The Men Who Wrought Part 16

"Your captain is ready for any emergency," he said, indicating these preparations.

But the Prince was searching the harbor side of the sh.o.r.e with a pair of powerful gla.s.ses.

Receiving no reply Ruxton permitted his attention to wander over the rapidly pa.s.sing panorama. They were travelling very fast, and a great white wake was thrown up behind them. The moored shipping dropped astern of them at an almost incredible speed. Ahead he could see the frowning narrows coming towards them shrouded in their gloomy hood of mist, like the cowled skulls of skeleton sentinels. But even such a threat was preferable to the intolerable, sulphurous atmosphere they were leaving behind.

"There is no movement from the sh.o.r.e," said the Prince presently, lowering his gla.s.ses. Then he pa.s.sed into the conning-tower to confer with his chief officer.

In a few moments he returned.

"He thinks it is the narrows where we shall be held up. He says the Captain-General would not believe a Pole would face that mine-field.

Perhaps it is that he is right--Ludovic, I mean. We will wait." Then he rubbed his hands with absurd glee. "It is interesting."

Ruxton was forced to smile. A delightful sensation of excitement was growing within him again. He had told himself that it was life or death, but the full significance of his a.s.surance had been powerless to possess him. He had often dreamed of Death. He had imagined it in almost every form. Nor, in his dreams, had it ever succeeded in terrifying him any more than the thought of it did now.

No, the whole situation had contrived an impersonal atmosphere for himself. He was looking on, watching a great contest between the brain of this man, his courage and soul, against the military rule and power of the Captain-General Von Salzinger.

A low chuckling laugh broke upon his reflections.

"It is an ill.u.s.tration," said the Prince, his eyes now steadily fixed upon the jaws of the narrows ahead.

"The test is even greater than I could have hoped. We are an unarmed submersible merchantman. Such as we have talked of. Here we are, under the enemy's batteries--at war. We are carrying b.u.t.ter, hey? b.u.t.ter to your sh.o.r.es, in war time, in face of a blockade. Your countrymen are starving for--b.u.t.ter. We must reach them, and so save your country from destruction--with b.u.t.ter."

"Make it copper, Prince," smiled Ruxton.

"Ha! Yes, copper. It is very necessary in war time." The Prince smiled in appreciation. Then he pointed ahead. "But see, Ludovic is right."

He was indicating a dark object moving towards them on the water out of the gloomy shadows of the rocky sentries of the narrows.

"It is a patrol. Under normal conditions it would gladly pilot us through the mine-field. Now it has no such friendly desire."

His regard became less smiling, and he relapsed into silence. The dead flat water was thrown up into two great wings as the patrol boat pressed on towards them.

The excitement was more and more taking possession of the Englishman.

His faith in the Polish prince was invincible.

"Shall you hear what he has to say?" he enquired presently, his breathing quickened in spite of an outward calm.

The Prince did not turn to answer, but his slight laugh was full of quiet confidence.

"Why waste time--valuable time?" he retorted whimsically. "We are in a hurry to reach the open sea. No, I do not listen to the Captain-General's commands to me. He is my subordinate." Then he added with the ingenuous subtlety of a schoolboy, "If I listened to the order to stop, and refused to obey, I should commit myself in the eyes of Berlin. No. Come below. It is time."

The patrol boat was less than four hundred yards away, and travelling at a great pace. It was almost within hailing distance. Ruxton could even count the occupants at that distance. He was certain there were six at least. The other patrol boat had contained only two officers besides the engineer. The difference was significant.

He followed his host into the conning-tower and the steel door was closed with a slam behind them. It automatically sealed itself.

The Prince's voice at the foot of the steel companion-ladder, leading up to the chief officer's post, rang out sharply.

"Submerge!"

Then he turned to his companion.

"We will go below. We will go forward, where Ludovic will join us in a moment. I will show you that which I hope may interest you. We have seen the last of Von Salzinger and his command--for some time."

The nervous energy of the Prince led Ruxton at a rapid rate. They pa.s.sed down the companion, and, instead of entering the saloon, turned for'ard, down an alleyway which took them past the moving steel bowels of the vessel. The low purr of the great Diesel engines fell pleasantly upon the Englishman's ears. There was no hiss of steam. There was none of the clanging of high-pressure mechanism. Just a steady, powerful throb which vibrated throughout the length of the vessel's hull, and told him of the enormous mechanical effort going on.

They left the engine-rooms behind and pa.s.sed by the kitchens, to which very careful and elaborate attention had been given. They left the quarters of the crew, beautifully kept and equipped, and without a sign or suggestion of that inferiority of appointment which is to be found on all commercial vessels. They pa.s.sed a number of carefully disguised bulkheads, and finally came to a doorway in a steel bulkhead which seemed to mark the limit of the forward end of the vessel. The Prince withdrew a key from his waistcoat pocket. He opened the door, and both of them pa.s.sed within.

Once the door was closed he slid his fingers up the steel wall in the darkness and pressed a switch. In a moment the room was flooded with light, and Ruxton blinked under its power as he gazed about him.

The Prince was standing in front of him gazing half smilingly at the expression of his face. He was seeking that surprise which to his simple nature meant much satisfaction.

Nor was he disappointed. The moment Ruxton recovered under the dazzling glare he realized that that which he now beheld he had witnessed in the vessel at Borga, whence he had brought the cylinders. This was the U-rays room of the private submersible. It was--yes, it was the U-rays in active operation.

A question promptly sprang to his lips.

"But the light is perfect," he said. "There is nothing wrong with it here?"

He moved across the narrow triangular room to its apex, where a great disc of magnifying gla.s.s, like a porthole, came in direct contact with the water outside. He stood for a moment peering out through it. The water beyond was lit with a ruddy glow that left it extraordinarily translucent. It was powerful, and seemingly the power of the rays extended a considerable distance. But though the water was thus lit it was not rendered transparent. For some silent moments he gazed out, then a shadow moved across the field of light--and he understood.

He turned to the silent inventor.

"That was a fish which crossed our bows," he said, in suppressed tones which indicated something of his feelings. "I think--yes, I understand.

This light will reveal any solid body ahead, any obstruction--mines, rocks, any danger to progress."

The Prince beamed his satisfaction.

"The submersible need no longer be a blind lumbering monster," he said.

"The mine-field we are shortly going to pa.s.s through is not the danger you may have antic.i.p.ated. The moment we have pa.s.sed the patrol boat we shall rise till our periscope is above water. Then we shall move slowly. The helmsman will remain in the conning-tower, but he will be controlled from here by---- Ah, here is Captain Ludovic."

The steel door was thrust open and the chief officer entered the room.

"The mines begin about sixty fathoms on, Excellency," he said, with a brevity and utter lack of anything approaching the servility one might have antic.i.p.ated in his relation to so powerful a master as the Prince.

But Ruxton understood. The Prince's simple nature demanded nothing of that from those intimately a.s.sociated with him. Hence, perhaps, the devotion of those who served him. "If you will forgive, Excellency, I will take _sole_ charge here."

The Prince turned to his guest with a laugh of genial humor.

"Come, my friend, we will leave the excellent Ludovic to his work. We are dismissed." Then he turned to the captain, who had taken his place at the forward porthole, and had adjusted the telephone receivers over his ears. He raised his voice so that the man could hear. "Once clear of the last batteries, Ludovic, we travel on the surface," he said.

"Yes, Excellency." The man made no attempt to turn from his watch upon the ruddy field ahead.

CHAPTER X

THE FUTURE