k to rebuild the damaged
portion of the hull. Under normal conditions the work would have taken
a couple of months, but, by working day and night, the efficient
dockyard staff hoped to effect repairs within nine days.

Since the commencement of the greatest war the world has ever yet seen,
it was the custom to allow the officers and crews of torpedoed or mined
ships--if they were fortunate enough to be numbered amongst the
survivors--seven days' leave. A rest on shore was necessary for the
crews to recover from the mental shock, for it was found that although
the men might escape from physical injury and appear bright and
cheerful immediately after the occurrence, the reaction was most marked
at about forty-eight hours afterwards.

Ross and Vernon, although not borne in the books of the _Oxford_,
received permission to go on leave. Since Haye's father was somewhere
in the North Sea, and he had no near relatives, he gladly accepted
Ross's offer to sample again the hospitality of Killigwent Hall.

It was late when their train arrived at King's Cross; so much so that
the lads realized it would be useless to attempt to catch the Cornwall
express that would land them at St. Bedal just before midnight.

"I vote we have an evening in town," suggested Vernon. "Let's go to a
theatre. It seems ages since I was inside a music hall, or even a
picture palace."

"All right," agreed Ross. "We'll have a jolly good square meal before
we go. I know of a decent little hotel just off the Strand."

The two midshipmen took the Underground as far as Charing Cross. As
they emerged from the station they renewed their acquaintance with the
metropolis in war-time. The streets were plunged in almost Stygian
darkness. Omnibuses and taxicabs crawled painfully through the gloom;
pedestrians were cannoning into each other at every step. The only
relief to the blackness were the two search-lights from the Admiralty
Arch that swung like gigantic pendulums across the dark and misty sky.

"Let's get out of it," exclaimed Ross, as he just managed to save
himself from being run down by a motor-car. "It's a jolly sight more
dangerous than keeping the middle watch on the old _Capella_."

Five minutes later they were sitting down to an ample dinner, provided
at a cost that proved pretty conclusively the futility of the German
submarine blockade. In the well-lighted room there was little to
suggest that business was not proceeding "as usual