oyage

ts Wet-Hopkins Disappears-Off in Chase

Harold Swinton Glov

the Imperial Ch

t into Gibraltar they found a dynamite cartridge down in the stoke-hold, mixed up with a lot of coal. It was jolly lucky they found it, for Ogston-that's our Assistant Engineer-says there would have been a

egrams they brought off to the ship. I was midshipman of the watch. He gasped like a dying fish, and sang out to the old Doctor,

so scared that I

en left behind to bring some valuable papers

o go ashore, the Commander's messenger came running down the ladder and sang out: "No leave for anybody!" So we had just to shove our things back into our chests and get into our dirtiest uniform, for the coal lighters were

ins (his real name was Christie, as I told you before, a tremendously fat cadet, who always saw the c

The Skipper and Commander were there, looking very serious, with two marines close to them, holdi

Chinaman, although his pigtail was coiled all round his head and he had a big cap over

d a marine with fixed bayonet, examine every basket of coal, and prevent anybody coming on board, whilst others had to go down in the lighters

t on the deck, and we had to look through it carefully. But didn't it take a time, that's a

board side, with nothing to eat except a tin of sardines, which Mellins passed out of the gun-r

ns had saved me a bit of grub, which I tucked into, wh

-room, suggested it. "Just show the beggars we don't mind,

idn't we make a noise! and soon after the men began a concert of their own, forward on the fo'c'stle. Presently the Master-at-Arms came down to order "lights out", and Je

, he got up and said: "Thank you, gentlemen, your sing-song was a good idea. Good-night!" And as he went away we gave him three cheers and "Fo

fter breakfast, whilst we were having a stand-easy, three destroyers came slowly in, flying a f

port. It was a very comical sight. Hopkins borrowed my glass. "I reckon that ain't much of an advertise for the

jolly hot, to paddle about in bare feet, with your trousers tucked up above your knees, and the fire-hoses splish-splashing on the deck and washing the coal dust away-yo

man. "I never see'd 'em afore, and I've been

, and he borrowed a tele

ard that craft, sir. Look at their heads

istakable Chinese faces, and I could se

ng, under-handed, little midshipman, who couldn't pull himself up once on the horizontal bar), who was standing by us, ran and to

them, with that ass, Suet Dumpling, grinning with importance just behind him. "Tell the Commander I w

ring through it, I called out to the man, and he turned round with the hose in his hand, just as I wanted, Dumpling getting it all in his back-he had just shifted into a clean white tun

agonians, but there were no Chinese to be seen, and men were very busy on the two disable

spicious of Chinamen, that when everyone knew that there were some aboar

little fellow, who is a walking Brassey's Naval Annual, and knows every man-of-war in the world by name,

o say to the Doctor; "If they are, they won't give us

who brought the news. "What did

yone seems to have Chinese, pirates, dynamite, and Patagonia on the b

stomach-ache, and he made me take some beastly castor-oil on the spot. I hate the stuff," and he grinned and

d; "he doesn't care what happens, so

s, that I fancy most of us imagined we s

watch, which I kept aft on the quarter-deck, I was responsible that they were kept closed. Funnily enough, Mr. Hopkins wouldn't seem to understand that he mustn't show a light, and twice I saw his scuttle lighted up during the night. I was afraid the Skipper might come on deck and see it and drop on him, so went down into h

ill we reached Port Said, where, right in front

d us they had been in Port Said for two days, going out at dusk and not returning till morning; so we then felt sure that the break-down at Malta was all rot, and that they had simply been wait

lying off the Suez Canal offices (she had come in early that morning from Brindisi with the mails), and bring back a lieu

before, so I pulled back and reported. Then I was sent over to H.M.S. Hebe, one of our own gun-boats, doing guardship there, but they knew nothing of him-they had sent a boat for mails

the consuls and all the hotels-a terribly hot day, too, it was, with an awful glare which fagged us all-but we could hear nothing of him. When we got bac

opkins too had been somehow decoyed away. You see he was just the man they would want, for he was the Skipper's secretary and would know everything. Whilst we th

id. "You, Mr. Foote, are lent to 'No. 1', and you, Mr. Glover, to 'No. 3'." As we left

thank you," we

e the boat came alongside, Mellins giving us a basketful of grub as we shoved off. Toddles was put aboar

in his hurry had forgott

s and see that everything was "clear" aster

we off to?" I asked

heard Mr. Parker tell the Sub-lootenant that

we hauled in the slip on the buoy astern. When the rope was clear of her screws and rudde

and cheered us, for they had got wind of what we were going to do.

the way. However, it lighted up both sides of the steep sandy banks, and we followed "No. 2" somehow or other. Of course we wanted to go as fast as we could, and the pilot nearly had apoplexy, shrieking and gesticulating with fright or anger, whenever

I felt jolly nervous, I can tell you, for everything looked all the darker on account of the searchlight, and we were simply sticking on to the stern of "No. 2". If she or

en we got into the

India mail steamer pass us, and did not g

ee hours before; so after them we bustled,

1", and down below dived Mr. Chapman, our eng

aid Mr. Parker to the Sub, "and i

do if we catch

m," replied

if they wo

that there might be a fight. It gave me a funny feeling in my stomach, but I knew I

e were shaking and throbbing as the hum of the engines gradually rose, our bows coming out of the wate

e, and was holding on to the bridg

wn below and get anything to eat. That shows what a ripping thi

oard and we on the port side of "No. 1", about three m

going north, and directly afterwards we were ordered back to Suez to inform Capt

way back before you could say "knife"; but you should have heard what Mr. Parker and t

t twenty hours-a jolly good performance. We hadn't to wait long, for we ran alongside the Sylvia, filled up with

myself beastly dirty, and much missed

meeting any adventures. "No. 2" and "No. 1" were

No. 2", came aboard of us directly. They told us that th

eceived in a very friendly manner, and shown all over both, and not a trace of Staunton, Hopkins, or Chinese, for the matter of that,

ur before we came, and was sighted from the top of the rock making e

and both of us required a few days in harbour to put things right down in the engine-room. And not only that, but I dare not let thes

posed Mr. Parker eagerly, "for there is not

our Engineer, adding, "we'r

d provisioned. The third Patagonian has most probably shipped Staunton, Hopkins, and all the Chinese to allay our suspicions of these other two, and whatever course s

," replied Mr.

you are ready to shove off I'll make you a misleading signal, which you must act upon till out of sight of lan