CHAPTER V.
CAPTURED.
At 4 a.m. the "Investigator" arrived off the eastern arm of PlymouthBreakwater, whence she signalled to Devonport Dockyard the news of herarrival. The lights of the "Mudlark" were soon afterwards observed asshe threaded her way through the tortuous passage between Drake's Islandand the mainland, and in company the two vessels bore away in thedirection of Penlee Point.
Officers and crew were in a state of suppressed excitement. If CaptainRestronguet were a man of his word, as he evidently was, his captureseemed certain, for the waters of Cawsand Bay were admirably suited tothe arrangements which Captain Tarfag had made for his great coup.
By dawn the vicinity of the bay presented a scene of animation. Thecliffs between the village of Cawsand and Penlee Tower were black withpeople. Thousands of the good folk of the Three Towns had crossed overto Cremyll and thence, mostly on foot--for the number of vehiclesavailable was quite inadequate--had tramped the hilly road across MakerHeights. Kept at a respectful distance by a strong patrol ofpicquet-boats were hundreds of crafts of all sizes, from the frailpleasure skiff to the weatherly fishing-smacks and the local ferrysteamers. Beyond these lay several battleships and cruisers whosepresence had not yet been required in the North Sea; and since they wereof an older type, with masts and unprotected decks, they were literallycovered with human beings.
A better place to effect the capture of the submarine could hardly befound, for the depth shelved gradually from twenty feet close inshore toforty along a line joining the extremities of Penlee and PicklecombePoints.
The after-decks of the two surveying vessels were buried beneath pilesof nets composed of three-inch tarred rope intermeshed with flexiblesteel wire. These could be "paid-out" with considerable rapidity, andbeing buoyed and weighted would sink automatically till their upper edgewas ten feet below the surface and their lower edge the same distancefrom the bottom. Both vessels were to start simultaneously from thewestern extremity of the Breakwater and head for Penlee and PicklecombePoints respectively, where strong parties of seamen were ready to haulthe ends of the nets ashore.
At half-past five Captain Tarfag gave the order to commence paying outthe obstructions, and at a steady six knots the "Investigator" steamedahead, her consort, being a slower vessel, having to take the shorterdistance--that between the Breakwater and Picklecombe. Precisely atfive minutes to six the shoreward ends of the nets were secured.
"If Captain Restronguet keeps his promise he is already safe in thenet!" exclaimed Lieutenant Egmont. "You see, there is nothing toprevent him from giving his signal at the appointed time. There are novessels in the bay, and no aircraft overhead."
"It will be a nasty shock to those craft if he fires a rocket over theirheads," remarked Arnold Hythe, indicating the crowd of small vesselsthat, in spite of the picquet-boats, were continually edging nearer andnearer in the desire of their occupants to see more of the promised"fun." "But what is going to happen when we trap the submarine?"
"Oh, Captain Tarfag and I have already settled about that," replied thenavigating lieutenant confidentially. "As soon as we are certain thatthe submarine is in the bay parties of men ashore will drag in the nets,till the craft is either stranded or her propellers are hopelesslyentangled in the rope and wire strands. But stand by! It's close onsix."
A hush fell on the assembled multitudes. Every face was turned in thedirection of the tranquil bay, where, save for a slight ground-swell,the water was unruffled.
The crowds were not kept waiting. Punctually to the minute, at lessthan four hundred yards from shore and almost abreast of the littlevillage that gives the bay its name, a green and white flag, hanginglimply from a staff by reason of the saturated state of the bunting,rose above the surface. Then urged by some unseen power the flag-staffripped its way through the water, throwing the spray in silverycascades. Then it described a circle of less than a hundred yards indiameter, then as abruptly as it appeared the emblem of the mysteriousCaptain Restronguet vanished beneath the surface.
"We've got him, by Jove!" shouted Captain Tarfag.
Four blasts in rapid succession from the "Investigator's" syren was thesignal for the men ashore to haul away.
Slowly the ponderous line of netting was dragged through the water.Fortunately there was little or no tide and hardly any floating weed torender the task more difficult than it might otherwise have been;nevertheless it required an hour's hard work ere the enclosed spacemarked by the line of buoys appreciably diminished.
All the while signals from the "Investigator" were being exchanged withthe look-out tower on Penlee Point. Again and again came thedisquieting news "No sign of submarine."
"Surely in fifty feet, with a clear sandy bottom, those fellows up thereought to detect the craft!" exclaimed Lieutenant Egmont impatiently.
"I failed to see it at ten yards, although I admit the water was awfullymuddy," said the sub.
