y might come up unseen. But with their arrival we
still will be outnumbered; and, realizing that, the Germans, when the
day breaks, will press the attack harder."

"I guess we will manage to hold them till the main fleet arrives in the
morning," said Frank, hopefully.

"We will have to hold them," declared Jack.

At this moment the lads' attention was directed to the cruiser
_Glasgow_. Already badly damaged, a second German shell had now burst
amidships with a loud explosion.

"And that settles the _Glasgow_," said Jack, sadly.

He was right. Gamely the _Glasgow_ fought back, but it was apparent to
all, in spite of the darkness, that she was settling lower and lower in
the water.

"And we can't rescue the men," said Frank. "Remember the admiralty
orders. No ship in action is to go to the aid of another. It would be
suicide."

"So it would," said Jack. "Poor fellows."

Slowly the _Glasgow_ settled; and for a moment the fire of all the
other vessels--Germans as well as British--lulled a bit. All eyes were
bent on the sinking ship.

A wireless message was flashed from the _Glasgow_ to Captain Raleigh of
the _Queen Mary_.

"Goodbye," it said. "Hold them!"

After that there was no further word from the doomed cruiser.

The searchlights of both fleets played full upon the _Glasgow_ as she
settled lower in the water. She staggered, seemed to make an effort to
hold herself afloat, and then sank suddenly.

The duel of big guns broke out afresh.

CHAPTER XVI

THE BATTLE

Dawn.

With the breaking of the intense darkness what a surprise was in store
for the Germans!

Back of the four remaining British ships that had at first engaged the
Germans, interrupting their dash and holding them in check until the
arrival of a force strong enough to engage the foe more closely, came
now the relief promised by Vice-Admiral Beatty.

Gathered from various parts of the North Sea, they had steamed toward
Jutland, and, arriving there at almost the same time, they had assumed
battle formation in the darkness.

That the British were approaching must have been known by the German
admiral, for their wireless apparatus had been working unceasingly,
telling of their approach, and these signals must have been caught by
the German warships, though, because sent in code, they were
undecipherable. Nor could the enemy tell, by the sound, just how close
the British were.

Captain Raleigh, too, as well as the other British c