FRANK IN TROUBLE.
Now perfectly happy, the two boys rowed back to _The Hawk_ as rapidly as
possible. They were happy for two reasons--first because they were once
more in active service, and second, because they had just emerged
successfully from a desperate venture.
A light glowed brightly aboard the little motorboat, now that the enemy
had been disposed of; so the two lads had no trouble making their way
back. Lord Hastings greeted them with outstretched hands as they went
over the side.
"A pretty good job you made of it," he declared.
"Well, we did pick off a couple before you got busy, sir," agreed Frank.
"But if you hadn't fired the moment you did they would have potted us
sure. They had a couple of shots at us, but fortunately, they didn't
have time to get the accurate range."
"I had no idea you were so hard pressed," replied Lord Hastings. "I
fired the moment I caught sight of the foe. Even when the searchlight
was turned from _The Hawk_, it was a moment or so before I could make
out the enemy. The light had all but blinded me."
"There is no harm done, anyhow," Jack put in. "The enemy is at the
bottom of the sea and we are safe again."
"Then we may as well continue a bit," declared Lord Hastings. He turned
to give an order, when Frank interrupted him.
"Are you sure we are safe, sir?" he questioned.
"What do you mean?" demanded his commander.
"Why, I was just wondering if by any chance there might be more of the
enemy in these waters?"
"To tell the truth, I hadn't thought of that," replied Lord Hastings.
Without another word, he turned on his heel and made his way to the
searchlight, which still threw its brilliant rays across the silent
waters. Quickly he snapped it off; then returned to the lads.
"We won't be spotted so easily now," he remarked.
"Unless we have been spotted already," said Jack dryly.
And Jack proved to be a better prophet than he really meant to be.
At a signal from Lord Hastings, _The Hawk_ now moved slowly forward
again.
"Can you tell us just where we are bound, sir?" asked Jack.
"Well, not exactly," was his commander's reply. "I have information that
leads me to believe an enemy, or several enemies, may be prowling about
around----"
An interruption came suddenly and from an altogether unexpected source,
and with the interruption all aboard became suddenly silent, except Lord
Hastings, who sprang quickly to the wheel, and before the astonished
helmsman knew what was going on, threw the wheel over hard.
For the interruption which had come so suddenly was the voice of a big
gun.
Lord Hastings threw the wheel over with such violence that the motorboat
careened desperately and all but capsized. Frank and Jack saved
themselves from being thrown overboard by a quick grasp at the rail, to
which they clung with all their might.
And then, before Lord Hastings could flash the searchlight across the
water, had such been his intention, a blinding glare lighted up _The
Hawk_. The enemy had been too quick for those aboard.
Now another shot rang out and the boys heard a terrible whistling
overhead.
"Pretty close," said Jack quietly. "They are liable to get us next
time."
An idea suddenly struck Frank, and he dashed aft. There he picked up his
rifle and hurried forward again.
"Hold her steady a minute, sir," he called to Lord Hastings.
And the latter, realizing that the lad had some plan, did as requested
without asking a question.
Quickly Frank raised his rifle to his shoulder, and pausing just long
enough to take careful aim, fired.
Frank's keen mind had detected the one hope of salvation for those
aboard _The Hawk_. The enemy was very close and the lad realized that
the next shot must find its mark. There was but one thing to do. The
light aboard the enemy must be destroyed; without it _The Hawk_ could
escape, for minus the light, which was its eye, the foe could not hope
to detect them.
As Frank's finger pressed the trigger he knew that he had not missed;
and at the same moment he cried to Lord Hastings:
"Hard-a-port!"
Again _The Hawk_ careened desperately in response to the quick turn of
the helm; but it was well that Lord Hastings had acted upon the instant;
for even as Frank had fired there was another heavy "boom" and a heavy
shell passed the spot where _The Hawk_ had been a moment before.
But with the sound of the shot, the glare of the enemy's searchlight
vanished. Frank's aim had been true.
"I shot her eye out, sir," he cried to Lord Hastings.
"I see you did," chuckled his commander. "Now it's time for us to get
busy. Mr. Templeton, see if you can pick up the enemy with our light."
Jack sprang to the searchlight eagerly, and under his guiding hand, it
threw its brilliant rays over the dark waters. He swept it in a wide
half-circle to the right without result; and then swung the glare around
to the left; and there, presenting her stern, a little motorboat was
moving swiftly away.
"She's running, sir!" exclaimed Frank, who stood forward, still holding
his rifle. "Shall I give her a shot?"
"If you like," replied Lord Hastings. "It can do no harm. In the
meantime we'll have after her."
