A BOLT FROM THE BLUE
"I feel," said Lawless, addressing himself to Sub-lieutenant Trent as
they stood together on the deck of the _Knat_, "as pleased as a pig with
two tails."
He glanced around him appreciatively, lingering over each
well-remembered object, from the quick-firer on the "bandstand" aft to
the battered ventilating cowls each side of the for'a'd funnel.
"Even the old shipboard stink is fragrant in my nostrils," he went on,
"and the awful profanity issuing from the galley yonder is like sweet
music unto my ears."
"H'm," grunted Trent, "you don't seem to have been very happy in the air
service."
The look of joyful appreciation faded from the Lieutenant's eyes.
"I've lost one thousand five hundred and five pounds since I left the
_Knat_," he answered. "Or as good as lost it."
"Eh!" ejaculated the junior officer.
Whereupon Lawless confided to him the story of his uncle's unfortunate
bet and the sad episode of the German spy who, after being rescued from
the derelict steamer, had borrowed five pounds.
"When you've stopped braying, you jackass, I'll get below," snapped the
Lieutenant, and, Trent having mastered his mirth, Lawless departed to
his cabin.
The _Knat_ was on her way to the Clyde, where, with two other
destroyers, the _Arrow_ and the _Kite_, she was to escort the recently
launched battleship _Mars_ round to Portsmouth. It was evening when the
_Knat_ arrived in the Clyde and took up moorings near the leviathan
battleship, the existence of which was supposed to be known only to the
Admiralty and those who had been engaged in her construction. As she was
not to leave till noon on the following day, Lawless decided to take the
opportunity of a run ashore, and accordingly, having arrayed himself in
mufti, stepped into the boat and waved farewell to his envious junior
officer.
Now, on its way to the shore, the boat had to pass close by a very dirty
coal-tramp, bearing on her stern the legend, "_Black Diamond_,
Newcastle-on-Tyne." As they pulled near the stern in order to reach the
quay, Lawless heard a certain order which made him prick up his ears and
indulge in a few moments' very earnest thought. After a little
reflection, however, he smiled at his suspicions, and dismissed the
subject from his mind.
It was somewhat late when, after a visit to the only music-hall which
the district boasted, the Lieutenant made his way down a side street to
a certain little Continental restaurant which used to be patronised
almost exclusively by foreigners.
His attention was attracted by two men attired in the uniform of
Mercantile Marine officers who sat at a table opposite. They excited his
curiosity, for, although they appeared to speak English perfectly, they
were in uniform, and a British sea officer, like his naval confrère,
hates above all things to be seen ashore in "regimentals."
So impressed was Lawless that when the two officers left the restaurant
he followed at a respectful distance till they reached the quay
alongside which the _Black Diamond_ was lying. Here another thing struck
him as being decidedly peculiar; for, instead of having an aged and
rheumatic watchman aboard, as is the usual custom of British ships when
in a home port, there was a man walking up and down in front of the
gangway as if on sentry go. Then, more astonishing still, as the two
officers went on board this man saluted them--an unheard-of ceremony on
a British merchant vessel.
With a growing uneasiness concerning the real character of the _Black
Diamond_, Lawless hailed a picket-boat, and was taken aboard the _Knat_.
Here he detailed his adventures and expounded his suspicions to Trent,
who, however, was not inclined to treat them very seriously.
"If you feel nervous about them, why don't you report to the captain of
the _Mars_?" he asked.
"And probably be regarded as a lunatic for my pains!" retorted Lawless.
He remained in thought for some moments, then rose.
"P'r'aps you're right," he remarked drowsily. "Very likely they're only
harmless Dagos after all. I'm going to turn in, so clear out!"
And a few moments later Lieutenant Lawless was sleeping.
On the following morning Lawless noticed that the _Black Diamond_ left
her berth and steamed down the river about an hour before the _Mars_ and
her escort were due to leave.
"Well, your nightmare's ship's gone now," remarked Trent. "One of the
port officials told me she had cleared for Valencia with coals."
"Coals!" echoed Lawless. "Rum sort of place to ship coals for the
Mediterranean! They could get it cheaper and quicker at Cardiff and
Newport, besides saving about four days on the double trip."
Soon afterwards came the signal to get under way. The _Mars_ was to
proceed at about ten knots, with the _Arrow_ and _Kite_ astern on each
side, and the _Knat_ in front to act as scout and clear the way for her.
Slowly and majestically the marine monster--the latest triumph of
death-dealing mechanism--swung down the river, her convoy of destroyers
looking no larger than midges against her huge bulk. Evening was drawing
in as they came abreast of the white light on Cambrae Island, and,
although he had been keeping a careful look-out all the afternoon,
Lawless had seen nothing of the mysterious _Black Diamond_.
