CHAPTER III
The Bomb in the Hold
"WELL, that's a cool request," soliloquized Webb. "The old chap wantsus to act the part of the cat, and hook the monkey's chestnuts out ofthe fire. All in a day's work, I suppose."
He glanced at the Portuguese skipper, who was anxiously awaiting theSub's reply.
"It seems to me a simple matter," said Tom, "to clap on the hatchesand carry them into the Tagus. We'll have to tow you, I suppose.There are several of your war-ships off Belem, and I fancy they'll beonly too glad of a chance to collar a few Huns."
The captain of the _Douro_ shook his head.
"Senhor, you do not quite understand. These pirates are armed. We arenot. Moreover they threaten to blow up the ship."
"Very good," decided the Sub. "Unship the hatches. Stand by, men;take cover until we find out what these rascals intend doing. Laddie,you imp of mischief, keep to heel."
The dog obeyed, reluctantly. Already he had his suspicions that therewas danger. His instinct prompted him to bound forward and grapplewith the foe.
Deftly the fore hatchway cover was drawn aside. A ray of brilliantsunshine penetrating the narrow opening played with a pendulum-likemovement into the dark recesses as the vessel rolled from side toside. The Sub deemed it safe to show himself, since the eyes of theimprisoned Huns were likely to be dazzled by the sudden glare.
"Now then!" he shouted sternly. "Do you surrender?"
"Nein," was the guttural reply; "we vos stop here. If you attempt todamage us do, den we der ship sink."
"All right, please yourself," rejoined Webb coolly. "Only remember,you'll be cooped up under hatches, and I need not remind you thatit's a mighty unpleasant death, and you have only yourselves to blamefor the consequences of your rash decision."
The trapped Huns conversed amongst themselves for some moments.Apparently their spokesman had been impressed by the Sub's view ofthe situation, and was communicating the news to his fellows.
"Don't hurry on our account," continued Webb cheerfully. "The oddsare that we shall get to the Mediterranean before your submarine. Butplease do make up your minds."
"You vos our lives spare?" enquired the Hun spokesman anxiously.
"Of course; you will be treated as prisoners of war," replied theyoung officer promptly.
"Every von of us?"
"Yes, every man jack of you."
"Goot; den we surrender make."
One by one five Germans stumbled up the ladder, each man raising hishands high above his head as he appeared above the coaming. Mistrustwas written upon their brutal-looking faces until they found that noattempt was made to harm them. Then their demeanour became insolentlydefiant towards the smiling young officer.
Webb stepped aside and conferred with the Portuguese captain. Thelatter nodded his head emphatically.
"Si, senhor; there were _six_," he declared.
The smile vanished from Webb's face.
"Which of you speak English?" he enquired of the five prisoners.
"Me," replied the man who had tendered the surrender. "Before der warI vos in der English merchantship----"
"Never mind about what you were," said Webb. "The point is: six ofyou boarded this vessel. There are only five on deck. How about it?"
"We tell you all about it when in the boat we vos," declared thespokesman, glancing over the side at the waiting cutter.
"You'll tell me now," corrected the Sub with unmistakable firmness."Otherwise I'll have you put in irons."
For a brief instant the Hun hesitated.
"Der six man, Hans, below is," he explained. "He vos stop and light abomb. Ach! You vos do nodings. You promise make to all our livesspare."
The Sub realized that he had been done. It was up to him to do hisbest, even at the risk of his life, to prevent the destruction of theship. It was obviously unfair to risk the lives of his men in a taskthat, but for his precipitate pledge, need never have beenundertaken.
"Keep those fellows on deck under close arrest. The boarding partywill remain here," he exclaimed, addressing the coxswain pettyofficer of the cutter. "I'm going below."
Without hesitation Webb descended the ladder into the gloomy depthsof the fore hold. Groping until his feet touched the iron floor, hewaited while his eyes grew accustomed to the dim light. The place wascrowded with cargo, for the most part tiers of barrels. Fore and aftran a narrow space, terminating at the transverse steel bulkheads.
A faint hissing sound was borne to his ears. For'ard a splutter ofdim reddish sparks told him that already the time-fuse had beenlighted; but the Hun responsible for the firing of the bomb had notyet bolted for the deck. Was it possible that he was going to throwaway his life in a useless act of revenge upon the _Douro_? Or wasthe time-fuse of sufficient length for him to remain in the hold forseveral minutes before making a dash for safety?
