A DESPERATE VENTURE.
There was not a sound aboard the submarine as _The Hawk_ grated
alongside. To climb aboard the silent vessel, which lay so low in the
water, was a simple task. Lord Hastings went first and Frank and Jack
followed in order. Behind the latter came Edwards and behind him three
sailors, Allen, O'Brien and McDonald.
For a brief moment they stood silently upon the deck, each with a
revolver in his hand. Then Lord Hastings led the way to the conning
tower, which was open, and descended. The others were close behind him.
At the foot of the companionway Lord Hastings paused again, straining
his ears for a sound. None came. He motioned the others to follow him
and led the way aft.
At the extreme afterpart of the vessel he paused before a door on the
port side. From within came the sound of voices.
Lord Hastings laid a hand on the knob and surveyed those behind him.
"All ready?" he asked.
"Ready, sir," replied Jack quietly.
With a sudden movement Lord Hastings jerked open the door and stepped
quickly within.
"Hands up!" he called sharply.
Four men sat at a table in what appeared to be the commander's cabin.
They looked up from their game at Lord Hastings' gruff command and
seeing but a solitary figure, all dropped their hands to their side.
"Hands up!" commanded Lord Hastings again.
Instead of obeying this command, one man produced a revolver, shouting:
"There is only one! Shoot him!"
But Lord Hastings' revolver spoke first and the officer tumbled over.
The other three had now drawn their weapons and one fired at Lord
Hastings. The shot went wild and Lord Hastings dropped him with a second
well-directed bullet.
At this moment Jack and Frank sprang into the room. They saw Lord
Hastings confronted by two enemies and they acted instantly and before
the Germans could do so.
The revolvers of both lads spoke simultaneously and both Germans dropped
to the floor.
Jack sprang back to the door.
"Stand guard there, men!" he cried. "There may be more of them."
He jumped back to Frank's side again, fearing that one of the fallen men
might arise and return to the fray. But these fears were groundless. All
four were beyond human aid, as Lord Hastings found after gazing at each
sharply.
"Poor fellows," he said sorrowfully, "but it was their lives or ours,
and they wouldn't yield. Oh, well----" he broke off with a shrug of his
shoulders and turned to the lads.
"Search the vessel," he commanded. "There are probably others aboard."
Jack and Frank hurried away in response to this command. They went
through the submarine from stem to stern, but nowhere were they able to
find another living soul.
"Looks like those were the only ones aboard," remarked Jack.
"It does," agreed Frank. "Maybe the men in the motorboats were part of
their crews and they have been lying about here all these days waiting
for them to return."
"Well, I can't guess the answer," said Jack. "But certainly there is no
other German here."
They returned and reported to Lord Hastings.
"Very well," said their commander. "Then the best thing we can do is to
try and work this submarine back to port. It is an important capture."
"If you please, sir," said Jack. "I believe I can suggest a better plan
than that."
"And that is----" prompted Lord Hastings.
"To assume the identities of these German officers, sir. Or not
necessarily to assume their identities, but just to take charge of the
vessel as if we had been duly commissioned by the German government.
Then we can seek out the enemy's naval base and perhaps gain information
of importance."
Lord Hastings looked at the lad in amusement for some moments before he
replied:
"By Jove! You and Frank here do turn up some of the most remarkable
ideas I have ever heard!"
"Then you don't think much of the plan, sir?"
"I think so much of it," replied Lord Hastings, "that I shall act upon
it at once."
Now it was Frank's turn to show his enthusiasm.
"Hoorah!" he cried.
"That is," Lord Hastings qualified his statement, "I shall act upon your
plan if Mr. Chadwick here can restrain his enthusiasm. Otherwise, I
would be afraid to undertake the venture."
"I'll restrain it, sir," declared Frank, subdued.
"Good! See that you do," returned Lord Hastings. "Some of these days
that enthusiasm of yours will get us all into trouble."
"And what shall we do with these men, sir?" asked Jack, indicating the
fallen Germans.
"Overboard with them, I suppose," returned Lord Hastings. "It's where I
expect to go when my time comes. It's as good a grave as another."
"And shall we take their uniforms, sir?"
