'There 'e is!' FitzJohnson heard a shrill voice saying as he retraced his footsteps to the bridge. 'See 'im?'
'No, that ain't 'im. That's one o' them lights ashore.'
'It ain't, I sez. Ye're lookin' at th' wrong one!'
FitzJohnson eventually arrived on the bridge, to find the captain, the commander, and the first lieutenant already there. The last-named seemed to be rather amused.
'You can fall your men out, Captain Chance,' Captain Spencer called out to the forecastle. 'I'm afraid there's nothing for you to shoot at to-night.'
'I beg your pardon, sir,' said FitzJohnson, coming forward. 'Did you see the Zeppelin? There, sir,' he added, waving an arm; 'you can still see her green and white lights; and when I looked through the glasses just now I distinctly saw her shape.' He was rather afraid that the marines were being sent away prematurely.
Chase, the first lieutenant, unable to bottle himself up any longer, burst out into a hoarse chuckle.
The captain turned round. 'Is that you, Mr FitzJohnson?' he snapped.
'Are you trying to make damfools of the commander and myself?' demanded Captain Spencer. He seemed very much put out about something.
'I beg your pardon, sir,' stuttered the lieutenant. 'I don't quite understand what you mean.'
The commander suddenly flung back his head, and went off into a roar of laughter. 'Oh,' he gasped, 'this is the limit!'
FitzJohnson stared. Had they all taken leave of their senses?
'Did you really see a Zeppelin,' the skipper asked sarcastically, 'or did you merely get me up here in these garments so that I should catch my death of cold?'
'Yes, sir, I really did see it,' the lieutenant faltered, beginning to realise that he had made some horrible mistake.
'What! showing its white and green lights?'
The captain glowered. 'I believe you're a zealous officer, Mr FitzJohnson,' he said grimly; 'otherwise I should believe that you were treating me with unseemly levity.'
'I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean, sir.'
'You don't understand--eh? Well, next time you report a Zeppelin, kindly make quite certain that it is a Zeppelin. This time you've dragged us all out of our beds to look at a couple of rather bright stars.'
'Stars, sir! But I saw the shape behind the lights!'