tedious journey, the train clattered and jolted into the Western Station
at Havana; and, jumping out, the lads chartered a volante--the local
hansom, which is an open vehicle, mounted upon a pair of enormously high
wheels, and fitted with such long shafts that it can only be turned with
the utmost difficulty in the narrow streets--and drove down to the
wharf, where they hired a shore boat to take them off to the yacht,
which was lying moored to a pair of the trunk buoys in the harbour.
The ships' bells were chiming "five", that is to say, half-past ten, as
the boat, after having been challenged by the anchor watch, swept
alongside the _Thetis's_ gangway ladder, and the two young men ascended
to the deck. Somewhat to their surprise, they found Milsom on board;
for, as they were not expected until the following day, they would not
have been at all astonished to learn that the skipper was ashore,
amusing himself at the theatre, or elsewhere. But Milsom explained that
he had had enough of Havana: he had been to the theatre twice, and
considered that it was not a patch upon the Alhambra in Leicester Square
at home; he had been to the Cathedral, and had been shown the tomb of
Christopher Columbus--the genuineness of which he greatly doubted; he
had sauntered in the Alameda in the evenings, listening to the military
bands, of which he thought nothing, and trying to discover a Spanish
girl that could hold a candle to one of our own wholesome, handsome
English lasses, and had failed; and he had also tried, and had failed,
to determine the precise number of separate and distinct
odours--"stinks", he called them--which go to make up the characteristic
smell of Havana. From all of which it will be gathered that the worthy
man, with the restlessness characteristic of the sailor, was beginning
to weary of his inactivity--although during the past week he had been
anything but inactive, it may be mentioned--and was pining for something
fresh in the way of excitement. It appeared that, finding himself with
spare time on his hands notwithstanding his preparation of the yacht for
the projected trip, he had amused himself by designing an elaborate
disguise for the craft, under the impression that a time might very
possibly arrive when such a disguise would be found exceedingly useful;
and he proudly produced a sketch of the said disguise which, when
unfolded before the astonished gaze of the two young men, showed the
_Thetis_ transmogrified into something resembling a two-funnelled
torpedo gunboat, with ram stem and round, spoon-shaped stern all
complete. It was a contraption most ingeniously built up of wood and
canvas by the joint efforts and skill of Milsom, Macintyre, and the
carpenter; and was so handily contrived that, according to the statement
of its inventor or designer, given fine weather and smooth water for
four hours, the vessel's appearance could be so completely changed that
"her own mother wouldn't know her."
Having duly admired Milsom's ingenuity, Jack explained in detail the
reason why he and Carlos had advanced the time of their arrival, and
disclosed his scheme for the temporary disablement of the three men-o'-
war in the harbour, into which scheme Milsom entered with the utmost
gusto, even going to the length of rousing poor Macintyre out of his
berth and ruthlessly breaking in upon his beauty sleep, in order that
the parties might have the benefit of the chief engineer's advice and
assistance. And when at length the little band of conspirators broke up
at midnight and turned in, the plan of campaign had been arranged, down
to the last detail.
After all, there was not very much to be done in the way of preparation;
a couple of hours' work next day by Macintyre and his crew at the
portable forge down in the stokehold, and everything was ready for the
work which was to commence as soon as possible after ten o'clock that
night. There was only one difficulty that still remained to be
overcome, and that was the evading of the vigilance of the custom-house
officers, who still remained on board the yacht. It is true that that
vigilance had been very greatly relaxed of late, since it had been borne
in upon even their limited intelligence that nothing remotely resembling
an attempt to smuggle anything ashore had ever been made; still, it
would be awkward in the extreme if one or more of them should happen to
be troubled with insomnia on that particular night, and elect to pass
the sleepless hours on deck: but Don Hermoso might be trusted to attend
to that matter when he should arrive on board about four o'clock, or a
little after, as he did, accompanied by Senora Montijo and Dona Isolda.