"It's strange!" he mused. "I can't understand it."
An hour or two later, when darkness had set in, Lawless left Trent in
charge and went below to snatch a little rest. He had hardly been in his
bunk ten minutes, when a messenger knocked at the cabin door and
informed him that he was wanted on the bridge.
"What's the trouble?" asked the Lieutenant, as he reached the bridge.
Trent withdrew his head from the hood-screen on the port side, and
pointed to a couple of vertical red lights some distance ahead.
"Steamer broken down," he said; "thought it might be your bogey ship."
Lawless picked up the night glasses and gazed through them for some
moments.
"It's the _Black Diamond_, right enough," he said. "Queer she should
have a mishap right in our course, though!"
Trent laughed scornfully.
"I don't suppose they're hanging about there for fun," he observed. "If
they were really up to any games, they wouldn't show the warning
lights."
"That's just it," replied Lawless. "They know it would at once excite
suspicion if they didn't show them." And he again studied the vessel
through his glasses.
"Trent," he exclaimed suddenly, "did you see anything?"
The junior officer, although he had been gazing in the same direction as
Lawless, had seen nothing of a startling character.
"No," he replied. "What was it?"
"I'll swear I saw something slipped overboard," said Lawless; "but it's
so dark I couldn't see what it was even with these glasses. Look here,"
he added, with unusual gravity, "there's some mischief going on. I'm
certain of it."
"Then we'd better have the searchlight on her," replied Trent; and was
about to give an order when the Lieutenant stopped him.
"No," he said decisively, "that would only serve to warn them if they
are up to any artful dodges."
"They wouldn't have lowered a mine, if that's what you're thinking
about, because they know we should alter our course as soon as we saw a
disabled steamer ahead."
"No, it was nothing of that sort. It looked more like a sort of cage as
far as I could make out."
"Perhaps they're fishing for crabs," suggested Trent with a laugh. For
the life of him he could not understand what Lawless was worrying about,
since even the best-regulated steamers are apt to break down.
"Look here," said Lawless suddenly, "I'm not going to run the risk of
being made a fool of by signalling to the _Mars_. I'm going to
investigate this matter for myself." And, turning to a seaman, he told
him to get one of the Berthon boats lowered alongside.
"But if you intend to pull out to her, we shall leave you behind," said
Trent. "Besides, what can you do on your own?"
"I shall see," replied Lawless. "As to the rest, if you can't pick me
up, I can pull back to the _Kite_, which by that time will be nearly
abreast of me. I know her skipper, and he won't give me away."
Trent merely shrugged his shoulders. If his commander had a bee in his
bonnet it was not his place, as a junior officer, to argue; so he held
his peace and thought the more. The Berthon having been launched,
Lawless dropped in and started to pull towards the apparently disabled
steamer with powerful, noiseless strokes, having taken the precaution of
muffling the oars. The distance between the _Knat_ and the steamer
having been considerably lessened by this time, it was not long before
the Lieutenant reached her. He had rowed in a direct line with her
stern, that he might not be observed by any possible look-out aboard,
and at length he rested on his oars and turned round to make
observations.
"Phew!" he whistled softly.
Floating on the water alongside the steamer, and screened by her hull
from the observation of those on the war vessels, was a large
waterplane. As far as he could make out, it had accommodation for two
men, but what attracted his attention most was a machine, in appearance
not unlike a very small inverted howitzer, and evidently designed for
aiming bombs. There was no one in the waterplane, and for a moment
Lawless thought of rowing with all speed to the _Mars_ and warning her
captain; but a moment's reflection told him that it was more than likely
that she would have passed him before he could get near, and, in any
case, the warning might by that time be too late.
"I'll have to trust to luck, that's all," he muttered.
How he was going to prevent the airmen from carrying out their plans,
the nature of which he had very little difficulty in guessing, Lawless
had no very clear idea; but, after a moment's consideration, he shipped
his paddles, and slipped noiselessly into the water. A few strokes
brought him alongside the steamer, and then, keeping well under the
shadow of her hull, he continued swimming until he was able to reach one
of the wire stays on the floating machine. So far he had escaped notice.
He had no sooner secured a firm hold on the waterplane than a man,
suspended by a rope from one of the steamer's derricks, swung outboard
and gently lowered himself into the seat of the machine. Then another
man followed, and, after an interchange of remarks in a language which
Lawless had no difficulty in recognising, the two airmen took their
seats, and the engines were set going. A second or two afterwards the
waterplane began to glide off, and the Lieutenant found himself being
dragged through the water.
