"If we are fortunate," was the reply.
"Well, that's all we wanted to know," said Frank. "Don't worry," replied His Lordship. "You will see all the action you want before this cruise is over, or I am very badly mistaken."
And with this the boys were forced to be content.
For two days they sailed about in the sunny Mediterranean, sighting neither friend nor foe, and then suddenly had encountered the two German cruisers, the Breslau and the Goeben, and the skirmish with these two ships, described at the opening of this story, ensued.
But now, as the enemy had succeeded in making off in the darkness, and as Lord Hastings had ordered that the original course of the Sylph be resumed, the little vessel was again—as Jack said when they had started on their journey—"sailing under sealed orders."
The two lads were about bright and early the morning following the encounter with the German cruisers; and as they stood looking out over the sea, Lord Hastings approached them.
"More news of the Emden," he said, as he came up.
"Another British merchant vessel sunk?" asked Jack.
"Worse," replied Lord Hastings. "A cruiser this time!"
"A cruiser!" exclaimed Jack in surprise. "I always thought that any cruiser of ours was more than a match for a German."