Jack had his binoculars leveled at the spot.
“I can’t see the least movement there,” he declared. “All the ground is torn up in a frightful way, and I think I can pick out the end of a gun that is covered with rocks. Yes, and there is another lying part-way in the water, too.”
The boys looked at each other almost in awe at the frightful result of that volley from the fleet. Then Jack handed the glasses over so that his chum could see for himself the gruesome sight.
The destroyer had not stopped because of this one incident. Encouraged by their initial success in disclosing the hiding-place of the enemy, the daring crew meant to keep right along, venturing several miles up the straits, and trying to invite another battery to take a chance.
Shells were exploding all around the boat, for distant gunners took up the challenge, and endeavored to hit the fleet craft. Her speed was all that saved her on several occasions, for the boys could see the water churned up in her rear as flying missiles struck too late, through a miscalculation as to her swiftness.
For the time being pretty much all the firing had ceased on the part of the invading war vessels. It seemed as though everyone were interested in the fate of the venturesome destroyer. Doubtless, had another battery fired from the shore it must have been instantly overwhelmed in the hail of explosives that would speed that way, since every Allied gunner seemed wild to have a share in the fun.
“They don’t seem to hit her with any kind of success,” called out Amos, for the enemy guns were still booming from the forts further up the straits toward the Narrows; and here and there came a distant report from the Anatolian shore far back from the edge of the water.
“No, it looks as if she bore a charmed life,” admitted Jack, as he saw another geyser spout up far behind the mocking boat that kept tempting the Turkish and German gunners.
“Still, it would take only one hit to finish her,” Amos went on to say, with renewed apprehension. Somehow he seemed to take a personal interest in the fortunes of those gallant men who were showing the kind of mettle they were made of, in thus risking death in order to push their cause forward.
He had hardly spoken than they saw a shell burst apparently directly alongside the destroyer, which was wreathed in smoke, as though her own guns had also been fired shoreward at the same instant.