhood at once seemed crowded with other -ships, the dismal hooting of whose sirens and steam-whistles came from -all directions at the same time. The noises they made were curious. -Some barked like dogs; others cleared their throats noisily, or -stammered and yelped shrilly; while more boomed and bellowed like -cattle, howled liked wolves, or laughed like jackasses. - -'I've heard a farmyard in the early mornin',' Wooten observed; 'but the -racket that's going on now fairly licks creation.' - -Once they sighted a huge dull blur in the haze right ahead, and the -skipper, holding his breath, jammed the helm over just in time to avoid -a large Norwegian tramp laden with timber. The vessels slid by each -other barely twenty feet apart, and as they passed a man with an -excited purple face and a white beard leant over her bridge-rail -gesticulating wildly. 'Why for you no look where you come?' he bellowed -in incoherent and very bad English. - -'Don't get excited, Father Christmas!' Wooten retaliated, justly -annoyed. 'Why the deuce don't you sound your hooter, you perishin' -pirate?' - -The master of the steamer waved his fists excitedly, but before he -could collect his wits and think of anything further to say the vessels -had slid past each other and were out of sight and earshot. - -For an hour the _Mariner_ travelled on, with the fog as thick as ever. -They were running down the Channel between the minefield and the banks -lying off the shore; but in spite of the fact that they were working -entirely by dead reckoning, and the tide was an unknown quantity, -nothing unforeseen occurred. - -'What the deuce is that?' asked MacDonald, as an excited, irregular, -and strident 'He-he-haw-haw-haw!' burst out from the murk ahead. - -Wooten laughed. 'Sounds exactly like a donkey braying,' he said. 'As a -matter of fact, it's some blighter playing on one of those hand -fog-horns. Sailing-craft of sorts. He's right ahead, too. Keep your -eyes skinned!' - -A moment later there came a wild yell from the forecastle, 'Ship right -a'ead, sir!' - -'Starboard! Hard a-starboard!' the skipper ordered at once, as a -blurred silhouette came out of the mist right under the destroyer's -bows. 'By George! we've got her!' His heart was in his mouth, and he -gripped the rail convulsively and waited for the crash. - -But they didn't hit her quite; for the _Mariner_, turning sharply -to port under her helm, just shaved past within a fathom of a small -decked sailing-boat with brown, idly flapping sails. An ancient mariner -in a billycock hat at her wheel stared up open-mouthed at the -destroyer's bridge, and then, yelling like a maniac, darted aft and -hauled in on the painter of the dinghy towing astern. He did it just in -time to save his small boat from being run into and destroyed. Farther -forward a red-faced boy, with one hand on the pump-handle of a battered -brass fog-horn, looked up with frightened eyes, as they passed so close -that Wooten could almost see the drops of moisture on his rough blue -jersey. - -The midship gun's crew happened to be cleaning their weapon as the boat -drifted by. - -''Ow do, granfer?' said the irrepressible Billings, stepping to the -rail and removing his cap with a low bow. 'Where did yer git that 'at?' - -'You keep a civil tongue in yer ---- 'ead!' retorted the aged fisherman -with some heat. - -'Now then, yer naughty boy,' answered the seaman, wagging a finger -reprovingly, 'don't git usin' sich langwidge. Comin' aboard ter 'ave a -nice drop o' rum?' - -'Go to 'ell!' shouted the naughty boy, purple in the face. 'You ---- -torpeder deestroyers'll be the ---- death o' th' likes o' me! Second ----- time we've bin nearly run down this marnin'! W'y can't you ---- -look where you're ---- well goin'? We've got our ---- livin' to -get'---- The remainder of his remarks were inaudible as his craft -dropped astern and was swallowed up in the fog. - -'Nice ole gent, ain't 'e?' Billings remarked with a grin, gazing after -the boat with admiration. 'Don't 'e talk well? I 'specs, if we really -know'd it, that ole bloke is a shinin' light in one o' these 'ere -chapels ashore. Don't matter wot yer sez an' does in the week, s'long -as yer good an' goes ter chapel reg'lar o' Sundays.' - -''Ow often does we git these 'ere fogs?' queried Pincher, a trifle -anxiously. ''Ow in 'ell does the skipper know where-abouts th' bloomin' -ship is if 'e carn't see nothink?' - - [Illustration: ''Ow do, granfer? Where did yer git that 'at?' - PAGE 230.] - -Joshua smiled condescendingly. 'Fawgs!' he said. 'Sometimes we 'as 'em -in th' North Sea fur days an' days on end--weeks sometimes.' - -'But 'ow does ships find their way abart then?' Pincher persisted. - -'Find their way abart?' Billings repeated, scratching his nose with an -oily forefinger. 'I dunno rightly. They eases down an' keeps their -soundin'-machines goin' reg'lar, an' uses their compasses; but I -reckons they doesn't allus know where they is. They pretends to, o' -course, but I believe they trusts ter luck more 'n 'arf th' time.' - -Martin sucked his teeth. 'But supposin' we 'its somethink?' he asked. -'Supposin' we 'ad a bargin' match wi' another ship, or runs ashore?' - -Billings grunted. 'W'en that 'appens yer kin start thinkin' abart it,' -he returned. 'It's no good yer troublin' yer 'ead abart wot may 'appen; -yer won't git no sleep, an' won't 'ave no happetite, if yer does. -S'pose we gits blowed up by a mine or by one o' them there ruddy -submarines; s'pose we 'as a collision wi' somethink a bit bigger'n -ourselves, or per'aps 'as a bomb dropped on our 'eads from a bloomin' -hairyoplane or a Zeppeling?' - -'Well, an' wot abart it?' demanded the ordinary seaman, rather -perturbed at Billings's summing up of the different ways in which they -might meet their fate. - -'Wot abart it? Why, I tells yer it ain't no use yer worryin'. If we -does 'ave bad luck an' 'as an 'orrible disaster, shove yer life-belt on -an' trust ter luck, same as yer did in th' ole _Belligerent_. It takes -an 'ell of a lot to sink a deestroyer,' Joshua added. 'I've seen 'em -'arter collisions wi' their bows cut orf, their starns missin', an' -chopped clean in 'alves, I 'ave; but still they floated some'ow, an' -wus towed back 'ome inter 'arbour.' - -'I don't fancy seein' this 'ere ship chopped in 'alves,' said Pincher -dubiously. - -'Don't talk so wet,' Joshua growled. 'Yer ain't frightened, are yer?' - -'Course I ain't!' came the indignant reply. - -'Yer looks ter me as if yer wus,' said the A.B. 'But, any'ow, don't -worry yer 'ead. A deestroyer's a ruddy sight safer'n some other ships. -We've got speed, we 'ave, an' kin run away if we're chased by an -'ostile cruiser, an' we don't draw too much water fur bumpin' mines and -sichlike. Jolly sight safer 'n livin' ashore, I calls it.' - -'I dunno so much.' - -'Course it is. Look at th' ways yer kin lose th' number o' yer mess -w'en ye're livin' on th' beach,' Billings replied with a snort. 'Yer -kin be run over an' laid out by a motor-bus. Yer kin be drownded in yer -barth, or git a chimney-pot dropped on yer napper in a gale o' wind. -Yer kin be suffocated in yer bed if yer leaves th' gas burnin', -an''---- - -'An' yer nearly dies o' suffocation if yer drinks more 'n a gallon o' -beer,' chimed in another man, who knew Billings's past history. - -Joshua turned round wrathfully. 'I don't stan' no sauce from th' likes -o' you, Dogo!' he exclaimed, advancing threateningly. - -'It's true, ain't it?' queried Dogo, retreating to a convenient -distance. 'Besides, I never said 'oo it wus 'oo nearly died o' -suffocation, did I?' - -'No, but I knows ruddy well 'oo yer means, yer perishin' lop-eared -milkman; an' nex' time yer sez things ter me I'll give yer a clip -'longside th' ear'ole as'll keep yer thinkin' abart it fur a week!' - -The bystanders laughed. - -'Don't you take no notice o' 'im, Pincher,' Joshua went on. ''E ain't -no sailor. Afore this 'ere war started 'e wus drivin' one o' these 'ere -milk-carts an' shoutin' "Milk-o!" artside th' 'ouses, an' makin' love -ter th' slaveys!' It was perfectly true so far as the driving of the -milk-chariot was concerned, for Dogo Pearson, after serving his first -period in the navy, had retired into civil life as a milkman, only to -be called up again on the outbreak of war. - -It was Dogo's turn to get angry. 'Look 'ere, Billin's!' he said -angrily; 'I'll 'ave yer know'---- - -'You men had better be gettin' on with cleanin' that gun!' came the -wrathful voice of Mr Menotti, who had come forward unseen. 'It's not -half done, red rust everywhere, an' you're all standin' round spinnin' -yarns. Get a move on, or I'll have you up here cleanin' it in your -spare time!' - -The argument ceased, and the gun's crew, stifling their amusement, -busied themselves with their emery-paper, bath-brick, and -polishing-rags. - -'You wait till I gits yer on th' mess-deck, me boy-o!' growled Joshua -_sotto voce_ when the gunner's back was turned. - -'Orl right, chum,' Dogo grinned unconcernedly; 'don't go gittin' -rattled.' - -Billings was really a great friend of his. - -All things come to an end in time, even sea fogs, and that same evening -the _Mariner_ steamed jauntily into her first port of call and dropped -her anchor. - -'I'm glad you've arrived all right,' said the senior naval officer when -Wooten went over to report himself. 'To tell the truth, we were a bit -anxious about you.' - -'Anxious, sir! Why?' - -'We've had to close the Channel to all traffic until it's been swept,' -said the S.N.O. 'A steamer went up on a mine bang in the middle of the -fairway about an hour after you must have passed the place.' - -'Good Lord!' the lieutenant-commander ejaculated with a sigh of relief. - -The S.N.O., who was used to such things, smiled blandly. 'Have a -cigarette,' he said, pushing the box across. 'What about a glass of -brown sherry? I've just got a new lot in, and it's rather good stuff.' -He reached up and fingered a hanging bell-push. - -'Thank you, sir. I think I will.' - -The S.N.O. rang the bell for his steward. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -FRITZ THE FRIGHTFUL. - - -I. - -Pincher soon discovered that life on board a battleship and life in a -destroyer were two totally different existences. - -In the _Belligerent_ a cast-iron routine had always been adhered -to, at sea or in harbour, fair weather or foul. Nothing was suffered to -disturb that routine, unless it were occasional excursions to sea in -the small hours of the morning and frequent coalings. Times were laid -down for everything. Day after day bugles blew or pipes twittered at -exactly the same hours; and to the ship's company, the actual workers, -things seemed to run as smoothly as clockwork with a minimum of effort -on the part of every one. They all knew what to do, and when to do it; -and the men themselves never realised the forethought, the energy, and -the capacity for organisation on the part of the commander and other -responsible officers which were necessary to produce such a result. -They took it for granted. Their groove was made for them, so to speak, -and they suffered themselves to slide along its well-oiled length -without troubling their heads as to what supplied the motive-power. -Moreover, men were told off for their jobs collectively, not -individually. Their bodies seemed to be regarded as machines capable of -so many units of work, and there were such numbers of them in the ship, -and the vessel herself was so huge, that the labours of any single -person, provided always he was not a very important person, did not -seem to have any effect on the community as a whole. Indeed, a seaman -could even go on the sick-list, or leave the ship altogether, without -his absence being noticed or felt except by his own messmates and -friends. - -But in the _Mariner_ things were very different, for here the labours -of every single individual counted. If a man neglected his work or -idled his time away, his shortcomings had their effect on some one -else. They were soon noticed, and the laggard speedily found himself -chased and goaded into a proper state of activity by Petty Officer -Casey; and Casey, a glutton for work himself, always had a persuasive -way with him, and a horny fist to back up his arguments. - -There was a routine, of course, and very nice it looked on paper; but -the life was so full of sudden surprises that as often as not any -preconceived time-table went by the board. It was not surprising, for -the _Mariner_ and the other destroyers of her flotilla had always -to be ready for service at the shortest notice, and her men frequently -found themselves bundled unceremoniously out of their hammocks in the -middle of the night to get the ship to sea. It did not matter whether -it was blowing a gale, raining, or snowing; go to sea they must, and -did. - -Sometimes they chivied Fritz; and he--a wise man, but no -gentleman--waited for no one. It was not the fault of the destroyers -that he had usually vanished into space by the time they arrived to -strafe him. Fritz was the ubiquitous Hun submarine, any 'untersee-boot' -which happened to come into their domain, and a merry little dance he -sometimes led them. Occasionally, to vary the monotony, they called him -Hans, Adolf, Karl, or some other Teutonic appellation; but more often -than not he was just Fritz, and Fritz he will remain until the end of -the war. Sometimes, though reported as such, he was not really Fritz at -all. - -'The skipper of the trawler _Adam and Eve_ reports having sighted a -periscope flying a large flag in latitude _xy_ deg. _z_' N., longitude _a_ deg. -_bc_' E., at six-thirty this morning,' was the sort of thing they were -sometimes told. 'Proceed to the vicinity with all despatch, and -search.' - -Proceed they did, hot-foot and full of warlike energy, only to find -that the skipper of the _Adam and Eve_ had been mistaken, and that -his periscope with its large flag was nothing but some other -fisherman's dan buoy broken adrift from its nets. Dan buoys, seen in -the half-light of the early morning or evening, are apt to be -deceptive, particularly when the imagination is stirred at the thought -of the substantial honorarium to be earned for authentic information of -the enemy. - -But even battleships and cruisers make mistakes sometimes. The -newspapers have never mentioned one fierce engagement which took place -in a certain northern harbour, in the chill gray light of an early -dawn, when a long black submarine was suddenly seen approaching the -outer cruiser of a line of men-of-war lying peacefully at their -anchors. He came in on the flood-tide, grim and menacing, causing a -great commotion in the water, and with his periscope raising its -flutter of spray. Now and then he disappeared altogether. - -It was Fritz, they thought, come to pay them an early morning visit, -and with all the joy in the world the officer of the watch in the -cruiser opened fire. It was easy shooting. The guns barked angrily, and -four-inch shell spouted, foamed, and burst round the invader until he -was a submarine no longer. The fleet was flung into a state of -considerable excitement; but the submarine sank gracefully to the -bottom, while the officer of the watch, metaphorically patting himself -on the back, told his agitated pyjama-clad commanding officer of what -had occurred. - -'Are you quite certain you got him?' the latter inquired anxiously. - -'Absolutely certain, sir,' the lieutenant replied. 'We all saw him hit -several times. He sank by the bows.' - -'Have sunk hostile submarine,' was the signal made to the flagship a -few minutes later. 'Request permission to send down divers to -investigate.' - -'Approved!' came back the answer. 'Report results.' - -'Divers have been down, but report they can find no traces of the -alleged submarine,' another semaphore message went across three hours -afterwards. - -The flagship did not deign to answer, but her signalmen tittered; the -'alleged' tickled them. - -'I'm absolutely certain he was hit, sir,' the officer who had opened -fire reiterated for the thousandth time. 'I'm positive I saw him -sink--absolutely positive!' - -'Well, where the deuce has he got to, then?' the captain wanted to -know, shrugging his shoulders unbelievingly. 'The damned thing surely -can't sink and not leave a trace of anything behind him!' He seemed -rather irritable. - -Three days later a light cruiser anchored towards the entrance of the -harbour, and started talking. 'There is a large black object stranded -on the beach abreast the ship,' she said by semaphore. 'Am sending boat -to investigate.' - -'Object previously reported is a whale,' came a supplementary message -in less than half-an-hour. 'It has been dead some days, and appears to -have been killed by shell-fire.' - -The defunct monster advertised his presence far and wide when the tide -fell. People approached him wearing gas-masks and with ammonia-soaked -handkerchiefs held to their noses. How the authorities got rid of him -history does not relate. One cannot very well bury a thing the size of -a house. Perhaps they sold him for fertiliser. - -There were no C.B.'s or D.S.O.'s conferred for that battle, though the -shooting certainly had been good. - -But all this has carried us rather far from the _Mariner_ and her men. -They always found Fritz, Hans, Adolf, Karl, or whatever they chose to -call him, as cunning as a hatful of monkeys; but the destroyers and -other craft which sought to compass his destruction admired him for his -efficiency, for efficient he certainly was. He combined boldness with -seaman-like caution, and would suddenly appear in an area crowded with -traffic, sink a merchant ship or two, and then disappear into space. -Occasionally he behaved as a sportsman, and towed the boats containing -the crews of the ships he had just sunk in towards the shore. -Sometimes, when it came to sinking liners and passenger-ships with -women and children on board, his reputation was unsavoury; but even the -righteous wrath and indignation of his pursuers, who always played the -game themselves, were not levelled so much at Fritz himself as at those -who had given him orders to go out and do his dirty work. - -The _Mariner_ was once working in an area in which Fritz was very -active indeed, when Hills the telegraphist clambered on to the bridge -in a state of purple excitement, flourishing a sheet of paper. - -'Well, what is it?' Wooten demanded. 'What's the matter?' - -'There's a steamer down to the south-east'ard makin' the S.O.S. call, -sir!' the man ejaculated agitatedly. 'Says she's bein' overhauled by a -submarine, who's firin' on her. I've got her position, course, and -speed!' - -'The devil you have!' said Wooten, putting the telegraphs to 'Full -speed,' and giving the helmsman a new course. 'Let's have her -position.' He took the paper from the telegraphist, and laid the -latitude and longitude off on the chart. 'Lord!' he remarked, rather -perturbed, 'we're a good forty miles off. It'll take us over an hour to -reach her. They'll be strafed by then, poor devils!' - -The _Mariner_, meanwhile, with smoke pouring from her funnels and -a great bow-wave creaming aft from her sharp stem, was dashing off at -something over thirty knots. - -Wooten scratched his head. 'Hills,' he said at last, as an inspiration -seized him, 'call her up by wireless, and make her in plain -English--not in code, mind--"Hang on. Destroyer will be with you in -twenty minutes." Got that?' - -'Yessir,' said the man, writing it down. - -'Very well. Don't make our name, but use all the juice you can, so that -they'll think we're very close. Understand?' - -'Yessir,' nodded Hills, leaving the bridge rather mystified. - -'You see, sub,' the skipper went on, 'we can't possibly get to this -chap in time to save him from being sunk. All we can do is to try to -frighten Fritz and to make him abandon the chase. D'you see?' - -Hargreaves nodded vaguely. - -'I don't believe you understand in the least what I'm driving at,' -Wooten continued, smiling. 'Fritz has got wireless, and is on the -surface. If he's the wily bird I imagine him to be, he'll have a fellow -in his box-office listening to what's going on. He'll hear my signal, -will take it in, translate it--they all know English--and there's just -a chance it'll scare the life out of him, and make him shove off out of -it. Savvy?' - -Hargreaves nodded. - -The scheme actually did work successfully, and Fritz was badly had, for -in less than twenty minutes the unknown steamer was talking again. -'Submarine has abandoned chase, and has dived,' she said abruptly. 'Who -are you?' - -'Mind your own perishing business!' went back the reply in rather -politer language. - -Fritz seemed to work in spasms, for a fortnight would go by without a -sign of him; and then, quite suddenly, there would come another -recrudescence of his activity in another and quite unexpected locality. -But the small craft were always hot on the scent the moment he bobbed -up. They made his life a misery and a burden; and, though it is true he -succeeded in sinking many a merchant ship, many of his species did not -return to Wilhelmshaven. There were various effective ways of dealing -with him, though exactly what those methods were must perforce be left -a secret. - - -II. - -But Fritz was not the only thing they hunted; for once, in the English -Channel, the _Mariner_ was sent to sea to look for Fritz's mother, -a suspicious sailing-vessel supposed to be supplying him with petrol -and other commodities. - -It was midnight when the orders came, pitch-dark, snowing hard, and -blowing half a gale of wind, and there was considerable risk in taking -the ship to sea at all. First they had an altercation with the side of -the jetty, the brunt of which was taken by the whaler at her davits, -and caused that boat to open her seams and crack her ribs in resentful -indignation. Then, since there was no room to turn, Wooten had to -perform the rather ticklish manoeuvre, in the midst of a snow-flurry, -of steering stern first through a line of closely anchored ships with -no lights. Any naval officer will agree that handling a destroyer in -such circumstances, with a strong wind broad on the beam, the night so -dark that it is impossible to see more than a hundred yards, and clouds -of black, oil-fuel smoke making it darker still, is apt to be -hair-raising and startling. Wooten found it so at any rate, and -congratulated himself that he succeeded in getting to sea with no -further damage than a badly squeezed whaler. - -Shortly before daylight they arrived at the spot where the suspicious -sailing-vessel had been sighted from the shore. They were all in a -state of suppressed excitement, for they fully believed they were in -for something at last; while the guns' crews, fidgeting with -impatience, were standing by their weapons ready to open fire. - -Wooten himself was very hopeful. 'If this report is true,' he said to -the first lieutenant, 'I shouldn't at all wonder if we found a -submarine taking in petrol alongside her.' - -MacDonald, inclined to be sceptical, shook his head and smiled. 'I have -my doubts, sir,' he said with true Scottish caution. 'It's my opinion -that the whole yarn is pure bunkum.' - -When the dawn broke in a blaze of scarlet and orange there was a -sailing-craft in sight, and she was barely a mile away from the place -where the submarine supply-ship had been reported. She seemed rather an -ordinary-looking vessel, ketch rigged, with a sturdy, broad-beamed -hull, and was hove-to under the lee of the land. Her sails were patched -and dingy, and, like Joseph's coat, were of many colours. But really -and truly there was nothing at all remarkable about her, though most of -the officers and fully half the men were firmly convinced that she was -a Hun of most immoral character. - -The _Mariner_ approached her warily, with guns trained, and the -men's fingers itching on their triggers. They longed to fire. The -_Jessie and Eva_, however, evinced no particular interest in the -proceedings; and when the destroyer steamed up close alongside, and -went astern to check her way, only a small, sleepy-eyed boy was visible -on deck. - -'Where d'you come from?' Wooten bellowed through a megaphone. - -'Brixham, surr!' answered the youth with a broad west-country burr, as -a tousled head appeared up the after-companion and stared at the -destroyer in amazement. - -'Where's your skipper?' the lieutenant-commander asked. - -'Here Oi be, surr!' said the owner of the head, scrambling out of his -cubby-hole, and appearing on deck in jersey and sea-boots. 'What'll you -be waantin', surr?' - -'Where d'you come from?' - -'Brixham, surr.' - -'How long have you been out?' - -'Nigh on three-fourr days, surr.' - -'What's your name?' - -'Jarge, surr--Jarge Willyum Cobley,' answered the man, in unmistakable -Devonshire accents. - -Wooten turned to the first lieutenant. 'Lower the dinghy, and go on -board and have a look at her,' he said rather disappointedly. 'Seems to -me she's as innocent as a new-born babe; but ask 'em if they've seen -any men-of-war or submarines about, and find out how long they've been -here. Get back as soon as you can.' - -'Ay, ay, sir.' - -The boat was lowered, and the _Jessie and Eva_, for the first time -in her career, found herself boarded by an officer and two men armed to -the teeth. - -'Whaat du th' li'l man-o'-warr waant, surr?' queried the skipper, -eyeing MacDonald's holstered weapon with some apprehension. 'Us is from -Brixham, surr.' - -'Yes, that's all right. I merely want to have a look round.' - -He examined the smack fore and aft; but there was not the least vestige -of anything incriminating about her. Her papers were in order, her two -men and the boy were obvious west-countrymen, and she herself was full -of fish. She had been in her present position or thereabouts for the -last three days, the skipper said, and he intended returning to Brixham -with her catch that afternoon. - -'Well, there's nothing the matter with you,' said the first lieutenant -with a laugh, as he prepared to get back to his boat. 'Care for a bit -of navy plug?' He knew well enough how to get the right side of -fishermen, and never dreamt of boarding a trawler without a couple of -inches of strong navy plug tobacco in his pocket. - -Old Cobley beamed. 'Ay, surr,' he said, accepting the gift. 'Us doan't -of'en get navy 'bacca. Would 'e care fur some fish, surr? 'Tis fine -fresh caught.' - -'Thanks very much,' answered the lieutenant, who had taken the -precaution of bringing two buckets across in the boat with him; 'I -should.' - -'Peterr!' the old fisherman bellowed to the boy, 'put some fish inter -th' orficer's boat, an' luk lively naow.' - -Peter obeyed his orders, and the dinghy eventually returned to the ship -with the buckets full and her bottom covered with a slippery, sliding -mass of newly caught herrings, a turbot or two, and dozens of other -varieties which nobody could put a name to. They had sufficient to -provide the ship's company of the _Mariner_ with two excellent -meals, and the total value of the haul, if brought ashore, could not -have been far short of thirty shillings. Tobacco to the approximate -value of four-pence sometimes does work wonders, and well MacDonald -knew it. He was a Scotsman. - -But Wooten was anxious to find out how the report had originated. His -orders to search for a suspicious vessel had mentioned 'a black-hulled, -ketch-rigged craft, with several white patches in her mainsail,' and -this description suited old Jarge Cobley's smack to a T. Moreover, she -had been found close to the position mentioned in the report. - -'Any silly juggins could have seen that she was innocent!' the -lieutenant-commander declared wrathfully. He forgot that it was easy to -be wise after the event, and that, barely half-an-hour before, he and -most of his men had been quite firm in their conviction that the -_Jessie and Eva_ was a Hun in disguise. - -The _Mariner_ first signalled to a coastguard station ashore, but -the coastguardmen declined all responsibility, and merely stated that -they had heard a rumour that, the previous afternoon, some agitation -had been caused amongst the military authorities in the neighbouring -coast town of Baymouth by a report that a strange vessel had been seen -hovering in a most suspicious manner off the coast. The coastguardmen, -having satisfied themselves that there was no such craft in the -neighbourhood, had taken no further interest in the matter. That was -all they professed to know about it. - -Wooten himself did not know until afterwards that the garrison of -Baymouth consisted of a small detachment of the 8th (Service) battalion -of the Midshire Rangers. It was commanded by a major who, having -contracted a chill, was absent on sick-leave. Next came a captain, and -he, the day being Sunday, had gone off on his motor-bicycle to see his -wife, leaving Second Lieutenant Tarry-Diddle, a newly caught subaltern, -in charge of the gallant troops. Tarry-Diddle, a most promising and -zealous youth, was the 'military authority' referred to. - -The _Mariner_ steamed three miles along the coast to Baymouth, and -here the first lieutenant was landed in the dinghy to make inquiries. -There was some surf on the beach, and he was very wet before he got -ashore; but, escorted by a local constable and a tribe of urchins, who -were firmly convinced that he was a prisoner from a German submarine -just sunk in the bay by the destroyer, he was eventually ushered into -the presence of the senior military officer in the town. This time it -was Captain Bumble-Dyke, and he was having his breakfast. - -An hour later MacDonald returned to the ship and described the scene to -Wooten. 