"What is her history?" inquired the sub of the warrant officer in charge of the prizes.
Reference to a docket showed that the "Afir-el-Bahr" had been captured by the boats of H.M.S. "Hammerer" during the trouble with the Senussi. The felucca, bought at a Tunisian port and flying the French flag, had been caught red-handed.
That same afternoon Farrar had the felucca towed round to the Grand Harbour, where she was hauled up on a cradle for cleaning and anti-fouling. Working all night shipwrights bored her stern-post and fitted a stern tube and propeller. This essential work having been carried out with strict secrecy, the "Afir-el-Bahr" was again launched and towed off alongside the "Zenodorus," for owing to all the dry docks being occupied, below-water repairs to the merchant cruiser had to be deferred.
In a polyglot port, although in a British Crown Colony, the danger of espionage was far more difficult to cope with than at a home station. The true Maltese is a loyal subject of King George, but on the island are hundreds, perhaps thousands of doubtful characters—men of pure or partial Arab, Greek, Moorish, Syrian, or Algerian descent—many of whom were either potential or latent spies. Consequently, all work in connection with the refitting of the felucca that might be likely to cause comment was performed during the hours of darkness.
A seventy-horse-power motor was installed in the after-hold; the deck beams were strengthened and their planks doubled in order to take the weight of two four-inch quick-firers. The for'ard gun, taken from a captured U-boat, was of the "disappearing" type, being housed, when not in use, in a water-tight compartment flush with the deck. The second quick-firer was placed amidships, being screened from observation from the sea-level by the high bulwarks, while as an additional precaution a Maltese-built boat was placed on chocks on deck, so that the weapon lay snugly against the quarter.
The existing wooden bulwarks were removed and replaced by others of light but hardened steel capable of withstanding rifle and machinegun bullets, while at intervals the metal plating was hinged so as to fall flat upon the deck and give the guns a wide arc of fire.
During the progress of this work several large wicker hampers were received on board. These, when opened, were found to be full of clothes not usually worn by men of His Majesty's Service, but nevertheless the garments were served out to a dozen of the crew, who entered into the game of make-believe with a zest that Jack Tar always displays when engaged in anything of the nature of amateur theatricals.
Ammunition, stores, and provisions were then stowed on board; new canvas, purposely soiled to appear in common with the rest of the craft, was bent to the cumbersome yards; a wireless telegraphy installation was fitted, the aerials being kept below until actually required, and finally forty of the ship's company of the "Zenodorus" took up their quarters on the "Afir-el-Bahr" under the command of Sub-Lieutenant Farrar.
Much to his disappointment Greenwood was refused permission to accompany his chum: the A.P.'s abilities were in strong demand on board the armed merchant cruiser, while as a member of the non-combatant branch there was little need for his services on particular work. As second-in-command, Mr. Gripper, the gunner of the "Zenodorus," was chosen, while to safeguard the health of the felucca's crowded crew a surgeon-probationer, Dick Leech by name, was "lent" from one of the harbour service ships.
All preparations completed, the felucca was towed out of the Grand Harbour shortly after midnight, and, exchanging signals with Forts Ricasoli and St. Elmo that vigilantly guarded the port, passed through the formidable barrier athwart the entrance.