"But what if she's given us the slip?" continued the navigatinglieutenant. "Look, man; in another half an hour the bight of the netwill come ashore."
"A lot may happen in half an hour," replied Hythe. "Unless she uses anexplosive to clear a passage we have her safe enough, and I do not thinkthat Captain Restronguet will resort to extreme measures, judging how hehas already behaved in British waters."
"What I want to know is how Captain Tarfag proposes to take possessionof her, when she is held up in the nets. He told me he had a plan,which we are now carrying out, but not a word more on the subject wouldhe say, so, of course, I couldn't offer any suggestions."
"It is nearly high-water springs," observed the sub. "That means thatwe could get her sufficiently high for the falling tide to leave herstranded. Hulloa! What's that?"
A sudden commotion at less than a cable's length on the "Investigator's"starboard bow showed that some large moving object had been held up inthe stout meshes of the net. Myriads of air-bubbles rose to thesurface, causing a considerable patch of broken water on the otherwisesmooth sea. A light-draught picquet boat, with two heavy grapnels madeready to lower, dashed over the submerged net. The iron hooks fell witha dull splash.
"Holding, sir!" shouted the midshipman in charge of the picquet-boat.
"Good! Belay there!" replied Captain Tarfag. "Drop the second grapnel,and I will send a boat to bring the rope aboard."
The working parties ashore desisted in their efforts. All the power attheir command could not bring the nets home another fathom. Held by thesubmarine, that in turn was tenaciously anchored to the bottom of thebay, they absolutely refused to be hauled in. A sounding gave a depthof seven and a half fathoms.
"Mr. Hythe," shouted the captain.
The sub took the bridge-ladder at top speed, and saluting, awaited hischief's orders.
"Oh, Mr. Hythe," continued the latter. "I want to send a couple of mendown to report on the position of the submarine. If she's anchored, getthem to find out in which direction her cable leads and we can thencreep for it. Also I want to ascertain whether it be possible to lowerthe bight of a chain under her bow and stern. If that can be done I'llsignal to the Dockyard for a couple of lighters, and we'll lift thecraft with the rising tide and take her straight into the Hamoaze. Butmind, Mr. Hythe, I wish it to be distinctly understood that volunteersonly are required for this service."
"I should like to descend, sir."
"You! Why I thought, by Jove, you had enough of it on the last occasionyou encountered the submarine, judging by all accounts. But of course,I should be glad to accept your offer. Take two men with you."
The sub again saluted, and on gaining the quarter deck ordered thebo's'un's mate to pipe away the diving-party.
Of the qualified divers every man-jack expressed his desire, asvehemently as the presence of the officers permitted, to go down. Hythewould have much preferred to have taken Moy and Banks, who at hisrequest had been transferred from the "flagship, but favouri
tism hestrongly set his face against.
"Numbers one and two front rank men, fall out."
Number one was a tall, broad-shouldered Irishman named O'Shaunessey, aman who still retained the Wexford brogue. Number two was a dapperlittle Cockney, Price by name, who had the distinction of holding theNavy record for deep-sea diving.
"Look here, Price," said the sub, "I'm going down too; but I want you toclearly understand what to do. I will try to locate the Submarine, andsee if there is any possibility of raising it by means of a grapnel.You I want to get as close to the bows as you can without much chance ofbeing seen and report by telephone what forefoot she has, if any, and ifthere's any chance of slinging her at that end. O'Shaunessey, I wantyou to examine the after-end, and find out what overhang she has; alsowhether her propellers are foul of anything."
"Hurry up, there!" ordered Captain Tarfag. He was naturally anxious thathis prey should not escape him, for, although the strain on the picquetboat's grapnel-line was maintained, the bubbles no longer rose from theenmeshed submarine.
Hythe was the first to descend, from a boat lowered from the"Investigator." The conditions beneath the surface were far morefavourable than on the occasion of his descent at Spithead, for thebottom was of firm white sand, and the tidal current was barely aquarter of a knot.
Ere he had traversed fifty yards an ill-defined mass loomed up ahead ofhim. It was the submarine, exaggerated out of all proportion by therefractive properties of the water.
With rapidly beating heart the sub continued to advance. Suddenly hesaw a figure in diver's dress approaching. He stopped. The strangerstopped too.
"I'll wait for Price and O'Shaunessey," thought Hythe, and still keepinghis face towards the unknown diver he laboriously retraced his steps. Ashe did so the stranger did likewise.
"I wonder----" thought the sub, and raising his right arm he saw theunknown diver simultaneously raise his left. Hythe was confronted by amagnified reflection of himself. The sides of the submarine were madeof a mirror-like substance.
