THE DOGGER BANK
The sound of the explosion reverberated through the little craft like
thunder. Orloff and half a dozen more men came rushing up.
"This man disobeyed me," I said, quietly, slipping a fresh cartridge
into the smoking chamber of my revolver. "Throw the body overboard,
and return to your duties."
What instructions Orloff and his men had received it was impossible
for me to guess. But they clearly did not authorize any breach of
discipline at this stage of the voyage.
Without the slightest demur they lifted up the body, and carried it
off. I had learned the way to manage the submarine by watching Orloff
during the night, and I now pressed a lever which brought us swiftly
to the surface. There was a sound of trampling feet overhead,
followed by a splash, and I saw the mutineer's body drift past.
It would be idle to seek for words in which to describe the
overpowering anxiety which racked my nerves as we tore through the
water. The peace of Europe, the safety of Japan and Great Britain,
perhaps the future of the world, might be at stake.
Everything depended on my finding the other submarine before it had
launched its bolt against the great war fleet which was even now
steaming through the Danish Belts, officered by men, some of whom I
knew to be ready to take advantage of any pretext for outraging the
peace of the seas.
It did not take me long to decide that the neighborhood of the Dogger
Bank was the most likely place, in fact the only place, for my
search.
I am not wholly unskilled in navigation, having given up a good deal
of my spare time to yachting. With the aid of a chart which was on
board, I had little difficulty in keeping a fairly straight course
for the famous fishing ground.
On the way I did not neglect the opportunity of acquiring a complete
command over the movements of the submarine.
It was driven by electricity, and so designed that by means of
various knobs, one man could control it entirely, steering it,
raising or lowering it in the water, increasing or slackening speed,
stopping, backing, and even discharging the torpedo which was its
only weapon of attack--with the exception of a small sharp ram at the
bow.
Having asserted my authority, and acquired the practical knowledge I
needed, I at last called Orloff to me, and gave him the wheel.
"Take me to the Dogger Bank. Warn me as soon as we get near any
fishing-boats, and above all keep a careful lookout for our consort."
It was by this name that I thought it most prudent to refer to the
object of my search.
Orloff took the wheel, and said immediately with an air of great
respect,
"You have laid a marvelously straight course, Captain. I was not
aware that you were familiar with these waters. The Dogger Bank is
right ahead, and we shall reach it in less than an hour."
An hour later I was conscious of a light shock as the submarine
stopped.
We had grounded on the sandy shoal of the Dogger, in twenty fathoms
of water, and overhead I could see great black shadows sweeping
slowly past.
They were cast by the trawlers of the Gamecock fleet.
It being still daylight I did not venture to let the submarine show
itself on the surface of the sea.
Hugging the bottom, I steered in and out among the great trailing
nets of the fisher fleet.
At the same time I ordered my crew to keep a sharp watch for the
first submarine, promising fifty marks[B] to the man who sighted her.
[Footnote B: A silver mark is about twenty cents of our money.]
The rest of that day passed without anything happening.
As soon as darkness fell I brought my boat up to the surface, partly
in order to renew the air supply, and partly to scan the horizon in
search of the oncoming Russian fleet.
But thanks to the promptness with which I had gone out to sea I had
anticipated Rojestvensky by twenty-four hours. The Baltic Fleet was
still in Danish waters, waiting to pick up the German pilots who were
to lure it from its course.
Finding there were no signs of the Russians, I submerged the
submarine, all except the little conning tube, which was invisible in
the darkness, and ran in among the English smacks.
As I heard the brave, hardy fishermen talking to one another, the
temptation was a strong one to disclose myself, and warn them of the
coming peril.
Only my experience of the uselessness of such warnings restrained me.
I knew that these simple, law-abiding citizens would laugh me in the
face if I told them that they were in danger from the warships of a
foreign Power.
As my unseen vessel glided softly past the side of one fishing-boat,
whose name I could just make as the _Crane_, I overheard a few scraps
of conversation, which threw a pathetic light on the situation.
"We shall have the Rooshians coming along presently," said one voice.
"No," answered another, "they won't come anywhere near us. 'Tis out
of their course."
"They do say the Rooshians don't know much about seamanship," a third
voice spoke out. "Like as not we'll see their search-lights going
by."
"Well, if they come near enough, we'll give the beggars a cheer; what
d'ye say?"
"Aye, let's. Fair play's what I wishes 'em, and let the best man
win."
The words died away along the water, as I drew off and let my craft
sink under once again.
That night I slept soundly, making up for the vigil of the night
before. The submarine rested on the sea floor, in a hollow of the
undulating Bank, and one of the crew kept watch in case a "trawl"
should come too close.
But there was no sign of the mysterious companion which had come out
of Kiel Harbor in front of me, and was even now prowling somewhere in
the dark depths around.