COMMANDER LAWLESS V.C.
BEING THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF FRANK H. LAWLESS,
UNTIL RECENTLY ALIEUTENANT IN HIS MAJESTY'S NAVY
BY ROLF BENNETT
Author of "The Adventures of Lieut. Lawless, R.N.," "Captain Calamity,"etc.
HODDER AND STOUGHTON
LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO
MCMXVI
CONTENTS
| CHAPTER I | The Night Attack | 1 |
| CHAPTER II | The Derelict | 23 |
| CHAPTER III | The Decoy | 44 |
| CHAPTER IV | A Bolt from the Blue | 62 |
| CHAPTER V | The Hoax | 80 |
| CHAPTER VI | Prisoner of War | 95 |
| CHAPTER VII | The Riding Light | 120 |
| CHAPTER VIII | The Bell Buoy | 136 |
| CHAPTER IX | Abandon Ship! | 157 |
CHAPTER I
THE NIGHT ATTACK
Flight-Lieutenant Lawless sat on an empty soap-box in a large shedwatching his mechanic cleaning the engines of a monoplane which washoused there. The Lieutenant was sucking vigorously at an empty pipe,and, although his face wore an expression of deep melancholy, this wasnot a case of cause and effect, the gloom was due to his thoughts, notto his ineffectual efforts to draw smoke from an unfilled pipe—and hehad plenty of tobacco, anyhow.
Misfortune seemed to have dogged his footsteps ever since histransference from the Navy proper into the Flying Wing. In the firstplace he had discovered, with feelings of mingled astonishment andhumiliation, that he was subject to violent attacks of air-sicknesswhich, so far from wearing off, grew more acute as time went on. Thatthis should happen to a man who had navigated a little cockle-shell of adestroyer in the stormiest weather with never a qualm seemedpreposterous. But it was so, and, though the shameful secret was sharedonly by his mechanic, he was always fearing discovery. Also, because theFates were against him, he had smashed up two monoplanes, and, with hismechanic, only escaped death by a miracle. As a result of the inquiriesfollowing upon these two mishaps Lawless had been severely censured, andhis chances of being sent out to the Front remained less hopeful thanever.
No wonder he felt depressed at thought of these things, and ferventlywished himself back aboar