CHAPTER VI
THE GLOW-WORM OF THE SEA
Out upon the tossing sea once more. It was a wonder that the "Logan" didnot sit much deeper in the water, for she carried a most unusual load ofammunition of every useful kind.
Out upon the sea, and seemingly alone at that. Not a sail was visible tothe officers on the taut little destroyer, not a trail of smoke appearedon any part of the horizon. Indeed, the present speed and low fuelconsumption aboard the "Logan" allowed only the thinnest wisps of smoketo issue from the raking funnels of the destroyer.
Had Dave needed other destroyer company, for any urgent reason, a signalsnapping from his radio aerials would bring one, perhaps two, Americandestroyers to him within an hour. For some of these bulldog littlefighting craft, that were out after the deep-sea pests, were capable ofmaking more than thirty knots an hour.
The "Logan" had been out four days. Though headed westward at thismoment, she had not been moving steadily westward, for she was now notmore than three hundred and thirty miles west of the coast of Ireland.
On this fourth day, as on its predecessors, the destroyer steamed alongat cruising speed. Though the crew knew nothing of Germany's proposedbig submarine drive directed at the troopships conveying the One Hundredand Seventeenth Division, yet every marine and sailor felt thatsomething unusual was in the wind. The lookouts had been instructed toaid their vision by the free use of their marine glasses and precautionsout of the ordinary had been taken in other directions.
"The Germans are using a new submarine periscope, slimmer than any thatthey have heretofore employed. They hoist it for only a few seconds at atime and do not send it as far out of the water as they did with the oldstyle periscope. The man who sights a periscope in time will save ourship."
That was the word constantly passed about by the "Logan's" officers.Every sailor hoped that he might be the lucky one to discover aperiscope in time to lead to the bombing of one of the pests.
Dave had reached the bridge at seven bells. Dalzell was now below,sleeping as soundly as though he were back in the old home town ofGridley. Lieutenant Curtin was on the bridge watch.
"It's odd, Mr. Curtin, that we haven't sighted a submarine in four days;that we haven't had the slightest visible reason to suspect the presenceof one," Dave remarked to his subordinate officer.
"Very likely, sir, we're too far out," Curtin replied.
"Yet we have every reason to believe that they've extended the dangerzone further westward," Darrin continued.
"That's the belief of the fleet commander," Curtin answered, "butthere's always a chance of his having guessed wrong. Why isn't it justas probable," he added, in a much lower tone, "that the Huns havedecided to have a try at the troopship fleet fairly close to land?"
"It wouldn't be likely," Dave went on, in an equally low tone. "For onething, Mr. Curtin, the enemy would want their first try farther out.Then, if they missed, they'd have another chance, perhaps, closer toland."
"If they missed on their first try, the Huns would have to run theirsubmersibles on the surface in order to overtake the troopship fleet foranother chance. They couldn't travel under water and overtake thetroopship fleet."
"Quite right," Darrin admitted in a whisper. "Still, I see anotheranswer to the problem. Of the sixty submersibles believed to be on thejob twenty may have been sent far to the westward, the other fortyremaining nearer to the coast. The twenty submarines could make adesperate try. Then, if they failed, the remaining forty could take upthe job closer to shore."
"Then you don't believe all the German submarines engaged areconcentrated at one point, sir?"
"Impossible to say," Darrin rejoined. "I don't like to form opinions onany subject without facts to go on."
"It's strange; not a steamer sighted today," Lieutenant Curtin resumed,after a few moments' scanning of the sea. "During our first three daysout we met plenty of armed freighters. Today, not a sail or a stacksighted. Can it be that the subs are further west, and that they'veoverhauled and sunk several freighters?"
"We've heard no appeals for help. Every freighter carries wirelessapparatus in these days," Dave argued.
"True, but sometimes the torpedo shock puts a ship's radio out ofcommission from the moment of impact."
"I do not believe that the freighters are being bothered," Daveannounced. "Granted that there are undoubtedly subs enough in thesewaters to raise the mischief with cargo steamers. If the subs didn'thave the luck to silence the wireless outfits on the cargo steamers atthe first shot, there would be chance of word reaching the troopships ofunusual danger, and that would lead to redoubled vigilance on the partof the destroyer escorts. My belief, Mr. Curtin, is that the cargo boatswill have a rest until the fate of the troopship fleet has beendecided."
