“Can’t you hear ’em, sir?”

Frank smiled in spite of himself and cast a quick glance around.

In spite of the death that had overtaken their comrades, the surviving gun crews in the turret were working like Trojans.  The big guns continued to spit defiance at the enemy.

Now and then a cheer rose on the Essex as a shot went home.

Frank again returned to the bridge to report.

“Boom!”

It was a deeper voice that spoke this time.

The radio operator himself rushed to the bridge.

“Lion firing, sir,” he said.  “Says she has sighted us and for us to retire.  No need of sacrificing ourselves Captain Jacobs says.  The enemy can’t get away.”

At the same moment the lookout aft sang out again.

“Warship coming up astern, sir!”

“The second of our reinforcements,” said Jack quietly.  “I’ll bet these fellows wish they had stayed home.”

“I’m betting the same way,” declared Frank.

“Well, it’s getting too hot here,” said Jack.  “We’ll get back and let the big fellows get in the game.”

“Good idea, sir,” said Lieutenant Hetherton.

“Full speed ahead!” Jack ordered.

At the sound of the great gun on the British warship Lion, the German admiral in command of the flotilla ordered his ships to slow down.  Until that moment he had not been appraised of the fact that the German raid was known to the British fleet.  He supposed, upon seeing the Essex, that he had encountered a single vessel which just happened to be in that part of the sea, but when the Lion came into the fight he began to have his doubts.

As yet, however, there was no other vessel in sight, and as the Germans heavily outnumbered the British, the admiral decided to continue the engagement.

“I suppose this fellow happened to hear the firing and came to investigate,” muttered the German admiral.  “Our raid can hardly have been discovered yet.”

Accordingly he gave the word to advance again.

And a moment later he was sorry that he had done so.

Far astern of the Lion, and yet not so far that the German admiral could not have seen her but for the darkness, came two other long gray shapes; and from farther east, and closer, appeared a third.

The German admiral gritted his teeth.

“Confound these English!” he exclaimed.  “Can nobody beat them?”

For a moment he debated with himself.  He had half a mind to continue the struggle, for the odds were still, with the Germans.  Then he changed his mind.

The wireless aboard the German flagship flashed a signal to retire.

But the German admiral had delayed too long for a successful retreat.  Other British ships hove into view—­seven of them.  There was nothing for the German fleet to do but fight it out.  The admiral gave the order: 

“Advance!”

CHAPTER XXV