y held an important advantage
over us in point of speed, they boldly slowed down, dropped astern, and,
in two divisions, made a determined demonstration on our two flanks,
repeatedly threatening to make a dash, close in, and use the torpedo.

There was one exceptionally audacious craft, the pertinacity of which
caused me to take particular notice of her, and keep a specially
watchful eye upon her, because I speedily came to the conclusion that
she was doing more than merely demonstrate, she was bent upon mischief.
She was making a dead set at the _Asama_, our most valuable ship,
getting right to windward of her, and pouring dense volumes of black
smoke from her four funnels, so forming a screen for herself, under
cover of which she was evidently trying to edge in to within effective
torpedo range. Of course the _Asama_ and one or two of the other
cruisers opened fire upon her with their light guns, but we, who had
crept up to windward, saw that the smoke screen was serving its purpose
admirably, and that although the projectiles were falling all round her,
she was not being hit. It occurred to me that now was the time when we
in the _Koryu_ might be able to render a little useful service, our own
destroyers having been unfortunately ordered to return to their
rendezvous, some time before, and were now out of sight. Accordingly I
gave orders for the gunners to stand by their Hotchkisses, and rang for
full speed, also calling down to the engineer for the very last ounce of
steam he could get out of his boilers.

Like an arrow shot from a bow, the _Koryu_ started forward and, edging
well out to windward of the destroyer, opened a brisk fire upon her with
our Hotchkisses, aiming at her deck tubes, round which I had seen some
men busily clustering. And it was well that I did so, for the Russians
were in the very act of launching a torpedo at the moment; indeed they
actually _did_ launch it, but by one of those extraordinary flukes that
sometimes happen, and are so difficult to describe convincingly, one of
our shots struck the weapon at the instant that it issued from the tube,
wrecking its propeller and rudder and sending it to the bottom.

Evidently the destroyer's crew had been so completely absorbed in their
attempt upon the _Asama_ that they had been oblivious to our approach;
but now, seeing us bearing menacingly down upon her, her skipper
suddenly shifted his helm and would fain have beaten a retreat. As it
hap