and tumbled them into the sea? It
seemed by far the easiest solution; yet, in spite of that, Ross and
Vernon were being carried to an unknown destination in one of the
"mystery-craft" of the Imperial German Navy.

The reappearance of the seaman bearing Ross's clothes cut short the
latter's unsolved meditations. Without a word the man laid the neatly
folded garments on the bunk--a pair of flannel trousers, cricket shirt,
underclothes, and the sweater that had been the cause of the lads'
undoing; but in place of his shoes a pair of half-boots, reeking with
tallow, had been provided.

Ross proceeded to dress. As he did so a voice that he hardly
recognized asked:

"Hulloa, Trefusis, where are we?"

It was Haye. His companion was now awake, but hardly conscious of his
surroundings.

"Better?" asked Ross laconically. He could not at that moment bring
himself to answer the question.

"Didn't know that I was ill," remonstrated Vernon. Then, after a vain
attempt to raise his head--perhaps fortunately, since the bottom of
Ross's cot was within a few inches of his face--he added:

"Dash it all! I remember. That beastly German gave me a crack over
the head with his copper walking-stick. Where are we?"

"In a rotten hole, old man. We're in a German submarine, bound
goodness knows where."

"Where are my clothes?" asked Haye, this time successfully getting out
of his bunk. "Since you have yours, there seems to be no reason why I
shouldn't have mine. Hang it! What's the matter with me?
Everything's spinning round like a top."

Mindful of the seaman's words, and with a docility that would have
surprised him in different circumstances, Ross staggered along the
corridor. The passage was about thirty feet in length. On one side
the metal wall was flat, on the other it had a pronounced curve.
Against it were six bunks arranged in pairs. Four were used as
stowing-places for baggage, the remaining ones had been given up to the
two prisoners. The roof was almost hidden by numerous pipes, most of
them running fore and aft, while a few branched off through the walls.
The flat bulkhead evidently formed one of the walls of the engine-room,
for, as the lad placed his hand against it to steady himself, he could
feel a distinct tremor, quite different from the vibration under his
feet. The floor was of steel, with a raised chequer pattern in order
to give a better grip to one's feet. At frequent intervals there were
c