In the Yellow Sea Part 28

We continued to steam slowly to and fro all the morning. The roar of the engagement increased every minute, and all hands became excited.

It was like a cat watching a mouse in a cage. We were so many cats prowling about the cage in which numerous Chinese "mice" were calmly seated watching us, while the dogs of war inland were worrying the dogs ash.o.r.e. We could do nothing at our end, though it was pleasant to see the No. 3 and No. 4 squads had begun to throw sh.e.l.ls at "long bowls" in the direction of the eastern batteries to support the land attack.

It was aggravating to see the big Chinese "mice" steaming inside the harbour, followed by some small craft--like micelets--between the islands, and a.s.sisting the forts, yet never venturing out into the gulf. But as the day wore into late afternoon a great white smoke arose on sh.o.r.e, and a fearful explosion rang the knell of the fort; with telescopes we could see the Chinese running away.

The admiral at this time signalled our No. 1 fleet to join him, and we went back to the long line, spreading ourselves all across the harbour outside. Then an order went out to try the boom that night, and the Chinese began to find our range from the islands, whence they began "pilling" us at frequent intervals, with the setting sun behind them, which interfered with the j.a.panese accuracy of fire. We managed to creep in to the east side and keep up the watch. Tomi was right; there was no hammocks slung. The men lay around the guns on mats.

That night was cold, and when I rose, shivering, I was glad to get warm clothing. As the day pa.s.sed the snow and sleet came heavily down, and at last the storm hid everything. The wind and sea rose, and the thermometer and barometer fell fast. The ships were then fully exposed to the fearful storm on a lee sh.o.r.e; the thermometer was below freezing, and all chance of reducing Wei-hai-Wei more distant than ever! The climax for us came when the admiral, with three squadrons, retreated to the shelter of Yengching Bay, leaving us--the first squad--on guard in the snow and storm.

Yet not a single murmur arose from the ships which continued to watch the harbour, though the chances of the escape of the Chinese in such weather, and in such a gale, were infinitesimal. So the last day of January and the first of February pa.s.sed in fearful discomfort, and without any opportunity of distinction, though all the other j.a.panese ships were in shelter, and thus left the Chinese to their own devices.

When the cat is away the mice will play, and this proverb was fitly ill.u.s.trated in this case, for on the 1st of February Admiral Ting destroyed all the guns in the western forts.

This was a very sensible move on his part, because he knew that if the enemy attacked and captured them the j.a.panese could have turned the Chinese guns against his fleet in harbour! So while the storm raged the Chinese sailors spiked the guns,[2] and thus caused a breathing s.p.a.ce for the beleaguered inhabitants of the forts and ships. On the 3rd there was some exchange of "civilities," but the snow again caused a truce. That evening we had a little consultation on board the _Naniwa_, and the speculations as regarded our success were numerous and varied in their way, but the ultimate result was never doubted.

[2] An Englishman led the sailors that time.

"We must win," said one. "We hold the place now. We have seen the Chinese retreating. We have captured most of the forts. The Chinese may as well surrender!"

"They are too proud," said another. "The eyes of Europe are upon them."

"And on us," interrupted a third. "Shall we give way now? Certainly not!"

"What can we do then?" I ventured to ask (Tomi translated). "Cannot we attack by sea and break the boom? such things have been done."

I had read of this, and though I could not at the time recall the historical incident, the fact was impressed upon my mind.

"We must await orders. But it must come to that," said a senior.

"Mr. Julius will help when the time comes," said Tomi. "He will be on board one of the boats, I daresay."

"If permitted," I said. "When the weather moderates we shall see."

In this way we tried to cheer ourselves, and in other ways we managed to pa.s.s the terrible days of wind and snow. The ships were completely covered with snow, an inch thick, at least, even though the roll of the vessels shook off the flakes continually. The thermometer went down to twenty-five degrees below freezing, and that was quite sufficient for us at sea. When on the 3rd the weather improved we heard the news announced that the torpedo-boats were to have an innings, and I became excited.