'I got ashore,' he said, 'and asked for the boss military man -in the place. He was having his breakfast when I arrived, and was quite -affable; asked me if I'd care for some of his bacon and eggs, in fact. -I was wet through and beastly cold, so said I'd have a cup of coffee. -Then I asked him about the suspicious sailing-vessel of his. He -evidently thought at first that I'd come to pay an official call, -though why he should imagine I'd come at that hour in the morning, wet -through, and wearing a dirty muffler and sea-boots, I'm sure I don't -know. He seemed rather surprised, and stared at me for a bit, and then -asked what suspicious sailing-vessel I meant. He said he hadn't heard -of one, and went off into a yarn about his having been away all the day -before, his motor-bike having punctured, and his only having got back -at two o'clock that morning.' No. 1 smiled at the recollection. - -'Go on with the yarn,' said Wooten, beginning to laugh. - -'Well, sir, I told him that the military people at Baymouth had -reported a suspicious craft off the coast yesterday evening. "It's the -first I've heard of it," he said. "Well, your people reported her, -anyhow," I told him. "It must have been Tarry-Diddle!" he answered. "He -was in charge here all yesterday. He's not said anything to me about -it, though it's true I haven't seen him since I returned." "Who's -Tarry-Diddle?" I asked. "He's my subaltern," he said. "We'd better send -along for him." We did, and he fetched up in about ten minutes. Seemed -a decent little chap, but a bit nervous. "What's this about a -suspicious vessel off the coast?" asked the captain. "Yes, sir. We -sighted one yesterday, and reported it," says Tarry-Diddle, looking at -me rather anxiously. "Most suspicious-looking craft. Ketch rigged, -black hull, and several white patches in her mainsail. She's been -hovering round the bay for three days, sir." I laughed; couldn't very -well help it, for he'd described the _Jessie and Eva_ exactly. "What's -the matter?" the captain asked me. "Matter!" I said. "Why, your -suspicious craft is nothing but an ordinary Brixham trawler. We've just -examined her." "The deuce she is!--Whom did you report her to, -Tarry-Diddle?" "I sent a wire straight to the Admiralty, sir," the poor -little chap said. The captain got rather purple in the face. "Good -God!" he shouted, jumping up, "d'you mean to say that you wired to the -Admiralty to tell 'em that---- Oh Lord! you'll get me hanged! What the -deuce d'you mean by it?" "I'm awfully sorry, sir," said Tarry-Diddle, -rather frightened and very white about the gills. "I thought I'd done -the right thing." "Done the right thing, you blithering young jackass!" -roared the captain. "Why the devil didn't you get the naval people to -have a look at her? How on earth can you tell whether a ship's -suspicious or whether she isn't? I go away for twelve hours, and leave -you in charge, and this sort of thing happens! I tell you, -Tarry-Diddle, it won't do. It won't do at all! I shall have to report -the matter to the colonel!" He started stamping up and down the room in -a fearful state of excitement. I couldn't help laughing.' - -Wooten was laughing himself. 'What happened then?' he spluttered. - -'Tarry-Diddle got in a bit of a funk, sir. "It happened like this, -sir," he explained. "The sergeant-major was walking along the front -yesterday afternoon"---- "To hell with the sergeant-major!" shouted -Bumble-Dyke; "where the deuce does he come in?" "That's just what I'm -trying to explain, sir," said Tarry-Diddle; and I do believe the young -devil was laughing. "Oh, go on, and let's hear what you have to say!" -spluttered the captain. "Well, sir, the sergeant-major was walking -along the front yesterday afternoon behind two retired naval -officers--at least, he said they were retired naval officers. They were -talking, and one of them drew the attention of the other to the -sailing-craft, and said he thought she looked rather suspicious. The -other chap agreed, and said the Admiralty ought to be asked to send a -ship to have a look at her." "I've never met any retired naval officers -here," grumbled Bumble-Dyke. "I've seen most of the residents in the -club, too." "I'm only telling you what the sergeant-major said, sir," -Tarry-Diddle went on. "He came back to me at once, and told me what -he'd heard, so I sent the wire off to the Admiralty on one of those -yellow forms." "That accounts for our little excursion, then," I -chipped in.' - -'Oh Lord!' gasped Wooten, 'this is the limit. Go on. What happened -then?' - -'Well, sir,' MacDonald continued, laughing, 'the captain called the -poor little chap all the names he could think of; told him he ought to -be court-martialled, and shot at dawn, and all the rest of it. They -were still at it hammer and tongs when I came away.' - -Wooten smiled. 'I feel rather sorry for Tarry-Diddle,' he said. 'But -I'm not certain he didn't deserve it, draggin' us out of harbour in the -middle of the night all for a ruddy craft which any darned son of a gun -could have seen was only a Brixham trawler.' It did not occur to him -that he had been badly taken in himself. 'By the way,' he added, 'who -were the two retired naval officers?' - -'They were invented by the sergeant-major,' MacDonald chuckled. 'One of -them was the steward at the yacht club, who goes about in a -yachting-cap and a gold badge, and t' other was the man who's in charge -of the bathing-machines in the summer. That's what I was told, at any -rate.' - -'Lord!' said the skipper, laughing, 'it reminds me of that parson, at -the other place, who said he had seen the periscope of a submarine at -seventeen miles. Seventeen perishin' miles, mark you! He sent a wire to -the Admiralty, too, and they called out every destroyer within a -hundred miles. But it wasn't Fritz at all, merely the mast of a ship -hull down on the horizon. It was rather a clearer day than usual, -that's all!' - -No. 1 laughed. 'They're all so jolly keen on reporting things, sir; but -I must say this sort of thing is the limit.' - -'I agree,' said Wooten, chuckling. 'However, we mustn't let Tarry -What's-his-name get into trouble. I'll send in a report sayin' we -couldn't find any rakish-lookin' craft in the neighbourhood, and that I -expect the military people were mistaken. You know,' he added, 'these -fellows who've joined the new army are devilish good chaps and devilish -keen, and one doesn't want to have 'em strafed unless one can't help -it--what?' - -'I quite agree, sir.' - -'And when we get in I'll write a letter to Bumble-Dyke, asking him not -to be too hard on him.' - -He was as good as his word, and never regretted it, for less than a -year later the name of Temporary Lieutenant Richard Tarry-Diddle, as he -was then, appeared in the Honours List. He had won his Victoria Cross -at Ypres. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE NORTH SEA. - - -I. - -There were many different topics of conversation in the wardroom of the -_Mariner_. The seven members of the mess talked learnedly upon dozens -of subjects, no matter whether they knew much about them or not. -Nothing was too abstruse. They discussed the Mendel theory, atavism, -and how onions acquired their flavour and violets their scent with as -much zest and freedom as they argued about the possibilities of a -German invasion of Britain, and the rights and wrongs of universal -service. Conversation frequently became strident, and heated argument -occasionally gave way to flat contradiction; while contradiction -sometimes terminated in a babel in which every one aired opinions to -which nobody listened. One can hardly expect anything else when seven -men of widely divergent views and ideals, and with different characters -and temperaments, live cheek by jowl in the same small ship. The -subjects most often brought under discussion, however--the hardy -perennials, so to speak--were: - -(1) Whether or not the High Sea Fleet of his Imperial Majesty the -Emperor of all the Germans was likely to emerge into the North Sea. - -(2) Former ships. - -(3) The iniquities of one Harry Smith, officers' steward of the second -class. - -Opinions on No. 1 varied, and need not be entered into here; but No. 2 -provided them with many hours' conversation. - -'When I was in the old _Somerset_, in nineteen-nine,' somebody would -start the ball rolling, 'we had a fellow who'---- - -'By George, yes!' continued some one else; 'that reminds me of the -_Saturn_ in China in nought-five. Did you ever hear the yarn about -the watch-keeper who'---- And straightway the floodgates of -reminiscence were opened. - -It was perfectly natural, for there were seven of them, and among them -they had served his Majesty or his predecessors for nearly eighty -years. Moreover, they had been in every imaginable type of ship, in -many different parts of the world, and had never been shipmates before. -Five of the seven we have already met. The other two were Augustus -Black, the surgeon-probationer of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, -and George Bonar, the midshipman of the Royal Naval Reserve. Of them, -more anon. - -Topic No. 3, the sins and omissions of Harry Smith, came up for -consideration at least twice daily. He was an unkempt individual, with -long black hair and sallow complexion, who had just entered the -service. Before deciding to serve the King he had, or had not, been a -shining light in a livery and bait stable. He may have been an -excellent ostler, but did not scintillate as an officers' steward. -Nominally he was supposed to assist Watkins, the senior steward, who, -under the supervision of Mr Menotti, did for the officers as regards -their messing. Watkins himself was all that could be desired, but the -redoubtable Harry frequently 'did for' the members of the mess in more -senses than one. - -The galley, where all the cooking was done, lived forward, and though -it must have been painful for Smith to fall on the slippery steel deck -on the way aft with the joint for the evening meal, it was still more -annoying for seven officers with healthy appetites to discover that -their leg of mutton, together with its dish, had flopped gracefully -overboard and had sunk to the bottom of the harbour. On one occasion -the dish of bacon for breakfast came to grief; whereupon Smith, -trusting that nobody was looking, gathered up what remained on the -deck, and replaced it in the dish with his fingers. But the eagle eye -of the first lieutenant was upon him, and there was trouble. - -Besides being the food-carrier to and from the galley, Smith acted as -the wine steward in Watkins's absence, was supposed to clean and wash -up the table silver and crockery, and to keep a watchful eye upon the -table-napkins and tablecloths. It was unfortunate that he poured the -sherry into a decanter half-full of port; but he was forgiven, for the -mixture, under the guise of 'madeira,' was offered to, and accepted as -a _quid pro quo_ by, unsuspecting dockyard employees who had provided -the first lieutenant with--well, certain things which he required for -the ship. Smith was not pardoned for losing the upper half of an -expensive silver-plated entree-dish, for breaking or losing in ten days -no fewer than seventeen tumblers, four plates, two cups, and a -butter-dish, or for using the best damask table-napkins as dishcloths -or for boot-polishing, for all those articles had to be accounted for. -Wooten was also extremely annoyed one Sunday morning when, on going the -rounds, he discovered the hairbrushes and celluloid dickey of the -culprit, together with one toothbrush, a shirt, six raw and juicy chops -done up in newspaper, some emery-paper, knife-powder, and three loaves -of wardroom bread, nestling side by side in the same cupboard. No! -Harry Smith, though undoubtedly a feature of the ship, and a source of -abundant and animated conversation, was not an acquisition. - -'Let's get rid of the blighter!' some one suggested. - -They tried to, but the only substitute available was a callow, pimply -faced youth who, before the war, had been a railway porter. - -'Lord!' laughed the skipper, 'if he comes we sha'n't have any crockery -at all at the end of a fortnight.' - -And so Smith remained. - -Augustus Black was a medical student at one of the London hospitals who -had volunteered his services on the outbreak of war. The powers that be -had accepted his offer, enrolled him in the Royal Naval Volunteer -Reserve as a surgeon-probationer, provided him with the sum of twenty -pounds wherewith to purchase the necessary uniform, and presently -desired him to repair forthwith to his duties on board H.M.S. -_Mariner_. - -The ship's company as a whole were disgustingly healthy; but Black -attended to their minor ailments, cuts, and contusions, packed them off -to the depot ship or hospital if they became really ill, held what he -vulgarly called 'belly musters' once a month or oftener, and gave them -lectures on first-aid and personal hygiene. In the ordinary piping -times of peace a destroyer carries nothing but a medical chest -containing the simpler remedies, together with bandages, splints, -tourniquets, and dressings. She has no doctor, and if a man is hurt or -becomes ill he is given first-aid or relief by one of his shipmates, -and is sent to the depot ship or hospital for treatment as soon as -possible. In war, however, when any ship may conceivably be in action -at any moment, and when twenty-four hours or more may elapse before -wounded men can see a medical officer, valuable lives may be saved if -injuries are properly attended to and dressed on the spot. That was why -Black and many others like him had been sent to destroyers. - -In addition to his other duties, he acted as wine-caterer for the mess, -and, since there was no cabin available, slept on a settee in the -wardroom, and shaved, bathed, dressed, and kept his clothes and other -belongings in the sub-lieutenant's cabin, or wherever else he could -find room. His existence must have had its drawbacks and -inconveniences; but, being adaptable, he did not seem to mind them, for -he was an excellent messmate, always cheerful, and was not in the least -addicted to sea-sickness. - -Bonar, the R.N.R. 'snotty,' slept in a hammock in the tiny flat outside -the officers' cabins, and where he kept his possessions was always -something of a mystery. He had been at sea in the mercantile marine -before the war, and, in spite of his youth, was a most useful member of -society. He helped the sub with his charts, assisted Wooten with his -official correspondence, wrote up the fair log, and justified his -existence in many other ways. - -The authorities realised that life in small ships was sometimes apt to -breed staleness; so, though the _Mariner_ and her flotilla were -often at sea, and while in harbour were always ready to sail at short -notice, officers and men were allowed ashore in the afternoons whenever -they could be spared. They were always liable to instant recall, of -course, and never got very far from their ships; but this did not -prevent them from playing games or otherwise amusing themselves. It did -them all the good in the world, and kept them fit and contented. - -On board, their amusements were simple. They all read a great deal, and -their expenditure on 'sevenpennies,' cheap books at one shilling, and -magazines must have put considerable profit into the pockets of the -publishers who catered for their needs, notwithstanding the enhanced -price of paper and the shortage of labour. One thing all agreed upon -was their debt of gratitude to Jack London. They read his books not -once, but a dozen times; and, prolific writer though he is, they wished -he were more prolific, for there was a snap and a liveliness about his -work which appealed to them. In the evenings in harbour the officers -either read, argued, listened to the gramophone, played with the -doctor's Meccano set, or indulged in ping-pong. It is true that the -wardroom of a destroyer is not an ideal place for this game. The table -was small; collisions with hanging lamps, furniture, and Harry Smith -with his arms full of newly cleaned glasses and cutlery were frequent -and sometimes painful; while the balls had an unhappy knack of losing -themselves under settees and cupboards. But in spite of these -disadvantages the players became expert. - -Farther forward the men also contrived to keep themselves happy. They -had their band--consisting of a drum, a couple of concertinas, many -mouth-organs, and a flute--which disported itself on deck on fine -evenings. They also sang loudly and sentimentally; while one versatile -person imitated Mr Charles Chaplin, bowler hat, moustache, baggy -trousers, and all. They had their racing crews for the whaler and the -dinghy, and in the dog-watches were not slow in challenging other -destroyers to races. Sometimes they won and sometimes they did not; but -the contests always gave the onlookers the opportunity of indulging in -ribald and strident remarks at other people's expense. - -Amongst the ship's company were a certain number of men who had done -their time in the navy, had retired into civil life after their various -periods of service, and had either volunteered or been recalled on the -outbreak of war. They were all excellent men, just as good as any of -their shipmates, while what little rustiness there was about them wore -off within a month of their joining the ship. Their experiences and -occupations ashore had been varied, to say the least of it. - -'Dogo' Pearson, the milkman, has appeared before; but besides him there -was an ex-member of the Liverpool police, an Edinburgh fireman, a -cattle-puncher from Arizona, and a man who had served as a -steward-valet on board a yacht belonging to some rich potentate in the -Argentine. Then there was David MacLeod, who hailed from Stornoway; -Donald MacIver, from the Orkneys; and Roderick Mackay, from Lerwick. -They were all fishermen and members of the Royal Naval Reserve, and -naturally were good seamen. Moreover, Wooten found them most useful as -reliable weather prophets. - -'Well,' he would say to MacLeod on the bridge at sea, 'what d'you make -of the weather?' - -The Scotsman would look up at the sky and note the direction and force -of the wind. 'Sur,' he would answer slowly, 'we'll ha'e a wee bit blaw -afore the mornin'.' - -'Blow!' Wooten would echo, rather surprised. 'Why d'you say that? The -glass is high, and there's a fine enough sky; isn't there?' - -MacLeod would wag his head wisely. 'I dinna ken why,' he would say. -'The wund'll ha'e gone roond tae the north-east, an'll start blawin' -fresh afore the mornin'.' - -And blow it invariably did, precisely from the quarter MacLeod had -mentioned. - -The torpedo coxswain of a destroyer is a very important person indeed. -He is always a chief petty officer or petty officer who acts as _ex -officio_ master-at-arms of the ship, and as such supervises the -discipline, is the mouthpiece between the men and the officers, brings -men up for punishment when they have misconducted themselves, and makes -out and forwards the punishment returns to the depot ship. This, since -serious offences are infrequent in torpedo-craft, is perhaps the least -of all his duties. He also performs the work carried out by the ship's -steward in a big ship, being responsible, under the supervision of the -C.O., for the drawing and issue of all clothing, victuals, and rum, -besides keeping the store-books for the same. As these have to be -forwarded to the victualling paymaster of the depot ship at certain -intervals, this, since it involves no small amount of paper work and -much calculation, may be called the most onerous of his tasks. - -But the coxswain's chief function, his _raison d'etre_, is to act -as a skilled helmsman. He is generally a man of long service and tried -experience, who has done all his time in torpedo-craft. He knows, or -should know, the individual idiosyncrasies of practically every type of -destroyer in the navy; and, this being the case, he is the commanding -officer's right-hand man if he is good--and he usually is--and his -_bete noir_ if he is bad. He steers the ship going in or out of -harbour, when she is moving away from or going alongside a jetty or -another ship, during steam tactics and manoeuvres, or in action. In -short, he is the qualified helmsman whose presence is required at the -wheel in any circumstances calling for special skill and knowledge. He -draws extra pay for his attainments, and has been through special -courses to fit him for his rating; but his value lies in the fact that -he has learnt his trade through long experience at sea. - -William Willis, the coxswain of the _Mariner_, was a short, -well-covered little man, with a laughing red face and a pair of -twinkling blue eyes. He was always laughing, no matter how bad the -weather, no matter what happened; while he had the peculiar knack of -always appearing on the bridge at the very instant he was wanted, and -without having to be sent for. How, when, and where he slept or ate at -sea Wooten never discovered; for no sooner had the next destroyer ahead -hauled out of the line to avoid a floating mine, or an important signal -been made, than Willis, breathing like a grampus, clambered ponderously -up on to the bridge and relieved the helmsman. It seemed second nature -to him to arrive at the moment he was most needed. One peculiar trait -of his was that he never would admit that the weather was really bad. - -'Bit rotten, cox'n, eh?' Wooten would remark, shaking the drops of -water out of his eyes after a green sea had lolloped over the -forecastle and deluged every one on the bridge with spray. - -'Not near so bad as I 'ave 'ad, sir,' Willis always answered stolidly. -'When I was in the _Boxer_ we was once 'ove-to for three days in -weather like this 'ere.' He occasionally varied the formula by -mentioning the _Zephyr_, the _Angler_, the _Kangaroo_, the _Albatross_, -the _Garry_, the _Mohawk_, or various others of the destroyers in which -he had served; but no matter if the barometer had dropped half-an-inch -in an hour, or the wind was blowing with almost hurricane force, or the -ship was rolling and pitching to an extent that nobody would have -believed possible if he had not seen and felt it, her weather, in the -coxswain's opinion, was never so bad as that experienced by the other -craft he had been in. - -Sometimes, in the days when Wooten was still new to the ship, and -before he had come to understand the ways and tricks of handling -her--and a destroyer does occasionally take a deal of handling--they -got into difficulties. Perhaps they would be going alongside an -oiler[34] at dead of night to replenish their fuel, and the wind would -get on the wrong bow, and a strong tide sweep the ship the wrong way. -Willis rarely talked on the bridge, but then it was that he considered -himself entitled to speak. - - [34] Oil-fuel supply ship. - -'Why not try 'er with a touch astern starboard, sir?' would come a -hoarse remark. 'Slew 'er stern round--see?' He never spoke as if he -were offering advice; he merely made a suggestion, as it were, and -oftener than not Wooten acted upon it, and found it good. - -Daniel Bulpit, the chief engine-room artificer, Thompson's trusted -assistant and second in command, had few peculiarities. He was a -hard-working, conscientious, and thoroughly capable west-countryman, -who was always cheerful and always obliging. In appearance he was short -and thick-set, with a fresh complexion, hair slightly tinged with gray, -and blue eyes; and what he didn't know about the _Mariner_ and her -internal economy was not worth thinking about. Before joining the -destroyer he had been at the College at Dartmouth, teaching the naval -cadets their business in the pattern-shop. He had evidently been -popular there, for when he went ashore he was frequently recognised and -accosted by certain of his 'young gentlemen,' most of whom by this time -had attained the dignity and single gold stripes of sub-lieutenants. - -Gartin, the chief stoker, was a character, and, among other duties, had -charge of the engineer's stores and tools. He was a tall man, with -shaggy eyebrows, black hair, and a black beard, and, judging from the -conversation occasionally heard issuing from the storeroom hatch, took -his job very seriously indeed, and regarded most people, certainly all -seamen, as disciples of Barabbas. - -'Please, will yer let us 'ave the loan of a cold chisel an' a nammer?' -once asked Pincher Martin. - -The chief stoker glared. He had a rooted antipathy to all men who came -to borrow tools, for as often as not they omitted to return them. This -necessitated a game of hide-and-seek throughout the ship on the part of -Gartin himself; while, when the implements were eventually retrieved, -the edges of the chisels were generally found to be jagged, the saws -blunt, and the punches broken. 'What d'you want 'em for?' he asked -suspiciously. - -'Ter cut a length o' three an' a narf wire in 'alves.' - -'Ain't got none!' snapped Gartin. - -Pincher knew full well that he had. 'We carn't do th' job without 'em,' -he expostulated mildly. - -'Can't 'elp that; you'll 'ave to do the best you can, or else borrow -'em off some one else. I ain't got no 'ammers nor chisels, I tells -you!' - -'But I see'd'---- - -'Can't 'elp what you see'd. I ain't got none; that's flat, ain't it?' - -'Well, if yer really 'aven't got 'em I s'pose I'll 'ave ter go an' tell -the bloke wot sent me ter borrow 'em,' said Martin with an air of -resignation. - -Gartin pricked up his ears. ''Oo was it 'oo sent you?' - -'Fu'st lootenant,' said Pincher, inventing a polite fiction on the spur -of the moment. - -'Why didn't you say so afore?' Gartin demanded wrathfully, opening a -tool-box. 