hat still separated us from our prey. Was it
diminishing? Or would they get away from us before our guns could take
effect? Joyfully we saw the interval lessening between us, and before
long our first warning shot, across her bow, raised a high,
threatening column of water. But still the Englishman hoped to escape
from us, and the thick smoke belching from the funnels showed that the
stokers were shoveling more and more coal into the glowing furnace;
they well knew what risk they had to run.

Even after two well-aimed shots were discharged from the steel mouths
of our cannons, right and left on either side of the fugitive, which
must have warned the captain that the next shot would undoubtedly
strike the stern, he was still resolved neither to stop nor surrender.

Nothing now remained for us but to use our last means to enforce our
will. With a whistling sound, a shell flew from the muzzle of our
cannon and a few seconds later fell with a loud crash in a cloud of
smoke on the rear deck of the steamer. This produced the desired
effect.

Immediately the steamer stopped and informed us by three quick blasts
from the steam whistle (the international signal) that the engines
would be reversed and the ship stopped. The captain had given up his
wild race.

Huge white clouds from the uselessly accumulated steam rose from the
funnels, and to our signal, "Abandon the ship at once," the Englishman
replied with a heavy heart by hoisting a white and red striped pennon,
the preconcerted international sign that our order had been understood
and was being obeyed.

This small striped pennon has a deep significance: it means that a
captain accepts this most painful necessity knowing that his dear old
boat will soon lie at the bottom of the sea; truly a difficult
decision for the captain of a proud ship to make. The crew were by
this time reconciled to their fate and, as we drew near to parley with
the captain, the life boats were launched; the men tossed in their
belongings and, jumping in, took their places at the oars. It need
hardly be said that we, on the other hand, were pleased with our
capture. I have often shaken hands with the gunner who had fired the
last deadly shot, for we waste no emotion over our adversary's fate.
With every enemy's ship sent to the bottom, one hope of the hated foe
is annihilated. We simply pay off our account against their criminal
wish to starve all our people, our women, and our children, as they