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[Page 615]

Steaming slowly ahead the attention of those on the Ayrshire was directed, from information probably received from the pilot who had but shortly before come aboard, to one vessel lazily rolling along as she was making the Harbor entrance, to all intents & purposes a perfectly harmless & innocent trading steamer one of thousands that would "pass muster" as such in any port.

But what a surprise any inquisitive enemy submarine would get if she tried her antics on that trader. The vessel was what was deemed an unsinkable "decoy", probably fully loaded with pine timber, but armed behind her innocent looking bulwarks, with guns of a weight & calibre large enough to sink a small cruiser, let alone a "tin can" submarine ranging alongside close enough to blow her up with bombs as if a torpedo was too valuable to waste on such a "Tramp".

After waving a "goodbye" to Plymouth, its Harbor & the waiting steamers, all eyes turned seaward and what a sight was seen.

The "Ayrshire" & "Durham Castle" had just commenced to feel the long roll of the huge Atlantic when spread out in front a Cruiser, in the lead, & following in two lines, were five Destroyers & two torpedo boats.

A fine sight they presented & very welcome too, but yet they made it patent that the danger from submarine attack was very real.

It was interesting to learn that the "leader" was the Cruiser "Highflyer" the vessel which had sunk one of the very large (Enemy) "Raiders" early in the war, just after the latter had shelled a British passenger boat. The same Cruiser later on forced the Hun Cruiser Karlsruhe (or a vessel of similar size) into one of the treacherous rivers on the West Coast of Africa, but a boarding party

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