The "Hammerer's" Whaler
Sub-lieutenant Crosthwaite was on the horns of a dilemma. His orders
were to attempt the rescue of the crew of the mine-sweeper; he was also
told to act in concert with the whaler of the _Tremendous_. The latter
was nowhere in sight. Which ought he to do? Proceed to the wreck, or
go in search of the missing boat?
He made up his mind quickly. The trawler, although badly damaged, did
not appear to be breaking up. If any of her crew were on board, having
survived the breakers thus far, they ought to be able to hold on a
little longer. He would search for the other whaler, or at least
communicate the news of her being missing to Lieutenant Bourne and
leave the two gigs to take up the search.
"If she's capsized she'll drop dead to leeward," declared Midshipman
Farnworth, referring to the lost boat. "We'll back in, sir; I think
that will be the best way."
"Certainly," agreed Dick cordially. He realized that the midshipman
knew what he was about. Under the circumstances it was the safest way.
Watching for an opportunity when a "smooth" occurred between the heavy
crested seas, the midshipman contrived to get his boat's bows on to the
general direction of the waves, which, owing to the shoaling of the
depth, were almost on the point of breaking. A cauldron of foaming
water stretched dead to leeward, and towards it the _Hammerer's_ whaler
was slowly backed, the men ready at the hurried word of command to pull
ahead directly a particularly vicious breaker bore down.
Although a smart look-out was kept, no sign of the _Tremendous's_ boat
was to be seen. It was like looking for the proverbial needle in a
haystack, for, although the outlines of the encircling cliffs could be
discerned against the rain-laden sky, objects on the water would be
most difficult to distinguish even at a comparatively short distance.
"This is as far as we dare go," remarked the Sub. "We'll be fairly in
broken water if we drift in any farther. There's no sign of the boat
and her crew."
Bidding the men "give way", Dick awaited developments with certain
misgivings. His expectations were presently to be realized, for the
rowers, already exhausted by their efforts, were powerless to make the
boat gain a foot. For twenty minutes they stuck gamely to their oars,
driving the long, narrow craft through the crested waves, yet, owing to
the force of the wind and the send of the sea, it seemed impossible to
gain an offing.
Meanwhile, all unbeknown to the _Hammerer's_ whaler, the boat of which
they were in search had accomplished her errand. The heavy waves that
had accounted for the two whalers becoming separated had smashed three
oars of the _Tremendous's_ whaler. Before the spare ones could be
substituted and the water baled out, the light craft had drifted many
yards to leeward.
The Sub-lieutenant in charge, actuated by a sense of rivalry, took
unnecessary risks in keeping his boat almost broadside on to the waves,
merely turning her nose into the worst of the breakers.
Unseen and unheard, the boat under Crosthwaite's orders backed within
fifty yards astern of her, and while the _Hammerer's_ whaler was going
to leeward in a vain attempt to find her consort, the object of her
search came in sight of the wreck.
Boarding on the lee side, the Sub in charge of the _Tremendous's_
whaler succeeded in getting the whole of the mine-sweeper's crew into
his boat, and, dangerously overladen, the whaler began her bid for
safety. More by good luck than by good management the party crossed
the dangerous bay, and having fallen in with the two gigs, the rescued
men were distributed between the boats.
"Seen anything of the _Hammerer's_ whaler?" asked Lieutenant Bourne
anxiously, for, until the transhipment of the major portion of the
trawler's people was being effected, he was under the impression that
Dick and his crew were following in the wake of the other boat.
The Sub-lieutenant had to reply that he had not.
Bourne did not give way to recriminations. It not a time for
reproaches. Ordering a rocket to be fired, he led his little flotilla
from under the lee of the reef and awaited a recognition of his signal.
"There's the gig signalling, sir!" exclaimed one of the seamen to Dick.
"They'll be coming to look for us."
"Pity them if they did," thought the Sub grimly, as he groped for the
flashing-lamp under the stern-sheets.
