CHAPTER XXVII.
A DESPERATE UNDERTAKING.
The D-16 made the return journey very slowly, for the master hand ofLord Hastings was lacking and Frank, being no navigator and hisknowledge of the lay of the land very poor, was forced to proceedcautiously. In Lord Hastings' cabin, Jack was still busy dressing hiscommander's wound.
He found, after an examination, that it was not as serious as he had atfirst feared. The long bladed knife had caught Lord Hastings on the leftside, halfway between the waist and the shoulder, and, turning up, hadopened a deep gash clear to the shoulder. Lord Hastings was very weak,for the wound had bled profusely, but he was in no danger.
Jack performed a creditable operation upon the wound, and after he hadbandaged it carefully, Lord Hastings lay back and went quietly to sleep.Then Jack took command of the vessel.
It was early morning when Jack gave the signal to rise, for he wanted tobe sure that he had passed all danger points before coming to thesurface. When they did bob up from beneath the water, he found that hehad gone too far by more than a mile. However, no harm was done, and theD-16 was quickly brought about and soon lay under the lee of the _QueenElizabeth_.
Here she lay till midday when Jack went aboard to report. The commanderwas very anxious when he learned that Lord Hastings was wounded, but heaccepted Jack's report instead and announced that he would visit LordHastings some time during the day.
"Well," said Frank to his commander as he sat at his side, "I guess thissettles our Constantinople trip."
"Why so?" asked Lord Hastings.
Frank was surprised.
"Why we can't go with you in this condition," he replied.
Lord Hastings smiled faintly.
"A little thing like this is not going to stop me," he said. "True, Ican do no fighting, but I can still navigate the boat."
"But it is impossible," said Frank.
"No, it is not impossible," said Lord Hastings. "We shall go."
At this moment Jack came in, and when he learned what Lord Hastingsproposed to do, he attempted to dissuade him. So did the commander ofthe _Queen Elizabeth_ when he came to visit Lord Hastings thatafternoon.
But the commander of the D-16 was not to be dissuaded.
"I am the commander of this vessel," he said grimly, "and when I give anorder I want it obeyed. Mr. Templeton, you will get under way an hourafter nightfall."
Jack saluted. He said nothing, for he knew that to say anything would beuseless. He had never seen his commander in just this frame of mindbefore, but he was smart enough to realize that Lord Hastings meant whathe said.
Night fell. An hour later, in accordance with his orders, Jack gave thesignal, and the D-16 sank slowly from sight.
Lord Hastings called Frank.
"Help me to my place at the periscope," he said quietly.
"But, sir," protested Frank.
"There are no buts," said Lord Hastings. "Help me to my post."
Frank said nothing further, but obeyed.
Seated in a chair beside the periscope, Lord Hastings took a longbreath. Then he called to Jack.
"I'll do the watching here," he said. "You run the ship in response tomy signals."
Jack saluted.
Frank took the lookout, as usual, and once more the huge searchlightlighted up the water under the Dardanelles.
The time wore on, still all stood at their posts. Morning came and LordHastings said:
"According to my calculations we should now be in the Sea of Marmora. Wewill go up for a look about, Mr. Templeton."
The D-16 rose until her periscope showed Lord Hastings the signs abouther.
"Very good," he said slowly. "You may go down to your previous depth."
The D-16 sank again.
"See anything, sir?" asked Frank.
"Enough to know that my calculations were correct and that we are in theSea of Marmora."
"Any vessels in sight, sir?"
"Couple of merchantmen, as nearly as I could make out."
"Did they see us, sir?"
"I think not. In fact I am sure of it."
"That's good, sir."
"So it is. You may proceed at twenty-five knots."
The D-16 gathered headway and soon was traveling along under the waterat a great rate.
"Won't we have to be careful of mines along here, sir?" asked Jack.
"I do not believe they have mined much as yet. They figure that there islittle danger of the Allies forcing an entrance for some time to come.However, we may as well be careful. Take the lookout, Mr. Chadwick."
Frank saluted and returned to his post.
