THE SIGNAL FROM THE DEPTHS.
"Naval appointments: The following appointment was made at the Admiralty
this afternoon: Sub-Lieutenant Arnold Hythe to the 'Investigator' for
special duties (undated)."
This item, in the Stop-Press columns of an evening paper, was shown to
Sub-Lieutenant Hythe by one of his brother officers.
"You are a lucky dog!" exclaimed the latter. "My Lords evidently
recognize your capabilities as a diver. Well, good luck, old man. I
hope you'll play the chief part in running down this plaguey fellow.
Hang it all, I cannot see that he's doing any harm, except that all
leave is stopped until something is done to stop his little antics."
"Yes, that is hard lines," assented the sub. "But I'll do my level best,
no doubt."
H.M. surveying vessel "Investigator" was lying in dock at Portsmouth,
and was under orders to proceed to sea at the first possible
opportunity, her errand being to endeavour to locate and capture the
submarine that, it was generally agreed, was still in the vicinity of
Spithead.
To cope with the situation a special Bill had been hurriedly introduced
into Parliament making it an offence against the Naval Secrets Act for
any person to manoeuvre a private submarine within five miles of
specified naval ports. The Bill received the Royal assent and became
law within thirty-six hours after the escape of the suspect arrest on
Southsea beach, an individual who was generally accepted as being the
man of mystery, Captain Restronguet.
The fellow's diving gear, or at any rate the major portion of it,
remained in the hands of the authorities. After being subjected to a
lengthy research at the hands of the Diving School at Whale Island the
following report was issued confidentially: "The helmet is of a metal
hitherto unknown, possessing all the advantages of aluminium, without
the known disadvantages. It is a departure from the usual form, having
a ridge-shaped projection in front, possibly to lessen the resistance to
the water when moving on the bottom of the sea. The helmet is also
valveless, the air, chemically prepared, is by some means kept at a
fairly high pressure, sufficient to distend the suit in order to do away
with any discomfort to the wearer by reason of the weight of water. The
suit is made, not of rubber as was at first supposed, but of an unknown
quality of flexible metal. When distended it also presents an edge in
front, in order to minimize lateral resistance. How the air is purified
is still a secret, the apparatus for so doing having been detached and
thrown into the sea by the unknown. A diligent search had failed to
produce this important item. Undoubtedly the suit, when complete, is far
in advance of any now used in the Service."
A careful watch was maintained along the shore, the coastguards
stationed in the district being temporarily augmented by men drafted
from more remote places. Yet no trace of the mysterious submarine on
the surface was to be seen. How, when and where the craft replenished
her fuel necessary for locomotion purposes and her provisions and fresh
water completely baffled the naval experts; for a fortnight had elapsed
since she announced her appearance at Spithead, and save for the
temporary visit to Cherbourg all evidence pointed to the fact that she
was still within the limits of the Port of Portsmouth.
Arnold Hythe duly joined the "Investigator" as officer in charge of the
diving parties. Twelve first-class seamen-divers were drafted into the
ship, while special gear for "creeping" was placed on board. Submarine
apparatus for recording by sound the presence of submerged craft under
way was also installed, so that it was impossible for any vessel making
the faintest noise to approach within two miles of the "Investigator."
Even the wavelets lapping the bows of a passing fishing-smack would be
reproduced with unerring fidelity. Just before high water the
"Investigator" was undocked; steam was soon raised, for the surveying
vessel, being of an old type, was driven by reciprocating engines and
oil-fed boilers. Almost at the moment of casting off the hawsers and
springs came news that caused the greatest disappointment amongst
officers and crew.
Captain Restronguet had, according to the latest report, turned up in a
totally different spot. This time he devoted his attention to the German
port of Wilhelmshaven. Here his visit was not of a comparatively
harmless nature, for the locks of the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal were totally
demolished by means of a powerful explosive. The battleship, "Karl
Adelbert," that was about to pass out of the canal, was badly damaged.
In the confusion six destroyers and submarines were ordered from
Cuxhaven. They were quickly on the spot, but no trace of the mysterious
submarine was to be seen, except a small barrel painted white and green,
with the name "Captain Restronguet" in bold letters.
The "Investigator" was immediately ordered to make fast one of the buoys
in Portsmouth harbour. Her special mission was, for the time being at
least, over; a far more serious situation had arisen.
The German Government, supported almost entirely by the Press of that
country, actually suggested that, since Captain Restronguet had
committed an act of piracy against the German Fleet while he had
refrained from so doing on his visit to Portsmouth and Cherbourg, Great
Britain and France were secretly aware of the identity of this modern
buccaneer, and that they had encouraged him to make an unlawful act of
hostility towards a friendly Power.
Three army corps were hastily ordered to Hanover and Schleswig-Holstein,
the German High Sea Fleet was ordered to assemble at a rendezvous off
Heligoland, and every available battleship, cruiser, destroyer and
submarine in the Baltic was sent through the Great Belt and around the
Skaw to augment the naval armament already in the North Sea.
