left them unmoved. Those decided to get away before the oritioisms were far more sting- wind. His intention, he told ing than I have ventured to us afterwards, was to get write; any reader with a speed on the ship, and steady knowledge of naval vernacular her a bit. He therefore shouted can supply the rest out of his to the helmemapown experience.

“Up, up!” He wanted him Brown next secured a broom to grind the wheel hard up —the orderly instinot of the and permit the ship to pay Navy coming uppermost even off. Let it be remembered in this moment of stress—and that the nerves of all aboard commenced to swoop up the wore on strain,-that brains mons on deck, which, he ad- were somowhat stunned by the mitted afterwards, revolted quick movement of events, his tidy soul!

The helmsman obeyed the Meantime, the U-boat was order, but the captain of the shelling us intermittently, still after-gun also obeyed what he maintaining her range. I have thought was an order to him. no doubt her oommander was The signal to engage was a somewhat astonished at the shouted “Up guns !”

Once course of events. Ho natur. that was heard it was ap to ally did not know that we the gan-oaptains to get their had lost our boat, and it is guns up in the quickest possible quite possible that his sug- time, and to open fire as soon as pieions were growing stronger their sights covered the target. than ever.

Ordinary Italian Hearing the “Up, up!” the Boasting brigs' crows usually gun.captain naturally thought panicked whole-heartedly when it was to his address, and gave attacked, and promptly aban- the word to slip the bottledoned their floating homes. screws and throw clear the

Fortunately for us the shoot- coverings of the after 12ing was indifferent. This was pounder. The submarine was not to be wondered at, oon- still something like three thonsidering the state of the sea. sand five hundred yards away. Steadied as we were by the Up oame the after-gun, with wind, we were still throwing the usual orash and thud of ourselves about in a decidedly looking bolts; but before the unpleasant fashion; the U-boat, gan-layer could bring the piece with nothing to hold heragainst to bear, the C.O. was up and the run of the waves, must raving like a madman at all have been dancing wildly. Al. hands. We had disclosed our though shells were dropping real identity without even a here and there, over ns and dog's chance of souppering the

us short, ahead and astern, there enemy! were no more direct bits.

Here is an example of psy. Bat-mark how Fate was chology. Allan, our C.O., had working against us this par- about thirty seconds—certainly tioular day. The C.O., with not more--in which to make an idea, apparently, of draw. ap his mind. There was just a ing Fritz to closer quarters, fighting chance that the com

what we

mander of the U-boat had not speed and agility of man anvre seen the gun come up. Es that he did, he could sail in plaining it afterwards, the C.O. rings round us and choose said

precisely his position and "I don't think I evor moment of definite attack, thought quioker in my life, but Wo could do nothing beyond I wasn't aware of thinking at slug along like a orippled

a all. All I knew was that I dereliot. Wo could not even was blind mad against that use our wireless to call for fool of a gun-captain. But assistance, as, owing to Fritz's there was a sort of feeling that proximity, our signals would as there was a bit of spray have reached his apparatus knocking about, and as we with

we with a strength that must were making heavy weather of inevitably have disclosed the it, Fritz mightn't have noticed fact that we were equipped

were ap to, so I with wirelese--and the average thonght it best to gamble on sailing coaster in the Mediterthe off chance, and ordered the ranean does not indulge in gun to be housed again.” such expensive luxuries. It There was

reason on the was an excellent opportunity C.O.'s side. Look at a vessel to realise the limitations of a of Brig X's tonnage from a dis- “Q” boat. tance of some three thousand And there was, perhaps, yards through spray-dimmed some reason for the c.O.'s binoculars, and say how many growl as I crawled aft to find individual details you can pick company and to exchange out, remembering at the same opinions. time that your own ship is

“I'd like to have one or two rolling savagely.

