The Rival Submarines Part 35

"We'll manage it sooner or later, but there's valuable time lost. Ha, there's the 'Topaze' altering helm. She's sighted us."

A quarter of an hour later the cruiser's gig picked up the three unlucky aviators, while the aero-hydroplane was secured and towed alongside before she sank, and was hoisted on board by means of a boat's davit.

Dry clothing was immediately forthcoming, and clad in borrowed garments the rescued men were taken aft to be introduced and interviewed by the Hon. Charles Sedgwyke, captain of H.M.S. "Topaze."

Realizing that it would be useless to attempt to conceal anything Captain Restronguet made a full report of all that had occurred, and requested that he and his companions might be taken back to Zanzibar, whence the "Aphrodite" might be communicated with by wireless.

"I am afraid that it is at present impossible, Captain Restronguet,"

said the Hon. Sedgwyke. "We are under urgent orders to proceed to Delagoa Bay, for there that villainous von Harburg has been making himself particularly objectionable. We are to meet and co-operate with the 'Pique,' and should our efforts meet with success we are to carry on to Table Bay. There is, I am afraid, no option. You must accompany us, and no doubt, your valuable experience in connection with the affair will enable us to settle with the 'Vorwartz.'"

"I would much rather settle with her myself," replied Captain Restronguet.

"That I can quite understand. I can also safely a.s.sert that Captain Restronguet will not prevent the 'Topaze' from distinguishing herself by standing aloof when he might otherwise render us good service."

Captain Restronguet bowed. "Naturally," he added. "Our interests in the business lies in the same direction."

"Anything I can do to aid you I will most willingly do," continued Captain Sedgwyke. "I might suggest that the wireless of this vessel is at your disposal, and by sending a message to the Admiralty you could have it re-transmitted through your agent to the 'Aphrodite.'"

"An excellent arrangement," said Captain Restronguet, "only it is certain that the news will reach Karl von Harburg, and that is what I particularly wish to avoid."

"I trust that within the next few days Karl von Harburg will be totally indifferent to news of any description," remarked the captain of the "Topaze" drily. "But in the meanwhile make yourselves comfortable on board. You will, I hope, do us the honour of being a temporary member of the Ward Room. Mr. Hythe, who is still under the Naval Discipline Act, must, of course, mess in the Gun Room. I am still slightly hazy as to the exact official and social status of the aviator-in-chief to His Highness the Sultan of Zanzibar."

Three days later the "Topaze" was threshing her way southward at a good twenty-two knots and was approaching the rendezvous. It was now night, but the moon, shining with all the l.u.s.tre that only the tropics can enjoy, made everything on deck quite discernible.

Surrounded by a group of officers, all of whom were most anxious to gather particulars of the rival submarines from two of the princ.i.p.al characters, Captain Restronguet and Hythe had to exercise their ingenuity to prevent themselves being "pumped," for even to their kind hosts it was not advisable to give themselves away. Nevertheless the time pa.s.sed pleasantly. The paymaster's cigars were excellent, the surgeon was a lively raconteur, and the first lieutenant was kindness personified; but at length Captain Restronguet contrived to draw Hythe aside to the lee of the after nine-point-two-inch gun turret.

"No doubt you wondered why that fellow Jenkins addressed me as Hugh Tretheway," he began. "Well, it certainly was strange running across him in far-off Zanzibar. You may remember I told you that for some months, when down on my luck, I worked as an electrical fitter in Devonport Dockyard? That man Jenkins was in the same shop. He isn't a bad fellow by any means, though somewhat of a rough diamond. Hugh Tretheway is my baptismal name, but for certain reasons I preferred to drop it and a.s.sume the name of John Restronguet. I hope that for the present at all events you will keep that information a secret. I have already had a quiet talk with Jenkins on the matter, and from what I already know of him, he will be as silent as the dead."

"Of course I will carry out your wishes, sir," said the sub.

"Thank you. But to change the subject: what do you think of the chances of the 'Topaze' against the 'Vorwartz'?"

"She has her work cut out," replied the sub. "But I feel certain that every man on board will do his best."

"They cannot do more," added Captain Restronguet earnestly. "At the same time they are running needless risks when, once I locate the 'Vorwartz,' I could destroy her without a quarter of the danger.

Suppose, now, that the Delagoa Bay report was false and Karl von Harburg is knocking about in these waters: what is there to prevent her from torpedoing the ship and sending her to the bottom?"

"That is a risk that every ship must run in naval warfare," replied Hythe. "Ever since the invention of torpedoes that risk has increased, and now that submarines form a formidable arm of the Naval Service there is still the greater possibilities of a ship being sent to the bottom without a shot in self-defence."

Before Captain Restronguet could say another word a hoa.r.s.e order came from the fore bridge, followed by a shrill bugle-call for "General Quarters" and the long-drawn notes of the bo's'un's-mates' whistles.

"What's that?" demanded Captain Restronguet.

"'Clear for action'--a test order perhaps," replied Hythe. "See how those fellows get to work."

