The Rival Submarines Part 17

Suddenly a weed-covered crag, looking like a pillar of glistening silver, came within the zone of the port search-light. A slight touch at the helm and the "Aphrodite" swung round, clearing the danger with comparative ease. On and on she went, literally crawling and smelling her way through that forbidding channel.

Presently Captain Restronguet touched Hythe upon the shoulder.

"Look!" said he, at the same time switching on a supplementary search-light that, instead of playing in a fore and aft direction, threw its beam at right angles to the submarine's course. For less than ten seconds the captain kept the light switched on, but in that short interval the sub saw something that made the blood run cold in his veins.

Perched upon a flat rock so insecurely that it seemed as if the faint "wash" from the "Aphrodite" would topple it over, was a regularly-shaped ma.s.s literally covered with barnacles and plentifully festooned with trailing seaweed. But even these disguises Hythe could penetrate: there was no mistaking the tapering stern, the horizontal and vertical rudders, and the twin screws of a standard type of submarine.

"'La Flamme,'" announced Captain Restronguet, at the same time raising his right hand to the salute in honour of the brave dead, an example that Hythe promptly followed.

A little farther and the twin search-lights played upon a solid barrier of rock, extending from side to side of the submerged gulley.

Placing the engine-room indicator to half-speed astern Captain Restronguet waited till the "Aphrodite's" way was checked; then turning to Mr. Devoran he nodded his head significantly.

Immediately the chief officer opened the valves of the subsidiary ballast tanks and the "Aphrodite" sank vertically to a depth of sixty-five feet beneath the surface, and rested firmly upon the sand on the bed of Machichaco Bay.

The sub glanced at his watch. Notwithstanding the fact that he had been wearing it when he dived overboard to the rescue of the man Gwennap it had sustained no damage whatsoever from its immersion. He was surprised to find that it was nine o'clock. Nearly an hour had elapsed since the submarine had first entered the tortuous defile.

"We cannot do more until daylight," announced Captain Restronguet, as soon as the patent anchors had obtained a firm hold in the sand. During the navigation of the "Aphrodite" through the dangerous channel he had been constrained; his whole attention had to be concentrated on his work, but now his usual willingness to impart information returned.

The search-lights, now no longer necessary, were switched off, so that no belated fishing-boat might have occasion to report the presence of a mysterious phosph.o.r.escence in the depths of the bay; and having received rea.s.suring reports from various parts of the vessel the captain intimated that the somewhat long-delayed dinner would prove acceptable.

"I discovered this channel quite by accident," said the captain, during the progress of the meal. "We put in here on our way north, since the nautical directories state that here the currents run with great velocity. This step was necessary since our acc.u.mulators were rather run down and I particularly wished to have a good reserve of power for our run across the bay and up the English Channel. Of course, in a 'blind alley' such as we are in now, there are no eddies or currents to trouble us. I was looking for a good sheltered berth, for as far as we could see through the observation plate in the bottom of the vessel there was nothing but jagged rocks. We were moving very slowly, at twenty feet below the surface, when Mylor shouted that we were pa.s.sing over a submarine. I at once thought that we were about to be attacked by the 'Vorwartz,' but Mylor promptly supplemented his first a.s.sertion by saying that the craft was a wreck."

"You say it is 'La Flamme,' sir"? asked Hythe. "How, then, is the fact to be accounted for that she was run down off Cape Finisterre?"

"She never was," replied Captain Restronguet calmly. "That was a statement based upon suggestions made by the liner's crew. No doubt they cut something down. The state of her bows proved that; but it was more likely that of a derelict or else perhaps an unfortunate fishing-vessel. Well, we found the channel, and by carefully feeling our way out, came to the current that served our purpose admirably."

"It is a tricky piece of navigation," remarked the sub.

"Not so much as one would think. You observed the two forward search-lights? Their beams are not exactly parallel, but slightly diverging. So long as the water illuminated by them is un.o.bstructed I know that the 'Aphrodite' is safe. Directly any dangerous object comes within the field of light I know that it lies in the vessel's course, and have to alter helm accordingly."

"Did you examine the wrecked submarine?" asked Hythe.

"Yes; a brief external examination, but enough to satisfy me that it was 'La Flamme,' and also the manner in which she met her fate. To-morrow, while the repairs are being undertaken, I propose to make a fairly lengthy examination, both external and internal. Perhaps you would like to accompany me."

"I should, sir, with pleasure," replied Hythe.

"I warn you that the sight will not be a pleasant one. In fact, were it not for a definite purpose, I would hesitate to undertake the interior examination."

"I have seen a few gruesome things during the comparatively short time I have been in the Service, sir."

"Very well, then. I mean to write out a report and forward it to the French Government. Perhaps you will be so kind as to endorse it with your signature and rank? I have already mentioned that I regard myself as a humanitarian. I hope the report and the suggestions I make will go a long way towards abolishing submarine warfare."