of those blasted longshore R.N. Whatever the Gorman officer jokers here just now, saw through his binoonlars, marked bitterly. "The fellows it is evident that he did not see that ask us if we're troubled our oamouflaged gun go up. with cold feet when we ask Otherwise he would—following for a bigger gun to carry on the usual practice--have ap- with !” He spoke out of the proached og gubmerged until deeps of rankling experience. within torpedoing distanoe, Ho had protested not onoe but and then have settled the many times against the oalmatter out of hand by a well- ibre of the guns with which directed "mouldy.” As it was, we were equipped, asking for he contented himself with a 4 - inchers to replace

the desultory gun-fire that must 12-pounders, beoause it was have oost his Government quite believed that no enemy suba lot of money, and injured us marine afloat was armed with not at all.

anything less than 22. 80 our position pounder, whereas the majority Wag anything but an enviable of them carried 4.1 inch

We knew quite well tbat ordnanoe. But his requests his

gans were heavier than had fallen on deaf ears systeours, and that, owning the matically, and quite a number

" he re

But even

one.

of us serving in “Q” boats crews resigned themselves were strongly under the im- stoically to await events. Repression that the Navy proper turning to the after upperhad forgotten to declare war deck, we resolved to carry on against Germany on August as though the brig had actually 4, 1914.

beon abandoned. So far as we Because of the bedraggled could judge, the oontretemps of state of our yards and sails, the after 12-pounder had not we were moving slowly and been observed by the enemy. anoomfortably before the wind : Accordingly the brig was a biggish targot, and not in a permitted to slog along halfposition to retaliate, unless we aimlessly, as though crippled forgot the obligation we owed and generally affeoted in her to other craft of our type. personnel; and when another

It was apparent, too, that shell screamed near at hand, the men were getting restless. the C.O. gave the orderOrdinary “Q boating they "Hit amidships!” Brown, understood to the last word, who was holding a sort of but this indeterminate exist- watching - brief between the ence was rattling them a bit. wounded and his smoke-boxes,

. Already stories had filtered promptly ignited a smoke-box, through the various action and a splendid column of smoke positions 88 to what had ascended from our hul). happened, and these stories “That ought to fetch bim," had not lost anything in the C.O. said. But it failed to trangmission.

lure Fritz to the doom that was It was deoided to make a prepared for him. He refused visit to the stations and ex. to close to a nearer distance plain what had happened and than two thousand yards, and what we hoped would happen; even at that range persisted in accordingly we left the deok, moving swiftly and in circling crawling iroumspeotly, and about us. So that, after eninterviewed the men at olose during this sort of thing for quarters. It was, perhaps, two solid hours, our patience somewhat reprehensible to wore thin, and we decided that leave the deck under the the other brige of our type circumstances, but I think our might be able to look after action was justified. At the themselves: that was their

. forward 12-pounder the men affair. Our immediate prehad heard that a shell had oooupation was to put the wind pitohed aboard, dismounted the ap Fritz; and accordingly, gun, killed Captain

Captain Allan gave orders to get the and Navigator, and seriously guns up and open fire. wounded the First Lieutenant! This was done; and although Afterwards we wondered what the erratio movements of the sort of a story would have been brig rendered precise shooting told had Brig X been twice as problematical, several rounds long as she was.

were fired at the submarine. Yes, our unoomfortable visit My position, on opening fire, had a good effeot: the gun was aloft; and thither, in the

after - gun,

course of duty, I went. From sinister a thing as one subthe altitude of the topgail yard merged. the submarine seemed very As soon as we were assured small and a very long way off; that Fritz had definitely broken but, by contrast, the shot-hole off the engagement, the C.o. in the sail above my head seemed ordered a ration of rum to be large.

served out to all hands. This Wo got off seven rounds very was done, and the action was quickly. Spotting for the fall keenly appreciated, although of shot was anything but an the coxgwain said that the easy matter, because the surface accounting for the extra issue of the sea was badly ruffled by would be a diffioult matter. the breeze, and whiteoaps were The paymasters ashore would very plentiful; but suoh ob- not be able to understand such servations as were made were a departure from precedent, be passed down to the gan-orews, informed us; but we of the and sighting oorrections made after-guard deoided that, in the accordingly.