I had never actually witnessed the attack of a torpedo. When formerly in the _Naniwa_ I had seen a Chinese vessel sunk off Hai-yang, but had only seen the effects. Now, if permitted, I would perhaps see something new! A very novel experience indeed, because torpedoes had never been used in warfare before then. At intervals we had been exchanging shots and experimenting upon the boom, but none of us in our ship had been engaged. We were policemen, and little else. But the attempt had to be made, and, by what I may call accident, I was in the first attack.

There was an officer named Kosaki--a splendid fellow--who had done excellent service under fire before in a torpedo-boat, and he was attached to boat No. 6. There were ten boats employed, and the news was known that day, and there was talk of volunteers trying to proceed in her, for they all knew that "No. 6" was bound to do something! Tomi told me this. He had been ordered to carry a report to the main squadron, and suggested that I should accompany him.

"Perhaps you may have a chance to join the torpedo-boat," he said. I thanked him, and m.u.f.fled up we were rowed to the flagship, where Tomi delivered his message. Then we perceived that the first squadron was closing in, and we waited on board the greater ship, which was firing at the Lui-kung Island as well as the smaller one. Lui-kung is precipitous and una.s.sailable: the batteries were concealed, and some of the guns, I think, were depressed and raised, like the Moncrieff carriages at Woolwich long ago. The ships could not reach in close: the water is shallow, and the guns were well served. Meantime the Chinese rested behind the shelter of the boom.

"I hear we shall attack the boom to-night," said Tomi.

"Is there any chance of my finding a berth in the flotilla?" I asked.

"Ask the commander," said my friend. "The captain of No. 6 is a warrant officer. He might consent. Shall I try for you?"

I nodded a.s.sent. Perhaps it was a silly ambition! Tomi had a chance and grasped it. As the "captain" of the boat was descending the side Tomi arrested him, and made the request. Something was said, and then Tomi returned to me.

"Well?" I asked, feeling rather "half-hearted" about the result.

"You may join as a correspondent, but must not tell your experience till the place is taken--if you survive."

"He said so?"

"Yes. 'Let him come and die, if he wishes it,' he said."

"Then I just _will_ go--and chance it!" I said boldly.

"All right. He is waiting. Good luck to you."

I hurried away, and in a short time was on board the little boat which was tossing and plunging in the lumpy sea in the lee of the large vessels. Retreat was now impossible. The die was cast.

CHAPTER XVIII

ON BOARD THE TORPEDO-BOAT--BREAKING OF THE BOOM--CAPTURE OF WEI-HAI-WEI--CONCLUSION

My first impressions regarding a torpedo-boat were, firstly, that the deck rests dangerously near the water; and secondly, that the craft itself is unsafe--at least, unsteady. Then the vessel,--or "ship," as I believe it is called,--is, if cabined, certainly "cribbed and confined." There is not much s.p.a.ce to live in; perhaps the sailors who man her are not expected to live--much. Where they usually sleep, unless in the coal-bunkers or in the engine-room, I do not exactly know. They did not sleep at all while I was on board, and I understand that they never change nor wash (or "hardly ever"), under service conditions. So far as my rather limited experience goes, existence on board this ship is by no means enjoyable, save when in harbour, and then it is useless. When at sea in roughish weather, and on service particularly, the "pleasure" must be deadly-lively.

The torpedo-boat is about one hundred and twenty-five feet long, and perhaps twelve feet at beam. There are larger craft than this, I think, but these dimensions will suffice for the usual limits. The torpedoes are fixed from the tubes, which, in my "ship," extended one on each bow and astern. There is a steering-tower, or "conning-tower,"

fore and aft, and very small s.p.a.ce for living in. There are no bulwarks to prevent one sliding away into the sea in a calm, only a rail with stanchions, upon which a wire rope is stretched as a protection. But in bad weather the sea does not wait for the sailor, it invades him, and washes everything overboard which may be loose, carrying the men off if they do not go below or lash themselves. The rolling is absolutely fearful, and I am informed that when the officers eat they must feed each other like infants, one holding the cup, or plate, while the other drinks, or eats, from it. All the services are tinware, and the food is also tinned, and water is plentiful inside and out, and leaks.

