Dave Darrin and the German Submarines Part 4

His eyes closing again, despite the roll of the craft, he was soon sound enough asleep to dream fitfully.

And so he stood when the first streaks of dawn appeared astern. It was still dark off over the waters, but the slow-moving destroyer stood vaguely outlined against the eastern streaks in the sky.

Ensign Tupper was observing the compa.s.s under the screened binnacle light, and Darrin, gla.s.s to his eyes, was peering off to northward when the steady, quick tones of a man of the bow watch reached the bridge:

"'Ware torpedo, coming two points off port bow!"

That seaman's eyesight was excellent, for the torpedo was still far enough away so that Dave had time to order a sharp swerve to port, and to send a quick signal to the engine room. As the craft turned she fairly jumped forward. The "Logan" was now facing the torpedo's course, and seemed a bare shade out of its path, but the watchers held their breath during those fractions of a second.

Then it went by, clearing the destroyer amidships by barely two feet.

Nothing but the swiftness of Darrin's orders and the marvelously quick responses from helmsman and engineer had saved the destroyer from being hit.

On Dave's lips hovered the order to dash forward over the course by which the torpedo had come, which is the usual procedure of destroyer commanders when attacking a submarine.

Instead, as the idea flashed into his head, he ordered the ship stopped.

Danny Grin had come out of his "forty winks" at the hail of the bow watch. Now Dave spoke to him hurriedly. Dalzell fairly leaped down from the bridge, hurrying amidships.

"All hands stand by to abandon ship!" rang the voice of Ensign Tupper, taking his order from Darrin. The alarm to abandon ship was sounded all through the ship.

There was a gasp of consternation, but Dalzell had already met and spoken to three of the junior officers, and these quickly carried the needed word.

The light was yet too faint, and would be for a few minutes, to find such a tantalizingly tiny object as a submarine's periscope at a distance even of a few hundred yards. Lieutenant-Commander Darrin, therefore, had hit upon a simple trick that he hoped would prove effective. All depended upon the speed with which his ruse could be carried out. Cold perspiration stood out over Darrin as he realized the chances he was taking.

"Bow watch, there! Keep sharp lookout for torpedoes! Half a second might save us!"

Tupper stood with hand on the engine-room telegraph. He already had warned the engineer officer in charge to stand by for quick work.

Dalzell and the officers to whom Darrin had spoken saw to it that nearly all of the men turned out and rushed to the boats. Even the engineer department off watch came tumbling up in their distinctive clothing.

To an onlooker it would have appeared like a real stampede for the boats. Tackle creaked, making a louder noise than usual, but seeming to "stick" as an effort was made to lower loaded boats. The men in boats and at davits were grinning, for their officers had explained the trick.

Dawn's light streaks had become somewhat more distinct as Dave peered ahead. Mr. Beatty and three men crouched low behind one of the forward guns.

The submarine commander must have rubbed his eyes, for, while he had observed no signs of a hit, he saw the American craft drifting on the water and the crew frantically trying to abandon ship.

Then the thing for which Darrin had hoped and prayed happened. The enemy craft's conning tower appeared above water four hundred yards away.

"The best shot you ever made in your life, Mr. Beatty!" called Dave in an anxious voice.

The officer behind the gun had been ready all the time. At the first appearance of the conning tower he had drawn the finest sight possible.

The three-inch gun spoke. It seemed ages ere the sh.e.l.l reached its destination.

Then what a cheer ascended as the crew came piling on board from the boats. The conning tower of the submarine had been fairly struck and wrecked.

"Half speed ahead!" commanded Dave's steady voice, while Dan gave the helmsman his orders. As Tupper sent the signal below the "Logan"

gathered headway.

But Darrin had not finished, for on the heels of his first order came the second:

"Open on her with every gun!"

After the wrecking of his conning tower the German commander began to bring his craft to the surface. Perhaps it was his intention to surrender.

"Full speed ahead!" roared Darrin, and Ensign Tupper rang in the signal.

The hull of the submarine was hardly more than awash when five or six shots from the "Logan" struck it at about the same time.

Veering around to the southward the "Logan" prepared to circle the dying enemy. The German craft filled and sank, and Darrin presently gazed overboard at the oil-topped waters through which he was pa.s.sing.

"A wonderful job! I wonder that you had the nerve to risk it," muttered Dalzell.

"I don't know whether it was a wonderful job, or a big fool risk," Dave almost chattered. "It would have been a fool trick if I had lost the ship by it. I don't believe that I shall ever try it again."

"If you hadn't done just what you did, a second torpedo would have been sent at you," murmured Dalzell. "You saved the 'Logan' and 'got' the enemy, if you want to know."

Grinning, for the responsibility had not been theirs, and the ruse had "worked," the men of the watch returned to their usual stations, while those off duty returned to their "watch below." Darrin, however, was shaking an hour later. He had dropped the usual method of defense for once and had tried a trick by which he might have lost his craft. As commander he knew that he had discretionary powers, but at the same time he realized that he had taken a desperate chance.

"Oh, stop that, now!" urged Danny Grin. "If you had steamed straight at the submarine you would have taken even bigger chances of losing the 'Logan.' Even had she given up the fight and dived, there wasn't light enough for you to follow by any trail of bubbles the enemy might have left. The answer, David, little giant, is that the submarine is now at the bottom, and every Hun aboard is now a dead man. In this war the commander who wins victories is the only one who counts."

Through that day Dave and Dan slept, alternately, only an hour or two at a time. All they sighted were three cargo steamers, two headed toward Liverpool and one returning to "an American port."

At nine o'clock in the evening Darrin, after another hour's nap, softly parted the curtains of the chart-room door and peered out. He saw a young sailor standing just back of the open doorway of the radio room.

Slight as it was there was a something in the sailor's att.i.tude of listening that Darrin did not quite like. He stepped out on the deck.

Sighting him, the sailor saluted.

"Jordan!" called Dave, even before his hand reached his visor cap in acknowledgment of the salute.

"Yes, sir!" answered the seaman, coming to attention.

"You belong to this watch?"

"Yes, sir."

"Your station is with the stern watch?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then what are you doing forward?"

"I left my station, by permission, to go below, sir."

"Have you been below?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then why are you loitering here?"