on the wastes
of sea.

A flicker of light, at first almost spectral, appeared from out of the
darkness some 500 yards to starboard. It grew almost instantly into a
bright white flare, illuminating the surface of the black water as it
moved along. The pungent smell of burning calcium floated over the sea
and the drifter's engines began to throb heavily.

The tension relaxed, a subdued cheer broke from the crew of the drifter
as she gathered speed, and the Morse lamp winked its order for concerted
action to the other drifter somewhere in the darkness around. An
answering dot-dash-dot of light appeared from away to starboard and the
chase commenced in earnest.

A few minutes later the glare from the calcium buoy, now being towed
through the water at several knots, shone on the faces of the crew as
they trained their gun ahead, but the submarine was under the surface
and, although probably quite unaware of the flaming tail which was
betraying her movements, appeared to know that she was being hunted by
surface craft. After running straight ahead for a few minutes she turned
eight points to the eastward in an attempt to baffle pursuit.

The chase was a fairly long one, as the speed of the drifters was not
sufficient to enable them to gain rapidly on their quarry, but the
flexibility of the steam-engine gradually gave the surface ships the
advantage and they crept up level with the light. Then, with their
boilers almost bursting and flames spouting from the funnels, they drew
ahead until over the submarine itself. Depth charges were dropped from
the stern of the drifters. The water boiled with the force of the
explosions and the light on the buoy went out. Still the drifters held
their course in the now pall-like blackness, and other bombs splashed
into the water astern, to explode with a dull vibration a few seconds
after they had sunk from the surface.

The engines of the two small surface ships were shut off and every ear
became alert, but no sound broke the stillness of the summer night,
except the rumble of distant thunder and the gentle lap of the sea
against the sides. Morse signals winked from one ship to the other and
back again. When due precautions had been taken against a further
surprise attack, the chivalry of the sea called for a search to be made
for possible survivors. This was done with the aid of flares, but only
oil and some small debris were found. Dan-buoys were dropped to mark the
spot and soundi