THE UNSUCCESSFUL COMPETITORS.
Hardly had the echoes of the three ringing cheers that greeted the
hoisting of the ensign died away than the distant throbbing of an
airship's motors was heard. Just appearing over the knoll was the
"Pride of Rhodesia."
"Hope they won't start dropping bombs on us," exclaimed Polglaze.
"No fear of that," said Captain Restronguet reassuringly. "They've seen
our ensign. They're dipping theirs, by smoke!"
Slowly the Blue Ensign at the stern of the air-ship was lowered and as
slowly rehoisted. Unable to "dip" in the orthodox way the green and
white flag was lowered staff and all.
Then majestically the huge yellow enveloped craft eased up till just
holding her own against the light breeze, sank gently towards the earth,
alighting on the sun-baked ground within twenty yards of the captured
submarine.
"The best man has won, sir," exclaimed Captain Jones, raising his white
cap. "I heartily congratulate you."
"More by good luck than anything else," returned Captain Restronguet
modestly. "If I hadn't sent a sick man ashore we might never have
spotted her stowed away so snugly behind the hill. I suppose you've
seen nothing of the crew?"
"Her crew?" repeated the Captain of the "Pride of Rhodesia." "Why,
haven't you bagged the whole crowd of rascals?"
"Only one," replied Captain Restronguet. "Much to my sorrow and regret."
"Never say die," was the cheerful response. "Now you've captured the
'Vorwartz' what are you going to do with her?"
"I haven't given the matter a thought yet. She's hard and fast aground.
Even if we floated her, I don't know how we could manage to get her down
to the sea or what to do with her when we did."
"You'll have plenty of help in an hour or so," announced Captain Jones.
"That is, if you want any. There's a regular flotilla of stern wheelers
coming up stream. They're flying the British Ensign."
"I heard they were on their way up," said Captain Restronguet. "They
are from Lake Nyassa. Let 'em all come, as the catch-phrase used to be
when I was at school."
"Look here," said the airship's owner. "If you like I'll stand by and
lend a hand. Please understand I don't want to take away any credit
that belongs to the 'Aphrodite' alone; neither are we after a share in
the prize money, although I hear the 'Vorwartz' is chock full of gold.
That's what's keeping her hard and fast, I should think."
"You are awfully good," replied Captain Restronguet. "I shall be only
too happy to avail myself of your services."
"And the sooner the better," added Captain Jones. "Five additional
helpers, all used to plenty of hard slogging, will soon make a show."
Telling Polglaze to make his way back to the spot where they had landed
from the "Aphrodite," in order to let Devoran know that all was well,
Captain Restronguet, accompanied by Hythe and Captain Jones, began a
systematic examination of the captured submarine. Except for the
maniac, who was now babbling in a childish manner and was quite
unconscious of his surroundings, not a man of von Harburg's company
remained. Everything on board showed signs of a hurried departure. In
the galley the men's dinner was still in the boilers. The electric
power had apparently failed, for some time since a temporary stove for
burning wood had been erected in the galley, the funnel leading through
the open fore hatch. By examining the thickness of the deposit of soot
Captain Restronguet was able to come to the conclusion that the failure
of the electrical supply coincided with the time the "Aphrodite's"
detector ceased to record the position of her rival.
Stowed away in the emergency water ballast tanks were hundreds of bars
of gold--plundered from many a richly-laden vessel. This horde had not
been touched, but almost all the specie and bullion in the after cabins
had been removed.
"What prompted the rogues to make such a hasty flight, do you think,
sir?" asked Hythe.
"They undoubtedly got wind of the news that we were on their track. The
failure of their electrical gear added to their panic. They decided to
remove as much of their plunder as they could conveniently carry, and
trust to luck that the rest of the booty remaining on board might yet be
recoverable. I think they must have gone up stream in a boat, since
there are traces of their footprints through the grass."
"You mean to pursue your search?" asked Captain Jones.
"Certainly," replied Captain Restronguet with conviction.
"Judging by the state of the river," continued the captain of the "Pride
of Rhodesia," "which is still falling, even a boat expedition will be a
difficult matter. Why not make a voyage in my craft? We can follow the
course of the river at any height you wish, and if Karl von Harburg has
attempted flight by means of a boat we shall be bound to overtake him
and effect his capture. I can easily find room for a dozen of your
men."
"I will gladly accept your offer," replied Captain Restronguet without
hesitation. "When will it be convenient for you to start?"
"At once," replied Captain Jones promptly. "We ought to complete the
business and be back here well before night. Meanwhile those of your
men who are left behind--I will leave some of my crew as well--can
proceed with the unloading of the 'Vorwartz.' The gold will be
perfectly safe ashore, for there do not seem to be any inhabitants in
this district. Even if there are, and they are tempted to give trouble,
twenty rifles firing from the deck of the submarine will make them keep
a respectful distance."
"Come along, Mr. Hythe; this will be another experience for you," said
Captain Restronguet. "Carnon and Carclew you will come with us. Eh?
What's that? Mr. Hythe, here's your Irishman anxious to have an aerial
trip."
Ascending the swinging ladder the men gained the platform connecting the
two deck-houses of the airship. Hythe found himself on a promenade
nearly three hundred feet in length and forty in width converging fore
and aft, and terminated by the aluminium cabins that afforded sleeping
accommodation for the crew and also means of manoeuvring the airship in
bad weather.
"Cast off there," shouted Captain Jones.
Those of the airship's crew who remained ashore hastened to unfasten the
stout hempen hawsers that held the "Pride of Rhodesia" to the ground.
Since the total number of men on board was less than that of the present
crew no throwing out of ballast was necessary. The airship rose swiftly
and smoothly to a height of eight hundred feet.
