Rounding up the Raider Part 6

Von Riesser did not reply for a few moments. He was greatly agitated.

Once or twice he glanced anxiously at his ober-leutnant, as if curious to know whether von Langer understood Denbigh's words.

Then he, too, laughed, but it was not a natural outburst of an unburdened and evenly-balanced mind.

"You threaten?" he asked. "Well, I can threaten also. Suppose I decide to put into operation the principle of your worthy Prime Minister? One of his maxims, oft quoted in the Press, is, I believe, 'Wait and see'?"

"It ought to be particularly applicable in your case," rejoined Denbigh coolly.

"Ach! And in yours. What is to prevent me from ordering a weight to be put about your neck and cast you into the sea? Weight and sea.

Himmel, that is great!"

He roared at his own joke, while von Langer, although unable to comprehend the significance, showed his servile approbation by laughing in a minor key.

"I don't think that it would make very much difference if you did,"

replied Denbigh. "You see, the _Nichi Maru's_ people know that you carried us off. Some day you will have to answer some rather searching questions if you could not produce us."

Again von Riesser pondered. He was beginning to feel horribly annoyed with himself for having ever received the three British officers on board the _Pelikan_. He was plunging deeper and deeper into the mire.

He lacked the determination to cut the Gordian Knot.

By way of an excuse he scribbled a note and tossed it to von Langer.

"Take that to the officer of the watch," he said carelessly.

The ober-leutnant quitted the cabin. The two impa.s.sive seamen remained. They, fortunately, knew no English, save a few catch phrases picked up when lying in dock in that dim period before the War.

"Suppose we cry quits," resumed von Riesser. "I am ready to apologize for having exceeded my rights in dealing with you. After all there's no great harm done. I'll admit I planned to trap yonder vessel. You must have misunderstood me when I said that I had intended to torpedo her. We use our torpedoes only in cases of extreme necessity. Are you willing to forget this night?"

"We would like to talk the matter over between ourselves," replied Denbigh. "If you have no objection, we will give our reply at noon to-morrow."

"I agree," said von Riesser, with a meekness that quite surprised Denbigh and his companions. He gave an order to the two seamen. They turned and left the cabin.

Two minutes later the British officers were back in their own quarters.

Time had been called after the first round, and the Prussian had not come out top-dog.

CHAPTER V

The Pursuit of the _Pelikan_

"One thing that puzzles me," remarked Stirling during the following forenoon, "is why they didn't clap us below under hatches, instead of trying to stupefy us. It would have been far less trouble."

"I must say that I share your thoughts," said Denbigh. "These Germans are no fools. They are pretty thorough in whatever they take up, whether it's a diabolical scheme or otherwise. It might be that there's something below that they don't want us to see, and rather than run a risk in that direction, they prefer to lock us up in the cabin."

"That's all very well," rejoined O'Hara. "But it won't wash. Old von Langer let it out in the course of conversation that this ship has already been examined by one of our cruisers."

"Then perhaps the boarding-officer wasn't cute enough. It's a tribute to our sagacity, old man," said Stirling. "However, time and events will prove. By Jove, the fateful hour approaches! What will von Riesser say to our decision?"

At eight bells the three British officers were told to proceed to the kapitan's cabin. This time von Riesser was alone. He looked fl.u.s.tered and worried.

"Sit down, gentlemen," he began. "You must look upon this as a private and confidential chat. Now, to go straight to the point: are you prepared, in the event of your being given honourable treatment and allowed the greatest liberty possible, to maintain silence upon last night's affair?"

Denbigh, as spokesman, did not think it advisable to give a direct reply.

"Do you, on your part, promise to refrain from treacherous attacks upon Allied merchantmen?" he asked.

"I think I can give that guarantee," replied von Riesser. "If I do so, will you write a certificate to the effect that, to the best of your belief, I, as commander of the ship, am acting in accordance with the present accepted rules of naval warfare? That, I think, will square matters."

"We cannot do that," declared Denbigh. "We are willing to give a certificate to the effect that you acted with discretion."

The kapitan smiled grimly.

"There is a certain amount of lat.i.tude in that," he replied. "I suppose you will then say nothing of last night's business."

"Since we have no direct evidence of what you have done, we cannot very well state a case," said Denbigh. "The thing is this: are you going to torpedo any merchantmen without warning?"

"No," replied von Riesser.

"Very well. We have forgotten last night," declared Denbigh. "Should occasion arise we will give you the required certificate."

"And should occasion not arise," thought von Riesser, "I will make it pretty hot for these young cubs. Once safely in port in our African colony, I will show them what it means to thwart a Prussian officer."

With these sentiments in his mind and a smile on his face the kapitan dismissed his prisoners.

During the afternoon there was a thick haze. It was impossible to distinguish anything beyond a distance of about a mile from the ship.

Sea and sky were merged into an ill-defined blurr. The gla.s.s, too, was falling rapidly. That and the presence of the mist betokened an imminent change in the weather.

Suddenly there was a rift in the curtain of vapour. At less than two miles away on the _Pelikan's_ port bow were two vessels, one being in tow of the other.

The subs were quick to recognize the leading craft. She was a British cruiser of the "Eclipse" cla.s.s--a vessel of 5600 tons, and with a nominal speed of 19 knots. But the craft in tow was a puzzle to them.

She was low-lying, with a raised superstructure amidships, one funnel, and a tall mast fitted with a fire-control platform. From her for'ard turret two huge guns, seemingly out of all proportion to the rest of the ship, protruded. The muzzles, instead of being inclined upwards, were depressed. Although Denbigh and his companions could not distinguish details owing to the distance of the vessel, the German officers, by means of their telescopes and binoculars, could see that the muzzles of the guns were resting on large chocks bolted to the deck, while the protruding part of the weapons were additionally secured by stout hawsers. The mysterious craft was apparently deserted. Everything was battened down, for the decks were swept by the long Atlantic waves.

"By Jove!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed O'Hara. "She must be one of our monitors. Now, where is she off to, I should like to know? There's something in the wind."

[Ill.u.s.tration: "BY JOVE!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.eD O'HARA, "SHE MUST BE ONE OF OUR MONITORS."]

Kapitan von Riesser could have answered the question. He stood on the bridge, gla.s.ses glued to his face and rage in his heart. There could be but one solution. The monitor was bound for the Indian Ocean, to take part in the forthcoming operations against the Germans in East Africa.

"Donnerwetter!" muttered von Riesser. "These accursed English. They may throw away their opportunities on land, but they know how to do things at sea."

"Shall I carry on, sir?" asked the officer of the watch.

"No, port helm," ordered the kapitan. Then realizing that the carrying out of this command might arouse the suspicions of the British cruiser, he had the _Pelikan_ steadied on her helm. The course would bring her within a mile of the cruiser and her tow.

"The cheek!" exclaimed Stirling. "Old von Riesser's going to play a game of bluff."

"I vote we semaph.o.r.e," suggested O'Hara impulsively. "We'd do the trick before they could stop us."