The U-boat started with an enormous, and apparently overwhelming, advantage of gun power. She ought to have been a match, twice over, for all six of our little ships. But she was on dangerous ground, and the astounding resolution of the attack drove her off her course. In ten minutes the drifters had actually pushed her ashore on the Goodwin Sands--_Paramount_ had closed to thirty yards! Drake himself was hardly nearer to the galleons. Then came _Gipsy_, equally resolute. Her first two shots fell short; the third was doubtful, but after that she got on, and the pirate’s bigger remaining gun was no match for her 12-pounder. After two hits with common pointed shell, she put in eight out of nine lyddite, smashed the enemy’s last gun and set him on fire forward. Thereupon the pirate crew surrendered and jumped overboard. [Illustration: ‘The U-boat started with an enormous advantage of gun-power.’] It was now 7.20 and broad daylight. Lieutenant-Commander Frederick Robinson, of the _Gipsy_, gave the signal to cease fire, and the five drifters set to work to save their drowning enemies. _Paramount_, who was nearest, got thirteen, _Feasible_ one, and _Acceptable_ two, of whom one was badly wounded. The _Gipsy’s_ whaler was got away, and her crew, under Lieutenant Gilbertson, R.N.R., tried for an hour to make headway against the sea, but could not go further than half-a-mile, the tide and weather being heavily against them. They brought back one dead body, and one prisoner in a very exhausted condition; afterwards they went off again and collected the prisoners from the other ships. Then came the procession back to port--a quiet and unobtrusive return, but as glorious as any that the Goodwins have ever seen. Full rewards followed, and the due decorations for Skippers Thomas Lane, Edward Kemp and Richard William Barker. But their greatest honour was already their own--they had commanded, in victorious action, His Majesty’s Armed Drifters, _Present Help_, _Paramount_ and _Majesty_. CHAPTER XII THE DESTROYERS