er game appeared. Meantime, the Sub-Lieutenant was
exploring what damage had been done by the big shell. He discovered
that only _one_ of the two torpedoes had left the tubes, and
"observing enemy light cruiser beam on and apparently temporarily
stopped," he fired the providential remainder at her, and it hit her
below the conning-tower and well and truly exploded, as was witnessed
by the Sub-Lieutenant himself, the Commander, a leading signalman, and
several other ratings. Luck continued to hold! The Acting
Sub-Lieutenant further reported that "we still had three torpedoes
left and at the same time drew my attention to enemy's line of
battleships." They rather looked as if they were coming down with
intent to assault. So the Sub-Lieutenant fired the rest of the
torpedoes, which at least started off correctly from the shell-shaken
tubes, and must have crossed the enemy's line. When torpedoes turn up
among a squadron, they upset the steering and distract the attention
of all concerned. Then the destroyer judged it time to take stock of
her injuries. Among other minor defects she could neither steam,
steer, nor signal.

TOWING UNDER DIFFICULTIES

Mark how virtue is rewarded! Another of our destroyers an hour or so
previously had been knocked clean out of action, before she had done
anything, by a big shell which gutted a boiler-room and started an oil
fire. (That is the drawback to oil.) She crawled out between the
battleships till she "reached an area of comparative calm" and
repaired damage. She says: "The fire having been dealt with it was
found a mat kept the stokehold dry. My only trouble now being lack of
speed, I looked round for useful employment, and saw a destroyer in
great difficulties, so closed her." That destroyer was our paralytic
friend of the intermittent torpedo-tubes, and a grateful ship she was
when her crippled sister (but still good for a few knots) offered her
a tow, "under very trying conditions with large enemy ships
approaching." So the two set off together, Cripple and Paralytic, with
heavy shells falling round them, as sociable as a couple of lame
hounds. Cripple worked up to 12 knots, and the weather grew vile, and
the tow parted. Paralytic, by this time, had raised steam in a boiler
or two, and made shift to get along slowly on her own, Cripple
hirpling beside her, till Paralytic could not make any more headway in
that rising sea, and Cripple had to tow her once more. Once more the
tow p