I 



THE INDIAN OCEAN 



a joke. Each nation has its type of fool; and all, 

 for the joyousness of mankind, differ. On the 

 bulletin board one evening appeared a notice to the 

 effect that the following morning a limited number 

 of sportsmen would be permitted ashore for the day. 

 Each was advised to bring his own lunch, rifle, and 

 drinks. The reason alleged was that the ship must 

 round a certain cape across which the sportsmen 

 could march afoot in enough shorter time to permit 

 them a little shooting. 



Now aboard ship were a dozen English, four 

 Americans, and thirty or forty Germans. The 

 Americans and English looked upon that bulletin, 

 smiled gently and went to order another round of 

 lime squashes. It was a meek, mild, little joke 

 enough ; but surely the bulletin board was as far as it 

 could possibly go. Next morning, however, we 

 observed a half dozen of our German friends in 

 khaki and sun helmet, very busy with lunch boxes, 

 bottles of beer, rifles, and the like. They said they 

 were going ashore as per bulletin. We looked at 

 each other and hied us to the upper deck. There we 

 found one of the boats slung overside, with our old 

 friend the Quartermaster ostentatiously stowing kegs 

 of water, boxes and the like. 



"When," we inquired gently, "does the expedition 

 start?" 



