And such, indeed, was Lord Hastings' intention. The German battleships were so close together that Lord Hastings believed he could strike a double blow successfully and with perfect safety to his own vessel.
Signal flags now were displayed at the masthead of the foremost German battleship and Lord Hastings knew that some answer was expected from the submarine.
"Well, I can't decipher your signals," he muttered, "but I can give you some kind of a reply—which I don't suppose will be much to your liking."
He turned and gave a command to Jack; and Jack, in turn, flashed it upon the electric signal board below with the pressure of a button beneath his finger.
"Attention!" came the command now, displayed in letters of fire.
Then a brief lapse of time, in which all was silence below.
Then another signal showed red on the board.
"No. 1 torpedo! Fire!"
Again came that faint metallic click to which the boys had grown so accustomed, and a terrible engine of destruction sped over the water toward the German ships.
A moment later a second command flashed on the board.