by congratulating Ross and Vernon on their escape
from U75, and trusted that their career as midshipmen of the R.N.R.
would be marked with success.

Syllenger read it through carefully and slowly, deliberately returned
it to the envelope, and handed it back to Ross. Then he held out his
hand.

"I'm sorry for what I've said," he declared simply. "Forget it, if you
can. Come and lunch with me at one bell."

"Thank you, sir," replied Ross in answer to the invitation; then, after
a pause, he added: "we didn't want to brag about it, but you made us."

"So I understand," said the skipper. "I've misjudged the pair of you,
but the least said about my part of it the better, I fancy."

He hailed a couple of men, instructing them to strike the midshipmen's
luggage down the companion-ladder. Ross and Vernon followed, to be
introduced to their new quarters.

Owing to the _Capella's_ shallow draught, the cabin space was rather
limited. The Captain's quarters were a double cabin, comprising a
state-room and sleeping-room, in a deck-house under the bridge. The
two Subs had each a small "dog-box", as they termed it, aft on the
starboard side. The engineer had a similar cabin on the port side.
Adjoining his quarters was another cabin, which had hitherto been used
as an overflow receptacle for officers' luggage. This had now been
cleared out, and hooks provided for the two midshipmen to sling their
hammocks. The slinging and unlashing of the hammocks was performed by
a servant, to whom Ross and Vernon had each to pay ten shillings a
month for the privilege. During the day the cabin made a fairly
comfortable room, although the furniture was Spartan-like in its
simplicity.

At six bells (11 a.m.) the _Capella_, having replenished her fuel and
stores, and made good slight defects, was "tracked" out of the dock.
An hour later she left Southampton, bound for a rendezvous off Beachy
Head, near which a U-boat had been reported to have made an
unsuccessful attack upon a swift merchant vessel.

The run down Southampton Water was necessarily performed at
quarter-speed, for in spite of her light displacement the _Capella's_
wash at full speed was almost equal to that of a liner. Even as it
was, a long line of white foam lashed itself upon the mudflats several
minutes after she had passed.

When Calshot Castle was abreast, speed was increased to 30 knots.
There was an easterly breeze blowing against the ebb-tide, with the
res