"They have loosed a torpedo
at the stern!"
Blake and Joe, who were well aft, looked for a moment away from the
submarine, and saw a line of bubbles approaching the stern and a ripple
that indicated the presence of that dread engine of war--an air-driven
torpedo.
And as if the ship herself knew what doom awaited her should the torpedo
so much as touch her, she increased her speed, and to such good purpose
that the mass of gun-cotton, contained in the steel cylinder that had
been launched from the submarine, passed under the stern. But only a few
feet from the rudder did it pass. By such a little margin was the ship
saved.
And then, having a broader mark at which to aim, the gunners sent a
perfect hail of lead and shells at the underwater boat, and with such
effect that some hits were made. Whether or not they were vital ones it
was impossible to learn, for there was a sudden motion to the submarine,
which had been quietly resting on the surface for a moment, and then she
slipped beneath the waves again.
"Driven off!" cried Blake, as he and Joe got the final pictures of this
drama--a drama that had come so near being a tragedy. "They've beaten
her off!"
"But we're not safe yet!" cried Charlie.
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