"Well, it's getting too hot here," said Jack. "We'll get back and let the big fellows get in the game."
"Good idea, sir," said Lieutenant Hetherton.
"Full speed ahead!" Jack ordered.
At the sound of the great gun on the British warship Lion, the German admiral in command of the flotilla ordered his ships to slow down. Until that moment he had not been appraised of the fact that the German raid was known to the British fleet. He supposed, upon seeing the Essex, that he had encountered a single vessel which just happened to be in that part of the sea, but when the Lion came into the fight he began to have his doubts.
As yet, however, there was no other vessel in sight, and as the Germans heavily outnumbered the British, the admiral decided to continue the engagement.
"I suppose this fellow happened to hear the firing and came to investigate," muttered the German admiral. "Our raid can hardly have been discovered yet."
Accordingly he gave the word to advance again.
And a moment later he was sorry that he had done so.
Far astern of the Lion, and yet not so far that the German admiral could not have seen her but for the darkness, came two other long gray shapes; and from farther east, and closer, appeared a third.
The German admiral gritted his teeth.