the submarine at
an angle from the Ventura.

"Forward turret guns there!" he roared.

It was the signal the men had been eagerly awaiting. Quickly the signal
"ready" was flashed in the forward turret. The men were already at their
posts.

"Range finders!" ordered Jack.

"Aye, aye, sir," came the reply of the officer in charge of this work, and
he calculated the range swiftly and passed the word to the captain of the
gun crew in the forward turret.

"Fire!"

A heavy shell flew screaming across the water.

But the range had not been correct and the shell flew past the submarine.
Again the range was calculated, taking into consideration the first error.
Again the command to fire was given.

This time the range had been gauged perfectly and the shell must have gone
home had it not been for one thing.

A moment before the command to fire was given, a torpedo was launched by
the submarine. Jack saw the torpedo come dashing through the water, and he
was forced to order the helm over promptly to escape the deadly messenger.
This maneuver was made at the precise moment that the Essex fired for the
second time, and consequently the shell again went wide.

Almost at the same instant Frank, who had kept his eyes glued to the deck
of the Ventura where the struggle on the bridge had continued fiercely,
uttered an exclamation of alarm.

"They've broken away," he cried.

It was true, The submarine commander and his followers had succeeded in
eluding the crew of the Ventura and dashed to the rail. There they poised
themselves a brief moment, and then flung themselves headlong into the
sea. Directly, dripping, they appeared on the deck of the submarine and
dashed for the conning tower.

"Quick!" roared Jack. "Forward turret guns again there!"

Once more the range was calculated and an explosion shook the Essex. But
as before the range had not been true. The shell barely skimmed the top of
the U-Boat and went screaming half a mile past, where it struck the water
with a hiss.

Slowly the submarine began to submerge.

"Again!" cried Jack.

But the next shot had no better success.

The submarine disappeared from sight.

Jack stamped his foot.

"What's the matter with those fellows forward?" he demanded. "Can't they
shoot? Didn't they ever see a gun before?"

There was no reply from the other officers and gradually Jack cooled down.

"Pretty tough," said Frank then. "We should have had that fellow."

Jack nodded