"The only place we shall have to be really careful," said Lord Hastings,"is when we near Constantinople. No matter how safe the Turks may havefelt, it is hardly possible they have not taken all emergencyprecautions."
"If not," said Jack, "the German officers who have been put in charge oftheir forces will have done it for them."
"I guess there is no doubt about that," was the reply. "The Germans arethorough in everything they do."
"Shall we land in Constantinople, sir?"
"I think not--unless it is necessary for some purpose that may ariselater. Right now I see no need of landing."
"There are sure to be Turkish warships there, sir?"
"I should think so, surely."
"When do you reckon we shall reach there?"
"I had planned to enter the harbor about midnight."
"Best time for such work, sir."
"We'll be aided by a moon tonight--or should be, at least."
And it was midnight when the D-16, with her deck barely awash, drew intothe harbor of Constantinople, slinking silently along, with every man athis post, seeking out her prey.
"Warship dead ahead," called Lord Hastings, and gave the command tostop. "We couldn't want a better place to launch a torpedo," he added."A miss at this distance is out of the question."
The crew stood at attention, and action came swift and fast.
"Fire!" came the command at last.
A torpedo sped on its way.
Immediately the D-16 darted away to a safe place, and then arose to thesurface to see the result of its work.
A half moon lighted up the scene about them, and Frank and Jack ascendedto the bridge. Lord Hastings remained below.
Of a sudden a terrible din broke the stillness of the night. Hideouscries went up into the sky. Searchlights broke forth and swept theharbor. Aboard the Turkish warship, the victim of the submarine'storpedo, confusion reigned. Officers tried in vain to restore somesemblance of order among the crew until they could ascertain the extentof the damage done.
It was impossible. Never the coolest sailors in the world, the Turkslost whatever courage they may have possessed and a panic ensued aboardthe wounded warship, which soon spread to other vessels in the harbor.There seemed to be no doubt in the mind of any as to the cause of theexplosion.
"We'll go down and try another one," said Jack calmly.
They descended below, and a few moments later the D-16 was moving towardanother victim. This ship and then a third were torpedoed with unerringaim, and the panic which followed above was terrible to behold.
In the city itself word of the disaster spread, and the Sultan and hiscabinet, believing that the fall of the capital was imminent, hurriedlygot together what papers of state they could lay their hands upon, anddashed in automobiles from the city.
"Well," said Jack to Lord Hastings, "I guess we might as well call it agood night's work and let it go at that."
"I am of the same opinion," replied his commander. "We must have createda terrible furore."
"There is not much question about that," said Frank with satisfaction."I would like to go ashore and see what is going on."
"I wouldn't object to that either," said Jack.
"It's impossible," declared Lord Hastings. "You would surely becaptured."
"I don't think so," said
Jack. "In this confusion a boat could easily belaunched and no one would be the wiser. Then, if you remained righthere, we could return without trouble."
"Besides," interposed Frank, "we might be able to learn something ofadvantage."
"What do you say, sir?" asked Jack.
Lord Hastings hesitated.
"I should say no, of course," he replied at last, "but I find it hard todeny you boys anything. I suppose it could be done, if you exercised theproper precautions."
"We will, sir," broke in Frank. "Have no fear of that."
"Nevertheless, it is just that that I am fearful of," said Lord Hastingsslowly. "You see, I know you of old."
"Then we can't go, sir?" asked Frank, greatly disappointed.
"I didn't say that," replied Lord Hastings.
"Then you mean we can, sir?"
"Well, yes, if you will give me your solemn promises to be verycareful."
"We will do that, sir, won't we, Jack?"
"We will," was his friend's reply.
"In that event," said Lord Hastings, "you have my permission to go. Youwill also promise to return within three hours."
"We promise that also, sir," said Jack.
"Then you may go; but if I were you I would remove your uniforms and doncivilian clothes. Then you may pass muster anywhere, as there are manyforeigners in the city."
Jack and Frank heeded this advice, and hastened to their cabin to changetheir clothes.