Boy Scouts in the North Sea Part 32

"Better wait a bit and see what he wants us to do," cautioned Ned. "Maybe he's going to cut the line out of our propeller."

The lad's prediction was correct. In a very few moments they could hear the stranger working away at the enc.u.mbering line which held their propeller in a vise-like grip.

Not many minutes pa.s.sed before the stranger again appeared at the porthole. Making a few signals easily comprehended by all, he repaired to his own craft, entering and closing the door of the air lock.

Almost immediately the other craft began to ascend perpendicularly.

"Guess we may as well make a mooch!" stated Jimmie, as he watched the other submarine rise out of their range of vision. "We're done here!"

"All right, let's get going!" agreed Harry, stepping toward the levers and preparing to start the motors at the pilot's command.

At once Jimmie sprang to the wheel. He gave a pull at the bell cord, jangling out a "go ahead" signal to Harry. As the latter touched the levers a startling crash at the stern of the craft was heard.

The motors spun the shaft around futilely without making headway.

With blanched faces the lads glanced about the craft. Harry's hand instinctively sought the levers again to turn off the current.

"What's the matter?" called Jimmie from his position.

"I don't know!" declared Harry. "It sounded as if that fellow had tied a can to us and we'd set it going! What did he do?"

"Let's pump the ballast out and rise straight to the surface," suggested Ned. "I noticed that he did that. Maybe there's a reason!"

Harry lost no time in acting on this suggestion. The electric pumps were not long in emptying the ballast tanks. With this weight removed, the boat quickly shot upward to the surface.

As the conning tower portholes rose above the surface, the boys noticed that the afternoon was far spent. Darkness already was gathering.

Ned was working frantically at the clamps securing the hatch cover. With a cry of delight he swung the cover out of position, admitting a cool breeze. The wind had died down, leaving the surface of the ocean comparatively smooth. Sufficient breeze was moving, however, to serve the purpose of airing out the interior of the craft without putting the great fans into commission. All the boys came to the tiny deck.

Lying but a few fathoms from their port side they discerned the other submarine. Clearly distinguishable on the sides were the great letters "U-13" painted in almost exact duplicate of those on their own boat.

"What do you know about that?" was Jimmie's surprised exclamation. "If that fellow isn't a dead ringer for this ship, I'm a Dutchman!"

"He surely does look a whole lot like us!" agreed Ned.

"I say, Frank," put in Harry eagerly, "is that the fellow that sank the ship you were on? Can you identify it now?"

Frank shook his head hesitatingly before he answered slowly: "Boys, I hate to say it, but it looks as like the other as two peas. I would not like to make an affidavit, but I'm willing to say that it bears a most remarkable resemblance to that other one, if it is 'other'!"

"Then, I guess we're done for!" despaired Jack. "If that's a German craft, we may as well hoist the white flag now and surrender!"

"Think they'll take us back to Germany?" asked Ned quizzically.

"I'm sure of it!" declared the boy. "And we won't stand much show, either, when they find that we've stolen this ship away from Helgoland!"

"Goodness!" exclaimed Ned suddenly. "I declare I'd actually forgotten that we were on board a stolen submarine. That does make it look rather dubious for us. We are in a pretty mess!" he added.

"Here comes someone now!" announced Jimmie. "Watch the hatch!"

A movement of the hatch cover on the other vessel indicated that someone was about to appear on deck. Slowly a figure stepped forth.

The stranger was of medium build, and wore a suit of blue with a round hat to match. He was carefully dressed. After taking a long survey of the group on the deck of the false "U-13," he waved a hand in welcome.

"He wants us to come over and pay him a visit!" stated Jimmie.

"Why don't you accept, then?" inquired Ned. "We're into it now and may as well be sociable. Being balky won't help matters any!"

"I would if we had a boat," announced the other.

"Maybe the real 'U-13' there has a boat they'd spare," suggested Jack.

"Why don't you hail and ask him if he won't send a boat?"

"Hail him yourself if you want to! Maybe he don't talk English!"

"Try him on United States then!" laughed Jack. "I would!"

"Help yourself!" said Jimmie, leaning back against the rail.

"Ahoy the submarine!" shouted Jack in response to this suggestion. "We haven't a boat or we'd come over. Can you send a boat to us?"

Waving an arm as if comprehending the lad's statement and inquiry the figure on the other vessel clambered quickly to the after deck. After a moment's fumbling at what appeared to be a lock, he lifted a cover. In a short time the boys saw him drag from its place a small, light, steel boat.

This was at once launched over the side. Running out upon a light iron ladder the man dropped into the rowboat. He sculled the small craft quickly over the intervening distance and was soon alongside.

"Come aboard, sir," invited Ned, reaching out a hand to a.s.sist.

"Good night!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Jimmie. "How did you ever get here so quickly, Mackinder? We thought you were aboard that warship!"

"I've been here a long time!" laughed the other, looking at the lad.

"You've made a quick trip, all right!" returned Jimmie.

The others crowded forward with eager, questioning looks. Upon the face of each was to be seen amazement, wonder and perplexity.

"Come aboard, Mackinder," invited Ned. "We'd like to hear an explanation of the strange goings on hereabouts. Can you help us?"

"First, I'd like to hear your explanations," stated the newcomer. "But before you start your story, please tell me why you call me Mackinder."

"Isn't that your name?" asked Jimmie. "Tell us that!"

"Yes, that's my name, you know!" replied the stranger, smilingly. "But how did you happen to know it? I'm rather puzzled, you know!"

"Why, you told us yourself on the train running into Amsterdam!" stated Jimmie, with rising indignation. "Then we called you by that name while you were trying to delay our start. Also Captain von Kluck used that name when he referred to you. I guess it's your name all right!"

"I don't deny that!" stated the newcomer. "What puzzles me is how you chaps know it so quickly, don't you know."

"It don't make much difference how we know the name so quickly," went on Jimmie. "We'd know you anywhere we saw you. We'd especially recognize that hand with the scar! That's a dead giveaway!"

The newcomer glanced quickly at his right hand, which Jimmie had indicated. As he brought it up to view, the boys could see a jagged scar running clear across the back. They had seen such a scar before.