SAVED FROM THE SEA
The three other German vessels now singled out the Undaunted and
concentrated their fire upon her, thinking first to dispose of
the more formidable vessel and then to turn their attention to
the lighter craft.
A fierce duel ensued. Suddenly there was a terrific explosion.
One of the German torpedo destroyers seemed to leap into the air,
only to fall back a moment later and disappear beneath the sea
with a loud hiss.
A heavy shell struck the Undaunted and carried away part of her
superstructure. The two remaining torpedo boats of the enemy,
except the one being pursued by the Sylph, suddenly turned and
dashed directly at the Undaunted, evidently intending to ram her.
Captain Fox avoided a collision with promptness and skill, and
the torpedo boats sped by without touching her. Now the Loyal
launched a torpedo at the first German craft. It sped swift and
true, and a moment later there was but one German left in
condition to continue the fight. Thinking to avoid unnecessary
loss of life, Captain Fox called upon the German to surrender.
The kindly offer was rewarded with a defiant reply, and the
German made another swift attack upon the Undaunted.
For a moment it seemed that a collision was unavoidable, but
Captain Fox managed to get his ship out of the way just as the
enemy plowed by. It was close work and required great coolness.
Meantime the Sylph was close on the heels of the other German
vessel. Salvo after salvo the British poured into the apparently
helpless German torpedo boat, which, however, continued its
flight rather than surrender.
Frank and Jack, both happening to be on the bridge at the same
moment, stood for a brief second to watch the effect of the
Sylph's fire. The damage to the German had been terrific. The
vessel listed badly, and seemed in imminent danger of sinking.
"By Jove!" ejaculated Jack, and would have said more but for a
sudden interruption.
There was a terrific explosion on the German vessel, and as if by
magic, it disappeared beneath the sea. The Sylph's battle was
over.
"Get out the boats, men!" came Lord Hastings command. "It may be
that we can save some of them."
Jack and Frank leaped quickly into the same boat, and a moment
later were rushing to the spot where the German torpedo destroyer
had disappeared. For perhaps five minutes they cruised about,
unable to find a single survivor, and then both were startled by
the sound of something whistling overhead.
Looking up they beheld the cause of this trouble. The last
German destroyer had come almost upon them, and the British
gunners, evidently not seeing the little boat, were continuing
their fire at the enemy.
The lads were in imminent danger of being struck by a British
shell. The German launched a torpedo, and it went skimming right
by the little boat in which the boys sat.
"Quick!" cried Jack. "We must get out of here or one of those
things will hit us."
The men bent to their oars; but they were not quick enough.
Struck by some missile, the boat suddenly sank beneath them, and
the boys found themselves in the water, swimming.
And still they were between the two fighting ships.
Looking over his shoulder, Jack could make out the Sylph, and
calling to Frank to follow him, he struck out in that direction.
They swain rapidly, but seemed to make little progress. Lord
Hastings, standing on the bridge of the Sylph, discovered the two
forms in the water. A second boat was hastily launched, and put
off toward them.
When it was within a few yards of them a fragment of a shell
struck it and it also disappeared. It went to the bottom with
all on board, nor did any of its ill-fated victims come to the
surface again.
The two lads, now clinging to pieces of wreckage, continued at
the mercy of the sea, and also in constant danger of being struck
by an exploding shell, while they swam slowly toward the Sylph.
In one final despairing, attempt to sink the Undaunted, the last
German destroyer launched another torpedo. By a wonderful
maneuver the British cruiser again avoided the projectile, which
sped on through the water.
Swimming, the boys could plainly follow its flight. As the
Undaunted swung out of the way to avoid it they could see that
the missile had a clear path to the Sylph.
With a gasp the boys saw the torpedo speed toward the little
scout cruiser. Lord Hastings had not seen the projectile
launched--because a view of the German ship had been obstructed
until the Undaunted swung out of the way--and no effort was
made to avoid it.
The torpedo crashed into the Sylph on the water line, and the
explosion which followed must have torn through all the various
compartments to the engine room, for there was a second loud
explosion, steam leaped up on all sides of the Sylph, and when it
had cleared away, there was no Sylph to be seen.
The little scout cruiser had disappeared; vanished, had been
destroyed.
Of Lord Hastings and the other officers and men, the lads could
see nothing.
For a moment the boys were unable to speak, so astounded were
they at the suddenness of this terrible disaster.
"Great Scott!" gasped Frank at last. "Do you realize what has
happened?"
Jack was more calm.
"Perfectly," he replied faintly, with a sob in his voice. "The
Sylph has gone, and with her Lord Hastings and all on board--all
our friends, the only ones we have in the world."
The two boys unconsciously swam closer together.
"The fortunes of war," said Jack, more quietly now. "It is a
terrible thing."
Further conversation was interrupted by the sound of another
terrific explosion. Startled, the boys turned in the water just
in time to see the last German destroyer disappear beneath the
sea.
"Good!" exclaimed Jack, in fierce joy. "I am glad of that."
Frank also gritted his teeth, and muttered fervent
congratulations to the British gunners.
And now the British ships proceeded on their course. None had
been seriously damaged. They turned their backs upon the scene
of the engagement and made off in the direction from which they
had come.
The boys shouted loud and long for assistance; but their cries
were not heard aboard the British ships of war, which, gradually
gathering more headway, steamed off to the south. Not until they
were almost out of sight did the lads cease their shouting, and
resign themselves to their fate.
In despair, they turned to each other for comfort. Jack was
first to speak.
"Well, Frank," he said quietly. "We shall soon join Lord
Hastings and our other good friends in a place where there is no
war and no losing of friends."
"Isn't there something we can do?" asked Frank, trembling with
cold.
"I am afraid not."
There was a sudden stirring of the water beneath them. Jack
cried out suddenly:
"What's that?"
Frank had regained his coolness now.
"Probably a shark come to finish us up quickly," he replied
calmly.
Both lads, with a last effort, swam desperately from the place.
But suddenly the waters of the North Sea parted, and a long,
cigar-shaped object came to the top and rested lightly on the
water.
"What is it?" asked Jack again in no little alarm
Before Frank could reply, a man suddenly appeared on the top of
the object, apparently from nowhere, and glanced about. He
espied them, and as suddenly disappeared. He reappeared almost
in an instant, however, followed by another.
And now both lads discovered what the object was, an object that
had arrived just in time to save them from a watery grave. They
could see that the two men wore the uniform of the German navy.
The long, cigar-shaped object was a German submarine.