The Boy Volunteers with the Submarine Fleet Part 18

"I know," said Alfred. "They have caught one of them."

"Yes; and they are making the same efforts to get away that we were engaged in only a few hours ago," said the captain.

The chaser steamed back and forth in a quiet, determined way, the men never for a moment relaxing their watch.

"What are they trying to do with that funny-looking, big, fat gun on the side near the front end of the deck?" asked Ralph.

"That is a howitzer," answered the captain.

"What in the world do they want a howitzer for?" asked Alfred.

"To use it on the boat if it should get free from the net," replied the captain.

"Why don't they use it now?" asked Ralph.

"Because they do not want to destroy the boat unless it is absolutely necessary," answered the captain.

"But how will they know whether the boat gets away?" asked Alfred.

"By the condition of the floats," answered the captain. "You will notice that the two floats within range of the submarine's action are being dragged down. If the floats should be in a normal condition, or float on their true water line, which you can readily observe by gla.s.ses, it is evident that the submarine is free."

"And then that would be the time they would use the howitzers?"

suggested Alfred.

"But how could they reach the submarine?" asked Ralph. "Do they know just where the vessel is now?"

"Yes, they can locate it within a hundred feet; but that would be near enough for their purpose," replied the captain.

"Do you mean," asked Alfred, "that they would send the sh.e.l.l from the howitzer anywhere near them, and that it would destroy the submarine even though it didn't hit it?"

"Yes; the detonating or rupturing effect of the high explosive in the sh.e.l.ls is such that even though the explosion would take place a hundred feet from the hull, it would put it out of commission at once, and, in all probability, crush in the sides like an egg sh.e.l.l," said the captain.

"Why are they signaling?" asked Ralph, as the wig-wagging began.

"I think that's _l'Orient_ in sight on the port side," replied the captain, after gazing in the direction indicated.

"Then the cruiser will take the position of the chaser?" said Alfred.

"Quite likely," answered the captain.

"Look at the smoke; she's coming this way," shouted Ralph.

The captain waved his hand to the lieutenant on the chaser, as he shouted: "They have responded to your signals."

As _l'Orient_ approached and took up position, the chaser, with a parting salute, turned and started for its former course along the line of buoys. The boys looked back and kept their eyes on the moving buoys as far as they could see them.

"It will never get away," said the captain.

The chaser described a long curve, and changed its course due east, and, following it, they were at the entrance which had been left free. Beyond were several other small vessels, two of which dashed up and steamed alongside. The crews cheered as the boys emerged from the conning tower and waved their caps.

The lieutenant quickly informed the officers aboard the other boats of the prize, which had been taken by those aboard of her, and the news redoubled their noisy welcome. The tell-tale number on the side of the conning tower, U-96, was sufficient to inform the crews of the pa.s.sing vessels that another of the dreaded boats was out of action.

Once within the lane, as the path between the two lines of buoyed nets is called, they turned and steamed north. Vessels were pa.s.sing and repa.s.sing; transport and hospital ships; immense freight carriers, and saucy little tugs drawing barge-like flat-boats; innumerable fast launches and large war vessels, going to and fro between the sh.o.r.es of England and France.

Within a half-hour they again approached the place where _l'Orient_ was watching the struggles of the entangled submarine. The boys thought of the trying hours when they, too, were thus imperilled, and could hardly refrain from shuddering at the thought of the human beings in the narrow prison house below the waves.

Evidently, something exciting was taking place, for the cruiser was constantly manoeuvering, and the men at the howitzers were keenly alive.

Occasionally, there would be a lull in the movement of the buoys and it was during those moments that the most intense activity was shown on board the guarding vessel.

"I don't understand how it is that the submarine can get fastened to the nets," said Ralph to the captain, as they leaned over the rail of their vessel.

"The meshes of the nets are very large,--that is, of sufficient diameters to permit the ends of the submarines to pa.s.s into them,"

replied the captain.

"But, if that is the case why cannot the submarines back out in the same way that they went in?"

"They can, if the mesh is too small to take more than the bow of the vessel; but, in the event the mesh is large enough to permit the bow to enter, and the net once gets behind the fins of the submarine, that is the end of them, for the vessel cannot, in that case, free itself,"

responded the captain.

"How was it in our case?" asked Ralph. "Do you think the fins of our ship got caught?"

"I did not explain it to you at the time, as I did not wish to alarm you; but this vessel had one of its fins through the net. Evidently we struck the nets at an angle, and the tide helped us in keeping the hull against the net at the proper angle. The lieutenant knew this, for he adopted the only method known to free the ship under those circ.u.mstances," said the captain.

"So you think the lieutenant knew that only one fin had caught, and for that reason he tried to up-end the ship?" inquired Alfred.

"Yes; but not that alone. I observed one thing that you may have overlooked," remarked the Captain. "He was particular to store all the boxes which we helped to carry aft, on the starboard side."

"I noticed that," said Ralph hurriedly, "and that wasn't all. Every time a box was brought in he would ask: 'Heavy or light,' and I have many times wondered why he did so."

"I did notice one thing, though," said Alfred, "and that was, when the rear end of the submarine shot upward, and the boxes came tumbling down, that the hull seemed to roll around to the left."

"That was our salvation," replied the captain. "I then knew we had a chance."

CHAPTER XII

THE DEATH BLOW TO THE SUBMARINE

Let us try to get some idea of the situation. Ahead of the boat on which the boys were watching the scene, and probably not more than eight hundred feet distant, was _l'Orient_. Between them was the row of buoys, as far as the eye could see, stretching from the sh.o.r.e of England to the coast of France. To their right, and not two hundred feet distant was the saucy little chaser, which acted as their convoy.

At a point which might be termed midway between the three vessels thus described, were the two buoys, which moved with spasmodic jerks, due to the action of the imprisoned vessel below. As they looked along the bobbing buoys in either direction, small vessels were observed, patrolling to and fro, in the tiny mast, or lookout of each, being two or more men, with gla.s.ses, constantly scrutinizing the floats as the ships slowly moved past.

Apparently, at regular intervals, were large ships of war, all of them in motion. Sailing vessels and steamers, carrying freight, were coming up the channel, convoyed to the open doors in this giant network which guarded the channel.

The lieutenant on the chaser backed his vessel toward the submarine and hailed the captain: