sh, familiar to them as the Esperanto of the sea.

The K.H.M.'s careful and detailed routine has a significance not
entirely connected with our sailing of the morrow; in a way it impresses
one with the extent of our sea-empire. Most of us have taken station as
he orders, have all the manoeuvres by rote, but even at this late
date, there are those among us, called from distant seas, to whom the
instructions are novel. For them, we say, the emphasis on clearing hawse
overnight, the definition of G.M.T., the exactitude of zigzag, and the
necessity of ready answer to signals. We are old stagers now, _we_ know
all these drills, _we_-- Damn! We, too, are becoming superior! In turn,
the commodore who is to sail with us has his say. Signals and look-out,
the cables of our distance, wireless calls, action guns and
smoke-screen, the rubbish-heap, darkening ship, fog-buoys and
hydroplanes, he deals with in a fine, confident, deep sea-voice. Only on
question of the hearing of sound-signals in fog do we throw our weight
about, and we make reminiscent tangents not wholly connected with the
point at issue. Yarn-spinners, courteously recalled from their
digressions, wind up somewhat lamely, and commodore goes on to deal with
late encounters with the enemy in which a chink in our armour was bared.
Methods approved to meet such emergencies are explained, and his part is
closed by attention to orders detailed for convoy dispersal. The
commander of the destroyer escort has a few words for us; a brief detail
of the power of his under-water armament, a request for a 'fair field in
action.' Conference comes to an end when the shipping intelligence
officer has explained his routes and given us our sailing orders.

Till now we have been actually an hour and a half without smoking, and
our need is great. As one man we fumble for pipes and tobacco (a few
lordly East-Indiamen flaunt cheroots), and in the fumes and at our ease
arrange, in unofficial ways, the small brotherly measures that may help
us at sea.

"Oh yes, _Chelmsford_, you're my next ahead. Well, say, old man, if it
comes fog, give me your brightest cargo 'cluster' to shine
astern--daytime, too--found it a good----" "Fog, egad! What about fog
when we are forming up? Looked none too clear t' the south'ard as we
came ashore!"

Somewhat late, we realize that not a great deal has been said about
weather conditions for the start-off. The port convoy officer is still
about, but all he ca