"That's done it," he exclaimed, as the hostile vessel disappeared from view. "Now for the enemy's flanking ships." Neboff had witnessed the arrival of the redoubtable cruiser. He had been duped; the _Olive Branch_ had not been annihilated but had arrived at a critical moment. A signal fluttered from the flagship of the vice-admiral's division. Every available 11in. and 14in. gun was to be trained and fired simultaneously at the _Olive Branch_ in the hope of sending her to the bottom. For the space of twelve seconds over fifty heavy shells were hurtling through the air at a velocity of considerably more than a thousand yards a second. But the gun-layers had forgotten one important consideration; they had omitted to make due allowance for the cruiser's abnormal speed, and, with one exception, the projectiles fell harmlessly astern, thrashing the sunlit water into a cauldron of foam. The shell that struck home--a 14in. missile--simply swept the whole of the afterpart of the _Olive Branch_ out of existence. Everything above the armoured deck and abaft the rearmost gun-turret was blown away, the concussion shaking the cruiser from stem to stern. "The bos'un to sound and report state of hull," ordered Captain Brookes; "then take necessary steps to keep the leak under." "The range?" he continued, as he bent over the ZZ-rays indicator. "Fourteen thousand yards, sir," replied Gerald. The next instant the horizon in the direction of Admiral Neboff's division seemed to be one blaze of dull red fire, a thick pall of smoke rose in the air, and presently the dull revibration of a series of detonations was faintly borne to the ear of the young lieutenant in the conning-tower. "Hurrah! That's settled their hash," he shouted, carried away by the excitement of the moment. "The----" The sentence remained unfinished, for, happening to turn his head, he saw the figure of his commanding officer huddled over the indicator-board. "Hit, sir?" he exclaimed, anxiously. There was no reply. Gently Gerald lifted the body of the captain and laid him carefully down upon the floor of the conning-tower. Then, in answer to a hurried order, two seamen entered the citadel by means of the armoured spiral staircase, and Captain Brookes was carried below to be placed in the hands of Dr. White. There was no time to be lost in bewailing the latest catastrophe. "Pass the word for Mr. Sinclair to take command," ordered Gerald, then, without waiting for the first lieutenant's appearance, he directed the quartermaster to head towards the left flank of the main division of the enemy's fleet. A hurried glance at the ZZ-ray apparatus showed that this potent means of offence was no longer available. [Illustration: An admiral's pinnace was approaching the shattered _Olive Branch_. Gerald hastened on deck to receive the distinguished officer.]