“I’ll give them another touch,” responded Harry. “The sooner we get there, the quicker we’ll arrive, so here goes!”
The increased speed of the engines urged the submarine ahead at a goodly rate. Jimmie presently declared that the log indicator showed a good twenty-five miles an hour. Those on the little deck above the conning tower found the increased speed uncomfortable by reason of the dashing spray, but all felt that this was not unendurable.
“Sail, ho!” Ned presently called down the hatchway.
“Where away?” asked Harry, looking up at his comrade.
“Almost dead ahead!” replied Ned. “We’re overhauling them fast. It looks to be a three masted ship as nearly as I can make out!”
“Hold your course, Jimmie!” directed Jack. “We’ll come up close enough to hail them in a little while just as we are heading!”
In a few minutes the ship was so close that all could make out the details of her rigging. It was a large three masted square-rigged vessel evidently in ballast for the hull was high out of water.
“I believe they see us!” announced Frank, using a pair of binoculars he had found among the fittings of the submarine.
“Can you make out the flag at the peak?” asked Jack.
“Yes, I think so. I believe it is the British flag.”