A THREATENING SITUATION
“Who’s there, Jimmie?” asked Ned, pressing forward.
“Nobody now,” answered the other. “I thought I saw our friend Mackinder
looking down the hatchway, but possibly I was mistaken. At any rate he’s
gone now and we’d better hurry on for dinner.”
“Mackinder’s a prisoner here,” stated Ned, positively.
“Maybe he broke loose,” suggested Harry.
“All right, I’m going up to the deck and look about,” said Ned.
As the boys reached the narrow confines of the small deck at the top
of the conning tower they saw a figure hastening along the foot planks
that led from vessel to vessel. The fleeing person was now almost at the
building on the wharf. In a moment the shelter of this structure had been
gained. The figure dodged out of sight.
“Now, that’s a funny thing to do!” mused Ned. “I wonder just what the
fellow wanted. Are you sure it was Mackinder, Jimmie?”
“No, I’m not,” admitted the lad. “Of course, the face was in shadow as he
looked down the hatch. I’m not positive, but thought it was he.”
“Well, let’s not bother about it any more,” said Ned, apparently
dismissing the subject. “We’re too hungry for any more mysteries!”
As only hungry boys can the five attacked the ample dinner provided for
them. The dishes were strange but appetizing. Jimmie declared that he
intended to remain in that location for some time in order to become
acquainted with the chef. He said that he would be the envy of the entire
Wolf Patrol if he could cook in German style.
After dinner the boys gathered in the lee of a small building, where
they would be protected from the chilling blasts. Puffy squalls, bearing
dashes of snow, sleet or rain, came threshing out of the west. It
appeared to the lads that the weather was growing decidedly worse.
In spite of the inclement weather a number of the hardy workmen were
indulging in out of door sports during their rest hour.
For some time the lads watched the games as the hardy men relaxed their
work-tensed muscles. The sullen booming of surf on the rocky coast
constantly sounded in their ears.
“There goes our late rescuer!” announced Jimmie presently.
“Where?” asked Frank. “Whom do you mean?”
“The Sturmvogel!” answered Jimmie, pointing toward the harbor, where
could be seen the speedy destroyer slipping quietly out to sea.
“Here’s hoping you have a good voyage, friend!” said Frank.
“Yes,” added Jimmie, “we’ll see you a little later!”
“That reminds me,” put in Ned, “we might as well get back to the ‘U-13’
and begin work. There’s no use delaying the game!”
“That’s right,” agreed Harry. “These fellows are probably in a hurry for
that submarine. We might as well be decent.”
“Wait a minute,” suggested Jimmie. “You’ve given me an idea! Your mention
of the name of a certain undersea craft started a train of thought in my
alleged brain. Take it easy for a moment!”
“Yes,” cried Jack, in mock sympathy, “stand back! Give him air! If Jimmie
is really going to think, let’s give him lots of room!”
“Aw, you go on!” scorned Jimmie. “I’ve got a right to think if I want
to, haven’t I? I guess that’s my privilege!”
“Not unless you have a union card!” protested Jack, laughing.
“That’s all right,” retorted Jimmie with a grin as he wrinkled a freckled
nose at the other. “I was going to think about a scab, anyhow, so I don’t
need a card. Besides, this is on overtime!”
“All right, you win!” declared Jack, submissively. “Go ahead!”
“If you’ll promise to never, never tell, I’ll let you in on the scheme!”
whispered Jimmie, glancing about to make sure that no strangers were
within earshot. “Do you solemnly promise?”
“I do!” answered the boys in chorus, anxious to receive the news.
“Then here it is: If we could paint the name ‘U-13’ on that tub there’s
nothing to prevent our getting away in it!”
“Hush, Jimmie!” cautioned Ned, in a startled tone.
“Hush nothing!” declared the other boldly. “It’s now or never! The
destroyer’s gone—everything’s gone that could chase us. Mackinder’s loose
on this island. He’ll make us trouble if we stay. If we go now we are
safe from pursuit until another German boat comes in unless they flash
the news by wireless. In that case, we have an even chance of getting
away. If we don’t go now tell me when we can get home?”
“I guess you’re right, Jimmie, but how are you going to work it?”
“Simply putter along this afternoon,” explained the lad, “fixing the
wiring and so on. If necessary, rip out some and replace it. We can get
in one another’s way enough to kill a lot of time. After supper we’ll
manage to slip back to the submarine, paint ‘U-13’ on the side, every man
to his post, let go lines easy and skedaddle for the open sea.”
“It sounds easy enough,” assented Harry.
“Yes, unless you happen to get caught!” agreed Ned.
“What is there to catch us?” asked Jimmie, bristling at this hint of
opposition. “The guards are all wise to the fact that the channel is
mined. They will be sleepy and lazy. They know that the torpedoes are not
aboard yet and believe it impossible for the submarine to leave without
a crew. The weather looks as if it were going to be rough. What more can
you want? It looks to me as if we’d never have another chance like it!”
“Right you are, Mr. Wolf!” declared Frank. “I, for one, am willing to
take a chance. I’ll go with you to the limit!”
“Here, too!” heartily agreed Ned. “How about it, boys?”
Eagerly the others signified their willingness to undertake the task
suggested. They felt no compunction over the seizure of the boat.