"Then you believe, sir, that the absence of cargo boats today is dueto----"
"Probably due to the fact that there was one slack day in clearing cargoboats at American ports, and also because of an equally slack day inBritish ports."
Then fell silence. Both drowsy, despite their realization of the need ofkeeping awake and on the alert, both young officers moved about on thebridge, ever maintaining a sharp lookout.
They were still pacing back and forth when the sun went down below thehorizon toward the distant United States. Lieutenant Beatty, fresh froma sleep, came up on the bridge, saluting his commander.
"Mr. Beatty, you've no other duty at present," Darrin greeted him. "Willyou do an extra bit and remain on the bridge with Curtin?"
"I'll be very glad to, sir, for I'm feeling fit after my sleep," repliedthe lieutenant, heartily.
"I'm going below for a brief doze in my chair. If I'm wanted, call downto some one to rouse me. I'll sleep for an hour or so. But be sure, Mr.Curtin, to see to it that I'm called if anything happens, no matter howslight an occurrence it may seem to be."
"Very good, sir," from the smiling Curtin.
"And glad I am to give the 'Old Man' a bit of a relief," quoth Beatty tohis brother officer. "I never knew a commander before who spent so muchof his time on deck or bridge, except in a gale. Mr. Darrin doesn'tappear to think that he needs more than a third as much sleep as otherpersons require."
"He told me to call him in an hour or so," grinned Lieutenant Curtin."Unless something turns up his instructions will allow me to let himdoze at least two hours."
No sooner had Darrin doffed cap and sheepskin and settled back in hischair than his eyes closed and he was cruising in the Land of Nod.
Nor did he stir enough to wake until an orderly, sent from the bridge,entered and shook his right arm.
"Beg pardon, sir," said the sailor. "The officer of the deck wants toknow if you wish to be called now."
"In another hour," said Darrin, drowsily, and dozed off again.
Which message was received with high glee by the two conspirators forDave's comfort when they received the news on the bridge.
"Only one drawback to it, Curtin," said Beatty. "When the 'Old Man'finally wakes he'll imagine he can stand watch for twenty-four hourswithout more sleep."
"Maybe, by that time, he'll have to," retorted Curtin. "So we'll let himgather in all the rest that he can get now."
And Darrin slept that added hour. When called the next time he rosestraight to his feet.
"It was stupid of me not to wake an hour ago," Dave reproached himself,after glancing at the clock over the desk. "But just look at dear oldDanny-boy! He's slept nearly twice as long as I have. If things remaindull this evening I won't have him called, either. He needs the rest,poor old chap!"
Donning cap and short coat the youthful commander went out on deck andthen started on a tour of inspection. Presently he neared the stern justin time to see one of the two stern lookouts leap upon the other andbear the latter to the deck. The assailant gripped his victim around thethroat, administering a severe choking.
"No, you don't!" yelled the upper man. "I caught you that time, and I'llbet you've done it before. Marine guard, here----stern w
atch!"
A midship lookout passed the word, but Dave darted forward out of theshadows.
"Get up, Ferguson," Darrin commanded. "Back to your post. You've noright to take your eyes away from your particular work. Get up, Jordan."
The latter, the sailor who had been attacked, rose to his feet, sullenlyrubbing his throat.
"Ferguson, why did you attack Jordan?" Dave demanded.
"Look astern, sir!" Seaman Ferguson replied, pointing to the wake of thedestroyer. "Do you see that gleam on the water, sir? It's something thatJordan dropped overboard. It's some tricky, dirty work, sir, or I'll eatmy guess. I've known since last night, sir, that Jordan was tricky. Hetried to get me to look another way to-night, but out of the corner ofone eye I saw him drop something overboard--and then that thing in ourwake began to gleam."
By this time the solitary marine guard on deck duty had arrived aft.Beholding the commanding officer, the sea-soldier saluted and stood atattention.
"My man," Dave ordered, "take my compliments to Lieutenant Curtin and myinstructions that he is to make a careful turn and try to go backthrough our wake. He is to be very exact about going over the very wakeof this craft. The message delivered, report back here."
