have not the
slightest idea of our actual whereabouts. And then, to add to the
turmoil and confusion, the forts on the cliffs above opened fire with
their heavy guns, and we heard the shells go muttering angrily far
overhead, as the gunners ashore also fired into the offing.

The fleet as a whole now lay broad on our starboard beam, and we in the
_Kasanumi_ were crossing the bows of a two-funnelled battleship which,
from her position as the outermost ship of the fleet, I knew must be the
_Tzarevich_, when, out of the tail of my eye, so to speak, I again
caught the flash of one of our Whiteheads as it leapt outward and
plunged into the sea. Breathlessly I awaited the result, and presently,
to my delight, I saw that our second torpedo had got home!

"Good old Ito!" I exclaimed aloud; and, as I spoke, the man himself
stood beside me.

"Two hits!" he gasped, almost inarticulate with excitement and delight.
"The _Kasanumi_ has done her duty to-night."

"She has," I agreed; "and so have you, splendidly, old chap. This means
immediate promotion for you, Ito; for you may rest assured that, if we
get out of this alive, I will not fail to report to the Admiral what you
have done. I don't see--"

"Ah, but," he interrupted me, "the real credit of it all belongs to you,
not me. For if you had not warned me, I should certainly, in my
excitement, have forgotten to withdraw the pins before firing the
torpedoes. As it was, I very nearly did so when firing the first, but
luckily your warning flashed into my mind at the very instant when I was
about to fire. I am afraid that many of our men have forgotten that
essential; for although all the torpedoes must be by this time
discharged, I do not think that many ships have been hit."

I had noticed the same thing myself, and was about to say so, but at
this moment the Russian ships opened fire with their heavy guns, and
conversation, which up to now had been difficult enough, became quite
impossible owing to the deafening din. But I observed that the ships
and batteries were all firing out to sea, whereas our destroyers were by
this time between the fleet and the land, completely absorbed in the
deep shadow of the lofty cliffs, so that up to that moment I believed we
had remained unseen. Then the _Asashio_ flashed the signal for Number 1
Division to retire at full speed, putting her helm hard a-port as she
did so, for by this time we were running parallel with the shore on the