Lawless went back to his cabin and found Trent on the settee, doubled up with laughter. "Hullo, what's the matter with you?" he snapped. "Read this," answered the Sub-Lieutenant, handing him a piece of paper; "it came just as you went on deck." Lawless took the paper and read: "_Kite_ to _Knat_. When is a mine most to be feared? Answer: when it goes against the grain." "Trent, I'll----," began the victim, but the junior officer had bolted on deck before the threat was finished. To complete the Lieutenant's discomfiture, a message was received that night from the officer commanding the flotilla censuring Lawless for allowing the _Krajero_ to proceed on her way without having thoroughly overhauled her cargo. "That puts the lid on it," groaned the unhappy Lieutenant as he turned-in to try and forget his sorrows in sleep. The result of all this was that, during the next few days, Lawless became the best-hated man in those waters. Not a ship came within sight but she was stopped and her cargo examined with irritating minuteness while the skipper stood by, helpless, but vowing to deluge the Admiralty with complaints. In his zeal Lawless as good as accused quite innocent passengers of being disguised Germans, much to the indignation of the parties concerned, who promised that the authorities should hear about his "unwarrantable officiousness and insulting behaviour," with much more to the same effect. And the worst of it was that he never once came across a trace of contraband for all his trouble. But one evening, about a week after the _Krajero_ episode, something did occur to break the monotony of searching harmless vessels and listening to the deep-throated profanities of outraged skippers. Lawless, being on the bridge scanning the horizon with his glasses, caught sight of a large motor fishing smack in the distance and, close alongside her, something which looked remarkably like the conning tower of a submarine. In another moment he had altered the course and was bearing down on her at full speed, the men standing by their guns, delighted at the prospect of a "scrap." "It's a _U_ boat sure enough," said Lawless, handing the binoculars to Trent. "Yes, and she's holding up that fishing boat; trying to get information, I suppose." Unfortunately, the submarine was well under the lee of the smack, and a shot at that distance was as likely to hit one as the other. "Better hold your fire till you get a bit nearer, Trent," said Lawless reluctantly. As the distance lessened, a puff of smoke issued from the vicinity of the submarine and a shell whistled over the _Knat's_ bridge. "Plant one in her conning tower," shouted Lawless to the chief gunner, who stood by the quick-firer just below the bridge. If the smack were hit it couldn't be helped; the risk must be taken.