In attacking the enemy as he had, in the face of terrible odds, he had accomplished his purpose. He had halted the Germans in their attempt to escape, and had given the Undaunted and the British torpedo boats time to come up.

Before the Germans could again get under full headway, there came the heavy boom of a great gun. The Undaunted was within range, and had opened fire.

Lord Hastings summoned Jack to him.

"What damage do you find to the Sylph?" he asked.

"Forward gun out of commission, sir," replied the lad. "Ten men killed, and many wounded."

Frank also had had news to report.

The British flotilla and the German squadron were now at it hammer and tongs. Seeing that all hope of escape had been cut off, the German commander turned to face his new foes, determined to give battle to the last.

Steadily the British fleet bore down on the enemy, the great guns of the Undaunted belching fire as they drew near.

Now Lord Hastings ordered the Sylph--still the closest of the British vessels to the Germans--again into the fray, and in spite of its crippled condition, the little cruiser once more bore down upon the Germans.

Suddenly the nearest German destroyer launched a torpedo at the Sylph. By a quick and skillful maneuver, Lord Hastings avoided this projectile, and a broadside was poured into the German.

Others of the German fleet were too closely pressed by the Undaunted and her convoys to aid the one engaged with the Sylph, and so the two were left to fight it out alone.

Closer and closer together the two vessels came, until they were perhaps only a hundred yards apart. It was evident to those on the Sylph that a sh.e.l.l must have badly crippled the German, for otherwise a torpedo would have put an end to the little British craft.

Unable to check the advance of the Sylph, the German destroyer turned suddenly and made off.

"After her!" shouted Lord Hastings, and the Sylph leaped ahead at the word of command.

CHAPTER III

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 sh.e.l.l 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!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed 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 sh.e.l.l. 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 sh.e.l.l 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 sh.e.l.l, 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.