And so occupied were Blake and his chums with what had gone on out there
on the ocean--trying to guess what had happened--that they did not
notice the departure of the two men.
"What's that you said it was?" asked Joe of his partner. "I mean the
explosion."
"I think it was a depth charge," answered Blake. "One of the destroyers
must have sighted a submarine and let go a bomb, with a heavy charge of
explosive, which didn't go off until after it got to a certain depth
below the surface. That's the new way of dealing with submarines, you
know."
"I only hope they got this one, with a depth charge or any other way,"
remarked Charles Anderson. "Look, we're lighting up! I guess the danger
must be over."
Lights were flashing on the deck of the _Jeanne_, and signals came from
the destroyers. It was evident that messages were being sent to and fro.
And then, as passengers crowded up from their staterooms, some in a
state of panic fearing a torpedo had been launched at the ship, another
muffled explosion was heard, and in the glare of the searchlights from
one of the convoying ships a column of water could be seen spurting up
between the French steamer and the war vessel.
"That's caused by a depth charge," Blake announced.
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