Holding the lamp well above his head, for owing to the erratic motion
of the boat he was unable to stand up, Dick made the preparation
signal--a series of short flashes. This was promptly answered, but
from the fact that the light was frequently interrupted, the Sub knew
that the intervening waves made the chances of an intelligible signal
very remote.
"Close on a lee shore," he morsed. "Do not proceed to our assistance.
Propose to beach boat and proceed to rendezvous by the beach."
Back came the reply:
"Am proceeding to your assistance."
"Hang it!" ejaculated Dick. "They've missed the 'Do not'. I'll try
again."
Before he could get the lamp in position a ripple of flashes burst
through the darkness, followed by the sharp crackle of musketry.
Bullets began to fall perilously near to the boat.
"That's done it," continued Crosthwaite. "The light's drawn the
enemy's fire."
"Do not proceed to our assistance; no assistance required," signalled
the Sub, deliberately making a redundancy in order that there would be
less possibility of a further misreading.
"I understand," came the reply in Morse; then the light vanished.
Already it had shared the attention of the fire of the Turkish troops.
The Sub looked at the jaded expressions on the faces of his men. They
were almost "done up". Clearly they could not row much longer.
"My lads!" he exclaimed. "We're in a tight corner, but we won't go
under tamely. Back her in, and we'll see if we can't send those
fellows to the right-about."
At the prospect of a scrap the boat's crew forgot their fatigue.
Promptly they began to back the whaler towards the shore.
"Unship the rudder," ordered the Sub. "Two oars will be sufficient to
give her way. The rest of you look to your small-arms. Keep the
sight-protectors on your rifles until you're ashore."
One thing--a most important business--Dick did not forget to do. He
hurled the signal-book over the side. Heavily weighted, it sank like a
stone. Happen what may, the enemy would not gain possession of that
highly important and confidential manual.
Carried at a great rate by wind and waves, the doomed whaler was not
long in striking bottom. Her heel hit a rock with tremendous force,
while her bows, lifted by a heavy wave, shot up clear of the water,
throwing several of the crew off their thwarts. Then, surging
broadside on, the boat was filled with the next wave and hurled on her
side upon the beach.
Agilely, and without sustaining any injuries, the officers and men
leapt clear of the boat, and struggling through the "undertow" as the
wave receded from the beach, succeeded in gaining the shore.
Instinctively they took cover and waited for orders.
The men found themselves on a broad, gently shelving beach interspersed
by clusters of weather- and sea-worn rocks. Between the fringe of the
breakers and the base of the cliffs was a distance of nearly fifty
yards. The sea being practically tideless, there was no danger of
being cut off by the water.
Two hundred feet or more above, the Turkish soldiers on the summit of
the cliff were still blazing away in the supposed direction of the
boats, which had now rowed well clear of the bullet-flecked patch of
angry water. The landing of the _Hammerer's_ whaler had been unnoticed
by them in the darkness and confusion, while fortunately Dick did not
precipitate matters by giving orders to his men to open fire.
For quite five minutes the whaler's crew kept under cover; till,
finding that they were not the mark of the Ottoman fire, the Sub gave
the word for the men to advance until they reached the base of the
cliff.
"All present?" asked Dick. "Any man injured?"
"All correct, sir," replied the coxswain. "Two rifles are missing, but
Job Trayner and Bill Symes brought the ammunition chest ashore."
"Well done!" exclaimed Crosthwaite.
It was indeed fortunate that, even in the midst of peril when the boat
struck, the two seamen had had the courage and forethought to bring
ashore the small teak case containing the small-arms ammunition;
equally so that most of the men had secured their pouches, which,
during their arduous efforts to gain headway, had been laid aside.
"Follow me, my lads!" said the Sub. "All being well, another half an
hour will see us safely in the boats."
It was not easy going, for at every five or six yards a projecting
ridge of rock had either to be skirted or surmounted--a task rendered
doubly difficult by the darkness and the slippery state of the ground
caused by the heavy downpour of rain.