'Think I'm 'ere to 'ave my time wasted like this? You're -quite certain it was th' fu'st lootenant sent you?' He thought he had -seen a twinkle in Pincher's eye. - -'Well, 'e said 'e wanted the job done this mornin', any'ow,' the -ordinary seaman prevaricated. - -The chief stoker produced the hammer and the chisel, and handed them -across as if he were making a gift of the Crown Jewels. ''Ere you are. -Look out you returns 'em. If you don't'---- He glared fiercely and -shook his head. - -'If I doesn't?' - -'If you don't I'll take you afore the engineer horficer an' the captin, -an' 'ave the price of 'em stopped outa your pay. I'm fed up wi' chasin' -people round the ship. They comes to me borrowin' things right an' -left, never says so much as "Thank you," an' never troubles to return -the gear wot they borrowed. I ain't 'ere to get runnin' round arter -seamen wot isn't no better'n a pack o' thieves!' - -'I'll look out I returns 'em orl right,' said Pincher, retreating up -the ladder with a broad grin all over his face. - -'I'll look out you pays for 'em if you don't!' was the chief stoker's -final remark. - -Pincher retired chuckling, with the tools in his possession. He did not -feel the least bit uneasy. Gartin's bark was always worse than his -bite, and nobody ever took him really seriously. - -Hills, the petty officer telegraphist, was a burly, powerful-looking -man of average height. His eyebrows, like Gartin's, were long and -bushy, the hair on his head was thick and luxuriant, while his chin, -though he shaved every morning regularly, was always bristly and blue -by the evening. At sea he spent most of his time in the wireless office -abaft the charthouse. It was a tiny apartment, about eight feet by -five, and every conceivable nook and cranny, and almost every square -inch of the walls and ceiling, was occupied by instruments. Where there -was room on the walls Hills had decorated his little den with -photographs of his wife, children, relations, and friends, and sundry -flamboyant and highly coloured picture post-cards. There was just room -for a mahogany slab which served as a table, and a chair bolted to the -deck, in which, with a pair of telephone-receivers clipped over his -ears, Hills sat enthroned like some mysterious wizard in his cave. The -wireless office was soundproof and practically airtight. Its occupant -detested draughts, and at sea in winter, when the two small side -windows were kept tightly shut, the atmosphere could almost be cut with -a knife. In the early mornings, when Hills had had an all-night -sitting, and felt peevish and looked dishevelled, his shipmates always -said his hairy face assumed a simian aspect, and that he himself -reminded them of a gorilla in his cage. It was a libel, but this did -not prevent certain irreverent persons from forgathering outside his -den at cockcrow, opening the door gently, and then, scratching -themselves after the manner of apes, inquiring tenderly as to his -health. - -''Ullo, "Birdie," 'ow goes the zoo? Wot time does th' hanimals feed -this mornin'?' - -'Oh, go to 'ell!' 'Birdie' would exclaim irritably. Sometimes he -adopted stronger measures, emerged from his lair with a ferocious -expression, and, armed with a broom-handle, pursued his tormentors -round the forecastle to the accompaniment of yelps of pain and howls -for mercy as he belaboured them roundly. - -But Hills was popular on board, and was thoroughly good at his work; -so, taking things all round, Wooten and the officers had reason to -congratulate themselves upon having a good ship's company. - - -II. - -Who would not sell a farm and go to sea? Life in the navy, even in war, -has its compensations. At any rate, the sailor's commodious residence -conveys him, his belongings, his food, and his weapons to the scene of -his activities at a speed of anything between seven and a half and -thirty-six knots, according to circumstances. The soldier, on the other -hand, though he may sometimes ride upon a horse or travel in a train, -generally has to rely upon his own flat feet for locomotion. Moreover, -he carries on his person several days' provisions, spare clothing, a -rifle, a bayonet, ammunition, and equipment, together with an -assortment of bombs, gas-masks, and entrenching tools. Any spare space -or weight-carrying capacity which may remain to him is presumably at -his own disposal, and may be utilised for accommodating gifts of -tobacco, magazines, and socks from home. So the sailor is lucky in a -way; while he also escapes the mud of the trenches, the plagues of -flies, and other abominations--for which he is duly grateful. It is -true, though, that his floating home, particularly if it is a small one -like a destroyer, is very subject to the vicissitudes of the weather, -and has a knack of being abominably wet and very unstable in a seaway. -But life at sea in peace and life at sea in war are not so very -different. The ocean, with its gales, calms, and fogs, is always the -same, and hostilities only mean more time spent at sea, a few extra -dangers thrown in, in the shape of mines and submarines, and the chance -of a 'scrap' with the enemy. - -Sometimes, during their expeditions to that region known as 'the other -side,' for the express purpose of discomforting the Hun, the -_Mariner_ and the light cruisers and other destroyers with her had -bad weather. Occasionally it was very bad indeed, and until they got -used to it some of the ship's company wished fervently that they had -never joined the navy at all. When their little ship was punching home -against a rapidly rising gale, the green seas had a playful habit of -breaking over the bows and of washing waist-deep over the upper deck; -while, even in the quiet intervals, sheets of spray came flying on -board until every one was soaked through and through, in spite of -oilskins. - -The movement was dizzy and maddening. It was usually a combined pitch -and roll, a horrible corkscrew motion which left one wondering what -antics the ship was going to indulge in next. At one instant the bows -would be flung high into the air on the crest of a wave until the -forefoot and some length of the bottom were clean out of the water. -Then the sea would fall away from underneath, and, after hesitating a -little, the bows would fall into the next hollow with a sickening -downward plunge. Then a great gray wall of advancing water, topped with -a mass of yeasty foam, would rear itself up and obliterate the horizon -ahead. Sometimes the ship lifted in time to ride over it. Sometimes she -seemed to hang, and the liquid avalanche broke on board and surged over -the forecastle with a crashing and a thudding which made the whole ship -quiver and tremble. At such times the mess-decks, the wardroom, and the -cabins, however watertight they were supposed to be, were usually -inundated with several inches of water. Hot food was often out of the -question, for even if the cook were not seasick, or his fire were not -extinguished by the sea, he, not being blessed with the tentacles of an -octopus, could hardly prevent himself from being hurled violently forth -through his galley door, let alone retain an array of saucepans, -kettles, and frying-pans on the top of a nearly red-hot stove. -Something was bound to go, and 'cookie' took very good care it was not -he. Then it was that officers and men ate and drank what they could. -Wooten favoured Bovril from a vacuum flask, corned beef sandwiches, and -cheese; but some people, having no appetites, preferred to fast. - -Destroyers cannot steam very fast against a heavy head-sea, and with -bad weather from the west there was always the possibility that the -enemy's battle-cruisers might emerge from their lair and chase and sink -the retiring British ships one by one as they punched slowly homewards. -Small craft are not suited for fighting in very bad weather, and such -an eventuality might have been disastrous; but nobody seemed to trouble -his head about it. - -Life at sea in the summer, when there was hardly a ripple on the water, -with a brilliant sun and no fog, was enjoyable, though it is true that -they always ran a certain amount of risk from mines, floating or -otherwise. The dangerous red squares, oblongs, and circles on the chart -were abundant and well scattered. Ships did not willingly venture over -them; but summer sun and absence of wind breed fogs, and they might be -at sea in misty weather for a couple or more days with no glimpse of -the land, no chance of taking an observation of the sun, and nothing -but a dead reckoning position to work from. This--since tides, -currents, and wind have a variable effect--might sometimes be anything -up to twenty miles wrong, so destroyers occasionally trespassed upon -the red danger areas without really meaning to do so. How could they -help it? - -Liberties should not be taken with mines. They are inventions of the -Evil One, and at the beginning of the war caused many people to suffer -from insomnia; but later on those who did nothing but traverse waters -in which some unscrupulous mine-layer had deposited her eggs lost much -of their dread of them. Familiarity had bred not actually contempt, but -a species of fatalistic indifference which is rather difficult to -describe. A mine explosion is always serious, sometimes disastrous, and -it is never exactly pleasant to know that your ship may be blown up at -any moment, and that you and your shipmates may have to take to the -boats, if there is room in them for all hands and the cook, or if there -is not, to go bathing in life-belts or swimming-collars. Moreover, some -of you may be killed or wounded by the explosion itself, particularly -if it occurs under a magazine; and if it happens close to the enemy's -coast one may possibly be rescued by the Huns and incarcerated in -Germany for the duration of the war. There is a chance of being saved -by a British ship if one is anywhere near; but whichever way one looks -at it, an under-water explosion is never anything but unpleasant to the -victim thereof. - -But there is nothing to be gained by worrying. In war one can go to -Kingdom Come in such a variety of ways, all equally violent and all -horrible, that it is as well never to allow the mind to dwell on any -particular method of extinction. People never run unnecessary risks, -naturally; but risks have to be taken, and mines moored beneath the -surface are invisible at any time. 'Floaters,' too, are a source of -danger; and, though mines which have become parted from their moorings -are nominally supposed to be harmless, Hague Conventions and the tenets -of International Law are sometimes disregarded. War has lost its -old-time chivalry. It is now a dirty and an ungentlemanly business--one -at which the modern Hun excels. - - -III. - -One dark winter evening the _Mariner_ and three other destroyers -were groping their way back toward the British coast after being at sea -for two days and two nights. They had had the usual North Sea weather, -thick haze and some rain; but during the later portion of the trip -there had been a gale of wind from the south-west and an unusually bad -sea. Even now, when they were close to the coast, and should have been -more or less under the lee of the land, it still blew hard, with a -heavy perpendicular lop which made the little ships pitch and wallow as -they drove through it. The evening was as black as the mouth of the -nethermost pit, and the sky was completely overcast, while for the last -forty-eight hours they had never had a glimpse of the sun or the land. -Their position, as usual in such circumstances, was more or less an -unknown thing, a mere matter of dead reckoning and guesswork, which -even the constant use of the sounding-machine could not verify. - -Making the land after dark in peace-time, with all shore lights -blazing, sometimes gives cause for anxiety; but in war, when all the -lighthouses and lightships are extinguished, when many buoys are -removed, and there are various dangerous mined areas to be dodged and -avoided, it becomes something more than a joke. If mines are known to -be present, the feeling is not at all a pleasant one. It is rather like -being blindfolded and trying to find the door in a pitch-dark room, the -floor of which is well strewn with bombs ready to explode on being -touched. That was the sort of sensation at the back of Wooten's mind. - -The _Mariner_ happened to be the third ship in the line of four, and at -five-fifty-one precisely, when the skipper, the sub-lieutenant, and the -usual quartermaster, signalman, and lookouts were on the bridge -watching the next ahead, there came a rumbling, crashing roar from -somewhere close astern. It made the ship dance and tremble, and was -nothing the least like the sharp report of a gun. The sound was more or -less muffled, and the violent, reverberating thud could only be -compared with the sudden banging of a heavy steel velvet-covered door -in a jerry-built villa, if such a thing can be imagined. - -Wooten, who had heard such reports before, knew at once what it was. -'God!' he exclaimed anxiously, looking astern; 'some one's got it in -the neck!' - -Some one had--the _Monsoon_, the ship astern--and a moment later -her signal-lamp was flickering agitatedly in and out in the darkness. -'Have struck a mine!' she spelt out hastily. - -Wooten cursed under his breath. 'These things always happen on nights -like this!' he observed bitterly. 'Just like our rotten -luck!--Signalman!' - -'Sir?' - -'Tell _Monsoon_ I'm coming to her assistance,' Wooten gave the -necessary orders to the quartermaster at the wheel.--'Hargreaves, have -the boats turned out ready for lowering in case she goes, and send down -to No. 1, and tell him to be ready for taking her in tow. As fast as -you can!' - -The sub. hurriedly left the bridge, and Wooten, working the helm and -the twin screws, circled round until his ship was about fifty yards -away from and abreast of the damaged vessel, which had fallen off into -the trough of the sea. The _Mariner's_ men, meanwhile, in all stages -of deshabille, had thronged to the upper deck at the sound of the -explosion, and were making the various necessary preparations. - -'Are you all right?' the skipper bellowed as the ship slid slowly past, -rolling heavily. - -'I don't know about being all right,' came back a voice. 'My stern, -with the rudder, screws, and the whole bag o' tricks, is missing. I -think she'll float, though.' - -'Right! I'll take you in tow!' went back the reply.--'Good Lord!' added -Wooten, swaying to the heavy rolling and looking at the sea; 'it's -going to be the devil's own job, though.' - -It was. When a searchlight shone out and illuminated the scene, the -_Monsoon_ seemed to be in a very bad way. She was not rolling very -heavily, for some portion of her damaged stern was still connected to -the hull, causing her to lie over to starboard toward the wind until -the mast was at an angle of thirty degrees to the vertical, and broken -water could be seen washing half-way across her upper deck. The -spectacle was an alarming one, for she seemed to be in some danger of -capsizing. - -The _Mariner_, meanwhile, had drawn slightly ahead. She was rolling so -heavily that at one moment her rails were under water, and the next -were high in the air, while the men working on the wet and slippery -deck had the greatest difficulty in preventing themselves from being -hurled bodily overboard. - -Wooten manoeuvred his ship until her stern was on a level with the -_Monsoon's_ bows, and about thirty feet distant; where-upon men -stationed aft endeavoured to hurl heaving-lines across on to the -forecastle of the damaged vessel. If a small line could be got across -from ship to ship, the end of it would be made fast to a coir hawser in -the _Monsoon_. The coir would then be dragged over to the _Mariner_, -and on the end of it would be secured the steel-wire towing-hawser, one -end of which would be hauled on board and secured in the towing ship, -and the other in the vessel being towed. But, try as they might, they -could not bridge the space. The wind simply laughed at them, and hurled -their lines back in their faces, while all the time the throwers were -in constant danger of being shot into the sea by the movement. Except -for the glare of the searchlight, it was pitch-dark. Wooten could not -approach any closer for fear of bringing the vulnerable stern, with its -rudder and screws, into collision with the _Monsoon's_ bows, and if he -allowed that to happen his own ship would be disabled and rendered -helpless, and the last state of affairs would be worse than the first. -There was only one alternative, and that was to lower a boat to take -the lines across; but this again was easier said than done. - -Hargreaves, the sub-lieutenant, and five men took their places in the -whaler hanging at her davits, and the boat was then lowered gradually -toward the water. The skipper watched them with his heart in his mouth, -for as she descended, and the falls lengthened, the scope of her -oscillation became longer and longer, and dizzier and dizzier. The ship -herself was still rolling horribly, and at one instant the whaler was -swung giddily out at an impossible angle over the water, while the next -she came into contact with the ship's side with a crash and a thump -which threatened to stave in her planks and to precipitate every -mother's son of her crew into the sea. Watching the business was a -ghastly nightmare which seemed to last for minutes. In reality it must -have been over in a few seconds, but Wooten heaved a sigh of heartfelt -relief when he saw the boat fall with a splash on to the top of a -gigantic sea. But the next moment he held his breath again, for she was -flung bodily aft on the crest of the billow until she was all but -deposited on deck as the ship rolled drunkenly toward her. Then she -sank out of sight somewhere under the bottom as the _Mariner_ lurched -over the other way, to reappear a few seconds later, with her crew -plying their oars lustily. How they ever succeeded in getting clear -nobody quite knew, for in that sea only a merciful Providence saved -Hargreaves and his five men from disaster. - -The line was passed across by the boat, and the end of the _Monsoon's_ -wire hawser was shackled on to a length of chain cable at the -_Mariner's_ stern, and when this had been done the two ships were -connected and everything was ready for going ahead. The whaler was then -rehoisted after another series of hairbreadth experiences, and the -struggle began to get the damaged ship head on to the sea and wind -preparatory to towing her into safety. A bare hour and twenty-four -minutes had passed since the explosion had occurred. To Wooten and his -men it had seemed like half the night. - -Pincher Martin, who was on the bridge at one of the engine-room -telegraphs up till midnight, saw and heard all that went on. By the -time the _Monsoon_ was safely in tow both vessels were lying broadside -on to the wind and sea, with their heads to the south-eastward. The -course to get the damaged ship head on to the waves and toward the -shelter of the coast was south-west, and at first Wooten went dead slow -ahead with both engines to tug her round. But it was a more difficult -task than he had bargained for. He could not go fast, for the violent -motion on his ship and the consequent jerking on the towing-wire would -have caused the latter to part like a piece of thread; and even as it -was, the wire was jerking out of the sea one minute, humming like a -harp-string, while the next the bight of it was sagging loosely under -the water. Moreover, a destroyer is not an ideal ship for towing -another at the best of times. The tow-rope necessarily has to be made -fast in the extreme stern, not, as is the case in a properly fitted -tug, more or less amidships in the spot where the vessel pivots when -turning. The consequence is that manoeuvring-power is reduced almost to -a minimum, while on this particular occasion the _Monsoon_, with her -stern cut off and some of the wreckage trailing behind her, lay like a -log on the water, and did her very utmost to pull the _Mariner_ round -the wrong way--that is, to the east, instead of through south to -south-west. It was rather like trying to tow a derelict motor-bus with -a bicycle. - -The skipper worked his engines very gingerly, and tautened out the tow -with his helm to port. Then he gradually increased the revolutions of -the turbines until they should have been travelling at eight knots. - -'How's her head, coxswain?' he asked after an interval. - -'South sixty-five east, sir,' said Willis. - -Wooten sighed deeply, and verified the statement by glancing at the -compass. 'Lord!' he said, 'she was there ten minutes ago. Isn't she -moving at all?' - -'Wagglin' about a bit,' the coxswain answered, gazing at his -compass-card in his usual imperturbable way. 'She's all over the shop. -Up to sou'-east one minute, an' back to south-eighty the next. She's -just startin' to move to starboard now, sir,' he added eagerly an -instant later. 'Blarst!' in a very audible undertone; 'no, she ain't. -She's startin' to fall off the wrong way.' - -'Damn!' Wooten muttered; 'I don't believe we'll ever get her round.' - -Willis gave vent to a throaty sigh. He evidently thought the same. - -It certainly did seem an impossible job, for with the drag on her stern -the _Mariner_ was practically stationary, while using more speed -was out of the question without running a dangerous risk of snapping -the towing-wire. Time after time the ship's head came round to -south-east, sometimes a few degrees farther; but on each occasion, -after hesitating for a moment or so, she fell back to her original -starting-point, south sixty-five degrees east. - -They tugged and tugged for over an hour with no effect. Wooten -exhausted all his unparliamentary vocabulary, and Willis became -speechless and purple about the face; but nothing happened--absolutely -nothing. The _Monsoon_ was making signals all the while--urgent -signals, signals of real distress. 'Please tow me head to sea and wind -as soon as you possibly can,' they said. 'Sea may smash in my after -bulkheads, and cause ship to sink.' - -'Am doing my very utmost,' said the _Mariner_ in reply. - -They certainly were. They could do no more. - -By about eight-thirty, at which time both ships were still in the -trough of the sea, and the _Mariner_ was oscillating like the -pendulum of a clock, thin, drizzling rain came to add to their -discomfort. - -'Damn it all!' growled Wooten between his teeth, 'we must do something -drastic. We haven't budged an inch since we started.' - -'Please don't go any faster, sir!' protested MacDonald. 'The wire won't -stand it. It's on the verge of carrying away as it is.' - -'We shall have to chance it, No. 1. We can't spend the whole night -messing about here like this.' - -Wooten solved the difficulty by going slow astern with the starboard -propeller and putting the port engine-room telegraph to 'half-speed -ahead,' and gradually increasing the revolutions of the port screw to -sixteen knots. This exerted a greater thrust, tending to turn the ship -to starboard, and at last, after ten minutes of it, she actually began -to move. - -'How's she going now?' Wooten inquired five minutes later. - -'Comin' round very, very slow, sir,' said Willis. 'She's at south-forty -east.' - -They persevered. Sometimes the ship swung round a matter of ten degrees -or so in the right direction with a rush, only to fall back seven of -them a moment later. Sometimes the lubber's line of the compass went -back beyond the original starting-point, but generally they managed to -gain a degree or two. The _Monsoon_ had been in tow at seven-fifteen, -and it was not until three hours later that they finally got her on to -the desired course of south-west. - -The mere recital of the incident seems commonplace and trivial enough; -but to Wooten the period was one of poignant anxiety, for the damaged -ship, judging from what could be seen of her in the glare of the -searchlight, seemed to be on the verge of capsizing. Her signals said -as much, too; and if her bulkheads had burst, and she had turned over, -the _Mariner_, with a wire made fast to her stern, and a gale of -wind blowing, and a sea running in which a small, heavily laden boat -had very little chance of remaining afloat, would have been able to do -little toward saving her crew. They would have attempted it, of course, -but all would probably have perished together. Moreover, in the -darkness and generally bad conditions which prevailed, there was always -the chance that Wooten would have bad luck, and damage, if not lose, -his ship. If he did that people would call him a silly fool behind his -back, and would say he should have known better than to attempt the -impossible, while his career in the service might be marred. If, on the -other hand, he succeeded in doing what he set out to do, the powers -that be might pat him on the back and call him a good boy, but very -possibly would refrain from doing anything of the kind. The standard in -the navy is ever a high one, and in time of war incidents of this kind -are all in the day's work. - -But all's well that ends well, and on this particular occasion they did -succeed, and the _Mariner_, with the _Monsoon_ in tow, steamed slowly -off toward the land. The speed they made was roughly three and a -quarter knots, perhaps a trifle less; but it was all in the right -direction, and by midnight the damaged vessel was under the lee of the -shore and in safety. They finally dropped the tow at six o'clock the -next morning, when the skipper, in a sudden fit of exuberance, went on -faster than he really should have done, and promptly parted the wire. -But no harm was done, for by this time they were in calm water, and a -light cruiser was in attendance. - -The same afternoon he met the commanding officer of the _Monsoon_. - -'Well, Peter,' said the latter, 'we got jolly well out of that show -last night.' - -'By George! yes,' Wooten agreed. 'I thought we'd never get you round -head to wind. How did your chaps take it?' - -'They weren't particularly cheery at first,' said the other, laughing. -'But as soon as you got us in tow they spent their time singing "Lead, -kindly Light." You know how it brings in "The night is dark, and I am -far from home," so it was quite suitable to the occasion. The ship was -in a shocking mess, though; and when the mine went up it blew the after -storerooms and most of the wardroom into the sea, so we hadn't any -food. We were all jolly glad to get back into harbour again, and it was -only by the mercy of God that we had no casualties.' - -Wooten nodded. - -'I suppose you know, Peter,' continued the other, 'that we were bang on -the top of a Hun minefield.' - -'Minefield! I thought the one that got you was a floater.' - -'Don't you believe it. They tell me the place we were in is fairly -thick with 'em. You can thank your lucky stars you didn't bump one.' - -The possibility of the _Mariner_ also being blown up had never really -occurred to Wooten at the time. Perhaps it was just as well for him -that it didn't, and that the taking of the _Monsoon_ in tow gave him -little or no time to think of anything else. 'Great Scott!' he -observed, with his usual slow smile and a little whistle of -astonishment; 'I'm glad we didn't come a mucker--jolly glad! What about -a glass of sherry to celebrate the auspicious occasion?' - -'I'm on, Peter,' said his friend; 'but I really think it's up to me to -pay for it.' - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -COMINGS AND GOINGS. - - -I. - -''Ere, wot's that over there?' inquired Pincher Martin, coming on to -the forecastle early one morning with a basin of hot cocoa for one -Billings, able seaman. - -Joshua looked round. 'Na then, young fella, don't go spillin' the ruddy -stuff,' he grunted agitatedly, taking the bowl with a nod of thanks. -'Wot's wot?' - -'That there,' said the ordinary seaman, pointing. - -''Er?' remarked the A.B. huskily, breathing heavily on to the hot -liquid to cool it. 'That there? Only a bloomin' Zeppeling, Pincher. -You've see'd 'em afore, ain't yer?' - -'Course I 'as. Only I thort to meself as 'ow she looked a bit -different, some'ow. Quite pretty like, ain't she?' - -The distant airship, floating apparently motionless above the eastern -horizon, certainly did appear a thing of beauty for the time being. Her -elongated body, dwarfed by the distance until it appeared barely an -inch long, was plainly silhouetted as a gray-blue shape against the -clear, rosy sky of the dawn, while her curved under-side reflected the -scarlet and orange of the rapidly rising sun. She looked graceful and -almost ethereal--not a thing of bombs, terror, and destruction. - -Joshua drank his cocoa with noisy gulps. 'I don't know abart wot she -looks like,' he observed at length, wiping his mouth with the back of a -particularly grimy hand. 