He gave the signal, "Full speed ahead," and _The Hawk_ leaped forward.
Again Frank took careful aim at a moving figure upon the deck of the
enemy and again his finger pressed the trigger. Not for nothing had he
been called a crack shot. The figure, as Frank could see in the glare of
_The Hawk's_ searchlight, threw up its arms and pitched into the sea.
And now suddenly misfortune befell _The Hawk_. The enemy had stolen an
idea from Frank, and one of the men aboard, taking aim at the powerful
searchlight of _The Hawk_, fired. His aim was as true as had been
Frank's; and the ray of light disappeared from the surface of the water.
_The Hawk_ also was blind now.
Lord Hastings gave an exclamation of dismay.
"Pretty tough," he muttered.
"But we should have guarded against it, sir," declared Jack. "We should
have figured that what we could do the other fellow could do also."
"True," replied his commander; "but it's too late now. We'll keep after
her. Maybe we can pick her up in the darkness."
"Not much chance," muttered Frank to himself.
But again fortune was to smile on them, although it came near being
misfortune.
An hour later, _The Hawk_ having been slowed to a bare five knots, Frank
thought he caught the sound of another moving object. He called Lord
Hastings' attention, and _The Hawk's_ engine was shut off. Again came
the sound, as of a choked automobile engine.
"She's off there, and pretty close," whispered Lord Hastings, with a
gesture to port.
"Shall we try a shot in the darkness, sir?" asked Frank.
"No; that would be folly," said Lord Hastings. "There is not one chance
in a thousand that the first shot would go home; and then she would be
on the move again. Now, from the fact that the sound has come twice from
the same place, I judge she is standing still--hoping that we shall run
past her."
"If you please, sir, I have a plan," said Jack.
"Let's have it," said Lord Hastings briefly.
"Well, why can't Frank and I take to the boats again. Not one boat this
time, but two. We can approach from different directions. One of us can
open fire, and if a light is shown aboard, the other can do likewise.
Caught between two fires, I believe a light will be shown, that the
enemy may try to pick us up. That will betray the enemy's presence to
you and you can sink her."
"That's not a half bad idea," decided Lord Hastings after a moment's
reflection. "You shall each have a man. Here, Edwards! Williams!"
The two men came forward quickly.
"Williams, you lower a boat and go with Mr. Templeton. Edwards, you
accompany Mr. Chadwick. Get your rifles first, men."
The men hurried aft to obey, Frank and Jack in the meantime giving their
attention to lowering the boats. This done, all leaped in and rowed in
the general direction of the foe.
Upon Jack's suggestion, Frank and Edwards rowed some distance ahead
before pointing the nose of their little craft toward where they
believed the enemy to be, and then rowed a considerable distance.
"We should be beyond her now," declared Frank, after some further
rowing. "We'll double back a bit."
They did so; and five minutes later a dark shape loomed up beside them,
so close almost, that Frank could have thrown a rock aboard.
"Cease rowing!" Frank commanded, laying down his own oars.
Edwards did likewise.
"Get your rifle ready," Frank instructed.
Edwards obeyed.
"Now," said Frank, "the first man you see show himself aboard that
craft, pick him off. I'll wait for the second one."
"Very well, sir," replied Edwards quietly.
He brought his rifle to bear upon the deck of the enemy and sat quietly,
waiting, as the little boat bobbed gently up and down with the swell of
the sea.
And he had not long to wait.
A dark shadow appeared aboard the enemy and Edwards and Frank caught the
faint glow of a cigar or cigarette as the man puffed upon it. The light
from this made his face plainly visible.
"A very indiscreet sort of a gentleman," remarked Edwards. "Here goes,
sir."
He pressed the trigger.
A howl of pain rewarded this effort and Edwards smiled grimly to
himself.
"Got him," he said cheerfully.
The sound of the rifle brought another figure to the deck. Now it was
Frank's turn and he acted instantly. Again there was a faint report and
the second man toppled over.
"Two," said Frank quietly.
"Right, sir!" replied Edwards. "All ready for another, sir."
"I guess the next will be along in a minute," said Frank dryly.
"Besides, it's about time for Jack and Williams to take a hand in the
game."
"Wouldn't want to leave them out all together, would we, sir," grinned
Edwards.
"I should say not," replied Frank.
"No, sir; they wouldn't like that."
They waited patiently, but ten minutes passed and no other form appeared
aboard the enemy.
"Guess Jack is playing a waiting game on the other side," muttered
Frank. "Now, I wonder----"
There came an abrupt interruption to his thoughts.
"Throw up your hands!" came a sharp voice from behind, a trifle to the
right. "Surrender or you are dead men!"