excellent for night work."

They descended the sandy and shingly beach until further progress was
barred by the lapping wavelets of the rising tide.

Through the mirk loomed up the outlines of a canvas collapsible boat
crowded with men. At two lengths from the shore the rowers laid on
their oars. One of the men gave vent to a low whistle resembling the
call of a curlew.

"All clear," replied Ramblethorne.

The boat's keel rasped on the shingle. A cloaked figure in the
stern-sheets made his way for'ard and leapt ashore.

"Herr von Hauptwald?" he asked.

"The same," replied the doctor. "And Kapitan Schwalbe?"

"The captain is still on board," replied the officer. "It is hard to
resist the opportunity of getting ashore after being cooped up there
for more than a fortnight. But the petrol?"

"We have not so much as we hoped to obtain," replied von Ruhle.

The Leutnant muttered an oath.

"And how is business?" asked Ramblethorne, with a view of distracting
the officer's thoughts from the shortage of fuel.

The Leutnant muttered another oath.

"Bad!" he replied savagely. "Only one wretched little tramp steamer,
which we fell in with about twenty miles from the Stacks. She gave us
a run for our money, but we had her at last. Even then she tried to
ram us. One has to be most cautious also. These accursed English have
been far too active with their new-fangled contrivances. We called up
U71 early this morning. She replied. Again at noon we called her, but
there was no reply. U70 we have lost all touch with since Monday, yet
she was under orders to assist in the blockade of the Bristol Channel
until we, as senior unterseeboot, gave instructions to return to
Wilhelmshaven."

"Lost, I suppose," remarked Ramblethorne.

The Leutnant had walked to a distance of nearly ten yards from his men,
who were drawn up in military order awaiting their officer's commands.

He lowered his voice.

"Although I am sorry to say it," he declared, "I am afraid she has gone
too. Our losses are not only serious--they are appalling. Submarine
work is now a continual nightmare. We do our duty, but before long, if
we are sufficiently fortunate to escape the toils that these English
cast about us, we shall all be physical wrecks."

The man's agitation increased as he spoke. Obviously he was labouring
under a severe strain.

"And this petrol?" he asked anxiously. "What quantity?"

Ramblethorne told him.

"Not eno