'You wait till she starts droppin' 'er bombs. -I reckons them blokes is no better'n murderers.' - -'Why doesn't we 'ave a pop at 'er?' - -''Ave a pop at 'er! She's twenty mile orf, if she's a hinch, an' yer -knows as well as I does that none o' our ships 'ere 'as got -hanti-haircraft guns wot'll 'it 'er at that range.' Joshua sucked his -teeth, and proceeded to explore the inner recesses of his mouth with -the end of a burnt match. - -'Why doesn't we chase 'er, then?' - -'Chase 'er! Wot's the good? She kin go 'er fifty knots, an'll be orf -like a rigger afore we gits anywheres near 'er. She'll watch it she -don't git inter trouble. You ain't got a fag or a fill o' bacca abart -yer, I s'pose?' - -Pincher shook his head firmly. He knew Joshua of old. - -Billings smiled affably, produced a well-blackened clay from the pocket -of his lammy coat, and proceeded to light it. 'Ah!' he sighed -contentedly, patting himself gently on the stomach and puffing out a -cloud of smoke, 'that drop o' cocoa done me orl th' good in the world. -I feels has bright an' has fresh as a li'l dicky-bird.' - -Pincher smiled, for the simile was hardly an apt one. Joshua had kept -the first watch till midnight, and, after four hours' sleep in his -clothes, had been up again since four o'clock as a member of the duty -gun's crew. His eyes were sleepy and bloodshot, his hands and face were -indescribably filthy, and his chin sported an ugly stubble of three -days' growth. He was not a pleasant sight. Moreover, it was summer, and -the weather was perfectly fine and unusually warm; but, true to the -custom of the British bluejacket, he was wearing sufficient clothing to -keep the cold from an Antarctic explorer. His figure was ponderous at -the best of times; it was now elephantine, and anything less like a -dicky-bird it was impossible to imagine. - -'That bloke,' he went on, pointing with his pipe-stem at the far-away -airship, 'is spyin' art th' land. She's 'avin' a "looksee" at wot we're -doin' of, an' I shouldn't wonder but wot ole Zep wus up there hisself. -I did 'ear as 'ow 'e'd bin given th' Iron Cross.' - -'Garn!' chortled Pincher rudely. 'Wot for?' - -'Strafin', fat'ead; wot else d'you think? Probably 'e's usin' 'is -wireless an' tellin' ole Tirpitz as 'ow we've come 'ere to pay 'im a -visit. "Tirps, ole fella," 'e sez, "these 'ere gordamned Henglish swine -'ounds 'ave come agen." "Sorry, Zep, ole chum," sez Tirps; "I carn't -attend to 'em now. I'm hinvited ter breakfuss wi' th' Hadmiral o' th' -'Igh Sea Fleet, an' I carn't git wastin' of 'is bacon an' heggs in -these 'ere 'ard times. Tell th' Henglish ter shove orf outa it, an' ter -come agen, an' I'll 'ave a few submarines an' mines awaitin' for 'em. -Th' navy's 'avin' its make an' mend,[35] an' carn't be disturbed." -That's wot ole man Tirps is sayin', I'll give yer my word.' - - [35] 'Make and mend' = an afternoon set apart for making and - mending clothes--that is, a half-holiday. - -The men round about laughed. - -'I reckons they'll never come out o' their 'arbour 'cept they knows -Jellicoe an' Beatty is outa th' way,' some one observed. - -'An' our boss!'[36] chipped in another man. ''E's a 'oly 'orror for -scrappin'. Look wot 'e done at 'Eligoland! "If yer sees a 'Un, go fur -'im;" that's 'is motter.' - - [36] 'Our boss,' the commodore in command of the force to - which the _Mariner_ was attached. - -'An' a damn good motter, too,' said Joshua approvingly. 'But I reckon -they knows wot they're up against. This 'ere war's like 'ide an' seek. -W'en we pops inter 'arbour fur a bit, they pops art, takin' mighty good -care not ter git too far from 'ome, mind yer; an' w'en we pops art -arter 'em, they pops back 'ome agen. It ain't play in' the game, in a -manner o' speakin'. 'Ow many times 'as we bin scullin' round th' North -Sea an' never see'd a ruddy thing? Dozens an' dozens! It makes me fair -sick sometimes.' - -'But they 'ave bin acrost once or twice, an' bombarded places,' Pincher -ventured. - -Billings snorted loudly. 'Course they 'as; but it don't take much guts -ter come scuttlin' acrost th' North Sea durin' th' night, an' ter start -pluggin' shell at an undefended town th' nex' mornin'! They takes jolly -good care they doesn't stay too long, I hobserves, an' they shoves orf -back 'ome agen afore anythin' big 'as a chawnce o' gettin' a slap at -'em. Arter orl, wotever blokes ashore may say abart th' navy not bein' -there ter pertect 'em, we carn't ruddy well be everywheres. Th' North -Sea ain't no bloomin' duck-pond; an' look at th' time we spends on th' -briny!' - -His hearers nodded in agreement. - -'I reckons some o' these 'ere shore-loafers don't know w'en they're -well orf,' Joshua went on. 'They gits orl their meals reg'lar; but a -good many on 'em don't recollec' as 'ow it's th' likes of us wot's -keepin' their stummicks full. They 'as ter pay a bit extry fur their -vittles p'r'aps; but that ain't nothink ter start 'owlin' abart in -war-time.' - -'That's a fac',' said Pincher wisely. - -'Course it is; but a good many o' th' blokes wot I'm talkin' abart -starts yellin' somethink horful w'en they gits a few shells plugged at -'em, an' wants ter know wot th' navy's doin' of. I don't 'xactly blame -'em, fur no blokes wot ain't mad likes bein' shot at; but they might -recollec' that we're keepin' 'em from starvin', in a manner o' -speakin', an' that we is doin' our bit; damn sight bigger bit than wot -some of 'em himagines.' Joshua paused for breath. - -'If them Germans 'ad a coast as long as ourn,' he went on--for when -once he started to give vent to his opinions little could stop -him--'an' if they 'ad undefended seaside towns th' same as we 'ave, I -reckons we could go an' do th' dirty on 'em. Only we wouldn't, 'cos it -ain't war ter go killin' a lot of innercent wimmin an' children wot -ain't done no 'arm. I reckons we treats them 'Uns too good; fur wi' -their submarines, an' Zeppelings, an' the way they treats our -prisoners, they're no better 'n murderers!' He cleared his throat -noisily, and expectorated with extraordinary violence into the sea. -They were somewhere near the German coast at the time, so perhaps that -accounted for his expression of contempt. - -Billings only voiced the opinions of the remainder of his shipmates. -Nobody thought for a single instant that Zeppelins would have any real -effect on the war, and as often as not their advent, even at home, was -taken as a joke; while people flocked from their houses to see the fun, -thereby running a far greater risk than they themselves imagined. - -Billings happened to be on shore leave during one raid, and in the -midst of a very heavy fire from the anti-aircraft guns he discovered an -elderly, scantily attired, and very irate female standing in the road. -She had her umbrella up to ward off stray fragments of bombs or pieces -of shell, and indeed splinters from the A.A. guns were falling far too -close to be pleasant. The Zeppelin, illuminated by the glare of many -searchlights, and surrounded by the flashes and little puffs of smoke -of exploding projectiles, was almost immediately overhead; but the -woman was far too wrathful to be frightened. - -''Ere, missis,' said Joshua gallantly, ''adn't you better go 'ome?' - -'Go 'ome!' she retorted; 'what for?' - -''Er,' said Billings, pointing at the sky. - -''Er!' snorted the lady contemptuously. 'I'm not afraid of the likes of -'er.--You dirty dog!' she added angrily, shaking her fist at the -invader. 'Come down, you dirty 'ound!' - -The 'dirty 'ound' evinced no particular emotion. - -If the German public believed the mendacious Berlin _communiques_ as to -the damage inflicted on the hated British by their perambulating -gas-bags they must have been very well pleased. - -'A detachment of our naval airships visited London on the night of the -26th,' wrote Von Ananias, his tongue in his cheek. 'Several important -points were attacked. At Poplar three shipbuilding yards were set on -fire and completely destroyed, and a battleship in course of completion -for the British navy was badly damaged. At Houndsditch a heavy battery -was completely demolished, while bombs were successfully dropped on the -barracks at Whitechapel, flinging the troops into a state of the utmost -consternation and causing many casualties. Near Ludgate Hill a munition -factory was observed to be in flames. One light cruiser and three -destroyers anchored in the Thames near Gravesend were struck by bombs -and sank with enormous loss of life. The inhabitants of the invaded -districts are said to be petitioning the Government to stop the war, -while many of them are leaving the neighbourhood. Our airships, though -fired upon heavily from many points, have all returned in safety.' - -No Zeppelin had been anywhere near Poplar, no battleship had been -damaged, while Houndsditch was as innocent of heavy guns as Whitechapel -was of soldiers. Neither was there a munition factory near Ludgate -Hill; while the light cruiser and three destroyers which had foundered -off Gravesend were nothing more or less than one old and empty barge -sunk, and one waterman's wherry badly damaged. A more truthful account -would have read as follows: - -'Near X. a bomb fell into a kitchen-garden and completely overwhelmed a -detachment of early lettuces and uprooted three apple-trees. A brigade -of spring onions was also completely annihilated, while a regiment of -tomatoes in their billets in a greenhouse suffered severe casualties. -The owner of the garden is now charging threepence admission to view -the damage. The proceeds will be handed over to the local Red Cross -Funds, and the sum of twenty-four pounds three shillings and ninepence -has already been collected. Fragments of the bomb are on view at Mr -Button's shop at 45 High Street, and will be sold by auction at the -next Red Cross sale. - -'On the outskirts of Y. one aged donkey and four chickens were killed, -while one cow, two pigs, and twenty-three fowls were wounded. A black -tom-cat, which was visiting the chicken-run at the time of the raid, is -also suffering from shock and nervous prostration, but is expected to -recover. - -'At B. a bomb exploded with terrific force in the street near the -statue of the late Alderman Theophilus Buggins, J.P. This well-known -work of art was hurled from its pedestal and badly shattered. It is -feared it cannot be repaired.' - -Truly 'tis an ill wind that blows nobody any good. - -Purely from a spectacular point of view I should imagine that all -Zeppelin raids are much the same. They generally seem to take place -late at night or in the small hours of the morning, while their usual -accompaniment is the glare of many searchlights, the barking of guns, -the bursting of shell, and the dropping of bombs with or without loss -of life and damage to property. The _Mariner's_ men saw several -raids; but it was the first one they witnessed which left the most -lasting impression on their minds. - -There had been the usual report early in the evening to the effect that -Zeps might be expected; but they had been warned so often before that, -beyond taking the usual precautions in regard to lights, nobody on -board really paid very much attention to it. The first intimation of -the arrival of the invader was the sullen report of a distant -anti-aircraft gun; whereupon Wooten, always a light sleeper, rose -hastily from his bunk, attired himself in a green dressing-gown and a -pair of sea-boots, and repaired to the deck with his binoculars. The -other officers and the men, determined not to miss their share of the -entertainment, followed his example, and in less than two minutes the -deck was thronged with an excited, inquisitive crowd, all peering -anxiously at the sky. It was rather like a regatta or a race meeting, -except that the greater proportion of the spectators were far too -lightly clothed to be strictly presentable. - -The long pencils of light from many searchlights streamed forth and -swept slowly across the starlit heavens. - -'Where is the bloomer?' some one asked impatiently, as if he were at a -music-hall waiting for a new turn. 'Why don't she come?' - -'She's got cold feet, an' ain't comin',' laughed another man. 'There'll -be no show ter-night.' - -'I think I'll go back to me 'ammick,' cried somebody else. 'I carn't -git standin' abart 'ere in these 'ere clo'es. Grr! ain't it parky?' It -must have been, for the speaker was simply attired in a flannel shirt. -His legs were bare, and his teeth were chattering. - -'There she is!' exclaimed a stoker, pointing vaguely overhead. 'See -'er?' - -'That ain't 'er. That's a bloomin' cloud!' - -'Garn! That ain't no cloud. Not wot I'm lookin' at.' - -'Tell yer it is.' - -'No, it ain't. It's 'er, right enuf!' - -Further conversation was rudely interrupted by the crash of a gun from -ashore, and a thin trail of dim light climbed skywards in a curve as a -tracer shell[37] hurtled its way through the air. - - [37] A tracer shell for use against aircraft has a small - cavity in its base filled with composition which is ignited - when the gun fires. It emits a thin trail of smoke in the - daytime and a luminous track at night, so that the gunners - are able to see where their projectiles are going. - -More guns roared out. More trails of light in the air, rather like the -sparks from the tails of rockets! - -The sky to the eastward suddenly began to flash and twinkle with -momentary spurts of vivid orange flame as the shell started to burst; -the searchlights swung round and became stationary, with their beams -all pointed at one particular spot in the heavens. But still the -spectators could see nothing of the raider. Before very long all the -anti-aircraft guns in the place were hard at work pumping projectiles -into the atmosphere as fast as they could. Streaks of light sped -upwards like the stars from a Roman candle, and presently the heavens -toward the point of junction of the searchlight-rays sparkled wickedly -and with redoubled energy. Puffs of smoke from the shell explosions -filtered slowly through the blue-white beams of the lights; but though -the gunners could obviously see what they were firing at, the men on -board the _Mariner_ had not been vouchsafed a glimpse of anything. - -'Ow!' yelled some one, stamping on the deck in his excitement and -impatience, 'why cawn't we see 'er? Where is she?' - -'Keep yer flat feet 'orf o' me toes!' expostulated a gruff and -much-injured voice. 'I ain't got no boots on. Knock orf jumpin' abart -like a perishin' loonatic, carn't yer?' - -The air was as full of sound as were the heavens of bursting shrapnel. -Little guns and big guns were having the time of their lives. They -banged, boomed, coughed, and spluttered together, and every now and -then in the ear-splitting medley of sound one heard the hiccuping, -deep-throated _poom-poom_ of an anti-aircraft pom-pom, the shrill -staccato _ra-ta-ta-ta_ of a little .303-inch high-angle Maxim, and -the faint but quite unmistakable whistle and report of the shell as -they clove their way through the air and exploded. - -'Lord!' muttered Wooten with a laugh, his eyes glued to his glasses, 'I -wonder where all the bits are coming down. We'll have to get under -cover if they start loosin' off anywhere near us.' - -It was a magnificent sight, quite the best fireworks display most of -them had ever seen. The many searchlights made the night as light as -day. The heavens were ablaze with the tell-tale sparkling flashes, -while the earth seemed to vomit the fiery trails of tracer shell which -crossed and recrossed in all directions. Brock's Benefit at the Crystal -Palace was not in it. - -Then, quite unexpectedly, there came a roaring thud from somewhere far -away. Another, another, and yet another! The reports were loud and -reverberating, and almost drowned the sound of the guns. They were bomb -explosions, and the onlookers held their breath and glanced anxiously -round to see how their neighbours were taking it. Nobody seemed unduly -anxious, but some of them wondered vaguely what would happen if a -missile fell on board the _Mariner_. Her thin decks offered no -protection whatsoever, and if a bomb did hit her---- - -At last, after what seemed an eternity of waiting, a great, elongated, -silvery-looking mass slid rapidly into view at the point of -intersection of two of the searchlight-beams. It looked like an -enormous hexagonal pencil suspended from the sky, and travelled with -awe-inspiring sedateness and solemnity. It was the Zeppelin; but, from -her size, she seemed to be at least ten thousand feet up. The -searchlights followed her unremittingly. Her great bulk became -indistinct and nebulous amidst wreathing eddies of smoke, while the -shell-flashes seemed to be bursting out into space all round her. - -'Ow!' yelled the excitable, dancing gentleman, as a particularly -brilliant gout of flame flashed out immediately in line with the -airship's blunt bows; 'that's got 'er! Did yer see 'er waggle?' - -But shooting at a rapidly moving object high up in the air and almost -immediately overhead is a much more difficult task than people imagine; -and though some of the shell may have caused the Hun a certain amount -of annoyance, it was tolerably certain that a good many more expended -their energy in space. - -But whatever the result, the raider evidently received a warmer -reception than she had bargained for, for after being in sight for -barely a minute she swung off and disappeared from view at a good fifty -miles an hour. Whether or not she had been hit remained a mystery. -Every anti-aircraft gunner in the place, even the man at the little -.303 Maxim, would have taken his solemn affidavit that missiles from -his own particular weapon had hit her not once, but many times; while -the _Mariner's_ men, judging from their conversation, were of the -same opinion. Some of them were even prepared to swear that they had -seen gaping holes in the Zeppelin's bows, stern, and amidships--all -over her, in fact; but if their accounts were to be believed their -eyesight must have been abnormally abnormal, while the Zep should have -come down a mass of punctured fabric and twisted aluminium framework. -She had done nothing of the kind. - -The guns ceased firing; one by one the searchlights flickered, glowed -redly, and went out. All was peace. - -The men, chattering like monkeys, sought their hammocks. Their officers -repaired to the wardroom and indulged in a nocturnal orgy of sardines, -bread-and-butter, and bottled stout. The mixture was hardly a good one -to sleep upon, but the sardines of Jean Peneau and the stout of Messrs -Guinness were the invariable concomitants to a Zeppelin raid if the -_Mariner_ was anywhere in the neighbourhood. - -'I hope nobody got strafed by those bombs,' observed the sub. with his -mouth full. - -'I think they fell clear of the town,' said the skipper, removing the -froth from a tumbler with a spoon. - -They had. There had been no casualties. - - -II. - -Altercations with Hun seaplanes were by no means uncommon, and their -novelty soon wore off. - -The North Sea is not celebrated for its clear weather, and in it one's -horizontal range of vision is frequently restricted to four miles or -less. The vertical visibility, when the clouds are lying low, is -sometimes a few hundred feet, while in summer the absence of wind and -the heat of the sun often bring fog or a luminous low-lying haze. -Moreover, when there is any mist it is presumably easier for an -aeroplane to see the comparatively large bulk of a ship upon the sea -than it is for the ship to spot the slender shape of the aeroplane -overhead. - -In the earlier days of the war, when the flotilla and a couple or more -light cruisers in massed formation were nosing round not far from the -German coast, according to their habit, it was disconcerting, to say -the least of it, suddenly to see a neat little line of four or five -equally spaced upheavals of water close alongside one or other of the -ships. It was more disconcerting still to hear the loud thud of the -explosions, and to realise that they were caused by bombs dropped from -the heavens for one's benefit by an aerial Hun of most immoral -character. An aeroplane bomb exploding ashore may quite conceivably do -comparatively little damage; but if the same missile descends upon the -deck of a small ship the vessel will be severely injured, and may -possibly sink. It is not pleasant to get into difficulties and to have -one's ship incapable of movement within a short distance of a hostile -coast. It is still more unpleasant to have her sink in the same -locality. - -On seeing the explosions one instinctively looked overhead, and there, -flying low and dimly outlined in the haze, was usually the shape of a -hostile seaplane, the inevitable black crosses on his wings proclaiming -his nationality. In misty weather he often succeeded in approaching -unseen, and sometimes dropped his unsavoury eggs before the -anti-aircraft guns could get to work and make his life a misery and a -burden. No sooner had he done his dirty work, moreover, than he either -climbed and vanished in the clouds, or else circled rapidly round and -disappeared whence he had come. His departure was always hastened by a -burst of fire from every gun which would bear, but one rarely had a -real chance of strafing him, for the whole affair was usually all over -and done with in a minute or two. It was good luck that his aim was bad -and that his bombs invariably missed, though sometimes they missed so -close that people on deck were drenched with spray, and spent the rest -of the day searching for splinters to keep as mementoes. If one had -struck---- But what was the good of considering the possibility? At any -rate, it was always very comforting to realise that a ship under way -presents a very small and difficult target to a seaplane at the best of -times; while, however numerous and thickly clustered a fleet, squadron, -or flotilla may be, there is always far and away more area of water -than there is of ships. - -When the weather was really clear the boot was generally on the other -foot, for then the seaplanes were usually driven off before they could -get overhead. A good lookout was always kept, and at the first sight of -a speck like a mosquito on the horizon, a mosquito which presently -assumed the shape and proportions of a dragon-fly, the anti-aircraft -guns' crews came tumbling up to their stations, and the muzzles of -their weapons started twitching ominously. Then, when the Hun arrived -within range, they let drive and let him have it. - -With the older type of anti-aircraft gun, shooting at an aeroplane -reminded one of trying to bring down a snipe with a Webley revolver. -But now that we are provided with the best sort of weapon which brains -and money can produce, the process of strafing the aerial Hun may be -likened to dealing with the aforesaid bird with a 12-bore hammerless -ejector loaded with No. 8 shot. The odds, of course, are usually on the -snipe or the Hun, as the case may be, but more often than not we -succeed in being accurate enough to make him supremely uncomfortable. - -So the shooting with the A.A. guns was generally good. Puffs of smoke -from the exploding shell darted out into space all round their target. -The blue sky speedily became pock-marked with the white, bulbous, -cotton-wool-like clusters, each one contributing its share of splinters -to the unpleasantness of the upper atmosphere. The Hun as speedily -retired. But not always. Sometimes he climbed high to get out of range, -and then, at a height of twelve thousand to fourteen thousand feet, -when scarcely visible, dropped his bombs. But the higher he went the -more erratic became his practice, so really it did not matter much. - -Occasionally, in the vicinity of their own coast, he and his friends -attacked in coveys of six, seven, or a dozen at a time, and then things -became very lively, and the A.A. guns had the time of their lives. Once -the Huns attacked continuously from eight A.M. until noon. There were -never less than three of them in range at any one time, and each one, -after dropping his noisome cargo, hurried back to his base for a fresh -consignment, and then returned for another strafe. But the bombs always -fell wide, and in course of time people came to treat seaplane attacks -with positive indifference. In early days all in the ship who could get -away came on deck to watch the fun. They indulged in loud and ribald -remarks, and gave the benefit of their advice to the men at the guns, -to the Hun or Huns, and to anybody else who cared to listen. They also -jeered uproariously when bombs fell a few yards wide and deluged them -with water, and fought madly for any splinters which might fall on -board. But later on, when they got used to the feeling, the advent of a -seaplane or two did not disturb them very much, particularly if it was -soon after the midday meal, and they had composed themselves for short -naps on the sunny deck before recommencing their labours in the -afternoon. - -It seems that the British sailor, like his comrade in the trenches, can -get used to anything. Moreover, the war seems to have set a new -standard of excitement, and what will happen when hostilities cease and -the men have to go back to the humdrum life of peace I really do not -know. It would seem impossible to raise much real enthusiasm over -regattas, boxing competitions, picture-palaces, or football matches -after playing the far more thrilling game with men's lives and ships -for the stakes. - -But bluejackets are always peculiar people, and the most trivial -happenings in the midst of the most appalling danger cause them the -greatest amusement. In one merry little destroyer action in the North -Sea one of the British vessels was having a very hot time, and a -bursting shell caused a small fire in the engine-room. It was promptly -extinguished by the fire-party under the charge of the chief stoker, -and shortly afterwards an officer noticed this worthy coming aft with -broad grins all over his face. - -'What's the joke?' he wanted to know, for it struck him as rather -peculiar that a man should be so much amused at such a time. - -'I carn't 'elp larfin', sir!' said the man, bubbling over with glee. -'We 'ad a bit of a bonfire in the hengine-room jest now, sir, an' w'en -I 'ears 'em 'ollerin' I runs along with the 'ose-pipe, shoves the end -of 'im down the hengine-room 'atch, an' switches the water on.' - -'What is there funny about that?' queried the officer. - -'Only that we 'arf-drownded the Chief E.R.A., 'oo was standin' at the -foot o' the ladder, sir,' gurgled the man. 'Funniest thing I've see'd -fur a long time. 'E ain't got a dry stitch on 'im, and 'is langwidge -was somethink 'orrid.' He finished with another cackle of amusement, -and went off to spin the yarn to some one else. - -At the time of the incident, which has the merit of being quite true, -the ship was undergoing a very hot fire. Shell were falling all round -her, and splinters were whistling through the air in all directions, -and for the man to be convulsed with genuine merriment at the wetting -of the chief engine-room artificer, at a moment when he himself was in -imminent peril of his life, speaks well for his nerve. It rather -reminds one of the true story of two marines, the loading numbers at -the after-gun of a light cruiser which shall be nameless. She too was -in the middle of a strenuous little action when a shell burst on board, -and shortly afterwards both men saw a most desirable memento in the -shape of a splinter lying on the deck. They made a simultaneous dart to -secure the trophy, but Jones got there first. - -''Ere!' said Smith, bitterly aggrieved, ''old on. I saw 'im first!' - -'I've got 'im first!' chortled Jones, stooping down and picking up the -morsel of steel. 'Ow!' he yelled the next instant, dropping it as if it -had stung him, and sucking his fingers; 'the bloomin' thing's red-'ot!' - -'Serve you ruddy well right,' retorted Smith. 'It ain't yourn, any'ow. -You leave it alone!' - -'I tell you it is mine,' answered the burnt gentleman. 'I got 'im -first!' - -'Look 'ere, Jones, if you carn't play fair I'll give you a punch on the -jaw; s'welp me I will. I'm bigger'n wot you are, and I tells you I -see'd the bloomin' thing first!' - -'I got 'old of 'im first, an' don't care wot you says an' does,' -exclaimed Jones, putting his foot on the coveted fragment. 