THE narrow waters of the strait between Negropont and Andros presented an unwonted spectacle to the crew of the _Olive Branch_ as they stood at general quarters.
Straining and grinding at their utmost speed of nine knots were four Turkish battleships--the _Azizieh_, _Mahmoudieh_, _Orkanieh_, and _Osmanieh_, while on their flanks were the cruisers _Abdul Medjid, Fezibahri_, and _Hamidieh_, compelled, for defensive purposes, to reduce their speed to that of their consorts. By dint of strenuous exertions--so incomprehensible to the kismet-abiding Turk--the battleships had been cleaned of the deposit of barnacles that had encrusted their hulls during years of idleness in the Golden Horn, and were about to try conclusions with the smaller, yet more serviceable, warships of Greece.
The Hellenic fleet, consisting of the three battleships _Hydra, Psara_, and _Spetsai_, and three modern cruisers built by the Italian firm of Ansaldo, did not hesitate to put to sea, and now at less than seven miles apart the rival fleets prepared for the opening stages of the conflict.
At her utmost speed the _Olive Branch_ dashed in between the fleets, a huge white flag flying from the truck of a forty-foot spar lashed to her diminutive signalling mast. Then, reversing her propellers, she brought up within three cables' lengths of the Turkish flagship, the _Azizieh_.
All hands on board the _Olive Branch_ were now at their stations, only Captain Brookes, Gerald, Lieutenant Slade, the signal bo's'un, and two yeomen of signals remaining on the bridge or within the conning-tower.
"Make the general signal to both fleets," ordered the captain, and hoist after hoist rose to the yard-arm with the utmost celerity.
_From captain of "Olive Branch" to the commanding officers Turkish and Hellenic Fleets:--_
Abandon hostilities and return to respective ports. Every vessel disregarding this order by opening fire will be destroyed.
The Turkish admiral was beside himself with rage. He had heard of the _Olive Branch_, and of her dealings with the Peruvian fleet, but was he, a Mussulman, to be overridden by a Giaour? Slowly the foremast turret of the _Azizieh_ swung round, the muzzle of the 9.2 Krupp pointing menacingly towards the distant _Psara_. For quite ten seconds the gun remained thus trained, the admiral still hesitating to give the word to fire.