" SUBMARINE BILLY 



m 



'" All at once I heard a sound that you never mis- 

 take — the whir of. an airship's propellers. 



" There were some steam trawlers about, and as 

 soon as they heard the noise the}' began to blow their 

 whistles, to warn the smacks to look out as sharp 

 as the}' could. There was a terrific commotion and 

 tremendous excitement ; then there were heavy ex- 

 plosions, for the crew of the airship, which was a 

 Zeppelin, were dropping bombs. I don't think they 

 could see the trawlers, owing to the fog ; but they 

 could hear the whistles going, and hoped to get the 

 vessels. 



" In some ways this was a worse experience than 

 the rest, for it was impossible to do anything, and 

 any instant a bomb might strike us and simply wipe 

 us out. I couldn't leave the deck, as my duty kept 

 me there, so, unnerving though it was, I watched 

 bombs exploding in the air, and heard others burst- 

 ing, though I could not see them owing to the fog. 

 It was horrible to listen to them. I was shaking like 

 a leaf, and so, I think, would most men in the same 

 position. I could not possibly help it, after what I 

 had been through. 



" It mercifully happened that no vessel was hit, 

 and all the bombs were dropped in vain, so far as 

 damage went ; but as for me, I was poisoned by the 

 awful fumes of a bomb which burst not far above 

 me. 



" The airship's crew could not see us; but the 

 bomb only just cleared our smack, exploding before 

 it touched the water. Being on deck I got the full 



121 



