or of light.

Then, for what might have been from three to five seconds, I saw
everything that passed.

The foremost vessels of the Russian fleet had already gone past the
group of drifting trawlers. One large cruiser was passing within a
stone's-throw of the nearest fishing-boat, and the English fishermen
were playfully holding up some of their freshly-caught fish, as
though offering it to the Russian sailors.

Another line of warships was coming up behind, with its search-lights
thrown out in front.

And then, right across the range of lights, and in a straight line
between the Russian battleships and the English smacks, I saw the
phantom torpedo boat pass deliberately, as high out of the water as
she could show.

What happened next took place so swiftly, and with such confusion
that I cannot pretend to describe it with accuracy.

Shouts rang out on some of the Russian ships, the submarine headed
around as though to seek refuge among the trawlers, and then a gun
was fired, and a cannon-ball struck the water within a few feet of
me.

All at once, it seemed to me, and as though by some preconcerted
plan, half the ships of the Baltic Fleet opened fire on the English
fishermen, who seemed too surprised and horrified to do anything. I
saw ball after ball crash into one luckless smack, which quickly
began to fill and sink. But, generally speaking, the marksmanship of
the Russians was too wild for the firing to have serious effect.

As soon as I realized that I had become a mark for the Russian guns I
sank beneath the surface. It is no doubt this voluntary move on my
part which has given rise to the belief cherished by some of the
officers of the Baltic Fleet, and indorsed by Admiral Rojestvensky,
that a torpedo boat was sunk by their fire.

But I knew that the massacre--for it was nothing less--would go on as
long as the other submarine remained on the surface, mixing among the
luckless fishing boats with the deliberate intention of drawing on
them the Russian fire.

I marked her course, put my engines to their fullest speed one more,
and rushed after her.

This time my coming was not watched by the hostile commander. Like
Admiral Rojestvensky, he may have believed that my boat had been sunk
by the ball which had come so close. Or else, perhaps, in his
exultation at having brought about an event which seemed to make war
inevitable, he had forgotten his former fears.

But the truth will never be known.

I