CHAPTER XXI--U99
During the first hour of their captivity Jack Sefton and his brotherwere left alone, locked in a narrow, ill-lighted compartment in theafter part of the submarine. Overhead they could hear the ceaselessclank of the steering-gear, while the crowded space within the hullechoed to the noisy clatter of the propelling machinery.
Outwardly calm, the sub was raging furiously. Yielding to his sense ofdiscretion, and realizing the importance of reassuring his youngbrother, he made a brave show at keeping up his spirits. On severaloccasions he had found himself in a tight corner, but now there was thehumiliation of being captured in a most ignominious fashion, withoutbeing able to raise a hand in self-defence.
"Upon my word!" he remarked. "Really, Leslie, you will have somethingto remember. Experiences like this don't fall to the lot of manyyoungsters, you know."
"More exciting than that scrap on Blackstone," rejoined Leslie. "EvenGeorge would have to admit that. Makes a fellow feel quite bucked. Butwhat do they intend doing with us, I wonder?"
"Events will prove that," replied the sub gravely. "Recollect that wehave to conceal our identity as much as possible. These chaps must notbe allowed to find out that I am a naval officer. Hark!"
A rasping sound, as the bolt securing the door was shot back,interrupted the conversation before Sefton had time to mature hisimmediate plans. The metal panel slid open and a petty officer appearedand spoke rapidly in German.
Drowned by the noise of the machinery, the words were inaudible, but bythe man's gestures the prisoners clearly understood that they had tofollow him. Along a narrow, steel-enclosed passage, then through a mazeof intricate machinery, the sub and his brother were conducted, untilthey found themselves in a small cabin almost immediately underneath thegrating that formed the floor of the raised conning-tower.
"You will at once take off your clothes," ordered the petty officer.
At this unexpected command the brothers looked at each other insurprise. The order could not be ignored, despite its apparentinconsequence. However unwilling to submit to the indignity, theprisoners obeyed promptly.
Under the stern glare of the German petty officer, Jack Sefton strippedoff his brown jersey, shirt, and singlet.
"Rough luck!" he muttered. "Now these brutes will tumble to it; my nameis marked on each of these garments."
Which was exactly what the Huns were intent upon finding out, for,giving a keen glance at the tell-tale lettering, the petty officerwithout waiting for the rest of the disrobing process made his way aft.
Sefton was not long left in doubt, for presently an officer in uniformcorresponding to that of a lieutenant-commander entered the cabin.
"So!" he exclaimed triumphantly, as he thumbed the pages of a BritishNavy List. "We fine bag have made. 'Sefton, John B. G.' That not thesame as Smith, hein?"
The sub vouchsafed no remark. He felt horribly humiliated by hisposition and by the easy manner in which he had been bowled out. Also,he realized that now the chances of the prisoners being set on board apassing vessel had been entirely knocked on the head.
"We take you back to Zhermany," continued the kapitan of the submarine."Day after to-morrow we land you at Wilhelmshaven at exactly nineo'clock."
The day after to-morrow--at nine o'clock. That would be Monday, and atthat hour Sefton was due for "divisions" at Portsmouth Naval Barracks.The irony of his position ate into his soul.
"If not, you will be a corpse at the bottom of the sea," rejoined theGerman pointedly. "Now get your clothes on, and take good care toyourselves behave."
The kapitan quitted the cabin, leaving Sefton and his brother to resumetheir garments. This they did in silence, for Leslie had noticed hisbrother's despondency and chagrin.
Except for the periods when they were ordered forward for meals, theprisoners were left severely alone. Of the passing of time they had buta remote idea, since the sub had wisely left his watch ashore beforeproceeding on the ill-starred trip in the _Fidelity_. Certain it wasthat, for nearly twelve hours, U99 remained submerged, running on herelectric power.
Then she rose to the surface. The petrol engines were coupled up, andat an increased speed the submarine proceeded, in what direction Seftonhad no idea. Without means of consulting a compass, and confined below,he was in total ignorance of the vessel's course.
