FISHERMEN IN WAR TIME 



doubt in his mind as to the nature of the object and 

 its purpose, and almost instantly he shouted, 

 " Clear for action ! Submarine!" 



The rousing words had been scarcely uttered when 

 a shot fell on the Nelson's port bow, only about ioo 

 yards away. " The motor man got to his motor, 

 the deck-hand dropped his fish and went to the 

 ammunition-room, the other hands, at the skipper's 

 orders, ' Let go your gear !' let go the warp, put a 

 dan on the end of it ; meanwhile the gunlayer held 

 his fire until the skipper said, ' It is no use waiting 

 any longer ; we will have to let them have it.' 



Shell after shell was fired at the smack by the 

 submarine, which was away in the distance. About 

 the fourth shell went through the port bow, just 

 below the water line ; " Then the skipper shoved her 

 round." 



There was no confusion on board, not even when 

 the seventh shell struck the skipper, passed through 

 his side, through the deck, and cut through the side 

 of the ship. 



The second hand, the skipper's son, now took 

 charge, with the firing continuing and the Nelson 

 sinking owing to the weight of the water that was 

 pouring into her. 



At this stage the gunlayer went to the skipper, 

 to see if he could do anything by giving first aid ; 

 but it was clear that Crisp was mortally wounded. 



" It's all right, boy — do your best," were the 

 skipper's brave words to the gunlayer : then to his 

 son he said, " Send a message off." 



188 



