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 through barren waste, the Octopod sang like a six-inch shell.

"Whew ! But you know your job," said Hinchcliffe. "You’re wasted here. I’d give something to have you in my engineroom."

"He’s steering with ’is little hind-legs," said Pyecroft. "Stand up and look at him, Robert. You’ll never see such a sight again!"

"Nor don’t want to," was our guest’s reply. "Five ’undred pounds wouldn’t begin to cover ’is fines even since I’ve been with him."

Park Row is reached by one hill which drops three hundred feet in half a mile. Kysh had the thought to steer with his hand down the abyss, but the manner in which he took the curved bridge at the bottom brought my few remaining hairs much nearer the grave.

"We’re in Surrey now; better look out," I said.

"Never mind. I’ll roll her into Kent for a bit. We’ve lots of time; it’s only three o’clock."

"Won’t you want to fill your bunkers, or take water, or oil her up?" said Hinchcliffe.

"We don’t use water, and she’s good for two hundred on one tank o’ petrol if she doesn’t break down."

"Two hundred miles from ’ome and mother and faithful Fido to-night, Robert," said Pyecroft, slapping our guest on the knee. "Cheer up! Why, I’ve known a destroyer do less."

We passed with some decency through some towns, till by way of the Hastings road we whirled into Cramberhurst, which is a deep pit.