"Those j.a.ps know how to fire," came from the Yankee sailor. "Reckon as how they're going to do their best to blow this ship sky-high. I'd give 'most a dollar to be somewhere else just about now!" And he shook his head anxiously.

The Russian gunners were working with a will, and so were their numerous a.s.sistants. The _Pocastra_ was swung around, and now both ships were broadside to each other. The thunder of the guns was terrific and the smoke rolled around in all directions.

"Puts me in mind o' the battle o' Manila Bay, eh?" remarked Luke, as he and Larry stood at a distance, watching the Russians work one of the guns.

"You are right, Luke, only----"

Larry got no further, for at that moment came another crash on deck. The _Pocastra_ shivered and heaved, and to those below it was as if she would surely sink.

"They're pumping it into us, sure as you're born!" sang out the old Yankee tar. "Hullo, what's this?"

There was a rush of several gunners across the deck. "Beware of that gun!" yelled one in Russian, and then a stampede followed.

In the midst of the confusion came a fearful explosion from below. A portion of the flooring was ripped apart and one of the gunners was instantly killed and several wounded. A great volume of smoke rolled up, and splinters and bits of iron and steel flew in all directions.

Both Larry and Luke were almost stunned by the explosion and for the moment could do nothing but clutch each other in terror. Both were struck by the flying splinters, but neither was seriously wounded. They staggered back and began to cough, for the dense smoke was strangling.

"Must have been a torpedo----" gasped Luke.

"Or else a magazine!" spluttered Larry. "Let--let us get--get out of here. I'm--choking--to--to--death!"

It was really a magazine which had exploded. This tore a good-sized hole in the _Pocastra's_ side, in a spot impossible to get at in the confusion. In the meantime a solid eight-inch sh.e.l.l struck the Russian ship squarely in the stern, doing additional damage and killing and wounding two officers and nine men.

Almost choked to death, Larry and Luke crawled to where the ladder ran to the deck. The Russian jackies and gunners were swarming up, along with all the prisoners.

"Larry, are you safe?" came in the voice of Captain Ponsberry, and he loomed up, with Tom Grandon, Cal Vincent, and the Chinese petty officer beside him.

"So far I am," answered Larry. "But I--I--must have air!" and he began to cough.

The jam on the ladder was terrific, and in the midst of the _melee_ a Russian gunner and the Chinese petty officer got into a quarrel. The gunner threw the Celestial down, but he bounced up like a ball, and in a twinkling the Russian received a blow in the stomach which sent him staggering back into the crowd and the deadly smoke.

"No knock me up the spout!" sang out the Celestial. "Ship go down I go uppee!" And soon he was out on the upper deck.

Fighting, surging, pushing, and yelling the Russians and our friends got to the deck at last. Captain Ponsberry had his coat literally ripped from his back, and Cal Vincent had an arm almost torn from its socket.

For this he gave a Russian gunner a rap in the mouth which knocked loose several teeth. It was a case of each man for himself, and many fought like wild beasts.

At last Larry found himself free of the crowd, with Luke still beside him. Captain Ponsberry and Cal Vincent were not far away, but between surged a great number of Russians. The _Pocastra_ was listing heavily to port and had evidently taken a large quant.i.ty of water into her hull.

Two j.a.panese warships were now at hand and both were firing upon the doomed Russian cruiser with deadly accuracy. From the fighting tops of the Mikado's ships came a perfect hail of small bullets which sent the Russians to the deck by the score. By this fire one of the _Columbia's_ sailors was killed and Cal Vincent was seriously wounded. A bullet likewise grazed Luke Striker's thigh, drawing some blood, but the Yankee tar did not know of this until the conflict was at an end and he saw the crimson stain on his shoe top.

At last the Russian captain saw that to fight further would be useless.

The _Pocastra_ was in danger of going down at any moment. The guns could no longer be used, and he ordered the colors lowered and put up a signal of surrender.

A wild cheer came from the two j.a.panese warships when it was realized that the battle was won. "_Banzai! Banzai!_" rent the air over and over again. "Hurrah for the Mikado! Down with the Russians!"