At length, dead-tired, for neither of the twain had slept the previousnight, Jack and Leslie threw themselves down on the floor. There was noneed for bedding. The heat of the confined space was too oppressive forthat. For a long while the sub tossed uneasily on his hard couch,finally dropping off into a fitful slumber.
He was awakened by a seaman shaking him vigorously. For some moments hewas unable to realize his surroundings. Sleeping in the hot and almostfetid air had benumbed his brain. He felt fuddled, his eyes seemedstrained and dim, his throat burned painfully.
"On deck for exercise," ordered the man, speaking in German.
Sefton staggered to his feet, feeling stiff and cramped in his limbs.Leslie was still asleep, and when disturbed took even longer than hisbrother to be fully aroused.
"By Jove," thought the sub, "if the crew are all like this, early mornis the time to catch them napping! Well, here goes."
The two captives followed their jailer through an oval-shaped hatchway,gaining the deck by means of a steel ladder.
Lounging on the long, narrow platform were more than a dozen men, somestretched upon their backs, others lying with their heads pillowed upontheir arms, but in every case one hand was outstretched to grasp thestanchions. The precaution was necessary, for the boat was flounderingheavily in the long, sullen rollers.
Instinctively Sefton gave a glance in the direction of the sun. It wasnow broad daylight. The orb of day, high in the heavens, betokened thefact that it was approaching the hour of noon. By the direction of theshadows cast upon the deck, it was now apparent that the U boat's coursewas a little east of north. Away on the starboard hand was a seeminglyinterminable range of frowning cliffs, the nearmost being but two orthree miles distant. They were the rock-bound shores of Donegal.
Holding Leslie tightly by the arm, for the lad was not accustomed to theAtlantic swell, Sefton marched him up and down the deck between theafter end of the conning-tower and the stern. Although the limitedpromenade was still further curtailed by the prone bodies of the crew,the latter paid no attention to the two prisoners.
On the platform surrounding the conning-tower was the unter-leutnant whohad ordered their arrest. Scanning the horizon with his binoculars, he,too, seemed indifferent to the presence of the two Englishmen. Withhim, and stationed at a small wheel in the wake of a binnacle, was aquartermaster. The conning-tower hatchway was closed, owing possibly tothe spray that literally swept the fore part of the submarine, and wasflung high over the domed top of the "brain of the ship".
"Where are we now?" asked Leslie.
"Off the Irish coast," replied his brother.
"Wish one of our destroyers would put in an appearance," remarked Lesliewistfully.
The sub made no audible reply. His views upon the matter, based uponactual experience, told him pretty plainly that the captain of a Britishwar-ship would not be likely to ascertain whether there were compatriotson board the craft he purposed to destroy. Also, there had been fullyauthenticated cases of the Huns locking the prisoners down below beforethey abandoned the sinking ship. Sefton did not mind running legitimaterisks in action, but he had a strong objection to being "done in" byBritish guns.
His reveries were interrupted by a shrill whistle from theconning-tower. Instantly the somnolent men were roused into activity.In less than thirty seconds Sefton and his brother were tumbled below,the decks were cleared, and the hatches closed.
By the inclination of the floor of the compartment that served as a cellSefton realized that the U boat was diving. Almost at the same timethere was a muffled detonation as a 12-pounder shell, fired from adestroyer at a distance of 7
500 yards, exploded immediately above thespot where the submarine had disappeared.
"Good heavens, she holed!" ejaculated the sub, as the U boat quiveredand dipped to an alarming angle. Momentarily he expected to hear, abovethe rattle of the machinery, the irresistible inrush of water and theshrieks of the doomed crew.
But in this he was mistaken. The nearness of the explosion of the shellhad urged upon the submarine's kapitan the necessity for haste.Thrusting the diving-planes hard down, he caused the U boat to dive withunusual abruptness, never bringing the vessel upon an even keel untilshe had descended to a depth of twelve fathoms.
The rest of the day was passed in utter monotony as far as the prisonerswere concerned. Although it was two hours before the U boat dared toexpose the tips of her periscopes above the surface, the greater part ofthe day was spent in running submerged.
Towards evening U99 ascended, and, altering course, stood in pursuit ofa small tramp. After a short chase, for the former had the advantage of15 knots in speed, the submarine approached sufficiently near to be ableto fire a shot close to her quarry.
