THE STOLEN SUBMARINE
As the full extent of this audacious plot was laid bare before my
eyes I had a difficulty in believing in its reality.
I was obliged to remind myself of some of the maneuvres which have
marked German statecraft in the recent past, of the forgeries and
"reinsurance" treaties of Bismarck, of the patronage extended to
Abdul Hamid, of the secret intrigue that brought about the disasters
of Greece.
If I had had any scepticism left, the Emperor would have dispelled it
by the clear and business-like explanations which followed.
His majesty produced a chart of the North Sea, showing the coasts of
Great Britain and Germany, with the Kiel Canal and so forth. Half-way
between the opposite shores a dotted outline marked the situation of
the great shoals which attract the fish, and from which the harvests
of the sea are gathered by the brave and industrious toilers of
Grimsby, Hull, and many another port.
From the northern point of Denmark, two lines in red ink were drawn
right down the map to where the North Sea narrows into the Straits of
Dover.
The first of these lines was fairly direct, passing about thirty
miles to the eastward of the great fishing grounds.
The second line took a wide curve to the west, and crossed right over
the center of a shoal marked "Dogger Bank."
The Kaiser proceeded to explain.
"This is a duplicate of the charts used by the pilots of the North
Sea. I have offered my brother Nicholas as a special favor the
services of German pilots, and they will board the vessels of the
Baltic Fleet as soon as it leaves Danish waters.
"As you see, the right course would take the fleet a long way off the
English fishing-boats. But the pilots who go on board will receive
secret orders at the last moment to take the Russian ships over the
Dogger Bank, and, if possible, into the very midst of any fishing
fleet that may be there.
"Then all that is required is that you should be on the spot, and
should fire the first shot from the midst of the fishing-boats."
I endeavored to preserve a calm demeanor.
"May I suggest to your majesty that the presence of a torpedo boat
among them is likely to arouse suspicion beforehand. The English
sailors have keen eyes."
"I have thought of that. It will be necessary for you to have a
submarine."
"A submarine, sire!"
"Certainly. I have had six submarine torpedo boats built by my own
designs at Kiel since this war broke out, for use in defending the
approaches to the Canal.
"These boats are now lying in the inner harbor, all fitted out and
ready for sea.
"You will take one, with a crew of your own, whom you must enlist
secretly, and slip out through the Canal into the North Sea.
"You will proceed, keeping under the surface, till you reach the
Dogger Bank, and find yourself among the trawl nets of the English
fishermen.
"There you will wait till such time as the Russian ships come up.
"As soon as the right moment has arrived, you will rise to the
surface and discharge a torpedo. As soon as you have drawn the fire
of the Russians, and have seen an English fishing-boat struck, you
can go beneath the surface again, and make the best of your way back
to Kiel."
"Your plan is perfection itself, sire!" I exclaimed with an
admiration which was not wholly pretended, since the idea really was
not lacking in cleverness.
The Kaiser nodded good-humoredly.
"The Russians will never be persuaded they were not attacked first,
and the English will never pass over such an outrage in their own
waters," his majesty remarked complacently. "Lord Charles Beresford
will do the rest."
"I am ready to carry out your orders, sire. All I require is an
authority to take the submarine from Kiel."
The Kaiser frowned.
"Have you had any authority from me for anything you have done up to
the present, sir?" he demanded harshly.
As an answer in the negative was clearly expected, I gave it.
"Understand me, M. de Petrovitch, I repose every confidence in you;
but I should not have held this conversation with any man, even my
Chancellor, if I thought it could ever be used against me. If I gave
you the authority you ask for, I should not be able to deny that I
had ever employed you, in case of trouble."
"Then you propose, sire----?"
"I intend you to take this vessel secretly, without authority from me
or from any one else."
"And if I am caught in the act of taking it? If any of the naval
authorities question my movements?"
"You will not be caught. Your movements will not be questioned. I can
assure you of so much."
"I thank you, sire. That is quite sufficient."
I retired from the imperial presence, though not, as I have had some
reason to suspect, from the imperial observation. In other words, I
felt pretty well convinced that there would be a watch on my
movements till my task was over.
The same aide-de-camp awaited me outside the Hall of the
Hohenzollerns, and carried me back to my obscure hotel with the same
speed and silence as he had brought me.
The next morning I arose to find the papers filled with the news of
the departure of the Baltic Fleet from Libau.
The Russian Admiral, as if in obedience to the secret promptings of
Berlin, was reported as having issued a preposterous and illegal
warning that he should fire on any ship of any nation that presumed
to venture within reach of his guns. I could not help wondering what
would be thought of this proclamation in the British Admiralty.
There being no more for me to do in Berlin, I took the first train to
Kiel, the Portsmouth of Germany. Kiel itself, it will be remembered,
stands at the Baltic end of the famous canal which the present Kaiser
has had constructed for his warships to pass out to the North Sea
without going around Denmark.
It was late when I arrived, but I determined to lose no time in
seeing how far the secret orders of the Kaiser extended.
Accordingly, as soon as I had dined, I went out and took my way
toward the government dockyard.
The entrance to the dockyard was guarded by a sentry with fixed
bayonet. Behind him I saw a large iron gate which appeared to be
heavily barred, with a small postern at one side, which was also
closed.
I advanced toward the sentry, expecting every moment to hear a
challenge ring out. To my genuine astonishment, nothing of the kind
occurred. The sentry did not pay the slightest attention to me, but
went on pacing to and fro as though I had been wearing a cap of
invisibility.
I went up to the postern door, and tried the handle. It opened at a
touch, and I found myself alone in the deserted dockyard.
For some time I groped my way forward by the light of the few
scattered electric lights, till I reached the edge of a large basin
which appeared to communicate with the outer harbor of Kiel.
Turning the opposite way, I went along the edge of the wharf, picking
my way among timber balks, stacks of iron sheeting, chains, ropes,
and all the other things that are found scattered about a naval
dockyard.
At the head of the great basin I found a lock giving access to a
small inner dock, in which a number of vessels were moored.
I made my way around, searching everywhere for the vessels I had been
told I should find.
At last, in the farthest and most secluded corner, I perceived a row
of small craft, shaped much like a shark, with a long narrow tube or
funnel rising up from the center of each.
They lay low in the water, without being submerged. Alone among the
shipping they carried no riding-lights. They appeared dark, silent,
and deserted.
Almost unconsciously I ran my eye along them, counting them as they
lay. Suddenly I was aroused to keen attention.
One--two--three--four--five. The Kaiser had assured me that I should
find six submarines to choose from!
I counted once more with straining eyes.
_One_--_two_--_three_--_four_--_five_.
One of the mysterious craft had been taken away!