The Dispatch Riders Part 41

"We're across the frontier now," he announced, as the little craft curtsied to the slight undulations of the comparatively wide expanse of the West Scheldt. "Now, girls, which shall it be? Shall I land you on Dutch territory, or will you risk crossing the North Sea?"

Thelma's was a prompt answer.

"We'll stay with you, boys."

"Will it be very rough?" asked Yvonne. She had faced the dangers of the bombardment bravely, but the perils of a voyage upon the open sea in a small, partly-decked craft gave her misgivings that the presence of her companions failed to keep in check.

"Smooth as a mill-pond," declared Kenneth optimistically. "There's no wind. We'll have plenty of company on the way, I fancy; and what is more, the British navy has complete control of this part of the North Sea. We are doing fifteen knots, I think; that's a little over seventeen miles an hour. We ought to be in sight of the Kentish coast a couple of hours after sunrise."

"Then I am satisfied," declared Yvonne.

"That's good! Now, girls, how about a cup of coffee? I can't make it, so perhaps you'll do a good turn. Rollo will light the cabin light and show you where the fresh water is stored."

As soon as his three companions had withdrawn to the cabin Kenneth closed the door. The gleam from within dazzled his eyes, and, with so much traffic about, that would never do. The motor-boat was running without navigation lights. If there were any "steaming" lamps on board he had failed to notice them. But the rule of the road seemed to be sadly neglected that fateful night. There were vessels of all sizes and rigs making for safety, and not one-tenth of their number showed the regulation red and green lights.

Left to himself, Kenneth began to realize once more that his hand was throbbing. The flow of blood had entirely ceased, and a dry, burning pain succeeded the comparative ease of the wound while it bled freely.

He was desperately hungry and thirsty. For forty-eight hours he had been on short commons. The reaction of the days and nights of strenuous activity was beginning to tell.

The motor-boat, gliding swiftly through the water, had now outstripped all the fishing luggers. Ahead were three or four steamers making to the westward. Others, shaping a course for Ostend, had swung away to the port hand.

"Rollo!" sang out his chum sharply. "Come and take the helm for a minute."

"I was just coming," answered Rollo as he emerged from the cabin.

"There's coffee waiting for you. And the girls have made a rattling good job of my wrist," he added, pointing to a neatly-bandaged arm in a sling.

"Follow that vessel," ordered Kenneth, pointing to a steamer a couple of miles ahead, her stern-light showing brightly in the clear starlit night. "If you overhaul her, or if there's anything likely to be dangerous, give me the word."

"One minute," protested Rollo. "The spray's dashing in through the broken scuttles. I'll try and fix up the strip of canvas. It's long enough to go right round."

Kenneth waited until his chum had completed the necessary and self-imposed task. Being able to use only one hand, it was a difficult, not to say dangerous, business securing the canvas round the raised cabin-top, for the boat was now jumping considerably.

"That's done it!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Rollo. "Now, old man, down you go. I'll keep her going somehow."

"You have been a time, Kenneth," exclaimed his sister reproachfully.

"Your coffee is getting cold. Why, what's the matter?"

She broke off her reproaches in alarm, for Kenneth's face was grey and drawn in the light of the cabin-lamp.

"Only my hand," announced her brother, with a feeble, ill-disguised attempt at unconcern as he withdrew the badly-bandaged member from the flap of his coat.

"What! Are we still under fire?"

"No; this occurred five or six hours ago. It's a clean wound."

Gently the two girls attended to the injury. The handkerchief had to be soaked before it could be withdrawn from the wound. In five minutes the now experienced young nurses had washed the place with antiseptic and had bound it with lint.

"Right as anything now," declared Kenneth. "I'll have my coffee and get on deck again."

"You had far better rest," replied his sister; "and Rollo, too, is steering; in spite of his wounded wrist. I'll go and take the wheel; it won't be the first time."

Kenneth gave in without a protest. He was "about done". Obediently he stretched himself upon one of the cushions of the bunk and closed his eyes.

Bidding Yvonne keep a watch on the patient, Thelma donned her cloak and went out into the c.o.c.kpit.

Rollo, too, offered no objections to being relieved of his duty. The vibration of the wheel, almost unnoticeable under ordinary circ.u.mstances, was causing his wrist intense pain. He handed Thelma the charge of the helm, told her what course to take, and sat down, admiring, in spite of his physical anguish, the alert, self-possessed girl as she toyed with the spokes of the wheel with the ease of a practised helmsman.

"We're up to that vessel, Rollo," she reported, after an hour had pa.s.sed. Owing to her superior speed the motor-boat had rapidly gained upon the lumbering ten-knot tramp which was now a couple of cables distant on the port hand.

Her companion bestirred himself and went into the cabin.

"I wouldn't wake Kenneth," he said as he reappeared. "Yvonne tells me he's quite done up."

"I wonder you're not, too."

"I'll make up for it when we get ash.o.r.e, never fear," declared Rollo.

"But the point is, we've got to steer a course. Here's the compa.s.s, but it's almost like Greek to me. I suppose if we keep due west we'll do something? There are such things as variation and deviation, but, although I did have a chance, I never troubled to understand them. I wish I had, now."

Providentially, for it was now close on high water, the little craft crossed the dangerous sand-banks that enc.u.mber the Scheldt entrance without any of her crew realizing the risk they were running. Once they encountered "overfalls" of rather broken water on the tail of a bank; but, with nothing worse than a couple of waves breaking inboard, the motor-boat gained the comparatively smooth water beyond.

Grey dawn was now breaking. All around was an unbroken expanse of sea and sky. Not a vessel or a buoy of any description was in sight. For the first time Rollo was able to form some idea of the vastness of the North Sea.

Bestirring himself, he examined the petrol-gauge and the quant.i.ty of oil in the automatic lubricator reservoirs. The consumption of both had not been excessive, and the motor was running like clockwork.

"It's getting very misty," said Thelma.

"By Jove, it is!" a.s.sented her companion. "I hope it won't come on any thicker. Are you cold? Let me take the wheel again."

The girl shook her head.

"I'm quite all right," she declared. "I am enjoying it. How much farther is it, do you think?"

It was Rollo's turn to shake his head. He did not know, and he was too candid to pretend that he did.

"We ought to be meeting shipping in and out of the Thames estuary shortly," he said. "I suppose our merchant vessels sail as freely as they did before the war? h.e.l.lo! There's something coming up astern."

He pointed to a faint blurr of smoke about three miles away and dead in the wake of the motor-boat.

"Something fairly fast to be able to overtake us," remarked Thelma.

"Is there a telescope on board?"

"I'll see," answered Rollo.

Again he entered the cabin. Kenneth was still sound asleep. Yvonne was seated on the opposite bunk, watching him as zealously as a vigilant sentry.

"What are you looking for, Rollo?" she whispered.

"A telescope."