With an amiable smile I proffered the flask to him, remarking at the same time: "You don't drink at sea, do you?" In a thick voice he muttered, "No! Yes--no! thank you." With an air of having noticed nothing, I resumed my meal, but out of the corner of my eye I watched his left hand on the table near the flask. It was most interesting, all the veins stood out like ropes, and his knuckles almost burst through the skin. This went on for about thirty seconds, when he choked out something about needing a breath of fresh air. As he got up his face was brick red, and I almost thought he'd have a fit. Whether by accident or design he pulled the cloth as he got out from between the settee and the table and upset the flask. He was apparently incapable of apologizing, for he rushed up on deck. A few minutes later the navigating officer came down and asked what was up? I said: "What do you mean?" He said: "Well, the Captain came up just now, swearing like a trooper, and told me to get to the devil out of it; it didn't seem advisable to question him, so I got out of it and came down." I expressed my opinion that the Captain must be feeling sea-sick and was ashamed to say so. I also suggested to the navigator that he should take the Captain a little brandy in case he was not feeling well, but the navigator declared he was going to stay down in the warmth till he was sent for. Alten is a great coarse brute. Fancy allowing a material substance such as alcohol to grip one's mentality. Thank Heaven I have nerves of iron; nothing would affect me! And now to bed, though I must just read my account of our day in the forest. Darling girl, may I dream of thee. * * * * * We laid our mines without trouble at 5 a.m. this morning, though at midnight we had a most unpleasant experience. I was asleep, as it was my morning watch, when I was awakened by the harsh rattle of the diving alarms. The Diesel subsided with a few spasmodic coughs into silence, and as I jumped out of my bunk and groped for my short sea boots, the navigator and helmsman came tumbling down the conning tower, with the navigator shouting, "Take her down," as hard as you like. The men at the planes had them "hard-to-dive" in an instant. The vents had been opened as the hooters sounded, and Alten, who had jumped into the control room, immediately rang down, "All out on the electric motors." In thirty seconds from the original alarm we were at an angle of twenty degrees down by the bow, and I had sat down heavily on the battery boards, completely surprised by the sudden tilt of the deck.