The Battery and the Boiler: Adventures in Laying of Submarine Electric Cables

  CHAPTER TWELVE.

  A GREAT DYNAMO-ELECTRIC SEA-FIGHT.

  A few weeks after the utterance of Captain Rik's famous prophecy, Robin,Sam, Stumps, and Slagg found themselves on board of a large submarinecable steam-ship, named the Triton, ploughing the billows of theSouthern Ocean.

  A few weeks later and they were drawing near to that great concourse ofislands known as the Malay Archipelago, where nature is exceptionallybeautiful, but man is rather vile. At all events, that region of theocean lying to the south of China has been long infamous for the numberand ferocity of its pirates, who, among the numerous islands, with theirvarious channels, creeks, and rivers, have found a suitable field fortheir bloody and remorseless game.

  "D'you know, I don't believe in pirates?" said Robin to Sam, as theystood at the bow of the cable-ship, conversing about these sea-robbers.

  "They believe in _you_ nevertheless, as you'd find out to your cost ifwe came across one just now."

  The voice that replied was not Sam's, but that of the captain, who hadcome forward to get a clearer sweep of the horizon ahead with his glass.

  "Do you think it likely, sir, that we may meet with any of the rascals?"asked Sam.

  "Not at all unlikely," replied the captain, fixing his glass and puttingit to his eye, "though I don't think it likely that we shall beattacked, as we are large and don't look like a richly freightedmerchant-man. However, there is no saying. These scoundrels fearnothing, and when hard up will attack anything but a man-of-war, I halfsuspect that I am looking at one of them now."

  This latter announcement, calmly uttered, threw all who heard it intoquite a flutter of excitement.

  The captain was a big, dark-skinned, bearded man, with a quiet,half-humorous, half-sarcastic expression of countenance.

  "Do you really think it is a pirate?" asked Robin, eagerly.

  "I really do," replied the captain, "and I fear we may have to run outof our course to avoid her. You see, I am a man of peace, and abhorbloodshed, therefore I won't fight if I can help it."

  Saying this he gave orders to have the course of the steamer changed.

  Just then there occurred one of those _contretemps_ which don't oftenhappen, but which, when they do, are often prolific of disaster; animportant part of the machinery broke down, and the engine, for themoment, was rendered useless. It was most unfortunate, for thesuspicious craft lay to windward, and a light breeze was blowing carriedit steadily towards them, although all the sail the steamer possessedwas crowded on her.

  "Come aft here, Mr Shipton, and tell your chief to come with you. Iwant to hold a council of war," said the captain.

  Summoning the first mate and chief engineer, as well as theelectricians, the captain went to the after part of the quarter-deck,where, seated on the taffrail, he deliberated with the extemporisedcouncil measures for repelling an expected attack.

  What these deliberations tended to, those not of the council could nottell, but from the energy of the members, and an occasional burst oflaughter from the group, it was obvious, as Jim Slagg remarked, that"mischief o' some sort was in the wind."

  Presently the council broke up, and the members went actively below, asmen do who have a purpose to carry out promptly.

  Meanwhile the pirate vessel came within range and fired a shot whichmissed them. The fire was not repeated. Evidently they meant to getwithin easy range before trying another shot.

  In a few minutes the electricians came on deck with several large coilsof copper wire, which they uncoiled and distributed mysteriously aboutthe sides of the vessel. At the same time several lengths of leathernpump hose were laid along the deck, and fire-branches or nozzlesattached to them.

  "Run out our stern-guns now," said the captain, with a grim smile, "andgive it 'em hot. It won't do to seem to give in too easy. Run up theUnion Jack. Don't take aim. I want more noise and smoke thanmischief--d'ye understand?"

  The officer to whom this was addressed, said, "Ay, ay, sir," in theusual tone of ready obedience, adding, however, in an undertoned growl,"but I _don't_ understand, for all that!"

  He obeyed the orders literally, being well disciplined, and the resultwas a sudden and most furious cannonade, for the pirate replied withvigour, using all the guns he could bring to bear; but no damage wasdone on either side for some time, until at last a ball from the enemywent crash through the smoke funnel of the Triton with a most sonorousbang!

  "That'll do now," cried the captain, "cease firing and haul down thecolours."

  If the captain had said, "Cut away the rudder and heave the boilersoverboard," he could scarcely have caused more surprise in his crew,who, by his orders, had assembled on deck, every man being armed withmusket, cutlass, and revolver. His orders were strictly and promptlyobeyed, however.

  By this time the light breeze had fallen and a dead calm prevailed, sothat the sails of the pirate flapped idly against her masts, and hercrew were seen busily lowering her boats.