The British Government met the situation with promptitude, firmness, and
calmness. The First and Second Home Fleets settled at the Nore; the
Third Home Fleet, which happened to be cruising off the Orkneys, was
ordered to the Firth of Forth. Troops were quickly entrained at
Aldershot and Salisbury Plain for the defence of the East Coast, while
the Territorial Army and the National Reserve were called up for
garrison duty. At the same time a statement was made to the German
Ambassador in London in which His Majesty's Government totally
repudiated the suggestions that Captain Restronguet held any authority,
either direct or indirect, from the Crown.
To this the German Press retorted by pronouncing the declaration to be a
diplomatic lie, and unanimously urged the Imperial Government to recall
its ambassador. All privately owned airships in the Fatherland were
taken possession of by the authorities, and ordered to the newly-formed
Government aerodrome at Munster, a Westphalian town sufficiently far
from the sea to be out of the reach of the guns of hostile warships, yet
within a few hours' flying distance from the East Coast of England.
The struggle, if it came off, would be a desperate one. Both fleets
were almost numerically equal, the British having a slight margin of
superiority, but in aircraft the Germans held a decided advantage. In
the science of warfare there was little to choose between the two, so
that as far as Great Britain was concerned the issue depended upon
whether the British tars still retained their bull-dog tenacity that
characterized their forefathers in the days of the old wooden walls.
In spite of the British Government's coolness and determination the
country, that had passed through so many international complications
with safety, was in a panic. Consols dropped lower than ever they had
been known to fall; prices immediately rose with a bound, and within
twelve hours of the receipt of the disquieting news of Captain
Restronguet's escapade at Wilhelmshaven the country was experiencing the
horrors of war without actually being engaged in a desperate conflict on
which her very existence depended.
On the morning following the momentous news from Wilhelmshaven a message
appeared in _The Times_. It was a statement purporting to come from
Captain Restronguet, in which he emphatically denied ever being in
German waters, and that as a proof he would give a sure sign of his
presence off the shores of Great Britain. At noon of that very day he
would give a demonstration of the irresistible powers at his command at
a spot somewhere between the Horse Sand Fort and the entrance to
Portsmouth Harbour.
"Do you think it is a joke, sir?" asked Sub-Lieutenant Hythe of the
navigating officer of the "Investigator."
"What do you think of it, may I ask?" replied Lieutenant Egmont
guardedly.
"Personally, I hardly consider that it is a hoax. You see the notice
appeared in the Personal Column."
"And paid for in the usual manner, I suppose."
"But the Business Editor has the option of refusing any advertisement."
"That's what makes me think there's something genuine about it. Again,
the paper has a short leader on it: non-committal, it is true."
"But how can a fellow cooped up in a submarine that is being watched for
all along the coast contrive to get ashore to send off a message to _The
Times_?" asked Egmont. "How can he keep in touch with affairs? Why, in
order to have that notice inserted he must have heard of the
Wilhelmshaven business within an hour or so of its occurrence."
"Admitted; but all the same Captain Restronguet is a modern magician in
submarine work. I should not be surprised if he has a perfect wireless
service at his command. By the by, has Captain Tarfag orders to proceed
to Spithead?"
"No, and he told me himself that he didn't want to be sent on a
wild-goose chase. The Admiral has ordered a couple of aero-hydroplanes
to manoeuvre over the place indicated at noon, and to keep a sharp
look-out for any suspicious object under the surface. There they are,
by Jove!"
Both officers stopped in their "constitutional," a to and fro promenade
of the short quarterdeck of the "Investigator." A dull hum, momentarily
growing louder, announced that Nos. 27 and 29 Aero-hydroplanes had left
their sheds on the shores of Fareham Creek and were rising rapidly to
the height of one thousand feet.
As soon as this altitude was reached both aero-hydroplanes, abandoning
their spiral motion, leapt forward, and passing high above the shipping
in the harbour were soon mere specks floating in the blue sky.
Watch in hand the sub waited. It was close on the fateful hour of noon.
To and fro, in elliptical curves, the aero-hydroplanes maintained their
lofty vigil, each turning at almost the same moment and passing within
fifty yards of one another.
Twelve o'clock! Hythe and his brother officer exchanged glances.
Captain Tarfag ascended the bridge, and hailing the wireless operator
and the yeoman of signals by telephone, demanded if either of them had
received news of the mysterious submarine.
"No message has been received at the Semaphore Tower, sir," they
replied. The captain gave a deprecating shrug and descended the ladder.
"They're coming back, by Jove!" exclaimed Lieutenant Egmont, after
another ten minutes had elapsed. "That proves that the message was a
hoax."
"They may have seen something," suggested the sub, unwilling to have his
opinions shattered.
"Not they. Do you mean to tell me that if they had spotted anything
suspicious they would not follow it up. I was----"
The navigating officer's words were interrupted by a heavy detonation,
like the report of a fourteen-inch gun fired with a full charge. Beyond
the houses of Old Portsmouth, and at an altitude of about five hundred
feet, a cloud of yellow smoke hung almost motionless in the still air.
