The "Hastings" had drifted somewhat away from the scow, but Jack, one
hand on steering wheel and the other at the signals, ran the submarine
over so that he could head the craft around to deliver a broadside fire
at the scow, at right angles. When he had the "Hastings" in this
position he shouted down:
"Be ready, Ewald!"
"Aye, aye, sir!"
A breathless instant followed, during which the young submarine commander
took his last sight from the conning tower.
"Fire!"
"Fire it is, sir."
Jack and Hal could just barely see, from the tower, the slight commotion
that the torpedo made in the water at the bow when released.
Hal, watch in hand was counting: "One, two, three, four--" and so on.
Suddenly there came a low rumble, followed by--
Boo-oom!
The explosion was a dull and sullen one, but loud enough to make the
blood of the submarine boys tingle. A column of spray shot up, followed
by detached whiffs of smoke, for the torpedo had exploded beneath the
surface.
In the same instant a sound of rending timbers reached their ears.
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