And then there were none!’
sang in unmelodious, raucous tones a paymaster.
‘Oh, shut up!’ said another. ‘There it goes.’
The bugle-call for ‘Action stations’ was heard gradually getting louder as the bugle-boy ran along the passage outside.
‘That puts the hat on it! No tea, no nuffink! Now for a drop of frightfulness. Wonder whether Fritz has any new gas shells.’
‘Put your respirator on first and sniff afterwards,’ said a doctor, as they crushed through the doorway together. ‘If you really want to sell that Gieve you were blowing about yesterday, I’ll give you an I.O.U. for a bob for it.’
‘No good!’ replied the lieutenant. ‘I’ve sold it to a snotty for a quid. His people sent him two pounds ten to buy one, and we went a burst on the thirty bob.’
‘Well, so long!’ said the doctor, as they parted at the bottom of a ladder. ‘If you fall into my hands you will be more cut up than I shall be.’
‘Go to the devil, you blood-thirsty abomination,’ shouted the lieutenant, and, seizing the rungs, ran rapidly up the horizontal ladder.
As he reached the upper deck and ran along towards the bridge ladders, he cast a glance round the horizon. ‘Visibility so-so!’ he thought; ‘but if it gets no worse than at present it will do. Can see 18,000 easily. Clouds a bit low though—not much more than a thousand up.’