ey did.

It was hours later when the Brigadier ran clear of the channel and
breasted the heavy swell of the Atlantic. Jack spoke to Thompson, the
third officer.

"I'm going to turn in," he said. "If anything happens, call me at once."

"Very well, sir," was the third officer's reply.

He saluted briefly. Jack and Frank went below.

"Come in a moment before you turn in, if you wish," Jack said to Frank.

"May as well," replied the latter. "I don't feel like turning in for an
hour yet."

"Well, you can't keep me out of bed that long," declared Jack. "I've got
to be stirring before you go on watch again. But I thought we might talk a
few moments."

Nevertheless, it was an hour later that Frank went to his own cabin. He
turned in at once and was soon fast asleep.

On the other hand, sleep did not come to Jack so soon. For an hour or more
he lay in his bunk, reviewing the events of the past and his
responsibilities of the present.

"It's a big job I have now," he told himself. "I hope I can carry it
through successfully."

But he didn't have the slightest doubt that he could. Jack's one best
characteristic was absolute confidence in himself.

CHAPTER V

A RESCUE

H.M.S. Brigadier was steaming steadily along at a speed of twenty knots.
Jack himself held the bridge. Frank and Lieutenant Hetherton, who stood
nearby, were discussing the sinking several days before of a large allied
transport by a German submarine in the Irish sea.

"She was sunk without warning, the same as usual," said Hetherton.

"The Germans never give warning any more," replied Frank, "Of course, the
reason is obvious enough. To give warning it would be necessary for the
submarine to come to the surface, in which case the merchant ship might be
able to place a shell aboard the U-Boat before she could submerge again.
So to take time to give warning would be a disadvantage to the submarine."

"At the same time," said Hetherton, "it's an act of barbarism to sink a
big ship without giving passengers and crew a word of warning."

"Oh, I'm not defending the German system," declared Frank. "I am just
giving you what I believe is the German viewpoint."

"Nevertheless," said Hetherton, "it's about time such activities were
stopped."

"It certainly is. But it seems that the U-Boats are growing bolder each
day."

"It wouldn't surprise me," declared Lieutenant Hetherton, "to hear almost
any day that U-Boats had crossed the Atlantic to