ppal and disquiet him. In time he would be worn to the
rut again, but who can say the same rut? Unconsciously, we were
influenced by his quieter manners. In self-study we saw faults that had
been unnoticed before his return. Reviewing our hard sea-life, we
recalled our exclusion from benefits of instruction that went a-begging
on the beach. We stirred. There might yet be time to make up the leeway.

The influence of naval training was never very pronounced among the
seamen and firemen of the Merchants' Service who were attached to the
R.N.R. Their periods of training were too short for them to be
permanently influenced by the discipline of the Navy (or our
indiscipline on their return to us may have blighted a promising
growth!) On short-term training they were rarely allotted to important
work. The governing attitude was rather that they should be used as
auxiliaries, mercantile handymen, in a ship. If there was a stowage of
stores, cleaning up of bilges, chipping and scaling of iron rust--well,
here was mercantile Jack, who was used to that kind of work; who better
for the job? Generally, he returned to his old ways rather tired of Navy
'fashion' and discipline, and one saw but little influence of his
temporary service on a cruiser. Usually, he was a good hand, to begin
with: he sought a post on good ships: with his papers in order we were
very glad to have him back.

In few other ways did we come in touch with the Navy. At times the
misfortune of the sea brought us into a naval port for assistance in our
distress. Certainly, assistance was readily forthcoming, a full measure,
but in a somewhat cold and formal way that left a rankling impression
that we were not--well, we were not perhaps desirable acquaintances. The
naval manner was not unlike that of a courteous prescribing chemist over
his counter. "Have you had the pain--long?" "Is there any--coughing?" We
had always the feeling that they were bored by our custom, were anxious
to get back to the mixing of new pills, to their experiments. We were
not very sorry when our repairs were completed and we could sail for
warmer climates.

With the outbreak of war the R.N.R. was instantly mobilized. Their
outgoing left a sensible gap in our ranks, a more considerable rift than
we had looked for. Example drew others on their trodden path, our
mercantile seamen were keen for fighting service; the unheralded torpedo
had not yet struck home on their own ships. Commissions to