"Steady on your helm, quartermaster."

"Steady it is, sir," replied the petty officer.

The telegraph indicator remained untouched. With undiminished speed
H.M.S. _Tremendous_ held on, under the propelling force of turbine
engines of 30,000 indicated horse-power.

A midshipman, standing by the side of the officer of the watch, had
been keeping the submarine under observation by means of his telescope.

"By Jove, sir!" he exclaimed. "There's something wrong there. The
white flag's down, and two fellows in mufti have leapt overboard."

"Torpedo on the port bow, sir!" sang out half a dozen lusty voices in
chorus.

"Hard-a-port, quartermaster!" ordered Bourne.

The spokes of the steam steering-gear revolved quicker than they had
ever done before. Listing heavily to port, the _Tremendous_ turned
with a rapidity that belied her huge bulk and apparent unhandiness. A
double track of ever-diverging foam marked the progress of the deadly
missile. Another followed almost in its wake, both torpedoes
travelling at the speed of an express train.

For four seconds all on board who watched these messages of death stood
with bated breath. Then a general roar of relief went up as the two
"tinfish" glided harmlessly past the ship, the nearest at a distance of
less than twenty feet, and parallel to the new course of the battleship.

Half a dozen quick-firers spat viciously. A 6-inch, two of which for
some obscure reason the designers had placed on the main deck abreast
of the after 15-inch guns, added to the din. A chaos of smoke, flame,
and spray marked the spot beneath which U77 had lurked to launch her
cowardly and treacherous bolt.

"That's blinded her, at least," thought Bourne.

He knew that even if the hidden submarine had escaped injury, a minute
at least would elapse before she could be conned into a position to
discharge another torpedo. That minute would be enough for his purpose.

"Starboard!" he ordered. "Ram her, quartermaster!"

Round swung the 24,000 tons of dead weight, steadied, and bore down
upon the motionless U75. Cries of terror burst from the doomed crew,
many of whom leapt overboard in a vain attempt to swim clear of the
vengeful leviathan.

Bourne gripped the guard-rail, half expecting to be thrown violently by
the force of the impact. He was mistaken.

With hardly a tremor the bows of the _Tremendous_ crashed into the
unterseeboot, hitting her just abaft the conning-tower. The bow