Chase, the first lieutenant, unable to bottle himself up any longer, burst out into a hoarse chuckle.
The captain turned round. 'Is that you, Mr FitzJohnson?' he snapped.
'Yes, sir. I'——
'Are you trying to make damfools of the commander and myself?' demanded Captain Spencer. He seemed very much put out about something.
'I beg your pardon, sir,' stuttered the lieutenant. 'I don't quite understand what you mean.'
The commander suddenly flung back his head, and went off into a roar of laughter. 'Oh,' he gasped, 'this is the limit!'
FitzJohnson stared. Had they all taken leave of their senses?
'Did you really see a Zeppelin,' the skipper asked sarcastically, 'or did you merely get me up here in these garments so that I should catch my death of cold?'
'Yes, sir, I really did see it,' the lieutenant faltered, beginning to realise that he had made some horrible mistake.
'What! showing its white and green lights?'