Jack turned his eyes in that direction, and also was stricken speechless. "Am I dreaming?" muttered Frank at last. "It--it can't be." "'But it is," exclaimed a well-known voice, and a dignified and military figure marched into the room--the figure of Lord Hastings, whom the boys had so long mourned as lost. In spite of their exhausted condition, both boys were upon their feet instantly, and each had him by the hand. "But you went down with the Sylph," protested Jack. "You were drowned," declared Frank. "I saw you go down." "So you did," replied Lord Hastings, laughing a little. "But I came up again. I came up near a piece of floating wreckage, to which I clung for more than twenty-four hours before I was finally picked up by a British torpedo boat." There were tears in the eyes of both boys as they clung to their old commander. "But what happened to you?" Lord Hastings continued. "I inquired everywhere, and could find no trace of you. I was certain that you had gone down, and I was never so surprised and overjoyed in my life as when you were lifted aboard the Sylph a few hours ago." "The Sylph!" ejaculated Jack. "Yes," replied His Lordship, smiling a little, "I have christened this vessel the Sylph II, but I always speak of her as the Sylph. But come, tell me about yourselves." Briefly Frank related the experiences they had gone through since the Sylph had been sunk. "Nothing you do can surprise me any more," declared Lord Hastings, when Frank had finished his narrative. "But now, as to the future, do you wish to remain aboard the Marie Theresa, or would you like to come with me?" "Would we!" ejaculated Jack fervently. "I should say we would!" declared Frank decisively. "Well," said Lord Hastings, "I have no doubt that it can be arranged. I shall speak to Captain Dreyfuss at once." "Is Lieutenant Hetherington alive?" asked Jack suddenly. "No," replied Lord Hastings sadly, "we three are the sole survivors of the Sylph." "But what are you doing in these waters?" demanded Frank. "Well," replied Lord Hastings, "it's somewhat of a secret, but I don't mind telling you. I am on the trail of the German cruiser Emden." "The Emden!" ejaculated both lads. "Exactly. She has become a terrible menace to British shipping. While she is probably more than a match for the Sylph, if I come up with her I shall stay on her trail until I can raise a cruiser big enough to tackle her. My job is to find her, and, when I do, I guarantee I shall never lose sight of her." "Good!" cried Jack. "Now, if you can fix it up with Captain Dreyfuss, we are ready to go with you." "Would you like to accompany me?" asked the commander of the Sylph. The lads signified their assent. An hour later they were all seated in Captain Dreyfuss' cabin aboard the Marie Theresa. "And where is Pierre?" demanded Captain Dreyfuss of Jack. "Gone!" replied the lad quietly. "He died the death of a hero."