ore
heard anybody so describe that same port, but the general verdict says
it did look pretty good.

This story of our troop-ship's run across is given from the view-point
of the naval officer in charge. It could just as well have been written
from the view-point of the merchant captain or his officers aboard--all
on the job; or the chief engineer or his assistants--all on the job, and
who put in more than one hour guessing at what was going on above; or
from the view-point of the quartermaster captain, or his clerks, or the
oilers, or the firemen, or the water-tenders, or the cooks, or anybody
else, high or low, in the ship's regular service.

This transport service is one tough game. It is well enough for us who
have but one trip to make. But one trip after another! They had good
right to look a bit younger when they made the other side. But before we
can win this war we've got to get the million or two or three million
men across; and the millions of tons of supplies. Somebody has got to
see them across. These men on the troop-ships are doing it. May nothing
happen to them!

THE U-BOATS APPEAR

The soldier lookouts in the forward crow's nest had been especially
advised to have an eye out for the convoys which were to pick us up as
we neared the other side; and they were very much on the job.

One bright morning came: "Smoke three points off the port bow.... Smoke
broad off the starboard bow.... Smoke dead ahead.... One point off the
... Broad off the ..." and so on. Their excited calls rattled down like
rapid fire to the bridge; the thrill in their voices rolled like a wave
through the ship. That smoke, incidentally, meant that the strangers,
whoever they were, had already identified us and so were not afraid to
let us see them.

Everybody that was not already on deck came running up to have a look
for himself. It was our escort. Darting across our bows they
came--low-riding, slim, gray bodies. The ranking one reported to our
flag-ship; and all, without any fuss or extra foam, took position and
went to work as though they had been there for weeks. And as they did
our big war-ship and the little ones which had come across with her
wheeled about and went off. There was no ceremonious leave-taking. They
simply turned on their heels and flew. They might as well have said: "We
are glad to have met you and been with you, but we can do no more for
you, so good-by and good luck; we're going back home as fast a