The Dreadnought of the Air

nant Basil Dacres came off to the s

you about it when you've done yo

ade his way to Commander Bourne's cabin,

ced. "Spoofed the whole jolly

p your tracks?" asked

s midshipmen. It was hot work, though. Fancy spending a couple of hours on a day like thi

the details of the joke he had played, b

ry I let you carry out this mad prank

on't say much. The less they say the better, for

e, we must do our best to keep it to ourselves. The culprit must b

his is my pigeon, you know. Anyway, they haven't tumbled to it

d down his mahogany-coloured cheeks. The chaplain had it third hand from the skipper, and p

es, the captain's valet, heard his master and the padre laughing immoderately-was human enough to put his ear to the keyhole of the captai

ntil the following afternoon. I

ub," and was enjoying a cooling glass of lime juice

Dacres, sir,

ded slip of paper. His intuition told

Mr. Basil Dacres, sub-lieutenant, is to report h

s, but the deep flush that swept over

to his cabin and changed into No. Eight Rig. In the midst of the operation Commander Bourne

m going with you. There's bound to be a most unhol

need of a friend to back him up during the coming or

You see, it may be something else. In any ca

wou

s,

ok here,

mixed up in this affair when one can bear the brunt. Sharing the blame will not

in the sub's voice that compelle

But, mark you, if there's to be any serious bother I, as

s agreed. If I am in danger of going under I'l

ant paymaster, entered the cabin and exp

hat about?" de

flagship, of cour

For one thing I'm not sure that the Admiral wants me in connexion with that affair. How o

ences till Dacres peremptorily cut him short. The sub hated outward expressions of sympathy almost a

. Three or four youngsters, whom he recognized as being members of the French instructor's class, were on deck, evidently anticipating his discomfiture. Somet

retary away on some convenient duty, and well-nigh bur

soon as the door was close

he pseudo Jean l

answered the

't.' Had it not been for the perspicuity of the officer of the watch your senseless joke might have passed off undetected-at least for a time. Now, sir, you, on your

small hours of the morning and had artistically decorated the two lions guarding the historic Bargate. Dacres had heard of the episode and how young Maynebrace was jockeyed out of what promised to be a

down on his knees and beg for pardon, but he had mistaken Dacres' char

r. You have two alternatives: either to stand your trial by court-mart

," replie

of guilty and with no extenuating circumstances. The publicity and disgrace were most undesirable. By resigning he might be able to make a fresh start in another sphere, without the taint of ignominy. His father's words,

papers, sir," h

im as if to detect any signs of rem

d with an air of final

ly it was the tropical heat, but more than once he tho

ed, "I would have let him down lightly. Hang it! I'll send fo

asil Dacres' papers, duly annoted by his captain, were sent to the flagship accompanied by a w

pon them, were good-natured fellows. They fully expected that the culprit would "climb down" and apologize for his delinquency; but they were mistaken. They had misjudged Dacres' peculiar temp

er-officers and well-liked by the Lower Deck. It seemed incomprehensible that the Admiral should take such a strong step

l Oak" to ask whether Sub-lieutenant Dacres had reconsidered the ma

course you realize that we were in sympathy with you, but that was a mistake. If you think you are going to come out 'top-dog' in your difference with the Admiral the sooner you put that ide

well explain. All the same, I don't wish to withdraw my resignation; and as to scoring over the Admi

King's Regulations. He accepted Dacres' resignation, without having to wait for Admiralty au

ber what I said: 'If there's any serious bother I, your commander and fellow conspirator, will

, doing what he would not have dared to do but an hour

mpt to put your finger in my pie I'll give you the biggest hiding you've ever had in your life. So d

cres had vetoed the proposal. The commander's prospects were no longer in danger; and since Bourne's chances of promotion d

weighed and proceeded to sea. The "Royal Oak" had developed slight engi

he battleship for the last time the officers turned out on the quarter-deck to bid him good luck, while by a purely spontaneous impulse