The weight of his body, in addition to the resistance of the water,
caused the thin steel wire to cut into his hands; and, in order to get a
firmer and less painful grip, he threw his arms over the narrow end of
the car. As he did so, the waterplane rose in the air, with the result
that it dipped and swerved so violently owing to the sudden shifting of
his weight that Lawless thought it was going to capsize. The pilot,
however, righted it with wonderful skill, but at the same time his
companion caught sight of the Lieutenant hanging on.
For a moment he stared in blank astonishment at the dark figure dangling
beneath him, and then, evidently under the impression that it was one of
his compatriots who had somehow contrived to get into this awkward
position, he leant over and extended his hand. Lawless gripped it, and,
with a tremendous effort, managed to lift himself up and throw his legs
over the canoe-shaped body, so that he sat astride facing his unknown
helper.
"Look here----" he began thoughtlessly, and then stopped. It occurred to
him, too late, that his speech had betrayed his nationality, and
therefore his motives.
The other seemed to grasp the situation in a flash, and, before he had
time to consider what to do next, Lawless found himself looking straight
into the barrel of a revolver. But the sight of the weapon had the same
effect upon him as a douche of cold water has upon a swooning man. It
restored his presence of mind, and his brain worked with lightning-like
rapidity.
In the face of death no man could be calmer than the reckless
Lieutenant. For a moment they stared at each other, the airman raised
his pistol, and then, to his amazement, the Englishman laughed.
In all probability, it was this cynical laugh which saved his life, but
defeated his immediate object. Lawless had realised that if the man
fired at him it must inevitably attract the attention of those on board
the _Mars_--for revolver shots in mid-air would be hardly likely to pass
unnoticed--and they would at once open fire with the anti-aircraft guns.
But the same thought had evidently occurred to the other, for, instead
of firing, he slipped the revolver back into his pocket.
Lawless braced himself for the coming struggle, and twisted his legs
round some wire guys to secure a firmer grip of the machine and leave
his arms free. Giving a quick glance below, he saw the lights of the
_Mars_ and her attendant destroyers standing out like tiny specks in a
gulf of unfathomable blackness. The two red lights of the _Black
Diamond_ were no longer visible, and he concluded that, having launched
the waterplane, she had proceeded on her way. To the left he could see a
searchlight, which he assumed to be operated from the _Knat_, rapidly
sweeping the horizon in great semi-circles.
The whole panorama passed before his eyes like a flash, and a moment
later he had come to grips with his antagonist.
With arms enlocked and faces almost touching, the combatants swayed
gently to and fro, as though testing each other's strength. Then,
loosening their hold, and drawing a little apart for a second, they
closed again, and this time they wound their arms about each other like
bands of steel, till the terrible pressure made their veins stand up
like whipcord, and their breath came in short, choking gasps. But
neither could get sufficient advantage over his adversary to swing him
off, and more than once it seemed as if both of them must tumble into
the sea beneath.
Had the pilot been able to come to the assistance of his companion,
Lawless would not have stood a dog's chance; but, fortunately for him,
the man had all he could do to maintain control of the machine and
prevent it from capsizing under the constantly shifting weight of the
opponents as they swayed dangerously from side to side.
Suddenly, from a point seemingly immediately beneath them, came a faint
bellowing sound, which Lawless at once recognised as the _Mars_' syren.
Apparently his antagonist recognised it also, for, throwing caution to
the winds, he flung his body forward, carrying the Lieutenant with him
so that they both nearly went over the side with the sudden impetus.
Lawless was now underneath, his back resting on the narrow deck of the
car, while the airman struggled to get a grip of his throat. Uppermost
in the mind of each was the desire to kill. Hate gleamed from their
bloodshot eyes, and they ground their teeth savagely. Having the
advantage of position, the airman at last managed to get his fingers
round the Lieutenant's throat, and the latter, in a desperate endeavour
to free himself from the choking grip, relaxed his hold, and was swung
over the side of the car. For a moment he remained head downwards,
suspended only by the steel wires into which he had twisted his legs.
Then he began to slip, and a second later disappeared from sight into
the yawning abyss beneath.
Quick as thought the airman leaned back, and, reaching the lever which
operated the bomb-throwing machine, pulled it; but, as he did so, the
waterplane gave a terrific lurch, and the bomb, instead of dropping on
the _Mars_, which at that moment was directly underneath, fell into the
water and exploded some distance astern of her. The cause of this
failure was due to Lawless gripping in his fall one of the stays which
held the rudder, and his weight, operating on the extreme end of the
machine, had destroyed its balance, and therefore altered the course of
the bomb.
Instantly the night was illuminated with the beams of searchlights,
which, like huge phosphorescent feelers, swept the sky, until at last
they were focussed on the waterplane. Then came a cracking sound from
beneath, and shot after shot whizzed upwards from the anti-aircraft guns
of the _Mars_, striking the car, smashing and splintering the slender
wooden spars which supported the planes, and occasionally snapping a
steel guy.
