show ourselves to larger and heavier adversaries. Now, aboard the
_Queen Mary_, that will be done away with. Now we are the cat rather
than the mouse."

"It may be that I shall come to your way of thinking in time," said the
second speaker, "but at this moment I would rather have the familiar
feel of a submarine beneath my heel. I would feel more at home there.
Besides, we have lost one thing by being assigned to the _Queen Mary_
that hits me rather hard."

"I know what you mean," said the first speaker. "We indeed have lost
the companionship of a gallant commander. Captain Raleigh undoubtedly
is a first class officer--otherwise he would not be in command of the
_Queen Mary_--but we are bound to miss Lord Hastings."

"Indeed we are. Yet, as he told us, things cannot always be as we
would like to have them. He was called for other service, as you know,
and he did his best for us. That is why we find ourselves here as minor
officers."

"Yes; and it's a whole lot different than being the second and third in
command."

At that moment another young officer hurried by.

"Coming, Templeton? Coming, Chadwick?" he asked as he passed.

"Where?" demanded the two friends.

"Didn't you hear the call for mess?"