Commander Lawless V.C.

e with a far-away expression in his eyes. Despite the official regulations concerning the uniform to be worn by naval officers when on duty, hi

ether I could get short leave of absence. I'm jus

who was standing near,

ell lately," continued Lawless

ver saw a man look in better health i

owly shook

" he said gloomily. "Very likely you have

if you have," he added, "what can you expect after eating

wouldn't upset an infant. No, I shall

ous expenditure of ink and paper to write, and when finished was calculated to impress the reader with the belief that the unfortunate officer was suffering from every fatal malady known to medical science. He had

exclaimed, "

with a t?" asked Lawless,

ass, of c

author as he folded up the letter, "but I've

t they'll think it was written in a hur

k no notice

relief. "If there's such a thing as huma

passed and he received no reply, he made up his mind that the authorities had declined to consider his application. Howeve

fter he had hurriedly glanced throu

g a cup of coffee to his lips when Lawless gave vent to his exultant shout, and it had so startled the

demanded Lawless. "What's a lit

the coffee from his waistcoat with a silk handkerchief. "It's your

hat you're speaking disrespectfully to your superi

t. He had just discovered from an abrupt rise in temperature

nd-and cheek," observed the Lieutenant, taking no pai

, you dismal idiot. It's all through you that I'm

m Ireland. Lawless had decided to spend his holiday on the west coast of the Emerald Isle, and had provided himself with golf clubs, fishing rods, and other implements of innocent sport wherewith to while away his leisure

sport of destiny. On this particular occasion the mischievous planet under which the Lieutenant had first seen the light must have twinkled wit

re arose the conning tower of a large German submarine. Before the captain of the steamer was aware of this unwelcome visitor the latter had sent a couple of shots across

o help the women and children into them, and then, with the captain, got into the last one to leave the ship. As the boat pulled away from the Lake Killarney the German commander ordered her to come alongside the submarine; an order which, in view of the machine-gun on her for'a'd platform, it would have been unwise to ignor

," said the German, "but it's managed to elude us so far. Still, we'll drag it

n himself any longer. "We taught you a lesson at Heligoland, and when we do meet your H

!" cried the German, at the same time producing an automatic

s, I believe," answered

the German. "As a British Naval officer I shall t

said Lawless bitterly as he m

realised his mistake only too we

Commander, "I am goin

then the commander, with Lawless and the men on the gun platform, went below

ing morning an escort took him to another part of the building and ushered him into a sort of office where various uniformed individuals were gathered. The

e Lieutenant's patience vanished and, before the sergeant had time to guess what was coming, he had been pitched head first into a large wastepaper basket and the pri

g a note from a tailor threatening legal proceedings unless

at a crumpled piece of paper which the serge

nd then, exhibiting it to the p

earty laugh, whereat the officer, the sergeant and the privates all scowled at him r

nsh

tit

cio

f strange-looking figures bearing

go to spell 'conscious' and, not being quite sure about it, wrote it down different wa

officer, pointing to the

I don't often write that letter as a capital-a

code," said the o

sticks!" ejacu

se to dec

l, there's noth

ndicate that the examination was at an end, and a couple of soldiers, with side-arms drawn

before his examiner and again declared that

the fortress of Gla

no prospect of his getting the ghost of a chance to escape, for he was conducted to the railway station in charge of two privates, a corporal, and a commissioned officer. For some reason they did not travel by the direct route via Fran

e face, though he cudgelled his brains all the way to Breslau. It was dark when they reached this town, and here they had to change into a local train for Glatz. Suddenly, while crossing a bridge to another platform, Lawl

chance and

that the speaker was none other than t

d then Lawless took his chance. Diving down, he simply butted a way through the mob, thanking his stars that he had once been centre forward in a county football team. At the end of the bridge he caught sight of his unknown friend descending the stairs and followed him as quickly as he could. Behind him he could hear the shouts of his gu

ss, entering after him, found himself in a small office, evidently used by some of

st time it was in mid-ocean and

spy who, with Cassidy's assistance, he had rescued from the torpedoed Nim

d you known who I was the result might have been different. However, th

houted something Lawless could not understand. His rescuer replie

ow for Stettin, and, if you are careful-and lucky-you can creep under a tarpaulin on one of the trucks and remain there till the train reaches its destination. There your

uptly held

said. "By Jove, I never

n." He crossed to the window and opened it. "There's your road," he said, a

e started to creep along under the shadow of the wall, for the yard was lit up by electric arc lamps. Then a new dilemma faced hi

and selected the longest train as the one

reached the train he had selected without attracting the attention of the workpeople, many of whom were wom

going to Glatz thi

sy doze, when there was a terrific jolt and his head came into contact with a cask. Then, as the jo

ting his head from under the tarpaulin he saw that the train had come to a standstill on some sidings and that it was nearly daylight. Realising that if he did not

e devil am I?

