This time luck was against Von Mueller, for it so happened that a convoy of troop ships from Australia was passing within one hundred miles.  They were accompanied by the Australian cruisers Melbourne and Sydney.  The latter was dispatched to go to the Cocos Islands, and by getting up a speed of 26 knots she reached them in less than three hours.  Von Mueller knew that escape by flight was impossible, for his ship had been weeks at sea; her boilers were crusted, her machinery badly in need of repair, and she had not too much coal.  He therefore decided to give battle, and went straight for the Sydney at full speed.  His object was to meet her on even terms, for her advantage was that her guns had much greater range than those of the Emden.  If he could get close enough he might be able to use his torpedo tubes.  But Captain Glossop of the Sydney saw through this maneuver and maintained good distance between the two ships.  About the first shot from the Emden killed the man at the range finder on the fore bridge of the Sydney.  Captain Glossop was standing within a few feet of him at the time.

The replies from the Australian ship were fatal.  The foremost funnel of the Emden crumpled and fell; her fire almost ceased, and then she began to burn; the second funnel and the third fell also; there was nothing left but to beach her, which Von Mueller did, just before noon.  While she lay there helpless the Sydney shot more steel into her, leaving her quite helpless, and then went off to chase a merchant ship which had been sighted during the fighting and which, when caught, proved to be the British ship Buresk, now manned by Germans and doing duty as collier to the Emden.  Returning to the latter, Captain Glossop saw that she still flew the German flag at her masthead.  He signaled her, asking whether she would surrender, but receiving no reply after waiting five minutes he let her have a few more salvos.  The German flag came down and the white flag went up in its place.  The Jemchug had been avenged, and the terribly costly career of the Emden brought to an end.  Von Mueller was taken prisoner, and on account of his valor was permitted to keep his sword.  But the landing party, which had cut the false cables, was still at large.  The adventures of these three officers and forty men form a separate story, which will be narrated later.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XXXVI

BATTLE OFF THE FALKLANDS