solutely necessary to keep it dark
for a while. A few hours won't make very much difference one way or
the other to my people, but it would make a thumping lot to our friend
Dr. Ramblethorne, otherwise von Hauptwald. If he were to hear that we
were alive, he'd do a bunk. The same with that other spy, von Ruhle.
They must be arrested promptly, and within a few hours of each other,
in case one of them scents trouble and clears out."

"I see your point," admitted Devereux. "I won't send a wireless at
present. You must be feeling peckish. I'll get my steward to bring
you in some grub. Excuse me, I must be off again. We've a lot to
attend to, you know."

The Lieutenant-Commander went on deck to conduct operations. He was
temporarily senior officer, and it fell to him to issue orders to his
two consorts relating to the investigation of the scene of the
battleship's exploit.

For two hours the three destroyers cruised over the spot where the two
submarines were supposed to have sunk. At length wreckage was found by
means of grapnels. It was, of course, much too deep to send a diver
down to report; but the spot was buoyed, and served as a base while
sweeping operations were proceeded with in the hope of locating the
hull of the second unterseeboot. In a very short space of time two
operations undertaken for the purpose of destroying the sunken
submarine were highly satisfactorily carried out. The first resulted
in the release of a small quantity of buoyant wreckage, amongst which
was the flagstaff of U75. The second brought to the surface a quantity
of oil, showing that a submarine had been sunk there, but the injuries
she previously received had not been sufficient to liberate the
contents of the heavy oil-tanks. The explosive charge had completed
the destruction of U77.

Just before five in the afternoon, the _Yealm_ and her consorts passed
the eastern arm of the breakwater in Plymouth Sound and brought up in
the Hamoaze. Ross and Vernon, arrayed in borrowed clothes and
accompanied by Lieutenant-Commander Devereux, lost no time in going
ashore and proceeding to the offices of the Commander-in-Chief.

"You are acting with remarkable discretion," observed the Admiral, when
Ross reiterated his desire not to communicate with his home until the
spies were safely under lock and key. "Fortunately there ought to be
no undue delay, as we have two expert Scotland Yard men investigating a
case in the Dockyard. I'