CHAPTER XII
PRISONERS OF WAR
"WHAT in the name of goodness is that?" exclaimed CaptainCumberleigh.
He knew perfectly well. The sight of a slender pole inclined slightlyfrom the perpendicular and throwing out a double feather of spray asit cleft the water told him that it was the periscope of a submarine.
His exclamation attracted the attention of his companions. Even asthey looked appeared the tip of the second periscope, followed almostimmediately by the bows and conning-tower of the submarine. Then likea gigantic whale the long, bulging hull slithered above the surface,the water pouring from its deck in cascades of swirling foam.
"One of our submarines, by Jove!" exclaimed Pyecroft. "Wonder whatshe's doing here?"
"A Hun!" corrected Cumberleigh. "We're properly in the soup, youfellows."
He gave a hurried glance in the only direction from which they couldexpect aid--skywards. Not an aircraft of any description was insight. The gorgeous prospect of seeing a seaplane swoop down upon anincautious Fritz was out of the question.
"Jefferson!" he shouted. "Run for it, man. Don't wait for us."
The owner of the _Pip-squeak_ took in the situation at a glance.True, the U-boat was between him and the shore, but there was a stiffleading wind. While the Hun was concentrating his attention upon theX-lighter the sailing-boat had a fair chance of getting away, butJefferson was a "white man."
"No fear, old bird!" he shouted. "We're all in this stunt. I amcoming on board."
With that he ran the sailing-boat alongside the barge, and, withoutwaiting to lower the sail, leapt on deck and secured the painter.
Meanwhile the hatches of the U-boat had been thrown open and her twoguns manned and trained point-blank upon the helpless lighter.
"'Fraid this isn't the time for a death-or-glory stunt," remarkedCumberleigh. "Fritz is evidently 'one up.'"
Of the five, "Captain Fennelburt" was the least perturbed. The spywas distinctly annoyed at the unexpected turn of events. It looked asif his carefully prepared campaign was to be nipped in the bud.Consequently he was liable to heavy financial loss in addition to awaste of valuable time, for his employers in Berlin paid only fordefinite results. "No work, no pay," was the motto of the GermanSecret Service, and before von Preussen could be landed in GreatBritain again weeks might elapse. As a secondary consideration, therewas the doubt of how he would be received by his compatriots. Forvery good reasons he wished to conceal his identity from hiscompanions on the lighter. In spite of strenuous precautions, Britishprisoners of war sometimes contrived to effect their escape, and itwould be a very serious matter for von Preussen if it became knownthrough the medium of a former captive in Germany that the_soi-disant_ Captain Fennelburt was a Secret Service agent of theGerman Intelligence Department.
"Gentlemen!" observed Pyecroft facetiously. "The R.A.F. SalvageSyndicate is dissolved."
With her guns still trained upon the lighter, U 247 approached slowlyand with evident hesitation. At the back of von Preugfeld's mindlurked the haunting suspicion that X 5 was a snare. The verytemptingness of the bait increased his suspicions. Perhaps a Britishsubmarine was lying in wait to blow him and his U-boat to atoms; orsomewhere in the clouds a coastal airship was floating motionless,awaiting an opportunity to swoop down and let loose an aerial torpedobefore the Germans had time to close hatches and submerge.
On the other hand, there was von Preussen, clad in a British R.A.F.uniform and standing seemingly unconcerned upon the lighter's deck.Surely, if there were a trap, the Hun would contrive to make a mutesignal to his compatriots.
Von Preussen gave none. He was content to let events take theircourse.
Presently U 247 reversed engines and brought up within half a cable'slength of the barge. Clambering upon the raised platform abaft theconning-tower, the kapitan raised a megaphone to his lips.
His delivery of English was execrable, but he was unaware of thefact. He rather prided himself on the knowledge that he could speakthe language, having learnt it from a third-rate German professor ina minor university in the Fatherland.
"You vos surrender make!" he shouted. "It all of an instant up ismit you. Get into der leedle boat and put you yourselves on board disscheep. If you drouble giff, den we shoot."
"Right-o, old bean!" hailed Cumberleigh in reply.
Von Preugfeld was puzzled by the reply. Mentally he resolved at thefirst opportunity to consult Volume II (Ba-Cu) of a BritishEncyclopaedia that he had on board.
"Look you pointed about it!" he exclaimed angrily. "I you give half aminute to quit der boat."
"Come on, boys!" said Cumberleigh. "The old josser's getting jumpy."
"Is that an order or a request, Cumberleigh?" asked Pyecroft. "Ifit's an order, well and good; if not, I'm not having any."
"Please yourself, old man," replied the captain. "And the very bestof luck."
The four stepped into the _Pip-squeak_. Her sail was hurriedlystowed, and under oars the boat approached the submarine.
"Der vos five!" exclaimed Ober-leutnant von Preugfeld, as theprisoners came over the side. "Vere is der odder?"
A look of blank ignorance appeared on each man's face. Even the spyfailed to betray any sign that would reveal the secret. The kapitanturned to a petty officer.
"Place these men below," he ordered.
"These three in No. 3 store-room; this one will go aft. You, there,"he added, addressing another seaman. "Take an axe and knock out thegarboards of that boat."
