ins. The door opened, a sentry came in and
saluted, and said:

"The _Ithuriel's_ alongside, sir, and Captain Erskine will be glad to
speak to you."

"Ah!" exclaimed the Commodore, "the very thing. I wonder what that young
devil has been up to. Send him in at once, sentry."

The sentry retired, and presently Erskine entered the room, saluted, and
said:

"I've come to report, sir, I have sunk everything that tried to get in
through Spithead. First division of three destroyers, the old _Leger_,
the _Dupleix_ cruiser, six destroyers of the second division, and three
cruisers, the _Alger_, _Suchet_ and _Davout_. They're all at the
bottom."

The Commodore stared for a moment or two at the man who so quietly
described the terrific destruction that he had wrought with a single
ship, and then he said:

"Well, Erskine, we expected a good deal from that infernal craft of
yours, but this is rather more than we could have hoped for. You've done
splendidly. Now, what's your best speed?"

"Forty-five knots, sir."

"Good Lord!" exclaimed the Commander of the _Greyhound_. "You don't say
so."

"Oh, yes," said Erskine with a smile. "You ought to have seen us walk
over those destroyers. I hit them at full speed, and they crumpled up
like paper boats."

By this time the Commodore had sat down, and was writing his report as
fast as he could get his pencil over the paper. It was a short, terse,
but quite comprehensive account of the happenings of the last three
hours, and a clear statement of the strength and position of the torpedo
and cruiser squadron under his command. When he had finished, he put the
paper into an envelope, and said to the Commander of the _Greyhound_:

"I am afraid you are no good here, Hawkins. I shall have to give the
message to Captain Erskine, he'll be there and back before you're there.
Just give him the bearings of the Fleet and he'll be off at once. There
you are, Erskine, give that to the Admiral, and bring me instructions
back as soon as you can. You've just time for a whisky-and-soda, and
then you must be off."

Erskine took the letter, and they drank their whisky-and-soda. Then they
went on deck. The _Ithuriel_ was lying outside the _Greyhound_, half
submerged--that is to say, with three feet of freeboard showing.
Commander Hawkins looked at her with envious eyes. It is an article of
faith with all good commanders of destroyers that their own craft is the
fastest and most efficient of her clas