“Very good, sir.”
The Sylph seemed to leap forward. Then Lord Hastings took the time to explain his plans.
“We don’t want to run entirely away from her,” he explained. “We want to keep just enough ahead of her so she will continue the chase. Darkness will be upon us in an hour. I should like to capture that cruiser single-handed, and some method may present itself. But in the meantime we must keep out of range of her big guns.”
The Sylph gradually drew away from her pursuer. When the distance between the two vessels was such that Lord Hastings deemed accurate shooting by the German impossible, the speed of the Sylph was reduced to twenty-one knots.
These relative positions the two vessels maintained until darkness fell; then the glare of a searchlight aboard the German fell upon the Sylph and lighted her up like day. So the chase continued for another hour.
Suddenly the wireless operator came on deck, and rushed breathlessly up to Lord Hastings.
“I have just picked up the British cruiser Lancaster,” he cried. “I told her we were being chased by a German cruiser, and she is coming to our aid. She gave her position as twenty miles west of us, sir.”
“Good,” replied Lord Hastings. “Keep in touch with the Lancaster.”
The operator departed.
“How is she headed?” demanded Lord Hastings of Lieutenant Edwards.