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"Yees, I do it! I give signal to ze fleet down there. If I succeeded, I
got half million francs. I fail, so shoot! C'est la fortune de la
guerre! VoilĂ , look! They come!"
As the spy said this he pointed to the south-eastern horizon. A brief
bright flash of white light went up through the night and vanished. It
was the answering signal from the French or Italian cruisers, which were
making all speed up from the south-east to head off the Aurania before
she reached the next station and gained the protection of the British
battleship.
The spy's words were only too true. He had gone to America for the sole
purpose of returning in the Aurania and giving the signal at this
particular point on the passage. Within ten miles were four of the
fleetest French and Italian cruisers, six torpedo-boats, and two
battleships, which, by keeping well to the southward during the day, and
then putting on all steam as soon as night fell, had managed to head off
the ocean greyhound at last.
Two cruisers and a battleship with two torpedo-boats were coming up from
the south-east; one cruiser, the other battleship, and two torpedo-boats
were bearing down from the southwest, and the remaining cruiser and
brace of torpedo-boats bad managed to slip through the British line and
gain a position to the northward. This large force had not been brought
up without good reason. The Aurania was the biggest prize afloat, and
well worth fighting for, if it came to blows, as it very probably would
do; added to which there was a very good chance of one or two other
liners falling victims to a well-planned and successful raid.
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