He did not know that the new Holland was one of the fastest ships afloat—much faster, in fact, than any submarine craft built up to that time.
Although it was daylight, he kept a powerful searchlight at work, trying in vain to locate the Holland XI. under that rolling cover of greenish-blue waves.
But here he again failed, for the Holland kept too far below the surface to be thus located.
At last Captain Oscar saw that they were less than fifty yards behind the Republique.
Both vessels were going at their topmost speed, and thus the pursuit was a highly dangerous one.
The new Holland was up on a level with the Frenchman's keel, and should the speed of the cruiser slacken suddenly the submarine craft would surely crash into her with disastrous effect.
"Get ready to throw out that torpedo," ordered the young captain of the submarine destroyer, and his crew obeyed without delay.
In a few seconds more they were directly under the Frenchman's keel, and then the torpedo was brought out, ready to be adjusted.
At that moment something unlooked for occurred, something which nearly brought the new Holland to an end then and there.
In her anxiety to get away from the torpedo destroyer those on the Republique had run close to a stretch of land on the Cuban coast which hid from view a bay half a mile in diameter.