It was September, 1914, and a few weeks after the outbreak of the Great War. The skipper of the Flower of Ipswich, where fifteen-year-old Sam Goodchild was mate, had joined the Army in France, and old Bunyard had become the new Master. There was something faintly sinister about the old man. Obviously, he had rather disturbing views on the war, and his announcement that the Flower was to carry freight to Calais had not helped to lessen Sam's mounting suspicions. And now this was the second time that Bunyard had sent the boys below deck, in mid-Channel...What was he doing? Sam was determined to find out.