'I'---- - -Further conversation was interrupted by the advance of Smith, and in -another instant the quarterdeck of H.M.S. ---- was the scene of an -impromptu battle. It would have been quite a pretty little tussle, for -Smith was large, breathless, and bulky, while Jones was thin and wiry; -but unfortunately the gunlayer, a sergeant, noticed that something was -amiss with his weapon, and removed his eye from the telescopic sight. - -'Here, you two,' he shouted, 'behave yourselves, and get on with -loading the gun!' - -''E's tryin' to pinch my splinter, sargint!' wailed Jones, applying a -grimy hand to a rapidly swelling eye. 'I got 'im first!' - -'No, sargint, 'e's a liar,' Smith cried with an air of injured -innocence; 'I see'd it first!' - -'Can't help that!' roared the N.C.O. 'Get along with the loading of the -gun, and hafter the haction don't you forget I takes you both before -the officer of the watch for unseemly conduc' and neglec' of dooty in -the face of the enemy!' - -The malcontents, rather crestfallen, ceased their bickering, and the -gun went on firing. But the sergeant, a strict disciplinarian, was as -good as his word. Smith and Jones, both good characters, were let off -lightly. They each received fourteen days' No. 10 punishment for their -misdeeds. The sergeant, a Solomon in his way, appropriated the -shell-splinter and presented it to his wife. - - -III. - -There was once a German steam-trawler called the _Anna Schroeder_. That -was not her real name; but as she now flies the White Ensign and is -known as the _Anita_, her original appellation does not matter. -Hargreaves, the sub-lieutenant of the _Mariner_; Joshua Billings, A.B.; -Pincher Martin, ordinary seaman; and several more of the destroyer's -men, can tell you all about her, for they spent four days on board. -They were four unforgettable days, and rumour says that the sub. and -his braves are scratching themselves still. - -From the _Anna Schroeder_, too, the 'Mariners,' in exchange for -sundry excellent British cigarettes and a pound or so of ship's -tobacco, procured some samples of particularly noisome 'war bread' and -a small female pig. The bread, they said, was an excellent 'coorio' to -send home to their friends; and, having the consistency and appearance -of wood, it could, with due diligence, be manufactured into -photograph-frames and tobacco-boxes. It took a beautiful polish. The -sow, Annie, was retained on board as a mascot, and within a week of -changing hands became quite friendly with her new masters. Inside a -month she was sleeping in a specially made hammock, wore her own -life-belt at sea, and ate her meals off a plate like a proper -Christian. It is true that the rest of the menagerie on board--Jane, -the monkey; Tiger and Mossyface, the two cats; Pompey, the goat; and -Tirpitz, the fox-terrier--at first regarded her with some suspicion, -but before long they appeared to have combined forces, and to have -formed an alliance for the carrying on of offensive operations against -any animal from any other ship which dared to come on board the -_Mariner_. Annie's severest tussle was with the wire-haired terrier of -the _Monsoon_, a plebeian but very conceited dog, who treated all -vessels but his own with lordly contempt. She was ably assisted in the -struggle by her willing allies, and for some minutes the battle raged -furiously, to the accompaniment of barks, growls, squeals, shrill -yelps, and much snorting from the fighters. But before much damage had -been done on either side the engagement was brought to a sudden and -wholly unexpected termination by both the principal combatants falling -overboard in their excitement. They were duly rescued in the dinghy; -and the contest, since they were both exhausted by swimming, was -postponed _sine die_. - -But all this has little to do with the _Anna Schroeder_. It so -happened that at one period of the war the enemy was making himself -particularly obnoxious by sinking many of our fishing-vessels in the -North Sea. It was no very gallant mode of warfare; and, partly in a -spirit of retaliation, and partly because My Lords Commissioners of the -Admiralty may have conceived a sudden desire for some steam-trawlers -for mine-sweeping and other purposes, it was determined to pay the Hun -back in his own coin. The authorities were always eager to save money -if they possibly could, and acquiring the necessary craft free, gratis, -and for nothing from the enemy was obviously far cheaper than -chartering them from British owners. - -That is how it came about that the _Mariner_, many more destroyers, and -several light cruisers suddenly appeared one early morning in the midst -of a German fishing-fleet engaged in its occupation not very far from -its own coast. The visit came as a bolt from the blue, and since there -was nobody present to protect them, the trawlers had no alternative but -to surrender. Twenty-three of them, I think, were captured; while -several more, too ancient and too rickety to be worth taking home as -prizes, were sunk. - -The serene atmosphere of that calm and peaceful summer morn was -befouled with Teutonic oaths and much profanity. One could not help -having some sympathy for the execrators, snatched off as they were -practically within hailing distance of their own coast. But every -German male person of a certain age and not a cripple is _ipso -facto_ a soldier or a sailor; while every harmless trawler is a -potential mine-layer or mine-sweeper. Most of the prisoners were young -and lusty, and Fritz, Hans, Adolf, Karl, Heinrich, and many more of -them had the not altogether joyful prospect of spending the rest of the -war in British hands. Some of them disliked the idea intensely, and -their scowling, sullen faces showed as much. Others, after making -anxious inquiries as to how they would be treated and fed, expressed -the opinion that things were not quite so bad after all, and that being -a prisoner was far and away a happier prospect than serving in trenches -at the front, whence they might never return. - -It was this early morning strafe which accounted for the _Mariner's_ -dealings with the _Anna Schroeder_; the adoption of Annie, the pig; and -the adventures of the sub-lieutenant and his merry men. - -The prize crew consisted of Hargreaves, one stoker petty officer, -Joshua Billings, Pincher Martin, and three others whose names do not -matter; and after ten minutes spent in transferring them, their -belongings, food, water, weapons, a chart, and sundry other impedimenta -to the trawler, and in removing certain of the prisoners to the -destroyer, the _Mariner_ steamed off on her business, and left the -sub. to his own devices, with orders to make the best of his way to the -nearest British port. - -How he proposed to get there he did not quite know. The deviation of -the _Anna Schroeder's_ compass might be anything, and he had no -means of checking it; but the fact did not seem to worry him much. He -knew that if he steered west or thereabouts he would hit the English -coast in time; and, having hit it, he proposed to steam north or south -along it, and go into the nearest and most convenient harbour which -happened to come into sight. What harbour it was he probably would not -find out until after his arrival. - -He was intensely proud of his first independent command, and his first -care was to commandeer all the German ensigns he could find for -trophies, to hoist an enormous White Ensign at the mizzen, and to -display his badge of authority in the shape of a long white man-of-war -pendant at the masthead. Then, when some one had persuaded the German -engineer to raise a full head of steam in the antiquated boiler, and to -start the engines, one of the _Mariner's_ men was put at the wheel, -armed sentries were posted on deck and in the engine-room, and course -was shaped for home. The men, inquisitive as usual, set about exploring -the prize. She had on board more than three hundred pounds' worth of -fresh-caught fish, but even the thought of this excellent food could -not reconcile the bluejackets to certain other things they discovered. -The first complaint came from Billings, who, as the eldest A.B. on -board, had been selected as a spokesman by the others. - -'Beggin' yer pardon, Mister 'Argreaves, sir,' he said, first -expectorating over the ship's side, and then approaching the sub. with -a very wry face, 'would yer mind 'avin' a look at th' quarters lately -hoccupied by them Germans?' - -'What's the matter with them?' asked the officer. - -'They ain't fit fur 'uman 'abitation, sir; an' we 'as ter sleep there.' - -'Why aren't they fit to live in?' - -'Crawlin', sir,' said Billings disgustedly. 'Crawlin' wi' li'l -hanimals! Cockroaches I don't mind, sir, bein' used to 'em in a manner -o' speakin', an' there's plenty on 'em there; but there's hother -hanimals present in hinnumerable quantities; creepin' things wi' legs -the likes o' which I've never see'd afore.' - -'Vermin?' queried the sub. in a whisper. - -'Yessir. The beddin' 's one mass on 'em.' - -'Well, I'm determined to have the ship clean before I've finished with -her,' said Hargreaves, as if he were the commander of the latest -Dreadnought, 'so heave all the bedding overboard. When you've done -that, collect three of the German deckhands and make 'em scrub the -place out. I'll inspect it when it's clean.' - -'We ain't got no carbolic, I s'pose, sir?' Joshua queried anxiously. 'I -doubts if soap an' water'll shift 'em.' - -The sub. laughed. 'We brought none with us, I'm afraid. But find the -man who looks after the stores, get what you can, and do your best.' - -Joshua saluted and walked off. Five minutes afterwards a long line of -blankets and straw mattresses was floating gaily astern. - -But their troubles had only started, for a quarter of an hour later -Billings reappeared with Pincher Martin, and between them they dragged -the resisting figure of one of the prisoners, a small, dark man with a -pair of shifty black eyes. Pincher, Hargreaves noticed, was armed with -a cutlass and a revolver, and displayed the latter weapon -ostentatiously. - -'Good Lord!' he muttered; 'what's the matter now?' - -'Prisoner an' hescort, 'alt!' bellowed Joshua.--'I brings this man -afore you, sir, fur refoosin' ter scrub art 'is quarters w'en hordered, -an' fur hassaultin' me.' - -'And I haf von gomplaint to make,' put in the prisoner truculently. -'Von of ze sailors heet me!' - -'What happened?' asked the sub. with a sigh. - -'Well, sir,' Billings explained, 'it wus like this 'ere. I tells this -man--'e knows Henglish just as well as I does, sir--ter start scrubbin' -art, an' ter be smart abart it. 'E sezs 'e won't, 'cos 'e 'as 'is -rights as a prisoner o' war, an' ain't goin' ter do no work.' - -'Oh! did he?' - -'Yessir, 'e did; an' I sez to 'im that if 'e doesn't hobey horders 'e'd -best look out; an' wi' that 'e tries ter dot me one in the face.' - -Hargreaves, stifling his amusement as best he could, scowled fiercely, -and endeavoured to look judicial. 'And what happened then?' he -inquired. - -'Well, sir, ord'nary seaman Martin sees wot wus 'appenin', an' catches -'im one acrost th' 'ead wi' a broom-'andle.' - -Pincher's bosom swelled with pride at the recollection. - -'What have you got to say?' demanded the sub., turning to the German. - -'My name ees Charrlie Smeeth, an' I haf lif in Englan' many year. I -serve in Engleesh sheeps, an' I say to zis man'---- - -'I don't want to hear all that. What d'you mean by refusing duty?' - -Smith, or Schmidt, as he probably was, licked his lips. 'I say to zis -man, why he treat me like zat? And zen zis man,' indicating Martin, -'heet me on ze head with ze steeck and hurt me mooch.' He pointed to a -large lump on the side of his cranium. - -'That ain't true, sir,' Joshua interrupted. 'If Pinch--ordinary seaman -Martin--'adn't sloshed 'im 'e'd 'a got me.' - -The sub. scratched his beardless chin thoughtfully, for he hardly knew -what to do. 'Look here,' he said at last, addressing the culprit -sternly, 'you are a prisoner of war, and have to obey orders. If I have -any further trouble with you, your hands and feet will be tied, and you -will be put in the fish-hold for the rest of the passage. I will also -report you on arrival in England, and have you court-martialled and -shot. I mean what I say, mind; but I will give you this one warning, so -you had better take it to heart. Do you understand what I say?' - -'I onterstan',' said Schmidt, fidgeting nervously. - -'Remove the prisoner and let him carry on with his work,' the officer -ordered. 'If he offers any further violence shoot him at once.' He -winked. Billings grinned understandingly, and the hapless German was -led away in a cold and clammy perspiration. They had no further trouble -with him. - -Hargreaves was no fool, and, being fully aware that idleness only -breeds discontent and bickering, took very good care to keep his -prisoners busy. They were not treated with undue severity, and received -exactly the same food as their captors; but they experienced for the -first time the rigours of British naval discipline. All day long they -were kept hard at work in scrubbing and scraping the _Anna_ to a -state of hitherto undreamt-of cleanliness; while at night all of -them--except the cook and the man on watch in the engine and boiler -room, who perforce had to be allowed a certain amount of liberty, but -were kept under constant supervision--slept in the stuffy little -forecastle, with an armed sentry standing guard at the door. - -Nothing on earth would induce the bluejackets to poke their noses -inside the place, much less to inhabit it. They preferred to snatch -what sleep they could under the stars; for though--thanks to the energy -instilled into the unwilling Germans--the forecastle had been scrubbed -far cleaner than it had ever been before, its cleanliness was merely -superficial, and it was still well infested with 'hanimals,' as -Billings called them. - -'Them bugs is pisenous German bugs,' he had remarked, wrinkling his -nose in disgust. 'Maybe them 'Uns is used ter 'em. I ain't, an' I'll -watch it I don't go ter sleep in a place wi' wild hinsects a-suckin' o' -me blood. It ain't fit an' proper, an' I sleeps on deck.' - -Incidentally, it was the cook who gave Hargreaves one of the finest -frights of his life. At midnight on the night they had come on board, -the sub., leaving Billings in charge as officer of the watch, with -orders to steer west and to call him at once if anything happened, -retired to rest in a small compartment under the wheelhouse which had -evidently been used as a charthouse, cabin, and storeroom all rolled -into one. It was innocent of insects other than cockroaches, and had a -cushioned locker at one side; while the rest of the space was filled -with nets, cordage, canvas, paint, oil, and a quantity of food. -Dependent from hooks in the ceiling were several dried fish, two -bloated sausages, and a large raw ham. The place was stuffy and -odorous; but Hargreaves was tired, and so, swathed in a blanket, he -soon settled off to sleep on the locker with the door wide open. - -Towards two in the morning some slight sound caused him to wake up with -a start, and on opening his eyes his blood nearly froze in his veins. -There, in the door, clearly silhouetted against the flood of moonlight -beyond, was the dark figure of a man peering into the room in an -attitude of rapt, listening attention. He was the German cook, from the -shape of his bullet-head, and in one hand he held a murderous-looking -knife with a long and glittering blade. He could only be there for one -purpose, and his knife could only be intended for Hargreaves's throat. - -The sub.'s first impulse was to shout for help, for an armed sentry -should have been on the deck outside. Then he scouted the idea as -impracticable, for the man would be upon him the instant he raised his -voice, so he lay still, hardly daring to breathe. Then, with a feeling -of great relief, he suddenly remembered the loaded automatic pistol -under his pillow. He withdrew it softly, cocked the hammer without -making a sound, and then, with the weapon poised, his finger on the -trigger, and his nerves tingling, made up his mind to fire on the first -sign of aggression. - -The cook, treading stealthily, entered the room and looked round to the -right and left. He next came towards the locker on which the sub. lay, -and seemed to be examining the ceiling intently. Then he raised his -knife for the blow. - -The muzzle of the pistol went up and followed his every movement, but -an instant later the sub. dropped the weapon with a chuckle of -amusement.... The German was busily cutting a couple of inches off a -particularly succulent sausage hanging from its hook. - -When Hargreaves laughed his visitor dropped the knife with a clatter, -and leapt from the room like a rabbit. The sub.'s mirth overcame him -completely. - -'Is everythink orl right, sir?' queried the anxious voice of Pincher -Martin, who had been just outside the door the whole time. - -'Yes,' spluttered the officer; 'there's nothing the m-matter.' - -'Beg pardon, sir; only th' cook jumped art o' this 'ere door as if 'e'd -see'd a ghost, sir. 'E seems a bit scared like.' - -He was, poor man, badly scared, nearly as frightened as the sub. -himself had been a few moments before; but he never quite realised how -very near death the cravings of his stomach had led him. After all, no -ordinary person is in the habit of making a hearty meal off a pungent, -onion-flavoured sausage at two o'clock in the morning! All's well that -ends well, but cookie escaped sudden death by the skin of his teeth. - -Hargreaves never suffered his discipline to relax, and all through the -second day of the passage the work of cleaning the ship went on. Even -the German skipper, a very fat person, was pressed into service, and, -since nothing else could be found for him to do, he volunteered to -spend the morning in scrubbing out the wheelhouse. - -'I hope onter-see boot com' an' tak' us all back to Germany!' he -remarked feelingly in very bad English after half-an-hour's hard work -on his hands and knees. - -'If one does I'm afraid you won't get there,' retorted the hard-hearted -sub-lieutenant with a wicked twinkle in his eye. - -'If we sight a German submarine all the prisoners will be thrown -overboard in life-belts, so that she'll have to stop to pick you up. -Then, while she's doing it, I shall ram her at full speed.' - -The German believed him implicitly. The brutal British were capable of -anything. '_Ach!_' he exclaimed, sitting up on his haunches and wiping -the drops of perspiration from a very scared face, 'dey vill nod pick -us op. Ve shall be drown!' - -'But surely your own countrymen won't stand by and see that happen?' -said Hargreaves with pleasant curiosity. - -'I do not know. Bot efen ef dem pick us op, you dry do sink der -onter-see boot, so ve drown anyhows! I haf wife an' childrens, -capitan,' he added agitatedly; 'many childrens. Von, do, dree, four, -fif, six childrens. I doo old do fight. _Ach!_' he suggested with -an oily smile, 'you safe me an' drown de ozzers. Dey not marriet. Dey -not care!' - -The sub. shook his head. 'I'm sorry,' he said; 'war is a very terrible -thing.' - -'I hope ve do not see onter-see boot!' murmured the other. '_Ach!_' he -nodded, noticing Hargreaves's grinning face; 'you choke, es et nod?' - -'I beg your pardon?' - -'You make fon, hey? You no drown der prisoners?' - -'Depends upon how you behave yourselves,' came the noncommittal reply. - -The skipper fell to with redoubled energy. - -The weather was fine and the sea calm, but the _Anna's_ engines -and boiler were long past their early youth, and they had steamed -across the North Sea at a speed of barely seven knots. It was a -heart-rending performance; and though Coggins, the stoker petty -officer, exhorted the German fireman to shovel coal on the furnace -until he was purple with passion and they were limp with weariness, the -steam pressure to the engines dropped and dropped. - -Shortly after noon on the second day, by which time they were on the -Dogger Bank with not a vestige of another vessel in sight--there is not -much fishing done in war-time--the climax came. It was not exactly due -to the boiler, though the propeller had been revolving more and more -slowly; but all of a sudden there came a peculiar grinding sound from -the engine-room, and the screw refused duty altogether. - -A moment or two later Coggins, breathless and blasphemous, appeared at -the top of the hatch. 'It's no good, sir,' he wailed; 'it's no ---- -good. I've done me best to tinker up they damned hengines to get 'em to -'eave round, but now the metal's bin and run in the cross'ead, and they -won't 'eave round no more.' - -'Is there nothing we can do to it?' queried the sub. - -'I ain't seen nothin' aboard we can patch 'im up with, sir. Them -hengines--them ---- hengines--ain't fit to crack nuts, let alone be -aboard a ship!' - -The sub. bit his lip, for there they were, well out of sight of land, -the ship helpless, and nothing in sight. But he had been trained as an -engineer himself, and was better at the job than some people imagined. - -'I'll come and have a look at it,' he announced. 'We must do something. -I can't sail the damned ship home, and there's nobody here to tow us!' - -Eventually, after three hours' hard labour, they succeeded in repairing -the damage with a piece of sheet-brass filched from somewhere else. It -is doubtful if any fully qualified engineer would have passed the -repair as either safe or satisfactory; but by the time they had -finished, and were black, bad-tempered, and greasy, the engines were -persuaded to produce the revolutions for four knots without running -very hot. Even four knots was better than drifting aimlessly about the -sea with the prospect of being bagged by a submarine or dying of thirst -and starvation. - -The next thing which refused duty was the boiler itself. It gave out at -eight o'clock the same evening, and once more Coggins, looking more -like a demon from the nethermost pit than a respectable stoker petty -officer of his Majesty's Navy, a rabid teetotaler, a strict -chapel-goer, and the father of four children who attended Sunday school -regularly, arrived on deck in a state of incoherent vituperation. - -'And what's the matter now?' Hargreaves inquired. - -'The biler, sir. 'E ain't bin cleaned for eight months, them Germans -says. The uptake and toobes is all sooted up, and we carn't get no -steam to the hengines no'ow!' - -The sub. sighed. 'How long's it going to take to clean it?' - -''Bout six or seven hours, sir.' - -'Well, carry on with it at once.' - -In ordinary circumstances a boiler is cleaned when it is stone-cold and -the fires are drawn; but Coggins, in some miraculous manner unknown to -any one save himself and his victims, goaded the Germans into such a -state of frenzied activity that they swept the tubes and uptakes in -five hours. They did it with the fires damped down but still alight, -and what they suffered from the heat only they themselves knew. But the -job was done somehow, the firemen were revived with neat navy rum, and -by one o'clock the next morning the _Anna Schroeder_ resumed her -journey at the exasperating speed of 3.75 knots. - -They eventually arrived in a certain harbour late the same evening -without further mishap; and Hargreaves, after seeing the prize and the -prisoners turned over to the responsible authorities, and his own men -comfortably housed and fed in the Sailors' Home, retired to an hotel, -ate a hearty meal, had a hot bath well impregnated with Jeyes's Fluid, -borrowed a suit of pyjamas, a razor, and a new toothbrush from the -manager, and then turned in and slept for nearly twelve hours. - -Little more remains to be told, for the next morning they left by train -to rejoin their ship, taking with them sundry mementoes from the prize. -They have passed through many vicissitudes since, but neither the sub. -nor his men will ever forget the _Anna Schroeder_. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -MINOR INCIDENTS. - - -I. - -'Signal just come through, sir,' said Rosser, the signal-man, thumping -on the door of Wooten's cabin at half-past one in the morning. - -The skipper grunted, sat up, switched on the light, and blinked. He was -used to sudden calls and excursions in the middle of the night, and -knew instinctively from the tone of the man's voice that the message -was urgent. - -'Read it out,' he sighed, throwing one leg out of the bunk. - -_'Menelaus_, _Monsoon_, _Manner_, and _Minx_ raise steam, and report -when ready to proceed.' - -'I thought so. What's the weather?' - -'Very dark, and blowing a bit, sir,' said Rosser cheerfully, the -moisture from his dripping oilskins forming a nice little puddle on the -skipper's carpet. 'It's been raining hard this last half-hour.' - -Wooten groaned. 'Right! Tell all the officers, and ask Mr Thompson to -let me know how soon he'll be ready. And on your way forward tell Spry -I want him.' - -Spry, able seaman, was the captain's body-servant and general factotum. - -Wooten threw open the small scuttle over his bunk and looked out. It -was as black as pitch, the wind whistled and moaned mournfully, and a -wave of moisture smote him in the face. It would be a wild and wet -night at sea. Altogether a depressing night, there was not the least -doubt about that. 'Ugh!' he grunted, slamming the scuttle to and -drawing the bedclothes up to his chin. - -Enter Spry. - -'Usual sea-gear,' his master murmured. - -The man nodded. He knew exactly what was wanted. - -'We're in for a dusting, Spry.' - -'We are that, sir. Will you 'ave your blue muffler or the white one?' - -'The blue one, and the clean sweater.' - -'You can't 'ave 'im, sir,' said the bluejacket, busy opening drawers -and cupboards and pulling out clothes like a juggler. ''E's at the -wash.' - -'At the wash?' - -'Yessir, and so's most of our flannel shirts and stiff collars. If we -'re to be away long I'll 'ave to wash some shirts out, and you'll 'ave -to wear them soft collars of yours.' Spry was always a pessimist in the -small hours of the morning. 'Is there anything else you'll be wanting, -sir?' - -'No, thanks. Nothing bar the cocoa.' - -Spry took a vacuum flask from a cupboard, and left the cabin to fill -it. This also was a matter of routine; for cocoa, a cushion, and a rug -were always put in the charthouse every night for Wooten's use when the -ship was at sea. - -The skipper clambered out of his bunk, lit a pipe, and dressed. This -operation took him quite ten minutes. First came his ordinary garments, -and a heavy woollen sweater and blue muffler; then a pair of thick -socks; next a pair of fisherman's white woollen stockings worn over his -trousers and reaching well above his knees; over them, a pair of rubber -sea-boots. Next a uniform jacket, a lammy coat, another muffler, and an -oilskin on top of everything. It was wet, and the weather was cold, and -Wooten did not intend to be chilled through to the marrow if he could -help it. His apparel was completed by a sou'-wester and a pair of -glasses slung round his neck; and, thus arrayed, he clambered slowly up -the ladder and waddled forward along the deck to the charthouse. It was -too dark, and he was too bloated, to proceed briskly. - -Hargreaves, the sub., yawning his head off, was already up there -sorting out his charts. - -'Morning, sir. D'you know where we're going?' - -'Haven't the vaguest notion. The _Menelaus_ is the boss, and will -get the orders. She may tell us when we get outside.' - -'How long are we likely to be away?' - -'Don't know. Last time we left in a hurry we didn't come back for a -fortnight. The time before, we were away for six weeks.' - -'What'---- - -'If you ask me any more questions I shall be peevish,' Wooten -interrupted. 'It's high time you knew that I'm not fit for polite -conversation at this unholy hour of the morning.' - -'Sorry, sir. I forgot.' - -Half-an-hour afterwards, by which time steam had been raised, and the -fact had been reported, Wooten climbed the ladder on to the bridge. - -'Signal for destroyers to slip, sir,' came from Rosser a minute or two -later, as a lamp winked frenziedly in and out in the darkness about a -mile away. 