hey went aft to report themselves to their
commanding officer, Colonel Conway. He had, of course, already heard of
Ken's adventure with the spy in the bathroom, but took him aside to get
further particulars.

'No, nothing has been heard of him,' he said. 'I do not think it possible
that he can have been picked up.

'And yet,' he added, 'that's odd, for he must have had plenty of time to
get on deck, and, so far as we can learn, we have not lost a man.'

'Do you think the submarine could have picked him up, sir?'

'Not a chance of it. She went under the very moment she had fired her
torpedo. If she had not, the destroyers would have got her.'

'I ought to have got Kemp, sir,' said Ken, rather ruefully.

'You did your best, Carrington,' the other answered kindly. 'And you are
to be congratulated that Kemp did not get you.'

Ken went back to join his friends forward, and answer a score of questions
as to the struggle in the bathroom. By the remarks of his companions who
had, one and all, lost everything they possessed, except what they stood
up in, it was clear that Kemp, if still alive, would stand a pretty thin
chance should any of these lusty Australians set eyes on him again.

There was no shore leave. No orders were out yet, but the rumour was
everywhere that they were to sail that very day.

Presently a tug came alongside with fresh provisions. She also brought a
quantity of rifles and ammunition to replace those lost in the sunken
'Cardigan Castle.' Spare uniforms, overcoats, and other kit were also put
aboard, and shared up among the shipwrecked troops.

'The old country's waked up this time,' said Dave to Ken, as he tried the
sights of a new rifle. 'There's stuff ashore here for an army corps, they
tell me. It's no slouch of a job to fit us all out fresh in a few hours.
They'd never have done it in the Boer War.'

'My dear chap, the Boer War was child's play compared with this. Willy has
set the whole world ablaze. All the same, I agree with you that England is
getting her eyes open at last. But it's a pity the people at home didn't
realise first off that forcing the Dardanelles was almost as important as
keeping the Germans out of Calais. If they'd sent us here two months ago
instead of fooling round trying to get warships through the Straits, the
job would have been done by now. As it is, they've given the Turks a
chance to fortify all the landing places, and I'll bet they've done it
too.'

'What so