A little while after the fighting came to an end, several small boats put off from the two j.a.panese warships and half a dozen of the Mikado's naval officers presented themselves at the _Pocastra's_ side. The Russian ship still listed heavily, but after the smoke below had cleared away it was ascertained that the damage done was not as great as had been imagined. One of the magazines which had been in danger of blowing up had been flooded, and the rush of sea water had likewise put out a fire that had started in the stern.

As soon as order could be restored on board of the _Pocastra_ a complete surrender was made to the j.a.panese, the Russian captain giving up his sword. Then a general conference was had lasting over an hour. At the end of that time, much to their surprise, the Americans were asked to go over to one of the j.a.panese warships.

"We'll go, and glad of the chance," said Captain Ponsberry; and soon the transfer was made.

CHAPTER XVI

ABOARD A j.a.pANESE WARSHIP

"What a beauty of a ship!"

Such was Larry's exclamation as he stepped aboard of the j.a.panese warship. The vessel was, like the Russian prize, an auxiliary cruiser and named the _Mimora Juri_. She was but three years old and had been used for pa.s.senger service between j.a.pan and China. For such a small cruiser she carried an unusually heavy battery, and everything was shined up to the last degree,--the work having been undertaken directly after the battle was over. The _Mimora Juri_ had suffered but little damage during the contest and only a handful of men had been killed and wounded.

"This looks more like Uncle Sam's navy than anything I have seen yet,"

said Luke.

"Well, I don't know that the decorations aboard our ships are quite so fine," returned the youth. "But then this isn't an ordinary fighting ship. Some of the auxiliary cruisers we used during the war with Spain--those that used to be trans-Atlantic steamers--were just as fine as this and finer."

As soon as those from the _Columbia_ reached the j.a.panese warship the wounded were taken in charge by the surgeons and placed in the sick bay, as the hospital on a naval vessel is called. This was also in the best of order, with nice, swinging cots, and appliances of the latest designs.

As there were many things to be arranged between the two j.a.panese vessels and the Russian prize, our friends were not interviewed until late in the evening. In the meantime, some of the Russians were made prisoners, and a prize crew was placed aboard of the _Pocastra_. Then the two j.a.panese warships moved away, with the captured cruiser between them.

"Those Russians must feel sick," was Larry's comment. "It's worse for them, in a way, than if their ship had gone down."

"Well, we all thought she was sinking," returned Captain Ponsberry. "If she had sunk I reckon some of us wouldn't be here to tell the tale."

When evening came, a guard who could speak a little English conducted Captain Ponsberry, Larry, and Tom Grandon to the commander's cabin. Here they were met by Captain Tonkaka, who, being a graduate of the j.a.panese naval school, could speak not only English but also several other foreign languages. It may be mentioned here that the j.a.panese naval academy of to-day is one of the foremost inst.i.tutions of its kind in the world.

"I will hear your story, Captain Ponsberry," said the j.a.panese captain, politely, as he motioned his visitors to be seated.

In a plain, direct manner the master of the _Columbia_ told his tale, starting from the time the schooner left Manila with a cargo intended for the j.a.panese Government. He told of the trouble with Semmel and of the mutiny, and then of the capture by the _Pocastra_.

"You have a.s.suredly been unfortunate," said Captain Tonkaka. "Have you any idea where your schooner is now?"

"I have not, but I thought she must be close to the Russian ship--she and that Chinese junk, too. The _Pocastra_ was taking them to Vladivostok as prizes."

"Ah!" The j.a.panese captain mused for a moment. "I dare say you would like to gain back your ship?" he continued.

"Indeed I would!" cried Captain Ponsberry. "I'd give a pretty dollar to do so!"

"I shall interview the captain of the Russian warship again to-morrow.

It may be that he will tell us where she is--although I doubt it."

After this a few questions were put to Larry and Tom Grandon and both corroborated what Captain Ponsberry had said. They were also questioned concerning the treatment they had received while on the _Pocastra_.

"You may be thankful that the treatment was no worse," said Captain Tonkaka. "Of late some of the Russians have treated their prisoners in a most brutal fashion."

"We are thankful," replied the master of the _Columbia_.