With Beatty off Jutland: A Romance of the Great Sea Fight

lash-signalled to the Calder, and with the least possible delay the

stroyed it was unsafe for any shipping

evious day--proceeded to lay a chain of mines from the Would through Haisborough Gat, and thence to a point a few cables east of the Gorton lightship, thus completely enclosing Yarmouth Roads from the sea. The UC6--that being the designation of the p

uth, while others proceeded in different directions to "clear up the mess", as

probability was that she would have bumped upon a couple of the infernal contrivances--for the mines were dropped in twos, each pair conn

on, and, with the pluck and resourcefulness of British seamen, her crew had risen to the occa

dragged to the surface, and sunk by means of rifle-fire. Others were destroyed in quick succession, two exploding as the bullet

t the whole extent of the Would, the m

sthwaite, as the nearest trawler s

w buildings knocked about and a score or so of people killed or injured. Might ha'

a gallant service, the mine-sweepers bore up for home,

ransferring the German prisoners was quickly taken in hand. They were put on board the patrol-boats in batches of half a d

the Calder when Sefton recognized the R.N.R. sub-li

t Enchantress--in Southampton Water. Given a craft with engines, he could steer her with a certain amount of confidence. Of navigation and the art of a mariner he knew l

coat with the gold wavy band and curl was Algernon Stickleton. At first he was given a "soft job", doing a sort of postman's work in Cowes Roads, until the experience, combined with his su

aving "stuck at it", the budding sub-lieutenant R.N.R. was sent to the East Coast on a

ight, blow high or low. Boarding suspicious vessels in the open roadstead hardened his nerves and gave an u

ed motor craft that lay alongside the destroyer's black hull. "A clinker for speed. She'd knock your craft into a cocked hat

Stickleton prepared to cast off. Touching the tarnished peak of his cap, for months of exposure to all weather

n the steering-wheel,

n was concerned. Unprepared to counteract the sudden momentum, he was literally "left", for, subsiding upon the sho

quickly hauled over the destroyer's si

sthwaite and Sefton had to smile. The sopping R.N.R. of

or leaving my ship without perm

mine," Crosthwaite reminded him. "It'

re of what had occurred. The bowman was coiling down a rope, two of the deck hands were engaged in securing the fore-peak hatchway, while the rest

s cabin, when he found an automatic cigarette-lighter that Stickleton had mislaid. Anxious to get into his superior officer's good books, for the youn

e vessel on her helm, at the same time ordering the motors to be eased down. He was convinced th

l-boat had described a complete semicircle. For some time the boat searched in vain for her

nselled another of the crew. "Maybe they've got

o bring a sailing-boat alongside in half a gale of wind, he would have complied with the utmost skill, luffing at the exact moment and allowing the craft to lose way with her canvas slatting in the breeze without the loss of a square inch

d were thrown flat, and, sliding over the slippery planks, brought up against the low stanchion rails. A slight shock, barely perceptible a

eorge?" sang

coxswain. "Guess we'v

run dawn his own skipper entering his mi

g jerk, as if the little craft were parting amidships, the patrol-boat stopped and gathered sternway. A minute later

f the crew; "blest if we have

f the patrol-boat--and the sight of a patrol-boat or a trawler usually gives the German unterseebooten a bad attack of the blues--her kapitan had taken a preliminary bearing prior

the water at the rate of a railway train, nicked the top of the U boat's conning-tower sufficiently to penetrate the plating. Before steps could be taken to stop the inrush of water the U

ave little thought to his involuntary act. The

see if she's started

hurried to the fore-peak. As they opened the cuddy-hatch the half-d

hurled him violently against the next man. The floor of the fore-peak was covered with a squirming heap of now thoroughly cowed Huns, to whom the appari

red George anxiously, as he ret

s the reassuring reply

e little craft tore back to the Calder in order that th

vered their sub, arrayed in borrowed garments, stand

too much way, reversing engines when the little craft was fifty yards ahead of the destroyer. The second attempt found him a like distance

ng, delivering the information in a matter-of-fact manner, as if d

escended in nine fathoms, and quickly telephoned the confirmatory information that a U boat was lying with a list to starboard