'Form single line a'ead; speed ten knots.' - -'Let go forward!' went the order to the first lieutenant on the -forecastle. - -There came the splash of the end of the wire as it fell into the water, -and a moment later a hail from MacDonald. 'All gone, sir!' - -'Half ahead port. Half astern starboard. Helm hard aport.' - -The engine-room reply-gongs clanged, and the _Mariner_ began to -turn on her heel. - -'Slow astern starboard--Stop starboard--Half ahead both--one-eighty -revolutions,' in succession. 'Helm amidships. Steady!' - -The four destroyers, falling into line astern of each other, groped -their way down the congested harbour like wraiths in the night. Wooten -glanced at the dark shapes of the other ships as they slid by. 'Lucky -dogs!' he murmured. 'You've got a lie in. I envy you. This is not a -night for poor old Peter to be at sea.' - -He was right. By the time they reached the entrance the rain was coming -down in sheets, and the wind had increased. Then the bows lifted to the -first swell, and a dollop of spray flew over them, and rattled against -the bridge-screens. - -'It's going to be wet,' Hargreaves observed glumly, securing the top -button of his oilskin. - -'It is,' the skipper agreed; 'damned wet!' - -In ten minutes, by which time they were clear of the harbour, and speed -had been increased to eighteen knots, the ship was prancing and -curveting like a frisky pony, and the spray was flying over in sheets. -Five minutes later the seas were coming in green over the upper deck. - -'Oh hell!' the captain groused, stowing away his useless pipe after -vainly endeavouring to relight its sodden contents; 'this is the -limit!--Look out, sub.,' he added, glancing at the next ship ahead, -whose dim shadow danced through a welter of spray a cable and a half in -front. 'Shove her on a bit. You're astern of station, and dropping -fast. Lord!' he added, 'I wish I knew where we're off to.' - -His prayer was not answered until daylight, by which time they were -far to the southward, and the _Menelaus_ informed them of their -destination. They were going to the warmest spot most of them had ever -known, though they were not aware of it at the time. Warmth can come -from the Huns as well as from the sun. - - -II. - -The intermittent rumble of heavy guns had sounded continuously all -through the night, and with the approach of dawn and the commencement -of the usual 'early morning hate,' the intensity of the dull -reverberations increased. The _Mariner_ and her consorts were -within about twelve miles of the spot where the long line of opposing -trenches debouched into the North Sea; but even at this distance they -could see the brilliant illumination caused by the star-shell as they -burst. The dark-blue sky above the horizon to the south-east was never -free of them. - -'Lor'!' said Billings in an awed whisper, watching the blue-white -flashes as they burst suddenly out in the air, hung for a moment, and -then waned slowly away, to be replaced by others; 'some poor blokes -ain't arf gittin' it in the neck!' - -There was a romance and an interest about the spectacle which it is -rather difficult to define. For one thing, it was the closest they had -ever been to the front; but here, on board the ship, everything was -going on in the same old way, and the men went about their business as -usual. But there, a bare twelve miles off, the deep-throated murmur of -the guns showed that men were striving to kill each other, while the -star-shell must have been flooding the closely packed trenches with -unwelcome light. It seemed a little difficult to realise it, somehow. - -The morning was cloudless and calm. The light increased, and as the sun -neared the horizon a band of pale rose-madder and dull orange slowly -began to encroach on the dark blue of the upper sky to the eastward. -Before long they could see the hostile coast itself as a thin, -blue-gray streak punctuated here and there by the spires and houses of -the coast towns, magnified out of all proportion by the deceptive -light. Hanging in the air, and all but invisible to the naked eye, was -the bloated, caterpillar-shape of a German observation balloon. It -looked ominous and menacing, and the Hun in the basket suspended -beneath it was evidently going aloft to see whom his guns might devour -for breakfast. The coast was reputed to bristle with weapons, some of -them of prodigious range, and the men in the destroyer hoped fervently -that they might not be victims of his wrath. - -Then, quite suddenly, the dull blue above the broadening band of colour -began to twinkle and sparkle with little spurts and splashes of bright -yellow flame. They did not appear in ones, twos, or threes, but in -batches of twenty or thirty at a time. The rumbling of the guns started -afresh, for the flashes were the bursts of the enemy's anti-aircraft -shell, fired at a swarm of allied aeroplanes making an early morning -bombing attack; and, from the look of things, somebody was getting a -tolerably hot time. More killing! It was rather like watching a -gladiatorial combat in the arena; but it was a fine sight, and the -'Mariners' would not have missed it for worlds. - -Presently, when the rosy light of the dawn had mounted up into space, -the thudding of the distant guns ceased. The attack was over, and the -bombs had evidently been dropped; but the clear sky over the shore was -still flecked and stained with hundreds of smoke-puffs slowly -dissolving on the gentle breeze. They showed blue and purple against -the vivid contrasting colour beyond. - -Air raids, and their subsequent reprisals, were a speciality of this -locality. They took place nearly every morning and evening the -_Mariner_ was there; and as the visiting machines had a comparatively -short distance to travel before reaching their objective, they were -carried out by too many aeroplanes, and with too great a frequency, to -be pleasant. - -In the French town within reach of the aerial Hun business went on as -usual; but at the first wailing of the warning hooter the inhabitants -bolted to earth like rabbits to their burrow. Every house which -possessed a cellar showed a small red flag over the doorway, and any -one who cared to claim admittance was given shelter. Trams stopped and -disgorged their living freights. Adipose tram conductors, elderly women -dragging frightened children, ancient male civilians, _poilus_ in -their slate-blue uniforms, any one and every one, made a bee-line for -the nearest symbol of a cellar and safety. It was a wise precaution -which must have saved many lives; for, though the Hun may be given the -credit of only wishing to damage places of 'military importance,' and -to kill members of 'the armed forces of the enemy,' his bombs, as often -as not, were liberally sprinkled upon the residential and commercial -portions of the town. Added to this, every anti-aircraft gun in the -neighbourhood--and there were many of them--sent its shell hurtling -skywards to drive the invaders away. The bits had to fall somewhere; -and if a jagged morsel of steel weighing one ounce falls on the head of -a human being from a height, say, of ten thousand feet, there is -nothing for it but a funeral and mourners. So it is wise to keep -indoors in any case, wiser still to repair to somebody else's cellar if -you do not possess one of your own. - -But after the raids, when the inhabitants emerged from their burrows, -the small boys and girls collected splinters and sold them as -mementoes. The trade was very brisk, and prices sometimes ran high. -Bomb fragments--and one could not help suspecting that many of these -were manufactured at home in the quiet intervals--commanded fabulous -sums. I still treasure a fleeting vision of a British army captain in -khaki, flourishing five-franc notes, pursuing a sky-blue _poilu_ -down the street in the midst of an air raid. The Frenchman hugged to -his bosom the dangerous remains of an aeroplane bomb, a wicked-looking -affair painted bright yellow, and filled with some devilish compound -guaranteed to kill or to cure. The Englishman wanted it badly, and, -being the faster of the two, eventually overtook his quarry, and -obtained the relic for fifteen francs. What he did with it I cannot -say. One can hardly think that it was received with gratitude by his -loving parents, or that it occupied the niche of honour in the hall of -his rich but nervous aunt. - -But whatever we may have said about bombing attacks at sea, air raids -on a town are not the least bit amusing until afterwards. The whistle -of a descending bomb is the most uncanny and unpleasant sound it is -possible to imagine, far and away nastier than the howling and -screeching of a passing shell. Moreover, in an air raid on a town the -visitors can hardly fail to hit some one or something, and it may -possibly be us. - - -III. - -'The Secretary of the Admiralty announces that an action took place -yesterday afternoon between British and German destroyers. The enemy -suffered considerable damage, and were forced to retire. Our casualties -were insignificant.'--_Daily Press._ - -It is rather galling to find one of the most eventful and crowded hours -of one's existence disposed of in four lines of cold print, not even -the name of a ship mentioned! - -It made the ship's company of the _Mariner_ feel very small and -insignificant, and the puffed-up, proud sort of feeling they had when -they came out of their first real action oozed from them like gas from -a punctured Zeppelin. - -Sailors are peculiar animals. They long to frustrate and confound the -Hun--that goes without saying; but, having done their best in this -direction, they are equally desirous that their friends and relations -shall be aware of the fact. Most of the men expected at least to see -the _Mariner's_ name in the newspapers. A good many of them, -though they would not have admitted it, would have been highly -flattered had their likenesses appeared in the _Morning Mirror_. -'A naval hero who has been doing his bit' would have sounded well as a -superscription, though perhaps a trifle fulsome; while further -photographs of the 'naval hero's' wife and family, his father and -mother, the schoolmaster who had taught him, and the public-house which -he sometimes patronised, would also have been suitable to the occasion. -But unfortunately the newspapers took no notice of the affair; and, -since the censorship of naval news was strict, they probably never even -realised that such a ship as the _Mariner_ existed. It was a pity, for, -from the point of view of the men and their friends, anything and -everything which appeared in the Press must, of necessity, be a fact. -If a man went home and said he had been in an action which had never -publicly been announced, it was possible that his immediate neighbours -might believe what he said. It was more than probable, however, that 50 -per cent. of outsiders would treat his story _cum grano salis_, and -think that he had exaggerated. Corroborative evidence is always useful. - -To Pincher Martin the recollection of his first action at sea is still -a vague and shadowy impression of mingled fact and fancy. He had kept -the forenoon watch, and on going below at noon had consumed his usual -midday meal with great relish. Then, with a satisfied feeling of -repletion, he stretched himself at full length on a hard and very -uncomfortable mess-stool, and went off to sleep. He was not the only -one; but he had kept the middle watch, so there was some excuse for -him. - -Towards three o'clock he was suddenly brought back to his senses by the -prolonged and irritating jangle of an electric alarm-bell. 'Gawd!' he -murmured, sitting up with a start, and rubbing his sleepy eyes; 'wot's -the buzz now?' - -He was not long in finding out, for at that same moment Petty Officer -Casey put his head down the hatch. 'Below there!' he howled cheerfully. -'Tumble up! Enemy in sight! General Quarters!' - -His words were punctuated by the sound of men running along the upper -deck and the rumble of a gun. The report was faint but unmistakable, -and it did not come from the _Mariner_. - -Followed by various of his messmates, Pincher darted for the hatch, -clambered up the steep ladder, and ten seconds later appeared at his -gun on the forecastle breathless and inquisitive. - -''Ere,' he queried, more by instinctive curiosity than because he -really wanted the opinion of any one else, 'wot's up?' - -'You stan' by to 'ump them projectiles!' grunted an A.B. 'This 'ere -ain't the time to git askin' stoopid questions!' - -Pincher obediently placed a lyddite shell in the loading-tray and -waited. - -Three British destroyers were in single line ahead, the fourth being -away on some business best known to herself. The _Mariner_ was the -centre ship, and she quivered and shook to the thrust of her turbines; -while, from the sensation of speed, and the great mass of white water -heaped up under the stern of the next ahead, Pincher guessed they must -be travelling at about thirty knots. Three or four miles away to port, -rather difficult to see against the gray background of shore beyond, -were the lean shapes of three other torpedo-craft. They also were -steaming at high speed, and left a long white trail in the water astern -of them, and seemed to be steering an approximately parallel course. -They were German, of course, and as he watched a ripple of bright flame -and a cloud of brown smoke leapt out from their leading vessel. They -were firing, and at him. He felt rather frightened, and suddenly became -possessed of a bitter resentment against the enemy who were striving to -kill him and his shipmates. He had done them no personal wrong, so why -should they try to take his life? - -He held his breath and waited for the shell to drop, but the pause -seemed interminable. Then he heard the sound of the reports, and saw -three or four whity-gray splashes in the water between him and the -enemy. The shell were fully six hundred yards short, and harmless. He -breathed again. - -Some order came through a voice-pipe to the gun; whereupon the -sight-setter twiddled a small wheel and peered anxiously at a graduated -dial, while the gunlayer, breathing heavily, applied his eye to the -telescope. The muzzle of the gun began to move up and down in the air -as the sights were kept on the enemy. - -'Train right a bit, Bill!' came a smothered remark. 'Train right, damn -yer eyes! That'll do! Keep her like that!' - -A bell rang somewhere. A moment's pause, and then, with a sheet of -flame and a crash, the weapon went off. - -When once the business really started Pincher felt better. The -anticipation, that awful period of suspense between the time of the -enemy being sighted and the first shot being fired, was far and away -worse than the actual fight itself. The noise and excitement acted as a -sort of anaesthetic. They had a deadening effect which dulled the finer -workings of his mind, and did away with most of his previous and -poignant mental agony. He realised in a vague sort of a way that he -might be killed; but the process of being under fire, when once it had -started and the enemy was being fired at in return, was not nearly so -bad as he had imagined it would be. - -He had the task of placing a projectile in the loading-tray every time -after the gun had fired, recoiled, ejected the spent cylinder neatly to -the rear, and then had run out again and had been reloaded. He did it -almost automatically, and without having to think about it. Time became -an unknown quantity. Seconds sometimes seemed like hours, and hours may -have dwindled to minutes for all he knew. All the sensations he was -really conscious of at the time were a supreme desire to keep up the -supply of shell, an overwhelming hatred for the enemy who dared to fire -upon him, a most unpleasant feeling of heat, and an intolerable and -raging thirst. The acrid taste and smell of the burning cordite may -have produced the thirst; but, after five minutes of firing, Martin -would have bartered everything he possessed for a mug of really cold -water. - -Incident succeeded incident with such rapidity that he could not -concentrate his attention on any one particular thing. He saw great -white splashes in the water, some of them perilously close. The noise -of the _Mariner's_ own guns overpowered every other sound, but -between their reports he heard the fainter thudding of the enemy's -weapons, the peculiar whining drone of hostile shell as they hurtled -through the air, and the fiendish whirring and whizzing of their -fragments as they burst. There came a jar and a metallic crash which -told him that the ship had been hit somewhere close. He had no time to -look round, but waited anxiously for the missile to pulverise; waited -for what seemed minutes for the flame and roar of an appalling -detonation and a shower of splinters which would sweep him to eternity. -They never came. The shell had passed through the forecastle, and out -again through the side of the ship, without exploding. - -His own gun was firing very fast, and he could not see much, but in the -rifts between the sheets of flame and clouds of smoke caused by its -discharge he caught occasional glimpses of the enemy. They were still -steaming fast, and seemed rather closer than before, and from the sea -round about them spout after spout of spray leapt into the air as the -British shell pitched. The brilliant gun-flashes still twinkled up and -down their sides as they fired; but he was glad they were having a hot -time. - -The next time he saw them they seemed to have turned shorewards, while -the British, still firing heavily, steamed in pursuit. Then, in the -after-part of the middle German destroyer, the one the _Mariner_ was -firing at, he suddenly noticed a wicked red flash and a cloud of oily -black smoke. A shell had gone home. He could have shouted in glee had -he not been so breathless. - -The long-range action lasted for a full fifty-five minutes, with both -sides blazing away merrily the whole time. What damage was done to the -enemy it was impossible to say, but it was clear that they suffered -considerably, and that they were forced back to their own coast. As -regards their numbers, guns, size, and speed the opposing craft were -pretty evenly matched; and if the action had taken place in the open -sea it would have been fought to a finish at close range, or until one -or other of the combatants retired post-haste from the contest. In this -eventuality, given average luck, it would not have been the British; -not because the German is any less brave than his antagonist, but -because he has fewer ships to risk, and is supposed to have orders not -to give battle unless he has a good chance of winning. But man proposes -and God disposes, and the fight was more or less a drawn one. - -At length there came the time when the enemy could be pursued no -longer, on account of the proximity of the shore. So close in had they -steamed that some one in the _Mariner_ even declared that he was -able to count the windows in the buildings and the tiles on the red -roofs; and though the tile part may have been an exaggeration, the -window-counting certainly was not. The yellow, wave-lapped beach, with -the turf-covered sand-dunes beyond it, looked strangely calm and -peaceful; but concealed in those dunes were guns of almost every -imaginable size from fourteen-inch downwards, some of which were -reputed to be able to pitch their shell on a sixpence at a range of -fifteen miles. The _Mariner_ and her consorts were a long, long -way inside this distance, and there was nothing for it but to -discontinue the action, and to beat a hasty retreat. - -Brother Boche, with his guns in among the dunes, was no fool. He was -merely waiting for a good opportunity to open fire, and his chance came -at the precise moment when the British helms went over and the -destroyers started to steam seawards. Then the whole line of coast -suddenly began to sparkle from end to end, and before one had time to -think the shell were pitching. The fire of the destroyers, both as -regards its volume and its accuracy, had been as nothing to this. Great -white-water fountains seemed to spout up everywhere at the same moment, -ahead, astern, and on either side. How many projectiles fell within a -few feet of the ship during the next ten minutes it is impossible to -say. The shooting was very accurate indeed--far too accurate to be -pleasant. It was extremely unpleasant. - -Words can convey no conception of the breathless sort of sensation -caused by those falling shell. They howled like wolves and screeched -like express trains passing through wayside stations. They fell into -the water with heavy liquid plops, detonated in gigantic upheavals of -water and with roaring concussions compared with which the reports of -heavy guns faded into insignificance, and sent their jagged-edged -fragments whirring off into space with the humming and buzzing of angry -hornets. It was a sickening, uncanny feeling to see a fifty-foot -geyser-like spout spring into the air a bare fathom off the stem, to -notice the black patch at the spot in the water where the shell had -burst as if one had emptied a bucket of ashes, and then to steam -through the descending spray, and to smell the horrible, reeking stench -of the explosive. It was more alarming still to see a bouquet of four -or five such splashes jump into the air within a few feet of the stern -or on either side of the ship. If a single one of these projectiles -drove home the _Mariner_ would probably be brought to a standstill, in -which case her subsequent demolition and the slaughter of her crew -would only be a matter of time. If three or four shells struck at once -she would probably founder immediately. - -It is one thing to be fired at by a similar vessel, and to be able to -fire at her in reply; but it is something quite different to be -subjected to the individual attention in broad daylight of a heavy -ship, or many shore batteries, when there is no possible chance of -retaliation. It leaves one breathless and cold; and though, perhaps, -one may not actually show one's fear, one would give much to be -elsewhere. It is only natural. - - [Illustration: The shooting was very accurate, far too accurate to - be pleasant. - PAGE 310.] - -Shell from modern heavy guns can drive their way through the armoured -sides of a battleship, but they will pulverise a destroyer into mere -powder. There are no bombproofs, no funk-holes, no armour, not even a -conning-tower--not that it would be used if there were. The officers -and the men at the guns and torpedo-tubes are all on deck and in the -open, while those below in the engine and boiler rooms have nothing -between them and the deep sea but a steel skin barely thicker than a -substantial biscuit-tin. Moreover, the greater portion of the hull is -crammed with machinery, ammunition, and explosives; and, however much -of a safeguard a destroyer's speed and small size may be, she must -always seem very vulnerable to those who serve in her. I say 'seem' -advisedly, for it is surprising how much hammering the tough little -craft can withstand without being knocked out; while, as any gunner who -is used to the game will tell you, she is not a very easy target to -hit. But, for all that, one lucky shell may do the trick, in which case -every man-jack of her crew may be killed or drowned. There is never -much chance of escape if once the ship goes, and any man who says he -relishes being under heavy fire in a T.B.D. is either a born hero or an -Ananias. It is easy to make light of things after they have happened, -but no words can adequately portray the inner feelings of the ordinary -mortal while the ordeal is still in progress. They are indescribable. - -But by some miraculous intervention of Providence the _Mariner_ and her -sister-ships escaped practically scot-free. According to people who -witnessed the withdrawal from a distance, people who well knew the -range and accuracy of the coast guns, the odds were a thousand to one -that they would never escape, for at times they were hardly visible in -the spray fountains leaping up all around them. They were literally -buried in the splashes, but still they came on--and escaped. - -It was not until afterwards that the men thoroughly realised how lucky -they were. At the time, whatever they may have felt in their hearts or -minds, there were no suggestions of fear in their faces, no trace of -nervousness in their demeanour. They behaved just the same as -usual--jeered uproariously when a shell fell a few feet short and -deluged them with spray, and made facetious remarks when projectiles -from 'Fractious Fanny,' as some one adroitly christened a particularly -obnoxious 11.2, lumbered gracefully over their heads and exploded -merrily in the sea a hundred feet or so beyond them. Perhaps they were -a little more talkative than usual; perhaps their laughter was -sometimes a little forced; but, for all that, they behaved as British -bluejackets always do. - -'I wouldn't 'a missed that there show fur a lot,' said Pincher Martin -after supper the same evening. - -'I reckons we kin think ourselves lucky ter git outa it,' Billings -murmured with his mouth full. 'It's orl right lookin' back on it w'en -once it's orl over; but it takes a bloomin' 'ero not ter 'ave a cold -feelin' in 'is stummick wi' them there guns a-pluggin' at 'im.' - -'Did you 'ave a cold feelin' in yer inside, Josh?' M'Sweeny queried -anxiously. - -'Course I 'ad. I wus cold orl over. I ain't no bloomin' 'ero. But, orl -the same, Tubby boy, I reckons it's done us orl good ter 'ave a bit of -a shake up like this 'ere. Makes us a sort of understan' 'ow every -bloke aboard 'as 'is own job ter do; don't it?' - -Joshua's way of expressing himself may have been crude, but M'Sweeny -quite understood what he meant. - -The engagement, short as it had been, had given the men confidence in -themselves, each other, their officers, and their ship. It had banded -them together in some extraordinary and quite inexplicable manner which -no years of peace training could have done. Together they had been -tried and had not been found wanting; and now, more than ever, they had -become 'we few, we happy few, we band of brothers.' They felt -themselves inspired with a new patriotism and a new ardour, and it was -that very feeling which, on 21st October 1805, had helped their -forebears to win the battle of Trafalgar. