The troops were now approaching the U-boat danger-zone. For four days a course due west was maintained, until the vessels ported helm and Stood north, it being the rule that no two convoys should shape the same course through the North Atlantic.
"You've been torpedoed already, have you?" enquired an Australian, addressing Jack Kennedy. "What did you do?"
"Do?" replied the Queenslander, with a laugh. "Why, simply put on my life-belt and made tracks for the boat. We only had ten minutes before the old hooker sank. The boys had a high old time. They actually put the ship up for auction as she was foundering. It was a calm----"
"Periscope on the starboard bow!" shouted a stentorian voice.
Already the 4.7-inch guns were manned. The Maxims began hurling nickel at the rate of 450 shots a minute, with the idea of either disabling the periscope or churning up the water in its vicinity, in order to make it impossible for the U-boat to discharge a torpedo with any degree of accuracy. Simultaneously the helm was starboarded, and the Pomfret Castle steered straight for the patch where the machine-gun bullets were ricochetting from the water.
The escorting cruiser, then two miles to wind'ard, also altered course, but, owing to the Pomfret Castle being in her line of fire, could not take an active part in the proceedings.
The "Cease fire" sounded as the liner approached the spot where the periscope had been observed.
Some of the troops began to cheer at the thought that a U-boat had been sent to the bed of the Atlantic, but their jubilation was quickly nipped in the bud.
In the centre of the patch, and torn by machinegun fire almost to a state of unrecognizability, was a bird known as a diver. The Pomfret Castle look-out had mistaken the unfortunate fowl for the periscope of a hostile submarine, at the cost of the bird's life and an extravagant waste of ammunition.
Although the three New Zealanders were keenly on the alert to renew the acquaintance with their supposed transport official, the man, if he were on board, had not come under their observation. At every available opportunity Malcolm and his chums were on deck when the South Africans paraded, but without satisfactory results.