"Zeppelin," was the reply. "Douse the light aft. Have the man forward see if he can pick up the craft with his flash. About two points east by north."

There came sharp commands aboard the _Queen Mary._

CHAPTER III

WARSHIP AND ZEPPELIN

A bell tinkled in the engine room of the _Queen Mary_. The ship slowed down. Captain Raleigh had been called by the third officer. He took the bridge and issued his orders sharply.

There was no telling whether the Zeppelin sighted by the man at the gun would attack the ship, but Captain Raleigh considered it best to be on the safe side. That was why he had left orders to be called immediately should an enemy appear.

Again a bell tinkled in the engine room, following an order from the commander of the _Queen Mary_.

The great engines stopped and became silent.

"Cut off all lights!" was the next command.

A moment later the great ship was in darkness.

Frank and Jack, in their quarters, were awakened by the sounds of confusion above. All hands had not been piped on deck, so most of the men still lay asleep, unconscious of what was going on above, but the two lads, dressing hurriedly, made their way on deck. They walked forward, toward the bridge.

All was dark and it was this that told Frank and Jack that something was going on.

"Wonder what's up?" said Frank.

"Airship, I guess," was the reply. "Can't see any other reason for extinguishing all lights."

Near the bridge the lads stopped and waited to see what would happen.

All was quiet aboard. Not a sound came from the officers or the men on deck. Then Captain Raleigh commanded:

"Try the forward searchlight there. See if you can pick her up!"

The light flashed aloft; and there, so far above the _Queen Mary_ as to be little more than a tiny speck, hovered a giant Zeppelin; and even as they looked, the airship came lower.

"She's sighted us," said Captain Raleigh to his first officer, who stood beside him. "Try a shot, Mr. Harrison."

The first officer pa.s.sed the word and a second later there came the sound of the anti-aircraft gun. The gunner had taken his range at the moment the flashlight revealed the airship.

The shot brought no noticeable result.

"Fifteen knots ahead, Mr. Harrison!" ordered the captain.

He was afraid that the Zeppelin might drop a bomb on the ship; and from that moment until the end of the battle the _Queen Mary_ did not pause.

First she headed to port and then to starboard, manoeuvering rapidly that the German airmen might not be able to reach her with a bomb.

"Another shot!" commanded Captain Raleigh.

Still no result.

"Funny she doesn't rise and try and escape," said Frank.

"No, it's not," returned Jack. "They don't know anything about this new anti-aircraft gun. They believe they are out of range."

"Well, they're likely to hit us with one of those bombs, and then where will we be?" said Frank.

"If they hit us you won't know anything about it," was Jack's response.

Again the _Queen Mary_ tried a shot at the Zeppelin.

A cheer went up from the members of the crew who stood upon deck; for the Zeppelin was seen to wabble.

"Nicked her," shouted the first officer.

Jack, standing near the rail, heard something whiz by his head.

Instinctively the lad ducked. He knew in a moment what had pa.s.sed him; he heard something splash into the sea.

"Bomb just missed us, sir!" he cried, stepping forward.

"Where?" demanded Captain Raleigh.

"Right here, forward, sir," replied Jack.

Captain Raleigh gave a quick command to his first officer, who pa.s.sed it to the man at the wheel.

"Hard a-port!" he cried.

The ship veered crazily; and at the some moment, Frank, who was standing where Jack had been a moment before, heard something swish past.

"Another bomb, sir!" he reported.

There was no reply from the bridge. Captain Raleigh felt that, by bringing the ship's head hard to port, he had spoiled the range of the enemy in the air.

For some time no more bombs dropped near.

Again the _Queen Mary_ fired at the Zeppelin; and again and again.

The last shot was rewarded by another cheer from the crew. The giant Zeppelin was seen to drop suddenly.

The crew cheered loud and long for it appeared that the Zeppelin was about to drop into the sea. Down she came and still down; and then her descent suddenly halted.

To those aboard the _Queen Mary_ this was unexplainable.

"Fire again, quickly!" shouted the captain.

The air gun boomed. At the same moment a man was seen to lean over the side of the Zeppelin. He dropped something.