TWO FRIENDS
Frank Chadwick was an American lad, some 15 years old. In Europe
when the great European war broke out, he succeeded, with his
father, in getting over the border into Italy, finally reaching
Naples.
Here the lad lost his father, and while searching for him, had
gone to the aid of a man apparently near death at the hands of a
sailor. After thanking the lad for his timely aid, the man had
immediately shanghaied the lad, who, when he recovered consciousness,
found himself aboard a little schooner, sailing for he knew not where.
There was a mutiny on the ship and the captain was killed. The
mutineers, putting in at a little African village for supplies,
attempted to fleece Jack Templeton, an English youth out of his
just dues. Jack, a strapping youngster, strong as an ox, though
no older than Frank, succeeded in getting aboard the mutineers
vessel, and by displaying wonderful strategy and fighting
prowess, overcame the mutineers.
The boys became great friends.
After capturing the schooner from the mutineers, a prisoner was
found on board, who proved to be a British secret service agent.
The boys released him, and then, with Lord Hastings, who had come
to Africa in his yacht, succeeded in striking such a blow at the
Triple Alliance that Italy refused to throw her support to German
arms in spite of the strongest pressure the Kaiser could bring to
bear.
So valuable was the service the boys rendered in this matter,
that when they expressed their intentions of joining the British
navy, Lord Hastings, who had taken an immense liking to them,
secured them commissions as midshipmen. Later they were assigned
to duty on his yacht, the Sylph, which, in the meantime, had been
converted into a scout cruiser.
The lads had already played an important part in the war.
Through them, a plot to destroy the whole British fleet had been
frustrated and the English had been enabled to deliver a smashing
blow to the German fleet at Heligoland.
In Lord Hastings the boys had found an excellent friend.
Although apparently but a commander of a small scout cruiser--unknown
to but a very few--he was one of the most trusted of British secret
agents. He was a distant relative of the English monarch and,
as the boys had already learned, had more power in naval affairs
than his officers and associates surmised. This fact had been
proved more than once, when he had given commands to men apparently
much higher in rank.
Following the brilliant victory of the British fleet off
Heligoland, in which a number of the Kaiser's most powerful sea
fighters had been, sent to the bottom, the Sylph had returned to
London for repairs. Here Frank and Jack had been personally
presented to King George, who had thanked them for their bravery
and loyalty and raised them to the rank of Fourth Lieutenant.
Lord Hastings had been ill, but his illness had been of short
duration; and so it was not long before the two lads once more
found themselves pacing the deck of the Sylph, going they knew
not where; nor did they care much, so long as it took them where
there was fighting to be done.
It was on the very day that the Sylph lifted anchor for her
second cruise, that London heard of the prowess of the German
cruiser Emden, a swift raider which later caused so much damage
to British shipping as to gain the name "Terror of the Sea." The
news received on the day in question told of the sinking of an
English liner by this powerful enemy.
When Frank and Jack sought to learn the destination of the Sylph
from Lord Hastings, he had put them off with a laugh.
"You'll know soon enough," he said with a wave of his hand.
"Are we likely to see action soon?" asked Jack.
"If we are fortunate," was the reply.
"Well, that's all we wanted to know," said Frank. "Don't worry,"
replied His Lordship. "You will see all the action you want
before this cruise is over, or I am very badly mistaken."
And with this the boys were forced to be content.
For two days they sailed about in the sunny Mediterranean,
sighting neither friend nor foe, and then suddenly had encountered
the two German cruisers, the Breslau and the Goeben, and the
skirmish with these two ships, described at the opening of this
story, ensued.
But now, as the enemy had succeeded in making off in the
darkness, and as Lord Hastings had ordered that the original
course of the Sylph be resumed, the little vessel was again--as
Jack said when they had started on their journey--"sailing
under sealed orders."
The two lads were about bright and early the morning following
the encounter with the German cruisers; and as they stood looking
out over the sea, Lord Hastings approached them.
"More news of the Emden," he said, as he came up.
"Another British merchant vessel sunk?" asked Jack.
"Worse," replied Lord Hastings. "A cruiser this time!"
