"That's a bungled bit of work," commented Drake. "She can't go back with this tide under her; and the Vindictive following us up, too. Pass the word for a warning signal to be sent to the cruiser, Mr. Cardyke. These fellows must be as mad as March hares."
The increased speed just saved the Frome from being in a very tight corner, for, hugging the eastern side of the entrance, she gained the broad expanse of the harbour just as the towed vessel came abeam.
Still Drake had to keep his full attention on his course; but the sub. and midshipman could devote themselves to the melancholy spectacle—for the Impregnable was on her way to the marine knacker's yard. Her days as an effective unit were judged to be over, and, sold out of the Service, she was on her way to a Dutch port to be broken up.
The Impregnable was one of the earlier "Dreadnought cruisers," and in her time held the palm for speed. She was of eighteen thousand tons displacement, and had attained a speed of twenty-six knots. Her armament consisted of eight 12 in. guns—one pair for'ard, another pair aft, and the others en échelon amidships—as well as a secondary battery of twenty-five 4 in. quick-firers. She had two tripod masts and three huge funnels.
Very different the vessel looked from when, a few months previously, she had taken her place in the fleet at Spithead as an effective unit of the British Navy. Her topmasts were "housed," her boats and secondary armament removed, and her regulation coat of grey paint was streaked with rust and dirt. In her barbettes the 12 in. guns still grinned menacingly, but their teeth were drawn, their breech-blocks having been removed previous to sale.
"Seems like parting with an old friend," remarked the sub to Cardyke, for Fielding had served a commission on board of her. "To my mind, it's a mistake scrapping the older vessels so promptly. It's not my business to say so, of course; but still, that's my opinion."
"She'd do her little bit even yet," observed Cardyke. "She never has fired a shot in anger yet, has she?"
"No," replied the sub. "And she never will. We've seen the last of the old Impregnable, Cardyke."
But Sub-Lieutenant Paul Fielding was, for once, at least, hopelessly out of his bearings.