Boom! crash! came a rumble and a roar, and the Pekin was seen to be enveloped in a sheet of flame from end to end. She did not sink, and soon her magazines caught fire, and then it was the old story over again of a cruiser blown into atoms.
The annihilation of the Pekin was speedily followed by the wrecking of the first of the Japanese warships, which had the keel split into three parts. The Japanese could not understand what struck them and scores of them leaped overboard, to be speedily pulled under by the vast suction when the ship suddenly settled with a plunge, and went from sight forever.
The alarm was now great on board of the second Japanese warship, the Tokio, for those on her had seen that something was around in the water—a deadly enemy. The commander at once issued orders that the vessel withdraw from the fight and run from the vicinity.
This sudden withdrawal proved almost fatal for the Holland XI. without the Japanese being aware of what they were doing. As the great warship made a turn, one of her anchors slipped overboard, and the anchor chain became entangled in the screw of the submarine craft, hauling her around like a flash.
"Something is wrong with the screw!" announced George Dross to Oscar through the speaking tube.
"Turn off the power."
"I have already done so."
"We are being dragged backward!" put in Andy, as he looked out of one of the glass windows.
The young captain ran to the rear lookout and made an examination. He saw the anchor chain and saw how the new Holland was being towed backward by the cruiser overhead. Then the chain became tighter, as those on board of the Tokio tried to recover the anchor which had dropped overboard.
But the power overhead was not equal to the task of bringing in the anchor with such a weight attached, and presently the task was abandoned for the time being.