STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
"It's a jolly fortunate thing that we fell in with the 'Persia,'"
remarked Kenwyn, within two hours of parting company with the liner.
"Otherwise it would have been a serious matter with those Dutchmen in
the boats."
"You are right," assented Devoran. "It is going to be dirty weather.
The glass is falling rapidly."
"It will soon be over," observed Hythe. "'Long foretold, long last;
short notice, soon past.' That's how the rhyme goes, doesn't it?"
"And a brute of a business while it lasts," added the second officer.
The three officers were standing on the after deck of the "Aphrodite."
The submarine had again risen to the surface and was plugging away in a
southerly direction on her vague quest for the unbeatable "Vorwartz."
Captain Restronguet remained below, absorbed in some abstruse problem.
The sea was smooth, but dark clouds, edged with bright, copper-tinted
hues, were rapidly banking up against the westerly breeze, while the
rumble of distant thunder was heard at frequent intervals. Even though
it was close on midday the sun's light was greatly obscured; while, on
the other hand, the far away Sudan coast stood up clearly under the
effect of atmospheric refraction.
There was every indication of a sharp yet severe storm.
"Are you going to submerge her, Devoran?" asked the sub.
"Not on my own responsibility," replied the chief officer. "Until the
captain gives the order--ah, here he is."
"I cannot understand how the detector is acting," said Captain
Restronguet, as he gained the group of officers. "I have most carefully
tested the currents and examined the platinum contact breakers. The
instrument seems in order, yet it records nothing of the presence of the
'Vorwartz.' It is inexplicable."
"The 'Vorwartz' is doubtless beyond the field of electrical action,
sir," remarked Kenwyn.
"So I have been told before," replied Captain Restronguet with asperity.
"All the same that theory will not hold good. We ought to have had an
intimation of that craft's presence when she torpedoed the 'Noord
Brabant.' How can you explain that?"
"Don't you think, sir, we ought to submerge the ship?" asked Devoran,
anxious to change the subject. "The glass is falling----"
"There is plenty of time," declared the captain, who was evidently not
in his usual easy-going humour. "It certainly looks threatening, but at
this moment the sea is as calm as glass. Look at those sharks, Devoran.
Vicious looking brutes, aren't they? Suppose we give the men an
opportunity at rifle practice."
The captain strolled off to watch the antics of the tigers of the deep,
for four ferocious-looking sharks had been persistently following the
"Aphrodite" as if anticipating a catastrophe.
The chief officer, although he would much rather have preferred to make
all snug and dive to a depth of seven or eight fathoms, was not a man to
quibble. He made his way to the hatch-way, to call up the small-arms
party. Kenwyn stood a few paces from his superior, while Hythe,
unwilling to say anything that might lead to his being snubbed, remained
by the after conning-tower.
Suddenly the semi-gloom was rent by a vivid flash of lightning, that
played upon the metal deck and upon the placid surface of the ominous
sea. A deafening peal of thunder succeeded the flash. For a moment the
sub was dazzled by the glare. When he looked aft, Kenwyn was lying on
the deck, a portion of the stanchions and rails were shattered, and
Captain Restronguet nowhere to be seen.
Raising a shout of "Man Overboard!" Hythe took a running dive and
plunged into the sea. He struck the water heavily, for the "Aphrodite"
was moving at a good speed. He might very well have broken his back but
for the velocity with which he executed his dive. Not till he rose to
the surface did he give one thought to the dreaded sharks: it was then
too late to count the risk.
Fortunately the monsters, frightened by the flash of lightning, had for
the time being disappeared. Hythe struck out to the spot where the
bubbles indicated the captain's position, for, winded by the shock, the
unfortunate man was sinking never to rise again.
Guided by the bubbles the sub dived. Eight powerful strokes he made ere
he perceived Captain Restronguet's form slowly settling towards the
bottom of the sea. Four more and his left hand grasped the unconscious
man by his collar.
Striking out with his right, and his unimpeded legs, Hythe rose towards
the surface. He had been almost winded by his plunge overboard, and had
had no opportunity to recover his breath. His lungs felt as if they were
on the point of bursting; his temples throbbed. It seemed ages before
his head appeared above the surface, and he was able to take a deep
draught of the sultry air. Turning on his back he kept himself afloat,
at the same time supporting the unconscious captain.
