A Lively Bit of the Front

t B

eant Malcolm Carr and Rifleman Macready were received in exchange for Panjie, who, thank

ops, stores, and baggage from No. 99 to No. 109. Within three days the task was accomplished, and, five other

zone, every revolution of their propellers was bringing them nearer to that part o

nds. After visiting the various mess decks the upper deck had to be inspected. It was a

d". The Gosport was two miles distant on the starboard bow, her position indicated solely by a feeble stern lantern. The vessels forming the

altered helm, swung round until they formed double column line abreast

est of the party halted and watched a masthead signa

he darkness. The giant rays were directed full upon the hull of a large vessel steam

about four thousand tons. On her side, clearly shown up in the rays of the search-light, were p

er it might mean, was still in progress, two tongues of flame leapt from the crui

on the ears of the spectators. A pall of black smoke, tinted silvery in the rays of the search-lights, marked the spot where the so-called Waeszyl had been.

as an impossible task to try to keep the New Zealanders below. They simply had to see w

here the mysterious vessel had disappeared. In less than half an hour the boats returned, the s

cause of the Gosport's speedy destruction of the supposed Dutchman. They had reckoned on entering the danger zone when they came within the normal radius of action of hostile U-boats

on the other, together with traces of fire, showed that the boat had been shelled. There were distinct signs that the perpetrators of the outrage had sought to obliterate all traces of their dastardly work: the name of the ship had been scraped off the boat's bows, her air-tight tanks had be

surmised, a one-sided engagement. A commerce-raider and mine-layer disguised as a Dutch cargo boat had sighted the Go

, passing within a few feet of her stern. The phosphorescent swirl of the under-water missile told its own tale. The cruiser put two shells into the raider's quarter, in the hope that her steering-gear

ipper never left the bridge for thirty-six hours. Two merchant-men had recently been sunk by mines in these waters. Although the vessel

il it was definitely established that German raiders no longer infested the route between Wellington and the Horn the presence of a few light cruisers was

e a second cousin living at Muizenberg; I'll look

joining their units, frequently make railway journeys running into hundreds of miles simply for the Purpose of "looking up" a remote blood relation

ive us a chance of seeing something o

decided to accompany them; and as soon as leave

no longer lived at Muizenberg. He had moved to a farm near Slang Kop, a distance of abou

haps?" asked Selwyn. "I

their chum left no plausible alternative; so at a steady p

a question of whether they could return to Muizenberg station in time for the train. A springless Cape cart drove them at the maximum pace obtainable by the wiry horse and t

e Town, there is a fairly frequent train service. Enquiries of the railwa

y. Mutual recriminations were absent, although they kne

r best chance is to hire a boat and trust to luck to get on board without being o

there is an enquiry we must simply state plain facts and

lm. "I saw the announcement cancelled on

l sails to-night. That yarn about the convoy getting under way on Thur

ew Zealand infantrymen are commonly dubbed amongst themselves) had for company a sym

n, you know. I'm a transport officer, so I know a bit about it. Hop off the train at Woodstock and enquire for

interest in various incidents of the New Zealanders' voyage. Without much question

e hear but very little. Of course the heads know a lot, but the min

many thanks for the information, Malcolm and his chums left the carriage, and, in giving u

he place; nor had three or four o

n desperation, "I suppose there

here that is," was

the low shore of the estuary. The opposite bank was invisible, as at the spot the mud-fl

nted. On the beach half a dozen boats were hauled up above high

arlight made it an easy matter to di

, "they're raising steam! They

oat, since we can't find an owner. The wind's dead on shore, wha

warts," added Malcolm. "The fellow who f

ch it down the beach; their united efforts were unavailing. Nor was Fortescue's

heated brow. "I believe they're bolted and riveted to the ground.

of their heads by means of their belts, and, two of them taking an oar in case the m

kled his bundle and tossed it into the boat; then, clambering over the stern, proceeded to dress

made to raise the anchor. The three men heaving together very nearly put the boat's bows under, but the refractory mooring refused to

t rope with a chunk of wood on the end of it? That's fastened to the c

g splash. Fortescue and Malcolm mann

y after a quarter of an hour's strenuous work. "

anced over h

more, the transports are 'on the move. Tha