The Rival Submarines Part 9

"My dear sir," replied Captain Restronguet, "I ought to have said that we were _partially_ replenishing our reserve of electricity. At this moment there is sufficient power on board to drive the 'Aphrodite' at a speed of thirty-five knots on the surface or twenty when submerged, for a continuous period of at least one hundred and twenty hours. We merely take advantage of the opportunity to increase our reserve. But you are not eating. Is my meagre fare not sufficiently tempting?"

"I am too interested to think about eating," replied Hythe. "But now you mention it I feel quite peckish."

"We are obliged to do without fresh meat," said Captain Restronguet apologetically. "Nevertheless I think you will find this dish of pilchards excellent. Here is seakale sauce that by the skill of the 'Aphrodite's' cook can hardly be distinguished from asparagus. Roast dog-fish, if you care to try it, you will find hard to believe anything but beef-steak. By a certain process, simple to apply, all taste of fish is eliminated."

Captain Restronguet helped his guest to a slice of dog-fish--a fish that fishermen not so many years back generally threw back into the sea as useless.

"Excellent," declared the sub. "However is this dish produced in this guise?"

"Also by electricity," said Captain Restronguet calmly. "By applying a certain form of current all the oily portions of the fish are destroyed, leaving only the red corpuscles in the flesh."

Just then came a knock at the door, and in response to the captain's permission to enter one of the crew appeared, holding an envelope in his hand.

"H'm! Message from the wireless room--excuse me," remarked Captain Restronguet, as he began to tear open the flap. "Shouldn't be surprised, Mr. Hythe, if this doesn't concern you. Yes, listen: 'Secretary of Admiralty acknowledges Captain Restronguet's message re safety of Sub-Lieutenant Arnold Hythe and Michael O'Shaunessey, A.B. If genuine a message from the naval officer detained is requested. Reasons are also desired why Captain Restronguet took forcible possession of two of His Majesty's subjects.' Ha! That is a reasonable message."

"Reasonable?"

"Yes. The Admiralty are beginning to realize that I, Captain Restronguet, am a person worthy of their consideration. That is more than they did a few years' back. As a matter of fact I have had a little quarrel with My Lords. Some day I will give you details; but meanwhile I am continuing my harmless yet disconcerting tactics that tend to prove how futile the defences of this country are against the latest product of modern science. Yes, Mr. Hythe, the Secretary of the Admiralty will have definite evidence before many hours have pa.s.sed."

To go back to H.M.S. "Investigator": as soon as Hythe's appeal for help was received the attendants on the diving-party began to haul in the sub's life-line, but before five fathoms had been brought inboard a sudden relaxation of the strain told them that the rope had been severed.

"Be sharp, men! Blow him to the surface," ordered Egmont. "There's something up down there."

"Mr. Hythe's just signalled for more air, sir," announced the seaman who had charge of the telephone.

Rapidly the handles of the air-pump revolved. An increase in the number and size of the bubbles rising to the surface was the only result.

"See if the others are all right," ordered the lieutenant. "What's that? O'Shaunessey reports all correct; tell him to find out what's wrong with Mr. Hythe. Can't you get any reply from Mr. Hythe, Mr.

Smithers?"

"No reply, sir," said the man laconically.

A paying out of the Irishman's life-line told them on deck that O'Shaunessey was on his way to look for his officer. Five minutes elapsed, then a confused jumble of e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns through the telephone betokened the unmistakable fact that the Hibernian diver was shouting at the top of his voice.

"Stow it, mate; what's the bloomin' use of shoutin' like that?" spoke the man on O'Shaunessey's telephone reprovingly. Then, after a short interval, he took the instrument from his ear and turned to Lieutenant Egmont.

"Wire's cut off, sir," he announced.

"And his life-line and air-tube cut, too, sir," added another seaman.

"Great heavens! what's up?" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the lieutenant. "Here, bring Price up before he's done for."

Hastily Egmont communicated this disquieting news to Captain Tarf.a.g.

The latter went for'ard and awaited Diver Price's re-appearance.

As soon as Price's helmet appeared above the surface his gla.s.s plate was unscrewed, revealing his features as pale as a sheet.

"What has happened?" demanded Captain Tarf.a.g anxiously.

The man was incapable of speech. He could only raise one hand in a gesture of horror and despair.