The difficulty was explained to Don Hermoso during the progress of
afternoon tea, which refreshment was partaken of on the top of the deck-
house that adjoined the navigating bridge of the vessel; and after the
meal was over, Carlos went ashore in the steam pinnace and brought off a
small phial of liquid that looked and tasted like water. Then, the fact
having been elicited from the chief steward that the custom-house
officers had evinced a very marked preference for whisky over the
aguardiente of their native land, a bottle of the former was opened and,
half a wineglassful of the spirit having been poured from the bottle, a
like quantity of the liquid from the phial was substituted for it, the
cork replaced, and the bottle well shaken. It was then sent forward to
the _empleados de la aduana_ for their especial use, with the
compliments of Don Hermoso, that they might drink his health and that of
his family, and wish them a pleasant voyage, on this their last night on
board, since the yacht would, weather permitting, go to sea some time on
the morrow. Half an hour later the steward, with a knowing grin,
reported to Milsom that the bottle was already three-parts empty.
"That is all right," commented Don Hermoso, when the statement was
passed on to him; "the gentlemen of the customs will not be troubled
with sleeplessness to-night!" Nor were they; for four bells in the
first watch had scarcely struck when, with many yawns, they retired
below and--those who were supposed to be on watch as well as those who
were off--in ten minutes were sleeping like logs.
"Now is our time, Phil, before the moon rises," exclaimed Jack, as soon
as the report of the custom-house officers' retirement had been brought
aft by the chief steward. "It is important to get the submarine into
the water unobserved; but, that done, we can wait until midnight, or
even later, before commencing operations. By that time everybody will
have turned in; and moreover we shall have the light of the moon to help
us."
Accordingly, the canvas cover was removed from the particular boat in
which the small submarine was hidden, and the mischievous little toy was
carefully hoisted out, lowered into the water, submerged until only the
top of her diminutive conning tower showed above water, and then
effectually concealed by being moored to the boat boom, between the gig
and the steam pinnace. Then advantage was taken of the darkness to pass
down into her everything that had been prepared for the success of the
forthcoming enterprise; after which everybody turned in, except Carlos,
who undertook to keep a watch on deck until everything should seem
sufficiently quiet in the harbour to admit of the adventurers beginning
their work without incurring undue risk of detection.
At length two bells in the middle watch (one o'clock) pealed out from
the various ships in the harbour; the moon, just past the full, was
riding high in the cloudless sky and affording quite as much light as
the adventurers desired; and not a sound was to be heard save the faint
moan of the wind in the rigging of the various craft in the harbour and
the lap of the water alongside: everybody seemed to have gone to bed,
except the anchor watch on board the men-o'-war--and they would probably
lie down and endeavour to snatch a cat-nap until the moment should come
round to again strike the bell. Carlos therefore thought the time
propitious; and, treading noiselessly in his rubber-soled deck shoes,
went below and quietly called Jack, Milsom, and Macintyre.
Macintyre was the first of the trio to appear on deck, for, his business
being in the interior of the boat, he had no special dress to don; the
pyjama suit in which he had been sleeping would serve as well as any
other, and he accordingly wore it. Walking forward with bare feet, he
slung himself over the rail, lay out on the boom, and, sliding down the
painter of the steam pinnace, got on board that craft--as a "blind" to
anyone who might perchance happen to have noticed his movements--and
from thence surreptitiously transferred himself to the interior of the
submarine--having already cast the boat adrift--which he immediately
sealed by fastening down the hood of the little conning tower. Then he
set the electric air-pump going, in order to store up for himself a
supply of air sufficient to last until the return of the boat. And
while this was doing he quietly dropped the boat astern until she lay in
the deep shadow cast by the overhanging counter of the yacht, where the
other two could board her without the slightest risk of being seen.
