CHAPTER XXII--The British Submarines at Work
A succession of long-drawn hoarse cheering aroused both Seftons fromtheir light sleep. Leslie's outstretched hands came in contact with hisbrother's face, for, in the utter darkness, only the senses of touch andspeech made the twain aware of each other's presence.
"What's that noise, Jack?"
"Only the crew getting excited about something," replied the subinconsequently. At the same time, he felt pretty certain that somethingin the nature of a successful naval engagement had been responsible forthe outburst of noisy enthusiasm on the part of the German crew.
He was not left long in doubt, for the door of the cell was thrown openand a seaman bearing a lantern ordered the prisoners to follow him.
Arriving on the upper deck, the sub discovered that the _Kondor_ hadundergone a transformation. Everything that denoted her part as a fleetauxiliary had disappeared. Aft she flew Swedish colours, and adistinctive band encircled her wall sides, with the words:"Gefle--Sverige" conspicuously displayed. Most of the crew haddiscarded their German uniform, and were rigged out in the cosmopolitangear usually favoured by merchant seamen.
The crew had ceased cheering, but by their bearing it was quite evidentthat they were still labouring under the excitement of good news.
Pointing to a notice pinned to a board on the main hatchway, aroundwhich several men still lingered, the seaman, who had been told off toguard the prisoners, indicated that his charges should acquaintthemselves with the information.
"What's it all about, Jack?" asked Leslie.
The message was the copy of a wireless report to the effect that Germansubmarines had been successful in torpedoing two British cruisers of the"Chatham" class.
"Do you think it's true?" asked young Sefton anxiously, when the sub hadtranslated the report.
"It may be a case of exaggeration," was the reply. "Of course, it ispossible. At any rate, don't let these fellows see we are down-hearted.Keep a stiff upper lip, old sport."
Turning their backs upon the distasteful notice-board, the two prisonersstrolled to the side, their guard following but making no attempt toprevent them.
The _Kondor_ was not alone. About two miles on the starboard hand, andsteaming rapidly, were the two Dreadnoughts that Sefton had noticed onthe previous day. Behind were three light cruisers, while, stillfarther astern, six sea-going torpedo-boats were tearing along in thatclose formation beloved of German torpedo-flotilla officers.
As the flagship passed, she threw out a signal to the disguised_Kondor_, which was quickly acknowledged. At the relative rates ofspeed, it was certain that the battleships were overhauling the pseudo_Gefle_ hand over fist.
Sub-lieutenant Sefton was witnessing part of the strategy of the GermanHigh Seas Fleet. It had ventured out with the express intention ofluring Beatty's squadron in pursuit, knowing that the gallant Beattywould not decline the challenge. But, with admirable discretion, theBritish admiral made no effort to send the swift battle-cruisers inpursuit, merely contenting himself by ordering the light cruisers anddestroyer flotillas to keep in touch with the retreating Huns.
There were risks of mines and torpedoes, but these were unavoidable. Bykeeping well out of the wake of the German ships, the danger of bumpingover a hastily dropped mine was obviated, while a quick use of the helmwould enable the swift cruisers to minimize the chances of successfulsubmarine attack.
In the early hours, the British light-cruisers and destroyersencountered the _unterseebooten_ purposely detailed by von Hipper tointercept the pursuing vessels. Three, at least, of the Germansubmarines were sent to the bottom by gun-fire or by use of the ram;but, unfortunately, the _Falmouth_ and _Nottingham_ fell victims totorpedo attack.
Even as Sefton was watching the retreating warships, a column of waterwas thrown high in the air close to the port quarter of the GermanDreadnought _Westfalen_. Before the muffled roar of the explosion wasborne to his ears, the sub saw the huge battleship reel under theterrific blow.
Regardless of the consequences, he cheered lustily; but, thrown into astate of consternation by the magnitude of the disaster to one of theircapital ships, the crew of the _Kondor_ made no attempt to hurl the rashEnglishman to the deck.
Spellbound, they watched the throes of the stricken Dreadnought, towhose assistance the six German destroyers were making at full speed.As for the rest of the German battleships and cruisers, they steamed offas hard as they could, lest a like fate should befall them.
The _Kondor_ slowed down and stood by, making no effort to close to theaid of the torpedoed ship, while two destroyers circled aimlessly in avain search for the daring British submarine.
Then, very slowly, under her own steam, the _Westfalen_, with a heavylist, crawled toward the distant German shore, the four destroyers inher wake ready to rush alongside, and rescue the battleship's crew,should the vessel founder.
"Think they'll get her back to port?" Leslie asked excitedly.
"'Fraid so," replied his brother. "She shows no signs of an increasinglist. A lot depends upon the condition of her bulkheads. When the_Marlborough_----"
Before the sub could complete the sentence, another cloud of smoke andwater shot up alongside the damaged battleship. Lurching heavily, thistime to starboard, the _Westfalen_ was hidden from sight by a densevolume of steam and smoke from her engine-rooms.
The attacking submarine had evidently meant to see the job doneproperly. Mindful of the risk of being sent to the bottom by theattendant German destroyers, the British craft had stealthily exposedher periscope for a brief instant, yet sufficient for her to send adeadly torpedo on its errand of destruction.
By this time the crew of the _Kondor_ had come to the conclusion thattheir prisoners had seen much more than was desirable. PeremptorilyJack and Leslie were ordered below. The latter, unable to restrain hisdelight, pointed mockingly at the boastful writing on the notice-board,receiving a brutal kick on his shins for his temerity.
"I don't mind, Jack," remarked Leslie, when, left alone by theircaptors, the sub examined the angry abrasion on his brother's leg. "I'dlet them give me another hack without a murmur if I could see anotherGerman battleship go the same way home."
After a long interval, a meal consisting of very dry tinned meat andhunks of black bread was provided for the famished prisoners, theunpalatable food being washed down with a pannikin of warm and insipidwater.
The unappetizing repast over, the two prisoners were again allowed ondeck. By this time there were no signs either of the strickenbattleship or her attendant destroyers. The _Kondor_, alone on the wideNorth Sea, was steaming at about 12 knots on an easterly course. Therest of the crew had by now discarded their German uniforms. There wasnothing to denote that the vessel had ever sailed under the Black CrossEnsign of the Imperial German Navy.
Suddenly, and right in the frothing wake of the _Kondor_, appeared twopole-like objects--the periscopes of a submarine. Then, without thehesitancy generally displayed by _unterseebooten_ when about to attack amerchantman, a British submarine of the "E" class shook herconning-tower and deck clear of the water. Her hatches were flung open,and a number of duffel-clad seamen appeared. Quickly a lightsignalling-mast was set up, from which two flags fluttered in thebreeze.
There was no mistaking the meaning of that yellow square flag with theblack ball, hoisted above a triangular blue pennant with a white spot.As plainly as if a shot had been fired across the _Kondor's_ bows, thesignal "ID" told her to "stop instantly or I will fire into you".Besides, it saved ammunition, and the lieutenant-commander of thesubmarine did not consider the prize worth powder and shot.
But the German skipper was not a man to own that the game was up withoutmaking an effort to save himself and his ship. A stumbling-block in hisway was Jack Sefton and his brother.
At a sign four burly Huns threw themselves upon the prisoners. For afull minute the sub resisted stoutly, while Leslie put up a toughstruggle against odds. Others of the crew came
to their compatriots'aid, and, still struggling, the two captives were taken below and lockedin the cell in the for'ard hold.