"Help him over the side, men," ordered the captain. "Run aft, one of you, and ask the steward to give you a stiff gla.s.s of grog."

Quickly Price was divested of his helmet and dress. Shaking like a leaf he sat down upon a bollard. He drained the gla.s.s of whisky at one gulp, and the colour began to return to his face.

"Both done for!" he cried. "Saw my mate stabbed by the villains. Never caught a sight o' Mr. Hythe."

"By heavens, I'll not stand this!" thundered Captain Tarf.a.g. "I want three men to go down--who will volunteer?"

"I will, sir!" came a chorus of voices. Every man qualified as a diver had offered to risk possibly certain death in the depths of the sea.

"You three," ordered the captain, indicating Moy, Banks, and Smithers.

"Keep your knives in your hands and don't hesitate to use them. Take a charge of guncotton. If you've a chance place it under her bilges, and I'll take the risk of blowing this infernal submarine to Jericho."

Quickly the three dauntless divers prepared to descend, while a petty officer and two seamen hastened to bring the explosive from the magazine and the batteries for firing the charge.

But ere the divers were ready a sudden commotion on sh.o.r.e attracted the attention of Captain Tarf.a.g and the crew of the "Investigator." The working party on the beach had discovered that the net entanglements no longer held. They were coming home with hardly any resistance, bringing with them the grapnels of the picquet-boats till the latter had to hastily cast off in order to prevent themselves being dragged ash.o.r.e.

"She's given us the slip, by George!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Mr. Egmont.

"Perhaps the nets have parted," suggested Captain Tarf.a.g. "Look alive, men!"

One after another the divers disappeared over the side. Three distinct patches of bubbles indicated their course. They were, for mutual safety, keeping close together. To all inquiries on the telephone the answer was, "Nothing to be seen," until Moy reported that he had discovered distinct traces in the sand of the impression of a fairly flat-bottomed vessel of at least thirty foot beam.

"It's no go," exclaimed Captain Tarf.a.g. "Order the men back, and report the loss of Mr. Hythe and O' Shaunessey to the Commander-in-Chief at Devonport. By smoke! All the fat is in the fire now."

Quickly the dispiriting news spread from ship to ship, and from boat to boat. A panic seemed to seize the spectators in private craft, for, as if by a sudden impulse, they made a wild stampede from the shelter of the shallow water of Cawsand Bay. But nothing happened to imperil their safety. No huge sea-monster, the work of human hands, appeared to scatter destruction broadcast upon those venturesome individuals who had gone forth to witness the capture of the mysterious Captain Restronguet.

The elusive submarine had calmly stolen away, without a trace of the tragedy that every one imagined had been enacted beneath the waves, save for portions of the two life-lines and the disconnected air-tubes.

The "Investigator" and the rest of the Government vessels lost no time in putting into the Hamoaze. Captain Tarf.a.g, accompanied by Lieutenant Egmont, immediately went on sh.o.r.e to report to the Commander-in-Chief.

Already special editions of the papers were out, giving more or less accurate accounts of the futile operations in connexion with the attempt to capture the submarine, and all laid particular stress upon the fact that the lives of an officer and a seaman had been sacrificed on the altar of duty.

"You saw nothing, Tarf.a.g?" asked the Admiral.

"Nothing, sir. The diver who escaped reported that the whole time he was below he saw no trace of the submarine, although he followed the line of netting for several yards. What he did see was his comrade, O'Shaunessey, beset by half a dozen men. He admitted he was terribly scared, but went to his fellow-diver's a.s.sistance. Before he could get close enough he saw that O'Shaunessey's life-line had been cut and his air-tube disconnected. Realizing that he could do nothing, and that he was in pressing danger, Price signalled to be hauled up."

"But how did the submarine contrive to get clear of the wire and rope entanglements? Surely you saw some signs of a commotion?"

"Nothing--not even a ripple. The first intimation we had was from the sh.o.r.e. The nets came home quite easily."

"H'm," e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the Admiral. "Perhaps I----"

The entrance of an a.s.sistant secretary caused the Commander-in-Chief to pause abruptly. The newcomer held out a type-written doc.u.ment.

"Message through from the Admiralty, sir," he announced.

"By Jove! What's this?" exclaimed the astonished Admiral. "The Secretary to the Admiralty reports that a telephone message was received from a North London call-office, reporting that Mr. Hythe and O'