CHAPTER XXIV.
OFF FOR THE DARDANELLES.
The chase of the Austrian submarine had been long and it was afternightfall when the D-16 again drew up in the shelter of the French fleetand Lord Hastings went aboard the flagship.
"Well, we got her," were Lord Hastings' first words to the Frenchadmiral.
"Good!" was the reply. "Tell me about it."
Lord Hastings did so, and the admiral was loud in his praises of theD-16 and her crew.
Then Lord Hastings bethought himself of the blowing up of the Frenchcruiser.
"Were all members of the crew saved?" he asked.
"All but ten," was the reply. "They went down with the ship."
"Poor fellows," said Lord Hastings; "still it might have been worse."
"Yes, it might have been worse," replied the admiral, "and there mighthave been more sent to join them by the Austrian submarine had it notbeen for the gallant Lord Hastings and his crew."
Lord Hastings waved aside this praise.
"Come, come," he said, "we are too old in the service for such words. Wedo our duty as we see it, and that's all there is about it. Now if itcomes to praise, I can remember the time when you----"
"Enough!" cried the admiral, laughing. "As you say, we are too old inthe service, you and I, for such words. Take the young fellows, now, anda word or two of praise, rightly spoken in the proper place, is animpetus to added bravery."
"And ultimate death for their foolishness," said Lord Hastings slowly.
"True; but what would you? Young blood, you know."
"Well," said Lord Hastings, "I must be going. I shall leave you in themorning."
"Headed which way?" asked the admiral.
"For the Dardanelles, to join the allied fleet."
"Mon Dieu! I envy you," said the old admiral. "Here I sit with nothingto do while you have all the fun."
"And what was it you said about young blood?" asked Lord Hastings with alaugh.
The admiral smiled.
"Oh, well," he said. "We sailors never grow old."
The two old friends shook hands affectionately, and Lord Hastings tookhis leave.
All was quiet on the submarine when he went on board, and he turned inat once. Not a man aboard the D-16 that night but slept a well-earnedsleep, for the chase of the Austrian submarine, while not so long initself, had, nevertheless, sapped the energy of all. The strain underwhich they worked--never knowing when a torpedo would send them all totheir deaths--was tremendous.
All were up bright and early the following morning, however, and shortlyafter 7 o'clock the D-16 got under way. As she swung round and pointedher nose toward the Mediterranean there was a booming of guns from everyship of the French fleet and a cheer from the crews, for word of whatthe submarine had accomplished had spread rapidly, and officers and menalike joined in a parting ovation.
Through the Adriatic and into the Mediterranean went the Britishsubmarine D-16, speeding rapidly upon the surface of the water. Then sheturned her head toward the east and Lord Hastings laid a course that,barring accidents, would quickly bring her to the entrance of theDardanelles, where the allied fleet was still shelling the Turkishfortifications.
As they sped swiftly along, they talked of the war, of past adventures,of what lay in store for each in the future, and of many other things.
"And so Russia is to be given Constantinople," said Frank.
"Why not?" asked Jack.
"Why, no reason," replied Frank, "except that England has, heretofore,always opposed Russia's obtaining an outlet into the Mediterranean."
"War makes strange bedfellows," said Lord Hastings sententiously.
"It does," agreed Jack, "as is evidenced by the alliance of Germany andTurkey."
"How about England and Japan?" asked Frank.
"Oh," said Jack, "that's different."
"In what way?"
"Well, the Japanese are civilized. You can't say so much for the Turk.Besides, England's and Japan's interests in the far east are so closelyallied that an alliance is not to be wondered at."
"Well, here is something I want to know," said Frank. "If Japan were togo to war with the United States, what would England do? Help her?"
"Why, no," said Jack. "Of course not."
"But the alliance?"
"In that event," said Lord Hastings slowly, "the alliance would be putaside. It is as though a man, who had formed an alliance with another,were asked to work against his own son or daughter. He wouldn't do it,and America is a child of England, after all."
"Well," said Frank, "I have heard many theories advanced. I just wantedto know yours."
No incident marred the peaceful progress of the D-16 as she made her waythrough the sunny waters of the Mediterranean. The weather was beautifuland Lord Hastings, Frank and Jack spent many pleasant hours upon thelittle bridge.
