The Rival Submarines Part 32

Furthermore, it was announced that rewards totaling nearly a hundred and forty thousand pounds had been offered to whoever succeeded in capturing or destroying the "Vorwartz." Of this amount Lloyd's--already a heavy sufferer by these depredations--had guaranteed thirty thousand, the remainder being provided by the Governments of Great Britain, France, Germany and the United States of America.

Captain Restronguet fumed at the delay. It was not on account of the bounteous guerdon, but because he was unable to put a stop once and for all to his rival's insane acts, for without doubt Karl von Harburg was now nothing less than a dangerous maniac, who possessed sufficient cunning and authority to bend the will of his crew to suit his own aims.

It seemed hard indeed that a vessel like the "Aphrodite," equipped with every appliance that human ingenuity could contrive, should be penned in by a narrow strip of sand and shingle on which the surf rolled incessantly.

"I'll have a shot at it at next high water," announced Captain Restronguet to his officers. "That will be at three o'clock! It is high water full and change on this part of the coast at a quarter past four, and as there is a new moon the day after to-morrow each tide until that day ought to be higher than the preceding one."

"Unless influenced by the wind, sir," added Hythe. "That is a great consideration."

"Undoubtedly," admitted the captain. "But the sooner we make our preparations the better. Pa.s.s the word for Captain Rees, and ask him to warn his men to bear a hand. Unless every one works with a will our chances of success will be severely threatened."

The sunken boats of the "Iticaba" were raised, baled out, and laden with movable stores from the submarine. Everything that could possibly be taken from the "Aphrodite" to lessen her already diminished draught was hoisted out, till the boats were laden as deeply as they could be in view of the fact that they would also have to pa.s.s the dangerous bar.

"We had a matter of three hundred barrels of heavy oil in the old 'Iticaba,' sir," announced Captain Rees. "It's just possible that those murdering rascals have not stove in the heads of every barrel that came ash.o.r.e. They might be of service in keeping down the broken water."

"Might," remarked Captain Restronguet dubiously. "What do you say, Mr.

Hythe?"

"I've had no experience under circ.u.mstances like the present, sir,"

replied the sub. "The Board of Trade officials state that in a surf, or waves breaking over a bar, the effect of the oil is uncertain."

"We'll try it, anyhow," said Captain Restronguet. "Tell Mr. Kenwyn to take a party ash.o.r.e--see that they are well armed and keep a sharp look-out--and bring back any barrels of oil that may have come ash.o.r.e."

In less than an hour Kenwyn's party returned, pushing five large barrels over the sand. These were placed in the cutter, which was immediately sent seawards, for it was now nearly the time of high water. As the boat gained the fringe of breakers one wave washed over her bows. From the deck of the "Aphrodite" it could be seen that they were baling furiously. It was a question whether this cutter would escape being swamped; but after a strenuous struggle the boat succeeded in drawing clear of the surf.

Anchoring, Kenwyn prepared to liberate the oil. Simultaneously the 'Aphrodite' weighed her anchors, and with the other boats of the 'Iticaba' in tow awaited the critical moment to attempt the risky pa.s.sage.

"They're staving in the barrel, sir," announced Devoran. "There's one overboard."

"It makes a difference to the water already," observed Captain Restronguet. "But we'll wait till they heave the contents of another couple of barrels overboard, and then we'll see what we can do. By Jove, what's that?"

A sudden flash, vivid even in the strong sunlight, was followed by a dense cloud of smoke that completely hid the cutter from sight. Owing to the lack of wind the vapour hung about like a pall, but presently the heads of several men could be seen as they swam for all they were worth towards the sh.o.r.e.

There was a rush for the boats that still remained alongside the "Aphrodite," and heedless of the risk they ran in pulling the laden craft towards the bar the crews bent to their oars.

In a comparatively short s.p.a.ce of time the swimmers were all picked up, several of them being slightly burned, while in some instances their hair and beards had been singed off.

"What has happened, Mr. Kenwyn?" demanded Captain Restronguet, as the unlucky boat's crew boarded the submarine.

"One of the barrels contained sodium carbide, sir, and we didn't know it till the head was knocked off. There was a lot of water in the bottom of the boat----"

"And what caused it to take fire; some one was smoking, eh?"

"Yes, sir," replied the second officer.

"Was it one of my men?"

"No, sir."

"Very well, I'll say no more. Had the culprit been one of the 'Aphrodite's' crew there would be trouble; but I do not want to exercise any jurisdiction over the men of the 'Iticaba.' At the same time, Mr.

Kenwyn, it was your duty to keep order in the boat, and with an inflammable cargo of oil on board, you ought to have maintained the strictest vigilance."

Kenwyn did not reply. The captain's strictures were necessary, but the second officer was not a man to make lame excuses, even though one of the seamen from the "Iticaba" had quietly lit his pipe while Kenwyn's back was turned.

