“The Formosa Channel is usually thick,” he replied. “There’s fog there not fifteen miles away, and thick, too.” “Mr. Perry’s got the right dope,” O’Neil exclaimed in admiration. “Shall I go down, sir, and call them up by wireless?” he asked Phil. Phil nodded, handing the glasses to Sydney, who also studied the distant fog bank. “Yes, O’Neil. Remember this time we are the British gunboat ‘Barracouta’ from a cruise bound for Hongkong.” One of the two scouts appeared to have stopped. Its masts and the top of its smoke-stacks lifted slowly above the horizon, while the other’s smoke gradually dissolved and disappeared. The fleet was soon all in sight, as yet nearly fifteen miles away, but the lofty spars, smoke-stacks and turrets were visible in the field of the high power spy-glass. The midshipmen’s blood flowed quickly through their young veins as they looked upon this martial display. As the yacht’s course crossed the track of the oncoming fleet, the grim battle-ships could be distinguished to be steaming in two long columns; the dots of black hovering near the fleet the lads knew could be nothing else but the guarding destroyers. The cruiser to the southward appeared motionless, apparently undecided what to do, while the other scout had kept its course and soon passed beyond the horizon. Marley came hurriedly on deck with a paper which he placed in Phil’s hand. “What ship is that, and where are you bound?” he read in O’Neil’s handwriting. A few moments afterward another was brought forward by the sailor. “Steer close to me; I wish to communicate,” Phil read with sinking heart. He passed the paper to Sydney to read. Impey’s alert eye read the quick look of anxiety in the midshipmen’s faces. “Your blood’s on your own heads,” he cried out angrily, and then suddenly left the deck. Into his thoughts had come a plan that might save his precious neck. The lads were terribly cast down by this half-expected order from the Japanese scout. Phil had hoped that his ruse would avail and that the scout would be satisfied after a survey at long range that the stranger was only a cruising British gunboat, and would then go on its way to the southward. The Japanese, even if they had heard of the escape of the yacht, would hardly expect that it could have steamed to such a distance south in such a short time. Then an unpleasant thought upset all this reasoning. The destroyer which had chased and caught them only to be eluded in the fog must have discovered that the “Sylvia’s” speed was greater than that of an ordinary yacht. At what distance would their disguise be discovered and the true character of the vessel be seen? After Impey had left the bridge he went at once to his cabin and locked the door; then taking a key from a drawer in his desk, he unlocked another door leading into the next stateroom, and entered.