With the anxiety of one who is being fired upon without the opportunity to return the fire, those on the launch stuck manfully at their posts. Sydney’s blood raced rapidly through his veins, and his hopes seemed on the point of being cast to the very depths of despair. Flash followed flash on the fortifications and the reverberations of the heavy artillery shook the valley. It seemed to the midshipmen that hundreds of guns must be hurling tons of steel at their small inoffensive black launch as it bravely steamed down the river. With intense excitement and fearful dread as to the outcome, all gazed fascinated upon the myriads of flashes of flame from the forts. The moans and screeches of the shells were loud in their ears while the steel bolts lashed the water to foam about them. Suddenly a bright shaft of light bored through the night and then swung spasmodically over the water. Fearfully the midshipmen watched the search-light ray in its attempt to concentrate upon the rapidly moving launch. When once they were held in its beam, they would furnish as clear a target for their enemy’s guns as if it were day. As Phil watched, fascinated, the wavering light, it stopped uncertainly short of the launch but truly in line, then the light raised suddenly and the lad was fairly blinded by the bright flash as it clung tenaciously to the discovered hull. The fort guns now renewed their vociferous cannonade and the screech of shells was sufficient to unnerve the stoutest heart. “One hit and we’ll be counted out,” Phil exclaimed wildly, clutching Sydney in his excitement, as he dodged involuntarily the hot breath of the speeding projectiles. “Take that sounding pole!” Langdon shouted hoarsely, as the terrified Chinaman dropped it on deck and dived for safety below decks. Sydney quickly grasped the pole as it clattered from the man’s hand, and plunged it over the side. It struck bottom, showing the water had suddenly become dangerously shallow. “Keep her off,” he cried loudly, above the roar of the hissing shells. Blinded by the bright glare of the search-light, Langdon had nearly run the launch ashore on the island, but by quick action, he now threw the bow out into the river. A low grating sound made Phil’s heart stop beating, but the next second the launch darted clear of the treacherous shoal. Then to the joy of the anxious men the search-light beam died suddenly away. The fire from the forts immediately slackened, and in a few seconds had ceased altogether. An occasional boom and the screech of a passing shell, however, showed the Americans that the enemy was waiting impatiently to begin its fusillade as soon as the now extinguished search-light could again pick up the helpless target.