The carbide had by now burnt itself out, but patches of burning oil were still drifting sh.o.r.ewards. Nevertheless the object of the expedition was in the main successful, for the seas no longer broke heavily, but continued in a sullen roll right into the deeper water within the creek.

Ordering half speed ahead, Captain Restronguet stood by the quartermaster and gave directions as to the course. Gathering way the submarine started on her bid for freedom, the remaining boat of the "Iticaba" being towed astern. No one remained in the boats, while at the stern of the "Aphrodite" a man stood ready with a sharp axe to sever the towing hawser should any of the lumbering craft become swamped.

Nearer and nearer to the danger zone the "Aphrodite" headed. Suddenly there was a dull thud. She was aground aft. The boats in tow came surging alongside, only to be swept backwards with a tremendous jerk on the hawser as a roller came swinging by.

That wave did it. Lifting the "Aphrodite's" heel clear of the sand it enabled the submarine under the action of her powerful engines to glide into deep water, followed by the half water-logged flotilla of boats.

As soon as a safe distance had been placed between her and the inhospitable sh.o.r.e the submarine eased down; the "Iticaba's" boats were brought alongside and the work of bringing the "Aphrodite's" spare gear on board again was pushed forward with feverish energy.

All the boats save the largest whaler were cast adrift, as if kept in tow they would have made a great difference in the submarine's speed, and anxious to fall in with the piratical "Vorwartz," Captain Restronguet ordered a course to be shaped for Zanzibar at the utmost capacity of the "Aphrodite's" motors.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE AERO-HYDROPLANE.

"I want you men to promise me," said Captain Restronguet, addressing the survivors of the "Iticaba's" crew, who were drawn up in the submarine deck--"I want you to give me your word of honour that on landing, and in a period of fourteen days from that time, you will make no mention whatsoever about the 'Aphrodite' being still capable of action. Mind, I do not bind you down by conditions, threats, or intimidation of any sort. I would not insult a body of true-hearted British seamen by so doing. I merely ask, in the interests of every vessel within range of the 'Vorwartz's' atrocities, that the presence of the 'Aphrodite' should not be revealed."

The submarine was now within ten miles of Ras Nungwe, the northernmost part of Zanzibar Island, and the "Iticaba's" people were about to be sent ash.o.r.e. They had, through their skipper, expressed their most grateful thanks for their gallant rescue in the nick of time, and in replying Captain Restronguet had made this request with reference to the "Vorwartz."

"Strikes me very forcibly, sir," answered Captain Rees, "that you have made a very difficult request. You see, there's bound to be an inquiry by the Consul, and a report will have to be sent to Lloyd's before the owners can recover the insurance. And without I make a clean breast of it the Board of Trade will take away my ticket."

"By Jove, I hadn't thought of that!" exclaimed Captain Restronguet. "As you say, it is a very difficult point to take into consideration. Yet in an affair of this description, where so much depends upon the issue, the ordinary routine followed in cases of shipwreck ought to be put aside, at least for a few days."

"I could answer for my men," continued the old skipper, and a l.u.s.ty chorus of "Ay, ay," that had a ring of sincerity in it, came from the survivors of the ill-fated tramp. "But, you see, sir, it's a ticklish business trying to bamboozle the Board."

"If I were to write a letter to the President of the Consular Court--no, I'll tell you what I'll do; I'll go myself," declared Captain Restronguet. "Mr. Devoran, keep an offing, will you? I'm going ash.o.r.e in the 'Iticaba's' boat; I'll hire some sort of craft to get back, so keep a sharp look-out for me on the west side of Bawi Island, that's over yonder. It is on the north side of the Western Pa.s.s, as the approach of Zanzibar Town is called. Should any large craft come in sight, don't hesitate to dive. We must preserve our secret at all costs."

"Are you going alone, sir?" asked Hythe.

"I did think of so doing; but why? Would you like to accompany me ash.o.r.e?"

"I should, sir. You see, I know the place fairly well. Spent three months in the East Indies flagship in these waters when I was a midshipman."

The whaler was manned, Captain Restronguet, the skipper of the "Iticaba," and Hythe sitting in the stern sheets. There was no wind, so the men had recourse to their oars, and a five mile pull under a blazing sun was no light task. Nevertheless, within an hour and a quarter of leaving the "Aphrodite" the whaler ran alongside the landing-slips at Zanzibar.

A crowd of Arabs, Zanzibaris, and negroes, with a sprinkling of Europeans, awaited the arrival of the boat, for since there was no large vessel lying outside the Western Pa.s.s, it was rightly conjectured that the men were survivors from some disaster.

Loyally the seamen maintained silence, and stolidly refused to be questioned by several of the seamen from other ships that happened to be lying in the roadstead, and in a body they marched to the British Consulate, where Captain Restronguet asked to be shown into the presence of His Majesty's representative.

"What name, sir?" asked the stalwart sergeant of marines, who was in charge of the guard.