event of trouble arising, we To this day we are none of would foot the bill ourselves. as certain that we actually hit Considering the suspense the Fritz. The gun-layers swore orew had been compelled to that they had done so; and I endure, they richly deserved a observed one splash that seemed little refreshment of this nature. to indioate that & shell had And what actually happened pitched about twenty-five yards when the accounting took place short of the enemy's hull—and was this: the stone jar from that, allowing for the rise in which the grog had been served the ricochet, would certainly was hit violently against a have got him; but the action stanchion, and the broken was indeterminate. Fritz pieces were presented as evianswered fire

dence of an acoident. The curious to notice the thin spit offioial record, I believe, said

I of his gun's discharge amongst that one jar of rum had been the thrown-up spray-but after broken by the splinters of an

while he quite obviously enemy shell! Anyhow, the deemed disoretion the better

the better mon got the drink, and it part of valour, and turned tail steadied their jangled nerves, and went away on the surface and enabled them to endure at the top of his speed. We the unpleasantness of seeing waited, but he vanished utterly our wounded. in the direction of the land; The dead petty offioer was and we decided unanimously colleoted and sewn up in his that we had hit him so badly hammook-here again Brown that he was unable to sub- officiated stolidly—and after merge ; and we further prayed sunset we committed the man's that he might arouse the remains to the deep. interest of some of our steam A burial service at 888 is patrols, which would know how always an impressive matter; to deal with him. A gubmarine it brings a soalding sensation on the surface is not nearly so to the eyes and a lumpiness to

our

it

the throat. This was no ex- enough - mere flesh - wounds oeption. Allan read the ser- that answered to bathing and vice very impressively; and I dressing—and the shell-shock think wo all thought that it alles answered to copious ad. was by the merest trick of ministrations of rum and the Chance that we ourselves were obaff of their shipmates; but not bundled up in that red. were gravely conoerned stained fragmont of canvas. about White, and every effort As soon

was possible, was made to get him to port, we made preparations to alter where proper attention could Brig X's appearanoe, as a safe- be secured. Course was shaped guard and as an added lure. for Argostili, which was the Paint was mixed in large quan- Dearest friendly port, considertities, gear was got aloft, and ing the direction of the wind. 88 soon as darkness fell we Further, Argostili was one of busied ourselves strenuously. the few havens into which we The boom foresail was got rid were permitted to enter. We of and staysails were rigged to were limited in this respect, replace it, the main boom was as may be supposed : any place altered, the entire outside of which was even suspected of the hull was painted an entirely harbouring potential spies was different colour, the name on rigorously ruled out of our the stern was changed; and by programme. daylight we were & metamor- Here found Brig Y, phosed oraft, shining aloft as later - commissioned ship to spars, with white cotton than ourselves; a bigger ship, sails set, and a general sugges- too, armed with a bonny tion of smartness everywhere, 4-ineh gan, with depth-charge to prove that we were a "Blue. throwers and all manner of

packet,” hailing from contraptions. She had put in Nova Sootia.

for water and fresh provisions, Once again, through lack and her ward - room compleof a qualified medical officer ment, sneaking aboard us after aboard, we were compelled to nightfall in approved "Q" make for port, in order that fashion, expressed the firm our casualties might receive belief that enemy submarines adequate attention. The suf- did not exist. They had been ferings of Wbite were terrible, diligently scouring the seas for and there was 80 little that & period of two months and we could do to alleviate them, had not

even had

& false although we tried our utmost. alarm, Morphis was used freely- We showed them-not withdangerously, I fear-but it is out pride—such entries in our not at all a pleasant thing to log-book as explained our varisit by and witness & man's oue activities, and saw them agony, knowing that you pes- turn slowly green with envy. 8889 the means to lessen it, "If we'd only bad the luok!” without endeavouring to re- was the burden of their ory. lease bim from pain.

The " With our four-incher other casualties were trifling could have spitohered that

nose