and thoroughly, Captain Oda withdrew to the open sea. [Sidenote: "Bayan" to the Rescue] In the meanwhile, the torpedo-boats and destroyers, besides distracting the attention of the defending force from the work of the mine transport, were engaged in more active operations on their own account. At dawn the second division fell in with one of the enemy's destroyers, the _Strashni_, which was creeping stealthily towards the harbor mouth from the direction of Dalny. The Japanese were on her track in a moment, and, cutting off her retreat, bombarded her with their 6-pounders, until in a few minutes she became a total wreck and sank. An attempt was made to save her crew, but the work of rescue was interrupted by the appearance on the scene of the Russian cruiser _Bayan_. Admiral Togo's destroyers sheered off upon the approach of this formidable adversary, and left to her the task of picking up the drowning men, but the _Bayan_ was too late to be of much service, and only five men could be recovered. At about the same time as this incident, a second Russian destroyer was encountered by the Japanese coming from the direction of Liau-tie-shan. A strong effort was made to capture her, but she was more fortunate than the _Strashni_, and managed to escape to Port Arthur in safety. [Sidenote: Preparing an Ambush] But now began the larger and more important operations which were destined to end so disastrously for Admiral Marakoff and his fleet. Admiral Togo had ordered a weak squadron, consisting of the first-class cruisers _Tokiwa_ and _Asama_ and four second-class cruisers, to act as a support to the destroyers, if attacked, and at the same time to serve as a lure to the Russians, and tempt them away from the protection of Port Arthur. He, himself, with his main fleet, lay in hiding thirty miles away to the southeast, waiting for an opportunity to dash in and cut off Makaroff's retreat. The day was not unsuitable for such an enterprise. Rain was falling, and a mist hung heavy over the sea, disguising the smoke of his great warships. [Illustration: ARRIVAL OF A DISPATCH FOR GENERAL KUROPATKIN.] [Sidenote: Makaroff Lured Out] By eight o'clock on the morning of the 13th, the Japanese cruiser squadron appeared on the offing and engaged in a long-range fire with the _Bayan_, which had not returned to the harbor. Admiral Makaroff, seeing the smallness of the force opposed to him, gave the order to his fleet to steam out in column formation and attack the venturesome enemy. Hoisting his flag on the _Petropavlovsk_, the Russian Commander-in-Chief led the way himself, followed by the battleships _Poltava_ and _Pobieda_, the cruisers _Diana_, _Askold_, and _Novik_, and the destroyer flotilla. In the roadstead the fleet was joined by the _Bayan_, and the whole force then set forth majestically to engage the Japanese. [Sidenote: Cutting Off the Unwary]