CHAPTER VII.
VON ECKENHARDT SCORES.
"SHE'S surrendered, sir; she's hoisted the white flag," shouted thecrow's-nest man.
Ordering full speed ahead, Captain Ramshaw directed a course to besteered for the sinking "Osnabruck." While the carpenter and his menwere still working feverishly in the boats, others of the crew werepreparing lifelines and getting life-buoys ready to throw to theluckless wretches who, up till half an hour ago, had done theirutmost to send the "Saraband" and her passengers and crew to "DavyJones' Locker."
Rapidly the foundering vessel came clearer and clearer into view.Already her fo'c'sle was awash. Her crew had mustered aft, waitingfor the final plunge; there was not one of her boats that was notrendered useless by the straight firing of the two 4.7-in. guns ofher antagonist.
"By Jove, those fellows are brave and disciplined!" remarked Lymore,who was standing close to Terence. "Germany has a comparatively newnavy, without any of the glorious traditions that ours has; yet----"
"They copy us, as much as possible, in that respect," added Aubyn. "Ibelieve the Kaiser had the story of our 'Birkenhead' printed anddistributed amongst his fleet as an example of what they ought to doin the face of death. Look, there she goes."
Quietly, without any suspicion of a swirl, the sea closed over theill-fated "Osnabruck." She did not turn turtle. In fact, she partlyrighted herself as she disappeared, leaving a pall of smoke thatobscured the awful vision of two hundred human beings struggling forlife, to mark the spot where she took her last plunge.
Fortunately the sea was calm and the water warm. The cannonading hadfrightened away the tigers of the deep, so that the terrible dangerof being seized by sharks was not added to the horrors of the scene.All around the surface was dotted with the heads of men swimming fordear life. Many of the German sailors were supporting their woundedcomrades. They swam in silence, neither indulging in careless jestnor appealing for aid. They were too stolid to meet danger with thelight-hearted bravery of the British tars; they were too confident intheir belief that their enemies would do their utmost to save them towaste their breath in shouting for help.
The three boats were lowered almost simultaneously, and urged by thepowerful strokes of the oarsmen as they bent to the ash blades, werequickly upon the scene. Men were hauled into the boats with allpossible despatch, the officers in charge giving their crews specialorders to pick up those who were wounded and exhausted.
Other Germans were saved by lifelines, while in several instancesmembers of the "Saraband's" crew dived overboard from a height ofthirty feet to rescue hapless Teutons who were on the point ofsinking.
In all, eleven officers and one hundred and sixteen men, most of thempartly dazed by the ordeal through which they had passed, were saved.F Provided with dry clothing by their captors, the officers weremarched aft and placed under lock and key in the second-classpassengers' smoking-room, while the men, save those whose staterequired medical or surgical attention, were secured in the fore partof the ship.
The German officers took their defeat badly. They had been informedof the "Saraband's" approximate position by wireless from theirconsort, the armed liner "Hertzolf," and had hoped to make an easycapture. Nor could they credit that the casualties on the Britishvessel numbered only eight men slightly wounded. They scoffed openlyat the statement, till Captain Ramshaw, indignant that his wordshould be doubted, invited the German commander to witness a musterof the crew and compare the numbers with those on the ship's papers.
Without further incident the "Saraband" arrived at the Rock. Here,escorted by a naval vessel, since Gibraltar was under war conditions,she went inside the Mole and coaled. Temporary repairs, beyond theresources of the ship, were also carried out. The authorities,however, declined to take off the German prisoners, nor would theyallow any of the passengers to land.
Four days later the "Saraband" brought up in Sandown Bay, off theIsle of Wight--the recognized "Examination Ground" for all merchantvessels making for either Portsmouth or Southampton. Here she wasboarded by a naval officer who was detailed to pilot her through theintricate channel between the submarine defences of Spithead. Inwar-time nothing was left to chance in the safeguarding of thekingdom's greatest naval port. No vessels were permitted to enter bythe Needles Channel. All movements of craft other than naval wereforbidden to take place after dark, while at night the approaches tothe historic anchorage were swept by dozens of powerful searchlights.
Terence Aubyn was naturally curious to know in what capacity he wasto be employed by the Admiralty. He knew that with the calling up ofthe naval reserve he would for the time being sever his connexionwith the Red Band Line. He hoped he would be appointed to abattleship or cruiser.
He was not long left in suspense. As the ship rounded the NabLightship her orders were received:--
"Make for Southampton and disembark passengers: then proceed toPortsmouth. 'Saraband' is to be converted with all due haste into anarmed merchant cruiser."
