The Boy Allies with Uncle Sam's Cruisers Part 40

"You must have been," was the answer. "You say you will make the raid tonight?"

"Yes; when can you get on the ground?"

"Not before morning. Maybe you had better wait so we can join forces."

"Not much," Jack flashed back. "This is my plan and I'm going to do the work."

"All right, but be careful. I'll put other vessels in this water in touch and have them on the scene as soon as possible."

"All right," said Jack. "How many vessels in these waters?"

"Half a dozen."

"Well, you'd better get as many of them as possible on the scene," said Jack. "There might be a slip, you know."

"I'll do the best I can. Good-by and good luck to you."

"Good-by!" flashed Jack.

"Not much help to be expected from that source, unless we wait," the lad said to Captain Jack.

"Well, we don't want to wait," said the chief of the pirates.

"Right you are as you are."

"I'm just as anxious for action."

They returned to the other room, where Jack called a council of war.

"The time to strike is now," he said when the others had gathered around the table, all except the pirates, who were still outside.

"I agree with you," said Frank. "How long a march is it, Captain Jack?"

"If we leave here two hours before dark we will reach the base soon after midnight," was the reply; "but if you will allow me, I have a plan to suggest."

"Let's hear it, Captain," said Jack.

"To my way of thinking," said Captain Jack, "it would be better if we attack from two places."

"Two places?" echoed Frank.

"Yes. My plan would be to send the bulk of the men afoot, while I pick a crew for my submarine and strike from the sea."

"By Jove!" said Jack. "A first cla.s.s idea! But will not the German submarine base be mined?"

"It wasn't when I was there before," said Captain Jack significantly.

"Otherwise I would not have come out whole with a submarine."

"That's true," said Jack. "Well, I agree with you. Yours is by far the best plan. How many men do you need aboard the submarine?"

"Not more than fifteen. The others will go a foot."

"There is a hitch in this plan, though," said Frank.

"What is it?' demanded Captain Jack.

"Well, your men may be willing to follow you all right, but will they follow me, or Jack here? You can't go by land and by sea both, you know, Captain."

"By George!" exclaimed Captain Jack. "I hadn't thought of that.

However, I have no doubt it can be remedied."

"I think I can point out the remedy," said Captain Glenn.

"What is it, Captain?"

"Well, Frank and Jack here know something about submarines, they tell me. My advice would be to put one of them in command of your men aboard the submarine rather than in command of the land party. Chances are none of your men know aught of navigation and would have to depend upon the man in command, whereas, on land, they might think they could shift for themselves."

"I am of your opinion, Captain," said Captain Jack, "and shall act upon your advice. Now, is Templeton or Chadwick the better man for the job?"

"I fancy one will do as well as the other," put in Williams.

"Personally," said Frank, "I should like the job myself."

"It's yours, then," said Captain Jack briefly.

"Maybe the men will object," said Frank.

"Let 'em," returned Captain Jack. "I'll fix that."

"That's arranged then," said Jack. "Next thing, Captain Jack, is to select the men for the crew. Williams, you'd better go aboard the submarine as first officer."

"Suits me," said Williams briefly.

"I'll draw up a list of the crew," said Captain Jack.

He produced an old envelope and a lead pencil and scribbled. Directly he pushed back his chair.

"That's done," he said. "What next?"

"What's the lay of the land, Captain?" asked Jack.

"Well," replied the pirate chief, "I'll give Chadwick here a chart that he will find sufficient for his purposes. I made it, thinking I might want a second submarine some day."

"But how about the land party?" asked Jack.

"The German base," said Captain Jack, "extends along the southern extremity of the island for perhaps a mile. You see, therefore, that it's small. I don't believe there are more than a dozen submarines there. Whether there are more large raiders, I can't say. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if the one you put a torpedo into the other night was the last. That would mean that ash.o.r.e, besides whatever number of the submarine crews that are aboard their vessels, there would be comparatively few men. We'll count the submarine crews as twenty-five men to a ship. That's 300 men. There may be an additional hundred men on the ground, but I doubt it."

"But they must have some means of protection," said Jack. "Big guns, and rifles a-plenty."