Again Jack altered the course of the Essex and approached the submarine at an angle from the Ventura.
"Forward turret guns there!" he roared.
It was the signal the men had been eagerly awaiting. Quickly the signal "ready" was flashed in the forward turret. The men were already at their posts.
"Range finders!" ordered Jack.
"Aye, aye, sir," came the reply of the officer in charge of this work, and he calculated the range swiftly and passed the word to the captain of the gun crew in the forward turret.
"Fire!"
A heavy shell flew screaming across the water.
But the range had not been correct and the shell flew past the submarine. Again the range was calculated, taking into consideration the first error. Again the command to fire was given.
This time the range had been gauged perfectly and the shell must have gone home had it not been for one thing.
A moment before the command to fire was given, a torpedo was launched by the submarine. Jack saw the torpedo come dashing through the water, and he was forced to order the helm over promptly to escape the deadly messenger. This maneuver was made at the precise moment that the Essex fired for the second time, and consequently the shell again went wide.