miled.

"Our speeds are only nominal, any way," he remarked. "If our chief
engineer there had the proper message, there's none of us would like to
say what he could get out of those new engines."

He turned and shouted an order. In a moment or two they swung around and
drew up by the side of the vessel. Ralph waved his hand to them from the
top of the gangway.

"Well done, you people!" he exclaimed. "Hullo Granet! Have you brought
the girls down?"

"In the most wonderful racing car you ever saw!" Geraldine told him, as
they climbed up the gangway. "We shouldn't have been here for hours if
we had waited for the train."

"I met Captain Granet this morning by accident," Olive explained, as she
stepped on deck, "and he insisted on bringing us down."

"I hope I'm not in the way at all?" Granet asked anxiously. "If I am,
you have only to say the word and put me on shore, and I'll wait, with
pleasure, until the young ladies come off. I have a lot of pals down
here, too, I could look up."

"Don't be silly," Conyers replied. "Our dear old lady friend Thomson
isn't here to worry so I think we can make you free of the ship.
Come along down and try a cocktail. Mind your heads. We're not on a
battleship, you know. You will find my quarters a little cramped, I'm
afraid."

They drank cocktails cheerfully, and afterwards Geraldine exclaimed,
taking a long breath. "If Olive weren't so fearfully in love, she'd be
suffocated."

Granet paused and looked before him with a puzzled frown.

"What in heaven's name is this?"

Exactly opposite to them was an erection of light framework, obviously
built around some hidden object for purposes of concealment. A Marine
was standing on guard before it, with drawn cutlass. Granet was in the
act of addressing him when an officer ran lightly down the fore part of
the ship, and saluted.

"Very sorry, sir," he said, "but would you mind keeping to the other
side? This deck is closed, for the present."

"What on earth have you got there?" Granet asked good-humouredly,--"that
is if it's anything a landsman may know about?"

The young officer piloted them across to the other side.

"It's just a little something we are not permitted to talk about just
now," he replied. "I didn't know the commander expected any visitors
to-day or we should have had it roped off. Anything I can show you on
this deck?" he inquired politely.

"Nothing at all, thanks," Geraldine assured him. "We'll just stroll