Part 4 (1/2)

”Really I--I hardly know, sir.”

I asked him if at such times one was not inclined to feel a trifle shaken, a little nervous, or, might one say, afraid?

”Yes, sir,” he agreed politely, ”I suppose so--only, you see, we were all too jolly busy to think about it!”

”Oh!” said I, taking out a cigarette, ”too busy! Of course! I see!

And where is the Captain during action, as a rule?”

”As a matter of fact he stood--just where you are, sir. Stood there the whole six hours it was hottest.”

”Here!” I exclaimed. ”But it is quite exposed.”

My Mids.h.i.+pmite, being a hardy veteran in world-shaking naval battles, permitted himself to smile.

”But, you see, sir,” he gently explained, ”it's really far safer out here than being shut up in a gun-turret or--or down below, on account of er--er--you understand, sir?”

”Oh, quite!” said I, and thereafter thought awhile, and, receiving his ready permission, lighted my cigarette. ”I think,” said I, as we prepared to descend from our lofty perch, ”I'm sure it's just--er--that kind of thing that brought one Francis Drake out of so very many tight corners. By the way--do you smoke?”

My Mids.h.i.+pmite blus.h.i.+ngly confessed he did, and helped himself from my case with self-conscious fingers.

Reaching the main deck in due season, I found I had contrived to miss the Chief Gunner's lecture on the great guns, whereupon who so agitated and bitterly apologetic as my Mids.h.i.+pmite, who there and then ushered me hastily down more awkward stairs and through narrow openings into a place of glistening, gleaming polish and furbishment where, beside the s.h.i.+ning breech of a monster gun, muscular arm negligently leaning thereon, stood a round-headed, broad-shouldered man, he the presiding genius of this (as I afterwards found) most sacred place.

His lecture was ended and he was addressing a few well-chosen closing remarks in slightly bored fas.h.i.+on (he had showed off his ponderous playthings to divers kings, potentates and bigwigs at home and abroad, I learned) when I, though properly awed by the gun but more especially by the gunner, ventured to suggest that a gun that had been through three engagements and had been fired so frequently must necessarily show some signs of wear. The gunner glanced at me, and I shall never forget that look. With his eyes on mine, he touched a lever in negligent fas.h.i.+on, whereon silently the great breech slipped away with a hiss and whistle of air, and with his gaze always fixed he suggested I might glance down the bore.

Obediently I stooped, whereon he spake on this wise:

”If you cast your heyes to the right abaft the breech you'll observe slight darkening of riflin's. Now glancin' t'left of piece you'll per-ceive slight darkening of riflin's. Now casting your heyes right forrard you'll re-mark slight roughening of riflin's towards muzzle of piece and--there y'are, sir. One hundred and twenty-seven times she's been fired by my 'and and good for as many more--both of us.

Arternoon, gentlemen, and--thank ye!”

Saying which he touched a lever in the same negligent fas.h.i.+on, the mighty breech block slid back into place, and I walked forth humbly into the outer air.

Here I took leave of my Mids.h.i.+pmite, who stood among a crowd of his fellows to watch me down the gangplank, and I followed whither I was led very full of thought, as well I might be, until rousing, I found myself on the deck of that famous _Warspite_, which our foes are so comfortably certain lies a shattered wreck off Jutland. Here I presently fell into discourse with a tall lieutenant, with whom I went alow and aloft; he showed me c.o.c.kpit, infirmary and engine-room; he showed me the wonder of her steering apparatus, and pointed to the small hand-wheel in the bowels of this huge s.h.i.+p whereby she had been steered limping into port. He directed my gaze also to divers vast sh.e.l.l holes and rents in her steel sides, now very neatly mended by steel plates held in place by many large bolts. Wherever we went were sailors, by the hundred it seemed, and yet I was struck by the size and airy s.p.a.ciousness between decks.

”The strange thing about the Hun,” said my companion, as we mounted upward again, ”is that he is so amazingly accurate with his big guns.

Anyway, as we steamed into range he registered direct hits time after time, and his misses were so close the spray was flying all over us.

Yes, Fritz is wonderfully accurate, but”--here my companion paused to flick some dust from his braided cuff--”but when we began to knock him about a bit it was funny how it rattled him--quite funny, you know. His shots got wider and wider, until they were falling pretty well a mile wide--very funny!” and the lieutenant smiled dreamily.

”Fritz will shoot magnificently if you only won't shoot back. But really I don't blame him for thinking he'd sunk us; you see, there were six of 'em potting away at us at one time--couldn't see us for spray--”

”And how did you feel just then?” I enquired.

”Oh, rotten! You see I'd jammed my finger in some tackle for one thing, and just then the light failed us. We'd have bagged the lot if the light had held a little longer. But next time--who knows? Care for a cup of tea?”

”Thanks!” I answered. ”But where are the others?”

”Oh, by Jove! I fancy your party's gone--I'll see!”