Presently Dick came to an abrupt halt and held up his hand. The single
line of men stopped, some gripping their rifles in anticipation of an
attack.
The young officer found his progress barred by a small creek or gully
that extended into a ravine, and evidently received a river or stream,
for there was a considerable amount of water running towards the sea.
It was imperative that this inlet should be crossed, but the Sub
hesitated: not that he was loath to attempt to swim the stretch of
intervening water, for already he was soaking owing to the dash through
the surf. The nature of the opposite bank was the difficulty, for as
far as he could make out in the darkness, the stream had worked the
rocks smooth, and a ledge of stone quite five feet above the surface
offered a wellnigh impassable barrier to a swimmer to draw himself
clear of the water and surmount.
"I'll see what it is like, sir," volunteered Trayner. "Maybe it's not
so bad as it looks."
The man lowered himself into the water and struck out. By dint of
swimming obliquely upstream he contrived to gain the other side almost
opposite the place where the others waited. Both up and down stream he
swam for a considerable distance, till the Sub cautiously ordered him
to return.
"Felt like a mouse in half a bucket of water, sir," explained Trayner.
"Sides are as smooth as a ship's sides--p'r'aps worse. I'll have
another shot a little way up the creek."
"You've done enough for the present, Trayner," said Dick, noticing the
strained look about the man's eyes. "Two of you work away to the left
and two to the right. Return as smartly as you can, and report."
The men went off, leaving Dick and the main party literally to cool
their heels by the side of the baffling gully. Presently the pair who
had gone towards the opening of the creek returned with the information
that there was a shallow bar where the stream joined the sea, and that
it was easy to ford.
Before they had finished their report the other two reappeared.
"There's a way over about a couple of hundred yards up, sir," announced
one. "There's a path on either side of this gully, and, what's more,
the one on this side goes up towards the top of the cliff. Looks as If
it's used a goodish bit, sir. If I might make so bold as to suggest,
sir----"
"Carry on, Webb."
"There's a wholesome type o' craft lying alongside--wholesome as boats
along these parts, sir. She's felucca-rigged. P'r'aps if we could cut
her out----"
"It's dead to windward, and as there's a bar at the entrance we
couldn't get her across in heavy weather," objected Crosthwaite.
"We'll push on, or we'll find the boats gone when we arrive at the
rendezvous."
Traversing the fifty yards of rocky beach, the men reached the spot
where the bar crossed the entrance. Here the danger arose of being
spotted by the Turks on the cliff, for even in the darkness the
milk-white foam showed up distinctly and made a bad background to the
moving seamen. Yet one thing was in their favour. The attention of
the troops seemed to be wholly directed upon a supposed target in the
centre of the bay.
"One at a time, men; don't----"
Dick broke off as the giant beam of a powerful search-light flung its
long arm athwart the bay. The Turks, well supplied by modern
accessories of war, had brought up a portable search-light mounted on a
motor-lorry, the wheels of which were specially adapted to traversing
difficult ground.
The Sub realized that it was neck or nothing. If his party did not
cross at once while the beam trying to pick up the object at which the
riflemen had been firing so long, the search-light would be trained
upon the beach, so that in the event of a landing being effected, the
Turks could make their dispositions accordingly. On the other hand,
the search-light would reveal the presence of the three boats at the
rendezvous, with the result that Lieutenant Bourne would have to push
off without waiting for the crew of the _Hammerer's_ whaler.
Undiscovered, the boat's crew succeeded in wading along the bar,
frequently waist-deep in foam. From this point the remaining portion
of the beach presented but little difficulty. There were obstructions
in the shape of rocks and little streams making their way to the sea,
but nothing of a serious nature. After three-quarters of an hour's
smart marching the men arrived at the rendezvous on the under the lee
of Bender Dagh Point.
The boats had left. Dick and his party were stranded upon a hostile
shore.