but I
guess Admiral Jellicoe, Admiral Beatty and the admiralty know what is
going on."

"Sometimes it doesn't look like it," declared Frank. "I suppose there
are still some of these German submarines scooting about almost under
our feet."

"I suppose so. However, ordinarily, as you know, they won't attack a
battleship. It's too risky. If they miss with the first torpedo, the
chances are they will be sunk."

"Well, we sunk a few," said Frank.

"I know we did; but we took long chances."

"The Germans take long chances, too."

"You must have a little German blood in you, Frank," said Jack, with a
smile. "If I didn't know you better, I would think you were sticking up
for them."

"No, I'm not sticking up for them; but they do things we seem to be
afraid to do. To my way of thinking, we should have gone and cleaned up
Heligoland a long time ago."

"By Jove! You want the enemy to win this war quickly, don't you?"

"No, but----"

"Come, now. You know very well what would have happened if we had tried
to take a fleet into Heligoland. They would have blown us out of the
water."

"Well, such things have been done," grumbled Frank. "I can tell you a
couple of cases. At Mobile Bay----"

"Oh, I've heard all that before. But conditions now are absolutely
different. What was done fifty years ago can't be done today."

"They aren't being done, that much is sure," replied Frank. "But this
argument is not doing us any good. Me for a little sleep."

"I'm with you," said Jack.

And half an hour later, as the _Queen Mary_ still steamed due east,
Frank and Jack slept.

Above, the third officer held the bridge. The great searchlight forward
lighted the water for some distance ahead, and aft a second light cast
its powerful rays first to port and then to starboard. There was not
another vessel in sight.

Farther to the east, other British battleships patrolled the sea, their
lights also flashing back and forth. It would be a bold enemy who would
venture to run that blockade; and yet, in spite of this, the strictest
watch was maintained. For the fact still remained fresh in the minds of
the British that upon two occasions the Germans had run the British
blockade; and both times the failure of the British to intercept them
had resulted in heavy loss of life on the coast, where the German
warships had shelled unfortified towns--against all rules of civilized
warfare--killing thousands of helpless men, women and children.