"We are ruined!" shrieked one of the Russian officers. "The Holland has torpedoed us after all!"
Then commenced a scene which beggars description.
To the upper deck rushed the sailors, gunners, ammunition men, engineers and all others connected with the big craft.
There were men cursing, men praying, and men rushing around as if crazy. Some leaped overboard, some climbed the tall masts, and some stood as if turned to stone, too paralyzed to move.
Those on the other warships were horrified.
Then they realized that the Holland XI. must be at work and the various captains gave orders to get into motion without delay.
Cape Nome and its gold were forgotten. The one thought of all was to get away from this frightful submarine ship which had brought so many foreign vessels to their doom.
Off went the ships, in all directions, putting on their best steam, and running so well that the Holland did not attempt to follow them until some time later.
Slowly and majestically the Ivan II. sank until reaching the bottom she stood where she had gone down, only her tall masts showing above the bosom of the ocean.
The going down of the Ivan II. and the sudden departure of the other ships mystified those on shore and they wondered what it all meant.