oroughly, you know. No knick-knacks or
pretty-pretties in war time. Sorry the other fellows aren't here.
We're four one-stripers, three midshipmen R.N., and five midshipmen
R.N.R.--a jolly lively crowd of us, I can assure you."

He touched a bell. A messman appeared.

"Jones," ordered the midshipman, "a good square meal for two, and jolly
well look sharp about it."

"You've got to be dead nuts on that chap if you want anything done in a
hurry," explained Sefton after the man had cleared off. "It's the only
way to check slackness. No doubt he gets his own back by giving us
plum-duff without troubling to extract the cockroaches; but we manage
to thrive on it. By the by, I'll tell my servant to sling a couple of
hammocks for you. There'll be no need to turn out before dinner."

Sefton hastened below to acquaint the marine who, for the sum of ten
shillings a month, acted as the budding Nelson's factotum to make the
necessary preparations for his new chums. By the time he returned, a
substantial lunch had been set before Trefusis and Haye.

"I say, you fellows," remarked the midshipman; "I notice that
Eccles--that's the officer of the watch, you know--was greasing his jaw
tackle a good bit. Did he mention where we are bound for?"

"Nothing definite," replied Vernon. "He said that the ship was under
sealed orders."

"Then it's no use hazarding a guess," decided Sefton. "It might be
anywhere from China to Peru. In any case, it's a change from what
we've been doing--knocking about in the North Sea, waiting for an
appointment which the Germans flatly decline to keep. Four months
solid, and I've never seen a gun discharged except at target practice."

During the progress of the meal young Sefton was a little inclined to
patronize his guests. Perhaps he did it unconsciously.

"My governor's a post-captain," he observed in the course of
conversation. "What's yours?"

"Only an Admiral," replied Ross.

"Is he, by Jove!" exclaimed Sefton. "Then why the deuce are you a
'with but after'?"

"A what?" asked Trefusis, somewhat mystified.

"An R.N.R. man ranks with, but after, an R.N. fellow with equal rank,"
explained the midshipman. "It's a fact: look it up in the King's
Regulations. But, I say, do you play footer? We're in a match.
Gun-room versus Ward-room, coming off this week. If you play, I'll get
Cranbury--he's president of our mess--to put you in the team."

The meal over, Ross and Vernon were t