he _Capella_ that had come off
second-best in an encounter with a floating mine, but another, similar
in almost every respect to the lost patrol-boat. She was manned, too,
by the same officers and crew--with one exception. Sub-lieutenant John
Barry had obtained his promotion, and had been appointed to H.M.S.
_Hunbilker_ in command.

What the _Hunbilker_ was, no one on board the _Capella_ knew. The
Admiralty publications at their disposal were blank as far as that ship
was concerned. Speculation ran high: some of the officers expressing
their opinion that Barry's command was a subsidized cargo-boat; others
that she was one of the mosquito flotilla that had been evolved out of
modern naval requirements. All were wrong, as they had yet to learn
something more of the type of vessel flying the White Ensign that was
helping to sweep the seas of the Black Cross of Germany.

"Well, old boy, how do you think you will like the racket?" asked
Vernon, stooping to pat the massive head of a healthy-looking
sheep-dog. Shrap had been allowed, by the Captain's permission, to
join the _Capella_ as a mascot--the pet of both officers and crew, and
of Vernon Haye in particular.

Shrap winked knowingly, then trotted off to a secluded part of the
chart-room, where, under a locker, he had hidden the remains of what,
half an hour previously, had been Sub-lieutenant Fox's shaving-brush.

The _Capella_ was by no means the only craft rolling sluggishly in the
vast artificial harbour. There were seven motor patrol-vessels,
specially detailed for the forthcoming operations as tenders to the
sea-planes.

A strong array of monitors, craft of ugly but utilitarian design,
low-lying, and mounting two 14-inch guns, had assembled for the purpose
of making it hot for the Hun on the morrow. Only light-draughted craft
were to be employed in the attack, since they could approach within
very effective range of their guns, and at the same time stand little
chance of being torpedoed by a handful of unterseebooten that had been
transported in sections to Zeebrugge and there fitted for service.

According to the Admiral's plan, the monitors were to approach Ostend
just after daybreak. In the offing a number of empty transports were
to assemble, protected by a powerful flotilla of destroyers. The
appearance of these transports would be taken by the Germans as an
indication of an attempted landing of a British force, and troops would
be hurriedly mas