The "Aphrodite" had already lost way and was going astern; in a few
minutes a dark, triangular object cleaving the leaden-coloured water
attracted the sub's attention. His whole senses momentarily deserted
him. He realized that a shark was approaching.
His first instinct was to abandon the unconscious man and strike out
madly towards the submarine; but in a moment the temptation passed.
Lashing out with his legs Hythe churned up a column of water. The shark
stopped, wheeled and retreated a few yards.
Another of these dreaded fish came up, and the pair, regaining
confidence, began to approach, swarming towards the two men in
ever-narrowing circles.
Hythe could hear the monsters snapping their triple lines of teeth in
anticipation of a meal. He kicked the more, shouting at the top of his
voice in the hope that the sharks would delay close investigation until
it was too late for them to consummate their intentions.
The sub had heard tales of how native divers in the Pacific, knife in
hand, boldly attacked the tigers of the deep. The recollection gave him
but cold comfort. True he had a knife, but he lacked the marvellous
aquatic agility of the Japanese and South Sea Islanders. Moreover,
directly he released his hold his unfortunate captain would sink. He
vaguely argued that it was but another instance of where theory does not
always go hand in hand with practice.
With a sudden rush one of the sharks dashed straight towards the
horrified man. The brute turned on its back in order to deliver a
terrific bite. Then, apparently seized with a sudden panic, it brought
its huge jaws together with a sickening snap and darted off. It was a
narrow shave; so narrow that on turning the shark had rasped Hythe's
hand with his rough skin.
Finding that nothing happened to hurt it, the shark returned to the
charge; as it turned on its back the sub could see right into his
capacious mouth. He gazed horror-stricken, too terrified even to kick
out or utter a sound. Even as he looked the brute's head was literally
shattered, dyeing the water with blood, while the sharp report of a
rifle rang in Hythe's ears.
The coils of a rope hurtling through the air fell within his reach. He
grasped the means of safety, yet was too exhausted to do more. Another
shot, and yet another, rang out; then O'Shaunessey, leaping overboard
with a bowline, passed the loop over his officer's shoulders.
"All right, sorr," exclaimed the Irishman cheerily. "Do you let go.
I'll see to the cap'n, sure I will."
Pale and breathless Hythe was hauled upon the deck of the "Aphrodite."
Captain Restronguet was also drawn into safety, and O'Shaunessey,
without any attempt at haste, swarmed up the rope hand over hand.
Devoran and Kenwyn, handing their still smoking rifles to a seaman,
hastened to where Captain Restronguet was lying.
"Is he dead?" asked the second officer.
"I am afraid so," replied Devoran gravely, then as the first blast of
the approaching storm thrashed the hitherto placid water into sheets of
foam he added:--
"Take them below. Secure the hatches. All ready, Mr. Kenwyn."
Gliding serenely deep beneath the surface the "Aphrodite" pursued her
way, regardless of the storm that was now raging fiercely overhead.
Flash after flash of vivid lightning played upon the angry water, the
glare being plainly visible through the glass scuttles of the
conning-towers, while the deep roar of the thunder literally shook the
heavy metal structure of the submarine.
Gathered around the still unconscious form of the captain were Hythe,
Devoran, Polglaze, and Mylor the second quartermaster, while without the
cabin, anxiously awaiting the latest news of their leader, were all the
crew who were not actually on duty.
Kenwyn was at his post in the after conning-tower, Lancarrow in the fore
conning-tower was entrusted with keeping the "Aphrodite" on her course,
while Carclew was stationed at the electric detector in order to catch
the first intimation of the return of the "Vorwartz" to within the range
of that instrument's action.
As soon as Captain Restronguet had been undressed the effect of the
lightning stroke was apparent. From the nape of his neck to the lower
rib was tattooed the image of part of the chain rails and the head of
the stanchion. Whether the damage was merely superficial or whether the
spine had been affected was still a matter of conjecture. His face was
pale and pinched, his wide-open eyes dull, his pulse almost
imperceptible. Only by holding a glass close to his mouth was Devoran
able to pronounce that his chief was still alive, for there was
absolutely no signs of respiration and circulation.
