The weather grew rapidly worse, the squalls of greater frequence. The sea rose, so that life upon the destroyer was anything but pleasant. At midnight, T. B. Smith was awakened from a restless sleep by a figure in gleaming oilskins.
"I say," said a gloomy voice, "we've lost sight of that dashed _Doro_."
T. B. jumped from his bunk, to be immediately precipitated against the other side of the cabin.
"Lost her light--it has either gone out or been put out. We're going ahead now full speed in the hope of overhauling her----"
Another oilskinned figure came to the door.
"Thank Heaven!" said the other fervently, and bolted to the deck.
T. B. struggled into his clothing, and, with some difficulty, made his way to the bridge. Van Ingen was already before him. As he climbed the little steel ladder, he heard the engine-bell ring, and instantly the rattle and jar of the engines ceased.
"She's stationary," explained the officer, "so we've stopped. She has probably upset herself in this sea."
"How do you know she is stationary?" asked T. B., for the two faint stars ahead told him nothing.
"Got her riding lights," said the other laconically.
Those two riding lights stopped the destroyer; it stopped six other destroyers, far out of sight, six obedient cruisers came to a halt, and, a hundred miles or so away, the combined French and German fleets became stationary.
All through the night the watchers lay, heaving, rolling, and pitching, like so many logs, on the troubled seas. Dawn broke mistily, but the lights still gleamed. Day came in dull greyness, and the young officer, with his eyes fastened to his binoculars, looked long and earnestly ahead.
"I can see a mast," he said doubtfully, "but there's something very curious about it."
Then he put down his glasses suddenly, put out his hand, and rang his engines full ahead.
He turned to the quartermaster at his side.
"Get the Commodore by wireless," he said rapidly; "the _Doro_ has gone."
Gone, indeed, was the _Doro_--gone six hours since.
They found the lights. They were still burning when the destroyer came up with them.
A roughly built raft with a pole lashed upright, and from this was suspended two lanterns.
Whilst the fleet had watched this raft, the _Doro_ had gone on. Nailed to the pole was a letter. It was sodden with spray, but T. B. had no difficulty in reading it.
