PURSUED
It was hours later that Frank first noticed signs of returning
consciousness in his wounded comrade. Jack's pale face took on a
little color, his eyelids fluttered, and a minute later he opened
his eyes.
Frank bent over him.
"How do you feel, old fellow?" he asked gently.
It was some seconds before Jack replied. His gaze roved about
the cabin, and Frank could see that for the moment his friend was
unable to recognize his surroundings. At last, however, a look
of understanding passed over his face, and he spoke:
"It was a great old scrap, wasn't it?" and he smiled up at his
friend.
"It was all of that," replied Frank. "But tell me, how do you
feel?"
"Well, I don't feel tip top, and that's a fact," replied Jack
feebly, moving about on his bed.
He made as if to sit up, but Frank held him down.
"You stay where you are," he ordered.
"What's the matter?" demanded Jack. "Can't I get up if I feel
like it?"
"No," replied Frank, "you can't. You'll stay where you are until
the doctor says you are out of danger."
"Danger!" echoed Jack. "You ought to know by this time that I
was not made to be killed so easily."
"Nevertheless," said Frank, "you are badly wounded. It will be
several days before you will be able to get about."
"Several days!" cried Jack in dismay. "You take my word for it,
I'll be up tomorrow."
"You'll stay right where you are until the doctor gives his
permission for you to get up," said Frank firmly, "if I have to
hold you in."
"Don't you believe it," cried Jack. "I'll be up and out of here
tomorrow, or I'll know the reason why."
But he wasn't; for, as Frank had said, he was too badly wounded
to be able to get about. The next day and the following one,
while the Lena continued steadily on her course toward England,
Jack was forced to lie in his bed.
It was not until the dawn of the third day that the surgeon gave
him permission to go on deck. Supported by Frank's arm, the
injured lad made his way to the bridge, where he took a deep
breath of the invigorating air.
"By Jove! this feels good," he exclaimed, as a stiff breeze swept
across the ship. "Think I'll camp out up here a while."
"Oh, no, you won't," replied Frank. "Just one hour, and then
back to bed for you."
"By George! you'd think I was a baby the way you tell me what to
do," said Jack, with some show of temper.
"You'll go back when your hour is up, if I have to drag you,"
said Frank. "And I don't believe you are in condition to put up
much resistance."
"I guess you are right," replied Jack ruefully.
His hour up he returned to his cabin and Frank once more tucked
him comfortably in bed.
It was several days before Jack was able to get about the ship
with his accustomed alacrity; and then the Lena was well out of
African waters, steaming up the coast of Portugal--the English
channel and London now not far away.
Jack had now resumed command of the ship, and the boys, standing
together on the bridge one fine morning, were congratulating
themselves upon the success of the voyage, when from the lookout
came a cry:
"Cruiser off the starboard bow, sir?"
"How is she headed?" demanded Jack.
"Coming right this way, sir."
"Can you make her out?"
"Not yet, sir."
"Let me know as soon as you can," was Jack's command.
It was fully half an hour later, and the cruiser was not yet
plainly discernible to the naked eye, when the lookout called:
"She's British, sir."
"I wouldn't be too sure," muttered Jack to Frank. "She may be
flying the English flag and still be an enemy. I don't trust
these Germans much."
"Nor I," agreed Frank. "However, we will soon know whether she
is friend or foe."
Slowly the cruiser drew nearer. Now the boys were able to make
out the British flag flying at her masthead. There came a puff
of smoke from the stranger, and a shot passed over the bow of the
Lena.
"Signal to show our colors," muttered Frank.
At his command the British ensign soon fluttered gaily in the
breeze.
Came another shot from the cruiser.
"What's the matter now, do you suppose?" asked Frank. "That's a
signal to heave to. If she's British, what does she want us to
heave to for?"
The vessels were still a considerable distance apart, and night
was drawing on. The answer to Frank's question came from the
approaching vessel.
The British ensign flying at the masthead of the approaching
cruiser suddenly came fluttering down, and a moment later the
Red, white and Black of Germany fluttered aloft in its stead.
"By Jove!" exclaimed Jack. "I was afraid of it!"
At the same moment another shot crossed the Lena's bow.
Jack acted with decision and promptness. At a quick command the
Lena raised the German flag. Then, as the German commander
hesitated, fearing to fire lest the vessel really be of his own
country, Jack signaled the engine-room for full speed ahead.
The Lena seemed to leap forward, and in a moment had turned her
stern to the enemy, thus making her a harder target to hit. The
German, evidently taken by surprise, could not bring her guns to
bear in a moment, and that moment undoubtedly saved the Lena.
The small guns on the Lena, at Frank's command, were made ready
for instant use, and the men were piped to quarters. Although
well aware he was outranged by the enemy, Jack determined to
fight his ship to the last.
"They'll know they have been in a battle unless they sink us
before they come in range of our guns," said Jack grimly.
"You bet they will," replied Frank.
"Everything ready?" demanded Jack.
"All ready, sir," replied Frank, with a slight smile and a
salute.
The second and third officers made their reports. The British
were ready for instant action, and eager for the fray.
"We'll run as long as we can," said Jack, "but, if we can't
outrun them, we'll turn about and give them a fight, anyhow."
This word was passed along to the crew, and a loud British cheer
rang out across the waters of the North Atlantic. Frank and Jack
were forced to smile.
"The British sailor would always rather fight than run," said
Frank.
"Right," said Jack. "This running rather goes against me, too."
Now the forward guns of the German cruiser were brought into
action, and heavy detonations rang out across the water. But the
German gunners had not yet found the range, and the fact that the
Lena was so maneuvered as to keep her stern to the enemy made the
task of the enemy that much harder.
Darkness fell, and still the flight and pursuit continued, but so
far the Lena had not been struck by a single shell. She had
fired but one shot at the foe--from one of her small guns aft--but
this had shown that the German cruiser was not yet within
range of the Lena's guns.
Now that darkness had fallen the huge searchlight of the German
cruiser played full upon the Lena. Suddenly Jack and Frank felt
a terrific shock, and the Lena, for a moment, seemed to pause in
her stride. A shell had struck the stem of the vessel. There was
an explosion and a single high mast crashed to the deck.
Quickly a score of sailors sprang forward, and at a word from
Frank, cleared away the wreckage and tumbled it overboard.
"Nothing serious, sir," reported the second officer, after a
hurried investigation.
"Good!" said Jack calmly.
Then, so suddenly that it appeared to be the hand of magic, the
searchlight of the German cruiser faded from view. Darkness fell
over the Lena intense darkness.
The glare of the searchlight had vanished so suddenly that for a
brief moment Frank did not determine the cause of it.
"What is it?" he demanded anxiously.
"Fog," replied Jack laconically, "and just in time. With luck,
we may make our escape."
The course of the Lena was quickly altered, and she once more
headed toward the coast of England.