listened
intently. The splash of the sea and the many noises of a rolling ship
drowned any other sound there might have been, and the patrol was then
continued. Less than half-an-hour later, however, the clank! clank!
clank! of engines again became suddenly audible, and the vessel was
turned in the direction of the sound.

The engines were put to full speed ahead, and as each comber struck the
bows the little ship trembled from stem to stern, and clouds of icy
spray swept high over the mast. The big steel hull of some man-o'-war or
merchantman might suddenly loom up out of the darkness so close ahead
that no skill could avoid a collision, and the eyes of all aboard were
gazing alertly into the blackness of the night.

Five minutes' dash through the blinding, stinging spray and the engines
were once more shut off to listen. The curious clanking noise had,
however, ceased, and although hydrophones were used to again locate the
sound, there was no result, only the ceaseless wash of the sea and the
low moaning of the wind. Another mile or so of pounding through the
waves, followed by an interval of listening, brought the same
discouraging result, and the slow, monotonous routine of patrol was
continued.

The stinging frost of the night became the numbing cold of early
morning, and the long hours in the snow and icy spray had left their
mark on all. Limbs were stiff and sore. The edges of wet and half-frozen
sleeves rasped swollen wrists. Faces smarted and eyes ached, but little
was said in the way of complaint, for men grow hard on northern seas or
else succumb to the hardships.

When the first dim light of a winter dawn broke reluctantly over the
grey tumbling sea and whirling snow another night patrol was over, and
the cheering thought came to all that soon the welcome warmth and
shelter of club and recreation room would embrace them for the brief
hours of daylight, while others kept watch upon the seas.

It had been snowing hard for the past twenty-four hours, but as the
light of a new day strengthened it eased somewhat, and away to the
westward the blue outline of the land became visible. The fitful wind of
the night rose to a stiff breeze, but no one paid much attention to the
increasing volume of bitter spray which swept the deck as the grey-green
rollers put on their white caps of foam, for the ship was heading
towards the harbour and their vigil was over until darkness again closed
down.

Few things are mor