his clasped hands, with the faint blue tattoo-marks showing
under the tan. "We got him at dawn--off a headland.... Oh, best bit
of sport that ever I had!" The speaker's hard grey eye softened at the
recollection. "We've got lots since, but never one as neat as that.
He just came to the surface and showed his tail-fin and----" the huge
hands made a significant downward gesture.

If you have ever heard a Regimental Bombing Officer describe the
clearing of an enemy traverse, you will understand the complete
expressiveness of that gesture.

"I'm going North now to join a new base up there. There are one or two
dodges that I can put them up to, I reckon."

The Volunteer filled and lit a pipe.

"Pretty work it sounds. Ours is duller, on the whole, but we get our
share of excitement. You never sight a steamer flying neutral colours
without the possibility of her hoisting the German ensign and slipping
a torpedo into you. That's why we introduced the Red Pendant business.
It meant inconvenience for all parties, but neutrals have only got the
Hun to thank for it."

"Never heard of it," said the other. "Fritz-hunting is my game."

"Well, you see, ever since they've tried to slip raiders through the
blockade we can't afford to close a stranger flying neutral colours
within gun or torpedo range. So we had to explain to neutrals that a
red flag hoisted by one of our merchant cruisers is the signal to heave
to instantly, and that brings her up well out of range. Then we drop a
boat and steam off and signal her to close the boat, and the boarding
officer goes on board and examines her papers. If she's got a cargo
without guarantees she's sent into one of the examination ports under
an armed guard to have it overhauled properly."

"For contraband?"

"Yes, and to see that the commodity she carries isn't in excess of the
ration allowed to the country of destination--if she's eastward bound,
that is. Also the passengers are scrutinised for suspects, and so on;
it's a big job, one way and another. That's all done by the
Examination Service at the port, though, and I don't envy them the job.
We only catch 'em and bring 'em in."

For a while longer he talked between puffs at his pipe of the "twilight
service" rendered by the Armed Merchant-cruisers. He spoke of grim
stern-chases under the Northern Lights, of perils from ice and
submarines and winter gales, while the Allied strangle-hold tightened
month by month, re