How the cranes minister to the ships, carrying them the things they want, lowering them gently into the places where they belong and then hovering over the vessels they are building to see that everything is in its proper place--the cranes do it all--the men who run them are mere details. [Illustration] XIV IN THE DRY DOCK These are the things that tower--that shine--whose power is terrible--but their smile does not make glad. The admiral said he could not see the ship like that--“Don’t you wish you could?” was the only answer I could think of. [Illustration] XV THE OLD AND THE NEW Whether the old wooden ship is finer in line than the new steel monster is more than I can decide, but I do know that both are well worth drawing. [Illustration] XVI SUBMARINES IN DRY DOCK There they lay in long lines--soon to be ready to start on their venturesome voyages. [Illustration] XVII THE TRANSPORTS The spoils of war, for what had been great traders were now to be great troop ships--and with their transformation what an awful change has come to our world. [Illustration] XVIII READY FOR SERVICE AGAIN Just as retired Officers have offered their services again to the Country--so these old Ships, even more pictorial than the new, are being found places where they can do their “bit.” [Illustration] XIX THE BALLOON SHED I only know of this one “balloon shed” in the country--probably in design it is out of date--but pictorially it is fine. [Illustration] XX THE LARKS “Hark, Hark the Lark,” this one sings a song too, all his own, as he soars up to greet the coming sun, then away to battle or to train for it. Our Lark. [Illustration] XXI MAKING RIFLES Gallery after gallery is like this in the great building, all filled with tiny men working at tiny machines making the tiny guns they fight with; and over them hangs the flag of the country, put there, the director told me--not by the management--but by the men. [Illustration] XXII THE FORGES How fine are the forges--but one man said as I drew the figure leaning back to rest--“Hully gee! He’s got Creeper all right. Look at his pants!” But the noise is awful--and one day as I sat on a bit of boiler a roar ten times worse than ever before broke out beneath me and I jumped right off, and from the boiler crawled a grimy human who, putting his hand to his mouth, yelled “What yer making all that racket fur?” [Illustration] XXIII CASTING SHELLS Slowly the ladle moves, carried by the crane man, steered by the workmen, goggled and gloved--I had no time to draw those details. Into each mould it dropped just enough molten metal to make a shell head. And when all the moulds were filled, a man from another shop dropped in--“Say, what youse up to now?” “Me--I’m makin’ shells for the Kaiser.” “What! an’ here?” “Sure”--and as a French Inspector passed--“Ain’t we sending ’em to him as quick as we kin?” [Illustration] XXIV