"Yes. It may spare some explaining."
And thus it was arranged.
Two hours later, following a thorough exploration of the submarine, Lord
Hastings announced that he could navigate it without trouble.
"Fortunately," he said, "I find that it will be possible for two men to
handle the engine room. We three and Edwards will take our turns at the
wheel and doing whatever else is to be done, relieving in the engine
room when it is necessary. Of course we are short-handed, but I believe
we can pull through. Perhaps, if we are fortunate enough to fall in with
one of the enemy, we can borrow a few men. We can concoct some story
that will pass muster and thus account for the loss of the others of our
crew."
Jack smiled.
"I guess it can be done, sir," he replied.
The dead Germans had been buried by this time and the three British
officers had donned their uniforms, which, fortunately, were not bad
fits.
"To tell the truth, I don't care much about these uniforms," declared
Frank, "but if they are going to help out any I suppose I can stand mine
for a while."
"You don't necessarily have to be in love with them," responded Jack.
"And now, sir," said Frank, "would it not be well to be moving? There
may be some of these men prowling about the sea some place and they may
return."
"Yes; there is no use lingering here," replied Lord Hastings. "Are the
men at their posts?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good! Then you may give the signal to submerge, Mr. Templeton."
"I can give it all right," grinned Jack. "But I don't see what good it
will do unless I obey myself."
"True," laughed Lord Hastings. "I had forgotten about the tanks. We
shall have to take turns looking after them also."
"I'll attend to them this time," said Jack, and took himself off.
Directly the submarine began to sink slowly and at a depth of ten
fathoms Lord Hastings called a halt. Then he signalled the engine room
for twelve knots.
"Just where are we bound, sir?" asked Frank.
"Well," said Lord Hastings, "the Germans are understood to have
established a naval base at Ostend and I have shaped my course for that
port."
"And what are we to do when we get there?"
"Events will have to shape themselves," declared Lord Hastings. "It is
impossible to foretell anything."
Jack re-entered the room at this moment, and the three held a
consultation, Edwards meantime steering the course that Lord Hastings
had given him.
And so the submarine continued on its course beneath the sea for the
rest of the night, running slowly.
At eight o'clock in the morning, Lord Hastings decided to go to the
surface for a look around. He stopped for a moment, however, just below
the surface, with the periscope protruding slightly above the water and
took in his surroundings.
In the distance he made out a coast line, which, according to his
calculations, should be the coast of Belgium.
"We should not be more than an hour's run from Ostend," he told the
lads. "We'll continue on the surface."
The submarine was brought clear of the water and continued on her way.
But there was to be no need of the submarine putting into Ostend. Half
an hour after the vessel had been brought to the surface, Frank, who was
alone for the moment upon the bridge, made out a second submarine
approaching. Quickly he summoned Lord Hastings and Jack.
"Well," said Lord Hastings, "here is where we have to do some tall
talking, as the Americans would say. He's headed directly for us."
It was true. The submarines were approaching each other rapidly.
The enemy slowed down, and in response to Lord Hastings, the captured
vessel did likewise. A voice from a figure on the bridge of the second
vessel came across the water.
"Who are you?"
"U-16," answered Lord Hastings, who had gone through the former
commander's papers carefully, "Bernstorff, commanding."
"Bernstorff," came the surprised response. "Where is Captain
Tarlenhein?"
"If you will come aboard, I will explain," shouted Lord Hastings.
"Very well."
A few moments later a small boat left the side of the other vessel and
came toward the U-16.
"Now, boys," said Lord Hastings quietly, "keep a tight rein on
yourselves and leave the talking to me. Say nothing unless you are
addressed. It would not do for us to be tripped up. We would all be put
to death as spies."
The boys nodded their understanding of this order.
"We'll be as mum as a couple of oysters, sir," declared Frank.
"I wouldn't know what to say, anyhow," agreed Jack.
"Sh-h-h," whispered Lord Hastings. "Here he comes."
The small boat scraped the side of the U-16 at this juncture. A man in
the full uniform of a German lieutenant commander stepped aboard. Lord
Hastings advanced to meet him with extended hand.
Jack and Frank followed their commander closely.