he same time that he was ravenously hungry. Then, from a field about half a mile away, he saw a column of smoke rising, and noticed what seemed to be two or three caravans drawn up in line. I

some grub somehow

ing smell assailed his nostrils and made him feel still hungrier. Vaulting over a hedge, Lawless came upon a very dirty but very picturesque ruffian, attired in the manner of a musical-comedy bandit, who was engaged in taking a captured rabbit from a wire noose. At sight of the stranger,

gged children heaping on sticks, and near the caravans a group of men and women putting the finishing touches to an extremely primitive toilette. The Lieutenant's guide went

e. These people, as a matter of fact, were Silesian gipsies and hereditary foes to law and order, wherefore perha

among the superfluities of life. When he had eaten his fill Lawless speculated as to where he was. There was no sign of any docks or shipping, and he began to doubt

e, and almost hopeless tas

an upon whom he had

la

an no

!" exclaimed Lawles

apture, stow himself away on a train-only to find him

he remar

building where he could lie concealed till nightfall. At any rate, since he had made his escape at Breslau, it was there that the authorities would

ss than a pound, and his benefactor stared in open-mouthed astonishment, first at the note and then at him. For a minute Lawless thought that he had unwittingly insulted the

ried off in the opposite direction to the town, carefully avoiding all footpaths. At last he came to a desert

it became dark he grew hungry again, and cursed his want of forethought in not having demanded some bread and cheese in exchange for the note he had handed over. Eventually, pressed by his inward pangs, he s

red what direction he should take. He had no compass, of course, and the country around was an uncharted sea to him. Presently he noticed in the far distance a bright lig

n't a searchlight, and it cou

rst he thought it must be a prison encampment and was about to move stealthily away again, when the bright light which had first attracted his attention, suddenly lit up the enclosure. It came from a large arc-lamp suspended from a high wooden erection, and in the glare Lawless recogni

to and fro, and now stood, resting on his rifle, looking skywards in the direction of the approaching aeroplane. At last it came into view, flying rather low, and then the pilot volplaned to the ground, alighting within the enclosure and

mbed into the machine. He started the engines, the machine began to move with increasing speed along the level, and then rose into the air. So far he did not appear to have attracted the attention of the sentry, who, not having seen him get into the aeroplane, no doubt supposed that the pilot was off on ano

oped to steer a fairly accurate course. He knew that machines would set off in pursuit, but their pilots had first to find and then to overtake him-and he alr

rding to the chart, should be Frankfurt-on-Oder. Then, when he was close upon Stettin, the petrol began to give out and there was n

ld have it the machine collided with a tree and, turning turtle, pitched the daring aviator out. His fall, however, was broken by the branches, and

he glanced at the débris, "but

g dawn-when his foot struck something. Stooping down he saw that it was a leather wallet, and concluded it must have formed part of

n. The only possible conclusion was, that the hospitable gipsy, to whom he had given one of the notes, had picked his pocket of the remainder almost immediately afterwards. However, it was no use worrying now, and he decided to chance his luck. He succeeded in boarding the Danish steamer without attracting attention, and at once sought an interview with the

e like a tramp than an officer of the British Navy, he made straight for Whitehall and, after a short but sharp altercation w

ntents of the wallet which had fallen out of the wrecked aeroplane. To the uninitiated the papers Lawless produced would have been meani

rejoin the Knat pending further instructions, rece

ntly as he opened the en

al coldly-polite prelimin

owever, grant any extension of leave under present conditions. Enclosed is a cheque for three shillings and sixpence (3s. 6d.), being

take the bun!" ejaculated Lawless,

he latter when h

ke good the kit I lost when t

ieutenant, "virtue is i

d pitched the missive th