urse," he said in a low voice.

I pricked up my ears, but all I said was--

"Why is that?"

"On account of the currents. The old passage hasn't been quite
satisfactory. They are going to experiment with a new passage."

This certainly sounded all right, for I knew how diabolical the
tideways can be round these islands.

"Do you know the new course at all accurately?" I inquired.

Captain Ashington smiled for the first time, and somehow or other the
sight of a smile on his face gave me a strongly increased distaste for
the man.

"I know it exactly," he said.

He took out of his pocket a folded chart and laid it on the table. The
three of us bent over it, and at a glance I could see that this was
business indeed. All the alterations in the mine-fields were shown and
the course precisely laid down.

"Well," said Tiel, "I think this suggests something, Belke."

By this time I was inwardly burning with excitement.

"I hope to have the pleasure of being present just about that spot," I
said, pointing to the chart.

"Or there," suggested Ashington.

"Either would do very nicely, so far as I can judge," said Tiel. "How
many submarines can you concentrate, and how long will it take you to
concentrate them?"

I considered the question.

"I am afraid there is no use in concentrating more than two or three in
such narrow waters," I said. "Squadronal handling of submarines of
course is impossible except on the surface. And we clearly can't keep
on the surface!"

Captain Ashington looked at me in a way I did not at all like.

"We run a few risks in the British navy," he said. "D--n it, you'll
have a sitting target! I'd crowd in every blank submarine the water
would float if I were running this stunt!"

"You don't happen to be running it," I said coldly.

Tiel touched me lightly on the shoulder and gave me a swift smile,
pleasant but admonitory.

"The happy mean seems to be suggested," he said soothingly. "There's a
great deal to be said for both points of view. On the one hand you
risk submarines: on the other hand you make the battle-fleet run risks.
One has simply to balance those. What about half a dozen submarines?"

I shook my head.

"Too many," I said. "Besides, we couldn't concentrate them in the
time."

"How many could you?"

"Four," I said; "if I can get back to my boat on Monday, we'll have
them there on Thursday."

Tiel produced a bottle of whisky and syphons and we sat over t