Up the companion-ladders officers hurriedly appeared, still fumbling with the buckles of their sword-belts. From for'ard tumbled a swarm of hefty bluejackets, who, invading the sacred precincts of the quarter-deck, began to unship stanchions, davits, ventilating-cowls, and other impedimenta; steel covers were lowered over skylights and companion-hatchways. The securing bolts of the after nine-point-two gun turrets were cast loose, and the long muzzle swung round, causing Captain Restronguet to hurriedly duck his head. In five minutes the quarter-deck of the "Topaze" was deserted, as were the other exposed parts of the ship, every man being at his station behind the armoured portions of the vessel.

Another bugle-call.

"As you were," exclaimed Hythe. "Suppose we go up on the after-bridge.

They are exercising. Perhaps the next evolution will be 'Out collision mats.'"

"Hope they won't have to do it in real earnest," remarked his companion as the two men ascended to their coign of vantage.

Once more the bo's'un's-mates' whistles sounded while the bo's'un shouted in stentorian tones "Out nets." The cry was repeated in half a dozen different parts of the ship, and the hither-to deserted decks became a scene of disorder and chaos: at least that's what it seemed to Captain Restronguet, who was for the time being a stranger in a strange land.

Instinctively Hythe pulled out his watch, which once more had stedfastly resisted the a.s.saults of the sea water. Captain Restronguet, gripping the rail, leant over and watched the scene of activity upon the moon-lit deck. Over the side of the gently-rolling craft active seamen slid down upon the apparently insecure net-shelves, and by a series of gymnastic feats succeeded in rolling ten tons of close-meshed steel netting over the side, to the accompaniment of shouts of "Look alive there!" from their officers. Hardly had the last man regained the deck ere the motor capstans of the fo'c'sle began to clank. Seamen armed with spars thrust at the ends of the torpedo booms to give the motor-worked wire rope a chance; then slowly yet surely the twenty hollow steel booms were swung outwards till the "Topaze" was encircled with a "crinoline" of nets at sufficient distance from the ship to stop a deadly torpedo. Back doubled the men to their stations for action.

The sub glanced at his watch. The evolution had taken only forty-five seconds.

"Smart work!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Captain Restronguet.

"Yes," a.s.sented Hythe. "But we did it in forty seconds on the old flagship. Apparently Captain Sedgwyke is not satisfied for I can hear him storming to some one."

"It is hardly my place to offer suggestions," said Captain Restronguet, "but I think it would be advisable if they kept the nets in position. It might save the 'Topaze' from being torpedoed, although I know that the speed is greatly diminished by the drag in the water."

"We never do," replied the sub. "It is the first time I have seen 'Out nets' performed with the ship underway. It is essentially a defence when lying at anchor. There: 'In net defence,' they are going to stow the nets."

In the midst of the scramble that ensued the bugle suddenly sounded "General Quarters." To leave an evolution half completed was a very unusual thing.

Something prompted Hythe to look seaward. At less than a cable's distance the two conning-towers of a submarine had just appeared above the surface of the moon-lit sea, a smother of foam making them still more conspicuous. The sub gripped his companion's arm and pointed.

"The 'Vorwartz!'" he exclaimed.

Several of the officers of the "Topaze" had observed the sudden appearance of the sinister craft, and hence the call to General Quarters. The light quick-firers were manned, their muzzles swung round till they pointed full at the submarine's conning-towers, which, proceeding at nearly the same rate and in a similar direction to that of the cruiser, presented an easy target.

Captain Sedgwyke was puzzled. It was inexplicable that the submarine should show herself when she might have let loose a torpedo while completely submerged. Nevertheless he was on the point of giving the order to open fire when Captain Restronguet, in a voice that could be heard from one end of the ship to the other, shouted:--

"Don't fire, it is the 'Aphrodite.'"

Something in the captain of the "Aphrodite's" words prompted Captain Sedgwyke to issue a confirmatory order. Hythe was astonished--even doubtful. He could not be certain as to whether it was the "Aphrodite"

or her counter-felt rival; but the inventor and constructor had made no error. It was the "Aphrodite."

Thirty feet in front of the fore conning-tower the sharp bows of the submarine appeared above the water, followed by the whole length of her decks, from which the water poured in silvery cascades.

Then a hatch was thrown open and a figure that Hythe recognized as that of the first officer appeared. Raising a megaphone Devoran shouted:--

"Is Captain Restronguet on board?"

"Ay, ay," replied a voice from the fore-bridge. "What submarine is that?"

"The 'Aphrodite,'," replied Devoran, merely as a matter of form, since his ident.i.ty was now established. "Can you send a boat? We have important intelligence to communicate."

At that moment a petty officer ran up the ladder of the after-bridge and requested Captain Restronguet to speak to Captain Sedgwyke.

"I suppose you wish to board your craft," said the Captain of the cruiser. "We will lower a boat as soon as we get a bit shipshape."

"If you will kindly do so I will rejoin the 'Aphrodite,'" replied Captain Restronguet. "At the same time I think the information is urgent. Shall I ask my first officer to deliver it verbally to save time?"

"Very good," a.s.sented Captain Sedgwyke.