The Long Trick

eze sent the waves ste

ur, and lapping over

ed slowly past the a

t towards t

rst Lieutenant. A Yeoman of Signals, his glass tucked into his left arm-pit, was securing the halliards to the telescopic mast, at which fluttered a frayed White Ensign. A couple of figures in sea-boots and duffle coats were still coi

water out there, and we can play about." His face was burned by the sun to the colour of an old brick wall; the tanned skin somehow made his eyes loo

interest before replying. "Thank you," he sai

apparatus," supplemented the Lieutenant-Commander. "

r case out of his pocket. "I feel rather like a man accepting anot

"You mean you're trying to find a way of cutti

claws," amende

is theirs tomorrow-figuratively speakin', that is. If it's sauce f

vel point of view. It's not exactly one t

he helmsman. "Oh?" he said. "I don't know much about what people ashore think, except that they're all

o come out with you to-day for these experiments on

ead astern to the great grey Battleships-"those big-ship wallahs-they're only just beginning to take Us seriously. I put in my big-ship time at the beginning of the war-we do a year in a big ship, you know, for our sins-and the fellows in t

eposterously long eyelashes. "'Member the manoeuvres before the War?" The other laughed and nodded. "I torpedoed my revered parent's Battleship," continued the s

ered their tune since, t

hem to give the men the run of the canteen; they ask us to dinner and give cinema shows for the sailors,

irst Lieutenant. "That's what

ell," he said, "what ab

ou have yet anoth

path, the bow gun on each blunt forecastle rising

reconceived notions about us or their own invulnerability. The boot's on the

nt with the shadow of his eyelashes on his cheek-bone. "That's the tro

omes in more, I suppose

He focused his glasses

g me that a London brai

ose croft

of seaman altogether. We've got a fellow up here huntin' Fritzes-he's a merchant seaman with a commission in the Naval Reserve…. There are times when he

?" enquired Si

was the reply. "D'

I've hear

for us outside onboard his trawler. If you go onboard, hav

it?" asked

dds another from time to time, and I feel

ing on a stable door,"

nt in ex

e pitched the stump of his cigar overboard and turned up the co

e than a job with him: it's a holy mission. That's why I'm a bit frightened of him really." The speaker searched the visitor's face with his guileless blue eye

. Far out to seaward a formation of Mine-sweeping Sloops crept away to the west. Close inshore, where the gulls circled vociferously, an insignificant trawler with a rusty funnel lay rolling in the swell. A wisp

-r-d, sir? If so, he'll send a boat.'" His speec

s. Please s

man in a jersey and sea-boots, wearing the monkey-jacket of a Lieutenant of the Reserve and a uniform cap slightly as

shook hand

"and I was anxious to meet you

ath a wooden shelter in the stern. Three or four officers from the Fleet were gather

man non-committally. "It sounds like a cin

ht call a long chalk

"Because when it is I guess I can go right along and get t

tunately, you see, there's still a factor-what we call an unknown quantity--" He lapse

m school too young. But it seems to me--" He lifted a booted foot and rested it

dropped. He recovered

sir?" asked

entist. "You've studied

ight. "Well, sir, we'd better get to business. These gentlemen here are the brains of the party"-he nodded at the group aft. "I'm only in the picture to put them wise as to certain practical con

rose from the gunwale and tossed away his cigarette-end, then he grinned at the Submarine Hunter

as he began to climb down into the

said the Submarine Hunter

the apparatus laughed. "It's a challen

fore-hatch. "I can mind it all right," he replied grimly,

*

se with only a periscope showing." He waved his hand in the direction of countless smudges of smoke ringing the clear horizon. "But once we're clear of those we'll dive and hide somewhere for a while. Give old man Ged

n onboard a line of rusty drifters leaned over the sides of their plunging craft and waved as the jaws of their baleful traps opened to let them pass through. A

th out of the sea ahead; the Submarine Command

om and have lunch while old man Gedge starts looking for us. After lunch we'll let him get near and

e periscope, and gravely contemplated a needle creeping slowly round the face of a large dial. A Petty Officer, with an expression emotionless as that of a traveller in a railway tunnel, sat by the dial manipulating a brass wheel; a few feet away sat a Leading Seaman similarly employed. The eyes of both men were fi

ten fathoms of water. What's for lunch?" He led the way forward to a folding table

from a scrutiny of the tiny book-shelf over the port bunk. At the head of the bunk was nailed the photograph of a

