The Boy Allies under Two Flags

by Clair W. Hayes

The Lena quivered like a human thing under the deadly hail of fire from the enemy. The great guns raked the merchant ship from stem to stem, pierced her until her sides resembled nothing more than a sieve. Men fell everywhere, many prisoners being killed by fragments. But still the Lena continued to fight back.

Standing upon the bridge Jack directed the fighting of his ship. He realized in the first moment of contact that the doom of the Lena was sealed. She was no match for the German cruiser, but, before going down, it was his intention to do as much damage as possible to the enemy. And the fire of the Lena was doing terrific damage.

Men fell on the cruiser as well as on the Lena. Shells crashed aboard, tumbling down masts, bursting in the mouths of the guns and hurling showers of iron about. Grimy-faced men ran hither and thither about the decks of both vessels. They had long since lost all resemblance to human beings, and all fought like demons.

The German commander did not call upon the British to surrender. Evidently he did not wish to be bothered with prizes. To sink the enemy—that was his sole aim.

One by one the guns of the Lena were put out of action, until finally but two remained to reply to the fire of the enemy. Slowly the head of the Lena swung round, to permit of these last two guns being brought to bear.

"Boom! Boom!" They spoke their last message, and two shells pierced the very heart of the German cruiser.

There was a sudden, terrific explosion. A fierce red sheet of flame leaped from the German cruiser, and shot high in the air. The center turret rose with the flame and fell back to the waters of the North Atlantic in a million pieces.

The magazine of the cruiser had blown up! Her vitals were opened and the waters engulfed her.

The two lads stood on the bridge of the Lena, open-mouthed, awed by this spectacle. Both were too surprised to speak. At the very moment when the battle seemed lost, one well-directed shot had turned the fortunes of war in favor of the arms of the British.

At length Frank spoke.