The following afternoon, having traveled far toward the east, they were to have an adventure.
Moving slowly along, and presenting the appearance, from a distance, of a little speck upon the surface of the sea, the U-6 continued toward the east. Frank had taken the bridge half an hour before and now was studying a faint smudge on the eastern horizon. A moment later and a second smudge appeared and then a third, to be followed almost immediately by a fourth.
"Strange!" he muttered. "Seems to be coming from the direction of Heligoland. Battleships all right, but the question is, British or German? Must be the latter, though how they figure to run the British blockade is more than I know. However, I haven't heard that any of our vessels are this close to Heligoland. It's too dangerous on account of the German mines."
He summoned Jack, who also gazed curiously at the smoke for some moments; but even while Jack gazed, the dim outline of a large battleship came into sight. Soon a second appeared and then a third.
"Must be German," said Jack. "Call Lord Hastings."
Frank did so and soon the commander of the U-6 appeared on deck.
Lord Hastings wasted no time in fixing the identity of the approaching vessels.
"Germans," he said briefly.
"Yes; but where are they going?" Jack wanted to know.
"Probably intend another raid on the British coast," returned Lord Hastings. "By the time they are in waters patrolled by our ships it will be dark, and they hope to pass them in the night. You haven't forgotten the raid on Scarborough and Hartlepool, have you?"