hat on this occasion the tide was low and the mines
consequently extremely dangerous to even the shallowest draught type of
warship. The speed of the M.L. was increased until the twin engines
were revolving at the rate of 490 a minute.

The snow haze seemed suddenly to grow thicker and all around the
flurries of white blotted out the distant view. The minutes of pounding
through the slate-grey seas seemed interminably long, and the flying
clouds of icy spray stung every exposed part of the human frame.

When about three sea miles had been traversed the engines were stopped
and all on board listened for a cry from the sea ahead. The C.O. pulled
the peak of his drenched cap farther over his eyes and gazed out into
the opaque greyness ahead.

Minutes passed; but little ships cannot rest quietly on the open sea.
The lash of the water and the slapping of the meagre rigging drowned any
faint sound there might have been, and once more the engines throbbed to
the order "Slow ahead!"

Barely had the ship gathered way before a dark object appeared
momentarily in the trough of the sea about two degrees on the starboard
bow and the next instant seemed swallowed up.

A warning cry from the look-out on the tiny sea-washed fo'c'sle head, a
sharp order from the bridge, and, within its own length, the patrol boat
swung rapidly to port. At the same moment a dan-buoy splashed overboard
to mark the position of the floating mine. A few yards more to the
eastward and No. 822 would have appeared in the list of the missing.

Minutes of tense nerve strain followed, for all knew that the ship was
in the midst of a mine-field, and the deadly horns which had been
momentarily visible on the surface were but a single example of the many
which lurked around. Eyes were strained into the grey-green depths, and
yet all knew the impossibility of seeing. Again the look-out's warning
cry and the engines were reversed, but this time it was not a mine, but
the victim of one, holding on to a piece of wreckage.

Willing hands hauled the half-frozen form on board and stanched the
blood that still oozed from cuts on the face and neck. Blankets and
hot-water bottles were soon forthcoming, and the battered remnant--for
both a leg and thigh bone were broken--was placed as carefully as the
lurching of the ship would allow in the aft-cabin bunk. Before this
could be accomplished, however, a cry again rang out from the watch on
the fo'c'sle head and yet another