Darkness fell, and still the flight and pursuit continued, but so far the Lena had not been struck by a single shell. She had fired but one shot at the foe--from one of her small guns aft--but this had shown that the German cruiser was not yet within range of the Lena's guns. Now that darkness had fallen the huge searchlight of the German cruiser played full upon the Lena. Suddenly Jack and Frank felt a terrific shock, and the Lena, for a moment, seemed to pause in her stride. A shell had struck the stem of the vessel. There was an explosion and a single high mast crashed to the deck. Quickly a score of sailors sprang forward, and at a word from Frank, cleared away the wreckage and tumbled it overboard. "Nothing serious, sir," reported the second officer, after a hurried investigation. "Good!" said Jack calmly. Then, so suddenly that it appeared to be the hand of magic, the searchlight of the German cruiser faded from view. Darkness fell over the Lena intense darkness. The glare of the searchlight had vanished so suddenly that for a brief moment Frank did not determine the cause of it. "What is it?" he demanded anxiously. "Fog," replied Jack laconically, "and just in time. With luck, we may make our escape." The course of the Lena was quickly altered, and she once more headed toward the coast of England. CHAPTER XIV MISFORTUNE At full speed the Lena continued her voyage through the dense fog. "Is there any danger of our colliding with another ship, speeding along like this without knowing what is ahead?" asked Frank in some anxiety. "Certainly," replied Jack. "However, it is a chance we must take. We know what lies behind, and the way I figure it is that it is better to take a chance on what may lie before rather than on what we know lies behind." "Right," said Frank, and he became silent. All night the Lena forged ahead at full speed through the fog, which hung thick and dismal overhead and all about; and all this time the boys did not leave the bridge. The men were allowed to rest at their posts, but were kept on the alert, for, as Jack said, "we must be prepared for anything." Jack looked at his watch. It was 8 o'clock in the morning; and, even as he glanced at his timepiece, the fog lifted as suddenly as it had enveloped them. "This is better--" Frank began, and broke off with a cry of amazement. Not a hundred yards to the leeward his eyes fell upon the dark hull of the German cruiser which had pursued them the night before. Evidently the commander of the vessel had anticipated the course of the Lena and had taken the same route. There is no telling in what imminent danger the two had been of a collision during the night, as both had sped along silently, each fearing to betray his presence to the other. Jack espied the enemy at the same instant that Frank cried out; and he acted upon the instant.