To this kind of experience I was quite new, and the haggard spectre of _mal-de-mer_ presented itself all the time. How the sailors usually manage I do not know; they must suffer, I imagine, at sea. But a dozen sick men in that boat! Well--curtain!

February the 3rd was the most anxious night I had hitherto pa.s.sed. I was a.s.sisted on board, and I think Tomi introduced me to the officers as a British newspaper correspondent. At anyrate, I was politely received, fed, and entertained so far as possible, but the accommodation was decidedly very limited--much more than the welcome.

I managed to understand that we would not actually attack. The idea was to make the breach sufficient to admit other boats next time; so, after all, we should not run any fearful risk, I fancied. But I did not know then that we were to go inside the boom,--into the harbour,--as I had little opportunity to talk, even had I been acquainted with the j.a.panese tongue, I made only mental observations--I was afraid of making mistakes in my language again.

The day died; the moon rose and disappeared; then came the turn of "No.

6." When blackness fell upon the water--a darkness in which the boat was almost buried--the engines began to beat silently, the screws revolved almost noiselessly, and we skimmed away towards the places already determined upon. The men lay close, only the helmsman, the officer himself, was visible. I lay by him, by permission, and two men watched forward. This was no torpedo attack, it was a survey.

An hour pa.s.sed. There was no spot at which an entry could be made on the west side, and a long search only revealed a small s.p.a.ce between the rocks on the eastern side and that end of the enormous boom which stood up threatening us in the dark. This barrier seemed bigger than I had ever imagined, and its ma.s.s seemed, from our small craft, so enormous, that I almost despaired. Dynamite could not injure it from outside. Perhaps gun-cotton or powder would, if applied inside the harbour where the resistance was less.

At last! Searching closely, the boat found the spot where the barrier ceased,--a very small pa.s.sage, through which it seemed almost impossible to drive the boat in safety. But the hands which held the helm were incapable of nervousness. No tremor shook those iron muscles as the boat's head was turned rock-wise. It was sink or swim then--a torpedo in the path would end it for us. But unheeding, or rather disdaining, the danger, the skipper turned the boat's head to the small s.p.a.ce in the sea.

The rocks grumbled at us as we slowly and deftly pa.s.sed. The sullen murmurs of the waves were supplemented by the swishing of the revolving screws, or drowned perhaps by the former. Still the boat skimmed on, and then almost noiselessly brought up in the harbour, within the range of the Chinese torpedo-squadron, which speedily perceived the intruder.

The situation was peculiar. We were in hostile waters; the ships and torpedo-boats, and even the forts, quickly woke up. Sh.e.l.ls came whizzing in our direction. We could see them streaking the blackness, like meteors, then flying shrieking over our heads, and plunging or bursting in the sea beyond the boom, or within it. But not one touched the j.a.panese boat, which lay dark and silent by the boom, though had an electric searchlight been used by some approaching vessel we must have been discovered at once.

The cold was intense as the devoted vessel cracked the ice which lay on the agitated surface of the harbour, but we did not mind it. The sound of the ice, one imagined, must have announced our whereabouts to the Chinese, but as we moved swiftly the aim was not accurate, and we lay alongside the barrier, silently, to prepare for the charge which the master had determined to explode against it.

The mine was laid with great difficulty, not only because of the darkness and the penetrating cold, but because of the unsteadiness of the little craft, which surged against the boom, and crackled loudly at every concussion. At length the job was complete, the charge was laid, the battery by which it was intended to explode the powder was prepared, the wire already extended.

Now the critical moment approached. A few directions, a few words of warning, a caution to the engineers, an order to the steersman, then: Ready? Fire! Away! away! Get out of reach as quietly and as quickly as possible.

We made tracks, noisy ones too. The island fort burst into fire, and more sh.e.l.ls came tearing around us, but nothing else happened. The mine had failed!