strict school. Upon which the lieutenant, but that he was
busy, would have slain the gunner for refusing orders in action.
Afterwards he wanted him shot by court-martial. But every one was
voiceless by then, and could only mouth and croak at each other, till
somebody laughed, and the pedantic gunner was spared.

"Well, that's what you might fairly call a naval crux," said my friend
among the stores. "The Lootenant was right. 'Mustn't refuse orders in
action. The Gunner was right. Empty cases _are_ on charge. No one
ought to chuck 'em away that way, but.... Damn it, they were _all_ of
'em right! It ought to ha' been a marine. Then they could have killed
him and preserved discipline at the same time."

A LITTLE THEORY

The problem of this coast resolves itself into keeping touch with the
enemy's movements; in preparing matters to trap and hinder him when he
moves, and in so entertaining him that he shall not have time to draw
clear before a blow descends on him from another quarter. There are
then three lines of defence: the outer, the inner, and the home
waters. The traffic and fishing are always with us.

The blackboard idea of it is always to have stronger forces more
immediately available everywhere than those the enemy can send. _x_
German submarines draw _a_ English destroyers. Then _x_ calls _x + y_
to deal with _a_, who, in turn, calls up _b_, a scout, and possibly
_a squared_, with a fair chance that, if _x + y + z_ (a Zeppelin) carry on,
they will run into _a squared + b squared + c_ cruisers. At this point, the equation
generally stops; if it continued, it would end mathematically in the
whole of the German Fleet coming out. Then another factor which we may
call the Grand Fleet would come from another place. To change the
comparisons: the Grand Fleet is the "strong left" ready to give the
knock-out blow on the point of the chin when the head is thrown up.
The other fleets and other arrangements threaten the enemy's solar
plexus and stomach. Somewhere in relation to the Grand Fleet lies the
"blockading" cordon which examines neutral traffic. It could be drawn
as tight as a Turkish bowstring, but for reasons which we may arrive
at after the war, it does not seem to have been so drawn up to date.

The enemy lies behind his mines, and ours, raids our coasts when he
sees a chance, and kills seagoing civilians at sight or guess, with
intent to terrify. Most sailor-men are mixed up with a woman or two; a
fair p