In any case the Sub had no time to debate upon the situation. Hischief concern was to save the ship. Unhesitatingly he made his waytowards the hissing fuse.
"Tamped" by means of a bale of cotton, the bomb had been placedagainst the curved tapering side of the ship. Only a few inches ofthe fuse was visible. It seemed a matter of a few seconds before thepowerful explosive would be detonated.
Placing his boot upon the ignited tape, Webb severed the fuse. As heknelt there, in order to make certain that the sparks were thoroughlyextinguished, a pair of powerful hands gripped him from behind. Thedesperate Hun, hitherto hidden in the after part of the hold, hadthrown himself upon the young officer.
Taken by surprise, although he had been prepared for a frontalattack, Webb found himself stretched upon his back with a burlyTeuton kneeling on his chest. The Hun's left hand was pressed overthe Sub's mouth, thus effectually preventing him from making a sound,while with his right the fellow groped for the severed portion of thefuse, which, released from the pressure of Webb's boot, had againburst into a splutter of angry sparks.
"ONE BY ONE _FIVE_ GERMANS STUMBLED UP THE LADDER"]
For a seemingly interminable time Webb struggled desperately yetunavailingly. Slowly yet surely the relentless pressure on his chestwas telling. Multitudes of lights flashed before his eyes; vainly hegasped for breath, writhing frantically to refill his lungs with air.Dimly he wondered why his men had not come to his assistance. Hismind was too confused to remember that it was by his express orderthat he had forbidden anyone to accompany him upon his hazardousenterprise.
Suddenly the Hun gave vent to a yell of terror. His grasp relaxed.Again he yelled, this time the scream trailing off into a muffled,choking sob. A savage and determined snarl gave the half-dazed Tom aninkling of the identity of his rescuer. It was Laddie.
Unseen and unheard by the Sub the sheep-dog had followed him down theladder. Eager to face the danger, yet fearing to pass his master'schum, the dog had lurked in the darkness until the German hadlaunched his treacherous attack. In reality the seemingly longinterval during which Webb was at the mercy of his assailant was buta few seconds, for with a bound Laddie flew at the Hun's neck.
At the first contact of the animal's teeth in the back of his neckthe Hun had yelled. An instant later Laddie had shifted his grip, andwas savagely worrying the German's throat. Vainly the man strove tothrow off his four-footed enemy. Laddie was not to be denied.
Hearing the sound of the encounter, and guessing rightly that theiryoung officer was in danger, several of the cutter's crew swarmeddown into the fore hold. They were barely in time to save the Germanfrom death. Even then the dog was reluctant to relax his jaws.
Once more the still fizzling portion of the severed fuse wasextinguished. The prisoner was hauled unceremoniously out of thehold, while Webb was assisted to the deck, where in the open air hesoon recovered sufficiently to direct operations.
"They're signalling, sir," reported the coxswain, indicating the_Portchester Castle_, which now lay about a quarter of a mile on theport beam of the _Douro_. "They want to know what the delay is for."
"Tell them that the
vessel's engines are disabled, that an attempthas been made to destroy her by means of bombs, and that we have sixprisoners. Ask instructions how to proceed."
A signalman perched upon the guard-rail of the _Douro's_ shatteredbridge quickly sent the message. After a brief interval came theorder:
"Cutter to be recalled. Bring off prisoners. Inform commandingofficer of _Douro_ that we propose to take her in tow."
Without resistance the six Huns were bundled into the boat. The Hunwho had attacked Webb in the hold was now quite incapable of sodoing, even had he been inclined. With a bandage applied to hislacerated throat he crouched in the stern-sheets, anxiously watchingwith ill-concealed terror Laddie's fierce-looking blue eyes.
The Portuguese skipper was profuse in his expressions of thanks whenSub-lieutenant Webb took his departure. For the time being all dangerwas at an end. There was every reason to believe that the _Douro_would in safety make her destination.
"Very good, carry on," was Captain Staggles's stereotyped remarkafter Tom had made his report. The Sub saluted and went aft,wondering dimly what manner of man his new skipper could be, sincehis spoken expression of the Sub's conduct was limited to four words.
For the next twelve hours the _Portchester Castle_ towed the crippled_Douro_. Late in the afternoon the latter was taken over by a coupleof tugs that had been summoned from the Tagus by wireless. Free toresume her interrupted voyage, the British armed merchantmanacknowledged the dip of the Portuguese ensign, and was soon reelingoff the miles that separated her from Gibraltar.