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -THE DAY. - - -I. - -All through the peaceful night of 30th May 1916 British squadrons were -at sea steaming steadily eastward. Fighting-ships of almost every class -were represented; great battleships and battle-cruisers, armoured -cruisers of an older type, new and very fast light cruisers, the -ubiquitous destroyers in their dozens, all converging silently towards -the area on the other side of the North Sea which was presently to -become the scene of the mightiest and most terrible battle in British -naval history. - -The Commander-in-Chief and the Admirals in command of squadrons may -possibly have known that something unusual was in the air; but it is -doubtful if any subordinate officers or men had the least inkling of -what the next day would bring forth. They knew that a battle was always -possible, and were ready and anxious for it. Off and on for nearly -twenty-two months they had scoured the gray wastes of the North Sea, -and had explored its grayer fogs, always hoping that the next dawn -would bless their tired eyes with a view of the far-flung battle-line -of the enemy stretched out across the horizon before them. But morning -after morning the sun had risen to display the same bare and monotonous -vista of sea and sky. - -Sometimes the ocean was calm and peaceful, the sun shone undimmed, and -the blue sky towards the horizon was piled high with mass upon mass of -mountainous white cumulus. Sometimes they had fogs, when they could see -barely a hundred yards; sometimes the prevailing North Sea mists, in -which the visibility alternated between two and five miles. At other -times the wind howled, and the leaden sea was whipped into fury by -gales; while the sky became overcast with dark clouds and streaked with -the white, frayed-out streamers of mares' tails. They had come to know -the vagaries of their cruising ground by heart; but whatever its aspect -the sea was ever innocent of the one thing they all wished to see--the -German High Sea Fleet. - -Their wistful longing was just as acute as that of the men in the -storm-battered ships of Columbus when straining their eyes towards the -western horizon for the first dim blue traces of the new continent; and -now, through sheer disappointment, not a few of them had come to -believe that the chance they all prayed and longed for would never -come. - -Daylight on 31st May found the _Mariner_ and many other destroyers -still steaming eastward in company with the battle-cruiser fleet under -the command of Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty in the _Lion_. Certain -light-cruiser squadrons, acting as scouts, were stationed some distance -ahead of the heavier vessels. The morning--which had broken beautifully -fine, with a calm sea--passed without incident, and it was not until -shortly after half-past two in the afternoon that the advanced -squadrons reported the enemy in force to the eastward. - -It is impossible to give any idea of the thrill of excitement which -passed through the officers and men of the ships when the facts became -known. The bugles blared, and they hurried to their action stations. -'Enemy in force!' Did it mean that they were in touch with the High Sea -Fleet? Had their chance come at last, the chance for which they had all -been hoping ever since that fateful 4th August 1914? - -Men looked anxiously at their neighbours to see how they took the -momentous news; but nowhere did a face show signs of fear. On the -contrary, their expression and demeanour testified to their implicit -and unshaken confidence in themselves and their leaders. They laughed, -jests passed from man to man and from group to group, and they went -about their business with an intense keenness born of a new hope. - -The big battle-cruisers swung rapidly into fighting formation and -increased speed, their wash churning the calm sea into great waves. -They presented a magnificent spectacle as they steamed into action with -the smoke curling from their funnel-tops, white ensigns flying at each -masthead, and the huge guns in their turrets pointing their lean -muzzles skywards. - -At two-thirty-five P.M. a considerable amount of smoke was sighted to -the eastward, and a little less than an hour later the gigantic shapes -of five hostile battle-cruisers were looming up over the horizon. - -'All guns, load!' came the first order from the control positions. -'Salvos by director! Guns--ready!' - -Inside a turret a burly A.B., clad in flannel shirt and trousers, spat -solemnly on his hands, stretched out a hairy tattooed arm, and moved a -small, brightly polished steel lever. Instantly a clattering hydraulic -chain rammer uncoiled itself like a snake, and an enormous shell -weighing three-quarters of a ton was pushed bodily out of the -loading-tray to vanish into the open breech of the gun with a smack and -a thud. The rammer was withdrawn, another man manipulated a handle, and -two cream-coloured, sausage-shaped bundles with red ends rolled into -the space just vacated by the projectile. They were the cordite -charges, swathed in innocent-looking silk coverings, the red -extremities being the muslin bags containing the powder-igniters. The -silk, somehow, seemed strangely out of place in the gun-turret of a -battle-cruiser. It reminded one irresistibly of the counter of a -drapery establishment; but for many a long year artillery experts have -known that a silk-covered cartridge leaves little or no burning residue -in the breech of the gun when the weapon is fired. Hence its use. - -Again the hairy, tattooed gentleman moved his lever, and the rammer, -darting forward, propelled two quarter charges into the yawning breech -of the gun. The operation was repeated, while a man fiddled for a -moment with the lock, and then the great steel breech-block swung to -with a clang. - -'Right gun, loaded!' some one bawled, as something slipped into place -with a click. - -'Right gun, ready!' from another man. - -The gunlayer watched a dial, and the gun's crew stood tense and -expectant, while the huge breeches of the weapons moved ponderously up -and down, with a wheezing and a groaning of the water through the -hydraulic machinery. The turret twitched slowly to the right, stopped, -and then moved again. Ammunition-cages containing more shell and -cartridges ready for the next round came clattering up from the -loading-chambers. - -The officer in charge, a lieutenant with absurdly pink cheeks and curly -hair, was stationed at his periscope, one end of which protruded -through a hole in the armoured roof of the turret, and gave him a view -of the surrounding sea. - -'Can yer see anythink, sir?' some one asked in a hoarse whisper, his -curiosity getting the better of him as the officer bent down to wipe -the eyepiece of his instrument with a gaudy bandana handkerchief. - -'Yes,' he answered cheerily, 'five battle-cruisers, some light -cruisers, and a good many destroyers! Stand by. It'll be starting in a -minute.' He replaced the handkerchief in his pocket, and applied his -eyes to the periscope again. - -The loading number of the right gun, he with the hairy arms, was busy -with a piece of chalk, and the other members of the gun's crew who had -nothing particular to do watched him with some amusement. 'TO HUNNY, -WITH LOVE FROM BILL MASON, A.B.,' he traced out laboriously on the -sleek, yellow-painted side of the huge lyddite projectile. He stepped -back to survey his handiwork with a little chuckle of glee. 'That'll -tickle 'em!' he remarked, winking solemnly. - -The men tittered. - -The lieutenant at the periscope suddenly held his breath as a muffled, -whistling shriek and the roar of an explosion from outside brought the -men's heads up in eager, listening attention. - -'Garn!' said Mason with a grin; 'that ain't gone nowhere near us. 'Ave -another go, ole son!' - -'Stand by, men!' cautioned the officer, who was the only person who -could see what went on in the outside world. - -Mason licked his hands and rubbed them unconcernedly on the seat of his -trousers. - -_Whe-e-e-w!_ _whe-e-e-e-w!_ _B-o-o-m!_ from the outside again, followed -by the sound of another detonation and a slight jar, which showed that -the ship had been struck somewhere. - -The gun's crew looked at each other. The turret moved slowly to the -right, and went on moving. The breeches of the guns began to see-saw -gently up and down in rhythm with the movement of the ship. Then a bell -rang, and with a roar and a thud the right gun suddenly went off and -recoiled backwards along its slide. It ran out again with a wheezing, -sucking sound, and the massive breech-block flew open with a metallic -crash. - -'Left gun, ready!' came a shout. - -The turret became filled with the warm, acrid smoke of burnt cordite. -There came the swishing sound of the washing-out apparatus, and the -clatter of the chain rammer. - -The bell rang again. B-O-O-M! roared the left gun. The great battle had -begun. - - -II. - -It is impossible for any single spectator to describe a naval action as -a whole from his own personal observations and experiences, -particularly a battle which divides itself into many different phases, -lasts intermittently from about three-thirty in the afternoon until the -same time next morning, and is fought over many miles of sea. - -The _Mariner_ and various other destroyers were present with the -battle-cruisers throughout the first shock of the engagement and the -running fight which ensued. Some of them, the _Mariner_ included, -assisted to repel the attacks of hostile torpedo-craft during daylight, -and delivered their own attacks on the heavy ships of the enemy during -the afternoon and night; but though Pincher Martin saw a great deal of -the fighting, he had no very clear conception of how the engagement -went as a whole or of how the time passed. - -When he first saw the enemy they appeared as a row of immense gray -shapes stretched out across the horizon. They were battle-cruisers--he -knew that from their build; and though they must have been fully ten -miles distant, they looked grim and menacing. With them were several -light cruisers, looking absolute pygmies alongside their overgrown -sisters; while on the farther side he saw, or thought he could see, a -swarm of destroyers. It was now about three-thirty P.M., and the -weather was quite clear. - -The _Mariner_ was stationed close to the line of battle-cruisers, -and between them and the enemy. She occupied one of the best seats in -the house, the front row of the stalls, so to speak, a position from -which, but for the clouds of smoke and masses of spray flung up by the -falling shell, those on board her would have seen practically -everything that happened. But the billet was not exactly a comfortable -one. Indeed, it was most unpleasant; for when the firing began the shot -from both the British and the German guns whistled and thundered -overhead, while there was always the chance that the destroyers would -receive the benefit of hostile shell falling short of their intended -target. - -Pincher watched the enemy with a certain amount of fascinated -apprehension. They seemed to swing into a single line, and then, quite -suddenly, he noticed five or six tongues of bright orange flame and -clouds of brown smoke leap out from the side of their leader. There was -a lengthy pause, followed by a terrifying crescendo of howling and -screeching as the giant projectiles came hurtling through the air. They -fell in a bunch a bare fifty yards short of one of the battle-cruisers, -and exploded with a roar, the great upheaval in the sea almost -completely shutting out all traces of the ship beyond. The British guns -instantly flashed out in reply, and the next moment the engagement -became general. - -From this time forward the whole affair seemed ghastly and unreal, an -awful nightmare in which it was quite impossible to remember exactly -what had happened. The air shook and trembled with a turmoil of -ear-splitting sound, in which one heard the deep booming note of the -British guns as they gave tongue, the shrill whistling or droning of -shell as they passed overhead, and the sharper concussion of the -hostile projectiles as they fell and burst. - -Looked at from a distance, the huge hulls of the German ships seemed -literally buried in a spouting maelstrom of shell fountains rising from -the sea all round them. At times a shadowy gray mass, sparkling with -wicked-looking gun-flashes, slid slowly into view behind some great -upheaval in the water, to disappear the next instant as another salvo -of shell fell and burst. The British guns seemed to be making very good -shooting, but it was impossible to note exact results from the low deck -of the destroyer. - -Pincher glanced at the _Lion_ and the other ships, and the spectacle -held him spell-bound and made him feel almost dizzy. They were enduring -a veritable tornado of shell, and the sea all round them leapt and -boiled until at times the rushing shapes of the great vessels, close as -they were, seemed actually hidden in the turmoil of flung-up water. -Some of the shell were going home, too, for here and there in the rifts -in the spray and smoke he saw the deep-red flash, a cloud of oily -smoke, and a shower of flying debris as they struck and exploded. There -were a few ragged holes in the gray steel sides; here and there the -symmetrical shape of a ship's superstructure was marred by a twisted -and distorted mass of steelwork, and pierced funnels vomited forth -their black contributions to add to the already smoke-laden atmosphere. -Star-shaped splashes of yellow and white showed where shell had struck -armour, had exploded, and had failed to penetrate; but it seemed -nothing short of a miracle how any ships built by human agency could -withstand such a terrific hammering without being battered to pieces. -It was an awesome sight. - -It was well for the _Mariner_ and her neighbours that the German -shooting was so accurate. The hostile fire was concentrated on the -battle-cruisers, and every shell seemed either to strike or else to -fall within a few yards of them. The destroyers in their precarious -position were untouched, but for all that the experience was -nerve-racking, and Pincher had a feeling of intense relief when he saw -the brilliant flashes and rolling clouds of brown, rapidly dissolving -smoke from the British guns. They were firing fast, and it was no small -consolation to think that the enemy were enduring the same terrible -ordeal themselves. - -One of the most awful incidents of that eventful day was the blowing -up of the _Indefatigable_. The catastrophe, utterly unexpected, -was appalling in its suddenness. At one moment the huge, -nineteen-thousand-ton ship was steaming bravely along with her guns -firing; the next, a salvo of five or six shell seemed to strike her -simultaneously amidships. There came the splintering crash of the -explosions, some spurts of flame, and upheavals of yellow, brown, -black, gray, and white smoke. The great ship seemed literally to be -divided in two, for both the bow and the stern reared themselves out of -the water at the same moment. The thundering, shattering roar of the -explosion made the nearer ships dance and tremble. The report seemed to -compress the air until one's ear-drums threatened to burst, and masses -of debris, large and small, were precipitated skywards, presently to -come raining down into the sea in all directions. - -The smoke-cloud spread and rose into the air to a height of three or -four hundred feet. Soon it completely blotted out the scene of the -disaster, and hung there impalpably, wreathing and eddying in thick, -rolling masses. Then some freakish air-current caused another cloud of -brown vapour to rise and overtop the first, until the whole mass looked -for all the world like some gigantic, overbaked cottage loaf sitting -squarely on the sea. - -Within two minutes the ship had disappeared for ever, taking with her -her gallant crew of nearly eight hundred officers and men. Barely a -soul was saved, though destroyers, hurrying to the scene at imminent -danger to themselves, searched the flotsam-strewn area for survivors. - -The _Queen Mary_ met a precisely similar fate. Again there came -the terrible roar and flare of an explosion, followed by the cloud of -smoke, in which the great ship sank almost instantly to the bottom. It -was an awful moment; but one of the most magnificent spectacles of the -battle was the sight of the great three-funnelled _Tiger_ steaming -at full speed through the pall a few moments after her unfortunate -sister met her fate. At one moment she was in full view; the next her -bows disappeared, then her midship portion with its three great -funnels, and finally her stern, until the whole enormous length of the -ship was completely swallowed up in the mass of brown vapour. Then her -sharp stem with its creaming bow-wave emerged into sight on the other -side of the pall, to be followed by the rest of the vessel as she drove -clear of the scene of the catastrophe with her guns flashing defiance -and her glorious white ensigns fluttering. It was an inspiring sight, -but of the gallant crew of the stricken _Queen Mary_, comprising -nearly a thousand souls, only four young midshipmen and under twenty -men were rescued. - -The loss of these vessels was a sad blow, but still the battle raged -furiously. The hostile shooting, however, seemed to be becoming -erratic, a fact which told its own tale, while ours steadily improved. -Indeed, the next time Pincher was vouch-safed a fleeting glimpse of the -enemy, two of their largest ships seemed to be badly on fire, while a -third had quitted the line and was some distance astern of her -consorts. But it was with a feeling of intense relief that the sorely -tried British saw a welcome reinforcement of four battleships -approaching at full speed, firing heavily as they came. - -It was at about this time that some signal was hoisted in the -_Lion_, and before Pincher quite realised what was happening, the -_Mariner_ and most of the other destroyers swung round and steamed -for the enemy as hard as they could go. - -'Gawd!' he whispered breathlessly; 'we're goin' in to attack!' - -It seemed a suicidal sort of business, another charge of the Light -Brigade, as the ship, quivering and shaking to the thrust of her -turbines, drove on at full speed. They were between the lines, and the -screeching and howling of the heavy projectiles as the two squadrons -fired at each other became fainter and more distant. They drew nearer -and nearer to the enemy. They were travelling at something over thirty -knots--fifty feet a second, one thousand yards a minute. - -'Lie down!' came a sudden order to the guns' crews, for in another -moment the enemy's secondary guns would be opening fire. The men flung -themselves to the deck and watched. - -It was at this moment that Pincher first saw a cloud of enemy -destroyers and some light cruisers coming from behind the line of -German heavy ships. They darted out at full speed to ward off the -British attack, perhaps to deliver one of their own; but whatever -happened they were too late, for the British small craft, swinging -round, turned to meet them. - -'Guns' crews, close up!' came an order. 'Load with lyddite!' The men -scrambled to their feet and waited. - -'Enemy destroyers bearing green four-five,' came through the -voice-pipe. 'Rapid independent! Commence!' - -For the next few minutes Pincher was so hard at work cramming shell -into his gun that he could hardly see what was happening, much less -understand it all. He realised the ship was being fired at, for there -were splashes in the sea all round, and he could hear the shrieking -whistle of the shell-splinters; but the roaring of the _Mariner's_ -own guns drowned every other sound. It was glorious to think that his -own gun was firing at last, and somehow he did not very much care what -happened so long as the enemy suffered. - -It was an exciting experience. The hostile flotilla appeared as a drove -of rushing gray shapes in the midst of a turmoil of shell fountains, -smoke, and gun-flashes. There were so many of them, and they were so -closely packed, that it was unnecessary to single out any one -particular vessel as a target, and the British guns merely fired into -'the brown,' with the almost absolute certainty of hitting something. - -Nearer and nearer they came--four thousand yards, three thousand five -hundred, three thousand. In numbers the two forces were about equal, -but the effects of the heavier British guns soon made themselves felt, -for before long two of the enemy seemed to crumple up and vanish in a -cloud of smoke and steam. A bare thirty seconds later another shared -the same fate, while a fourth, badly hit, lay nearly motionless on the -water and very much down by the bows, with a storm of shell spurting, -foaming, and bursting all round her. The hostile attack was beaten off, -for after a very sharp close-range action the enemy's flotillas turned -tail and scuttled back to the shelter of their heavier ships. - -Then the British flotillas, with the ground cleared, charged on again -to press home the attack on the German battle-cruisers. The moment they -came within range they were fired upon, and within a few seconds all -the enemy's lighter guns came into action in a furious and frantic -endeavour to drive them off. The gray shapes of the hostile vessels -scintillated with gun-flashes and became shrouded in smoke, and once -more the sea started to spout and boil angrily. But the destroyers were -not to be denied, and after the gigantic shell fountains of the earlier -portion of the battle, these smaller splashes, alarming as they might -have been in ordinary circumstances, seemed puny and insignificant. -Indeed, they came as a positive relief, and nobody worried his head -about them. - -The little craft still drove on under an awful fire, and the -_Mariner_, following round in the wake of her leader, turned and -fired two torpedoes in rapid succession when she came within range. -Others did the same, some ships arriving within three thousand yards of -the enemy to do so. Some of the torpedoes must have gone home; but -before they reached the enemy the attackers had turned about and were -steaming hard to get out of range. - -The _Mariner_ had been hit by only one small projectile, which -burst aft, but did no damage to speak of except inflicting slight -flesh-wounds on two men, much to their subsequent satisfaction. Other -ships had not been so lucky, and Pincher noticed one destroyer which -had been struck in the engine-room and could not steam. The last time -he saw her she lay motionless between the two fleets, enduring a -terrible fire from every German gun which would bear. The greater -number of her men must have been killed and her deck converted into a -reeking shambles, but her colours were still flying. - -The action between the opposing battle-cruisers had continued with -unabated fury, both forces steaming to the southward on roughly -parallel courses; but at four-forty-two the German High Sea Fleet had -been sighted to the south-eastward from the _Lion_. Sir David Beatty -thereupon swung round to an opposite course to lead the new-comers -towards Sir John Jellicoe, who, with the battleships of the Grand -Fleet, was somewhere to the north. The enemy's battle-cruisers, -maintaining their station ahead of the High Sea Fleet, conformed to -the movement of the British shortly afterwards. - -The Fifth Battle-Squadron, under the orders of Rear-Admiral Evan Thomas -in the _Barham_, with the sister-ships _Valiant_, _Malaya_, and -_Warspite_, were now approaching from the north, firing heavily as -they came on to the head of the hostile line; but shortly before five -o'clock they swung round into line astern of the battle-cruisers, -coming under a heavy but more or less ineffectual fire from the leading -German battleships as they did so. - -Up to now the weather conditions had been favourable alike to both -sides, but at about four-forty-five a thick mist and a great mass of -dark cloud settled on the eastern horizon, and blurred the outlines of -the enemy's vessels until they appeared vague, shadowy, and indistinct. -To the westward, however, the sky was still quite clear, and the -British were plainly silhouetted against the horizon, which gave the -Germans the advantage in so far as the light was concerned. - -Between five and six P.M. the action continued, Sir David Beatty's -force, with the four battleships astern of it, gradually drawing -ahead of the enemy, and concentrating a very heavy fire on the -battle-cruisers at the head of his line at a range of about fourteen -thousand yards. The hostile battleships, meanwhile, farther astern, -could do little to reply, and ship after ship of the enemy was badly -battered, while one of their battle-cruisers, terribly damaged, was -observed to quit the line. - -At about six o'clock the leading British battleships were sighted to -the north from the _Lion_, and at this time Sir David Beatty, to clear -the way for them to come into action, altered course to the east and -crossed the enemy's T, reducing the range to twelve thousand yards as -he did so, and inflicting terrible damage with his heavy fire. At this -time only four hostile vessels were in sight, three battle-cruisers and -one battleship, the others being obliterated in the mist. - -Twenty minutes later the Third Battle-Cruiser Squadron, commanded by -Rear-Admiral the Hon. H. L. A. Hood, joined Sir David Beatty. The -reinforcement was ordered to take station ahead, and steamed gallantly -into action at a range of eight thousand yards. The _Invincible_, -subjected to a concentrated fire from every hostile gun which would -bear, was sunk. - -Previous to this, between five-fifty and six P.M., Rear-Admiral Sir -Robert Arbuthnot, with the older cruisers _Defence_ and _Warrior_, -had steamed in to attack the enemy's light cruisers, and the two -vessels, with their 9.2 and 7.5 inch guns, sank or inflicted severe -damage upon their opponents. But in doing so, unaware, on account of -the mist, of the immediate presence of the enemy's heavier ships, they -suddenly came within easy range of monster weapons against which their -comparatively light armaments were impotent. - -An awful fire was concentrated upon them. The _Defence_, to use -the words of an eye-witness, was 'blown clean out of the water' by a -salvo of shell. The _Warrior_ was hit repeatedly by heavy shell, -and suffered terrible injury, for before escaping from her unenviable -position she had arrived within a range of about five thousand four -hundred yards of two hostile battle-cruisers. - -The ship was little more than a battered wreck. A distance of five -thousand four hundred yards is nothing at sea. It is point-blank range, -and may be compared with using a rifle at fifty yards. Her casualties -in killed and wounded had been very severe. The engine-rooms and -stokeholds were flooded through shell striking and penetrating below -the water-line, while she was blazing furiously aft, and was making -water fast. The whole vessel was pierced and perforated until she -resembled a gigantic nutmeg-grater, and as time went on she settled -lower and lower in the water. Certain of the survivors tried to quench -the fire with hoses, while the remainder set to work to build rafts, -practically all the boats having been demolished. The conflagration was -eventually subdued, and then came the piteous and gruesome task of -identifying the dead, while the wounded were brought on deck in case it -should be necessary to abandon the ship. - -For over an hour she lay there helpless, and we can imagine the relief -of officers and men when, later in the evening, the _Engadine_, a -cross-Channel steamer converted into a seaplane depot ship, arrived on -the scene and took her in tow. The energy of every soul on board was -then concentrated on keeping the ship afloat; and, as the steam-pumping -arrangements were useless, the exhausted men were at the hand-pumps all -through the hours of darkness. - -But it was not to be. The weather during the night grew rapidly worse, -and when the next dawn came the wind and sea had risen, and waves were -breaking over the quarterdeck. The cruiser could not last much longer. -She was sinking fast, and there was nothing for it but to abandon her. - -One by one the wounded were passed down into boats and were ferried -across to the rescuing vessel. They were followed in turn by the -remainder of the ship's company, the officers, and finally the captain; -and when last seen, between nine and ten in the morning, the -_Warrior_ was sinking by the stern. But she had upheld her name. -She came to a noble end, for she had fought valiantly against -overwhelming odds until she could fight no more, and her name, together -with those of other brave ships lost on that eventful day, will never -be forgotten. Her heroic dead did not sacrifice their lives in vain. - -Of the gallant work of the _Engadine_, which towed the cruiser for -seventy-five miles between eight-forty P.M. and seven-fifteen A.M. the -next morning, and was instrumental in saving the lives of her ship's -company, we need make no mention here. The exploit occupies its -deserved position of prominence in Sir John Jellicoe's official -despatch. - - -III. - -It was immediately after the destroyer action between the lines that -the _Mariner_ first sighted another body of ships looming up to -the southward. The new-comers, about sixteen large ships accompanied by -many smaller vessels, came on at full speed towards the scene of -action, and at first the men in the destroyers imagined them to be the -battleships of the British Grand Fleet. Their spirits rose accordingly, -for with the arrival of these powerful units the enemy's -battle-cruisers, cut off from their base, could not escape -annihilation. But a few minutes later, when the great ships had come -nearer, their unfamiliar shape and unusual light-gray colouring -proclaimed them for what they really were--the battleship squadrons of -the German High Sea Fleet. - -Some of the destroyers which were favourably placed at once dashed in -to attack with torpedoes, retiring as soon as they had fired, and -before very long most of them had rejoined the heavier vessels.