to the unarmoured quarter. Then the
_Ithuriel's_ screws dragged her free, and the _Davout_ followed her
sisters to the bottom of the Channel.

CHAPTER XII

HOW LONDON TOOK THE NEWS

The awaking of England on the morning of the twenty-sixth of November
was like the awaking of a man from a nightmare. Everyone who slept had
gone to sleep with one word humming in his brain--war--and war at home,
that was the terrible thought which robbed so many millions of eyes of
sleep. But even those who slept did not do so for long.

At a quarter to one a sub-editor ran into the room of the chief News
Editor of the _Daily Telegraph_, without even the ceremony of a knock.

"What on earth's the matter, Johnson?" exclaimed the editor. "Seen a
ghost?"

"Worse than that, sir. Read this!" said the sub-editor, in a shaking
voice, throwing the slip down on the desk.

"My God, what's this?" said the editor, as he ran his eye along the
slip. "'Portsmouth bombarded from the air. Hillsea, Portsmouth,
Gilkicker and Southsea Castle destroyed. Practically defenceless. Fleet
Reserve Squadrons sailing.'"

The words were hardly out of his mouth before another man came running
in with a slip. "'_Jupiter_ and _Hannibal_ torpedoed by submarine.
_Spartiate_ blown up by aerial torpedo.'" Then there came a gap, as
though the men at the other end had heard of more news, then
followed--"'_Mars_, _Prince George_, _Victorious_, all torpedoed.
Cruisers escaped to sea. No news of _Ithuriel_, no torpedo attack up to
present.'"

"Oh, that's awful," gasped the editor, and then the professional
instinct reasserted itself, for he continued, handing the slip back:
"Rush out an edition straight away, Johnson. Anything, if it's only a
half-sheet--get it on the streets as quick as you can--there'll be
plenty of people about still. If anything else comes bring it up."

In less than a quarter of an hour a crowd of newsboys were fighting in
the passage for copies of the single sheet which contained the momentous
news, just as it had come over the wire. The _Daily Telegraph_ was just
five minutes ahead, but within half an hour every London paper, morning
and evening, and all the great provincial journals had rushed out their
midnight specials, and from end to end of England and Scotland, and away
to South Wales, and over the narrow seas to Dublin and Cork, the shrill
screams of the newsboys, and the hoarse, raucous howls of the newsmen
were spreading the ter