The Long Trick

... Class, 'Shun!

nd made off briskly in the direction of the hatchway. The India-rubber Man thrust his hands into the pockets

r, "I can smell bacon frying somewhere. So could my class: I could see the

s about and do 'Knees up!' and 'Double-arm-bend-and-stretch!'" He raised a gloved hand and rubbed his blue nose. Ashore a powdering of snow lay on the distant hills; in the East the sky was flushing with bars of orange

"Do you good, Tweedledum, to hop round

weapon. The dew, which everywhere had frozen during the night, was slowly thawing on t

Watch? If Tweedledee doesn't come and relieve me soon I shall die of frostbite and boredom." The India-rubber Man was moving towards

ed and breathless with exercise, the majority proceeded to divest themselves of their flannels and, girt with towels, made off for

his sort of frightfulness." He waved his legs in the air. "I

ng a great-coat in lieu of a dressing-gown. "Otherwise 'The ruddy 'eart-

his legs anxiously-"I know I've lost a couple of stone since this physical t

is chest, "so I shouldn't worry. I say, I'm sweating up a deuce of an arm on me. Shouldn't wonder if I pulled off the Grand Fleet Light-weights next month," he added modestly, "if this

r-- Oh, Bosh, get off my ches

ing." The speaker sat up and juggled dexterously with a cake of soap, a sponge and a tooth-brush. "I'm getting rather good at this--

flat. "Because I'm not sure I shouldn't be better for a bit

lark with it," replied the owner. "Only, last tim

petitioner, advancing with a fin

yhow. Come on, I'm goin

passed and repassed to their toilets. Inside the bathroom itself song and the splashing of water drowned all other sounds. The owner of the enlarged

d dragged it alongside his friend, "did you mean what you said just now abou

t as a matter of fact. Standish saw me scrapping with Green the other night and sent for m

bath with his toe, and got in. "Yes, rather," he repli

er the other's slim form. "What a rag! We may draw each other-anyhow we shall have to scrap i

to have a jolly good shot at it, cully!" He looked up with his fa

*

, to employ a transatlantic

ucts Committee who supplied them gratis to the Fleet. Then pipes and cigarettes appeared from lockers, and the temporarily-closed flood-gates of conversation reopened. The Wireless Press Message was discussed and two experts in military strategy proceeded to demonstrate with th

the mess. He came in stamping his feet and blowing on his hands, calling loudly for breakfast the while. "My, there's a good fug in here," he observed appreciatively, and proceeded to divest him

t: only frozen stiff. Any sleep last night? Rather! Nearly ten minutes. Porridge, please, and pass the brown sugar." The remainder of his messmates appeared disposed to

anised suddenly into rapt interest

akes. He does make me smile, that official." A plateful of p

e others wistfully. "You don't belong to

last time. But you missed

top of his paper. "Just cough up the deta

sea. We were right outside and the Engineer sent up to say he thought there was something foul of the propeller. So we stopped and investigated with a boathook. There was a lot of weed a

a hawk," said the Mids

a tinge of pri

s soul in patience while the racont

fellows smoking. Hashed mutton, please; and another cup of coffee. It was pitch dark and for a moment we couldn't see a thing. Then, suddenly, right on top of us came a submarine! She

e kneeling on the form with their elbows among the débris of br

ne, his eyes dancing, "

slow, and there was a devil of a bobbery. I fancy they thought they were properly in the consommé. A trap or something. Anyhow the two

isteners. "Utterly unmoved, I suppos

and got off a round at point-blank range. Hit her just below the conning tower. She must have be

n the water?" demanded

y done and awfully surprised because we gave him dry clothes and hot drinks and a smoke, and didn't spit in his eye or a

lence, each one busy

silence, voicing the

ng luck. I've done about twenty night patrols since I'v

r of a man who had earned it. "You were at Suvla Bay and the landing from

*

y on deck to bask in the sun and smoke contemplative post-prandial pipes in the lee of the after superstructure. Forward, in amidships, the band was playing a slow

eyes and lazily watching the antics of a gull volplaning against the light wind. He sat

wser reel. "Too good to waste onboard. The footer ground's bagged-let's have

ur generally. "We migh

rcourt. "Some of the ch

and the

man of that officer's Division jealously.

umorous, resigned air of chronic boredom had a peculiar attraction for all the

pman. "You're the Blue-eyed Boy with the Wardroom.

