ASHORE
For two days the Essex had been cruising up and down the coast on patrol
duty, looking for submarines. Several times the destroyer had been
ordered farther out to sea to form an escort for an incoming steamer, but
after her encounter with the U-87 she had sighted no more of the enemy.
Following the report of two vessels sunk off the coast on May 10, the day
on which the presence of German raiders off the coast was first reported,
the number of sinkings increased the following day, and the next. After
that they fell off, however, and upon the fifth day only one ship--a small
schooner--was sent to the bottom off the coast of Delaware.
The prisoners taken from the U-87 were stowed safely away below-decks on
the Essex, after which Jack got in touch with Admiral Sellings, on the
Dakota, by wireless. He reported the capture of the submarine and the fact
that it was being towed into port by the Ventura. Admiral Sellings ordered
Jack to continue his patrol of the coast until further notice.
Nevertheless, the Essex escorted the Ventura almost to port, before
putting about and resuming her patrol duty.
All the remainder of that day and the two days that followed Jack kept his
ship moving up and down the coast, but he caught no sight of an enemy
vessel, nor were any of the sinkings reported in that time close enough to
be considered within his territory.
On the fourth day came a message from Admiral Sellings.
"German submarine reported twenty miles north of Cape Charles," read the
message. "Investigate."
Jack acknowledged receipt of the order and addressed Frank, who stood
beside him on the bridge.
"Something definite to act on at last," he said, and read the admiral's
message aloud, adding: "Shape your course accordingly, Mr. Chadwick."
Frank gave the necessary directions. The big ship came about and headed
south again.
It was well along in the afternoon when the Essex reached the approximate
point designated by Admiral Sellings. Jack ran the destroyer as close
in-shore as he dared, and for several hours cruised about in the
neighborhood. But he saw nothing to indicate the presence of a submarine.
"If there's a U-Boat here, it's keeping pretty well under cover," said
Frank.
"So it is," replied Jack. "I don't know where the admiral got his
information, but I've got my doubts of its authenticity."
Frank's eyes were caught at that moment by the sight of a small row boat
putting off from the shore. He watched it idly for a moment, and then
noted that it was headed directly for the Essex.
"Hello," he said, "here comes some one to visit us."
Directly the little boat scraped alongside the now stationary destroyer
and the figure in the boat indicated that he wanted to come aboard.
"Don't know what he wants," muttered Jack, "but it'll be just as well to
have him up and find out."
A few moments later the occupant stood before Jack and his officers on the
bridge.
"My name," he said, "is Charles Cutlip, and I live back there." He waved a
hand shoreward. "I suppose you are hunting for submarines, Captain?"
Jack nodded.
"That's what we're here for," he affirmed.
"I thought so," said young Cutlip--he was a little more than a boy. "Well,
Captain, maybe I can help you."
Jack gave an exclamation of astonishment.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I don't know exactly," replied the boy. "Yesterday afternoon, while I was
in the house alone, three strange men appeared at the door. They wore the
costume of an ordinary seafaring man, but when they asked me for food they
had a strange manner of speech. They weren't Americans, I'm sure of that."
"And you think they were from a submarine, eh?" asked Jack.
"I'm sure of it, Captain. There were no other ships near, and they could
not have come overland, for it is a long ways to the nearest village and
they had neither horses nor automobile."
"And what did you say to them?" asked Frank.
"I gave them what food there was in the house, but they said it wasn't
enough. About this time my father came in unexpectedly. The strangers drew
revolvers and covered him. They told him they would be back to-night and
that they required him to have a certain amount of food on hand. They
threatened to kill him if he gave the alarm--and they threatened to kill
me too."
"By George!" exclaimed Frank. "It looks as though we had come to the right
spot, Jack."
"It certainly does," agreed Jack. "Now tell us the rest of your tale,
son."
"That's about all," said the boy. "They devoured what food I gave them and
then disappeared."
"And your father sent you for help, I suppose," added Frank.
"No," said the boy. "I came of my own accord. My father is badly
frightened. He has gone to find the food for the strangers. I slipped away
and ran toward the sea. Then I saw your ship, sir, and I hurried to tell
you."
