THE SECRET WIRELESS.
UPON regaining the "Lonette," Aubyn descended into the diminutive
cabin and made hasty preparations for his adventure. Unbuttoning his
great-coat he drew a small revolver from the inside breast pocket of
his monkey-jacket. Assuring himself that it was fully loaded, the
sub. thrust it into the right-hand pocket of his outer garment, then,
having readjusted his muffler, rebuttoned his coat, so that the
turned-up collar hid the white woollen comforter.
He felt justified in making the attempt. During his brief visit to
the trawler the lack of oil from the broken lamps had first aroused
his suspicions. Secondly, he had made the discovery that the
foremast, although painted to resemble pitch-pine, was made of metal,
and was consequently hollow. A steel mast for a vessel of that
tonnage was a decided rarity, especially when the vessel was supposed
to be a trawler. Consequently Aubyn had already made up his mind to
investigate.
It was impracticable to give Waynsford details of his plan. Without
demur the skipper of the "Lonette" had agreed to his chum's
proposition--for which Terence was truly grateful. Had Waynsford been
of a jealous or inquisitive disposition he might have wrecked his
friend's plans. Instead he had unquestionably complied with Aubyn's
wishes.
Presently Terence emerged from the cabin and peered cautiously at the
high sides of the trawler. Fortunately none of the crew was visible.
Six feet abaft the motor-boat's quarter the outlines of the trawler's
mizzen chain-plates were just discernible in the darkness.
Softly calling to the "Lonette's" bowman, Aubyn asked him to drop a
few feet astern. The man who in civil life had been a deck-hand on a
crack racing-yacht, immediately did so. His wonderment at the request
was overpowered by a sense of obedience acquired by years of training
that demanded instant response to the order of the sailing-master.
As soon as the chain-plates came within arm's length Terence grasped
the tarred lanyards and swung himself up till his head was on a level
with the bulwarks. He peered cautiously along the deck. Aft the
trawler was deserted. Forward the two hands were fumbling with the
lanterns and the ends of the severed forestay halliard. They
evidently were in no hurry to rectify the damage, Terence decided a
deft-handed man could have re-spliced the rope in a quarter of the
time.
Silently the sub. crawled over the bulwarks and made his way to the
lee side of the engine-room coamings. Here he paused to survey the
scene of action, at the same time devotedly hoping that his boots
would not creak and betray his presence. From below came the guttural
voice of the Dutch skipper punctuated by the clear decisive tones of
Dick Waynsford. Amidships, on the port side, one of the crew,
invisible from the place where Terence crouched, was still keeping up
a running fire of banter with the "Pixie's" crew.
He began to unlace his boots, regretting that he had not left them on
board the "Lonette." Then he remembered that if they were discovered
suspicions would be aroused. He could not drop them overboard without
making a splash--and the footgear had cost him a guinea a pair. Lying
about on a wet deck with stockinged feet, he reflected, was a cruel
job on a cold night, so he hurriedly re-tied the laces.
"It will be a ticklish job to give an account of myself if they find
me," he soliloquised, "that is, if the trawler's what she pretends
she is. Ten to one I'm on the right tack, though, so here goes."
On all fours he crossed the only uninterrupted part of deck space
between the companion and the side of the fish-hold coaming. Here he
was fairly safe from observation unless one of the for'ard hands
chanced to come aft.
The fish-hold hatches occupied the greater portion of the 'midships
part of the trawler. Two of the after-coverings had been removed. The
others were in place, a heavy tarpaulin being loosely thrown over
them, the canvas slack at the for'ard end.
Beneath this covering, and wedged in between the coaming and the
deck, Aubyn crawled. Here he was within ten feet of the foremast--the
object of his suspicions. Thanks to the tarpaulin he was able to keep
fairly warm in his cramped quarters, while by means of a fold in the
canvas he was able to command a wide view of the fore part of the
vessel.
Presently he heard Waynsford and the Dutch skipper, followed by the
"Lonette's" man, emerge from the cabin and make the round of the
deck. Once Waynsford's foot nearly trod upon him as he crouched under
the still tarpaulin. Then, after a seemingly endless delay, Terence
heard the farewell greetings and the gentle purring of the
"Lonette's" motors, as, followed by the "Pixie," she forged ahead,
circled and was lost to hearing in the darkness.
For the next ten minutes Terence heard nothing but the heavy measured
tread of the skipper of the trawler as he paced the deck. Then,
stopping at the forward end of his beat, he said something in a low
tone. The words were German, not Dutch--Aubyn was certain of that.
Bitterly he regretted his almost total ignorance of the language of
Britain's greatest foe.
Then came the clank of a steam winch. Apparently the men were hauling
in their nets.
"I hope the old hooker won't make off towards the Dutch coast without
the 'Lonette' spotting her," observed Aubyn. "If it come overmisty I
won't give much for my chance. By Jove! I am getting stiff."
Soon the winch was stopped, and men came for'ard. Two of them stopped
at the foot of the foremast and set to work silently and rapidly.
