Satisfied that no boom existed at Nagara, and that the Turkish cruisers and destroyers which were thought to have left the Sea of Marmora and had taken shelter beyond Nagara were not in their expected anchorage, the Lieutenant-Commander of the _Calder_ ordered the helm to be put hard over. Listing outwardly as she turned till her normal water-line showed three feet above the water, the destroyer began her return journey. Before she recovered her normal trim a 4-inch shell penetrated her thin plating, and, fortunately without exploding, missed one of the boilers by a fraction of an inch and disappeared out of the starboard side. Then, as the destroyer steadied on her helm, the aperture a few seconds previously clear of the water was now eighteen inches beneath the surface. It poured a regular cascade that threatened to flood the engine-room. In an instant one of the artificers saw the danger and acted promptly. Seizing a bundle of oily waste he thrust it into the irregular-shaped hole, and coolly sat with his broad shoulders hard against the impromptu plug and kept it in position. "There's the _Irwell_," suddenly exclaimed the Royal Naval Reserve officer, who was looking through one of the slits in the conning-tower on the port side. Dick also looked. At two cables' length from them was their consort, which, having circled to starboard, had closed in upon the _Calder_. Both were now running on parallel courses and at approximately the same speed. The _Calder's_ skipper also saw the other destroyer. He realized the danger of the formation, for both craft were in a direct line of fire from the forts. "Hard-a-port!" he shouted. The quartermaster heard in spite of the terrific din. Round spun the wheel of the steam steering-gear, and with a lurch that gave those below the impression that she was turning turtle, the destroyer made a complete circle. By the time she had steadied on her helm the _Irwell_ was nearly a mile ahead. A repetition of the terrible fire from Kum Kale greeted the _Calder_ as she tore past the southern-most of the forts, badly mauled but still in fighting trim. Her exploit had been successfully accomplished. "Can anyone oblige me with a cigarette?" asked the Lieutenant-Commander, as he was rejoined by the officers from the conning-tower. The Royal Naval Reserve officer hastened to comply. "Good heavens, sir!" he exclaimed. "You've been hit." "Yes," assented the skipper coolly. "A piece of shell. It's spoilt my greatcoat, I'm afraid, but what's worse, took my cigarette-case to blazes--and it was a presentation one, worse luck. That's why I had to ask for something to smoke. No, it isn't a case for the medico; a Maltese jeweller will do a bit of business over this affair, I think."