Two sharp cracks broke the stillness of the night, followed almost instantly by two more.

When the lads lowered their rifles and gazed toward the foe, there was not a man in sight.

“Don’t know whether we got them or they just ducked,” said Frank.  “We’ll fire a couple of more shots, enough to make them take their light off The Hawk.”

They did so, and a moment later their efforts were rewarded.  The searchlight aboard the enemy, moved by an unseen hand, turned and swept the sea carefully.

“Row back!” shouted Frank, and seized his oar.

Jack followed suit.  Quickly the little boat was brought about and headed back in the general direction of The Hawk.

And the enemy’s boat was now lighted up by the glare of The Hawk alone.

Suddenly the flashlight of the enemy fell squarely upon the two boys.

“We’re gone now, unless Lord Hastings sinks them first,” said Frank quietly.

“Crack!  Crack!  Crack!  Crack!”

Bullets began to spatter around the two lads.  One grazed Frank’s ear.

“Guess we had better go overboard,” he said, “They’ll——­”

“Boom!”

The voice of a single big gun spoke once.

“The Hawk!” cried Frank.

“Boom!”

The voice came again.

And then the boys were left again in darkness as the enemy sought out The Hawk with his searchlight.

“Boom!”

It was the third word of the forward gun of The Hawk.

Cries of terror and confusion came from the direction of the foe, followed by hoarse German cries of command.

“Bully for Lord Hastings!” exclaimed Jack.  “He has scored a hit.”

“Hurrah!” cried Frank, and raised his voice in a series of cheers.

The big gun aboard The Hawk did not speak again, and following The Hawk’s searchlight with their eyes, the two lads saw a mass of wreckage floating a short distance away.

“That,” said Frank quietly, “is the end of her.”

“Right you are,” agreed Jack.  “Now we’ll go back to The Hawk.”

Both lads bent to their oars with a will.

CHAPTER VIII.

FRANK IN TROUBLE.

Now perfectly happy, the two boys rowed back to The Hawk as rapidly as possible.  They were happy for two reasons—­first because they were once more in active service, and second, because they had just emerged successfully from a desperate venture.

A light glowed brightly aboard the little motorboat, now that the enemy had been disposed of; so the two lads had no trouble making their way back.  Lord Hastings greeted them with outstretched hands as they went over the side.

“A pretty good job you made of it,” he declared.

“Well, we did pick off a couple before you got busy, sir,” agreed Frank.  “But if you hadn’t fired the moment you did they would have potted us sure.  They had a couple of shots at us, but fortunately, they didn’t have time to get the accurate range.”