Jordan, who had turned deathly pale, glanced about him as if meditatingsome foolish flight.
"Now, Jordan," Dave began, taking the young sailor firmly by the arm,"what was it you threw overboard?"
"A--a--" began the accused one.
"Yes, come out with it," Darrin commanded.
"I didn't throw anything overboard, sir. Ferguson is a liar."
Whereupon Seaman Ferguson, though he still kept his eyes turned in thedirection imposed by his watch duties, clenched both fists hard.
"It won't do you any good to deny, Jordan," Dave insisted. "We're goingback and find that--whatever it was that you threw overboard. Bettertell me now!"
As if to confirm his words the "Logan" began to turn in a half circle.At the same time the marine returned.
"Take Jordan below. See that he's searched and then confined in thebrig," Dave directed.
With infinite care the "Logan" sought her recent wake. It was no simpletask on such a night, when the new moon had already set. And, travellingat such easy speed, the "Logan" had not stirred up anything like thefoamy, suds-like wake that trailed after her when she steamed atfighting speed.
By the time the turn was made the glowing object that Ferguson hadpointed out was no longer visible. Carefully the destroyer picked herway back. They were a bit out of the straight line, though, as Darrinpresently found reason to believe, for a tiny glow, looking like a pointof dim light in the near distance, was finally sighted about threepoints off the port bow.
"Two points to port," Dave passed the word. He was now well up forwardof the bridge, watching the surface of the ocean intently. "Steady!Stop!... Half speed astern.... Stop!"
The glowing object was now in plain sight as it tossed on the swells.Darrin gave the order to lower a cutter, instructing Ensign Phelps to goalong and haul in that glowing object.
There was no need to watch it from the "Logan." Mr. Phelps, from thecutter, could make it out distinctly. Soon he reached it, a seamanbending over the side and picking up the object.
"Pass it to me at once," directed the ensign, and an instant later tookpossession of it. By the time the boat had been hoisted to the davitsMr. Phelps leaped down to the deck and joined his commander.
"Did you observe, sir? This thing glowed, while in the water," declaredthe ensign, holding up a bottle of about a pint capacity, tightly closedwith a rubber stopper. "Yet when I got it in out of the water it stoppedglowing, and looked as dull and dark as it does now. I believe it'scoated with a transparent substance that glows only when the thing is inthe water. Have I your permission, sir, to drop it in a fire bucket andsee?"
"Go ahead," Dave assented.
Phelps walked to a near-by fire bucket and thrust the bottle in thewater. At first nothing happened. After a few seconds, however, thebottle began to glow dimly, then gradually increased in brightness untilit became clear and mellow.
"That's enough for that," Darrin nodded. "Now bring it into thechart-room, Mr. Phelps, and we'll look it over."
Their entrance awoke Dalzell, who stretched, then sprang up.
Dave hastily explained to his chum what had happened, at the same timegoing to the desk and turning on a stronger electric light.
Holding the bottle up against the light, Dave was able to make out whatlooked like a folded piece of paper in it, nothing else.
"At all events," smiled Dave, as he seated himself before the desk andglanced through the bottle glass, "I do not see any reason to believethat I shall set off any explosive by drawing out the rubber stopper."
Nothing disastrous happened as the stopper was withdrawn. Holding thebottle up to the light once more, peering through the neck, Darrin sawthat it contained only the folded paper. Careful work with a penholderconsumed five minutes of time before the paper was pried out, whole.
Dave spread it on the desk before him,
"Phelps, you read German better than I do, I believe."
"I can make a stagger at it, sir."
"Look this through and translate for me," Darrin requested.
Slowly, and with a good deal of care, Phelps translated in these words:
"U. S. Destroyer 'Logan.' 8.15 P. M. (Date) Longitude ----; latitude ----.Course, west by southwest. Carries three times usual amount ofammunition. Speed, eight knots."
The actual date was given; longitude and latitude were correct enough.
When Phelps had finished reading Dave Darrin leaned back in his chair,pain expressed in his face and eyes.
"A traitor on board! An American on this craft who has sold himself tothe Huns! In the name of mercy how can such a thing be?"