"A cruiser!" exclaimed Jack in surprise. "I always thought that
any cruiser of ours was more than a match for a German."
"Well, you are wrong," was Lord Hastings' reply. "From what I
have heard by wireless, our vessel attacked, but was sent to the
bottom by the Emden before she could do much damage to the
German."
"What was the name of the British ship?" asked Frank.
"I haven't heard," replied Lord Hastings; "but the action was
fought in the Indian Ocean."
"It seems to me," said Jack vehemently, "that it is about time
this German terror of the sea was sent to the bottom."
"So it is," declared Lord Hastings; "and mark my words, she will
be when one of our big ships comes up with her."
"May it be soon!" ejaculated Frank.
But it was not to be soon. For almost another month the German
terror prowled about the seas, causing great havoc to British and
French merchantmen.
For three days the Sylph continued on her way without
interruption, and then turned about suddenly and headed for home.
Under full speed she ran for days, until the boys knew they were
once more in the North Sea, where they had so recently participated
in their one great battle.
"Will you tell us why we have come back so suddenly, sir?" asked
Frank of Lord Hastings.
"Why," said His Lordship, "the Germans seem to be growing
extremely active in the North Sea. Only three days ago, a German
submarine, after apparently running the blockade, sank the
cruiser Hawke off the coast of Scotland.
"What?" cried both boys in one voice.
"Exactly," said Lord Hastings grimly, "and it is for the purpose
of attempting to discover some of these under-the-sea fighters,
or other German warships, that we have come back. The whole
North Sea is being patrolled, and we are bound to come upon some
of the Germans eventually."
"Well, I hope we don't have to wait long," said Frank.
"And so do I," agreed Jack. "I hope that every German ship
afloat will be swept from the seas."
The Sylph did not go within sight of the English coast, but for
two days cruised back and forth, east, west, north and south,
without the sight of the enemy.
This inaction soon began to pall upon the two lads, to whom a
fight was as the breath of life itself.
"I wish we had continued on our way, wherever we were going, and
not have come back here," said Jack to Frank one afternoon.
"This is about the limit," agreed Frank. "I believe we would
have done better to have joined the army. At least we would have
seen some fighting."
But the boys desire for action was to be soon fulfilled. The
very next day some smoke and dots appeared on the horizon.
Quickly they grew until they could be identified as enemy ships.
The captain of the Sylph set out a wireless message requesting
help from any units in the area:
"Have sighted enemy; four vessels: approaching rapidly," and
the exact position of the Sylph.
In a moment came the answer:
"Head north, slowly. We will intercept the enemy when actively
engaged. Remember the Hawke!"
Lord Hastings sent another message:
"How many are you?"
"Five," came back the answer. "Undaunted accompanied by torpedo
destroyers Lance, Lenox, Legion and Loyal, as convoys."
"Good!" muttered Lord Hastings; then turned to Lieutenant
Hetherington:
"You may clear for action, sir!"
The gallant British sailors jumped quickly to their posts, the
light of battle in their eager eyes. At Lord Hastings' command,
the Sylph was brought about, and soon had her stern toward the
enemy.
There came a wireless message from the German commander.
"Surrender!" it said.
"We will die first!" was the answer sent by Lord Hastings.
Steaming slowly, the Sylph apparently was trying to escape; at
least so figured the German commander. To him it appeared that
he could overtake the little vessel with ease, and his squadron
steamed swiftly after it.
Gradually the Germans gained upon the little vessel, finally
coming close enough to send a shot after it. They were not yet
within range, however, and the shell fell short.
"We'll have to let him get a little closer," muttered Lord
Hastings, "or he may draw off. We'll have to face the danger of
a shell striking us."
A second shell from the Germans kicked up the water alongside the
Sylph.
"He'll have the range in a minute, sir," said Lieutenant
Hetherington.
"Bear off a little to the south," was the commander's reply.
For almost an hour the Sylph outmaneuvered the German flotilla,
and avoided being struck. All this time Lord Hastings was in
constant wireless communication with the Undaunted, which was
even now coming to give battle to the Germans.
At last the lookout made them out.
