, and everybody at once filed below into the liner's grand saloon.
Meanwhile the throb of the engines betrayed the fact that the great ship
was once more under way. The saloon was a very spacious and handsome
apartment, elaborately decorated with paintings on the panels between
the ports, and with a double row of columns running fore and aft as
supporters to the great stained-glass skylight overhead. And although
the ship was but a degree or two north of the equator, the place was
quite comfortably cool, for wind-catchers were fitted into each of the
ports, and created a pleasant little breeze by the mere movement of the
ship through the air; and this was further added to by the presence of
large, handsome, lace-draped punkahs waving to and fro above each table.

The guests were, of course, assigned seats to right and left of the
skipper, and the conversation soon became general and animated. The
captain of the liner started it by remarking--

"That is a very extraordinary-looking craft of yours, Sir Reginald; and
small, too, for cruising so far afield, isn't she?"

"Well, she is not quite so small as she looks," answered Sir Reginald.
"The greater part of her bulk is below water; hence it is difficult for
one to get a fair idea of her size. As a matter of fact, she is six
hundred feet long and sixty feet extreme diameter; her hull is
cylindrical in shape. Her outside dimensions, therefore, exceed those
of this craft, and she is, I should say, about the same tonnage."

"By Jove!" exclaimed the skipper, "I had no idea that she was anything
like that size. I noticed when you first came alongside that she is
modelled like a cigar. I remember seeing some years ago a somewhat
similar craft cruising in the Solent. She belonged, I believe, to an
American. We used to call her `the cigar-ship.' I fancy she was only a
very partial success--at least, in the matter of speed. How does your
ship answer in that respect? You seem able to keep pace with us fairly
well."

"Yes," said Sir Reginald, with a twinkle of amusement in his eye; "oh
yes. And upon occasion I dare say we could squeeze an extra knot or so
out of her. But, to change the subject, if you have no objection, I
should very much like to hear the full story of your adventure of this
morning."

"Well," observed the skipper, "after all, I don't know that there is
very much to tell. My own opinion is that the whole affair originated
in the ill-advised publ