er. The water was still full of bobbing heads--the German
sailors who had leaped into the sea.

"Poor fellows," said Lord Hastings compassionately.

"Why didn't the other ship stop and pick them up?" demanded Jack.

"Didn't have time, I guess," returned Jack dryly. "Her commander was in
too big a hurry to get away from there. He deserves the same fate for
running away from them, if you ask me."

"He certainly does," agreed Lord Hastings. "However, there is nothing we
can do for the poor sailors in the water; we have no room for them here.
They will have to shift for themselves. It's the fortune of war."

"And now where to, sir?" asked Frank.

Lord Hastings looked at him amusedly.

"I guess that is the hundredth time you have asked me that question," he
said. "However, I don't mind answering it, although you will find some
day, should you chance to serve under another commander, that such
questions are not received with very good grace. I believe we shall take
another little run into Ostend."

"Good, sir!" said Jack. "We did very well on our last trip. Perhaps we
shall be fortunate enough to learn something this time."

"Who knows?" said Frank, with a shrug of his shoulders. "However, the
nearer the enemy we are, the more chance for action. The sooner we get
started the better I shall be pleased."

"It's a short run from here," said Lord Hastings, "and I believe we
shall be safe enough if we make the attempt in broad daylight. We'll
take a chance."

He gave the command to go forward and the U-6 moved swiftly ahead.

As Lord Hastings had said, it was not a long run, and two hours later,
standing on the bridge, the boys made out in the distance the lofty
spires and steeples that they felt sure was the Belgian seaport. And
they were right.

The U-6 was not molested, not even challenged, as she moved slowly into
port, flying the German flag, her officers and crew all attired in
German uniforms.

"Where are all the big German battleships?" asked Frank in surprise,
after sweeping his eye over the water in all directions in a vain effort
to locate one of them.

Jack smiled.

"You ought to know there are no German battleships here," he said.

"But----" began Frank.

"The battleships are still safely bottled up in Heligoland," Jack
explained. "While Ostend is called a German naval base, it is, strictly
speaking, nothing but a submarine base. The under-sea boats have been
able to run in here without much dif