"Abolish submarine warfare?" exclaimed Hythe, astonished at the suggestion, that to him--a naval officer, who had qualified in submarine work--was utterly absurd.

"Certainly," resumed his host. "With all due respect to the Geneva Convention its work is performed in a very slipshod manner. You are not allowed by international restrictions to poison wells, or use explosive bullets; yet you are permitted to employ enormous sh.e.l.ls, mines, torpedoes, submarines, bombs from aircraft and a host of the most devilish ingenuities that civilized men can devise for the destruction of their fellow-beings. Which would you prefer, Mr. Hythe, to be quickly and painlessly poisoned when slaking your thirst on the field of battle, or to be horribly mutilated by fragments of a sh.e.l.l, and remain, perhaps for years, a misery to yourself and your fellows?"

The sub shook his head.

"By eliminating certain means of offence you reduce the limits of the horrors of war."

"Of the means only, the horrors of war will never be mitigated until the ban upon explosive sh.e.l.ls, submarine, and aerial offence and defence is imposed. Thus I maintain that the Geneva Conference has only taken a middle course. Better by far to place no limitations and make war so horrible that no nation will dare draw the sword; or else restrict the weapons of offence to solid armour-piercing sh.e.l.ls for naval warfare, small calibre rifle bullets and cold steel. To my mind submarine warfare, including torpedo work, is a despicable form of destruction."

"Yet you yourself are bent upon an errand of destruction by means of your submarine."

"Precisely. And it is the same in international warfare, because A builds a submarine, B must do likewise, in order to fight upon equal terms. But wait until to-morrow. When you have explored 'La Flamme'

perhaps you may see eye to eye with me."

"What caused the disaster, sir?" asked Hythe.

"For the present I prefer not to answer that question," was the reply.

"To-morrow I think I can explain more clearly."

After breakfast on the following morning a strong working-party, under the direction of the chief officer, prepared to tackle the task of freeing the propeller. Clad in their diving suits the men entered the air-lock and thence slipped out into the sea. Soon the hull resounded to the rasping of the hack-saws as the men attacked the hempen rope that was coiled tightly round the shafting.

"Are you ready, Mr. Hythe?" asked the captain.

The sub a.s.sented, and Captain Restronguet led the way for'ard to the divers' dressing-room. On the way he stopped, and asked his companion to accompany him to the after-conning-tower.

The sun was now shining brightly, and even at that depth the luminosity was sufficient to enable the interior of the conning-tower to be seen without the aid of artificial light.

"It is now nine o'clock," remarked Captain Restronguet. "On what quarter ought the sun to be visible at this hour?"

"South-east," replied Hythe promptly.

"Now look at its bearing according to our standard compa.s.s."

"Why, it bears south-west."

"Exactly. Now that explains the loss of 'La Flamme.' Practically the whole of this coast contains vast quant.i.ties of iron ore, and the deviation of the compa.s.s at this particular spot amounts to as much as ninety degrees. The north-west coast of Spain is bad enough in this respect. You may have heard of the loss of the 'Serpent,' several years ago. That was attributed to magnetic influence of the iron ore upon the ship's compa.s.s. Here the error is still greater. It is easy to understand that the unfortunate submarine, getting within the fatal influence of the magnetic attraction, ran full tilt upon the rocks in a heavy sea and on a pitch-dark night. But we will now prepare for our submarine walk."

In the dressing-room were Kenwyn, Carnon the quartermaster, and O'Shaunessey, who were also to form the party. The Irishman was somewhat doubtfully examining the dress and helmet served out to him.

Anything that was not "regulation" he regarded with suspicion.

"Buck up, O'Shaunessey!" said the quartermaster. "Here's the cap'n; and you're not ready yet."

"Sure, I'm ready," replied the Irishman. "But can't I have me own dress?"

"You'll be sorry for yourself if you do," said Captain Restronguet who had overheard O'Shaunessey's remark. "Before you've gone fifty yards you will feel as if you're squashed between the jaws of a vice."

"You see," he added, turning to Hythe, "the air in a diving-dress fitted with an air-tube is kept under a fairly good pressure; with ours, the air supply being self-contained, only a very slight pressure is maintained. We rely upon the stiffening bands in the flexible metal fabric to withstand the exterior pressure of the water."

Having donned their diving garb, Polglaze served out to each man a small electric lamp. Captain Restronguet and Hythe both carried a steel crowbar, Kenyon a long adjustable spanner, while Carnon and O'Shaunessey took axes. The quartermaster was also equipped with a slate for writing messages, that being the only form of definite communication under water.

As soon as the five men entered the air-lock the water was admitted.

When the compartment was full Captain Restronguet thrust back a couple of levers and a portion of the exterior plating of the hull was pushed aside. From the sill of this aperture to the bed of the sea was a drop of nearly ten feet. Unhesitatingly the captain leapt and sank upon a sandy floor, where he was joined by his companions.

Hythe found that walking in this form of dress was far easier than plodding along in the orthodox diving-suit in use in the British Navy.