Some ten minutes later Jack and Milsom appeared on deck, each attired in
an improved Fleuss diving dress, by the use of which the necessity for
air-pumps and pipes was done away with. Each man wore a long, stout,
double-edged dagger in a sheath attached to his belt, as a protection
against possible attacks by sharks, with which the waters of the harbour
are known to swarm; while Milsom bore, in addition, a formidable lance
for the same purpose, or, rather, for the purpose of protecting Jack
while the latter worked. And each man wore, attached to his wrist by a
lanyard, a small, light steel bar, about four inches long, to enable him
to communicate with his companion--by means of the Morse code--by the
simple process of tapping on his helmet. They also carried, attached to
their belts, small but very powerful electric lanterns, the light of
which they could switch on and off at will, to enable them to see what
they were about. They had made all their arrangements during the
previous day, and had exchanged a few brief last words just before
screwing in the front glasses of their helmets. Each therefore knew
exactly what he and his companion had to do, and they now accordingly
proceeded straight aft, found the Jacob's ladder hanging over the
yacht's stern, and by it descended to the submarine, Milsom going first
and stationing himself on the boat's deck just abaft the conning tower,
while Jack took the corresponding place on the fore side.
The weight of the two men was sufficient to just submerge the boat and
bury them to their chins when sitting down, while they could disappear
altogether by lying flat on the deck. The degree of submersion,
therefore, was just right for the beginning of the adventure, and Jack
accordingly signalled Macintyre, by means of an electric button, first
to back away from the yacht, and then to go ahead dead slow, guiding him
at the same time how to steer by means of another button.
The torpedo boat, being the most formidable of the three craft, was
selected as the first to be operated upon, and the submarine was
accordingly headed for her. The water of Havana harbour is unspeakably
foul, the sewers of the town discharging into it, and it is almost
opaque with the quantity of matter of various kinds that it holds in
suspension; it was therefore necessary for the submarine to approach the
torpedo boat pretty closely ere sinking any deeper, or it would have
been difficult for the adventurers to find their prey in the muddy
water, but they managed excellently, approaching within ten yards
without being detected. Then Jack, unwilling to court failure by
running any unnecessary risks, gave the order to sink slowly, at the
same time turning on his electric lamp. Another moment, and he saw the
torpedo boat's stern and propeller before him, and the submarine,
magnificently managed by Macintyre, who had worked her in all her
previous trials, drew gently up until she stopped motionless in such a
position that Jack could do just what he wanted. He had decided not to
attempt to remove the propeller in this case, lest the violent exertion
required to start the nut should cause him to overbalance and fall to
the bottom of the harbour, in which case he would inevitably be lost in
the deep layer of foul mud which formed the harbour bottom. He
therefore took a length of stout chain, already prepared for the
purpose, and, having first carefully wound it round the three blades of
the boat's propeller, passed the loose ends round the keel bar and
rudder where, having drawn them as tight as he and Milsom could draw
them, he shackled them together, thus rendering it impossible to move
the boat until the chain had been found and taken off. The whole job
occupied them a bare quarter of an hour, and could have been done in
less had it not been for the hindrance which they experienced from the
fish, which--sharks luckily excepted--attracted by their lamps, swarmed
round them so persistently that it was almost impossible to do any work
for the obstruction of them.
The cruiser was the next craft to be dealt with, and, after her, the
gunboat; the whole operation of disabling the three vessels being
accomplished with almost ludicrous ease in about an hour and a quarter:
after which the adventurers returned to the yacht and hoisted in the
submarine, stowing her away and concealing her in the quarter boat,
without, so far as they were aware, having attracted the attention of a
single soul.
CHAPTER TEN.
THE ACT OF "CERTAIN VERY CLEVER CONSPIRATORS."
When, on the following morning, the saloon party on board the _Thetis_
mustered for breakfast beneath the awning which sheltered the top of the
deck-house from the too-ardent rays of the sun, they found that their
alfresco breakfast-room commanded an uninterrupted and most charming
view of the whole of Havana harbour, with the picturesque old town
stretching along the waterside on their port hand. It was at that
moment a dead calm, for the sea breeze had not yet set in, and the
mirrorlike surface of the water reflected a perfect picture of the
various craft dotted about the harbour, and of the buildings ashore,
already blazing in the dazzling light of the unclouded sun. The
business of the day had hardly begun; the ferryboats to Regla were
loaded with passengers; boats conveying meat, vegetables, fruit, and
fish to the shipping were lazily rippling through the scum that coated
the surface of the water; belated fishermen were sweeping their crazy-
looking craft out to sea; and a thin column of brown smoke was rising
vertically into the motionless air from the funnel of torpedo boat
Number 19, which was evidently getting up steam in good time to go in
search of the _James B. Potter_. But for the awning over their heads
the party would also have seen that a thin, feathery film of smoke was
curling upward from the cream-coloured funnel of their own craft; for
although it had been decided not to go to sea until the afternoon, Jack
had given instructions to have steam for ten o'clock, so as to be
prepared for any emergency.
