A knot an hour more was soon forced from the "Grigsby's" engines, though at that racing gait it would have been difficult for an amateur observer to have detected the fact that speed had been gained. The "Reed," too, leaped forward.
Minute after minute of breathless racing followed. Presently the flashes of guns could be made out ahead against the darkness of the night. Helston showed no lights, but the sound of bursting shells located the fishing village to those on the bridges of the approaching destroyers.
"The hounds!" blazed Dave, indignantly. "Up to their old and favorite game of killing defenseless people!"
Long ago the crew had been called to quarters. Everything was in readiness to attack the enemy.
"Three of them, and all destroyers, judging by the size of the flash of their guns," Darrin judged.
Throughout the war it has been a favorite trick of the enemy, when the opportunity offered, to send these swift craft out on night attacks. No other craft on the seas, except Entente destroyers, are capable of pursuing and overtaking German destroyers when they flee.
"Open fire when we do," was the signal flashed to the "Reed."
"We're ready," came back the instant answer.
Two minutes later one of Darrin's forward guns flashed out into the night. From the "Reed" there came a similar flash.
