As he
climbed down into the hull he heard the sound of heavy cannonading
across the water. It was certain now that a running fight was in
progress and that behind the veil of the black German destroyer
smoke were allied warships.

The retreating column was well off the port bow and racing eastward
toward the shelter of the big guns at Heligoland. Coming up out of
the south the American submarine had run at right angles into the line
of the Hun retreat. The _Dewey_ held a strategic position. She
viewed the approaching squadron as though looking down the hypotenuse
of the angle. The Germans were speeding along the base. The _Dewey_
had but to slip down the perpendicular to intercept the panicky
Prussians.

And that was just what Lieutenant McClure proposed doing. All hands
were ordered below and the hatches sealed. Running on the surface,
the oil engines were put to their best endeavor and the _Dewey_ cleft
the whitecaps at her best speed.

"Go forward, Mr. Hammond, and inquire of Chief Gunner Mowrey how many
torpedoes we have aboard," ordered Lieutenant McClure.

Jack hurried away and returned in a few minutes to report that all
four tubes were loaded and two auxiliary Whiteheads in the racks.
The _Dewey's_ torpedo range was two miles, but her commander preferred
to be within less than six hundred yards for a sure shot.

McClure could now see the leader of the German squadron---a powerful
battle cruiser---crowding on all speed. His guns astern, powerful
fourteen-inch pieces in twin turrets, were in action, firing huge
salvos at his pursuers. The destroyer rode far to starboard of the
cruiser, emitting a steady stream of smoke designed to blind the eyes
of the pursuers.

Jockeying into position after another twenty minutes' run, the _Dewey's_
commander decided to let loose with a torpedo. The cruiser had pulled
up now until it was nearly dead ahead of the American submersible. The
destroyer was dancing along several hundreds yards in the rear of the
cruiser.

So intent were the Germans on keeping away from the pursuing warships
that they had not noticed the sly little submarine that had slipped up
out of the south!

Jack had now an opportunity to witness the actual firing of a torpedo
at an enemy vessel at close range. Directly in front of the _Dewey's_
commander, just above the electric rudder button, glowed four little
light bulbs in bright red---one for each of the torpedo tubes in the
bow bulk