, I'm afraid," said th

er myself. The Sub's th

of suspicion at his Commanding Officer as he helped himsel

East. "We were sitting on the bottom waiting for it to get dark before we came up and charged batteries. I was having a stretch-off on my bunk here, and the Sub, of course,

terrupted the First Lieutenant coldly.

e, and I saw the Sub's eyelids flicker. After that I watched him. The Hun bombed us steadily for a q

ieutenant shortly; his eyes, in one

trying to prove you

book?" enquire

ichard something-or-a

e conversation out o

other side much?"

es, but nothing to the Dardanelles; we never got out there, though; spent all our time nuzzling sandbanks off the Ems and thereabouts. Of course, one sees more of Fritz in that way, but I can't say it exactly heightens one'

elligence. "That's the genera

d them or they've got Prussianised. They've disgraced the very word submarine to all eter

right," added the Li

the way to Heligol

on. Think he'd turn and have it out? Not much! … Yet he had the bigger gun and the higher speed. Signalled back, '

came to the surface to get a bearing. There must have been half a dozen Fritzes round that light, all lost and fluttering like moths round a candle. We bagged one, sitting, and blew him to hell…. The rest plopped under like a lot of seals and simply scattered. Fight? 'Not to-day, thank you.' They're on

said Sir

"Now then," he said to the Scientist, "Come to the periscope and

e Submarine Commander motioned his guest to the periscope and gave him a glimpse of flying spray and sun-kissed wave tops. A mile

ison of sorts. I'm goi

keeping the periscope h

moke of Gedge's bus co

m a little ga

ss. "In four minutes' time," he said, "I shall start making observation

the eye-piece of the periscope. "Oh, good! It's bales of hay floating, not b

Ha! Hee!

but you can

. "Hullo!" he said presently, "what's he up to? He's altered course…. Thinks h

man was softly whistling a tune to himself. The feet of the fi

ime?" he ask

," said Sir William, standing, watch in

e's going to get anywhere near us … Ah! Now he's coming round…. Humph! You're getting warm, m

ously restrained tone, "

ntly to his side and applie

tain after a pause.

ant and looked at his Commanding Officer. "Have we

les of this. 'Sides, he wouldn't come through h

t, an ominous calm in his voice. He step

ight, which he's been told not to do. He hasn't seen us yet-he's watching old man Gedge. Gedge

oking from one speaker to the other. Finally he removed h

erstand--

nant-Commander at the p

he tubes!"

footsteps down the electric-lit pe

nted the First Lieutenant. "P'raps they've all got pl

edo tube will just bear nicely in a minute." The white teeth beneath the rubber eye-pi

d beam tu

A sudden bead of perspiration ran do

n a low voice, "has placed the en

dryly. "Then I hope He'll

voiced orders, and in the ensuing silence Sir William felt t

ir

g by the beam tube, raised his wrist watch and studied it intently. The seconds passed, throbbing, intolerable, and merged into Eternity. A sudden concussion seeme

t was heading with the waves tumbling away on either side of them in the direction of a cloud of grey smoke that still hung over the water, slowly dissolving in the wind. As they approached a dark patch of oil spread outwards from a miniature maelstrom where vast bubbles heaved themselves up and broke; th

the dropping of a sinker and buoy. The Commanding Officer said nothing. Beneath the tan his

am and jerked his thumb at the water. "Eh

hen my hour strikes,"

telescope at the trawler which was rapidly approaching with a cloud of smok

king for the first time, "foaming at the mouth and sufferin

tood a big man with a megaphone to his mouth. The

was I to know…. Scared blue … torp

ish," he said. "Thought it was us blowing up at first. Wants to know why we wasted a torpe

e let him know he was playing round with a Fritz? If

he implies to my device, but, as a matter of fact, I h

ying compliments. He went on to say he didn't want the assista

re only too grateful to-to Science for trying to invent a new gadget…. Only, you see, sir,