stations. The quick-firers
were loaded, and their screens lowered so as not to impede their arc of
fire. Until these preparations were complete the vessel still held on
her course.

Then Captain Syllenger, who had come on deck, telegraphed for full
speed ahead. Like a racehorse the _Capella_ leapt forward.

A double, converging line of white foam marked the track of a torpedo
from the doomed U-boat. By a slight alteration of helm the _Capella_
avoided it. The action was hardly necessary: it was merely a matter of
precaution, since the _Capella's_ peculiarities of construction made
her practically immune from torpedo attack.

Captain Syllenger had no intention of ramming his opponent. Ramming
with a lightly built vessel, such as the _Capella_, would only be
employed as a last resource.

At an almost point-blank range of 400 yards both bow guns were fired
simultaneously. There was no need for another shot. One of the
projectiles, hitting the U-boat at the base of the conning-tower, tore
a jagged hole a couple of feet in diameter. The other shell hit her
about 10 feet from the bows, and, with an erratic peculiarity that such
missiles have after the first impact, was deflected downward, expending
the full force of its explosive charge in the submarine's bow
torpedo-room.

In a moment the luckless U-boat was done for. A huge column of smoke
marked the spot where she had disappeared like a stone, while flying
pieces of metal hurtled far and wide through the air. Several of the
fragments clattered upon the _Capella's_ deck as she swung round to
avoid any possibility of fouling debris. Of the crew not a man was to
be seen. Those who had not been killed by the shell-fire had been
wiped out by the explosion of their own torpedoes.

"We've pulled off a double event to-day, after all," remarked
Sub-lieutenant Fox as he disappeared down the companion-ladder to
resume his interrupted "watch below". "Barry has got his wish."

CHAPTER XVIII

The Smoke-signals

For the next ten days nothing occurred beyond the ordinary routine.
Even Ross and Vernon, to whom everything was at first a novelty, began
to feel the irksomeness of the constant and vigilant patrol. No
hostile submarines made their appearance; there were not even any
reports, true or otherwise, that they had been sighted. It was the
same all along the English Channel--"nothin' doing". It seemed as if
the unterseebooten had finally given up thes