rather, rear--did the four ships
present that the Japanese before long relinquished the pursuit, not
caring, in view of the success already obtained, to risk losing any more
of their already sadly-battered ships by exposing them to the
now-concentrated fire of the big Chinese ships' eighty-ton guns, the
projectiles from which had already done so much damage.

They accordingly drew off and gave up the half-hearted chase, employing
the short time still remaining before darkness fell in effecting some
very necessary repairs to their ships; while the broken remnant of
China's northern squadron pursued its halting way toward Wei-hai-wei,
the small torpedo-boat still remaining to them acting as scout in
advance, on the look-out for the Japanese destroyer which, earlier in
the day, had left the action in pursuit of a couple of damaged Chinese
torpedo-boats.

In the late twilight they fell in with the destroyer on her return from
her unsuccessful pursuit, the two small craft having succeeded in
effecting their escape. She had evidently anticipated a complete
victory for her own side, and seeing lights in the distance, had made
for them, thinking that, by this time, every ship would be in Japanese
hands; and she did not discover her mistake until she was under the
Chinese guns. Then she attempted to cut and run; but she was too late.
There was a rattle of machine-gun fire which drove her men from the deck
torpedo-tubes, and a few seconds later one of the _Chen Yuen's_ big guns
plumped a shell right into her, crumpling her up like cardboard and
sending her to the bottom within a few seconds. Some--a very few--of
her men were rescued and made prisoners by the Chinese torpedo-boat, but
the majority, dead or disabled from the effects of the bursting shell,
went to feed the sharks.

Early the following morning, just after daybreak, the four ships
overtook the _San-chau_ and the transport fleet, which circumstance
rejoiced Admiral Ting exceedingly, as he had been extremely anxious lest
they might perhaps have fallen in with some prowling Japanese cruisers
and been snapped up. Then the war-ships and the transports kept company
until they reached Wei-hai-wei, where they found the little _Hat-yen_,
but recently arrived in a sinking condition, so that it had been
necessary to beach her immediately to save her from sinking at her
anchors.

Admiral Ting lost no time in docking such of his ships as there was room
for; the others we