The aero-hydroplanes, overtaken by a wave of disturbed atmosphere,
lurched violently, although fully a mile from the actual place of the
explosion. It required all the efforts at the command of their crew to
save the aerial vessels from destruction, but recovering their
equilibrium by superb manoeuvring of the planes, the aero-hydroplanes
turned and headed towards that portion of Spithead over which they had
so lately been reconnoitring.
"By Jove! There's pluck for you!" ejaculated Egmont. "That was
Restronguet's signal. If it had been to time those fellows would have
been done for; and now they're trying to spot the submarine. You were
right after all, Hythe. That paragraph was not a hoax."
Captain Tarfag was in the middle of lunch when the detonation was heard.
He rushed on deck, and realizing that it was a case where waiting for
orders would be detrimental to success, he ordered the moorings to be
slipped.
Within the harbour all was commotion. Nearly a dozen destroyers, two
scouts, and three tugs were making for Spithead, while five more
aero-hydroplanes and the naval airship "Beresford" were ploughing their
way against a stiff south-easterly breeze towards the scene of Captain
Restronguet's latest demonstration.
One noticeable result of the explosion was that within a quarter of an
hour the weather, hitherto perfectly calm, became changed. Clouds were
rapidly banking up, with every appearance of a heavy thunderstorm, while
the placid waters of Spithead were now white with foam-crested waves.
For two hours the "Investigator" and her consorts cruised up and down,
betwixt the Nab Lightship to the eastward and Cowes to the west. Aloft
the aircraft kept anxious watch and ward, till it seemed impossible that
any craft could lie at the bottom of that comparatively shallow
roadstead without being discovered.
"Nothing to report," came the wireless message from the aircraft with
monotonous regularity. Captain Restronguet had outwitted the eyes and
ears of the British Fleet.
Upon the "Investigator's" return to Portsmouth Harbour it was possible
to obtain details of what had occurred: The sea wall in front of
Southsea Castle was crowded with people who, half-doubting, were yet
sufficiently curious to see whether the promise in _The Times_ would be
redeemed. They saw the two aero-hydroplanes approach and manoeuvre over
the pre-arranged area. They heard the clocks chime the hour of twelve.
They waited a few moments longer, nothing happened, so with a derisive
cheer they began to disperse. Some remained--mostly those of the
leisured class who were not restricted by the midday meal that the
British workman holds up as an established institution.
Suddenly--it was exactly at eleven minutes past twelve--a column of
water leapt vertically upwards at less than four hundred yards from the
shore. There was a shrieking sound like the screech of a high velocity
projectile, followed by a detonation so powerful that most of the
spectators on the sea-front were deaf for days afterwards. The ground
trembled, several persons were overthrown; the windows of several houses
overlooking the common were broken. Expecting a shower of scraps of
metal from the bursting projectile the terror-stricken crowd broke and
ran, but curiously enough no one could afterwards be found to report
that anything of a solid nature fell to earth. Captain Restronguet's
token was merely an explosive rocket of high power.
That same afternoon news came that a German seagoing training-ship, the
"Sachsen" was sunk by some unknown means in Kiel Harbour, and another
green and white buoy bearing Captain Restronguet's name, was found
floating over the wreck of the sunken vessel.
By what manner, incomprehensible beyond the wildest dream of fiction,
could this Captain Restronguet be at Portsmouth just after noon and at
Kiel, in the Baltic Sea, two hours later? Was his submarine in
possession of supernatural powers whereby he could annihilate space and
practically conquer time? The theory was no sooner advanced than it was
regarded as utterly impossible; the opinion that Captain Restronguet
was, after all, not responsible for the outrages at Wilhelmshaven began
to gain ground both in Great Britain and Germany.
In naval and military circles the importance of the offensive powers of
the mysterious submarine were fully commented upon. It was recognized
that submarine warfare was more than likely to regain the supremacy that
had been wrested from it by aircraft. Here was a submerged vessel,
invisible although only in seven fathoms of water, that could project a
shell charged with a high explosive vertically to a great height.
Although not in the accepted sense of the word an aerial torpedo, the
rocket had seriously affected the stability of the two aero-hydroplanes
that were at a distance hitherto considered as a safe margin. Had it
been an aerial torpedo instead of a rocket the result would have been
terrible to contemplate.
_The Chronicle_ appeared next morning with an apology and manifesto from
Captain Restronguet. He regretted that, owing to the proximity of the
two aero-hydroplanes, he was not able to give his promised token
precisely at the hour of twelve, and trusted that the British public
would realize that the slight delay was due solely to his desire to
avoid loss of life and property to His Majesty's subjects. He once more
repudiated any suggestion that the Kiel outrage was carried out at his
instigation, and, further, as a proof of good faith, he hoped to give an
exhibition of the forces at his command this time in Plymouth Sound. At
6 a.m. on the following day, unless unforeseen circumstances prevented,
he would make known his presence in Cawsand Bay.
As soon as this decision was communicated to the Admiralty telegraphic
orders were sent to Portsmouth, ordering the "Investigator" to proceed
at once to Plymouth, where, co-operating with the surveying-vessel
"Mudlark," she was to make every effort to effect the capture of Captain
Restronguet's submersible ship.