Cumberleigh, Blenkinson and Jefferson found themselves escorted belowin double quick time. When fear hangs on the heels of a U-boat's crewthe promptness to execute an order borders on panic. Literallyhustled along a narrow alley-way bristling with dozens, nay, scores,of valve-wheels, they were bundled into a dark, moisture-laden recessthat at one time contained a quantity of consumable stores. The doorwas slammed and locked, and the three R.A.F. officers foundthemselves prisoners of war under highly objectionablecircumstances--trapped in a U-boat.
Giving another glance skywards and all around the horizon, vonPreugfeld walked aft to the hatchway through which von Preussen haddisappeared. "I'll see you in the ward-room in less than fiveminutes, von Preussen," he said. "Apparently this affair requires anexplanation. But what has become of the fourth Englishman?"
"Still on board," replied the spy. "He's trying to evade capture."
"There is an alternative," remarked the ober-leutnant grimly. "He'swelcome to it."
Making his way back to the outside of the conning-tower, vonPreugfeld noted that his order concerning the sailing-boat had beencarried out. Levelling his binocular, he scanned the shelving deck ofthe X-lighter. There was no sign of life on board X 5.
Ringing for half speed, von Preugfeld increased the distance betweenthe U-boat and her prize to three hundred yards.
"Give her a round amidships!" he ordered.
The U-boat rolled sluggishly to starboard under the recoil of thegun. Almost simultaneously with the report of the weapon came thecrash of exploding shell. Amidst a welter of foam and yellow smoke X5 disappeared beneath the waves, leaving the water dotted withfloating debris in the shape of buoyant articles released from herhold by the shattering of her hatches.
For a full half-minute the ober-leutnant kept the flotsam underobservation; then, satisfied that his work of destruction had beenaccomplished in its entirety, and that to remain on the surface muchlonger after the roar of the explosion was hazardous, he turned tovon Loringhoven.
"Down to twenty-five metres," he ordered. "Course due west at eightknots for ten minutes. Then let her sound."
Leaving the unter-leutnant to carry out his instructions, vonPreugfeld made his way to the cabin where the returned spy awaitedhim.
"I hardly expected to see you so soon, Karl," he began. "I hope Ihaven't disturbed your elaborate plans."
"You have," replied the spy, with marked emphasis.
"_Himmel!_ How is that? Were you taken into the confidence of theseEnglish officers
, and were your investigations a secret project thatwas being experimented upon to the disadvantage of the Fatherland?"
"You have put me to considerable inconvenience," replied vonPreussen. "My kit is at an hotel at Auldhaig."
"No compromising documents, I hope?" asked the kapitan anxiously.
"No; but a man cannot get about in comfort without his travellingbelongings," remarked the spy. "You will have to land me again, butmy venture in the Auldhaig district is a failure. It means that Imust make my way south and try my luck in Dover and Portsmouth. And Iwas getting on so nicely with those fellows at the air station," headded, little knowing to what purpose the hospitality had beenextended.
"And what was the experiment?" asked von Preugfeld.
"Experiment? There was no experiment," declared the spy. "Those foolsof Englishmen took a liking to me and insisted on my going with themon a fishing expedition. We fell in with an almost water-loggedbarge, and while we were exploring you appeared. Now comes thequestion, where and when do you intend to set me ashore?"
Von Preugfeld's feelings were far from those of composure. On the onehand, he had sunk an English vessel of sorts. It was true that shelooked like sinking before, but that was a side issue. He had made acapture of three English officers and had killed a fourth.Unfortunately, they were of no great rank as he had hoped--merelyjunior officers. On the other hand, he would have to delay his returnjourney in order to set von Preussen ashore. Stores, fuel andprovisions were already running short, and the delay would meanconsiderable inconvenience, possibly danger. His afternoon's work,like that of the bombardment of Aberspey, was not worth the candle.
"I have already carried out instructions with reference to yourself,"he remarked stiffly.
"And almost immediately you have undone all the work required of youin the matter," added the spy.
The ober-leutnant shrugged his shoulders. He was obstinate,pig-headed and arrogant, but in argument he was no match for thetrained finesse of the Secret Service agent.
"As a favour----" he began.
"No--as a right," corrected von Preussen firmly.
"_Donnerwetter!_ You insist too much," grumbled von Preugfeld. "Isuppose there is nothing to be done but to fall in with your whim."
"With official instructions," interpolated the spy.
"Have your own way then," snapped the ober-leutnant. "To land youmust necessarily entail night-work. I propose, then, to set youashore at the same place as before. We are, in fact, within a coupleof miles of it, and you will observe that we have shut off themotors, and U 247 is even now resting on the bed of the German Ocean.I would suggest that you should walk to Nedderburn and catch the mailtrain south that stops at the junction shortly after three in themorning."
"And more than likely stumble across some of the officers and menfrom Auldhaig Air Station," objected the spy. "No, my friend, Iprefer to lay my own plans; then, if anything does go wrong, I haveonly myself to blame. And since Captain George Fennelburt is either aprisoner of war or 'missing--presumed drowned,' I must needs beg,borrow or steal another name. Henceforth, until further notice, I amCaptain Broadstone, also of the Royal Air Force. Will you oblige meby lending me a pen? There are certain forms which I must now fill into bear out my new character."