In order to further encourage the men in the stokehold I called down to them from time to time through the voice-pipe the distance between us. They worked like horses, and after some time I was able to state that we were keeping our lead. Why the English boat did not at least send a shot across our bows is still a mystery to me, especially when she found that we took no notice whatever of her constant signals. In the meantime we had approached our old friend the _Shatter_, which was leisurely wallowing up and down just under the battery at about 500 yards from the shore. She seemed to have noticed us at last, for she turned slowly and steamed towards us. I therefore called the second mate up on the bridge, telling him to keep his eye on the _Shatter_, and gave the wheel to A.B. Strehlau. We had gradually come so near that without the glasses we could now perceive the guns of the battery trained on us. A lively exchange of signals was taking place between the battery and our pursuer. And then a signal was hoisted on the _Shatter_ also. Unfortunately, it was impossible to read it for there was not a breath of wind. The devil! Had the rascal been deceiving us, and was the drunkenness all playacting, in order to be able to attack us in front in conjunction with the battery, while the other boat attacked us behind? For one moment I was inclined to fear some such stratagem, for it appeared impossible that the _Shatter's_ signal could mean anything but 'Stop at once.' As a precautionary measure I therefore ordered all preparations for blowing up the ship. At the same time I gave the order to starboard the helm, in order to ram the _Shatter_, for I was determined that if we went down we should take her with us. The next few seconds must decide our fate. We were going straight for the _Shatter_ at full speed, but she made no effort to escape being rammed. What could be the explanation? I gazed steadily through the glasses. Suddenly the _Shatter_ turned to port, and as she heeled over for an instant on account of the sudden turn, we read the signal. We could not believe our eyes. From the signal halliards of the Shatter fluttered the signal I knew so well in the old days, 'T.D.L.'--'_Bon voyage._' I rushed to the helm, tore the wheel round to port, and anxiously counted the seconds till the _Aud_ began to answer the helm. Fortunately, the high speed at which we were going made the rudder effective--but only just in time. All our lives hung on the fraction of a second. In the very next second we shot past the English boat not a ship's length off.