AND LAST
"CHEER-O, Slogger!"
"Cheer-o, Moke!"
These, the curt but nevertheless brimful of meaning exchange of
greetings when, four weeks later, Farrar and Sylvester met at
Southampton Docks.
The sub's right hand was still swathed in surgical dressings,
otherwise in appearance he was much the same as of yore, except that
on the breast of his uniform coat he wore the ribbon of the
Distinguished Service Order and the Distinguished Service Cross, for
the young R.N.V.R. officer had pulled off a double event. The former
distinction had been awarded for his services in strafing Fritz, the
latter for conspicuous gallantry in extinguishing the flames that
threatened to destroy the "Avenger" in mid-air.
"Congrats, old bird!" said the Moke heartily. "I saw the
announcement in _The Gazette_. Now, how about it? You're coming back
to Lynbury with me, I absolutely insist, and my people are expecting
you. That's why I broke my journey from Waterloo."
Ten minutes previously Farrar would have firmly declined the
invitation, but in his pocket reposed a recently opened telegram
which read:
"Welcome home; we are returning to The Old Croft on Monday, when we
shall be delighted to see you. Bruno awaits you. Winifred."
And the day was Friday. Three whole days, and then----
"Right-o," he replied to his chum's pressing invitation. "I'm on it,
but I'll have to leave by the first train on Monday."
"What for?" demanded the astonished Sylvester. "Come, come, Slogger,
why these unusual blushes that suffuse your cherubic visage? Do I
tumble to it? Miss Greenwood? More congrats, you sly dog!"
"Yes," replied Farrar. "And I am the luckiest fellow in the whole
wide world. Hullo, here's another old pal! Forgot to mention it
before."
He indicated a young officer, upon whose sleeve two rings and a curl
denoted that he was of the rank of lieutenant. He was limping
slightly as he gripped the rail of the gangway with one hand and
leant heavily upon a stick.
The Moke looked at the lieutenant, and then at the sub.
"Hanged if I can fix him," he remarked dubiously. "No, surely not?"
"Yes, it's Holcombe," declared Farrar. "Holcombe, my festive, you
remember the Moke?"
"Good old Lynbury times," exclaimed Holcombe, grasping Sylvester's
outstretched hand. "Of course I do. But, my word, Moke, you've
altered some! Had a rotten time in Germany, I understand from
Slogger; and a pretty exciting time the pair of you had in breaking
out. What are you doing now?"
"Oh, just run down to have a pow-pow with Slogger," replied
Sylvester. "You're coming along with us too, Holcombe. The more the
merrier, if you don't mind nut-butter and a concoction of sawdust
and Epsom Salts which we are beguiled into eating under the name of
war-bread."
"Holcombe means, what are you doing to earn your rations, Moke?"
interposed Farrar.
"They've pushed me into the Foreign Office," explained Sylvester.
"Suppose they imagined that my experience in Germany might be of
service. You see, I know a good deal of the internal conditions
before war broke out."
"Just the sort of chap to do some good," replied Holcombe. "You'll
be in the Corps Diplomatique yet--the Diplomatic Corpse as our old
friend the Lynbury guard remarked on one occasion. Wonder if he's
still in charge of the Lynbury and Marshton express?"
"Don't know, I'm sure," said the Moke. "But we'll soon find out."
"By the bye," remarked Holcombe, "have you heard anything about von
Gobendorff?"
"Shot in the Tower," replied Farrar laconically. "Thank goodness I
wasn't knocking around to be called to give evidence at the court
martial."
"You may be in a similar stunt, old boy," rejoined Holcombe. "One of
our light cruisers disabled a brand-new U-boat last Monday. They
managed to save about a dozen of the crew before she sank. Amongst
them was her skipper--guess who?"
"Not von Loringhoven?"
"Right first shot," exclaimed Holcombe. "It was von Loringhoven, and
he had the wind up properly. I don't think that he'll get away in a
hurry this time."
When at length the three churns changed trains at Marshton Junction
they found their old favourite of school days still on duty.
"Know you, Mr. Sylvester? Of course I do. And you are one of the
Corpse, I hear?"
"Not yet, guard," said the Moke hurriedly. "Still, getting on that
way. Do you recognise these gentlemen?"
"Bless my soul, sir, it's Mr. Holcombe and Mr. Farrar! You a captain
yet, sir?"
"Like my friend Sylvester I'm getting on that way," explained
Holcombe. "And here's our modest hero coming down to Lynbury with
two little bits of ribbon, you see."
"What be they for, sir?" asked the veteran guard.
"Oh--er--just for doing something in the way of strafing Fritz,"
replied Nigel Farrar.
THE END
-------------------------------------------------------------
_Printed by Hazell, Watson & Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury._
[Transcribers notes:
This book contains a number of misprints.
The following misprints have been corrected:
[and it's a deal," re-rejoined] ->
[and it's a deal," rejoined]
[The "Tantalus" was slowy foundering.] ->
[The "Tantalus" was slowly foundering.]
[{Illustration: "SEIZING FARRER BEGAN TO HAUL] ->
[{Illustration: "SEIZING FARRAR, BEGAN TO HAUL]
[whether there were any news] ->
[whether there was any news]
["Afir-el Bahr" had been] ->
["Afir-el-Bahr" had been]
[the danger done by their bombs.] ->
[the damage done by their bombs.]
Not corrected, but interesting to mention, is another
misprint on the spine:
the spine shows the title: [THE FRITZ STRAFFERS]
but of course that should be: [THE FRITZ STRAFERS]
A few cases of punctuation errors were corrected
but are not mentioned here.
]