Immediately the commander of the Russian steamer ordered his men and the prisoners back aboard his own ship. Then he turned to Hal and Chester.
“As you have taken such a prominent part in this victory,” he said, “I will allow you to finish the work by blowing up the enemy. You will attach a fuse to the magazine and then hurry back here, that we may reach safety before the explosion.”
The two lads saluted, and made their way to the magazine of the German vessel. Here they quickly attached a fuse, and lighted it. Then they hurried aboard the Russian steamer, which immediately got under way. One hundred yards, two hundred yards, three hundred, they steamed from the doomed vessel; then there came the sound of a muffled explosion, the German craft burst into a sheet of flame, broke into two pieces, and settled slowly beneath the waters of the Vistula.
“A good job done,” said the Russian commander briefly.
He turned once more to the two lads. “I want to say,” he added, “that it has never been my fortune to meet two braver lads. You are English, I take it?”
“Americans,” replied Hal briefly.
“So? Still, I might have known it. I have known several Americans, and they were always cool and brave. Where do you wish to go now?”
“Well,” said Hal, “we would like to get back to Lodz. I suppose our regiment is still stationed there.”
“I will see that you get there with all possible dispatch,” the commander promised. “I will land you where it will be most convenient for you.”
The lads thanked him, and walked across the deck, where they rejoined Alexis and Stephan.