"News of the ’Vorwartz,’ gentlemen," he exclaimed. "She is reported to be operating off the entrance to Valetta Harbour, Malta. Holed the torpedo-boat-destroyer ’Tamar,’ did considerable damage to the oil-tank vessel ’Petrolia,’ so that the ship had to be beached in Bighi Bay. After that she slipped off. An aero-hydroplane followed her for an hour in an easterly direction. The ’Vorwartz’ then dived much deeper and was lost sight off." "What is she doing in the Mediterranean, sir?" asked Devoran. "That doesn’t look as if she’s returning to Sumatran waters." "Unless she goes through the Suez Canal," added Kenwyn. "She won’t try that game," said Captain Restronguet. "There’s not enough water in the canal. If she does we have been saved an unpleasant task, for the authorities will blow her to atoms." "Now what is to be done, sir?" asked the chief officer. Captain Restronguet paused a few moments before replying. "The shafting is now all right, Mr. Devoran?" "Yes, sir, I remained till the work was completed. That was at half past one in the morning." "Excellent!" commented the captain. "There is now only one course left open to us. We must proceed to the eastern part of the Mediterranean and continue our search for this modern pirate. I’ll send a message to the Admiralties at London, Paris, and Berlin informing them of my whereabouts and of my intentions. We may have a chance of sending the relics of ’La Flamme’ ashore at Gibraltar, Mr. Hythe. Perhaps you would care to hand them over to the proper authorities?" "With pleasure," replied the sub. "There is no time to be lost," continued the captain, rising from his chair. "What is the weather like, Mr. Devoran?" "Hazy, sir." "Excellent! We may have a run on the surface; the extra ten knots may be of extreme importance." "Must we go astern through this channel?" asked the sub, as he followed his host to the fore conning-tower. "There is not enough width to turn." "Oh, no; we rise vertically to the surface," replied Captain Restronguet. "Coming here it was different. I could not depend upon sinking the ’Aphrodite’ immediately over the gulley. Besides, I had reasons for bringing the craft in while submerged." The discharging pumps were soon at work, and with hardly a jerk the heavy mass of water-tight metal casing rose majestically from the sandy bed of Machichaco Bay. When just awash her fore hatch was opened and the rails and stanchions shipped. Hythe went on deck. The haze was sufficiently dense to prevent objects from being seen at a distance of more than a cable’s length ahead. The cliffs and the lighthouse were invisible. Although there was hardly any wind and the "Aphrodite" was lying almost motionless on a perfectly calm sea, the noise of the sullen rollers breaking in-shore showed how dangerous this exposed bay was to any craft that attempted to send a boat ashore.