COMMANDER LAWLESS V.C. BEING THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF FRANK H. LAWLESS, UNTIL RECENTLY A LIEUTENANT IN HIS MAJESTY'S NAVY BY ROLF BENNETT Author of "THE ADVENTURES OF LIEUT. LAWLESS, R.N.," "CAPTAIN CALAMITY," etc. HODDER AND STOUGHTON LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO MCMXVI CONTENTS CHAPTER I THE NIGHT ATTACK 1 CHAPTER II THE DERELICT 23 CHAPTER III THE DECOY 44 CHAPTER IV A BOLT FROM THE BLUE 62 CHAPTER V THE HOAX 80 CHAPTER VI PRISONER OF WAR 95 CHAPTER VII THE RIDING LIGHT 120 CHAPTER VIII THE BELL BUOY 136 CHAPTER IX ABANDON SHIP! 157 CHAPTER I THE NIGHT ATTACK Flight-Lieutenant Lawless sat on an empty soap-box in a large shed watching his mechanic cleaning the engines of a monoplane which was housed there. The Lieutenant was sucking vigorously at an empty pipe, and, although his face wore an expression of deep melancholy, this was not a case of cause and effect, the gloom was due to his thoughts, not to his ineffectual efforts to draw smoke from an unfilled pipe--and he had plenty of tobacco, anyhow. Misfortune seemed to have dogged his footsteps ever since his transference from the Navy proper into the Flying Wing. In the first place he had discovered, with feelings of mingled astonishment and humiliation, that he was subject to violent attacks of air-sickness which, so far from wearing off, grew more acute as time went on. That this should happen to a man who had navigated a little cockle-shell of a destroyer in the stormiest weather with never a qualm seemed preposterous. But it was so, and, though the shameful secret was shared only by his mechanic, he was always fearing discovery. Also, because the Fates were against him, he had smashed up two monoplanes, and, with his mechanic, only escaped death by a miracle. As a result of the inquiries following upon these two mishaps Lawless had been severely censured, and his chances of being sent out to the Front remained less hopeful than ever. No wonder he felt depressed at thought of these things, and fervently wished himself back aboard the old _Knat_, chasing up and down the North Sea in search of enemy ships. But his meditations were suddenly interrupted by Mike Cassidy, the mechanic. Mike was fumbling in his pockets, a comical look of bewilderment on his face. "Th' divil!" he said. "What?" asked Lawless, suddenly waking up. "'Twas to meself I wus spaking, yer honour." "Just calling yourself names, eh?" said the Lieutenant, with a twinkle in his eye.