37 "Yes SIR!" the voice answered. They were still
well away from the enemy when the big cannons roared. The Cannoneers
were good, both their rounds found the target and they nearly blew the
bow off an enemy ship, as it made its turn away from the fortress.
38 The next ship was head on when they fired. At first it seemed like
they missed, then suddenly the whole ship rose in the air in one
tremendous explosion! Pieces of her flew in all directions!
39 "We hit her magazine!" screamed Little Turtle from his view port.
"We blew her right out of the water. Take us right into their circle.
Bow turret, fire left, stern turret fire right. Give it to 'em!"
40 At this range the sixty pound guns were devastating on the the
enemy. And the gunners knew every vulnerable spot. They aimed to strike
just
at the waterline. Within minutes, eight of the enemy's fifteen ships
were on the bottom! It wasn't that the enemy wasn't firing back. The
Iron Turtle was hit again and again, but the cannon balls simply
bounced off!
41 The enemy tried to run for it, but they made the mistake of all
running in the same direction. Little Turtle simply followed, and one
by one sank them. When it was all over, he jumped down from his
view port, clapped his hands and looked at Bold Fox. "We just made
history!" he laughed, "One ship
carrying four pieces just sank fifteen ships, carrying twenty apiece!
Now is that good work, or isn't it?"
42 Bold Fox roared with laughter. "That's DAMN good work! " he cried,
"the best work I've ever seen! And you're right, little man, you made history! The water isn't
too deep is it? Can we salvage the