he hasn't seen him.... Lord! It's like a French
musical comedy."

Sir William put his watch back in his pocket and stood looking from one
speaker to the other. Finally he removed his eye-glass and began to
polish it with scrupulous care.

"Do I understand----" he began.

The voice of the Lieutenant-Commander at the periscope cut him short.
"Stand by the tubes!" he shouted.

There was a swift bustle of men's footsteps down the electric-lit
perspective of glistening machinery.

"Fritz must be in a tearing hurry to get home," commented the First
Lieutenant. "P'raps they've all got plague or running short of food
... or just tired of life?"

"P'raps," conceded the Lieutenant-Commander. "Anyhow, that's as may
be.... The beam torpedo tube will just bear nicely in a minute." The
white teeth beneath the rubber eye-piece of the periscope showed for an
instant in a broad grin. "Won't old man Gedge jump!"

"Starboard beam tube ready!"

Sir William replaced his eye-glass. A sudden bead of perspiration ran
down and vanished into his left eyebrow.

"The Lord," said the Lieutenant in a low voice, "has placed the enemy
upon our lee bow, Sir William."

"Has he?" said Sir William dryly. "Then I hope He'll have mercy on
their souls."

The motionless figure at the periscope gave a couple of low-voiced
orders, and in the ensuing silence Sir William felt the artery in his
throat quicken and beat like a piston. Then--

"Fire!"

The boat rolled to port, and all her framework shook like the body of a
man shaken by a sudden sob. Back she came to her original trim, and
the Lieutenant, standing by the beam tube, raised his wrist watch and
studied it intently. The seconds passed, throbbing, intolerable, and
merged into Eternity. A sudden concussion seemed to strike the boat
from bow to stern, and as she steadied the motionless figures, standing
expressionless at their stations, suddenly sprang into life and action.

There was the metallic sound of metal striking metal as the hatchway
opened, a rush of cool, sweet air, and the Scientist found himself
beside the two officers, without the slightest recollection of how he
got there, standing in the wind and sunlight on the streaming platform
of the conning-tower. The boat 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 patc