y comment to make upon
them?"

For a moment there was silence. Then Captain Matsumoto, commanding the
_Fuji_, stepped forward.

"I should like to say, sir," he said, "that I entirely concur in what
Captain Swinburne has said. Unlike that gentleman, I had the honour to
be present on the occasion to which he refers, and I believe all
present--including yourself, sir--will be inclined to agree that the
honourable captain has put his finger upon the two causes which then
combined to render the escape of the Russian fleet possible."

A low murmur of assent followed; and when it died away, Togo spoke.

"I thank you all, gentlemen," he said, "for the expression of opinion to
which I have just listened. I agree that a mistake was made upon that
occasion, and it was I who made it. But that mistake will not be
repeated, you may rest assured. I recognised my mistake when it was too
late to amend it, and I have now made my plans accordingly. Has any one
else any suggestion to offer?"

There was no response.

"Very well, then, gentlemen," resumed Togo. "Our conference is at an
end. Return to your ships, and get your anchors at once. We will
proceed to sea forthwith; and may Hachiman Sama," (the Japanese god of
War) "be with us to-day and crown our arms with victory!"

A moment's silence followed, and then the cabin rang with the exultant
shout of "Banzai! Banzai Nippon!" instantly taken up by the crew out on
deck, who heard it, and as instantly repeated by the crews of the other
ships, as the sound of the cheering reached them. Then, one after
another, we filed past the Admiral, who shook hands with each of us as
we passed out of the cabin; and ten minutes later the harbour was
resounding with the clank of chain cables being hove in through a
fleet's hawse-pipes and stowed away below.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE BATTLE OF THE YELLOW SEA.

It was still quite early--half-past six o'clock in the morning, to be
exact--when a gun from the _Mikasa_ and a string of flags, drooping from
the end of her signal yard in the breathless calm of a hot August
morning, gave the signal for the Japanese fleet to go forth to battle.

In accordance with the Admiral's instructions, the _Yakumo_ was to lead
the way to sea, and it was a proud moment for me when, standing upon the
cruiser's navigating bridge, I personally rang down the order to the
engine-room, "Ahead, half-speed, both engines!" And I considered--and
still consider