The lights swept past us once or twice, lighting us up sufficiently for us to see each other’s faces, but they were too far off for the destroyers to spot us, and presently they switched off and we were in darkness again. With the danger over I began to feel how frightfully hungry and thirsty I was, and how cold. My feet and legs were warmed by the furnace fires, but the cold spray had soaked me through and through. Perhaps the Commander was feeling the same, for at length he said, "I’m not going’ to stay out here all night," and told Jones to steer towards where we had seen the nearer search-light. I threw on some more coal. The glow of the fires did not matter now, and we rummaged round and found a lantern, but there was no candle in it. Then the Commander handed me an oil-can, and I threw some of it through the furnace door, shutting it again very quickly. There was a great rush of smoke, and a flame shot out of the funnel three or four feet high. It lasted only a few seconds, however, and then I threw in another, and then a third lot of oil. "They’ve seen us, sir," Jones sang out. "One of them has hoisted position lights." And, sure enough, two bright little lights, one above the other, shone out. Jones steered towards them, a search-light began sweeping round, swept past us, came back again, and steadied itself on us for a few seconds. We all yelled as hard as we could and blew the whistle, the light was switched off, and in a couple of minutes the black outline of one of the destroyers appeared as we ran alongside in her lee. The crew cheered wildly, strong arms helped us on board, and by the light of a lantern I saw the cheery red face of Mr. Parker and Toddles too, of all people, looking white and scared. They took us down below into the warm ward-room, got our things off, wrapped us in hot blankets, and gave us food. Pat Jones was brought down too, much against his will, for there was no fire anywhere else, and we three sat and warmed ourselves and ate, till I slid off my chair, coiled myself in a corner next the stove, too sleepy even to answer Toddles’s questions, and went to sleep. What a sleep that was! *CHAPTER XIX* *Cummins Captures One Gun Hill* Cummins will Take the Risk—A Landing-Party—Glover Lands as A.D.C.—A Night Landing—Climbing Up-hill—We Rush the Hilltop—The First Mistake—Preparations for Defence—We are Discovered When the dinghy with Commander Cummins, Glover, and the petty officer Jones had disappeared into the gloom, "No. 3" went back to her usual position for the night.