Slightly raising the fold of the tarpaulin the sub. could see that
they were removing a plate from the bulky steel mast. Others--for
more of the crew than had previously appeared came on the scene--rove
light steel wire rigging furnished with small circular objects that
the sub. recognised as insulators for wireless gear.
His suspicions were well-founded. Inside the steel mast was a
telescopic spar that could be hoisted thirty feet above the truck.
From the head of this staff a line of light rope running through a
block automatically uncoiled itself, the falls dropping on deck. To
one end of this line the aerial was bent and sent aloft.
Two men then came staggering forward with a huge cask. Upon knocking
off the upper and lower bands the barrel opened like an exaggerated
locket--the remaining bands being dummies--and disclosed a small but
powerful wireless apparatus.
Hardly pausing to weigh the consequences, the sub. threw aside the
folds of the tarpaulin and sprang to his feet. A howl of rage and
surprise greeted his appearance.
"Surrender!" exclaimed Aubyn sternly.
For some minutes there was a dead silence on the part of the
astonished Germans, broken only by the moaning of the wind through
the rigging and the lap of the water against the trawler's sides.
Then, giving a hasty glance round to assure himself that no vessel
was within hailing distance, and realising that the daring Englishman
was alone, the skipper gave a hurried order.
The next moment Terence was confronted by the muzzles of half a dozen
automatic pistols.
"Surrender yourself, Englishman," replied the skipper. "You mad; you
all alone. Hands up, or you dead man."
"Perhaps," remarked Terence, with outward calmness, although he
remembered with some misgivings that the hair trigger of an automatic
pistol is a delicate piece of mechanism for a horny-handed seaman to
play with. "If you shoot you'll make things a jolly sight worse for
you than they are already. You're properly cornered. The two
motor-boats are waiting a short distance off, and there's a destroyer
only too ready to bear a hand."
"Vot you going der do?" asked the German, in a chastened tone.
"To summon assistance and take possession of an enemy ship. The more
trouble you give, my friend, the worse it will be for you."
[Illustration: "Taking a quick yet steady aim, the Sub. pressed the
trigger."]
The skipper shrugged his shoulders, then hastily addressed his crew.
The latter put up their pistols, sullenly and almost mutinously. One
of the men hurried across the deck and drew a signal rocket from a
locker. This he affixed to the vessel's side and produced a match.
"Stop!" exclaimed Aubyn authoritatively.
"Dies still Zherman sheep," protested the skipper.
The match flared, shielded from the wind by the partly clasped hand
of the man who was holding it. In obedience to a further order he
began to apply the light to the rocket.
Terence whipped out his revolver. Hitherto, realising that a
premature display of the weapon might result in a volley from the
hostile pistols, he had kept the weapon out of sight. Now that the
crew were practically cowed that danger was over.
The seaman hesitated only for a brief instant, then ignoring the
levelled weapon, bent over his task. One of his comrades chuckled
derisively.
Taking a quick yet steady aim the sub. pressed the trigger. The heavy
ball went true to the mark, severing the rocket-stick and causing the
rocket to fall over the side. Luck more than good management had
enabled him to hit a target the thickness of a lead pencil on a dark
night, with only the flicker of a match to assist his aim.
"If any man attempt to go below I'll wing him--tell them that," said
Terence sternly, addressing the master. "Order them to fall in on
the starboard side."
All sign of resistance having disappeared the crew, ten in number,
formed up at the place indicated, while Aubyn drew his cigarette case
from his pocket and smoked.
It was not an act of bravado on his part. Now that the crisis was
over he had an uncontrollable craving for a cigarette. So he smoked
contentedly as he awaited the return of the "Lonette" and her
consort.
He had not long to wait. Already grey dawn was breaking. The wind had
dropped, and the short steep waves had subsided into a sullen roll.
Long before the two motor-boats came into view the purr of the
engines and the muffled roar of their exhausts could be distinctly
heard in the still morning air.
"I thought the fellows had potted you when I heard that shot,"
exclaimed Waynsford, as he clambered over the side. "Well done, old
man," he added cordially, as his glance fell upon the tell-tale
wireless gear.
"You might send 'Pixie' to bring up the destroyer," suggested Aubyn.
"It will save a lot of trouble if she tows this packet into port.
Tell her to give the destroyer the tip: there may be German
submarines about."
"What makes you think that?" asked Waynsford.
"The anxiety on the part of one of those fellows to let off a rocket.
I'm glad I was able to stop his little game."
"How?"
"Oh, a pot-shot at five yards--sent the rocket-stick flying out of
his hands. Wonder I didn't hit him."
"Serve him jolly well right if you had," added Waynsford. Already he
was fairly conversant with German methods of kultur in connexion with
nautical affairs, and to him every Teuton appeared in the light of a
skulking treacherous foe.
"'Pixie,' ahoy!" he shouted, addressing his consort, which had now
slowed down about half a cable's length away on the port quarter.
"Get into touch with that destroyer: she's heading our way. Inform
her commanding officer that we suspect hostile submarines in the
vicinity."