o run right into his arms,"
was the answer. "This time we can truly say that the good God, Himself,
had charge of the rudder."

The engineer appeared on the stairway which leads from the "Centrale" up
to the conning tower.

"May I go to the engine-room, Herr Captain-Lieutenant?"

It was not permissible for him to leave his diving station, the
"Centrale," which is situated in the center of the boat, without special
permission.

"Yes, Herr Engineer, go ahead down and fire up hard!" I replied.

The thumping of the heavy oil-motors became stronger, swelled higher
and higher, and, at last, became a long drawn out roar, and entirely
drowned the sound of the occasional jolts which always were distinctly
discernible when going at slower speed. One truly felt how the boat
exerted its strength to the utmost and did everything within its power.

We had put ourselves on another course which put the anxiously signaling
Britishers obliquely aport of our stern, and rushed with the highest
speed for about ten minutes until their lights became smaller and
weaker. We then turned point by point into our former course, and thus
slipped by in a large half circle around the hostile ships.

"Just as a cat around a bowl of hot oatmeal," said Lieutenant Petersen.

"No, my dear friend," I said laughingly, "it does not entirely
coincide. The cat always comes back, but the oatmeal is too hot for us
in this case. Or do you think that I intend to circle around those two
rascals for hours?"

"Preferably not, Herr Captain-Lieutenant. It could end badly!"

"Both engines in highest speed forward, let the crew leave the diving
stations, place the guards!" I ordered.

The danger had passed. Normal conditions at night could again be
resumed. But before the morning set in, we again experienced all kinds
of adventures. The night was as if bewitched. There was no sleep worth
mentioning. I had hardly, towards ten o'clock, reached my comfortable
little nest where the sailor Schultes, our own considerate "cup-bearer,"
had spread on my miniature writing-desk the most tempting delicacies of
preserves and fruit together with a bottle of claret, when a whistle
sounded in the speaking-tube on the wall right close to my head:

"Whee-e!" it shrieked, high, penetrating and alarming.

I jumped up, pulled out the stopper and put in the mouth-piece.

"Hello!"

"Two points from starboard a white light!"

I grabbed my cap and gloves and rushed sternward th