No patriotic demonstrations, no outbursts of cheering greeted thebadly battered vessel as, under reduced speed, she glided up theland-locked Southampton Water and made fast alongside the dock-wall.Save for a gang of stevedores and the mooring-party the docks wereabsolutely devoid of the civilian element. Khaki and naval uniformswere strongly in evidence, for the great commercial port had beengiven over entirely for warlike purposes, chiefly in connexion withthe secret departure of the British Expeditionary Force.
Almost five hundred years previously an English army had embarked atthat self-same town to wage a glorious campaign on French soil.Fifteen hundred small vessels, bedecked with banners, their loftybulwarks lined with the shields of the flower of English chivalry,carried the array commanded by Henry V in person. With shouts andfanfares of trumpets and amid the acclamations of the worthytownsfolk, the fleet dropped down Southampton Water, bearing theknights, men-at-arms, and archers who were destined to win immortalglory on the field of Agincourt.
And now history was repeating itself--but with a difference. Theforces of the Mighty Empire were once more leaving Southampton forthe land of France: not as enemies of that country but as swornallies against a common, powerful, and unscrupulous foe. These forceswere working silently. There were no boisterous farewells, no brayingof brass bands, no flamboyant speeches. The silent armies meantbusiness.
Berthed in a secluded portion of the docks the "Saraband" immediatelybegan to disembark her passengers. A train was waiting to take themaway from the scene of military activity, for the sooner they wereout of the way the quicker was the Embarkation Officer pleased. Thencame the turn of the survivors of the "Osnabruck."
At the dock-side a strong body of khaki troops with fixed bayonetswas drawn up, ready to form an escort to the prisoners. Two closedcabs were waiting for Major Karl von Eckenhardt and his confederate,Hans Slieber, who were to be indicted on several counts before acivil court.
The German sailors, finding that they were well treated, gave notrouble. In a quiet, orderly manner they trooped down the gangway andformed up in fours. In spite of their nondescript garments theypresented a military bearing that characterizes the German seamanwhether he be a member of the Imperial Navy or of the MercantileMarine. One and all were permeated by the cast-iron discipline thatis one of the results of a rigid system of conscription.
Surrounded by their guards they were marched off to cool their heelsin a concentration camp.
"Now, Mr. Aubyn," said Captain Ramshaw, after the captive seamen haddeparted, "take the quartermaster with you and accompany thesegentlemen."
He pointed to the four police officers who had been detailed toconduct the German spies to prison.
"We'll soon relieve you of further responsibility, sir," remarked oneof the police. "According to information these gentlemen have causeda lot of trouble: I reckon they won't do so again, once we've laidhold of them."
"I won't be sorry to see the last of them," agreed Terence. "I onlyhope I shan't be kept about in connexion with the trial
. I want to beafloat again."
The quartermaster unlocked the door of the cell in which HansSlieber, alias Stone, was confined. The man sullenly submitted to behandcuffed; then, escorted by two of the police, was taken on deck.
"You didn't keep your two birds together, I see," commented one ofthe remaining officers.
"Rather not," replied Aubyn. "The two of them might put their headstogether and do mischief. Alone, each can be kept in perfect safety.Now, quartermaster."
The quartermaster unlocked the door of the cabin in which Major vonEckenhardt had been placed. Then he gave a gasp of astonishment. Theroom was empty.
Unable to disguise his chagrin Terence dashed into the cabin,followed by the two police officers.
"It's as clear as daylight how he managed it," announced one of therepresentatives of the law, pointing to a portion of the steelbulkhead that lay on the floor. An oval section, wide enough for aman to crawl through, had been filed out of the partition. Theaperture communicated with the second-class passengers' smoking-roomin which the surviving officers of the "Osnabruck" had beenquartered. Von Eckenhardt had been released from his place ofconfinement by them. Once in their company he shaved off hismoustache and donned a naval uniform. Since some of the prisonerswore civilian garb, it was a comparatively easy matter for the spy tomarch out of the ship with the others.
"Anyway, we'll nab him at the concentration camp," declared one ofthe policemen confidently. "I'm afraid, sir, you'll be one of thosewho will have to identify him."
"If you can manage to stop the train you'll save me a lot of bother,"declared Terence. "I must inform Captain Ramshaw at once."
Acting upon the fourth officer's suggestion the police succeeded inintercepting the train before it got clear of the docks. The Germanofficers were closely inspected, but without result. By means of anastounding sang-froid the redoubtable spy, von Eckenhardt, hadslipped past the guards while the prisoners were entraining, and wasno doubt well on his way to liberty, and, what was worse, to renewhis activities against the British Government.