Yet in the moment of impact Darrin rang the bridge signal to the engine-room for full speed astern. Nor was this command executed an instant too soon. Just in the nick of time Dave's gallant little ship drew back out of the fearful hole that she had torn in the enemy. Aboard the Hun craft the yells of dying men rose on the air, for the enemy destroyer had been all but cut in two. Listing before an irresistible inrush of water, the German destroyer almost turned turtle, then sank quickly beneath the waves. To the northward a muffled roar sounded, followed instantly by another. Dalzell had let go with both forward torpedo tubes, and both had scored. The second stricken enemy ship began to fill and sink slowly. "Shall we stop to pick up men?" called Fernald. "Too bad, but we cannot linger while one of the enemy craft still floats," Darrin replied, calmly. "Our first business is to sink enemy ships. We cannot be humane just yet. Give full chase, Mr. Fernald!" The German survivor had already turned tail, for these Yankee fighters were altogether too swift in their style of combat. Dalzell, whose craft was nearer the fugitive, was now first in pursuit. To avoid firing over his chum's craft Darrin steered obliquely to starboard, then joined in the chase, firing frequently with his remaining forward three-inch gun. As to speed it proved a losing race. The German craft that had survived proved to be a shade more speedy than either the "Grigsby" or the "Reed," so the two craft in chase endeavored to make up for the difference with active fire. Some direct hits were made. In a little more than half an hour, however, the Hun destroyer was out of range of the Yankee guns. "We'll drive her back to her base port, anyway," Darrin signalled Dalzell. So two narrow ribbons of searchlight glow played over the sea, keeping the enemy in sight as long as possible. Presently the German's hull vanished below the horizon; then the lower parts of her masts and stacks went out of sight. Still the two Yankee destroyers hung on, in a race that they knew they could not win. Only when Darrin's knowledge of these waters told him that the fleeing destroyer was safe did he signal the "Reed" to "abandon chase." Reluctantly Dan Dalzell's little ship swung around, heading to keep the "Grigsby" company on the new course. "Tackled superior numbers, and sank two out of three," Dave commented, calmly. "Not what one would call a poor evening's work, gentlemen." "It was splendidly done, sir," glowed Lieutenant Fernald. "We won't take too much credit to ourselves," Dave proposed. "Let us give some of the credit to luck." "Not with you in command, sir," protested the executive officer. "But we did have a lot of luck," Dave insisted. "The luck that you planned and schemed for, with your mind working like lightning," Fernald retorted.