[Illustration: The surrender of the German fleet.] The rendezvous was approximately fifty miles distant and the ships gauged their speed to arrive at the appointed place at 8 o'clock. At 5 o'clock a signal summoned the men to battle stations, and, except the officers on the bridges, the ships' companies were hidden behind bulwarks of steel. When dawn broke, the sea was again covered with mist, which reduced the visibility to less than 8,000 yards. Eyes straining through the murky haze finally were rewarded. Off the starboard bow, the _Cardiff_, trailing an observation kite balloon, came steaming in. Close behind her came the first of the German ships, the great battle cruiser _Seydlitz_, which was flying the flag of Commodore Togert. After her came four others of the same type, the _Derfflinger_, _Von der Tann_, _Hindenburg_, and _Moltke_. They moved along three cable lengths apart. Immediately following them were nine dreadnoughts, the _Friedrich der Grosse_, flagship of Rear Admiral von Reuter; the _Koenig Albert_, _Kaiser_, _Kronprinz Wilhelm_, _Kaiserin_, _Bayern_, _Markgraf_, _Prinzregent Luitpold_, and the _Grosser Kurfürst_. Three miles astern of the battleships came seven light cruisers, the _Karlsruhe_, bearing the ensign of Commodore Harder; the _Frankfort_, _Emden_, _Nürnberg_, _Brummer_, _Cöln_, and _Bremen_. Then came another gap of three miles and German destroyers came steaming in, five columns abreast, with ten destroyers to a column. Every vessel steaming out to meet them flew battle ensigns and was ready for instant action, with its men at battle stations and guns in position. Six miles separated the Allied columns, and squarely between them the _Cardiff_ brought her charges, all steaming at the stipulated speed of ten knots. As ordered, their guns were in regular fore-and-aft positions, and, as far as powerful glasses could determine, there was no sign to provoke suspicion. Until all the major ships had been swallowed up in the enveloping Allied columns, the latter never for a moment relaxed their alert watch. Over the Germans circled a British dirigible, which acted as eyes for the Allied ships, which, although the fog had lifted, were still too distant for accurate observation. When the leading German ship had reached the western end of the flanking columns the Allied ships put about in squadrons. Quickly re-forming their lines, they proceeded to escort the enemy into the Firth of Forth. By noon the last wisp of fog had dispersed and a splendid view of the vast array of war craft could be obtained. Holding steadily to its course, the great fleet reached May Island at 2 o'clock. The captive Germans were piloted to anchorages assigned to them and British ships from the northern column steamed on to the regular anchorages higher up the Firth.