"Smith," exclaimed Armitage, "we're off. Mind, we don't want to be dragged into this business."
"Very good, sir, and thank'ee for what you've done," replied the man, earnestly. "I'll tell my mate to keep his mouth shut as far as you are concerned."
Half an hour later the Spray, with her exhausted crew, was beating up channel towards Flapperham.
* * * * *
Strange to relate, it afterwards transpired that there was not a pound of explosive on the hulk. A week previously the ordnance people had removed the cordite to the shore magazine. It was no business of the water police to know what the ordnance men did, and by an oversight that department failed to notify the superintendent of police that the watchmen might be withdrawn.
Who the desperadoes were was never known. The body of the most daring of the miscreants was found, badly burned, in the hold. The man who was shot during the rush to the gangway died in hospital the next day without regaining consciousness; while at low water the bodies of the three men who fled down the ladder were found lying on the mud, so the whole of the active members of the gang were accounted for.
As for Smith and Adams, they did well out of the business, both being made sergeants in recognition—so the report states—"of their bravery in frustrating, when absolutely unsupported, a daring attempt by five unknown miscreants upon the powder-hulk Bikanir."
THE END.
Transcriber's Notes:
"THE CAPTAIN, A MAGAZINE FOR BOYS & 'OLD BOYS.'"
was a monthly magazine for young boys. It contained articles
about how to make things yourself, about schools, photography
and short stories by different authors. The magazines were
also published collectively as half-year volumes. In 1912
volume XXVII appeared that included three stories by
Percy F. Westerman.
Those stories are presented in this ebook, with the
addition of a contents-list and an illustrations-list.
This book contains a number of misprints.
The following misprint has been corrected:
[an attempt will made to] —> [an attempt will be made to]
[ejacuated Devereux] —> [ejaculated Devereux]
[asked the American, cutely,] —> [asked the American, acutely,]
[One warthy Berber] —> [One swarthy Berber]
[she ay moored] —> [she lay moored]
[are th signal that a] —> [are the signal that a]
[the cluste of] —> [the cluster of]
Obvious punctuation/spelling errors were corrected without note.