Almost immediately the tramp slowed down and hoisted American colours.It did not take U99 long to range up alongside, and the unterleutnantand half a dozen seamen proceeded on board.
The prize was a Yankee, bound from Boston to Liverpool with a cargo ofwarlike stores. According to arrangements, she should have been met andescorted by a patrol vessel; but, although the latter was hourlyexpected, something had occurred to delay her.
"We'll have to sink you," declared the German officer.
The "old man"--a typical New Englander--shrugged his shoulders.
"Wal, I reckon yer can," he replied coolly.
"You don't seem concerned by the fact."
"Not I, stranger. This hyer ship an' cargo is jest insured up to thehilt in 'The Narragut Marine Assurance Company'. An' since the bulk ofthe shareholders are Huns--wal, I guess it's 'nuff said."
"Ach! Then I suppose I must let you go," exclaimed the baffled Germanofficer. "If you fall in with any British war-vessels you might tellthem that we have two Englishmen on board."
"Maybe you'd care to let us give 'em a passage?" hazarded the Bostonskipper.
"If that had been our intention we should have done so without asking afavour," rejoined the unter-leutnant.
"Perhaps you would care to examine the ship's papers?" enquired themaster. His keen eyes had detected a small, swiftly moving object onthe horizon--the expected patrol boat. Cap'n Hiram Goslow, although atough Republican, was quite in sympathy with the Allies. On previousvoyages he had fallen foul of the Huns, and the treatment he hadreceived still rankled. "Maybe you aren't quite satisfied about the'Narragut Marine Assurance Company' stunt?"
For the next half-minute the fate of U99 with all on board trembled inthe balance. The unterleutnant, only too pleased to have theopportunity of finding a flaw in Captain Goslow's statement, was aboutto accept the invitation, when a warning shout from the kapitan of the Uboat brought the boarding-party scrambling on board with the utmostalacrity.
To the accompaniment of a chorus of jeers and laughter from the Americancrew, the submarine submerged and was lost to sight.
Although Jack Sefton and his brother were in ignorance of the precisenature of the meeting with the tramp and the imperturbable CaptainGoslow, they knew by the unwonted noises and the shutting-down of themotors that something had transpired. The sudden closing of thehatchways, and the hasty dive taken, told the sub that once again theceaseless vigilance of the British navy had been responsible for a badquarter of an hour for the Germans.
The kapitan's boast to the effect that his prisoners would be landed atWilhelmshaven at nine o'clock was an empty one. Wildly excitingmoments, when the U boat found herself foul of a maze of steel nets,delayed her progress, until at length U99 arrived at a positionforty-five miles N.N.W. of Heligoland.
Here a wireless message was received, the purport of which was nothailed with any degree of enthusiasm by the weary and almost exhaustedcrew. They were on the point of completing a fortnight's cruise ofstrenuous discomfort, physical exertion, and mental strain. Now,instead of proceeding to Wilhelmshaven for a period of recuperation,they were ordered to make for a certain rendezvous and await thesubmarine depot-ship _Kondor_.
Officers and crew knew what this meant. Heavy losses amongst the German_unterseebooten_ flotillas had necessitated the U99 being pressed intoan extension of present service. She was to replenish stores andtorpedoes, and to be attached to the submarine flotilla operating withthe High Seas Fleet. Evidently another big movement was contemplated inthe North Sea.
Something had to be done to bolster up the rapidly crumbling tissue oflies by which the German Admiralty had gulled the Teutonic world. Neverin the history of naval warfare had a victorious fleet been compelled toremain inactive in its home ports beyond the period necessary forrevictualling, replenishing of warlike stores, and making defects good.Nine weeks or more had elapsed since the glorious victory off Jutland,and still the Hun fleet clung tenaciously to its moorings. Even thefat-headed burghers who frequented the _bier-gartens_ of Berlin began torealize that the crushing defeat of the British in the North Sea had notresulted in any increase of provisions or in the abolition of the hatedfood tickets.
There was a fly in the ointment. Steps had to be taken to counteractits baneful influence.
