alanche of white and green water poured over her, flooding the
decks and sending clouds of spray high over the funnel and masts. Then
commenced an exciting chase, with the seas racing up astern and all eyes
trying to penetrate the darkness ahead.

The faint misty light of a new day had brightened the eastern horizon
before the mysterious ship again loomed up ahead. The heavy sea still
running made it difficult, however, to distinguish any national or local
characteristics which might give a clue to her identity or intentions,
and the suspense was keen.

The two guns of the patrol vessel were manned, and a three-flag signal
fluttered from the jumper-stay but received no immediate reply from the
ship ahead. Then, after a few minutes' pause, during which time the
trawler manoeuvred for the advantage of the light from the breaking
dawn, a yellow flash belched from her side and a shell ricochetted off
the water just ahead of the mysterious steamer. Still there was no
response; but it could now be plainly seen that the engines were not
working and that she was drifting before the wind and sea.

Was it merely a _ruse de guerre_ to gain the advantage in the event of
an attack, or was she a vessel disabled by the storm which had raged
during the past forty-eight hours? Neither of these suppositions,
however, satisfactorily explained the total disregard of signals and the
warning shot which had been fired across her bows.

Again a line of flags were hoisted on the trawler's halyards, this time
a well-known signal from the _International Code_, but still no notice
was taken of the peremptory order it conveyed.

After the chase had been on for over an hour another shot was fired from
the trawler. The report echoed across the still boisterous sea and the
splash of the shell just cleared the ship's bow. Still there was no
response, and the trawler's course was altered so that she would soon
close in on her quarry. As the light increased it was seen that a stout
wire hawser was trailing in the water from the starboard bow, and
suspicion of some new evidence of sea _kultur_ increased. When the range
had closed to about 1000 yards she slowly swung round until almost
broadside-on to the trawler, whose guns instantly opened fire in
earnest. The third shell struck the large wheel-house of the mystery
ship, demolishing it completely. When it became evident that the fire
was not going to be returned, the guns of the trawler again ceased,