“You may,” replied Hal and Chester briefly.
Alexis and Stephan nodded their heads in assent.
“Good!” said the commander. “You will stay here near me, then. I shall not hesitate to call upon you.”
Rounding a slight bend in the river, the Russian steamer came in full sight of the enemy. So silently had she approached, that the Germans, engaged in hurling shells upon a little village, did not perceive their presence until a shell from the Russian plowed up the water under the prow of their boat.
As soon as the Germans became aware of the presence of another enemy they turned to meet it. Their forward guns were quickly trained upon the Russian steamer and burst into action. The first salvo was harmless, for the range had not been gauged accurately.
The Russians were more fortunate with their second fire. A shell burst squarely upon the deck of the German with a loud explosion. There was a shower of steel and wood, followed by a cry of triumph from the crew of the Russian vessel. A second shell carried away the enemy’s single smokestack and a third burst in the muzzle of one of the foe’s forward guns, blowing it to atoms.
At full speed the Russian advanced, and when within two hundred yards swung her broadside to the enemy and poured in a rain of shells. The Germans fought back gamely, but with the first success of the Russians they seemed to have lost their heads and fired wildly. Their aim was poor, and the Russians suffered little.
Having delivered his broadside, the Russian brought his forward guns to bear and with these he raked the deck of the enemy–fore and aft–with shot and shell.
All this time the vessels had been drawing closer together. Now the German commander, apparently realizing that he was fighting a losing battle, steamed full speed for the Russian ship. By a hasty maneuver the Russian commander avoided being run down, but a second later the vessels crashed broadside to broadside.
The German vessel stood somewhat higher in the water than did the Russian craft, and before any aboard the latter realized what was happening, the foe swarmed down the side onto the Russian vessel. So sudden and unexpected was their onslaught, that for the moment the Russians on deck gave way before them; and had it not been for the presence of mind of Hal and Chester, it is likely the German rush would have been successful.