TRAFALGAR DAY
In the morning I was conscious of a certain stir and display on board
some of the fishing boats among which I continued to lurk.
At first I supposed that the Baltic Fleet must have been sighted. But
in the course of the day I gathered from various cries and shouts
which were borne across the water, that the fishermen were keeping
the anniversary of the most glorious day in the history of England,
the day on which the immortal Nelson annihilated the united fleets of
France and Spain, and shattered the dream of the great Napoleon that
he could tame the haughty Island Power.
As long as daylight lasted I scoured the sea for a distance of five
miles all around the devoted fishing fleet, without coming on the
slightest trace of the other submarine.
A delusive hope assailed me that some accident might have overtaken
it. But I did not relax my vigilance, and when night fell I took up a
station about a mile in front of the English smacks, in the
direction from which I had reason to expect the approach of
Rojestvensky.
A few hours elapsed, then my watchfulness was rewarded.
Away down on the horizon toward the northeast, there glittered out a
row of twinkling lights, one behind the other, as though a lamp-lit
thoroughfare had got afloat and drifted out to sea.
The sinuous streak of lights, shifting as they approached like the
coils of some great water-snake, glided toward us at what seemed a
fearful speed, and as they drew near the white lights were
interspread with green and crimson points, like rubies and emeralds
set between rows of diamonds. And ever and anon the swift electric
tongues of the search-lights spat forth and licked the dark face of
the waters like hungry things.
Keeping my upper deck just awash, I lay still and beheld at last the
great black sides of the battleships tower up, pierced with
illuminated windows.
My heart began to throb wildly. If only the other submarine failed to
appear; if only the English fishermen would realize their danger and
flee in time, disaster might be averted.
The hope had scarcely formed itself in my mind when Orloff, who had
come to repose confidence in me, respectfully touched my arm and
pointed ahead.
Not two hundred yards from me, stealing along about a mile in advance
of the Russian fleet, I perceived a small dark object, showing hardly
a foot above the surface of the waves.
It was the rival submarine!
Instead of proceeding direct to the Dogger Bank, as I had done, the
other boat must have joined Admiral Rojestvensky's squadron, and come
on before it like a jackal pointing out the lion's prey.
"Go forward," I commanded the German mate. "Let no one disturb me
till this business is over."
Orloff gave me a wondering look, but obeyed without an instant's
hesitation.
As soon as his back was turned, I swung the wheel around, put on the
full power of the engines, and went after the craft I had been
searching for during the last forty-eight hours.
Had the commander of the other submarine noticed mine, and did he
suspect my intention to frustrate his design? It almost seemed so.
His boat, scarcely visible in the gloom, fled in front of me to where
the foremost fishing boats were riding lazily over the shoals,
dragging their nets along the bottom.
It was a weird chase. Neither of us showed a glint of light, or made
the smallest sound. Like two great shadowing fish we darted through
the depths of the sea, hunter and hunted.
In between the sagging nets with their load of cod and flounders,
shot the phantom boat I was pursuing, and I followed, obliged to
slacken speed as we twisted in and out under the keels of the
unconscious fishermen.
And all this time the huge warships in two lines astern were plunging
through the seas, heading straight for the unfortunate smacks.
The chase seemed to be aware that it was a case of now or never. I
was catching up with it fast; I was able to mark its course by the
broken water churned up by its propeller; when, all at once, I saw it
rise with the swift motion of a bird.
I had no alternative but to do the same.
As I emerged upon the surface I found my boat in the very center of
the full glare of a search-light which lit up the whole scene with
dazzling radiance.
Fresh from the depths below, where all had been dark, my eyes fairly
blinked in the sudden splendor of light.
Then, for what might have been from three to five seconds, I saw
everything that passed.
The foremost vessels of the Russian fleet had already gone past the
group of drifting trawlers. One large cruiser was passing within a
stone's-throw of the nearest fishing-boat, and the English fishermen
were playfully holding up some of their freshly-caught fish, as
though offering it to the Russian sailors.
Another line of warships was coming up behind, with its search-lights
thrown out in front.
And then, right across the range of lights, and in a straight line
between the Russian battleships and the English smacks, I saw the
phantom torpedo boat pass deliberately, as high out of the water as
she could show.
What happened next took place so swiftly, and with such confusion
that I cannot pretend to describe it with accuracy.
Shouts rang out on some of the Russian ships, the submarine headed
around as though to seek refuge among the trawlers, and then a gun
was fired, and a cannon-ball struck the water within a few feet of
me.
All at once, it seemed to me, and as though by some preconcerted
plan, half the ships of the Baltic Fleet opened fire on the English
fishermen, who seemed too surprised and horrified to do anything. I
saw ball after ball crash into one luckless smack, which quickly
began to fill and sink. But, generally speaking, the marksmanship of
the Russians was too wild for the firing to have serious effect.
As soon as I realized that I had become a mark for the Russian guns I
sank beneath the surface. It is no doubt this voluntary move on my
part which has given rise to the belief cherished by some of the
officers of the Baltic Fleet, and indorsed by Admiral Rojestvensky,
that a torpedo boat was sunk by their fire.
But I knew that the massacre--for it was nothing less--would go on as
long as the other submarine remained on the surface, mixing among the
luckless fishing boats with the deliberate intention of drawing on
them the Russian fire.
I marked her course, put my engines to their fullest speed one more,
and rushed after her.
This time my coming was not watched by the hostile commander. Like
Admiral Rojestvensky, he may have believed that my boat had been sunk
by the ball which had come so close. Or else, perhaps, in his
exultation at having brought about an event which seemed to make war
inevitable, he had forgotten his former fears.
But the truth will never be known.
I brought my own boat right under the demon craft, and then, tilting
her up at a sharp angle, rammed the other in the center of her keel.
There was a concussion, a muffled sound of tearing iron, and as I
backed away at full speed astern, I saw the waters of the North Sea
pour through a long jagged rent in the bottom of the doomed
submarine, and watched her go down staggering like a wounded vulture
through the air.
The shock of the collision had brought Orloff and the rest of my crew
running aft.
"An accident," I explained coolly. "I have sunk some boat or other in
the dark."
The men exchanged suspicious glances.
"It was the other submarine, sir," said Orloff, still preserving his
respectful tone. "Will you permit us to see whether it is possible to
save any of the crew?"
"Do as you please," I returned, leaving the helm. "My work here is
done, and I am ready to go back."
I intended them to think I referred to the attack on the
fishing-boats. The cannonade died away as I spoke.
We went down through the water to where the wrecked submarine was
lying half over on her side. Some frightened faces peered at us out
of the upper portholes, where a supply of air still lingered.
It was impossible to do anything for them down there without being
swamped ourselves. We could only invite them by signs to forsake
their own craft and let us carry them up to the surface where it
would be safe for us to take them inside.
In order to receive them on our upper deck we circled slowly around
to the opposite side of their vessel. And there I beheld a sight
which will haunt me for years to come.
The whole side of the submarine had been wrenched open, revealing the
interior of the cabin. And on the floor, lying in the peaceful
attitude of one who had just resigned herself to sleep, I beheld the
drowned form of the beautiful, desperate, perhaps wicked, but
unhappy, woman from whose mad love I had fled.
So, in the midst of the wild North Sea, in their strange coffin, the
bones of Sophia, Princess Yernoloff, lie and rock on the incessant
tides that sweep across the Dogger Bank.
_Requiescat in pace!_
As our boat, laden with the rescued survivors, shot up again to the
surface, I felt a noosed rope drawn tightly around my throat and
heard the voice of Orloff hiss in my ear,
"I arrest you in the name of the Kaiser!"