Before anyone could go to Roche's assistance, gallons of water had flowed into the boat. The Italian seamen, who were leaning over the bulwarks, screamed with amusement, until Woodleigh, grasping the nozzle, directed the jet upwards into their faces. Then their laughter gave place to furious gesticulations. "Turn off!" shouted Stratton to the invisible attendant at the hydrant. There was no response. It was not until the Patrol Leader hoisted himself on to the _Giuseppe Emilio's_ chain-plates and crossed her deck and sprang ashore that the flow of water ceased. "You said two hundred gallons," said the man, pointing to the meter attached to the hydrant, "and you've had less than eighty." "And at least half of that wasted," added Stratton. "Something's wrong somewhere." There was. Subsequent examination of the tank, which was possible by removing a watertight cover-plate, resulted in the discovery of Flemming's eel with its head wedged firmly in the outlet pipe. Although its head had been half severed, the eel had contrived to insert his tail under the deck-plate, and had prised open the metal cover sufficiently to enable it to wriggle down the feed-pipe into the tank. Then in a futile attempt to escape, the eel had jammed its head into the outlet, thus preventing the water to flow. "There's some satisfaction in finding out why the water failed," remarked Mr. Armitage as he retired to his cabin to change his saturated garments. CHAPTER VII The New Hand "And how did your photographs turn out, Alan?" asked Mr. Armitage, when he reappeared on deck, none the worse for his involuntary shower bath. "I haven't any prints yet, sir," replied Hepburn. "The man at the photographer's shop said he could only develop the films in the time. Here they are, sir." The Scoutmaster took the proferred envelope, and from it extracted six films. "Ah, that's good!" he exclaimed. "The 5th Weymouth Scouts on board the _Olivette_. Bruin begging--that's capital. Lulworth Cove--rather a large subject for so small a film, Alan. No. 4: Old Harry viewed from seaward. You'll have a good light-and-shade effect there when the film's printed. Hello! What in the name of creation is this--and this?" Mr. Armitage held up the fifth and sixth films, first longway and then upright. Alan watched the Scoutmaster's puzzled expression with amusement, but offered no explanation of what the negatives were supposed to be. "I can't make either of them out," he declared. "It might represent a view of St. Alban's Race taken from the masthead, but I know that you didn't go aloft, Alan. Perhaps some of the other fellows would like to have a shot at solving the mystery." The two films were passed round, after the general caution being given to avoid touching or scratching the gelatine face. "Looks like a complicated contour map," hazarded Flemming, "or fancy furrows on a hill-side. Is it?" Alan smiled and shook his head. "Give it up, then," said Flemming resignedly.