The captain pressed a small switch and the periscope slid upwards till its lower end was at a comfortable height. He applied his eye to it and looked carefully round.
The voice of the musical stoker filtered in from the engine-room,—
‘Mother takes in wringings-out,
So does sister Anne.
Everybody works in our boat,
But the L.T.O.’
‘You shut yer ’ead,’ came the answer. ‘Pity you ain’t got more to do than——’
‘Flood 1 and 4,’ ordered Raymond.
‘Open 1 and 4 Kingstons and 1 and 4 main vents!’ shouted Seagrave.
Two stokers wrenched back the Kingston levers, while a couple of seamen reached up and screwed open the vent valves. The coxswain and second coxswains took their stand by the hydroplane and diving rudder wheels.