And now, with malevolent irony, the sun was shining brightly, the last vestiges of fog had dispersed, and the sea was as smooth as glass. Visions of a court martial, or at least a stringent court of enquiry, stared Derek in the face, with the possibility of being dismissed from the Marine Branch of the R.A.F. "We'll be back just in time to miss the after-dinner parade, sir," remarked the coxswain, as the leading boat swept round the south-westerly extremity of Sableridge and the pier opened out at less than two hundred yards distance. "It's close on three bells." "There's not a man on the parade-ground," rejoined Derek, "but there's a crowd on the pier-head, and all the boats are on their moorings 'cept the duty-boat. Looks jolly funny." But the mystery of suspended activity on the part of the Marine Depot was soon elucidated, for a stentorian voice called Derek as his boat ran alongside the pier. "Cheerio, old bird! Can you fancy yourself out of a job?" Derek had been doing so for the last hour. "What's wrong?" he asked. A dozen voices answered the question. "ARMISTICE!" CHAPTER XXIV The Guard-ship "You don't look particularly happy over the news, old man," remarked one of the officers on the pier-head. "P'raps, like old Mouldy here, you think that you'll be out of a job very soon. Cheer up, the war's not over yet." Derek made no reply. As a matter of fact he was thinking more about the loss of the sea-plane than the news that Germany had thrown up the sponge. The two, taken in conjunction, might make things rather unpleasant for him, since it was evident that the navy, army, and air force must be drastically reduced after the cessation of hostilities --and Derek Daventry had not had enough of life in the R.A.F. He wanted to remain. Just then someone slapped him vigorously on the back. Turning, he found himself face to face with his old flying-chum, John Kaye. "What in the name of goodness brings you down here?" asked Derek. "Joined the Marine Branch at Sableridge yesterday," replied Kaye. "Of course you took jolly good care to be out of the way when I wanted a pal to take me by the hand and show me the ropes. So when your two packets were sighted coming over the bar I came down to the pier to give you my candid opinion of your perfidious desertion. Had a good time?" "Just so so," answered Derek. "Then we're in for a lively evening, old thing," chipped in another officer. "We've packed up for the rest of the day. There's a football match on this afternoon, and to-night we all go to the theatre and let 'em know what an armistice means. So cut and shift, you salt-encrusted ancient mariner."