"How's the time?" he asked presently.
"He ought to have started the apparatus," said Sir William, standing, watch in hand, by the compass. "What's he doing?"
"Legging it to the Northward at the rate of knots—eight points off his course, if he thinks he's going to get anywhere near us … Ah! Now he's coming round…. Humph! You're getting warm, my lad!" Another prolonged silence followed, and suddenly the Lieutenant-Commander spoke again.
"Sub," he said in a curiously restrained tone, "just come here a minute."
The Lieutenant moved obediently to his side and applied his eye to the periscope.
"Well?" said the Captain after a pause. "Well, Sister Anne?"
The Lieutenant turned his head swiftly for an instant and looked at his Commanding Officer. "Have we got any boat out on this patrol to-day?" he asked.
The other shook his head. "Not within thirty miles of this. 'Sides, he wouldn't come through here submerged, with only his periscope dipping."
"It's a Fritz, then," said the Lieutenant, an ominous calm in his voice. He stepped aside and relinquished the eye-piece.
"It is," said the other. "It's a naughty, disobedient Fritz. He's coming through in broad daylight, which he's been told not to do. He hasn't seen us yet—he's watching old man Gedge. Gedge thinks it's us and is pretending he hasn't seen him…. Lord! It's like a French musical comedy."