The Boy Allies Under the Sea Part 39

Then another signal showed red on the board.

"No. 1 torpedo! Fire!"

Again came that faint metallic click to which the boys had grown so accustomed, and a terrible engine of destruction sped over the water toward the German ships.

A moment later a second command flashed on the board.

"No. 3 torpedo! Fire!"

Once more the click and then nothing but silence. A moment later Lord Hastings hurried below.

"Submerge!" he ordered.

CHAPTER XXII.

TOWARD OSTEND AGAIN.

Jack had been ready for this command and repeated Lord Hastings' words immediately. Not a second was lost, and a moment later the tanks began to fill and the submarine sank lower and lower in the water.

Jack, who had glued his eye to the periscope, gazed at the German battleships as long as it stayed above water. In the few moments that it took the craft to submerge, he saw that two of the enemy's craft had been struck and that the other two had trained their big guns upon the U-6. His heart beat fast, for he was afraid the submarine would be unable to put a thick enough blanket of water above it to withstand the German sh.e.l.l, should the first shot be gauged accurately.

Just before the periscope disappeared beneath the surface, cutting off the lad's view, he heard the faint sound of a gun. He braced himself for the shock that he expected; but none came. The first sh.e.l.l had gone wide and he breathed easier. Before the second shot came, the U-6 was safe in the depths.

"Pretty close," the lad muttered aloud.

"What was pretty close?" demanded Frank, who had not heard the sound of the shot. "Didn't we hit either one of them?"

"Oh, yes, we got them both," replied Jack. "I was talking about our own escape. The Germans fired one sh.e.l.l at us and they can't have missed very far. Fortunately, we came down before a second."

"Shape your course due east, Mr. Templeton," commanded Lord Hastings at this juncture. "We'll have a try at another of them."

Jack gave the command.

"Twenty knots!" ordered Lord Hastings.

The U-6 leaped forward beneath the water like a thing alive. For fifteen minutes she sped on and then rose until her periscope showed above the surface.

"As I expected," said Lord Hastings. "The enemy is making for home, but we have outrun them and are now between them and their goal." He gauged the range carefully and then ordered: "No. 2 torpedo!"

Again all was expectancy aboard the submarine as all eagerly awaited the next command. It was not long coming.

"Attention!" the signal board read.

And a moment later came the next command:

"Fire!"

A sh.e.l.l sped across the water straight for the third German battleship.

Through the periscope Lord Hastings saw the German vessel give a great lurch, then leap almost clear from the water, where it seemed to hang suspended for a full minute, before it came down again. As it did so there was a blinding flash and a detonation that was heard in the submarine.

"Pierced her magazine!" said Lord Hastings quietly.

He stepped aside that Jack might have a look above.

The latter's eyes sought out the spot just in time to see the giant battleship split in twain and disappear beneath the sea. Farther back he saw the two others of the enemy listing badly to port, and knew that they had received their death blow.

The fourth and last vessel was still unharmed and was bearing down on them at full speed. Even as Jack looked there came a puff of smoke from one of her forward turrets and a great splash, less than a hundred yards ahead of the U-6, told that the submarine had been discovered.

"Submerge!" cried Jack.

Lord Hastings repeated the command immediately for he realized that the vessel must be in danger. Even as the periscope disappeared from sight, there was a second flash from the German and a sh.e.l.l glanced off the bow, sending the U-6 staggering and hurling the officers and crew to the floor.

The men picked themselves up quickly and all stood silent for a moment.

"Test the pumps quick!" was Lord Hastings' first command after he had regained his feet.

"No damage there, sir," came the cheering news a moment later.

"Signal the engine room! Something may have given way," ordered Lord Hastings.

This was done, but the engineer reported no damage.

Frank and Jack both breathed easier, as did Lord Hastings.

"A pretty narrow squeak," remarked Lord Hastings calmly.

"Rather, sir," agreed Jack dryly. "And now shall we go after the other one, sir?"

"I guess not," replied his commander. "After this day's work we can afford to let one escape. There is no use taking further chances.

Besides, she'll be on the lookout for us and might cripple us the moment we showed ourselves. No; we'll head west again and won't come to the surface until we are well out of this. You may come about, Mr.

Templeton, and proceed due west at ten knots."

This was done and the U-6 did not come to the surface again until her commander felt sure that he had no longer need to fear the single remaining German battleship. Then, upon the surface again, Lord Hastings, Frank and Jack ascended the bridge.

Through their gla.s.ses, far back, they could still see the German battleships, which, though wounded unto death, were still afloat, apparently battling desperately to resist the sea that was trying to draw them under. The water was still full of bobbing heads--the German sailors who had leaped into the sea.

"Poor fellows," said Lord Hastings compa.s.sionately.

"Why didn't the other ship stop and pick them up?" demanded Jack.

"Didn't have time, I guess," returned Jack dryly. "Her commander was in too big a hurry to get away from there. He deserves the same fate for running away from them, if you ask me."

"He certainly does," agreed Lord Hastings. "However, there is nothing we can do for the poor sailors in the water; we have no room for them here.

They will have to shift for themselves. It's the fortune of war."