The Third Officer

yage. By noon, working up to eleven knots, she had passed through the broad strait of San Juan de Fuca—the wate

greys. The sea, as far as the driving snow permitted to be seen, was a waste of leaden-coloured waves flecked with tumbling grey crests. Overhead a watery sun almost failed to make it

, where, always within easy distance of the engine-room telegraph, Burgoyne paced ceaselessly to and fro. For the time being the safety of the ship and all who sailed in her depended

wo cables on the starboard bow. The second occasion was called for by the sighting of a derelict—a timber-ship dismasted and floating just awash. A startled shout fro

ing to the effect that at such and such a time, and in latitude and longitude so

dder. Alwyn, having "handed over", went below, ate a hearty meal, and, relieved of all responsibility for the time be

the Canadian commercial traveller, in a valiant attempt to ward off the dreaded mal de mer, had resorted to certain drugs from his sample case, and was now under the care of the stew

worked out the ship's position, was considerably astonished to

t good afternoon? Quite warm, isn't it? A delightful

spassing, Miss Vivian," said Alwyn. "No pass

s sparkled with il

he rejoined. "I had a small bet w

goyne. "Company's regulations and

use to go?" she

would say to him if he happened to come on deck and espy a passenger—a lady passenger, and

ned under his ta

me into a jolly h

it seemed a bit futile to have to put forward an ind

. "It's all right. I asked Captain Blair, and he

o have the opportunity. "But excuse me a mom

to show the compass and steam steering-gear to the passenger. He counted on a long a

Taking up the telephone, he rang up the Captain's cabin. A brief conversation confirmed Miss Vivia

hird Officer, as he replaced the receiver. "There are worse wa

erly devoid of any trace of self-consciousness, Hilda Vivia

e faintest sign of boredom she followed the Third Officer's somewhat stereotyped explanations of the various devices upon whi

nes, and her mother had never properly recovered from the shock. Colonel Vivian had been in command of a battalion in Egypt and Palestine, and on the homeward voyage

t he saw the colonel board the Donibristle at Vancouver; but now there was no doubt o

ain upon the colonel's exchequer. One specialist expressed his opinion that the only thing likely to benefit Mrs. Vivian was a voyage round the world. Making sacrifices, Colonel Vivian was now

ed the girl, "and I am enjoying it—every minute in

he could have bitten his tongue for having shown such

impossible to bring him, owing to quarantine restrictions and all that sort of

me for a dog of my own. We ran a pack

then?" asked Miss Viv

yne n

were in

out some months ago, worse luck. But," he added, loyal to his pre

uld jump to the conclusion that he was a rotter who had been ignominiously court-martialled and dismissed the Service. But, before he could enlarge upon t

f," annou

t to leave the bridg

e our wireless cabin? It's a perfectly priceless stunt, and Mostyn

en it's not so fine. I'll stay here a little longer; I am i

rtain amount of satisfaction in knowing that Miss Vivian had heard of a joke at

e at an end. One evening towards the end of November the commander of the M.-L. flotilla was dozing in his cabin, when certain of the younger officers thought it would be a huge joke to pour pyrene down the stove-pipe and put out the fire in the Seni

n an ace of suffocating the occupant of the cabin. Fortunately the commander recovered. The culprits were discovered, but their victim, convinced that it had not been their intention to drive ma

4.7's, and made fourteen double trips across the Atlantic. Angus, our Chief Engineer, was on board her part of the time. He might tell you some yarns if you get the right side of him. Onc

guns on board now, I sup

nt Service doesn't want guns nowadays. I can show you where the decks were str

lip Branscombe was a b

ay aft, he encountered Colonel Vivian l

rd Officer stood aside to allow him to pass. "By the by,

e," repl

," resumed Colonel Vivian. "Several tim

shook h

was twelve," he replied, "but I have a

whe

a. You were wearing pale blue pyjamas and a wristlet watch. When we hiked

olonel. "You were in charge of one of the Pylon'

t. And, by the by, sir, Miss Vivian asked me to tell you that she had been on the brid