ailing the tail of our coat for a couple of days, and
then come back again." The speaker gripped the spokes of the wheel
almost savagely. "Lord!" he added, "if only they'd come out...."

Mordaunt fingered his nose gingerly. "They do come out occasionally, I
believe. You'd think their women 'ud boo them out.... They sneak
about behind their minefields and do exercises, and they cover their
Battle-cruisers when they nip out for a tip-and-run bombardment of one
of our watering-places. But we'll never catch 'em, although we can
stop them from being of the smallest use to Germany by just being where
we are."

"We could catch them if they didn't know we were coming South," said
another Midshipman perched beside Mordaunt with his knees under his
chin.

"But they always do know," said Harcourt over his shoulder. "Their
Zepps always see us coming and give them the tip to nip off home!"

"Fog..." said Mordaunt musingly.

"Yes," said another who had not hitherto spoken. "That 'ud do it all
right. But then you couldn't see to hit 'em. 'Sides, you can't count
on a fog coming on just when you want it."

"Well," said Morton, with the air of one who was wearied by profitless
discussion. "Fog or no fog, I only hope they come out this time."

He rang down "Slow" to the tiny engine-room underneath his feet, and
spun the wheel to bring the crowded boat alongside the port gangway.

A Fleet proceeds to sea in War-time with little or no outward
circumstance. There was no apparent increase of activity onboard the
the great fighting "townships" even on the eve of departure. As the
late afternoon wore on the Signal Department onboard the Fleet Flagship
was busy for a space, and the daylight signalling searchlights splashed
and spluttered while hoist after hoist of flags leaped from the signal
platform to yardarm or masthead; and ever as they descended fresh
successive tangles climbed to take their place. But after a while even
this ceased, and the Flagships of the squadrons, who had been taking it
all in, nodded sagely, as it were, and turned round to repeat for the
benefit of the ships of their individual squadrons such portions as
they required for their guidance.

Then from their hidden anchorage the Destroyers moved past on their way
out, flotilla after flotilla in a dark, snake-like procession, swift,
silent, mysterious, and a little later the Cruisers and Light Cruisers
crept out in the failing light to take up t