The gas used in the British Navy, differs considerably from that employed by the enemy with such hideous results during the Great War. Even the shells do not explode and send fragments of metal hurtling in all directions with terrific force. Unless a man is in the direct path of the projectile he is unharmed by it. The gas, when liberated on this occasion, expanded, but rose only a few feet above the source of liberation. Being heavier than air it found its way down ‘tween decks, its effect upon living creatures being to render them unconscious within a few seconds. The period of insensibility varies from about five minutes to three hours, and on recovery the victim feels no ill-effect, beyond a headache.
The machine-gun fire from the junk wavered and then ceased.
The destroyer’s officers, who had providentially escaped the hail of bullets, waited developments, scanning the junk through their binoculars.
Raxworthy tried to follow their example, but found his hands shaking so much that he could not steady his glasses. He had had his wish and had been under fire. He was hardly conscious of it at the time, but now that the ordeal was over it left him shaking and trying his level best to hide the fact.
Lieutenant Yardley, however, noticed the midshipman’s knees shaking.
“Pull yourself together, Raxworthy,” he said quietly. “Most of us are like that for the first time under fire. It’s soon over.”
“I’m not a funk, sir,” protested the midshipman.
“ ‘Course not; only the excitement gets into your limbs. Nip aft and see if any of the boats have been hit. We’ll be wanting them very soon.”
Raxworthy descended the bridge-ladder. By the time he reached the upper deck his knees were no longer shaking.
There were several neatly drilled bullet holes in the two whalers, but the hands were already busy at plugging them. The lieutenant had dispatched Raxworthy on an unnecessary errand, but that had not been his intention. It had given the latter the chance to obtain a grip on himself. It had worked. Raxworthy was now calm and self-possessed. His baptism of fire was over.