"Hope they won’t have to do it in real earnest," remarked his companion as the two men ascended to their coign of vantage. Once more the bo’s’un’s-mates’ whistles sounded while the bo’s’un shouted in stentorian tones "Out nets." The cry was repeated in half a dozen different parts of the ship, and the hither-to deserted decks became a scene of disorder and chaos: at least that’s what it seemed to Captain Restronguet, who was for the time being a stranger in a strange land. Instinctively Hythe pulled out his watch, which once more had stedfastly resisted the assaults of the sea water. Captain Restronguet, gripping the rail, leant over and watched the scene of activity upon the moon-lit deck. Over the side of the gently-rolling craft active seamen slid down upon the apparently insecure net-shelves, and by a series of gymnastic feats succeeded in rolling ten tons of close-meshed steel netting over the side, to the accompaniment of shouts of "Look alive there!" from their officers. Hardly had the last man regained the deck ere the motor capstans of the fo’c’sle began to clank. Seamen armed with spars thrust at the ends of the torpedo booms to give the motor-worked wire rope a chance; then slowly yet surely the twenty hollow steel booms were swung outwards till the "Topaze" was encircled with a "crinoline" of nets at sufficient distance from the ship to stop a deadly torpedo. Back doubled the men to their stations for action. The sub glanced at his watch. The evolution had taken only forty-five seconds. "Smart work!" ejaculated Captain Restronguet. "Yes," assented Hythe. "But we did it in forty seconds on the old flagship. Apparently Captain Sedgwyke is not satisfied for I can hear him storming to some one." "It is hardly my place to offer suggestions," said Captain Restronguet, "but I think it would be advisable if they kept the nets in position. It might save the ’Topaze’ from being torpedoed, although I know that the speed is greatly diminished by the drag in the water." "We never do," replied the sub. "It is the first time I have seen ’Out nets’ performed with the ship underway. It is essentially a defence when lying at anchor. There: ’In net defence,’ they are going to stow the nets." In the midst of the scramble that ensued the bugle suddenly sounded "General Quarters." To leave an evolution half completed was a very unusual thing. Something prompted Hythe to look seaward. At less than a cable’s distance the two conning-towers of a submarine had just appeared above the surface of the moon-lit sea, a smother of foam making them still more conspicuous. The sub gripped his companion’s arm and pointed. "The ’Vorwartz!’" he exclaimed.