Part 5 (2/2)

”Where did you say?” enquired the lieutenant.

The recruit repeated the words.

”Zoo, did you say?” snapped the officer.

”Yes, sir,” rejoined Thomas Brown without a moment's hesitation. ”The next cage to yours.”

The repartee came absolutely on the spur of the moment. A second's reflection might have made all the difference. It was a bad start, and the newly-entered boy suffered for it. That was some years ago, but in the Royal Navy the old adage of giving a dog a bad name holds good longer than anywhere else.

Sefton recognized the man as one who figured frequently in the ”Captain's Report”. Young as he was, the sub had a keen insight into human nature, and although he knew nothing of the first slip that had marred the A.B.'s career he was certain that there were good points in the man, and that underneath his rugged, surly exterior there was something of true worth.

”No need for you to tumble into the ditch after me, sir,” said the man.

”I can s.h.i.+ft for myself.”

He spoke gruffly, but underlying the remonstrance was an unmistakable tone of grat.i.tude. In the circ.u.mstances he was glad of company. He would have welcomed his ”raggie”, or chum, in preference to an officer, but at such times the difference of rank gives place to the equality of human peril.

”They'll pick us both up,” declared Sefton, although in his mind he had grave doubts as to the matter.

”Not they,” rejoined A.B. Brown, indicating the direction of the now invisible flotilla with a jerk of his closely-cropped head. ”The cruisers might. But take hold of this, sir,” he added, pus.h.i.+ng the buoy to within reach of the sub. ”You looks as if you want it a long sight more'n me.”

Both men relapsed into silence. Further conversation meant a waste of precious breath. At intervals, as the buoy rose on the billows, Sefton ”hiked” his head and shoulders well clear of the water in the hope of sighting the armoured-cruiser squadron.

”They're a precious long time in coming up,” he soliloquized. ”Seven minutes ought to have done the trick.”

As a matter of fact, the First Cruiser Squadron had received a wireless message from the _Calder_ within ninety seconds of Sefton's leap overboard, requesting the vessels to keep a sharp look-out for the two men.

On receipt of the intelligence the armoured cruisers' speed was reduced to 10 knots, and this accounted for the seemingly endless time that elapsed before the vessels came within sight of the two well-nigh exhausted men as they clung to the lifebuoy.

At length, through the light haze that prevailed throughout the morning, could be discerned the grey outlines of the First Cruiser Squadron.

The s.h.i.+ps were steaming in double column, line ahead, the _Defence_, flying the Rear-Admiral's flag, leading the starboard and the _Warrior_ the port line. With faultless precision they came on, three cables'

distance separating the units of each division, and twice that interval betwixt the columns.

”They've spotted us, sir,” exclaimed Able Seaman Brown, as the alteration of position of the red flag and green cone displayed from the cruiser's mainmast yard-arm told the two men that the _Warrior's_ helm was being ported. Simultaneously the ”steaming cones” were reversed, showing that the s.h.i.+p's engines were going astern--a manoeuvre followed by the rest of the squadron.

Almost before way was taken off the s.h.i.+p the _Warrior's_ sea-boat was rapidly lowered from the davits. Sefton could hear the dull thud of the lower blocks as the releasing-gear came into action and the falls surged against the s.h.i.+p's side, and the treble-voiced mids.h.i.+pman urging his boat's crew to ”give way there, my lads, for all you're worth.”

Although only a minute and a half elapsed between the time the sea-boat got away from the s.h.i.+p and her arrival at the scene of the rescue, the interval seemed interminable to Sub-lieutenant Sefton.

With feelings of indescribable relief he realized that he was being gripped by two pairs of h.o.r.n.y powerful hands and lifted over the dipping gunwale into the stern-sheets, while others performed a like office for the saturated A.B.

Smartly the sea-boat was brought alongside the cruiser. Deftly the hoisting-gear was engaged, and with a hundred-and-twenty men tailing on the falls the boat and her occupants were whisked up to a level with the vessel's quarter-deck.

And thus Acting Sub-lieutenant John Sefton found himself on board H.M.S.

_Warrior_, in blissful ignorance of the gallant part the armoured cruiser was about to bear in the glorious battle off the Jutland Bank.

CHAPTER VI--Action at the Double

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