A sudden change in the direction of the wind, local mists, a dark night, and the alteration in the position of the important Stroom Bank buoy all contributed to the glorious failure of a gallant attempt. Under a heavy fire, the _Brilliant_, making for the supposed position of Ostend piers, grounded. The _Sirius_, following slowly in her wake, immediately reversed engines, but, as the ship was already badly damaged by gun-fire and in a sinking she refused to answer to her helm. Before she could gather sternway she collided with the _Brilliant's_ port quarter. In the end, both vessels being hard and fast ashore, they were blown up, nearly a mile and a half to the eastward of where they ought to have been had observations been possible. Here again, in the work of rescuing the crews of the stranded block-ships, the M.-L.'s played a successful and daring part. M.-L. 532, in attempting to run alongside, was badly damaged in collision. M.-L. 276 repeatedly went alongside the _Brilliant_, and in exceptionally difficult circumstances rescued most of the crew. M.-L. 283, ranging up alongside the _Sirius_, took off practically all her crew; then, notwithstanding the fact that her deck was crowded with men, she took off sixteen of the _Brilliant's_ crew who had taken to a whaler, which had been sunk by gun-fire. After the rescuing M.-L.'s had left, it was reported that an officer and some men belonging to the _Sirius_ were missing. That vessel was hard and fast aground, and subjected to a furious fire from the German batteries. It seemed impossible that anyone could remain alive on board the shattered hulk. But, since there was a very slight possibility, there was no hesitation on the part of the skipper of Coastal Motor-Boat No. 10. Under a heavy and accurate fire from 4.1-inch and machine-guns the C.M.-B. made a thorough search for the missing officer and men, but found no sign of life. Subsequently they were picked up thirteen miles out at sea, whither they had pulled in an open boat after the sinking of their ship. It was no fault on the part of Commander Godsal that had caused the failure of the operations. Most men would have been content to rest on their laurels, but not so Godsal. Directly he reported to the Vice-Admiral at Dover he volunteered to make another attempt upon Ostend. His offer was accepted, and, while the nation was clamouring for the _Vindictive_ to be exhibited as a show-ship, her hold was already being filled with cement in order to use her as a block-ship to complete the task that the _Sirius_ and _Brilliant_ had failed to achieve. It was about a week after the return of the _Vindictive_ to Dover that Alec Seton and Guy Branscombe were making their way along the esplanade in the direction of the Lord Warden Hotel, when they were hailed by Flight-lieutenant Smith.