he Messman," said another, "and get a ba

bangers.[1] And get strawberry jam: see the Messman doesn't try and palm off any of his beastly gooseberry stuff

caterer, "we're only g

to camp out fo

patron, "I'll bring my line and we'll

Malison, and the Committee of Sup

ows, where, to judge by the ecstatic shouts of merriment that floated aft, his peculiar form of wit was much appreciated. Thorogood, at the main sheet, with an old deerstalker on his head and a pipe in his mouth, led the chorus in the sternsheets. Moul

e Midshipman of his Division, one Morton, who s

nt was never very apparent. The almost passionate loyalty and affectio

natches of merriment or song drifting aft from the cutter, broke the silence in t

d, "would you

id Mould

wind his line. "Do you m

was th

or a little while. "Do you think you sank th

yes and gave a grunt with

opping show. Weren't y

her

dn't get a wink o

onfirmato

, sir. Wouldn't you like

es

I'm going to fish, and I'll call you when we get to the island

eigned in

s of a man-of-war, walking paths sternly ruled by Naval Discipline, can realise the intoxicating effect of such an emancipation. The mysterious workings of the Midshipman-mind found full play on these occasions, as they tumbled about in the bottom of the boat in the unfettered enjoyment of a whole-hearted "scrap." I

lull when the crew sat panting and flushed with exertio

t of sight of the Fleet. I feel I've seen enough of the Silen

island where the

ttle headland. Ready about! Check the fore sheet! Come aft out o

ew." He surveyed the heather-crowned islets surrounding them on all sides, the lonely ha

ss and knocked him into

sail on the new course. "You aren't to be trusted in

Midshipman whose acquaintance with the classi

immediate execution, but the imminence of land and a

y astern, glided into a little bay where miniature cliffs, some twenty feet i

rgeon lustily. "Come alongside, skiff! The landing of the Lanc

e Young Doctor. He pointed ahead with a dramatic gesture at the cliffs. "Yonder are the Turks! See, they fly, they fly!" A pair of

led in the fishing-line, holding a kettle that someone had thrust upon him in one hand and a frying-pan in the other. Half a dozen partly clad f

y," explained the Surge

rk

ct pebbles. "A withering volley will accord

llantly through the bullet-torn shallows. Ensued a complete rout of the Turks, who were pursued inland across the heather wit

lovers' eggs, to find a fire of bleached twigs blazing and sausag

e justice was done to the varied repast." Then it was discovered

with the empty skiff in tow, headed for the West, wher

rounded the promontory and the Fleet hove in sight once more, duffl

"John Brown's Body Lies A-mouldering in the Grave," without which no properly conducted picnic can come to a fitting conclusion. The purple shadows deepe

in the Battle Fleet hailed them. Then hail answered hail as one Battleship after another

ss reigned on board, but once a dog barked, and the strains of an accordion drifted across the water as reminders that each of these menacing mysteries was the habitation of their fellow-men. A tiny pin-point of light winked from a yard-arm near by to another pin

g through space; he consulted the luminous dial on his wrist. "H'm," he observed to his compa

he darkness, and a towering o

er Man from the stern, adding in lower tones, "

voice in the darkness. "And

*

e the occupants became engrossed in their

ipman, rising and opening the gramophon

ary composition, raised his head. "No," he replied, "I wouldn't; I'm writing a letter

nt. "I think he's perfectly priceless!" He set the needle, stepped back a pace and s

orner of the settee where he had curled himself, "I must write to my y

st without raising his eyes. "How

t. "'Least I think so. Can

oesn't look right, somehow." Th

Patrol, had stretched himself on an adjacent se

Sub from the depths of the arm-chair which he had drawn as near to the glowing stove as the heat would allow. It presently attracted the notice of two other Midshipmen who ha

ana, Bosh, instead of chuck

said the exponen

" queried

response. "I'm just waiting-waiting t

tors eyed each ot

e any desser

rowful reply. "My

l division of the spoil was made while they sat upon his prostrate form, an

u'd probably have appendicitis if we let you eat all th

drum," replied the oth

iddle Watch the night before, slept the sleep of the tired just. The door opened and a Junior Midshipman e

ents at the table, simultaneously

e Padre's waiting to censor them. He sent

ter and placed it in an

run out." He ex

his wet sheet with the blotting paper. "I

ed the messenger. "I w

's wa

get the stamp." His friend complied with the request and picked up his pen to address his own epistle. As he did so the prostrate juggler, with a sudden, spasmodic recrudescence of energy, flun

d with the table-cloth, letters, note-paper, envelope

rning from his locker. "Now, where's my

wailed the sleepy v

e we are." He picked up an envelope, glanced carelessly under the still o

r, grovelling in the da

eappeared with a l

gain began the

addressed the envelope without looking at the contents. "Here yo

the door a

gramophone. Get up off the deck. Mop that ink up and square

panting and dishevelled on the settee. By

sleepily. "I'm going to turn in now. And t

garments. "Nothing like being really fit-ready to go anywhere an' do anyth

delicacy peculiar to