Boy Scouts in the North Sea Part 25

"Then we'll head for the little old U. S. A.!" cried Jimmie.

"You're right we will. When we get there, we'll chase ourselves out to Long Island. The first thing I'll do will be to get the factory started on another engine like the Grey Eagle's!" declared Harry.

"Good enough! Now let's be 'wenting'!" added Jimmie.

"But, boys," objected Ned, "this. .h.i.t or miss fashion of navigating is not correct. Something may happen to change our course. If we don't know what we are doing, we might get into lots of trouble!"

"Maybe you're right, Ned!" a.s.sented Frank. "What shall we do?"

"I think we'd better cruise carefully along on the surface until we see a ship. We can ask them for our lat.i.tude and longitude. From that we'll be able to lay a course to any point."

"Maybe they'll give us a chart, too!" put in Harry.

"All right, then, here goes!" shouted Jimmie preparing to slide down the ladder. "Somebody'll have to keep on deck."

Harry at once followed Jimmie into the interior. The engines responded to his touch. The new "U-13" sprang forward half submerged.

"We've got plenty of gas in the tanks, Harry," stated Jimmie to his chum as the latter moved about the interior looking after the machinery.

"We're making only about fifteen miles now by this log."

"I'll give them another touch," responded Harry. "The sooner we get there, the quicker we'll arrive, so here goes!"

The increased speed of the engines urged the submarine ahead at a goodly rate. Jimmie presently declared that the log indicator showed a good twenty-five miles an hour. Those on the little deck above the conning tower found the increased speed uncomfortable by reason of the dashing spray, but all felt that this was not unendurable.

"Sail, ho!" Ned presently called down the hatchway.

"Where away?" asked Harry, looking up at his comrade.

"Almost dead ahead!" replied Ned. "We're overhauling them fast. It looks to be a three masted ship as nearly as I can make out!"

"Hold your course, Jimmie!" directed Jack. "We'll come up close enough to hail them in a little while just as we are heading!"

In a few minutes the ship was so close that all could make out the details of her rigging. It was a large three masted square-rigged vessel evidently in ballast for the hull was high out of water.

"I believe they see us!" announced Frank, using a pair of binoculars he had found among the fittings of the submarine.

"Can you make out the flag at the peak?" asked Jack.

"Yes, I think so. I believe it is the British flag."

"Then, they'll be glad to help us out, especially if they find that we intend to turn the 'U-13' over to their government!"

"I don't know about that!" doubted Frank. "I see men running aloft. It looks as if they're rigging out studding sail booms on the main yards.

And I see others on the topsail yards," declared the boy.

"Why, in that case, they're trying to get away from us!"

"It certainly looks that way. Now I can see men setting the studding sails on the booms. They are putting on every rag the old hooker will carry!" cried the lad excitedly.

"I know why," stated Harry. "They think we're a German submarine chasing them and they're trying to get away!"

"Let's run up a white flag, then," urged Ned. "They ought to know what that means. They'll stop for that!"

In response to this suggestion the lads quickly overhauled the flag locker finding just what they sought. The white flag was at once brought to the deck where it was bent on to the halliards. It fluttered gaily at the top of the short flagstaff. Some difficulty was experienced in securing the staff because of an improperly fitting socket.

"Do they seem to be making any change?" inquired Harry presently.

"Yes," answered Ned. "They're crowding on more sail!"

"Then we might as well give it up!" stated the other. "They'll never stop for us. Our only hope is to dive and come up close to some vessel so they can't get away before we ask the questions."

"Maybe that would be a good idea," admitted Ned. "Anyhow, we'll have to take down this flag. The signal staff don't fit!"

Disappointed because their efforts had been unavailing, the lads regretfully folded the flag. It was restored to its proper place.

Harry, however, continued to urge the engines forward in the hope of eventually overhauling the ship. This seemed to be within the range of possibilities, but the boys all knew the maxim concerning a stern chase, and were somewhat discouraged. Knowing that their intentions were of the best, they felt slightly aggrieved that the other did not stop.

"I see a smoke away ahead of the ship!" announced Frank after a few moments. "I can't tell which way they are headed, though!"

"At this rate of traveling, we'll soon find out!" declared Jack.

Evidently the smoke had been discovered by those aboard the sailing vessel, for the course was altered slightly in that direction.

This change was noted by the boys. Jimmie shifted the helm slightly in order to keep the submarine directly in the track of the ship.

"I wonder what that other vessel can be," puzzled Ned. "Let me take the gla.s.ses a moment, Frank. I wish we were higher in the water," he added, "then we could get a better range of vision."

Long and earnestly the boy inspected the strange vessel. Presently he returned the gla.s.ses to Frank with a sigh.

"What is it?" asked Jack with keen interest.

"I believe it is a warship of some sort!" replied Ned.

"Then they'll capture us and take us to port mighty quick!"

"I guess they'll capture us all right!" put in Frank. "I can see the sailing vessel making signals. They've got a string of flags flying from the foretopmast head. I don't know what they mean, but they're calls for help, or I'll miss my guess! They are something like the U. S. flags!"

Those on board the steamer had evidently seen the string of flags or else by the peculiar actions of the sailing vessel guessed that something was wrong, for the boys saw that their course was at once altered. From the clouds of dense black smoke pouring from the funnels they knew that the stokers were being urged to their best efforts.

In a short s.p.a.ce of time the combined speeds of the two vessels brought them close together. As the other approached, Harry shut off the power of the engines, checking them to little more than steerageway.

As the steamer pa.s.sed the ship Ned could see that some communication had been made between the two. The steamer came quickly on.

"Pa.s.s me up that white flag again, Harry," requested Ned. "I think they're coming up to speak to us, and I'd just as soon have that handy.

Maybe these fellows might misunderstand our motives, too!"

"I wish now I hadn't painted that 'U-13' quite so plainly on the sides!"

grumbled Jimmie. "I'll bet they've seen that!"