Dave Darrin After The Mine Layers Part 12

"Have you known of any case in which a mine-sweeper had any show at all against a German destroyer?"

"Yes, sir; this very craft was the boat, sir. The destroyer 'eld 'er fire and come hup close, sir, to 'ave fun teasing us. Only one shot we fired, sir, from our after gun, at the houtset, sir, but that one shot carried away the destroyer's rudder just below the water line. It was hall a piece of luck, sir."

"And then?" pressed Ormsby, for at last Hedgeby seemed to be imparting real information.

"Well, of course, sir, the 'Uns started hin at once to rig a jury rudder with timbers and canvas."

"Yes?"

"Naturally, sir, we didn't give 'em any time or chance we could 'elp, sir. We sailed round and round 'er, taking position so that we could play both guns on 'er at the same time. She couldn't steer, sir, to back 'er aim, that 'ere 'Un, so we banged away at 'er stacks and her water line until she was worse than 'elpless."

"Did you sink her?"

"No, sir. She was captured."

"By whom?"

"By two of 'is majesty's destroyers, sir, that came up. And maybe you think Hi'm joking, sir, w'en Hi tell you that the destroyers were credited with the capture because they made the 'Un strike 'is colors and take a prize crew."

Subsequently Dave and Ormsby learned from Mr. Hartley that this account was a true one.

"But we got a bit of credit in the public press," Hartley added, modestly.

Right after that it was reported that one of the wire sweeps had located a bomb. Instantly several men were rushed to aid in landing the prize.

Dave and Ormsby hurried to join the group and watch a mine being taken aboard.

On account of its weight the deadly thing was handled by tackle.

Carefully the men proceeded to hoist the mine aboard.

"You'll note the little horns standing out from the top of the mine,"

explained Mr. Hartley, pointing to the circular mine. "These horns are usually called studs. Hit one of these studs even a light blow with a tack hammer, gentlemen, and the mine would explode. A mine like this is more deadly than the biggest sh.e.l.l carried by a super-dreadnaught. Let this mine explode, for instance, under our hull forward, and it would tear us to pieces in a way that would leave us afloat for hardly sixty seconds. Moreover, it would kill any man standing at or near the rail over the point of contact."

He had no more than finished speaking, while the mine was being hoisted aboard, than a terrified gasp escaped the workers.

For the mine slipped from its tackle, and slipped back toward the water, striking the side hull in its downward course!

Dave Darrin did not move. He knew there would not be time to escape!

CHAPTER VI

IN THE TEETH OF THE CHANNEL GALE

SPLASH!

The mine sank below the surface.

A quick turn by the helmsman at the wheel, and the course changed violently on the instant.

"No stud struck or sc.r.a.ped the side as the mine went down!" exclaimed Mr.

Hartley, in a voice as cool as though he were discussing the weather.

"That was what saved us."

"That, and the presence of mind displayed by your man at the wheel," Dave calmly supplemented. "That quick turn of the wheel saved your hull under the water line from striking against the infernal thing."

"I thought we were goners!" exclaimed Ormsby.

"So did I," Dave nodded, "until I saw the thing sink and then realized how prompt the helmsman had been to act without orders."

"The helmsman's act was almost routine," Hartley continued. "On a craft like this every man instinctively knows what should be done in any moment of escapable peril."

Dave now withdrew the elbow which, up to now, he had leaned against the rail. He knew that he had been within a hair's breadth of instant death, but there was nothing in his bearing to betray the fact.

Hartley quickly gave the order to put about.

"Another try for that slippery customer, eh?" queried Ormsby.

"I'd feel like a murderer, if I knowingly left that thing in the sea, to destroy some fine craft," declared Mr. Hartley, gravely. "Once we've located a mine we never leave it. We'll make the 'catch' again, but we'll inspect our tackle before we try to take it aboard. I think you gentlemen had better step back well out of the way."

"Of course we will, sir, if we are really in the way," Darrin smiled.

"You're not in our way," Hartley promptly denied. "But you will hardly care, should the tackle still be defective, to be loitering at the point of danger."

"I want to see you repair the tackle," Dave replied. "Then I want to see you make the grapple again and bring the mine safely on board."

"All right, gentlemen, if you love danger well enough to take the risk twice when you're only spectators," Hartley answered, with a shrug of his shoulders.

Again the mine was caught, grappled, and this time successfully hoisted on board.

All of this Darrin and his junior officer noted carefully, even giving a hand at the work.

Through the day at least one of the mine-sweepers continued over this line of shoal, trying constantly with the sweeps. Farther out to sea Dalzell and the "Reed" accompanied others of the craft. By nightfall it was reported that more than sixty mines had been picked up.

"The mine-layers must be actively at work in these waters," said Dave.

"Undoubtedly they plant the mines at night, then toward daylight move in toward the shoal and hide there during the day. We'll try that shoal again after daylight to-morrow morning--weather permitting."

This last Darrin said because there were now lurking indications of a coming storm. Dave returned to his own craft in time.

By nine o'clock that night, or an hour after the new watch had gone on, the wind was howling through the rigging in a way that made conversation difficult on the bridge.

"Mr. Fernald, at the rate the weather is thickening I shall be on the bridge all night. I shall be glad, therefore, if after your last rounds of the ship, and after you have turned in your report, you will seek your berth and get all the sleep you can until you're called."

"Very good, sir," agreed the executive officer.

He would have liked to stand watch in Darrin's place, but he knew that, with a gale coming, Darrin would not consent.