Almost in desperation, several German Dreadnoughts, accompanied by lightcruisers and destroyers, emerged from the Heligoland Bight. Amongst themwere the _Westfalen_ and _Nassau_, sister ships, whose scars received inthe Jutland fight had been hurriedly patched up in the Wilhelmshavendockyards. Escorted by several Zeppelins, the Hun fleet steamedwestward--not to give battle, but to make an attempt to copy Beatty'sincomparable strategy.
Night was falling when U99 made fast alongside the _Kondor_. She wasnot alone. In the vicinity were a dozen or more _unterseebooten_ of asimilar type, awaiting wireless orders from the giant airship that wasscouting fifty miles or so in the direction of the shores of GreatBritain.
"Up on deck!" ordered the petty officer in whose particular charge thetwo Seftons had been placed.
The sub and his brother obeyed promptly. Had they lingered, theirmovements would have been accelerated by a kick from the Hun's heavysea-boot.
The transformation from the artificially-lighted compartment to therapidly gathering night made it impossible for Sefton to take in hissurroundings until his eyes grew accustomed to the gloom. At first hewas under the impression that the submarine was berthed in harbour,until he discerned the towering outlines of the sea-going depot-ship andthe absence of wharves and buildings.
Far away to the eastward the horizon was streaked with therapidly-moving search-lights of a large fleet. The skyward-directedrays were a direct challenge to Beatty's squadrons. In unlikeconditions to those of the Jutland battle, the Huns made no attempt tosteal off under cover of darkness. They had a set purpose in exposingtheir position to the British fleet.
"By Jove!" exclaimed Sefton. "The Huns are out again. What's the gamethis time?"
He glanced westward, half expecting to see the misty outlines of theGrand Fleet silhouetted against the last faint streak of crimson on thehorizon, but the sky-line was unbroken.
"Hurry, pigs of Englishmen!" ordered the German petty officer,indicating a "Jacob's ladder" that hung from the side of the _Kondor_."We have had enough of you. Soon you will see----" He stoppedabruptly, fearing that his words might be overheard by the grim kapitanof the submarine.
Agilely Leslie ascended the swaying rope-ladder, the sub following closebehind in case the inexperienced lad should lose his hold. But youngSefton acquitted himself wonderfully. The Huns had no chance of a laughat his expense.
Contrary to their expectations, the two prisoners were not conductedbelow. With an armed seaman standing behind them they were stationed onthe raised poop, from whence they could see as much of the operations asthe feeble light permitt
ed.
Promptly hoses were coupled up, pumping volumes of petrol into U99'stanks. Fully charged accumulators were hoisted out and lowered down thesubmarine's after hatchway, while the for'ard hatch was opened toreceive a dozen large torpedoes closely approaching the British 21-inchweapons.
At midnight a wireless operator handed the kapitan of the _Kondor_ amessage, the text of which caused the officer to issue a string oforders. Quickly the hawsers securing the submarine to the depot-shipwere cast off, and U99, forging slowly ahead, picked up her station inline with the rest of the flotilla. Then, at a given signal, thesubmarines proceeded in a north-westerly direction, while the _Kondor_steamed toward the invisible German battleships.
At this stage of the proceedings, Sefton and his brother were orderedbelow, and placed in a cell on the orlop deck, twelve feet or more belowthe waterline. In utter darkness, for even the luxury of a single lightwas denied them, they sat, listening to the plash of the waves againstthe side, until sleep came as a welcome relief to the strain of the day.
Several times the sub awoke with a start. A nightmare gripped him.Normally strong nerved, the cramped and dark cell, and the almostcertain fate that awaited him should the _Kondor_ be sunk, filled himwith vague terrors. In vain he tried to rally himself. The ordeal ofthe shell-swept bridge of the _Calder_ seemed as naught compared withthe gruesome atmosphere of the below-water-line prison.
The hours wore on, but the unexpected torpedo attack was notforthcoming. No thunder of guns broke the almost uncanny silence. Nolonger the waves dashed themselves against the side plating of the hull.Only a sullen, rolling motion and the faint tremor of the twin propellershafting betokened the fact that the vessel was still under way.