"No wireless from her?" inquired the owner. "No, sir." "H'm, that's remarkable, very. Action stations. We can't afford to take risks of this description.... Signalman?" "Sir?" "Stand by with the International Code flags," continued the Skipper. "Don't be too smart in making the hoists. Ask 'em what's wrong." Stealthily the crew went to action stations, allowing no chance of their presence being visible to anyone on board the _Holton Heath_. Leaving Carr and Cavendish on the bridge, Meredith went below, made his way for'ard by means of the specially provided armoured alley-way, and gained the fo'c'sle conning-tower. Meanwhile, the _Holton Heath_ had made her number correctly and had given the information that her main-shaft had been broken. Could she be taken in tow? Carr reported the request from voice tube to Captain Meredith. "Round-to under her stern," ordered the Captain. "Don't hurry, I want to have a good look at her. Reply, 'I will take you in tow '." The _Complex_ was manoeuvred according to orders. Half a dozen hands went aft, ready to receive and secure the hawser to the towing-bitts. The Captain of the _Holton Heath_ stepped to the starboard side of the bridge and waved an acknowledgment. Presently Captain Meredith's voice-pipe whistle sounded. "Ay, ay, sir," replied Cavendish. "She seems jonnick," said the Skipper, in a somewhat disappointed tone. "We'll take her hawser. Pass the word for a hand to stand by the Senhouse slip, in case we want to cast off in a hurry." The Sub leant over the bridge-rail to give the order to one of the deck-hands, when his eye caught sight of the wake of a torpedo rapidly approaching the now almost stationary _Complex_. It was coming, not from the _Holton Heath_, but from a submerged source broad on the _Complex's_ beam. Cavendish watched it like one in a trance. His parched throat refused to utter a warning. For days he had expected this to happen. He had hoped it would, and now, this being the first time that he had experienced the sight of a live torpedo approaching, he found that it was a totally different experience from watching a "tinfish" being discharged _from_ the ship, and he was dumbfounded. Too late he recalled the special orders given in anticipation of such an occurrence--orders which he and every other executive officer in the ship had countersigned--that in the event of a torpedo being sighted as fired from a submerged submarine, no effort was to be made to _avoid_ the impact. On the other hand, the ship must be brought to meet it, so that the torpedo would strike anywhere except in the vicinity of the engine-room. In brief, the decoy ship was to sacrifice herself in the almost certain hope that, before she sank, the enemy would reveal himself and fall a victim to her guns.