CHAPTER XXXV
TRESSIDAR'S REWARD
IN the well-kept grounds of a naval hospital, far removed from thedanger-zone, where Zepp. alarms were unknown and the angry buzz ofraiding Taubes did not disturb the peaceful atmosphere, two bronzedbut obviously "crocked" officers were sunning themselves incomfortable camp-chairs.
Ronald Tressidar had only just been able to dispense with the aid ofcrutches, and with the assistance of a stout stick and the shoulderof a fellow-patient he could get about the grounds without muchdifficulty.
Eric Greenwood, although outwardly the "fitter" of the twain, wasstill suffering from the effect of the injuries sustained in themonitor's fire-control platform. His fate was literally in thebalance, for he was about to undergo another "medical board," uponthe finding of which his retention in His Majesty's Navy depended.
Tressidar, too, was chafing under the enforced delay. Complete restafter strenuous activity afloat is all very well, but in time itpalls horribly. The call of the sea, strong even in the far-remotetimes of peace, was now irresistible. Rumours of activity on the partof the German fleet had grown persistent until the sub. realised thepossibility of The Day being pulled off while he was still coolinghis heels in the grounds of the naval hospital.
"Yes," declared the A.P., throwing the morning paper on the grassbeside his chair, "I'm bored stiff. We want something to cheer us up.Solid good news, and no more silly tosh in the shape of purelyhypothetical statements of what may happen if something elsedoesn't."
"What's upset your apple-cart now, old man?"
"Look at the news. Another hostile cruiser raid, followed,presumably, by a letter from an amateur Lord of the Admiraltyexpressing regret for the damage done to the bombarded town and apromise that if the enemy try it again they'll feel sorry forthemselves. Ten days ago, too, the Press was deriding an officialTurkish communiqu?. Now, as in previous cases, the report proves tobe absolutely correct. It makes a fellow feel particularly savage,doesn't it?"
Tressidar shrugged his shoulders.
"Because we are out of it," he replied. "Out there, when we are doingour individual bit, we had the satisfaction of knowing that whenevera chance occurred we were too many for the Huns. We don't advertise;we are not allowed to let others advertise for us, still the workgoes on. Out of touch with events afloat, we are apt to be influencedby the opinion of the great and uninformed British Public. Still, Iadmit, a little good news would be welcome. Here's Fuller to cheeryou up," he continued, as the flight-sub. came limping up over thegrass. "Well, my festive bird, how goes it?"
The flight-sub. had not been long in following his former companionin captivity. It was he who had bombed the submarine just as therefloated monitor was about to bring her remaining 14-inch gun tobear upon the "U" boat. Having accomplished this feat, Fuller flewback to Harwich to summon assistance to the badly damaged "Anzac,"and, by the irony of fate, had slipped from the second rung of aladder on board the parent ship and had fractured his ankle.
"What's that?" demanded the newcomer as he tendered hiscigarette-case. Our A.P. requires cheering up?"
"Yes; he's developed a bad grousing attack," replied Tressidar. "Gotit badly, don't you know."
"Fact," agreed Greenwood. "I never was like it on board, was I,Tress.? It must be this rotten inaction."
"No, you haven't time to have the blues out there," agreed the sub."Afloat we're fed on actions; but here we eke out a miserableexistence on words. Yes, Fuller, I think we want cheering up."
"Let me begin," said the flight-sub. "Now, this is official. Messagejust come through. Listen: Yesterday morning in thick weather one ofour destroyer flotillas came in touch with some hostile cruisers. Thelatter broke off action, but not before H.M.T.B.D. 'Ypres,'Lieutenant-commander Terence Aubyn, D.S.O., succeeded in torpedoing alarge cruiser supposed to be the 'Opelm.'"
"Lucky blighter, Aubyn!" remarked Tressidar enviously. "I've met himonce or twice. Wish to goodness I had been shipmates with him in thatscrap."
"And now for a personal matter," continued Fuller. "For the simplereason that I merely did what I am paid to do, they've slung a littledecoration at me. I've been given the Distinguished Service Cross forbusting up a 'U' boat that was trying to strafe you, but couldn't."
In the midst of the blunt and hearty congratulations of his chums,Fuller suddenly noticed a nursing sister approaching.
"I'm off," he exclaimed hurriedly. "There'll be a deuce of a breezeif she finds that I'm out here without that fakealorum caboodle of awheeled chair. Come along, Greenwood; bear a hand. S'long, Tress.;don't give the show away."
The A.P. obligingly did as the flight-sub. had requested andTressidar was left alone.
A light footfall caused him to look up. Standing a few feet away wasDoris Greenwood, who, of course by a pure coincidence, had beentransferred from Auldhaig to the south-west coast hospital a fewweeks previously.
"Have you seen Eric?" asked the girl, who was holding three or fourenvelopes in her hand. At the risk of losing his balance, Tressidarleant sideways and peeped under his camp chair.
"I cannot see him anywhere here, Sister," he replied, loyalty to theretreating Fuller compelling him to avoid a direct reply. "At allevents, I was left here in solitude to meditate upon the fraility ofhuman friendship, when like a guiding star----"
"Please don't be idiotic," said Doris with mock severity. "Here is atelegram for you."
"Thank you," said the sub. promptly. "Now, won't you accept thisvacant chair (believe me, it's very comfortable) and open thewretched thing for me? You know telegrams always give me a bad time.For instance, this flimsy, orange-coloured envelope might contain theinformation that my great-great-aunt has died and left a cool millionto be divided equally between her one and only great-great-nephew andthe Home for Lost and Anaemic Cats. So please open the fatefulmissive and read me the momentous news."
"You want a lot of humouring, Ronald," said the girl as she seatedherself and began to rip open the envelope. "If all the otherpatients were like you----"
"Heaven forbid!" ejaculated Tressidar piously.
The wire was a "private tip" sent by a friend "up-topsides" at theAdmiralty.
"Your promotion dated from the twenty-ninth," read Doris.
"Hurrah!" exclaimed Tressidar joyously, sub. no longer but afull-fledged lieutenant. "This must be my birthday."
"Also awarded D.S.O. for 'Anzac' affair," continued the girl."Ronald, you are a lucky fellow. I congratulate you heartily. Youseem to get everything you want."
Like a flash came the sailor's instinct to act promptly. Tressidar'spowerful, bronzed hand closed over the girl's firm wrist.
"Ay," he rejoined. "And, best of all, you, Doris."
THE END
MADE AND PRINTED BY PURNELL AND SONSPAULTON (SOMERSET) AND LONDON
Transcriber's Notes:
This book contains a number of misprints. The following misprints have been corrected:
[And even if that mine explode] --> [And even if that mine explodes] [sinister-loking objects] --> [sinister-looking objects] [gone to blow up the bas-bag] --> [gone to blow up the gas-bag] [was quickly spread broadcast from] --> [was quickly spread--broadcast from] [Sorched and maimed bodies] --> [Scorched and maimed bodies] [psycological moment] --> [psychological moment] [would bewray their presence] --> [would betray their presence] [were more serious that she believed,] --> [were more serious than she believed,] [uppermost ratlins] --> [uppermost ratlines] [a horizonal position] --> [a horizontal position] [Relying implicity upon] --> [Relying implicitly upon]
A few cases of punctuation errors were corrected, but are not mentioned here.
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends