Several of the officers of the "Topaze" had observed the sudden appearance of the sinister craft, and hence the call to General Quarters. The light quick-firers were manned, their muzzles swung round till they pointed full at the submarine’s conning-towers, which, proceeding at nearly the same rate and in a similar direction to that of the cruiser, presented an easy target. Captain Sedgwyke was puzzled. It was inexplicable that the submarine should show herself when she might have let loose a torpedo while completely submerged. Nevertheless he was on the point of giving the order to open fire when Captain Restronguet, in a voice that could be heard from one end of the ship to the other, shouted:-- "Don’t fire, it is the ’Aphrodite.’" Something in the captain of the "Aphrodite’s" words prompted Captain Sedgwyke to issue a confirmatory order. Hythe was astonished--even doubtful. He could not be certain as to whether it was the "Aphrodite" or her counter-felt rival; but the inventor and constructor had made no error. It was the "Aphrodite." Thirty feet in front of the fore conning-tower the sharp bows of the submarine appeared above the water, followed by the whole length of her decks, from which the water poured in silvery cascades. Then a hatch was thrown open and a figure that Hythe recognized as that of the first officer appeared. Raising a megaphone Devoran shouted:-- "Is Captain Restronguet on board?" "Ay, ay," replied a voice from the fore-bridge. "What submarine is that?" "The ’Aphrodite,’," replied Devoran, merely as a matter of form, since his identity was now established. "Can you send a boat? We have important intelligence to communicate." At that moment a petty officer ran up the ladder of the after-bridge and requested Captain Restronguet to speak to Captain Sedgwyke. "I suppose you wish to board your craft," said the Captain of the cruiser. "We will lower a boat as soon as we get a bit shipshape." "If you will kindly do so I will rejoin the ’Aphrodite,’" replied Captain Restronguet. "At the same time I think the information is urgent. Shall I ask my first officer to deliver it verbally to save time?" "Very good," assented Captain Sedgwyke. The information was indeed startling. The electric detector of the "Aphrodite" had picked up the position of the "Vorwartz." Karl von Harburg’s submarine was proceeding northwards, and was even now within twenty miles of the British cruiser. CHAPTER XXVI. THE SINKING OF THE "TOPAZE." "This is indeed news!" exclaimed Captain Sedgwyke. Then in a lower tone he added, "Captain Restronguet, will you do me a favour? If we fall in with the ’Vorwartz’ will you stand off and give the ’Topaze’ a chance to distinguish herself? If so you will earn the gratitude of every officer and man on board." The captain of the "Aphrodite" hesitated a few moments.