ng more detailed instructions, but they have not yet come.
These letters say that you will explain the programme here, and that
you have been charged with full responsibility for keeping our
movements secret. I am to give you all possible assistance. All right.
Go ahead. What do you want of us?"

Dawson rapidly told how the two dummy battle-cruisers had come
stumbling into the Sound in the afternoon, and how the Three Towns
believed that the _Intrepid_ and _Terrific_ were at that moment lying
on the shoals out of service for weeks to come. "No one must guess,"
he concluded, "that the real _Intrepid_ and _Terrific_ are here safe
in dock, that they will go out two days hence in the middle of the
night, and dash away south to wipe Fritz's flag off the seas. We have
picked the dockyard hands with the greatest care, and have them under
watch like mice with cats all about them. If a single one of your
officers or men goes out of the dock gates the game will be up and I
won't answer for the consequences. Everything rests with you, sir.
Will you give orders that no one, no one, not even you yourself, shall
leave either of the battle-cruisers while they are in dock--no one,
not for a minute."

The Admiral laughed, and the officers in his room respectfully joined
in. "So we have been mined and are aground somewhere yonder on the mud
surrounded by sorrowing patrols. And the Three Towns are dropping salt
tears into their beer. It is a fine game, Dawson. I didn't believe
much in Lord Jacquetot's dummies, but they've come in darned useful
this time. Are you going to keep Plymouth and Devonport in the dumps
for long?"

"Until you've done your work, sir," said Dawson.

"So until then the _Intrepid_ and _Terrific_ will lie crippled in the
Sound for all the world to see and for Fritz to believe. If this very
bright scheme is yours, Dawson, we will all drink your health down
south as soon as our work has been done. For the credit will be yours
rather than ours. I will help you all I can; it is my duty and my very
keen desire. A man who can make so brilliant a plan for confounding
the enemy's spies is worth a statue of gold. He is even worth the
sacrifice of two day's leave while one's ship is in dock. What do you
say, gentlemen?"

"I never thought," said the Flag Captain, "that I would willingly
spend two days shut up in a smelly dock, but you may count me in, sir.
I won't head a mutiny when all leave is refused."

"You shall have