"Bronx City turning to port, sir," reported the officer of the watch.
"Good!" ejaculated the skipper. "We'll drop her, of course, but it shows she's jonnick. Ask her what she's been doing, Mr. Broadmayne."
The Sub told off a signalman to semaphore the Bronx City, which, having completed her turning movement, was dead in the Canvey's wake. For nearly half an hour the exchange of messages was maintained at high pressure. Captain Adams told briefly all that was necessary—the capture of the Bronx City by the Alerte, and Cain's considerate treatment; the detention in Bahia Arenas and the Alerte's broken promise in plundering the ship.
"Was Cain in command?" inquired Broadmayne, through the medium of the hand-flags.
"Guess not," replied the Yankee skipper. "A mutiny, possibly. Pengelly was in command when we were ransacked."
The Sub returned to the bridge and reported events. By this time the Alerte was less than three miles away, thanks to the superior speed of the Canvey; while, on the other hand, the Bronx City, unable to keep station, had dropped nearly that distance astern of the British decoy-ship.
Raxworthy could have sunk the pirate submarine by gunfire with the greatest ease, but he refrained. He wanted to head her into shallow water before delivering the coup de grâce—unless she surrendered first. He therefore ordered speed to be reduced to that of the chase, the guns to be secured, and piped all hands to dinner.
Two bells in the afternoon watch found the relative positions of the Canvey and her chase unchanged. The Bronx City, in spite of the Canvey's reduced speed, was still dropping astern.
Realising that no useful purpose would be served by the Yankee ship attempting to keep in company, the Canvey signalled for her to resume her former course, with the additional intimation that as the Bronx City's wireless was disabled, the Canvey would report her position to Teneriffe station.
Almost immediately upon receipt of the signal, the Bronx City starboarded helm and dipped her ensign. Twenty minutes later she was hull down away to the nor'ard.