A Frustrated Escape
Having made this satisfying discovery, Villiers returned to the
surface and reported the good news.
There was, however, much work to be done before the rest of the gold
could be removed. The wreck of the _Fusi Yama_ had to be buoyed once
more, for, amongst other damage, the former mark-buoys had been
destroyed by the explosion. Another guide-rope had to be established
between the wreck and the shore, while, owing to the loss of the
electric submarine lamp and the generating plant, the remainder of
the work under water had to be carried out by the relatively feeble
light afforded by the divers' electric lamps.
By the time these various preliminary tasks were completed Swaine had
recovered from the effects of his perilous adventure. Siegfried
Strauss, too, was out of danger and gave but little trouble. His arm
was healing slowly, and he seemed grateful to his rivals for their
kind and generous treatment.
Swaine bore him no ill will on account of the submarine fight. He
willingly accepted Strauss' explanation that he thought Swaine was
about to attack him and that he was obliged to take action. Strauss
was the loser, and had paid the price for it. The matter was over and
done with: that was Swaine's summing up of the case.
On the other hand, every member of the _Titania's_ crew felt that
they had an account to settle with Kaspar von Giespert. The fellow
hadn't played the game from the very beginning, and his treachery in
dispatching a boat's crew to blow up the wreck, and, as he hoped,
most of the members of Harborough's party as well, put him beyond the
bounds of decency.
Strauss freely admitted that his employer had acted treacherously,
and that von Giespert was filled with a mad rage for revenge at being
baulked of his chance of getting the treasure. He also volunteered
the information that von Giespert intended to take the _Zug_ back to
European waters directly the boat's crew returned. And, since they
weren't in a position to return, it was safe to assume that von
Giespert would not risk searching for them, but, after giving up all
hope of their safety, would carry out his original programme of
leaving Ni Telang and making for home.
The two Germans captured by Dick Beverley did not take kindly to
their detention. Not from any sense of devotion to von Giespert did
they attempt to escape, but because they were under the erroneous
impression that their employer was on the right track after all and
was about to gain possession of the gold. They had heard von Giespert
say that he meant to sink the _Titania_ and gain possession of the
booty by force of arms, and, since they did not like the prospect of
being under lock and key on the yacht when she was attacked, they
took steps to regain their freedom.
It was a bright moonlight night when they put their crudely-formed
plan into execution. Although Griffiths was on guard outside the door
of their cabin-cell, he heard no suspicious noises. Working
desperately and silently, the Huns removed a portion of the inch
match-boarding that separated their cabin from the one adjoining,
which happened to be three cabins knocked into one and utilized as a
store for hydroplanes. Since the two _Cormorants_ were no longer in
existence, the fairly-expansive compartment was empty save for a few
tools, coils of rope, and kegs of paint and varnish.
One of the doors leading to the alley-way was unlocked--unlocked
doors being the rule rather than the exception on board.
They waited until they heard the sentry go for'ard, for Griffiths was
pacing up and down the whole length of the alley-way, then they
silently crept to the accommodation-ladder and gained the deck.
Merridew and Fontayne, the watch on deck, were at that moment pacing
the port side, conversing in low tones in order not to disturb their
sleeping mess-mates. Knowing that Griffiths was on duty below, they
never troubled about the prisoners--it was not their "pigeon". Their
particular duty was to see that the _Zug_ didn't pay a nocturnal
visit with sinister intent to the lagoon at Nua Leha.
In the midst of Fontayne's elaborate description of his "castle in
the air", Merridew laid one hand firmly upon his companion's
shoulder.
"Go on talking--anything," he whispered. "These two Fritzes are
trying to do a bunk. Let 'em have a run for their money; we'll see
some fun."
Merridew and his companion waited until they saw the dark shadows of
the Germans flat along the deck; then, each taking up a rifle, the
watchers followed, keeping under cover afforded by the chart-house.
Right aft crept the two Germans until they halted and peered over the
taffrail as if measuring the distance between them and the shore.
Then, with a few coils of main-sheet, they took a turn round a
belaying-pin and silently lowered the free end of the stout manilla
rope into the water.
Slowly one of the Huns wriggled on his stomach upon the
slightly-rounded top of the taffrail, then, grasping the rope, he
began to make his way down hand over hand, his companion watching his
progress.
Merridew distinctly heard a splash in the water. It was not the noise
of a man swimming.
"Sharks!" he whispered, and opened the cut-off to the magazine of his
rifle.
The German dangling at the rope's end heard it too, for he uttered a
guttural "Achtung!"
The other fell, just below the rail, tried to regain the deck, but
the task of swinging himself round and over the projecting taffrail
was beyond his powers. As he hung desperately to the rope he
prevented his companion's efforts to climb back. Both started to
shout for help.
Bawling for the rest of the duty watch to turn out, Merridew and
Fontayne ran aft. A strange sight met their eyes as they leapt over
the taffrail.
The Germans, gripping the rope with the tenacity of terror, were
swaying to and fro in their efforts to put as great a distance as
possible between them and the swirling water, while clearly visible
in the bright moonlight--as they darted in and out of the dark
shadows cast by the _Titania's_ projecting counter--were two enormous
sharks, their white bellies glistening in the silvery light as they
turned to snap at the tempting bait just above their reach.
Levelling his rifle, Merridew waited his opportunity. It was not long
in coming. One of the sharks was on the point of turning over on its
back to attempt a ferocious snap with its tremendous jaws when the
rifle cracked. At close range the nickel bullet inflicted a large and
mortal wound, and the monster, still writhing, sank out of sight.
Fontayne hit the other, but whether the shot was fatal or not
remained an unsettled question to all concerned except the shark. But
the main point was that it swam off as hard as it could go.
Meanwhile the rest of the duty-watch had come on deck. Curiosity
prompted them to have a glimpse of the two thoroughly-scared Huns,
then they proceeded to lower and man the gig--the only available
boat.
"There's no hurry," remarked Beverley. "Let 'em feel the breeze a bit
longer. It will teach them a lesson."
The sharks having been eliminated from the proposition, all danger to
life was at an end. But before the boat came under the _Titania's_
counter the uppermost Hun released his hold. In his fall he tore his
companion's grasp from the rope, and the twain hit the water with
tremendous force.
Winded and spluttering they rose to the surface, frantically grabbing
at each other until they were unceremoniously hauled into the
stern-sheets of the gig.
Next morning Harborough had the two Germans brought before him. The
men were thoroughly cowed, for that narrow escape from being seized
and devoured by sharks had knocked all the stuffing out of them.
Their punishment was solitary confinement, and they were also ordered
to make good the damage done to the woodwork of the cabin.
"Strange," remarked the baronet, when the culprits had been removed.
"Up to the present we haven't seen a shark in the lagoon but that it
has done us a good turn. Now, then, fall in all hands. Another couple
of days' work will see the job finished, and then, yo ho, for Old
England!"