opportunity of meeting Admiral
Trefusis, who, since July of the previous year, had been continuously
"somewhere in the North Sea".

"Cecil, my boy," he continued, addressing his companion, a tall,
sunburnt man, in shooting garb although his clean-shaven features and
slightly rolling gait proclaimed him to be a sailor. "Let me introduce
the sons of two of my old shipmates to you. Ross Trefusis and Vernon
Haye--my nephew, Cecil Bourne. You'll stay to lunch, of course.
Cecil's on three days' leave. He's not satisfied with hunting German
submarines, but must needs go after my rabbits."

They walked towards the house, Ross and Bourne leading, and the Admiral
and Vernon bringing up the rear.

"We'll discuss this little matter after lunch, my boy," remarked the
Admiral.

The meal proceeded without a hitch, the Admiral in his breezy way
relating anecdote after anecdote of the Service in the good old days.

"By the by," he remarked, "what's this yarn I hear about your
neighbour, Dr. Ramblethorne? There's a report that a warrant has been
issued for his arrest."

"For espionage, I believe," replied Vernon.

"Bless my soul! Is that a fact? One doesn't know whom to trust in
these days. No details, I suppose. A decent fellow, too, from what I
saw of him. No, I don't think you've met him, Cecil, at least not
here. By the by, you might tell the boys about your little adventure
up-Channel in the _Tremendous_."

Ross and Vernon turned very red in the face, but as they sat with their
backs to the window the change of colour passed unnoticed.

"Oh, that submarine business!" remarked Lieutenant Bourne modestly.
"Just an ordinary occurrence, don't you know, except for one thing. I
was officer of the watch at the time. We spotted a strafed
unterseeboot flying a white flag. Have to be jolly careful, you see.
Either give the thing a wide berth, and wireless the destroyers to take
possession of the prize, or else cut the brute in two. Anyhow,
something funny did happen. There were two fellows in mufti standing
close to the skipper on the submarine's deck. Goodness only knows why
they did it, but I saw one of them----"

"Cut the halliards and let the white flag down," interposed Vernon.

There was dead silence in the room. Only intense excitement was
responsible for young Haye's lapse of manners. The words had slipped
from him almost unconsciously. Ross barked his shin as a gentle
reminder.

"By Jove! How did