Our landing squad was just about to re-embark when, from the _Emden_, came the signal "Hurry your work." I quickly summoned my men, abandoned my intention of blowing up the small white schooner as a matter of little importance, and was on the point of pushing off from shore, when it was reported to me: "The _Emden_ has just sounded her siren." This was the command to return to the ship with the utmost despatch. As I was boarding the steam launch, I saw that the anchor flag of the _Emden_ was flying at half mast, which told us that she was weighing anchor. The reason for this great haste was a mystery to me, and, for the present, was no concern of mine. All my effort was bent upon getting back to the ship as speedily as possible. With all steam on we raced toward the _Emden_, taking the shortest course between the reefs.
Meanwhile, the _Emden_ had turned seaward, and was running at high speed out of the harbor. My first thought was that she was going to meet our tender, the _Buresk_, that had been ordered here with coal, and which, I supposed, she was going to pilot through the reefs. In this belief I continued to follow the _Emden_ as fast as I could, but was surprised to find her going at a speed of from sixteen to seventeen miles. Our launch, with the heavily laden cutters in tow, could make barely four miles an hour.
Suddenly we saw the battle flags on the _Emden_ run up, and then a broadside burst from her starboard. Even yet the reason for all this was hidden from me, and I believed the _Emden_ to be in pursuit of a steamer that had come in view.
But now a salvo of five heavy shells struck the water just aft of the _Emden_; five tall waterspouts marked the places where they fell into the sea. There was no longer any room for doubt; we knew that a battle was on in earnest. The _Emden's_ opponent we could not see, for the island, with its tall palms, was between us. The _Emden_, in the meantime, had increased her distance from us to several thousand meters, and was adding to her speed with every moment. All hope of overtaking her had therefore to be abandoned, and I turned back.
We landed at the same place at which we had gone ashore before. Again I ordered all the Englishmen to assemble, and their fire-arms were taken from them. The German flag was raised on the island, which was declared to be under martial law; every attempt to communicate by signal with any other island, or with the enemy's ships, was forbidden; my officers were given orders to clear the beach for defence, to mount the machine guns, and to prepare to intrench. Should the engagement between the two ships prove to be a short one, I could count with certainty upon the enemy's cruiser running into port here, if for no other reason than to look after the station. It was not my intention, however, to surrender without a blow an island on which the German flag was flying.