Keeping a respectful distance from the submerged craft Hythe walkedtowards, but parallel to, the bows. Presently he became aware that hewas passing under the lowermost edge of the net, that, with elongatedmeshes, was stretched tightly across the upper portion of the stem ofthe submarine.
Since nothing had attempted to molest him, Hythe's sense of confidencerose.
"No, they wouldn't dare play the fool now," he reasoned. "There's noescape for them, and they will make the best of a bad job bysurrendering at discretion as soon as the lighters sling her clear ofthe bottom. I wonder where her cable is?"
No signs of the submarine's anchor and chain were visible. There werehawse-pipes--two on the starboard bow and one on the port bow, but innone of them was a stockless anchor, or indeed one of any description.The hawsepipes were partly concealed by the nets, but the meshes weresufficiently distended to make the sub certain on that point.
Keeping his eyes fixed upon the ground Hythe walked on, thinking that,from the position of the vessel, he would eventually stumble over ananchor and chain lying half-buried in the sand. At length he came to thelimit of his life-line, his search unrewarded.
"That's completely stumped me--middle wicket, by Jove!" he muttered. "Alooking-glass submarine fixed as tight as a limpet to the sand, and notan anchor to be seen! All in good time, I suppose. When we get herinto Plymouth we'll find out all we want to learn soon enough."
With that he turned and began to make his way round the submarine oncemore.
"Oh, there's O'Shaunessey!" he said to himself, as a huge helmetedfigure came shambling along through the semi-transparent water. "Iwonder what---- Great Scott!"
Arnold Hythe came to an abrupt stop. The diver approaching him was notO'Shaunessey. The Irishman's helmet was provided with an air-tube, and alife-line encircled his chest; this fellow had neither. He was one ofthe crew of Captain Restronguet's submarine.
The sub was not devoid of personal courage. The sight of the strangediver advancing in his direction aroused all the bull-dog fightinginstinct in him.
"All right, my fine fellow!" he muttered. "I'll see if I can't tackleyou."
Unhesitatingly he advanced towards the stranger. The latter, pausing abrief instant, held up one hand as if warning off his rival, but seeingthat Hythe was intent upon grappling with him he stood on his guard.
The sub had no compunction. Although he could not under presentcircumstances summon the man to surrender in the King's name, herealized that, by virtues of the special Act of Parliament, he wasauthorized to summarily arrest any member of Captain Restronguet'scommand.
The next instant the two divers were locked in a close embrace, Hytheendeavouring to bring the man's arms to his sides, while at the sametime he shouted through the telephone for his comrades in the boat tohaul him to the surface. The unknown struggled desperately, striving topass one heavily-leaded boot behind the sub's ankle. For ten secondsthey grappled in the eerie depths of the sea, then Hythe found himselfbeing dragged along the sandy bottom. His signal to be hauled up wasbeing answered, and the steady strain on the life-line told him thatunless anything unforeseen occurred another minute would find him andhis captive at the surface.
On and on, over the yielding sand the two men were dragged, for the longscope of rope prevented an immediate upward ascent. Suddenly theunknown diver wrenched one hand free. He drew his knife, the bladeglinted dully in the pale green light, and with a steady motion severedthe life-line.
"Great heavens! He'll sever my air-tube next," thought the sub, but,apparently content with the advantage already scored, the fellow droppedhis knife and tightened his grasp upon his antagonist.
"Blow me up!" gasped Hythe through the telephone, but although the menat the air-pumps redoubled their exertions the extra pressure of airescaped through the valve in the young officer's helmet, since he wasunable to close it.
"I am attacked. Tell O'Shaunessey and Price to come to my assistance,"exclaimed the sub. In spite of his powerful physique he was not evenholding his own. He had bitten off more than he could chew.
During the struggle the sand churned up by the feet of the wrestlersrose till it was almost impossible to see more than a few feet away.Several times Hythe gave a hasty glance to see if his men were coming tohis aid--but no.
Four grotesquely-attired figures appeared through the sand-blurredwater. With a feeling of dismay the sub realized that he was hopelesslyoutnumbered. Since he had taken the initiative in provoking the contesthe knew that he must expect to accept the consequences; yet hedetermined to resist as long as his strength of body and mind remained.
Powerful hands grasped him by the arms and legs. He was overthrown andlifted into a horizontal position. Even then he kicked out stronglytill his captors, having good cause to fear his leaden-soled boots,desisted in their efforts to secure his legs.
A loud buzzing--the hiss of escaping air--told him that the worst was athand. The minions of Captain Restronguet were unscrewing the union ofhis air-tube.