"Let rip, then," rejoined Alec, in mock tones of resignation. "Thought, perhaps, you came to borrow my safety-razor." "You two fellows both saw the wreck, I suppose," said Beverley, addressing the airmen. "What shape did it appear like?" "Where's a pencil?" inquired Trevear, fumbling in the breast-pocket of his white drill tunic. "Right-o. Paper's scarce in this part of the world, so I'll sketch it on the table. There you are." "Yes; that's like it," agreed Alec. "You've drawn the plan of a boat," continued Bobby. "Swaine swears she's lying on her beam ends." "So she is," declared the diving-expert. "You didn't go round her, did you?" asked Beverley. "Not much use," he answered. "I could see she wasn't the _Fusi Yama_, and there was a pretty stiff current setting round the bows and stern. I was glad to use her as a sort of breakwater." "Pity you hadn't carried on round," resumed Bobby; "lying on her beam ends with a broken back, she wouldn't present such a profile as Trevear has drawn. I believe--and Dick put me on to the wheeze--that the _Fusi Yama_ is lying fairly close alongside and nearer inshore." "By Jove, Beverley!" exclaimed the three men in chorus. "Hope you're right," added Trevear, anxious to restore his lost prestige as an aerial observer. "Game to have another shot at it to-night?" inquired Swaine, beginning to pull on his rubber boots. "Surely you're not going to dive again to-night?" asked Claverhouse. "If it comes to that," said Swaine, "it makes very little difference whether it's night or day at that depth and in muddy water. But what I propose doing is putting off in a boat and taking soundings. Is there a lead-line in the dinghy, old thing?" "What are you fellows doing kicking up such a deuce of a row at this time of night?" inquired a gruff voice. "Go to bed, and get your beauty sleep, you noisy blighters." Griffiths, blinking in the light, had shoved his head and shoulders through the tent-flap. "Just the man we want, soldier!" exclaimed Beverley. "A little practice at rowing a dinghy, you know." "Not in these trousers," protested the ex-Engineer officer, displaying a leg clad in pyjamas of variegated hues. "What's the move? Are you fellows trying to camouflage a nocturnal bridge-party?" "At him, lads!" exclaimed Swaine, and the four hurled themselves upon the interloper. In spite of his desperate resistance Griffiths was dragged into the tent, and while Beverley sat on his chest the others rammed a pair of rubber boots on his feet and a sou'-wester on his head. "Kamerad!" exclaimed Griffiths. "Chuck it! I'll fall in with your rotten scheme, whatever it is." By this time the commotion had aroused the remainder of the shore-party, and to them the nature of the proposed expedition was explained. "Right-o!" said Vivian. "We'll launch the cutter and have a moonlight trip, only there isn't any moon."