The Long Trick

ridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task. It l

They passed within hailing distance of the Sloops, and on board the reeling Destroyers here and there a figure in streaming oilski

n, when no man may sweep for mines. Then would be their turn for grins and the wavin

her side of which gaunt promontories thrust their naked shoulders into the surf. The long black, viperish hulls passed through under the ever-watchful eyes of the shore batteries,

the ring of barren islands encircling the great expanse of water into which they had passed, the na

de him. "It ain't much of a place to look at, but I'm never

lled them at a semi-globular object that had appeared on the surface some

e Hun has the pull over us. He's got something better than a

ns an' iron crosses an' joy bells. Lord, I'd love

"I'd rather see my own wife for five minutes," he

," repeated the voi

th watchful eye on the

ips …

ext astern swinging round in the smother of his wake. "Well, we shan't be long now before we tie up to t

There come the others, strung out in a procession, making for the different squadrons. Wake up, you son of Ham!" The speaker stepped to the lanyard of the syren and jerked it savagely. Obedient to the warning wail another drifter altered course in reluctant compliance wi

ing-nets round a propeller are not calculated to bind hearts together in brotherly affection. Perhaps dim reco

mine-sweeping paraphernalia: they became submarine-hunters, mine-sweepers, fleet-messengers and patrollers of the great commerce sea-ways in the South. They became a litt

scales have not altogether departed. Ashore, on the other hand (where their women rule), they consent to the peaked cap and br

the dripping Submarine; they have sheltered through storms in the lee of anchored Battleships; they have piloted proud Cruisers through the newly-swept channels of a mine-field, and brought a Battle-cruiser Squadron its Christm

pt past, and the three figures in the bows ducked as she shipped a bucket of spray and flung it

." He took off his cap and shook the salt water from it. One of the other two chuckled. "Never 'mind, Mouldy, it will be your turn to laugh next time we

he echoed. "Then I'd get shoved under arrest

nd Thorogood raised his hand. "There you are," he said, "there's ou

rection of the other's gaze. "Puts me in mind, as they say, of a

of the harbour. In the far distance, outlined against the sombre hills and lit by the pale sun

smoke hovering above their raking funnels. Beyond them, line upon line, in a kind of sullen majesty, lay the Battleships. Seen thus in peace-time, a thousand glistening points

gladiators, sombre and terrible, they conveyed a relentless s

came the rumble

en't missed the bus!" He looked along the lines with a swift, practised eye. "It's only some of the Battle-cruise

guns hooded by casemates and turrets, the mighty funnels, piled up bridges and superstructures, frowned down like the battlements of fortresses. Men

ship," continued Thorog

d her, flying the Comm

s bound for. Rummy to

in a couple o

er the Fleet and sped seawards. Across the lanes of water, armed picket-boats, with preternaturally grave-faced Midshipmen at their w

ted the busy scene wit

t without me for the last seven days. We've had a coat of paint, too. Wonder what's up. P'raps the King'

d deck-hand stumped into the bows with a heaving line coiled over his arm. The drifter

e under his arm looked down from the qu

good; and added, "Bless me, Twe

nother monkey-jacket." A bull terrier thrust a python-like head between the ra

the telescope. "You're Standish, aren't you?" he asked, turning to the India-rubber Man. "The Commander wants to see

s the First Lieutenant in my

, "she must have bee

the ship, past cabins opening on to the foremost side of them, and stopped at a curtained doorway. A square

NOCK. C

in and motioned to his companion to enter. "

t a knee-hole table, turned and

eft hand for an instant on the India-rubber Man's shoulder and searched his face with kindly grey e

-rubber M

s adorning the brim, lying on the desk. "I haven't congratulated you on your pro

e resumed his seat. "Well, you'll find a few of the old lot here: there's the Skipper of course, and Double-O Gerrard-d'you remember the A.P.? And little Pills: he's Staff Surgeon now, and no end of a nut… Let's see-oh, yes, and young

s roving round the cabi

You've got poor old

that one." The Commander had risen to his feet and was staring out of the scuttle with absent eyes. "But, come along. The Skipper

e watch were sweeping down the deck and squaring off ropes. The Commander led the way down a hatchway aft to an electric-lit lobby, where a marine sentry clicked

d the deck; the walls of white enamelled steel were unadorned save for a big scale chart of the North Sea and a coloured map of the Western Front. A few framed photographs stood on the big roll-topped desk in one corner, and a bowl of purple heather occup

open skylight. On the table, amid the litter of glue-pots, cardboard, thread and varnish, stood a model of a

umorous way that always went straight to another man's heart. "We're all returning to our second childhood up here, you see!" He indicated the mo

the model with int

e said. It was, indeed, a triumph of

ctric bow and steaming lights!" His voice had a ring of almost boyish enthusiasm, and he picked up a tangle of threads from the table. "But this fore-derrick purchase is the devil, though. All last evening I was

'll have it done in time f

er to do! As a matter of fact, it's only during the winter that one finds time for anything. We're pretty busy, one way and another, you'll find. It'll take you some time

with him, sir. He m

t you can do about it. Also, I want you to look after the Midshipmen. They're a good lot, and there's one in particular-Harcourt, isn't it, Commander?-who ought to pull off the Midshipmen's Lightweights if he can keep down to the weight. One or two w

emerged, "it's nearly lunch time

bulkhead gave a glimpse forward of a gun battery and a teeming mess-deck intent on its mid-day meal, where men jostled each other so thickl

ay. A door on the right opened for a moment as they passed,

co smoke. A few padded settees and arm-chairs and a piano of venerable aspect, together with a table covered by magazines and papers, comprised the furniture; half-a-dozen coloured prints and a baize-covered notice board completed the adornment of the walls. Through a doorway beyond came the hum of conversation and clatter of knives an

ear-like embrace. "Behold the prodigal returning! Steward, bring hither a fatted calf and the swizzle-stick. Put a cherry in it and a slice of lemon and eke crushe

ing, came forward to greet the new messm

ou for half-a-crown. P.M.O., this is Standish, a wounded hero and a friend of my care-free youth." The sp

d bull terrier, we have Tweedledee, likewise overfed. Ge

Lieutenant rose and sh

ence the Padre. The Captain of Marines you see consuming gin and bitters: title of picture, 'Celebrities and their Hobbies.' This is the Engineer Commander. He is considerably senior to me and I therefore refrain from being witty

eaning over the paper table, pipe in mouth, straightened up with a chuckle and ostentatiously fluttered the

think, Soldier?" he asked

of Marines. He finished his apéritif and

d accents, "we're afraid you are showing off befor

lf on the Staff Surgeon. The First Lieutenant followed suit, an

around them with hysteri

tain of Marines as the struggle swayed

rity, and the three interlocked figures and the

upboard. It was used by the flat-sweeper and messengers for the stowage of brooms, polishing paste, c

ey succeeded in stowing the Staff Surgeon, and despite his

Lieutenant, "let's g

to leave him there,

-rubb

e long Wardroom where a score or more of officers were seated at lunch round the table that occupied practicall

ing stewed prunes out of a dish on to

onboard. He's probably lunching in his blessed old turret. I had some difficulty in restraining him from trying to put

re you are, Bunje. Sorry I had to slip it across Number One and the Soldier just now. However, boys will be boys and th

"You don't get much chance to sit and think beautiful th

Man laughed. "I e