By a miracle Lawless had managed to retain his hold of the wire, though
it cut through his flesh, and he knew that he must drop before many
seconds elapsed, even if he was not struck by one of the shots from
below. He was on the point of letting go through sheer pain and
exhaustion, when the machine suddenly tilted, turned right over, and
then swooped downwards with a velocity that made his brain reel.
The terrible sensation of falling from a tremendous height terminated
abruptly, and next moment the Lieutenant felt the water close above his
head, and he was sinking down, down, fathoms deep, it seemed to him,
into the sea. Then came a feeling of agonising suffocation, a terrible
pressure on his chest, a sensation as though his lungs were about to
burst, and he rose to the surface, to find himself near some floating
remnants of the wrecked waterplane.
Catching hold of one of the floats, Lawless endeavoured to draw himself
up, but fell back in the water as a numbing pain shot through his left
arm. He rose to the surface again in a semi-dazed condition, and made
another feeble attempt to get on the floats; but his strength was
exhausted, and he was suffering agonies from the injured arm. At this
moment there came the sound of men's voices and the click of oars as
they swung in the rowlocks; strong arms lifted him out of the water, and
then he lost consciousness.
When Lawless came to himself, he was lying in his bunk on board the
_Knat_, and the absence of any movement told him that she must be at
anchor in harbour. In a dreamy fashion he fell to wondering why he was
lying there, with the sunlight streaming through the port-holes; he even
made an effort to rise, but fell back as a pain shot from his left elbow
to his shoulder.
That set him thinking, and gradually the events of the previous
night--he supposed it was the previous night--came back to him.
Recollections of the mysterious steamer, the fight in mid-air, his fall
into the sea--all passed through his brain in a fragmentary, disjointed
manner, like the confused memories of a dream. Then, as he was trying to
sort them out, the cabin door opened, and Sub-Lieutenant Trent entered.
"Hallo! So you've come to at last!" he exclaimed. "How do you feel?"
"As if I'd had a beastly nightmare," answered Lawless. "Where are we?"
"In Portsmouth Harbour," replied Trent, as he seated himself on a locker
beside the bunk and started to fill his pipe.
"I'm beginning to remember things a bit more clearly now," said the
Lieutenant. "Tell me what happened after I left the _Knat_."
"There's not much to tell, so far as I'm concerned," answered Trent as
he lit his pipe. "We kept our course, and just as we came abreast of
your bogey ship she hauled down her signal lights and steamed away.
Then----"
"Ah, that must have been immediately after the waterplane rose,"
interrupted Lawless. "I thought there wasn't much wrong with her
machinery."
"Well, as I was saying, as soon as she steamed off I turned the
searchlight on her, but could discover nothing of a suspicious nature,"
continued Trent. "Neither, for that matter, could I see anything of you,
though we caught sight of the empty boat drifting. Nothing fresh
happened till I heard a terrific explosion astern, and turned round just
in time to see a ball of flame sink into the water near the _Mars_. I
couldn't imagine what it was for a moment; but the _Mars_ people got
their searchlight going in less than a jiffy, and then we spotted an
aeroplane directly overhead.
"That settled the mystery of the explosion, and the _Mars_ began to pot
at her with the vertical guns, though at first it was impossible to tell
whether any hits were made. But after a few shots, all doubts were set
at rest, for she came tumbling down like a winged partridge. As soon as
she struck the water, boats were lowered, and they rowed to the floating
wreckage, where they found you and also the body of a man who had
evidently been killed by one of the shots. As the heavier parts of the
machine had sunk, we could not tell what sort of weapons she carried, or
the number of the crew.
"After that, I went aboard the _Mars_ and reported to the skipper what
you had told me about your suspicions concerning the _Black Diamond_. He
was precious ratty at not having been told before, and I got orders to
chase the steamer and search her. We overhauled her in less than half an
hour. She's now safely anchored near the Hard, and her crew are
prisoners."
"It's pretty clear that the waterplane was carried aboard the steamer in
sections," said Lawless after a pause. "No doubt they were put together
after she left the quay. The whole thing was wonderfully engineered, I
must say."
"But what about you?" asked Trent. "I imagine you must have had a rather
exciting time."
"Exciting!" ejaculated the Lieutenant grimly, and then proceeded to
relate all that had happened to him after he left the _Knat_.
"Well," said Trent at the conclusion, "you scored that time, anyway."
"I s'pose so," answered the other, with a sigh. "But if it had only been
a Zep and I'd brought it down, there'd have been a cool thou.' waiting
for me."