Now, realizing that escape was impossible, the Emden turned.

Brought to bay, Captain von Mueller had decided to give battle.

"Will we go into action, sir?" asked Jack of Lord Hastings eagerly.

"Not unless it is absolutely necessary," replied the commander of the Sylph. "The Sydney can handle the Emden alone."

Both lads were disappointed, for they had felt certain, that when the Emden was brought to bay they would have a hand in putting an end to her.

"Well," said Jack, "we can at least see the battle."

"Right," said Frank, and fortifying themselves with gla.s.ses, they took posts of vantage.

Now the Emden steamed forward to meet the Sydney, and the Sylph hove to. The crew, relieved from duty, scattered about the decks, seeking advantageous places to witness the encounter.

Slowly the two cruisers approached each other.

The Emden already has been described, and a few words here concerning the Sydney will not be amiss.

The Australian cruiser Sydney carried a main battery of eight 6-inch guns, thus giving her an advantage over the German ship.

She had a complement Of 400 men. She was 400 feet long and was much greater in the beam than her antagonist. She carried several smaller guns and a number of rapid-firers. As did the Emden, the Sydney carried two submerged torpedoes.

Across the water came the call of a bugle, as the crew of the Sydney made ready for action. She was almost within range now.

There was no question but that she outranged the Emden slightly, but the German cruiser was steaming rapidly forward to overcome this disadvantage as quickly as possible.

Now there was a puff of smoke from the bow of the Sydney.

"Boom!" came the sound of a big gun.

The Sydney, within range at last, had opened the battle.

CHAPTER XXII

THE BATTLE

"Now for it!" cried Jack, as the first sh.e.l.l from the British cruiser splashed up the water only a few yards in front of the Emden.

A second concussion was heard and an English sh.e.l.l struck the heavy armored side of the German cruiser.

The sailors and officers raised a loud cheer. It was first blood for the Sydney, and the sailors aboard that vessel also let out a yell of delight.

So far the Emden had not answered the Sydney's fire. However, she was dashing rapidly ahead, seeking to get within range. Two more sh.e.l.ls from the Sydney struck the Emden before she finally managed to get within range, and opened fire with the 4-inch guns in her forward turrets.

The results of the first salvos from the German guns were nil.

The range finders on the Emden had evidently not calculated properly. The water leaped into white sprays ahead of the Sydney, indicating that the Emden's first fire had been wasted.

But the next attempt o the Emden met with better success. A solid shot struck the Sydney, squarely on the bow. The Sydney's armor was, too strong for the German guns at this distance, however, and while the vessel staggered slightly, she was not damaged to any extent.

It became apparent early in the battle that the marksmanship of the Sydney's gunners was much superior to that of the foe. The range-finders were attending to their work with coolness and precision. The fire was deliberate and accurate. It was slower than that of the Emden, but far more deadly.

A sh.e.l.l struck upon the Emden's deck near the forward smokestack and burst. Iron and steel flew high in the air and came down in a deadly hail, killing and maiming many members of the crew.

The smokestack toppled to the deck, pinioning many more beneath it.

Quickly a squad of men sprang forward and soon cleared away the wreckage. But the carrying away of the smokestack now hampered the draught of the Emden and made progress much more difficult.

Nevertheless, she still continued to pour her sh.e.l.ls against the armored sides of the Sydney.

Now the first shot landed among the gun crew of the Sydney, putting one of the guns out of commission, killing three of the crew and wounding several others. Those three men were the only ones killed on the Sydney in the whole course of the battle.

Suddenly those aboard the Sylph became aware that the fire of the enemy was not as rapid as before. The reason for this they soon made out. One of the forward guns of the Emden had been, silenced by the well-directed fire of the Sydney.

A moment later another of the enemy's guns became silent--and then another. Up to this moment the Emden had been rushing as rapidly as possible toward the Sydney, but now she paused in her advance, almost stopped, swung about in a wide circle, and made off in the other direction.

It was plain that she had had enough. A cheer went up from the British sailors, both on the Sydney and aboard the Sylph. But Captain Glossop, of the Sydney, had no mind to let his prey escape. The Sydney dashed in pursuit of the enemy at full speed, and a fierce running battle ensued.

The Emden's stern guns continued to play upon the Sydney as she made a wild dash for the distant sh.o.r.e. She was headed for the nearest point of land, and the question that now rose in the minds of the spectators aboard the Sylph was whether the Sydney could come up with her before she could find a certain amount of refuge in what appeared to be a small cove.

The excitement aboard the Sylph was intense. Men shouted and yelled, calling words of encouragement and advice to the fellow sailors aboard the British battle cruiser, forgetting their voices could not be heard.

As the Emden turned and made off, Jack cried out:

"She's running! She's liable to get away!"

"Don't you believe it!" called Frank excitedly. "The Sydney'll catch 'em!"

"What's the Emden heading that way for?" asked Jack of Lord Hastings, who stood beside the lads.

"My idea is," replied the commander of the Sylph, "that von Mueller intends to beach the ship."

"In that event will he and his men try to escape inland?"

"I suppose so."

The Sydney continued her chase, seeming to gather additional speed at every furlong. Her heavy sh.e.l.ls played a merry tattoo upon the stem and deck of the fleeing German cruiser.

But the Emden was now gradually drawing toward land. Suddenly, she swerved and headed straight for a huge reef that could be seen protruding above the surface of the water. A cry of dismay went up from those aboard the Sylph.

But the cry was uncalled for. For even as the Emden swerved in her course, a British sh.e.l.l burst squarely upon the bridge of the German cruiser.

At the same instant a second found 'its way through the various compartments to the engine-room.

There was the sound of terrific explosion, and a red sheet of flame sprang above the cruiser. Even above the cries of battle came the cries of German sailors, maimed and suffering horribly.

Another salvo from the Sydney put the steering apparatus of the Emden out of commission, and now instead of steering straight for the rocky reef, she turned her broadside toward it.

Swiftly she floated toward this dangerous projection. Almost helpless as she was, Captain von Mueller evidently had no thought of surrender. The three guns still in commission aboard the vessel continued to hurl their messages of defiance at the Sydney.

Suddenly rapid movements of those aboard the Emden told that one of the submerged torpedoes, still undamaged, was about to be launched. Quickly the Sydney maneuvered a trifle to the left, and the huge explosive sped on to the sea beyond, doing no damage. Now the second torpedo was launched, but it had no better success.