"You have done well," said Jack, laying a hand on the lad's shoulder. "And
now you will be willing to help us further, will you not?"
"Of course I shall, sir."
"Very good. Now you look around the ship to your heart's content, while I
hold a conference with my officers."
"Very well, sir."
The boy walked away. Jack held a consultation with his officers on the
bridge.
"If the boy is telling the truth," he said, "and I have no doubt of it, we
are in luck. It may be that we can capture this German crew ashore and
then take possession of the submarine."
"But, sir," protested Lieutenant Hetherton, "if the submarine were to come
to the surface now and catch sight of the Essex it would never come back
again."
"I had thought of that," replied Jack, "and I have a plan that will offset
it. You see that projecting reef there?" and Jack pointed to the north.
The others signified that they did. "Well," Jack continued, "back of that
is as cosy a little harbor as you would care to see. I noticed it as we
came by. We'll take the Essex there, and she will be hidden well enough."
"Unless the submarine should chance to come to the surface there," was
Frank's objection.
"We'll have to leave something to chance," declared Jack.
"In which event your plan is as good as any I can conceive," said Frank.
"But after we get the Essex there, then what?"
"Why," said Jack, "I'll take a party of half a hundred men or so and
surround the house of this Cutlip boy. When the Germans arrive we'll nab
'em. After that we can find the submarine."
"Hasn't it struck you, sir," Frank asked of Jack, "that maybe the men who
accosted this boy and his father were merely bluffing? That they may not
return to-night?"
"It has," Jack replied, "but at the same time there is a chance that they
will. Therefore, in lieu of any other clue as to the whereabouts of the
submarine, I deem it well to act on what information, we have."
"It won't hurt anything, that's sure, sir," was Lieutenant Hetherton's
comment.
In this the other officers agreed.
"Very well then," said Jack. "It shall be as I suggested. Mr. Chadwick,
will you shape your course for the point I have mentioned."
"But the boy, sir?" said Frank. "Shall we not put him over the side
first?"
"No; we'll take him with us," Jack decided.
As the destroyer began to forge ahead, the Cutlip boy grew alarmed and
hurried to Jack's side.
"You are not taking me away, are you, sir?" he asked fearfully.
"No," replied Jack, and outlined the situation as fully as he deemed wise.
Young Cutlip was plainly eager to help in the capture of the German
submarine crew.
"And you feel sure they will come back to-night?" Jack questioned.
"Yes, sir. They must be very hungry. If you could have seen those three
men devour what little food I gave them! They seemed to be half starved."
"Strange, too," Jack muttered, "considering the number of ships they have
sunk in these waters recently. They should have replenished their stores."
"It may be that this was one of the less fortunate submarines," said
Frank. "The sinkings may have been done by other U-Boats."
"That's true, too," said Jack. "I hadn't thought of that. I guess that
must be the answer."
Less than an hour later, the Essex passed behind the shelter of the reef
Jack had mentioned. There Jack ordered her stopped, and anchor dropped.
"We should be out of sight here," he said, "unless, as you suggested,
Frank, the enemy should come to the surface at this point. And we'll have
to trust to luck that they don't."
"And now what, sir?" asked Frank.
"I'll let you select a hundred men of the crew for shore duty," said Jack.
This task did not take long, and Frank had picked and armed his men within
half an hour.
"Now," said Jack, "I'm going to put you in command of the party, Frank.
Lieutenant Hetherton shall go along as your immediate subordinate. Two
officers are enough. The rest of us will wait here. But if you have not
returned soon after daylight, we'll start a search for you."
"I can see no reason why we should be longer," said Frank. "We'll do the
best we can."
"Then I would suggest that you go ashore at once," said Jack. "You must
reach the Cutlip home while it is yet daylight in order to lay your
plans."
"Right, sir," said Frank, saluting. "We shall go ashore at once."
They put off over the side in small boats and rowed toward the shore,
where they landed less than an hour after the Essex dropped anchor. Jack
waved a hand to his chum from the bridge.
"Good luck!" he called.
Frank waved back at him, then addressed his men.
"By fours! Forward march!" he commanded.
The party, with young Cutlip in their midst, moved inland.