CHAPTER XXIV
THE ENGAGEMENT
"If we retire," said Jack, "we will leave the way open to the coast. Atthis minute we are in their way."
"But if we try to stick it out here we'll be sunk," said Frank. "And if weretire toward the coast, we'll be moving away from our supports."
"True enough," Jack agreed. "There's only one thing to do. That is toretire as slowly as possible and try to entice all six ships after us. ButI'd much rather wade right in."
"Same here. But discretion is the better part of valor, you know."
"Boom!"
Again a gun spoke aboard one of the enemy.
"We're still out of range," said Jack. "Let 'em come a little closer."
As Jack could now see, all six ships had altered their course slightly andwere heading directly for the Essex.
"You may come about, Mr. Chadwick," said Jack.
Slowly the Essex swung about.
"Train your left guns on the enemy," Jack ordered.
This was done.
"Range finders!"
"Still out of range, sir," was the report.
"All right But let me know the minute we can strike."
"Aye, aye, sir."
"Half speed ahead, Mr. Chadwick."
"Aye, aye, sir."
Frank signalled the engine room.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Guns spoke simultaneously aboard three of the enemy ships.
"Still beyond range."
It was Lieutenant Hetherton who spoke.
"Trouble is," said Frank, "that they will be within range before we are."
"We'll risk it," said Jack. "It's up to us to keep them busy until thewarships arrive."
The next fire from the enemy resulted in a screaming shell to port.
"They've got the range, sir," said Frank.
"Make it two-thirds speed ahead."
The speed of the Essex increased.
But the German vessels were bearing down on her swiftly, and eventuallyJack was forced to call for full speed ahead.
But still the German warships gained.
"They've the heels of us, too," muttered Jack. "Well, we'll slow down abit and trust to luck. We can't do any damage unless we get withinrange."
The Essex slowed suddenly to half speed.
The German fleet dashed ahead, now in single formation. This was fortunatefor the Essex, for it meant that the guns of only one ship could bebrought to bear on the British destroyer at one time.
"Range, sir!" cried the range finder at this point.
"Then fire!" shouted Jack to the aft turret battery captain.
The battery spoke sharply, and the men gave a cheer of delight.
The first shell went home. It cleared the bow of the first German vesselapparently by the fraction of an inch and smashed squarely into thebridge. The crash of the shell striking home was followed almost instantlyby an explosion. Timber and steel, intermingled with human bodies, flewhigh in the air. This much those aboard the Essex could see by the flareof the searchlight.
"A good shot, men!" cried Jack. "An excellent shot!"
An excellent shot it was indeed.
Something appeared to have gone wrong with the steering apparatus of thefirst German ship. She veered slightly to port.
The target thus presented was an excellent one.
"Fire!" cried Jack again.
The aft battery crashed out and once more the British cheered.
Two shells plowed into the crippled German just on the water line.
"A death wound," muttered Frank.
The lad was right.
The German vessel staggered under the force of the impact and seemed toreel backward. Men leaped to the rails and hurled themselves into the sea.
Suddenly there was a loud explosion and the ship seemed to split in two, ablaze of red fire stretching high into the heavens from the middle of thevessel as it did so. Then blackness enveloped it again and the two partsof the ship fell back into the water with a hiss like that of a thousandserpents. The first German ship was gone.
It was first blood to the Essex and the crew cheered again.
But the other five German vessels came on apace. The gun on the forwardship spoke, but the shell went wild.
"If they'll keep that formation, we might get away with the whole bunch ofthem," said Frank.
"Yes, but they won't," replied Jack.
He was a good prophet.
Even now, the German vessels began to spread out, and within ten minuteshad formed a semi-circle. It was possible now for the forward guns on eachship to rake the Essex without interfering with each other's fire.
"Train your guns on the ship farthest to port," Jack instructed.
The order was obeyed. Again came the order for range finders, and thereport that the range was O.K.
"Fire!" cried Jack.
Once more fortune was with the crew of the Essex. The range had beenabsolutely accurate, and the heavy shell from the Essex carried away thesuperstructure of the German. At the same moment came a cry from thelookout aft:
"Warship coming up astern, sir!"
Quickly Jack looked around.
"The first of our reinforcements," he said quietly.
He gave his attention again to the enemy, who was drawing uncomfortablyclose.
"Crash!"
Jack whirled sharply.
A shell had struck the Essex just above the water line on the port side.
"Go below and report, Mr. Chadwick!" Jack ordered.
Frank hurried away in response to this command. He sought the engine room.
"What's the damage, chief?" he asked.
"Slight," was the reply. "Shell passed clear through us, but cleared theboilers. Better round up the carpenter, though, sir."
Frank hurried back to the bridge and reported the extent of the damage.Then he sent a midshipman for the ship's carpenter.
"Crash! Bang!"
Another shell had struck the Essex, this time in the aft gun turret.
"Report, Mr. Chadwick," said Jack briefly.
Frank hurried to the turret.
"What's the damage, Captain?" he asked of the chief of the gun crew.
"One gun smashed, sir," was the reply. "Three of the crew killed and fiveinjured."
"Other guns still working?"
"Can't you hear 'em, sir?"
Frank smiled in spite of himself and cast a quick glance around.
In spite of the death that had overtaken their comrades, the surviving guncrews in the turret were working like Trojans. The big guns continued tospit defiance at the enemy.
Now and then a cheer rose on the Essex as a shot went home.
Frank again returned to the bridge to report.
"Boom!"
It was a deeper voice that spoke this time.
The radio operator himself rushed to the bridge.
"Lion firing, sir," he said. "Says she has sighted us and for us toretire. No need of sacrificing ourselves Captain Jacobs says. The enemycan't get away."
At the same moment the lookout aft sang out again.
"Warship coming up astern, sir!"
"The second of our reinforcements," said Jack quietly. "I'll bet thesefellows wish they had stayed home."
"I'm betting the same way," declared Frank.
"Well, it's getting too hot here," said Jack. "We'll get back and let thebig fellows get in the game."
"Good idea, sir," said Lieutenant Hetherton.
"Full speed ahead!" Jack ordered.
At the sound of the great gun on the British warship Lion, the Germanadmiral in command of the flotilla ordered his ships to slow down. Untilthat moment he had not been appraised of the fact that the German raid wasknown to the British fleet. He supposed, upon seeing the Essex, that hehad encountered a single vessel which just happened to be in that part ofthe sea, but when the Lion came into the fight he began to have hisdoubts.
As yet, however, there was no other vessel in sight, and as
the Germansheavily outnumbered the British, the admiral decided to continue theengagement.
"I suppose this fellow happened to hear the firing and came toinvestigate," muttered the German admiral. "Our raid can hardly have beendiscovered yet."
Accordingly he gave the word to advance again.
And a moment later he was sorry that he had done so.
Far astern of the Lion, and yet not so far that the German admiral couldnot have seen her but for the darkness, came two other long gray shapes;and from farther east, and closer, appeared a third.
The German admiral gritted his teeth.
"Confound these English!" he exclaimed. "Can nobody beat them?"
For a moment he debated with himself. He had half a mind to continue thestruggle, for the odds were still, with the Germans. Then he changed hismind.
The wireless aboard the German flagship flashed a signal to retire.
But the German admiral had delayed too long for a successful retreat.Other British ships hove into view--seven of them. There was nothing forthe German fleet to do but fight it out. The admiral gave the order:
"Advance!"