, impressive silence, they
passed down between the lines, while the bluejackets and the troops
stood at rigid attention, salute after salute sounded from each ship in
turn, and ensigns dipped.

Two days at Colombo passed merrily enough with forty-five shipfuls of
light-hearted troops exploring that Oriental city for the first time;
and at the end of it the Cingalees were left in a dazed condition.
Bazaars, wineshops, native quarters and Gal Face all rang with the
delighted shouts of irresponsible troops making the best of a short
time; and rickshaws were raced against each other with great effect.
Before many hours had passed the Staff announced their disapproval of
such unmilitary conduct, and stopped leave; but the men were not
overawed by the thunder of the heads, and those who could swarmed
ashore from the ships, leave or no leave. At length the vessels went
to the outer anchorage, at a safe distance from Oriental seductions.
Next morning a tug brought from the shore a washed-out collection of
adventurers, and distributed them to their ships. Under way again, the
fleet steered a west-nor'-westerly course for Aden, and the men, none
the worse for a little joy in Colombo, settled again to ship routine.
Six German sailors from the _Emden_ had been placed on board the
_Tahiti_ at Colombo; and from them Mac heard something of the
battle--how the _Sydney_ had surprised them when they had some boats'
crews away destroying the wireless and cable stations at Cocos Islands;
how the _Emden_ had been beached and raked by the _Sydney's_ terrible
broadsides; and the sufferings of the wounded before they were taken
off. Mac was interested to notice through the dome of the officers'
dining saloon, which projected through the bridge deck, that a German
naval officer prisoner drank the King's health along with the rest of
the mess.

Several days dragged drowsily by in sweet procession.

Mac was doing the afternoon watch. Between noon and one o'clock the
signallers were usually fairly busy while latitudes and longitudes were
hoisted and the staff disposed of the last of the morning's work. Then
peace reigned for three hours, while the fleet dozed through the hot
afternoon, and Mac could see through his glasses lazy figures stretched
in deck-chairs beneath shady awnings. He leaned over the starboard
light, neglected his lookout, and gazed far down at the swishing water
which ran the ship's length at a lazy ten knots. The fath