red vessel with three masts. On her fore- and mizen-masts were black globes, with a pyramid-shaped cage on the main, while any doubts as to her identity were set at rest by the words "Borkum Riff" on the side showing towards the yacht.

Several of the lightship's crew gazed stolidly at the unfamiliar rig of the Diomeda, and, in response to a wave of Hamerton's arm, gravely raised their caps.

Ten minutes later the long-sought-for sea mark was lost to sight.

Hamerton missed an opportunity. He could have signalled or hailed the lightship with the news that he had rescued a sailor from a German destroyer, The intelligence would then have been sent by wireless to the mainland. But he did not, and subsequent events brought home to him the error he had made in omitting to do so.

"All plain sailing now," he remarked. "Keep as we are; we'll soon pick up the Norderney Gat lightship, and then the Elbe. I'm jolly glad we made Borkum Flat light-vessel, for, as I said before, I've no wish to find myself amidst the sandbanks to leeward."

"The Germans are fortifying Borkum very heavily, I believe," said Detroit. "In fact, they are turning the whole of the Frisian Islands that belong to them into fortresses. Guess they'll take the rest of the islands as well before long. John Bull is asleep, I guess, or he would demand an explanation."

"John Bull sleeps with one eye open, old man. Take my word for it. Besides, the Germans are at perfect liberty to defend their coasts."

"Admitted; but it is not a question of defence. These naval bases are also for offence, and, what is more, they exist solely for a torpedo raid on British ports when 'The Day', as they call it, comes. There can only be one predominant race in the world, and that ought to be the Anglo-Saxon."

"Because you are a member of our branch of the family."

"Guess you've hit it, Hamerton. Imagine an offensive and defensive alliance between Great Britain and the United States! Nothing could stand against it. Other European and Asiatic countries, realizing the impossibility of continuing in the race for world supremacy, would climb down. Reduction of armaments would follow automatically, and we should be entering into a state that the most ardent delegate to the Conference at The Hague never dreamt of."

"Until Great Britain and the United States quarrelled," said Hamerton.

"And if they did they would soon patch matters up, like two children. Our old axiom, 'Blood is thicker than water', still holds good, and will do so till the end of time. That's why it licks me to understand why Great Britain contracted that alliance with Japan."

"My dear Detroit," exclaimed the Sub deprecatingly, "you must allow that the powers that be are better able to decide these matters than you or I. For my part, as an officer of the Royal Navy, I must take things as they are, unquestioning and loyally."

"Yet you must have your own views on the subject?"

Hamerton shrugged his shoulders.

"See what a rotten mess of things has resulted," continued Detroit. "You may not admit it, but I reckon in your innermost mind you do. Here's the U.S.A. on the verge of a quarrel with Japan over the yellow immigration question. Great Britain is forced to increase her naval expenditure out of all proportion to the rest of the proceeds of taxation, in order to maintain a superiority over Germany's rapidly growing navy. Your Two-Power Standard was knocked on the head years ago. Yet, because of a sort of sentimental yearning on the part of your diplomatists towards Japan, there is a peril of a disagreement between the two great Anglo-Saxon races, whereas they should be shoulder to shoulder."

"Then where does France come in?" asked the Sub, unconsciously warming to the discussion. "We have an understanding with her."

"With all due respect to your Gallic neighbours, friend, France will have all her work cut out to attend to Austria and Italy, who will assuredly side with Germany."

"And Russia?"

"Ah! There you have a totally different case. Russia, after the ordeal of her disastrous struggle with Japan, is gradually but surely regaining her position as a naval and military power. In the near future she hopes to see a solid, compact Slav Empire extending from the Arctic Ocean to Cape Matapan. Then, profiting by her experiences, she will again meet Japan but not until the Anglo-Japanese alliance is dissolved. Once these aims are realized, Russia will stand aloof in all European disputes until the Triple Alliance is weakened either by victory or defeat. Since the barren Steppes of Siberia cannot support her surplus population, she must find another outlet, and that will be west-wards, as soon as she is strong enough to measure weapons successfully with Germany, for the Slavs and the Teutons never will hit it off together."

"You foresee drastic changes on the face of the map of Europe?"

"Of the whole world, I guess."

"Plenty of opportunity to consider the situation when the time comes," said Hamerton, with true British indifference. "Meanwhile, here we are in the North Sea, with a thick fog hanging about, and a lee shore not many miles away. This situation is more important to me than the whole of the international complications put together."

"I hope you'll always have cause to think so," added Detroit.

CHAPTER III

A Loss and a Find

Late in the afternoon, the wind falling light, Norderney lightship was passed. Curiously enough, with the breeze dropping the fog dispersed, and Hamerton was able to set a course for the Elbe light-vessel.

"Here's a tramp bearing down upon us," he announced, after intently watching the oncoming craft through his binoculars. "We'll signal her." Again the flags that the German warship had all but ignored were hoisted, and before long the crew of the Diomeda saw the steamship alter helm and head so as to pass within a cable's length of the yacht.

She flew no ensign, neither did she reply by signal to Hamerton's request to communicate.

"I'll semaphore her," announced the Sub, producing two red-and-yellow hand flags from a locker. For nearly two minutes he vainly attempted to enter into conversation.

"The bounders don't understand," he growled. "She's not a British vessel, I'll bet my bottom dollar on it. We'll hoist the ensign, and hail them through the speaking trumpet."

Out fluttered the red ensign. Still there was no reply that gave a clue to the tramp's nationality. But she was now within hailing distance.

"Vat you vant?" shouted a voice from the tramp's bridge.

"We've rescued a German seaman from a destroyer. Can you give him a passage?"

"Vat you say? Me no onderstan'," came the exasperating reply.

"She's either a Dutchman or a German," said Detroit. "The name on her bows conveys nothing. Why not hail them in German?"

"Couldn't trust myself to make a public confession of my inability," replied Hamerton, with a laugh. "But, by Jove, although we're doing all this for Pfeil, I quite forgot him. He can do the chin-wagging part of the business."

In answer to a shout from the Sub, Hans Pfeil, who had been asleep in the fo'c'sle cot, came on deck. His clothes were still wet, since the air was too moist for drying purposes, and a comical figure he cut, wrapped up in a blanket, with his oilskin coat flung round his shoulders.

The sailor hailed, and an animated conversation took place between him and the skipper of the tramp.

"Heave her to," ordered Hamerton, seeing that the German tramp's propeller was going astern, and that the vessel was losing way. "They're going to lower a boat."

The two craft were now less than a cable's length apart and hardly moving through the water, but Hamerton would not risk running the Diomeda alongside the wallowing hull of the tramp. He waited for a boat to be sent.