“I guess they’re all off,” said Frank to Jack.

“I hope so,” was Jack’s reply.  “If I am not mistaken, there are women among the survivors.”

“By George!  I thought I saw some myself,” was Frank’s answer.

Suddenly there was a crash as the forward turret guns aboard the Brigadier burst into action.  Looking ahead, Jack gave a startled cry, and no wonder.

For, from beneath the water, appeared a periscope and then the long low outline of a German submarine came into view.

Again the Brigadier’s guns crashed, but the shells did not strike home.

Before the destroyer could fire again, a gun appeared as if by magic on the submarine’s deck, and a hail of bullets was poured into the first of the nearby lifeboats.  At the same time the U-Boat launched a torpedo at the Brigadier.

Jack gave a cry of horror at the predicament of those in the small boats.  But he did not lose his head, and at the same time maneuvered his ship out of the path of the torpedo.

Came a hail from the lookout aft.

“Submarine off the stern, sir!”

At the same moment the battery in the Brigadier’s turret aft burst into action.

“Forward with you, Mr. Chadwick,” cried Jack, “and see if you can’t get better results there.  The men seem to have lost their nerve.”

Frank sprang forward.  Jack’s words were true.  It appeared that the crew in the forward turret were so anxious to sink the first submarine that they had not taken time to find the range.

“Cease firing!” shouted Frank as he sprang into the turret.

The order was obeyed, but there came a grumble from the men at what they deemed such a strange command under the circumstances.

“I thought you fellows were gunners,” said Frank angrily.  “Smith, get the range.”

Smith did so, and announced it a moment later.

“Now,” said Frank, “get your aim, men.”

No longer was there confusion in the forward turret.  The guns were trained carefully.

“Ready,” cried Frank.  “Fire!”

“Crash!”

A moment and there was a loud cheer from the crew.  The German submarine seemed to leap high from the water, and then fell back in a dozen pieces.

Frank wasted no further time on the first submarine.  Leaving the forward turret, he dashed aft to where other guns were firing on the second submarine.  Meantime Jack, perfectly cool on the bridge, had maneuvered his vessel out of the way of several torpedoes from the second U-Boat.  But, as he very well knew, this combat must be brought to a quick end or one of the torpedoes was likely to find its mark.

From the deck of the second submarine, a hail of fire from a machine gun was still being poured into the helpless lifeboats.  What execution had been done Jack had no means of telling at the moment, but he knew there must have been some casualties.