By careful treatment, and by giving the patient small doses of
stimulants, the anxious men succeeded in bringing back the colour to
Captain Restronguet's wan cheeks. The pupils of his eyes began to
dilate, but although he looked at those who stood around him he gave no
signs of recognition.
"You did not rescue a dead man, Hythe," remarked Devoran in a low tone.
"But I'm afraid his brain is affected."
"It is too early to form a definite opinion," replied the sub, anxious
to put a bold face upon the matter, although in his mind he had his
doubts. "I remember on the old 'Velox,' we had a signal-man struck by
lightning. He was unconscious for nearly three days; yet he recovered,
and was passed for duty after a week in the sick bay."
"Yes, that's all very well," rejoined the chief officer, "but----"
A violent ringing of the bell of the "steering sentry" interrupted
Devoran's remark. Both men crossed the cabin and consulted the
tell-tale compass. The "Aphrodite" was fifteen degrees off her course,
and the "steering sentry," an automatic instrument that gives a warning
in the captain's cabin when the vessel deviates from the course set, was
ringing incessantly, showing that the error in direction was a grave
one.
"What are you up to, Lancarrow?" asked Devoran through the telephone
communicating with the fore conning-tower. "Anything in the way?"
There was no reply.
The chief officer hailed again. Still an ominous silence.
"What's up now, I wonder," he muttered as he hastened towards the
conning-tower. To his surprise he found Lancarrow huddled up on the
floor, with his hands tightly clenched. Left to herself the "Aphrodite"
was gradually describing a wide circle to starboard, and only the action
of the automatic alarm had called attention to the fact.
Steadying the submarine on her course, Devoran shouted for a couple of
hands to carry the unfortunate helmsman below. This done he told Carnon
to take charge of the helm, while he made a tour of the vessel to make
sure that all was in order. Devoran realized that he was now in command
and that the responsibility was great. The mysterious striking down of
the former steersman, whether by violence or by natural causes, could
not be at present explained; but since a similar thing might happen to
others who were on duty he felt it necessary that he should visit all
the men at their stations and make sure that everything was in order.
Carclew was still at the detector. He had nothing to report. The
instrument was as silent as the Sphinx. Kenwyn in charge of the
horizontal rudders and the trimming tanks was attending strictly to his
duty. He had been unaware of the affair in the other conning-tower, and
since it was not his business to consult the compass and not knowing
what course had been given to the helmsman, he had not remarked the
erratic steering of the vessel.
"Do you think the lightning struck Lancarrow down?" asked Kenwyn.
"Bless my soul, I hope not!" ejaculated the first officer. "One affair
of this sort is quite enough. Why did you ask?"
"The flashes have been terrific. They seemed to play upon the deck,
even though we are nine fathoms down."
"Had Lancarrow been touched by the electric fluid it is reasonable to
suppose that the electrical steering gear would be affected. As a
matter of fact it isn't."
"Give it up, then," rejoined the second officer. "But how is Captain
Restronguet?"
"Coming round, thank Heaven. But it's the after effects I am anxious
about. By Jove! That's a flash."
It was indeed a vivid fork of dazzling blue light that seemed to
corkscrew along the deck of the vessel and dart up over the for'ard
conning-tower, till the submerged craft looked as if she were surrounded
by a supernatural light. The phenomenon lasted only an instant, but that
instant was enough for the chief officer to realize the "Aphrodite's"
peril.
[Illustration: "BEATING DOWN, AND READY TO RAM THE APHRODITE, WAS
ANOTHER SUBMARINE!"]
Beating down, and ready to ram the "Aphrodite" amidships, was another
submarine! But its similarity to the former Devoran had no doubt as to
what it was. It was the "Vorwartz."
"Hard a-port!" he shouted through the telephone to the helmsman. At the
same moment Kenwyn elevated the horizontal rudders in a vain endeavour
to make the "Aphrodite" dive under the on-coming attacker. It was too
late. With a rending crash the knife-like bows of the "Vorwartz"
crashed into the 'midships compartment of her hitherto unsuspecting
rival.