[38] -Their next chance of doing something was to come after nightfall. - - [38] That is, those destroyers attached to Sir David Beatty's - squadron. - -From about six-fifteen onwards it is very difficult to give a -comprehensive account of what occurred, for with the arrival on the -scene of the British Grand Fleet, the German main squadrons turned and -retired to the southward. Sir John Jellicoe chased at full speed; and, -as he says in his despatch, 'the enemy's tactics were of a nature -generally to avoid further action,' while he refers to his own ships as -the 'following' or 'chasing' fleet. Moreover, in the engagements which -ensued, the enemy were favoured by the weather, for banks of heavy mist -and smoke-clouds from the hostile destroyers reduced the visibility to -six miles or less, and periodically screened the opponents from each -other's view. - -The fighting between the opposing battleships, which began at -six-seventeen P.M., seems to have resolved itself into a series of ship -to ship and squadron to squadron encounters rather than a formal fleet -action; but, while our vessels remained in their organised divisions -throughout, the enemy, soon after the fight began, seem to have become -more or less scattered, and to have had a trail of injured ships -struggling along in rear of their main body. - -A hostile vessel would suddenly loom up out of the haze a bare eight or -ten thousand yards distant, to be greeted with salvo after salvo of -shell as the British battleships drove by. She would reply to the best -of her ability; but, whereas our vessels had just come into action, and -their shooting was very accurate, the German firing was not good, and -had little or no result. Ship after ship of the enemy appeared through -the murk to be fired at heavily for three, four, or five minutes, then -to disappear in the haze, badly hammered and perhaps on fire. - -To give some idea of what took place during this period it is advisable -to quote largely from the official despatches of Sir John Jellicoe and -Sir David Beatty. There was the battleship _Marlborough_, which, with -the First Battle-Squadron, came into action with the retiring enemy at -six-seventeen P.M. at a range of eleven thousand yards. She first fired -seven rapid salvos at a German vessel of the _Kaiser_ class, then -engaged a cruiser, and again a battleship, doing them all serious -injury. At six-fifty-four she was struck by a torpedo, the only one -which took effect out of the many fired by the hostile destroyers; but, -though damaged and with a considerable list to starboard, she remained -in the line, and opened fire again at a cruiser at seven-three P.M. -Nine minutes later she started to fire fourteen rapid salvos at another -battleship, hitting her badly and forcing her out of the line. Her -firing throughout was most effective and accurate, and this in spite of -the injury caused by the underwater explosion of the torpedo. - -The First Battle-Squadron closed the range to nine thousand yards, and -wrought great havoc with its fire, but only one of its vessels, the -_Colossus_, was struck, despite the hail of shell from the enemy. - -The Second Battle-Squadron was in action with other German battleships -between six-thirty and seven-twenty P.M., and also with a -battle-cruiser which had dropped astern seriously injured; while the -Fourth Battle-Squadron, with which was Sir John Jellicoe's flagship the -_Iron Duke_, engaged two battleships, as well as battle-cruisers, -cruisers, and light cruisers. The vessels of the Fourth Light-Cruiser -Squadron remained ahead of the British battleships until seven-twenty -P.M., when they moved out to counter the attack of hostile -destroyers, and successfully drove them off. They did it again an hour -later, in company with the Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla, and came under -a heavy fire from the enemy's battleships at ranges of between six -thousand five hundred and eight thousand yards. It was then that the -_Calliope_, flying the broad pendant of Commodore Le Mesurier, was -hit several times, and suffered casualties, but luckily escaped serious -injury. In the course of these attacks torpedoes were fired at the foe, -while four hostile destroyers were sunk by the British fire. - -At seven-fourteen Sir David Beatty, who, with his battle-cruisers, was -apparently separated from Sir John Jellicoe, sighted two -battle-cruisers and two battleships in the mist. He promptly engaged -them, and, setting one on fire, so damaged another that she was forced -to haul out of the line. The enemy's destroyers thereupon emitted dense -volumes of gray smoke, under cover of which the enemy turned away and -disappeared. - -But they were very soon relocated by the British light cruisers acting -as scouts, and between eight-twenty and eight-thirty-eight P.M. Sir -David was once more in action at ten thousand yards. During this period -the _Lion_ forced one of the enemy, badly on fire and with a heavy list -to port, out of the line; the _Princess Royal_ set fire to a -three-funnelled battleship; and the _New Zealand_ and the _Indomitable_ -caused another vessel to leave the line heeling over and blazing -furiously. The enemy then disappeared in the mist and were no more -seen. - -These various semi-isolated actions, and particularly the performance -of the _Marlborough_, which fired at no fewer than five different -ships between six-seventeen and seven-twelve, show only too well how -the mist aided the foe; but in spite of it, the enemy was badly beaten, -and suffered far greater casualties than the British. - -At nine P.M. darkness was rapidly approaching, and at about this time -the British heavy forces retired temporarily from the immediate -neighbourhood to avoid hostile destroyer attacks, remaining, however, -in positions between the enemy and his base from which the battle could -be renewed at daylight. At the same time the light cruisers and -destroyers were ordered in to do what damage they could. - -To those in certain of the destroyers which were present during the -latter part of the afternoon and evening, and happened to be unengaged, -the sensation was a most uncanny one. Their area of vision was bounded -by a narrow circle of four or five miles radius, but all round them -until nightfall the air resounded and shook with the distant rumble and -the nearer thudding of heavy guns as the great ships engaged each -other. The uproar never ceased. Fighting seemed to be furious and -continuous; but though the vessels of the _Mariner's_ flotilla -were steaming to the southward with their guns ready and torpedo-tubes -manned, it was not until after darkness had fallen that they were -vouchsafed another chance of using them. But they saw many signs of the -battle. At one moment they would catch a glimpse of a huge British -battleship vomiting flame and smoke as she engaged some invisible -opponent. She would fade away in the mist, to be followed presently by -a fleeting vision of two light cruisers, one British and the other -German, their sides a quivering spangle of gun-flashes as they mutually -hammered each other. They also would disappear, swallowed up in the -haze; and a British destroyer, steaming at full speed, would dash -across the horizon on some errand of destruction, with smoke pouring -from her funnels and an immense white wave piled up in her wake. - -They passed the bows of a sunken enemy light cruiser standing up out of -the sea like some gigantic spearhead; and once, just before dark, they -sighted what remained of a sorely wounded German cruiser. She was -sinking fast. Her guns were silent, and she lay over to an alarming -angle, with a blaze of orange and cherry-coloured flame leaping and -playing about her from end to end. The whole interior of the ship must -have been a raging furnace; and a mushroom-shaped pall of dark smoke, -its under-side stained a vivid carmine by the flames, hung over her -like a canopy, and added its contribution to the thickness of the -atmosphere. The sea was strewn with wreckage, masses of debris, and -floating corpses wearing life-belts. - -And so the night came. - - -IV. - - 'And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his - weapons.'--_Jeremiah_ xxii. 7. - -The fighting and the destroyer attacks of the night are even more -difficult to follow than the actions which took place during the -afternoon and evening. The British heavy squadrons had withdrawn at -dark to avoid the expected torpedo attacks of the hostile flotillas, -and the retreating enemy, meanwhile, damaged and undamaged ships, some -singly, others in pairs or in groups of four or five, still steamed -hard for their own waters. It was upon these scattered units and -divisions that the British destroyer attacks presently took place. - -The _Mariner_ and her next ahead had somehow become separated from -the others after dark, and to Pincher this desperate rush after the -enemy was an awesome business. Owing to the mist and the haze the night -was unusually dark; but though with the retirement of the larger ships -the incessant booming and thudding of the heavy guns ceased, frequent -outbursts of fire from lighter weapons, sharp, blinding flashes of -flame, the redder glare of exploding shell, the white gleam of -searchlights, and the occasional thud of a distant, heavy explosion -showed where torpedo attacks were being delivered. The night was an -inferno. - -It was very difficult to tell which were the attackers and which the -attacked, and it was this very uncertainty, and the not knowing what -was happening, which were so trying to the nerves. All they were aware -of was that the German fleet, with many of its ships badly battered, -was somewhere ahead of them. They all realised that a torpedo attack -after dark was a desperate game at the best of times; but they had -witnessed a succession of such awful scenes during the fighting of the -afternoon and evening that their feelings of personal danger and the -dread of being killed seemed to have gone. They felt themselves keyed -up to the highest pitch of excitement, excitement so intense and so -utterly abnormal that they had neither the time nor the inclination to -think of themselves and their own danger. The German fleet was -somewhere in the darkness ahead of them, and it was their duty to sink -and destroy what they could. Nothing else seemed to matter. - -Their chance was not very long in coming. The two destroyers were -steering on a south-south-westerly course at twenty-five knots, and -shortly after ten o'clock a band of lighter colour began slowly to -encroach on the dark sky on the eastern horizon. Ten minutes later the -dense blackness from about south-east to north-east had given way to -the usual indigo blue of the night; and there, some distance abaft the -port beam, and dimly silhouetted against the sky, were the blurred -shapes of two vessels. They were fully two miles distant, perhaps more, -and seemed to be steaming slowly on much the same course as the -_Mariner_ and her consort. What class of vessel they were it was -quite impossible to determine. But, from their position and course, -they were certainly not British; while, from the background of -intensely dark cloud to the south-westward, it seemed unlikely that -they had seen the destroyers. - -The _Mariner's_ next ahead must have seen the ships at much the -same time, for she suddenly increased speed and turned slightly to port -until she was steaming across the strangers' bows. The _Mariner_ -conformed to her movements. - -Wooten, gazing through his glasses, felt himself quivering with -excitement. Had his chance come, the chance for which they had all -hoped and prayed? He gave some order over his shoulder to a man at a -voice-pipe, who passed it to the torpedo-tubes. 'Lord!' he ejaculated -to the first lieutenant, still busy with his binoculars, 'they look to -me like two lame ducks, No. 1; but they're big ships, whatever they -are.' - -'I sincerely hope they are, sir,' MacDonald replied calmly. 'It's time -we had a look in at something. Shall I go down to the tubes?' - - [Illustration: The dark hulls of the enemy were hidden in the - blinding glare of their searchlights. - PAGE 333.] - -'Yes, do. And fire when your sights come on if you get no further -orders. For God's sake, don't miss!' - -The two great vessels were drawing rapidly nearer, and became more and -more distinct. The leading destroyer was still altering her course -gradually to port, until at last she remained steady on the opposite -and parallel course to the enemy. The _Mariner_ travelled in her -wake, and the track they were following seemed as if it would take them -past the ships, now nearly a mile and a half distant, at a range of -about six hundred yards. - -It was at this moment that the enemy first seemed to realise what was -happening, for a gun suddenly boomed out from the leading vessel and a -shell went screeching by overhead. Where it fell nobody saw. Almost -instantaneously a searchlight flickered out, and after sweeping slowly -across the water, fell full on the _Mariner's_ leader and remained -steady. Another beam shone out, another, and yet a fourth, until both -destroyers were illuminated in a dazzling glare which for the moment -blinded everybody on board. Then the guns started in in earnest. - -The destroyers were steaming at about thirty knots, and the enemy at -ten or twelve. In other words, attackers and attacked were nearing each -other at the combined rate of about forty knots, or one and a half -miles in two minutes fifteen seconds. It was the longest and most -trying two and a quarter minutes that Wooten or any of his crew had -ever experienced, for, though the speed of the approach tended to make -accurate shooting difficult, the difficulty was largely mitigated by -the point-blank range. - -The dark hulls of the enemy were hidden in the blinding glare of -their searchlights and the incessant sparkle and spurting of bright -golden flame as their guns were fired as fast as they could be -loaded. Filmy streamers of smoke from the discharges wreathed and -eddied fantastically through the blue-white rays of the lights. The -air suddenly began to reverberate with a succession of ear-splitting -crashes, the screeching whistle of shell passing overhead, and the -dull _plop_ of others as they pitched in the water to raise their -shimmering, ghostly spray fountains. There came the roaring thud of -the explosions, and the same old familiar humming and buzzing as -fragments drove through the air. But above the din and turmoil of the -firing there was another and quite new noise: a short, sharp, -metallic-sounding explosion in the air, followed by a hissing and -soughing like the wind among trees--the enemy were using shrapnel. - -There came a crash, and a sheet of brilliant greenish flame from aft. -The ship seemed to wince, but still drove on. Another shell, bursting -on the water a few feet short, sent its jagged splinters flying over -the bridge and across the upper deck. Something whizzed within a few -inches of Wooten's head, and there was an infernal clanging and -clattering as slivers of steel drove through and against the ship's -side and funnels. It was followed by the thud of a falling body, as one -of the signalmen, standing just behind the coxswain at the wheel, -slithered to the deck. - -'Gawd!' he muttered, with an air of intense astonishment, sitting up -and nursing his side; 'they've 'it me! Gawd blimy, blokes, they've 'it -me?' But nobody had time to pay attention to him. - -Another jar, the roar of a detonation, a burst of flame from the -forecastle, and a whining and whirring of splinters! Another, close -beside the foremost funnel, and a sound of splintering and crashing as -some object fell and went overboard! Something red-hot and sharp grazed -Wooten's cheek. He put up his hand to brush it aside, and his fingers -came down sticky and wet. - -A hideous metallic explosion in the air and a fiendish rattling of -bullets upon steel, as a shrapnel burst and sent its contents flying on -board. Willis, the coxswain, hit through the left shoulder, released -his hold on the wheel and fell to his knees; but in an instant he was -up again, steering the ship with his uninjured right hand. - -Wooten suddenly felt a burning sensation in his left arm as if a -red-hot knitting-needle had been passed through the flesh. The shock of -it sent him staggering backwards, and he gritted his teeth with the -pain. His left arm seemed numbed and useless, and a little trickle of -blood ran down inside his coat-sleeve and pattered to the deck. The air -was full of the sickening stench of explosives. - -They were very close now. The enemy seemed to be nearly on top of them, -and their huge blurred shapes, almost invisible in the glare of the -searchlights and the vivid gun-flashes, seemed literally to obscure the -horizon. But the destroyers still drove on. They had not been stopped. - -The lights of the nearer ship suddenly went out, and a column of water -and smoke shot into the air at her side. It hung there for a moment, -glistening in the ruby and orange flashes of the guns, and then there -came the thundering reverberation of a heavy underwater explosion quite -close at hand. It seemed to compress the air, and caused the destroyers -to stagger in their stride. A torpedo from the leading destroyer had -gone home. - -Wooten instinctively looked aft, and as he did so a little puff of dull -flame flickered out amidships. It was followed by a loud, snorting hiss -and a heavy splash as a torpedo left its tube. Another came almost -instantaneously with the first. - -The enemy's fire, though still furious, became very wild; and two -minutes later, with the sound of a couple more thudding explosions -ringing in their ears, the destroyers were out of danger. The roaring -of the guns gradually died away, and then ceased altogether. - -'Good God!' muttered Wooten, trembling in his excitement. - - * * * * * - -Daylight found the _Mariner_ and her leader some distance across -the North Sea, steaming slowly homewards. They were battered and -leaking, while the _Mariner_ was badly down by the stern and -listed slightly to starboard. Her funnels were riddled through and -through; there were gaping holes in her side and her deck where shell -had penetrated, and many smaller punctures where splinters had struck -and gone through. A large projectile, bursting on the forecastle, had -torn the deck and the ship's side, and had flung the foremost gun off -its mounting, killing or wounding every member of the gun's crew except -one. The wardroom and one mess-deck were open to the sea; boats were -splintered and useless; and the topmast, taking with it the aerial of -the wireless telegraphy, had been shorn off and had gone overboard. The -mizzen-mast also had disappeared, and a brand-new white ensign now -fluttered from an improvised flagstaff in the stern. It was the only -respectable-looking thing in the ship. - -But the surprising thing was that neither vessel was vitally injured. -They could both steam, though slowly, and by dint of plugging the more -serious holes and keeping the pumps going, they were still tolerably -seaworthy. How they had escaped from the inferno without being blown -clean out of the water was nothing short of a miracle. - -Casualties had been heavy. Wooten went about with his arm in a sling -and a bandage round his head; but his hurts, though painful, were not -sufficiently severe to incapacitate him for duty. The first lieutenant -had not been so lucky, for he, peppered badly by a shell, had been -confined to his bunk with more serious injuries. - -The eight dead had been buried at dawn, and now the wounded lay in -their hammocks on the battered mess-deck under the forecastle. Some of -the slighter cases, with their hurts bandaged, were smoking cigarettes -and talking quite cheerfully; others were asleep. - -Pincher Martin was one of them. He had three neat little -splinter-wounds in his back--three insignificant-looking and trivial -little punctures which caused Brown, the surgeon-probationer, to purse -his lips and to frown in his most professional manner when first he saw -them. 'D'you feel any pain?' he had asked. - -'Not unless I moves, sir,' the patient had answered with a wan smile, -his tightly compressed lips giving the lie to his words. - -An operation was impossible, and they dressed the wounds as best they -could and made him comfortable; but the slivers of steel somewhere -inside him hurt atrociously, and it was all he could do to refrain from -moaning when they touched him. So Brown, seeing how things stood, dozed -him with morphia, and poor Pincher, with his young face unnaturally -haggard, drawn, and very white, was presently slumbering as peacefully -as a child. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -CONCLUSION. - - -I. - -'Am safe,' the telegram said tersely, in Billings's ungrammatical -English. 'Martin wounded, progressing favourable.--JOSHUA.' - -Mrs Billings, drying her eyes with a handkerchief, read it for the -third time. 'Emmeline!' she called softly, going to the door of the -sitting-room at the back of the shop. - -'Yes, mother.' - -'There's news, my gal!' - -'News!' cried her daughter, darting forward. - -The elder woman sniffed loudly and held out the flimsy paper. 'Read -that, my dear.' - -The girl snatched it in her agitation. 'Martin wounded, progressing -favourable,' she read slowly. 'My Bill wounded!' She stood there for a -moment wide-eyed and swaying ominously. Then her pent-up feelings -overcame her, and, collapsing suddenly on to a chair, she fell forward -with her head on the table and her face buried in her hands. Her whole -body shook with sobs. - -Her mother was at her side in an instant. 'There, there, my pretty,' -she murmured consolingly, patting her daughter on the shoulder; 'don't -take on so. Don't cry, my gal. He's only wounded.' She was crying -herself. - -But Emmeline refused to be comforted. 'My Bill's wounded!' she moaned -again and again. - -Mrs Billings leant down and put her arms round the girl's neck. 'Don't -take on so, dear,' she said huskily, with the tears streaming down her -own face; 'it's all right, my pet. There, there,' as Emmeline shook -with another paroxysm of sobbing, 'don't fret; it's all right; he's -only wounded. We've--b-both got a--deal to be thankful for.' - -Mother and daughter wept together. - -For the last forty-eight hours they had both been living in a state of -awful suspense. First had come the tidings of the engagement in the -North Sea, with the depressing information that the British losses had -been very heavy. Then came the news that eight destroyers had been -sunk; but no mention of the _Mariner_. They had no means of finding out -whether or not she had even taken part in the battle; but both of them, -with dismal forebodings in their hearts, had made up their minds for -the worst. - -All day and all night the two women had prayed and hoped. The agony of -their suspense was almost more than they could bear, and their hearts -nearly broke during that frightful period of waiting. Emmeline, -pale-faced and red-eyed, went to the railway station twice a day to -procure the earliest copies of the morning and evening newspapers. -Together they had read them eagerly, trying to piece together some sort -of a connected narrative to relieve their tortured minds. But still -there was nothing about the _Mariner_. They read about the desperate -destroyer attacks on the German fleet, and of the losses incurred by -the British flotillas. They could not bring themselves to believe that -'no news was good news.' - -Emmeline looked up with the tears still trickling down her face, and -reaching for her handkerchief, proceeded to dab her eyes. 'I'm a fool,' -she said, sniffing; 'I suppose I ought to be thankful he isn't killed.' - -Her mother kissed her gently. 'There, there, my dear,' she said softly; -'that's better. Be brave. It's all over now.' - -The girl dried her eyes, rose from her chair, and walked slowly across -to the mirror over the mantelpiece. 'Lor'!' she said bravely, a little -smile hovering round the corners of her quivering mouth; 'I do look a -sight, and no mistake!' - - -II. - -When the _Mariner_ struggled home to her east coast port after the -engagement, Martin was one of the first to be packed off to the local -hospital. Then had followed an operation, and a fortnight's delay -before he was sufficiently recovered to be sent to the Royal Naval -Hospital at Haslar. It was here that he again saw his mother and -father, who came down for the day, called him a brave boy, and -inconsiderately wept over him through sheer thankfulness. - -Then, at four o'clock on one never-to-be-forgotten afternoon, Joshua -Billings suddenly appeared. He was grinning sheepishly, and Pincher -noticed at once that he wore the badge of a leading seaman. - -''Allo, Josh!' he exclaimed, very much pleased to see him, and shaking -his horny hand; ''ow goes it?' - -'Orl right, Pinch. 'Ow's yerself?' - -'Gittin' along fine, chum. They're sendin' me 'ome on leaf in four -days. Wot's th' noos; an' wot's that?' Pincher pointed to the single -anchor which adorned the sleeve of his friend's jumper. - -Joshua looked solemn. 'I gits rated up ten days ago,' he explained; -'death vacancy. Poor ole Byles got laid out, yer remember. I'd sooner -'e wus still wearin' th' killick, poor bloke!' He spoke huskily. - -Pincher nodded. 'Wot are yer doin' 'ere?' he asked. - -'The ship's in dock, an' they gave us ten days' leaf,' answered his -friend. 'By the way,' he added, 'I suppose you 'eard as 'ow you'd bin -rated up.' - -'Wot?' - -'They've made yer an A.B.' - -'S'welp me!' Pincher ejaculated; ''ave they?' - -'Yus, they 'ave, Pinch; an' if yer don't watch it we'll see yer a -leadin' seaman afore long.' - -'Yer didn't come 'ere a purpose ter tell me that, did yer?' Martin -queried suspiciously. - -''Ow d'yer mean?' - -''Ow's Hemmeline an' Mrs Fig---- yer ole woman? I've 'ad a letter from -Hemmeline every day 'cept yesterday an' ter-day, an' I thought---- -'Ere!' Pincher suddenly blurted out, a vague hope dawning in his heart, -'why ain't you on leaf at Weymouth?' - -'We come round 'ere ter give yer a chuck up, Pincher.' - -'We! 'Oo d'yer mean? 'Er an' 'er mother?' - -'Yus. They're outside. I come in fu'st to prepare yer like.' - -'W'y couldn't yer 'ave said so afore?' Pincher demanded wrathfully. -'Bring 'er in!' - -'Orl right, ole son; don't go gittin' rattled abart it. Me an' my -missis'll go an' see Dogo Pearson, wot's wounded an' in another ward. -I'll tell Hemmeline as 'ow you'd like ter see 'er, an' me an' the -missis'll be back afore long.' Joshua winked twice and went away. - -Two minutes later Emmeline was sitting by Pincher's bed. Her eyes were -full of tears, tears of happiness, and to Pincher she was the most -adorable thing in the world. - -'Oh Hemmeline!' he sighed huskily, his throat working and his fingers -clutching her hand. 'Oh Hemmeline!' - -'Well, Bill, what's the matter?' she asked dreamily, turning her head -and smiling at him through her long lashes. - -''Ow I love you!' - -'Silly boy!' she chided softly. - -We will draw a veil over what happened next. The ward was a very public -place; but the other patients discreetly turned their heads away and -pretended not to see. - -Mr and Mrs Joshua Billings were away for fully half-an-hour. To -Emmeline and Pincher it seemed more like five minutes. - - -III. - -The wedding, a month later, was a very quiet one. - - -THE END. - -Edinburgh: Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited. - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Pincher Martin, O.D., by H. 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