"I told you we'd been fooled," exclaimed the sub. to Cardyke. "The Impregnable was not towed away—she managed to raise steam, and apparently did very well. I'd like to have a few moments with the skipper of the Steephill Castle. The lying rogue is more than likely in league with these up-to-date pirates."
"Well, gentlemen," continued Fielding, turning to the officers of the Yosen Maru, "we had better be off, and try to overhaul the pirate vessel. We can do very little by way of assistance to your ship, I fear."
"Quite true," replied the spokesman. "The weather is moderate, and we have plenty of sea-room. Before they put our wireless out of gear we heard that the British cruiser Dionysius was coming to our aid, as well as the Red Star liner Scandinavia."
"Then you'll be well looked after," said the sub. And saluting the Japanese officers, he descended the accommodation ladder.
"Those rascals are not wanting in cool cheek,—holding the passengers as hostages, I suppose," commented Drake, when Fielding had made his report. "Well, I suppose we must call up Portsmouth, and inform the admiral of what has occurred. But there's nothing to prevent us overhauling the Impregnable. At all events I'll have a shot at it."
This was Drake's chief fault: he was overanxious to make an individual score. The glory of capturing the Impregnable was to be the Frome's, if possible. The idea of co-operation with the other British destroyers was distasteful to him. "Alone I did it" was to be his motto, the "I" including the officers and crew of the little craft under his command.
As fast as her three undamaged propellers could drive her the Frome tore in the direction the pirate cruiser was supposed to have taken. Eagerly glasses were brought to bear upon the horizon, in the hope of discerning a cloud of smoke—the oil-laden vapour from the Impregnable's liquid fuel.
At eight bells Fielding and Cardyke turned in for a well-earned rest but their sleep was soon to be rudely disturbed. Just before noon the slumbering officers were aroused by a messenger with the news that the Impregnable had been sighted.
"No mistake this time, I hope, sir?" asked the sub., as he swung himself up the bridge-ladder three steps at a time.
"That's the old Impregnable," asserted the lieutenant-commander, confidently. "The question is how the dickens are we to do the trick? We can't very well use the quick-firers, or we may bowl over some of the Japanese hostages. For the same reason we dare not let loose a torpedo."