The party dawdled over breakfast, the ladies in particular finding so
much pleasure in their unwonted surroundings that they could scarcely
find time to eat because of the many novel incidents that were
continually demanding their attention. Moreover, they were in the
enviable condition of people who were in no hurry: their preparations
were all complete; nothing remained to be done or to worry about; they
were embarked upon a pleasure excursion, and part of the pleasure was to
sit still and gaze upon the increasing animation of the charming picture
that unfolded itself around them. When they were tired of gazing, a
word was all that would be necessary to provide them with a change of
scene; and meanwhile Jack was entertaining them all with a humorous
account of the adventures of himself and Milsom during the small hours
of the morning. Milsom, having already broken his fast, had taken the
steam pinnace and gone ashore to the custom-house (which had once been a
church) in order to procure his clearance papers. By the time that he
had finished his business and come off again, breakfast was over, the
stewards were clearing away the table and its equipage, and the
movements of the torpedo boat's crew were becoming interesting. A dense
cloud of black smoke was by this time pouring from the craft's funnel
and driving over the town with the rapidly increasing sea breeze, and
presently a small flicker of steam appeared at the top of her waste
pipe, and a minute or two later it was seen that the craft was getting
her anchor.
"Ah," remarked Jack to Senorita Isolda, "the fun is just about to
begin!"
And so it was. The anchor, thickly coated with foul, evil-smelling,
black mud, rose slowly out of the water; and as the cleansing hose was
turned upon it the officer on the bridge was seen to lay his hand upon
the engine-room telegraph and push the handle a little way forward.
Don Hermoso, who, despite all Jack's assurances, felt terribly anxious
lest, after all, something should at the last moment go wrong, looked
fearfully at the little craft's stern, expecting every instant to see
the foaming whirl of water there which would proclaim that the boat's
propeller was working; but, save for a very slight momentary disturbance
of the scummy surface, there was no result, and presently a very excited
individual was seen to emerge from the boat's engine-room hatch and rush
up on to the bridge, where he instantly plunged into a violently
gesticulatory conversation with the other occupant of the structure.
Then the pair left the bridge, hurried aft, and disappeared below.
Meanwhile the boat was adrift, and presently, under the influence of the
fast-freshening breeze, she drove athwart-hawse of a slashing American
schooner, the stout bowsprit of which neatly brought the boat's funnel
down on deck, to the accompaniment of a storm of abuse and imprecations
from the American skipper and mate. Then, swinging round and gathering
sternway, the boat drifted clear, losing her mast also in the process,
after which, somebody on board having recovered his presence of mind,
her anchor was let go again, and she swung to the wind.
That this interesting little incident had not passed unnoticed was
presently made manifest by the excited flourishings and gesticulations
of the semaphore upon the bridge of the cruiser, to which the torpedo
boat's semaphore duly made reply. Then a boat was lowered from the
latter craft, and two officers--presumably her commander and her chief
engineer--jumped into her stern-sheets and were pulled toward the
cruiser. Some ten minutes later the same boat pushed off again and
returned to her parent craft, while the semaphore on board the cruiser
once more awakened into frenzied activity, its message being this time
addressed to the gunboat, as could be deduced from the answering
nourishes of that vessel's instrument. The conversation lasted for
quite a considerable time; and long ere it was at an end dense clouds of
black smoke were pouring out of the funnel of Jack's old friend, the
_Tiburon_.
