With the utmost temerity the skipper of the Awarua had sent the following report:--
"One of your crew has been picked up by Transport 99. In view of the heavy sea now running" (it was a flat calm a regular "Paddy's hurricane") "I propose retaining the said member, in order to avoid a repetition of the accident. Do you concur?"
The message was sent to the captain of the cruiser. Sportsmanlike the skipper accepted the sarcastic signal with a good grace.
Back came the answer: "Now we are quits! Congratulations!"
CHAPTER VIII
Left Behind
Seven days behind scheduled time the Awarua crawled into Port Stanley harbour. Here Sergeant Malcolm Carr and Rifleman Macready were received in exchange for Panjie, who, thanks to the store of fodder on board the transport, had been fed into a state of adiposity.
Meanwhile a reserve transport had been sent across from Simon's Bay, and orders were given to tranship the troops, stores, and baggage from No. 99 to No. 109. Within three days the task was accomplished, and, five other troopships having arrived from Australia, the convoy left for Table Bay, still under the care of H.M.S. Gosport.
Although the transports were still a considerable distance from the U-boat danger zone, every revolution of their propellers was bringing them nearer to that part of the South Atlantic where vessels had been known-to have been destroyed by mines.