This word was passed along to the crew, and a loud British cheer rang out across the waters of the North Atlantic. Frank and Jack were forced to smile.
"The British sailor would always rather fight than run," said
Frank.
"Right," said Jack. "This running rather goes against me, too."
Now the forward guns of the German cruiser were brought into action, and heavy detonations rang out across the water. But the German gunners had not yet found the range, and the fact that the Lena was so maneuvered as to keep her stern to the enemy made the task of the enemy that much harder.
Darkness fell, and still the flight and pursuit continued, but so far the Lena had not been struck by a single shell. She had fired but one shot at the foe—from one of her small guns aft—but this had shown that the German cruiser was not yet within range of the Lena's guns.
Now that darkness had fallen the huge searchlight of the German cruiser played full upon the Lena. Suddenly Jack and Frank felt a terrific shock, and the Lena, for a moment, seemed to pause in her stride. A shell had struck the stem of the vessel. There was an explosion and a single high mast crashed to the deck.
Quickly a score of sailors sprang forward, and at a word from
Frank, cleared away the wreckage and tumbled it overboard.
"Nothing serious, sir," reported the second officer, after a hurried investigation.
"Good!" said Jack calmly.
Then, so suddenly that it appeared to be the hand of magic, the searchlight of the German cruiser faded from view. Darkness fell over the Lena intense darkness.