CHAPTER XXVI
Reunited
"THAT'S all very well," confided Webb, when the destroyer had takencharge of the captured felucca; "but I fancy we'll find out all aboutour mystery craft. She seemed mighty keen on recapturing our prize.Having, as she thought, driven us off, she paid us no furtherattention until we pitched into her. It is just possible that herobject was to rescue our friend Georgeos Hymettus."
Upon No. 0916's arrival at Mudros, the skilful and dangerous spy wasconveyed ashore under a strong guard. Placed upon his trial he made afull and abject confession of his misdeeds. Totally lacking in honourand _esprit de corps_, he unhesitatingly denounced his accomplices.As an intermediary between the German Government and the Greek kinghe had caused immense harm to the Allies, apart from the damage donewith his assistance by the U-boats in Mediterranean waters. On hisescape from Alexandria, Hymettus had undertaken a secret mission onbehalf of the so-called Royalist faction of Greece. This was with theidea of dealing a counter-stroke against the Venezelists, who heldmost of the islands in the Archipelago. Should he fail to accomplishthe principal object, he was to furnish a list of names of Greeksfavourably inclined to the Allies. This document was found on himwhen he was rescued from the sea. For safety's sake he had hidden itin a fold of his skirt, for he was in the old national Greek dresswhen on board the felucca, and unaccountably he had forgotten todestroy the paper during the period of captivity in the patrol-boat'sforepeak.
During the court martial it also transpired that the vessel which hadattacked Osborne's command and had attempted the recapture of thefelucca was the _Pyrgos_, a steam yacht belonging to a strongadherent to the Germanized royal family of Greece. It was not withthe sole desire of rescuing Hymettus that the daring attempt wasmade. The spy would have been ruthlessly abandoned by his employersbut for the fact that he bore incriminating documents. Hence themysterious tactics of the _Pyrgos_ that had led to her destruction,and to the failure to regain the written evidence of Tino'streachery.
The confession of Georgeos Hymettus did not save his miserable life.Condemned to be shot, the sentence was confirmed and duly carriedout--not with the idea of vengeance, but as a deterrent to othercosmopolitan rogues who infest the shores of the Levant.
Two days later, Osborne and Webb were making their way from theirtemporary shore quarters to the harbour, where they suddenly ran upagainst Captain M'Bride.
"Well met, Osborne!" exclaimed the genial skipper. "We only arrivedlast night, and I was on my way to look you up. About that dog ofyours. No, don't get excited. What a fellow you are! I have a letterfrom my chum on the _Tarbox_, but nothin' doin'. I hear you've beengiven a command. Well, hearty congratulations!"
"Yes, a patrol-boat," replied the Lieutenant. "She's quite a decentlittle craft." He was too bashful to refer to his achievement. "We'relaid up for repairs. Strained the connecting-rods while we weretowing some old hooker. But about Laddie, sir?"
M'Bride gripped Osborne's arm and turned him in the direction of theharbour.
"Come along," he said. "Let's see what we can do by making enquiriesof the destroyer flotilla. They've only just arrived from Salonika.And you too, Mr. Webb. I believe you are almost as keen about theanimal as Osborne."
Under the lee of the stranded hull of an immense dummy battleship,that was finishing a life of strenuous activity in the utilitarianyet humble capacity of a breakwater, lay seven long, lean destroyers.They had just completed a stretch of duty off the Grecian coast, and,relieved by their "opposite numbers", were about to re-bunker,replenish stores and provisions, and give their crews a well-earnedspell of rest.
Alongside the little stone jetty lay Captain M'Bride's gig. Into thisthe three officers stepped. The men "gave way", and the boat spedtowards the nearmost destroyer.
"If that's not your dog it's his double, Osborne," remarked CaptainM'Bride, pointing to a large animal that was sedately pacing thediminutive quarter-deck of the destroyer, at the heels of a couple ofofficers.
"Laddie!" shouted Osborne, oblivious of the fact that he was asubordinate officer in the presence of his former skipper.
"Hold on!" protested Captain M'Bride laughingly. "Do wait till we getalongside. He'll be overboard if we don't."
The warning came too late. Osborne had made no mistake in recognizinghis long-lost pet, although he had erred in calling to him.
In a trice Laddie cleared the rail, plunged into the water, and swamvigorously towards the gig.
Steering wide of the swimming animal, Captain M'Bride brought theboat alongside the destroyer, and, literally racing up her shortaccommodation-ladder, gained the shelter of the quarter-deck.
"Now haul the brute into the boat," he exclaimed. "If he soaks you tothe skin, that's your funeral, Osborne, not mine."
The possibility of being drenched never deterred Osborne. Graspingthe dog by the scruff of the neck, he hove him over the side into thegig; and the next moment the interested onlookers could hardlydistinguish the Lieutenant from the dog, so violently excited wereboth.
"Your dog, I presume?" explained the destroyer'sLieutenant-commander. "Well, take the brute; he's been a regularnuisance to us for the last two months. Of course, I only say thisbecause I don't mean it, Mr. Osborne. If it were of any use I'd offeryou a tenner on the spot."
It was quite evident from Laddie's appearance that he had been wellcared for. His coat, in spite of the wetting, was in excellentcondition. He had, in fact, been "adopted" by the ship's company,and, although their regret at his departure was undoubted, officersand men realized that Osborne had the higher claim.
"He was discovered trapped in a coal bunker of the capturedtorpedo-boat," explained the Lieutenant-commander. "Goodness onlyknows what he was doing there! We thought he was a Turkish dog, so wedidn't trouble to report the circumstance. We just adopted him. Itwas only this morning that Captain M'Bride happened to mention thematter; and, when we told him, he was off on shore like a younghurricane."
"I'm awfully grateful," began Osborne.
"Yes, yes, and we are very, very modest. We don't like beingoverwhelmed with thanks, my dear fellow. Well, s'long! If you have achance, bring Laddie on board while we're here. By the by, we calledhim Mustapha, and we rather wondered why he didn't cotton to it."
"Shows your rotten ignorance, Sefton," said Captain M'Bride in mockreproof. "A fellow who tries to give a Turkish name to a respectable,thoroughbred English sheep-dog deserves to be cashiered. Come along,Osborne; you hardly look dignified in those saturated togs."
"Come and have lunch with us, sir," said Osborne as the gig returnedto the quay. "We've fairly snug shore quarters, and I think there'ssomething going."
Captain M'Bride consented, and the three officers set off towards thelow, rambling stone building in which Osborne and Webb had taken uptheir temporary abode.
Their way lay along a narrow and somewhat crowded street of thenative quarter. In places the three officers had to make their way insingle file, Captain M'Bride leading, Webb coming next, and Osbornebringing up the rear, with Laddie sticking closely to his heels.
Suddenly Webb was jostled violently, his head coming in contact withhis former skipper's back. Turning, he found Osborne still staggeringfrom the effect of a blow, while Laddie was at the throat of aruffianly Greek whose outstretched hand was grasping a glitteringknife.