“Now, we’ll have to do some tall thinking before night comes!” stated
Jimmie. “Each of us’ll have his station and we must know just what to do
at the proper time. I had this in mind ever since we came up the harbor
past those boats. I noticed particularly the buoys marking the safe
channel leading into this harbor.”
“Good for you!” cried Ned, administering an affectionate slap upon
Jimmie’s shoulder. “I knew you had something up your sleeve!”
“So did I!” added Jack. “I couldn’t guess what it was, though!”
“It was my arm!” declared Jimmie, with mock gravity. “Now, let’s go back
to this ‘Untervasserbootschiff’ and stall around a while.”
“Correct!” cried Harry. “We’ll rehearse for this evening. We shall depend
on Jimmie to be the pilot, though!”
“Leave it to me!” declared the younger lad. “I know where the buoys are!
I have them all located in my head!”
“But we must be mighty careful,” declared Ned. “We don’t know how much
English these fellows understand. They must not suspect!”
“Mum’s the word!” put in Frank. “Everybody mum!”
First visiting the warehouse at the wharf, where they procured a quantity
of supplies, such as might be needed to carry out the work which they
were supposed to be doing, the lads proceeded aboard the submarine.
Upon their arrival they found a painter at work inscribing the vessel
with identifying marks. He had proceeded so far as to place “U-1—” on
each side of the vessel. Jimmie joyfully declared that fortune was
playing into their hands in this respect, and that if something would
compel the man to quit work for a while the disguise could be quickly
made.
At Ned’s request Harry began fitting wires from the storage batteries to
the motors used for propelling the vessel. The boys were startled to hear
him utter an exclamation of dismay. They found upon inquiry that he had
endeavored to strip the insulation from a wire by using his pocket knife
and had cut a finger badly.
“Pooh, pooh!” stated Jimmie, upon discovering the wound. “Don’t make so
much fuss over a little thing like that. We’ll soon have you fixed up.
Here, just hold the wound closed with your other hand while I hunt up
some bandages. You’ll be all right in a minute!”
But Harry declared that the wound pained excessively. He refused to
treat the matter lightly, but gathered up the tools with which he had
been working. These he deposited in a canvas bag in which they had been
brought aboard the vessel.
Presently Jimmie located a first aid kit among the stores. He was not
long in cleansing and bandaging the wound.
“There you are!” he stated. “Just as good as new! Now go lie down for a
little while. I’ll finish this job if I know enough.”
Chatting together in a somewhat nervous manner the boys anxiously
awaited the approach of evening. As the time wore on their restlessness
increased. Again and again they carefully went over each detail of their
proposed plan for escape in the submarine.
It was decided that Jimmie should take the wheel while Harry stood watch
at the engines. The others were assigned to various other duties at
favorable positions. Nothing remained except to wait for night.
A short time before darkness settled an orderly visited the craft. He was
able to converse slightly in English.
“How are you getting along, boys?” he asked, as he stepped down the iron
ladder. “Can we put the torpedoes aboard tomorrow?”
“Yes, I think you will be able to place the torpedoes after tomorrow
morning,” replied Ned. “We will have our work all done then.”
“That is good!” was the other’s comment. “Where is Mackinder?” was his
next question. “He will have to come ashore now!” he added.
“Mackinder?” was Ned’s startled response. “He’s not here.”
“But he was here!” firmly declared the orderly. “He was seen by one of
the sentries to come aboard this vessel, and has not since been noticed
going ashore, although a close watch has been kept!”
“We haven’t seen him at all!” stated Ned, just as firmly.
“We shall have to search the vessel!” affirmed the orderly. “You will
please remain aboard for a short time.”
Quickly ascending the ladder the man summoned another soldier from the
shore. Together the two made a hasty examination of the boat.
Unable to discover any trace of the missing prisoner they shook their
heads as if greatly puzzled. Now and again they glanced at the boys,
exchanging at the same time comments in German.
“Come with us,” finally said the first visitor.
Obediently the lads followed ashore. They were conducted to the office
building, where they were shown into the presence of General Gruenwold at
once. In a few words the orderly stated the case.
“This looks serious, boys,” commented the General. “Can you not explain
the whereabouts of Mackinder? He is a prisoner, you know!”
“We know nothing of the man!” declared Ned, earnestly. “We don’t like him
and surely would not think of assisting him to escape!”
“If you please, sir,” began the orderly, “it is the opinion of my comrade
and myself that the boys have done away with Mackinder!”
“What!” almost shouted Gruenwold, rising from his chair.
“Yes, sir,” continued the man. “There was found in the boat much blood. A
hammer in their tool kit was also blood-stained. We think they possibly
made away with him and might have dropped his body into the harbor very
quietly without being seen from shore!”
“This is serious, indeed!” gasped Gruenwold. “We shall investigate this
in the morning. Meanwhile, search the vessel again. The boys will be put
in the guardhouse until tomorrow.”
Protests on the part of the lads were unavailing. Gruenwold was
determined in his decision. Ned’s explanation of the presence of the
blood in the vessel was listened to, but without influencing the general.
Directly the lads found themselves in a room used for the accommodation
of such prisoners as might need confinement for a time. The island
boasted no regular prison, but a house not far from the water had been
utilized for the purpose. A guard paced a beat in the vicinity.
Disappointed and angry at the turn of affairs the lads made but a poor
supper of the food that was brought to them. Presently, they composed
themselves to sleep on the floor.
A tapping at the window attracted their attention.