Now, although all these happenings were being watched with the most
absorbing interest from the top of the _Thetis's_ deck-house, it must
not be supposed that the watching was conducted in an obtrusive or
ostentatious manner; very far from it. The occupants of that "coign of
vantage", to whom Milsom was now added, were, so far as the ordinary
observer was concerned, lounging indolently in their several basket
chairs, reading, smoking, and chatting together, and apparently giving
not a thought to anything that was happening outside the bulwarks of
their own ship, save when, now and then, one of them would lift a pair
of binoculars and bring them to bear upon some object ashore, ultimately
sweeping the entire horizon with them, and pausing for a moment to watch
this or that before laying them down again. Nobody, even if watching
the party continuously, would, from their actions, have suspected them
of taking the smallest interest in the doings of the Spanish Government
vessels.
Yet there was not a movement on board either the cruiser or the
gunboat--the torpedo boat was _hors de combat_ and of no further
interest to them--that was not being intensely watched by Milsom and
Jack; and presently the latter turned to Carlos and enquired:
"Got a pencil and paper about you, old chap?"
"Yes," answered Carlos; "I have my pocket-book. Why?"
"Then just stand by to jot down such letters as I may call out to you.
That gunboat's semaphore is at work again, and I feel curious to know
what it is that she wants to say. Ah! just so; it is the cruiser she
wants to talk to. Now, stand by."
The cruiser having acknowledged the "call", the _Tiburon's_ semaphore
began spelling out a message, each letter of which Jack read off and
called out as it was signalled. When the message came to an end Carlos
read it out and translated it into English. It ran as follows:--
"Fear there is something wrong with my engines also. Have tried to turn
them by hand, aided by forty-five pounds of steam, and cannot move them
more than an inch or so either way."
The cruiser had no reply to make to this disquieting piece of
information; but a minute or two later four sailors ran out upon her
boat boom and climbed down the Jacob's ladder hanging therefrom into one
of the boats, which they cast off and paddled to the gangway ladder,
where two officers were by this time waiting. These two individuals at
once stepped into the boat, which thereupon was shoved off and pulled
alongside the gunboat.
"A lieutenant and one of the engineers from the cruiser gone aboard to
investigate," commented Milsom. "Now, keep your eye on the gunboat's
semaphore, Jack; we shall probably get a little further interesting
information presently."
They did not, however, for the gunboat's semaphore remained dumb. But
the two visitors from the cruiser presently re-appeared, tumbled down
over the side into their boat, and were rapidly rowed back to their own
ship. Ten minutes later a stream of smoke began to issue first from one
and then from the other funnel of the cruiser. It was evident that they
had started to get steam on board her in a hurry. And indeed the time
had arrived for hurry; for it was now five bells in the forenoon watch,
and the _James B. Potter_ was timed to arrive in Mulata Bay at eight
bells--an hour and a half thence! She was probably off the harbour's
mouth at that moment--or, if not off the harbour's mouth, at least in
sight. The Morro Castle, with its signal staff, was not visible from
the spot where the _Thetis_ lay moored, being shut off from view by the
eastern portion of the Old Town, but it could probably be seen from the
cruiser, which was lying considerably farther down the harbour and
farther over on the Regla side of it; and while the men folk on the top
of the yacht's deck-house were still discussing the matter, Milsom's
quick eye caught the cruiser's answering pennant being hoisted in
acknowledgment of a signal made to her from some unseen spot.
"Aha!" he exclaimed; "do you see that? I wouldn't mind betting my next
allowance of grog that that is the acknowledgment of a signal from the
Morro that the _Potter_ is in sight! How can we find out, I wonder,
without doing anything to arouse the suspicions of the Spanish Johnnies,
that we are interested in the matter? If it were not for the suspicion
that it would arouse, the simplest way, of course, would be to take the
steamboat and run down as far as the harbour's mouth, when we could see
for ourselves whether there is a steamer in sight. But it would never
do; it would be rather too palpable."
"Cannot you tell by reading the cruiser's signals?" demanded Don
Hermoso. "See, there are several flags being hoisted on board her now?
What do they mean?"