Skipper Wharton’s time had not yet come; he was not for a duel at long range. He threw out his small boat, and by this submissive behaviour encouraged the U-boat to come nearer, which she did by submerging and popping up again within a hundred yards. A man then came out of the conning-tower and hailed _Boy Alfred_, giving the order to abandon ship as he intended to torpedo. But 100 yards was a very different affair from 300. It was, in fact, a range Skipper Wharton thought quite suitable. He gave the order ‘Open fire’ instead of ‘Abandon ship,’ and his gunner did not fail him. The first round from the 12-pounder was just short, and the second just over; but having straddled his target, the good man put his third shot into the submarine’s hull, just before the conning-tower, where it burst on contact. The fourth shot was better still; it pierced the conning-tower and burst inside. The U-boat sank like a stone, and the usual wide-spreading patch of oil marked her grave. In the meantime the second enemy submarine had gone to the east of _I’ll Try_, who was herself east of _Boy Alfred_. He was a still more cautious pirate than his companion, and remained submerged for some time, cruising around _I’ll Try_ with only a periscope showing. Skipper Crisp, having a motor fitted to his smack, was too handy for the German, and kept altering course so as to bring the periscope ahead of him, whenever it was visible. The enemy disappeared entirely no less than six times, but at last summoned up courage to break surface. The hesitation was fatal to him--he had given the smack time to make every preparation. He appeared suddenly at last, only 200 yards off, on _I’ll Try’s_ starboard bow; but his upper deck and big conning-tower were no sooner clearly exposed than Skipper Crisp put his helm hard over, brought the enemy on to his broadside and let fly with his 13-pounder gun. At this moment a torpedo passed under the smack’s stern, missing only by ten feet, then coming to the surface, and running along on the top past _Boy Alfred_. It was the U-boat’s first and last effort. In the same instant, _I’ll Try’s_ shell--the only one fired--struck the base of the conning-tower and exploded, blowing pieces of the submarine into the water on all sides. The U-boat immediately took a list to starboard and plunged bows first--she disappeared so rapidly that the gunner had not even time for a second shot. _I’ll Try_ immediately hurried to the spot, and there saw large bubbles of air coming up and a large and increasing patch of oil. She marked the position with a Dan buoy, and stood by for three-quarters of an hour with _Boy Alfred_. Finally, as the enemy gave no sign of life, the two smacks returned together to harbour.