"How long before we shall reach the entrance to the Dardanelles?" askedFrank during one of these siestas.
"At the rate we are going," was the reply, "we should be there tomorrowmorning. Of course, we might even do better than that, but I am in noparticular hurry. There will not be much action before daylight."
"I suppose by this time," said Frank, "that progress in reducing theTurkish fortifications is swifter than before."
"It's hard to say," was the reply. "The outer forts are, of course, notso strong as the inner fortifications. As you know, having been there,the strait is very narrow, less than a mile in some places, and it isabsolutely impossible for warships to force their way through withoutfirst destroying all guns on either side."
"But you remember our prisoner told us the _Queen Elizabeth_ waswreaking great havoc with these. What do you know of her, sir?"
"Not as much as I should. She is the newest of Great Britain'sdreadnoughts; and, without the shadow of a doubt, the most powerfulsea-fighter afloat today. She carries the heaviest guns and outrangesanything afloat. Shore batteries, powerful as they may be, are no matchfor her, for she can stand off at a distance of twenty miles and poundthem with perfect safety to herself."
"She must indeed be a terrible engine of destruction," said Frank.
"She is," replied Lord Hastings calmly, "and eventually, mark me, she,and ships of her class, will be the means of bringing the Germans toterms, land victories of the most gigantic scale notwithstanding."
"Well, the sooner the better," said Frank.
"I agree with you," declared Jack.
"And I, too," remarked Lord Hastings.
It was just after daylight on the following morning that Frank, who wason the bridge, made out in the distance huge clouds of smoke and heardthe faint sounds of booming guns.
"They are at it again," he told himself.
He went below and aroused Jack and Lord Hastings.
They were soon dressed and joined Frank on the bridge.
Every few seconds, above the sounds of the distant guns, one roaredlouder than the rest.
"The _Queen Elizabeth_," Lord Hastings explained. "Her voice is one thatalready must have carried terror to the heart of Constantinople and herpeople."
The speed of the submarine was increased, for Lord Hastings wished toarrive upon the scene as soon as possible. Gradually the forms of thehuge ships of the allied fleet could be distinguished.
"Eighteen, nineteen, twenty," counted Frank. "I thought there were morethan that. Where are the others?"
"Those you see now," said Lord Hastings, "have been left to guard theentrance to the strait. The others, the outer fortifications having beenput out of commission, undoubtedly have progressed two or three milesinto the strait."
"More than that, sir," said Jack. "You remember the prisoner told usthey were reported to have progressed twelve miles."
"True, I had forgotten. I am willing to predict, then, that they haveprogressed farther by this time."
Lord Hastings' prediction proved correct; for when the D-16 drew upunder the shelter of o
ne of the largest of the battleships, and LordHastings went aboard, he learned that the _Queen Elizabeth_, leading thefleet, had progressed all of twenty miles and her great guns were nowbusily engaged in hurling huge projectiles miles farther.
From the commander of the British vessel which he boarded, Lord Hastingslearned some of the details of the fighting up to date. He learned how,when it had been decided to attempt a passage of the Dardanelles, the_Queen Elizabeth_, fearless and powerful, had taken the lead, and hadmade short work of the outer defenses.
Her terrible projectiles had wreaked havoc upon the fortifications, and,when she had all but dismantled one, she moved on to another, leavingthe smaller vessels to complete the work of destruction. And so on alongthe strait for twenty miles.
Word had just been received that the Turks were massing huge landforces, with heavy artillery, along the banks of the Dardanelles toattempt to check the onward movement of the allied fleet. Several ofthese forces had already been put to rout by the powerful and accuratefire of the warships, but now, it was said, a greater and morepowerfully armed force was advancing to give battle.
Other than the success attained in the Dardanelles itself, the attemptedpassage had done two other things of benefit to the British cause. Firstit had forced the Turks to give up their proposed invasion of Egypt,and, second, it had caused the abandonment of the attempt to capture theSuez canal from the British troops, although it is doubtful if eitherwould have terminated successfully for the Turks.
Lord Hastings returned aboard the D-16 and explained the situation tothe lads.
"And what shall we do now, sir?" asked Jack.
"Well," said Lord Hastings slowly, "I see no use waiting outside andletting the other fellows do all the work. Guess we might as well goalong after them."
"Good!" cried both lads in a single voice.