  "We could have soon got out of her way if our engines had not brokedown," growled the captain, as he went toward the front of thequarter-deck and looked down on the armed men in the waist. "My lads,"he said, "the blackguards are Malay pirates. They are lowering theirboats, and will be alongside in less than half an hour. I don't need totell you what you'll have to expect if they take us. We must beat 'emoff or _die_; for it's better to die sword in hand than to be torturedor strangled. Those of you, however, who prefer the latter modes ofgoing under may show the white feather and enjoy yourselves in your ownway. Now, lads, you know me. I expect obedience to orders to theletter. I hate fighting and bloodshed--so don't kill unless you can'thelp it. Also, take care that you don't touch these copper wires on thesides with either finger or foot. If you do you'll repent it, forelectricians don't like their gear handled."

  Turning abruptly round, for the oars of the approaching boats could nowbe distinctly heard, the captain asked Sam if his batteries were wellcharged.

  "Chock-full, sir," replied Sam with a broad grin; "there's not a bit ofiron all round the ship that a man could lay hold of without receivinghis due!"

  "Good," said the captain, turning to the chief engineer; "are the hoseattached and the boilers hot?"

  "Bubblin' up fit to burst, sir. I've weighted the safety-valves to giveit force?"

  Without another word the captain stepped to the port gangway, and tookoff his hat to the advancing pirates. The pirate captain, not to beoutdone in civility, took off his fez and bowed as the boat rangedalongside. The captain carefully held out one of the man-ropes to hisenemy. He grasped it and seized the other.

  An instantaneous yell of the most appalling nature issued from hismouth, and never before, since ship-building began, were a couple ofman-ropes thrown off with greater violence! The pirate captain fellback into his boat, and the captain of the steamer stepped promptly backto avoid the storm of bullets that were let fly at his devoted head. Atthe starboard gangway the chief mate performed the same ceremony toanother boat with a like result.

  The pirates were amazed and enraged, but not cowed. With a wild cheerthey made a simultaneous dash at the ship's sides all round. With awilder yell they fell back into their boats,--shocked beyond expression!A few of them, however, chanced to lay hold of ropes or parts of thevessel that were not electrified. These gained the bulwarks.

  "Shove in some more acid," said the chief electrician in suppressedexcitement to Sam Shipton, who stood beside the batteries below.

  "Stir up the fires, lads," cried the chief engineer to his men at theboilers beneath, as he stood holding a fire-nozzle ready.

  Intensified yells all round told that chemical action had not beenapplied in vain, while the pirates who had gained the bulwarks were metwith streams of boiling water in their faces. Heroes may and do faceshot and shell coolly without flinching, but no hero ever faced boilingwater coolly. The pirates turned simultaneously and received thestreams in rear. Light cotton is but a poor defence in suchcircumstances. They slop
ed over the sides like eels, and sought refugein the sea. Blazing with discomfiture and amazement, but not yetdismayed, these ferocious creatures tried the assault a second time.Their fury became greater, so did the numbers that gained a footing onthe bulwarks, but not one reached the deck! The battery and the boilerplayed a part that day which it had never before entered into the brainof the wildest scientist to conceive. The hissing of the hot shower andthe vigour of the cold shock were only equalled by the unearthly yellingof the foe, whose miraculous bounds and plunges formed a scene that isaltogether indescribable.

  The crew of the steamer stood spell-bound, unable to fight even if therehad been occasion for so doing. The dark-skinned captain becameIndian-red in the face from suppressed laughter.

  Suddenly a tremor ran through the steamer, as if she too were unable torestrain her feelings. During the fight--if we may so call it--theengineers had been toiling might and main in the buried depths of theirengine-room; the broken parts of the engine had been repaired orrefitted, and a throb of life had returned to the machinery. In itsfirst revolution the screw touched the stern of a pirate-boat and turnedit upside down. Another boat at the bow was run over. The crews ofboth swam away like ducks, with their long knives between their teeth.The other boats hauled off.

  "Now, captain," cried Robin Wright, who, during the whole time, hadstood as if transfixed, with a cutlass in one hand, a pistol in theother, and his mouth, not to mention his eyes, wide open; "Now, captain,we shall get away without shedding a drop of blood!"

  "Yes," replied the captain, "but not without inflicting punishment.Port your helm--hard a port!"

  "Port it is, sir--hard over," replied the man at the wheel, and awaywent the steamer with a grand circular sweep which speedily brought her,bow-on, close to the pirate vessel.

  "Steady--so!" said the captain, at the same time signalling "full steam"to the engine-room.

  The space between the two vessels quickly decreased. The part of thepirate crew which had been left on board saw and understood. With ahowl of consternation, every man sprang into the sea. Next moment theirvessel was cut almost in two and sent fathoms down into the deep, whenceit rose a limp and miserable remnant, flattened out upon the waves.

  "Now," observed the captain, with a pleasant nod, "we'll leave them toget home the best way they can. A boat voyage in such fine weather inthese latitudes will do them good."

  Saying which, he resumed his course, and steamed away into the regionsof the far East.