"Guess we'd best descend at once," said Captain Jones.
"Descend--why?" asked Captain Restronguet.
The skipper of the "Pride of Rhodesia" pointed towards the broad
Zambesi. Abreast of the junction of the stream in which the "Vorwartz"
had taken a vain refuge were three river gunboats.
The huge aerial propellers began to revolve and the "Pride of Rhodesia"
gathered way. In view of her skipper's remark Hythe could not at once
understand this manoeuvre; but Captain Jones was not a man to waste gas
when he could bring his airship to earth by other means.
Circling in ever-descending spirals the huge craft approached within
fifty feet of the place where a few minutes before she had been
anchored. The bow and stern ropes were thrown down, and assisted by the
"Aphrodite's" men those of the crew of the airship who had been left
behind dragged the "Pride of Rhodesia" to earth.
Almost as soon as Captain Restronguet, Hythe, and the skipper of the
airship had alighted, a motor launch in which were several
white-uniformed officers came pelting up stream and brought up alongside
the captured submarine.
"We are a trifle too late, I see," exclaimed the senior officer from the
gunboats, as salutes were gravely exchanged.
"Third in the field," commented Captain Jones, pointing to his airship.
"This is the lucky individual--Captain Restronguet."
"Thought we'd been done in the eye when we saw his submarine out in the
stream," said the commodore of the flotilla. "Well, Captain
Restronguet, we congratulate you upon having rid the world of a pest."
"The business is not finished yet," said the "Aphrodite's" captain. "We
were on the point of following up the rascals."
"Some have escaped, then?"
"All save one, and he's as mad as a hatter."
"Well, it strikes me we are not required here," continued the commodore.
"But before we return we would very much like to look over both
submarines."
"With pleasure," assented Captain Restronguet. "Unfortunately I cannot
stay to have the honour of showing you round, as we wish to overhaul
Karl von Harburg and company and be back before night. I'll have a
signal sent to my chief officer, Mr. Devoran, and he will act as my
deputy."
"Has the news of the capture been sent home?"
Captain Restronguet consulted his watch.
"I believe I am right in assuming that already the newsboys are selling
special editions in the streets of London."
"Smart work!" ejaculated the commodore admiringly.
"Fairly," admitted the captain of the "Aphrodite" modestly. "The moment
our flag was hoisted on the 'Vorwartz' the news was signalled to the top
of the hill. Two of my men are stationed there. They in turn signalled
on to my chief officer, who by wireless communicated direct with my
London agent. He, I feel certain, lost no time in giving the news to
the proper authorities; but making due allowance for slight delays I
think my assumption is correct."
"What do you propose doing with the 'Vorwartz,' may I ask?"
"Tow her off as soon as possible and take her down the river. I hope
before night to get into wireless communication with the officer
commanding H.M.S. 'Pique,' and hand the prize over to him. He can then
tow her to Cape Town and there the necessary transactions can be
effected. But I must be going. If you will excuse us we will bid you
good-day. Perhaps we may meet again in the near future."
Upon re-embarking Captain Jones gave the order for half speed ahead, and
the "Pride of Rhodesia," at a modest twenty-five miles an hour, flew
over the course of the tributary at a height of less than five hundred
feet.
Glasses were brought to bear upon the country beneath them, and every
rock and shoal in the river was thus carefully examined. The "Vorwartz"
had almost reached the limit for navigation, for at less than a mile
above the spot where she had stranded the river shallowed considerably
and was interrupted by a series of cataracts. In one of these Hythe
spotted a brass-bound box wedged in between two rocks, and by the
identification letters on its side Captain Restronguet knew that it was
one from a liner's strong-room.
"They've been in difficulties already," he observed. "They've had to
jettison some of their booty. Judging by the state of the river, I
don't think they can have gone very far."
"There's a dense forest ahead," announced Captain Jones. "That makes
our task more difficult. If the rascals have taken it into their heads
to make a way through the trees, the thick foliage will screen them from
view. However, I'll keep up-stream for some distance yet. Perhaps they
haven't the sense of caution to destroy their boat or haul it up out of
sight. However, we will see."
"No chance of a boat getting over that," exclaimed the sub, as after a
short interval the airship came in view of a waterfall quite forty feet
in height and extending from bank to bank. As the "Pride of Rhodesia"
drew nearer the noise of the falling water almost outvoiced the purr of
the airship's motors. One glance was sufficient to show that nothing
afloat would be able to surmount that formidable barrier.
"There's their boat," bawled Captain Jones, into the ear of his
successful rival.
He was right. Lying half-way up the steep bank, and only partially
screened by the foliage, was a craft of native construction. Two or
three paddles, a length of rope and a piece of canvas lay within it,
while a jagged hole close to the water-line showed that the boat had
come to grief against one of the sharp rocks with which the bed of the
river abounded.
"See any tracks?" asked Captain Restronguet.
Hythe, to whom the question was addressed, was minutely studying the
ground through a powerful pair of binoculars.
"Not much doubt about it, sir," he replied. "There's a well-defined
track leading in a south-easterly direction. I can follow it as far as
those trees."
"We'll take the craft up a bit and follow the supposed direction," said
Captain Jones. "Ten to one there'll be some sort of a clearing further
on. Tilt the forward planes, McPherson. That's enough; keep her as she
is and carry on."
For nearly two miles the "Pride of Rhodesia" flew steadily over the
tree-tops. So dense was the foliage that for the whole of that distance
no sign of the ground was visible.
"Are you prepared to have a bullet through the envelope of the airship?"
asked Captain Restronguet.
"No, I'm not," replied Jones bluntly. "Why?"
"We offer a tempting mark. If any of those rogues spot us and open
fire----"
"There they are!" exclaimed Hythe.