"It's a fact," he was saying to a small group of interested auditors, "that infernal _U_ boat was no farther from my stern than I am from that piano yonder. Well, I started steering a zig-zag course, at the same time opening fire on the submarine with my machine-gun. One of the first shots knocked her periscope to smithereens and then----" He was interrupted by a burst of laughter, and, turning round, the narrator of this thrilling episode beheld a couple of officers almost doubled up with mirth. "Oh, tell us some more, skipper!" cried Lawless, as soon as he could speak. "I beg your pardon, sir," said the other, his face scarlet with indignation. "Then we'll say no more about it," answered the Lieutenant. "But surely you remember me? We met in the fog last night." "What! Are you the blackguard who fired on me?" "Well, you started shooting first, remember. But about that submarine yarn of yours, it's such a good one that I really haven't the heart to spoil it; so, if you'll stand drinks round, mum's the word as far as I'm concerned." "Will you be good enough to tell me what the devil you're driving at?" inquired the skipper, glaring fiercely at Lawless. "Then you won't accept my offer?" "Sir, I'll see you in Hades first." "Very well then, here goes," and Lawless proceeded to recount the trick he had played on the skipper with the aid of a barrel and a tin cylinder. He was interrupted several times by bursts of uproarious mirth from the audience, but the victim himself neither smiled nor uttered a word until the Lieutenant had finished his story. Then he spoke. "So you claim that I haven't sunk an enemy submarine at all?" he asked, turning to Lawless. "I'll wager a month's salary to a pinch of snuff that you never even saw one from the time we parted till you reached port." "I accept the wager," answered the skipper, to everybody's surprise. "You see," he went on, addressing the company generally, "one reason why I collared that _U_ boat so easily was that something fouled her propeller and she could neither get away nor attack me. This morning, when we put in here, the bos'n found a length of rope with a piece of lead attached, fastened to the vessel's stern. How the deuce it got there we couldn't make out, but now, thanks to this gentleman, we know. What's more, it must have been that rope and the old barrel at the end of it which fouled the German's propeller and did him in. As for proof"--he turned to an elderly gentleman seated in a corner--"there is Captain Barter, who took charge of the prisoners when they were landed, and he can tell you whether my story's true or not." All eyes were turned inquiringly upon the unobtrusive gentleman with the four gold rings round his sleeves. "Yes," he said quietly, "it's perfectly true. The three German officers of the submarine are now on their way to Donnington Hall and the men are in the temporary prison hulk moored up the river."