"Battle fleet--" he began, but Lord Hastings keen eye had
already perceived what the lookout would have told him.
Well to the rear, perhaps three mile's north, came the British
cruiser Undaunted and her four convoys. They were steaming
rapidly and in such a direction that they would intercept the
Germans should the latter attempt to return in the direction from
which they had come.
To escape, the Germans must come directly toward the Sylph.
Those on board the Sylph noticed a sudden slackening in the speed
of the German squadron.
"They have sighted our fleet, sir," said Jack, who had stood
impatiently on the bridge while all this maneuvering was going
on.
"So they have," said Lord Hastings, and then turned to Lieutenant
Hetherington. "You may bring the Sylph about sir," he said
quietly.
Swiftly the little scout cruiser turned her face directly toward
the enemy, who even now had turned to escape toward the south, at
the same time heading so they would pass the Sylph at the
distance of perhaps a mile.
"Full speed ahead!" came the command on the Sylph.
The little vessel darted forward at an angle that would cut off
the Germans in the flight. It was a desperate venture, and none,
perhaps, realized it more than did Lord Hastings; but he was not
the man to see the prey escape thus easily if he could help it.
Rapidly now the Sylph drew closer to the German torpedo
destroyers. The gunners were at their posts, the range finder
already had gauged the distance, medical supplies for the wounded
were ready for instant use. In fact, the Sylph was ready to give
battle, regardless of the number of her enemies.
There was a loud crash as the first salvo burst from the Germans,
but the Sylph was untouched. Still the British ship drew nearer
without firing. Then Lord Hastings gave the command: "Mr.
Hetherington, you may fire at will!"
The Sylph seemed to leap into the air at the shock of the first
fire. One shell crashed into the side of one of the German
destroyers, and a cheer went up from the British. Then came
several broadsides from the Germans, who had stopped now to
dispose of this brave little vessel, before continuing their
flight.
Suddenly the Sylph staggered, and her fire became less frequent.
A German shell had struck her forward turret with terrible force,
putting her biggest gun out of commission. But the Sylph
recovered, and continued to fight on.
Jack and Frank darted hither and thither about the vessel,
carrying orders from Lord Hastings and Lieutenant Hetherington,
now and then taking a man's place at one of the guns as he
toppled over until another relieved them.
Two distinct shocks told that the Sylph had been struck twice
more. Then Lord Hastings gave the command for his vessel to
withdraw.
In attacking the enemy as he had, in the face of terrible odds,
he had accomplished his purpose. He had halted the Germans in
their attempt to escape, and had given the Undaunted and the
British torpedo boats time to come up.
Before the Germans could again get under full headway, there came
the heavy boom of a great gun. The Undaunted was within range,
and had opened fire.
Lord Hastings summoned Jack to him.
"What damage do you find to the Sylph?" he asked.
"Forward gun out of commission, sir," replied the lad. "Ten men
killed, and many wounded."
Frank also had had news to report.
The British flotilla and the German squadron were now at it
hammer and tongs. Seeing that all hope of escape had been cut
off, the German commander turned to face his new foes, determined
to give battle to the last.
Steadily the British fleet bore down on the enemy, the great guns
of the Undaunted belching fire as they drew near.
Now Lord Hastings ordered the Sylph--still the closest of the
British vessels to the Germans--again into the fray, and in
spite of its crippled condition, the little cruiser once more
bore down upon the Germans.
Suddenly the nearest German destroyer launched a torpedo at the
Sylph. By a quick and skillful maneuver, Lord Hastings avoided
this projectile, and a broadside was poured into the German.
Others of the German fleet were too closely pressed by the
Undaunted and her convoys to aid the one engaged with the Sylph,
and so the two were left to fight it out alone.
Closer and closer together the two vessels came, until they were
perhaps only a hundred yards apart. It was evident to those on
the Sylph that a shell must have badly crippled the German, for
otherwise a torpedo would have put an end to the little British
craft.
Unable to check the advance of the Sylph, the German destroyer
turned suddenly and made off.
"After her!" shouted Lord Hastings, and the Sylph leaped ahead at
the word of command.