IV OFFICIAL SUNRISE 251 



to walk the slippery plank of their discipline; but 

 rather in order to be one of such a fine set of 

 human animals all turned towards a definite pur- 

 pose; to be In a ship that knows her course and 

 steers by It, full speed ahead, instead of lying 

 bound alone In shallows and in miseries; to have 

 at any rate the illusion of living faster, harder and 

 more effectively than one could otherwise do. For 

 just as a fuddle by oneself Is a poor affair com- 

 pared with a spree In good company — 'when 

 you'm all up for it ' — so if life is to be a bit of a 

 spree, good company Is still needed; and that there 

 is In the Navy, with a long tradition and a common 

 pride to back It up. 



One day before breakfast we were out mackerel 

 hooking roundabout a cruiser that was anchored 

 In the bay. Very bulky, black and lifeless she 

 lay on the calm sea In the early morning haze. 

 Suddenly the guard-call sounded brazenly. Men 

 ran about the decks. The guard fell In across 

 the quarter-deck. Eight bells struck and the 

 bugle sounded Attention! Whereupon, while the 

 guard presented arms, and the crew saluted or 

 stood at attention facing aft, according to their 

 rank, the white ensign fluttered out from its staff 

 astern. The ship had awakened. The wide sea 



