ntime we were not hit and blown out
of the water.

As we came within reach of the searchlight, I called down to the
engine-room, enjoining those below to give the old packet every ounce of
steam they could muster; and the engineer responded by calmly screwing
down the safety valves, ignoring the fact that, by doing so, he risked
the bursting of the boilers. This was no time for caution, and if the
worn-out kettles would only stand the strain for another ten minutes,
all might be well.

Slowly the searchlight beam came sweeping round toward us, until it
rested fully upon us. It swept on for a yard or two, switched back,
paused for a few seconds, and then began to wave wildly to and fro,
seemingly by way of a signal, while a solitary gunshot pealed out upon
the air. Then the light came back to us, fully revealing the four
steamers making their headlong rush for the harbour entrance.

Following that solitary gunshot there was a tense silence, lasting for
perhaps half a minute, while searchlight after searchlight was turned
upon us from the heights and from every ship so placed that they could
be brought to bear. Then, as though at a preconcerted signal, the
batteries on the heights and two gunboats anchored at the harbour
entrance opened fire upon us, and the darkness of the night was stabbed
and pierced by jets of flame, while the air became vibrant with the hiss
and scream of projectiles of every description, which fell all round us,
lashing the surface of the sea into innumerable jets of phosphorescent
foam. The crash of the heavy gun-fire, and the sharper crackle of the
quick-firers, raised such a terrific din that it quickly became
impossible to make one's voice heard; but my crew had already received
their orders, and the moment that we got within range they opened a
steady fire with our two old Hotchkisses upon the gunboats at the
harbour's mouth, while our destroyers, pushing boldly in after us,
opened fire upon the searchlights, hoping to destroy them, and
endeavouring by every possible device to distract the attention of the
gunners and to draw their fire from us. But in this they were
unsuccessful; the Russians at once divined our intention to seal up the
harbour, and recognised that it was vastly more important to them to
frustrate our purpose than to waste their fire upon our elusive
destroyers; and I doubt whether a single gun was turned upon them.

On through the tempest of projectiles we rushed, o