wim until exhaustion
claimed me, or should I give up and end the agony at the first plunge?

From below came two muffled reports. They sounded not unlike shots.
Was Benson meeting with resistance? Personally it could mean little to
me, for even though my men might overcome the enemy, none would know of
my predicament until long after it was too late to succor me. The top
of the conning-tower was now awash. I clung to the wireless mast,
while the great waves surged sometimes completely over me.

I knew the end was near and, almost involuntarily, I did that which I
had not done since childhood--I prayed. After that I felt better.

I clung and waited, but the water rose no higher.

Instead it receded. Now the top of the conning-tower received only the
crests of the higher waves; now the little triangular deck below became
visible! What had occurred within? Did Benson believe me already
gone, and was he emerging because of that belief, or had he and his
forces been vanquished? The suspense was more wearing than that which
I had endured while waiting for dissolution. Presently the main deck
came into view, and then the conning-tower opened behind me, and I
turned to look into the anxious face of Bradley. An expression of
relief overspread his features.

"Thank God, man!" was all he said as he reached forth and dragged me
into the tower. I was cold and numb and rather all in. Another few
minutes would have done for me, I am sure, but the warmth of the
interior helped to revive me, aided and abetted by some brandy which
Bradley poured down my throat, from which it nearly removed the
membrane. That brandy would have revived a corpse.

When I got down into the centrale, I saw the Germans lined up on one
side with a couple of my men with pistols standing over them. Von
Schoenvorts was among them. On the floor lay Benson, moaning, and
beyond him stood the girl, a revolver in one hand. I looked about,
bewildered.

"What has happened down here?" I asked. "Tell me!"

Bradley replied. "You see the result, sir," he said. "It might have
been a very different result but for Miss La Rue. We were all asleep.
Benson had relieved the guard early in the evening; there was no one to
watch him--no one but Miss La Rue. She felt the submergence of the
boat and came out of her room to investigate. She was just in time to
see Benson at the diving rudders. When he saw her, he raised his
pistol and fired point-blank at her