CHAPTER XVII
ALONE AND HELPLESS
"Good night!" almost shrieked Frank. "That's uncanny! Whoever heard of aman walking about at the bottom of the ocean?"
"Where did he come from, Jack?" asked Ned.
"I saw that figure come out of the companionway," stated Jack. "I thoughtI was mistaken at first, because of the dim light. I looked again as youboys were talking. Then I saw that it was the figure of a man,apparently. He seems to be carrying something in his arms!"
"There he goes over the side of the vessel!" whispered Harry in anawestruck voice. "What sort of deal is this, anyway?"
"Did you notice the knapsack thing he was wearing on his back?" askedFrank. "If I was superstitious, I'd say it was the ghost of a soldier whohad been drowned and was seeking his way back home!"
"We don't take any stock in that ghost business!" declared Ned stoutly."Some things may look supernatural because we don't understand them, butthere's always an explanation if we seek it!"
"What is your explanation of this thing, Ned?" questioned Jack.
"Probably some mass of seaweed or some other substance got caught in acurrent and lodged against the cabin on the Wanderer. When we circledabout the wreck we set up counter currents that may have released thismass. It then floated along in the current to finally sink on the otherside of this submerged hull. That's all there is to it!"
"I wonder what sort of a current is bringing the bloomin' thing backagain!" announced Jack as Ned concluded his explanation. "It's moving itslower edges most remarkably like a man walking!"
Ned's look of bewilderment increased. Clearly the boy was puzzled. Evenhe, himself, was not quite satisfied with the explanation of the strangesight which had greeted the boys.
Slowly forging ahead, the submarine passed toward the stern of theWanderer, shutting the strange figure out of sight.
"Turn around the stern again, Jimmie," requested Ned. "Go easy on theengines, and we'll have a look from a new angle. This is getting ratherspooky, I must say. I want to examine into it!"
Again the false "U-13" rounded the stern of the wreck. Slowly the craftnosed along the port side to a point abreast the mizzen chains. Directlyat a signal from the pilot, Harry shut off power altogether.
The strange magnetism that seems to exist in all objects at sea slowlydrew the submarine toward the ship. Its drift had been sufficient tobring the vessel to a point abreast the main rigging before it stopped.
By this time the craft had approached close to the wreck. A very slightjar told the boys that their vessel had touched the other. Eagerly allwatched from the portholes, now but a short space above the level of therail across which they looked. Directly all was still. At this depth, nomovement of water was discernible.
Feeling awed by the strangeness of the situation, the boys refrained fromspeech. They watched for the reappearance of the strange figure.
Soon Jimmie hissed a warning. He reached out a hand to turn the switchcontrolling the lights. The boat lay in utter darkness.
A figure stepped out of the Wanderer's companionway.
It appeared to be that of a person of medium build. The boys could nowsee that it was clothed in what seemed to be a diver's suit. The helmet,however, was not connected to any air pipe. Neither was there a lineleading upward to indicate the presence of assistance. A hump on theshoulders, giving the impression of a knapsack, afforded much wondermentand increased the mysterious look of the newcomer.
"Sh-h-h!" warned Ned in a sibilant hiss, as the figure came directlytoward their position. "Keep quiet!" he whispered.
A few steps carried the stranger to the rail. The boys saw him give astart of amazement as he prepared to go over the side of the ship.Clearly the strange diver was surprised to see the craft in thatposition. He stepped back a pace, then came gingerly forward.
Evidently the man was astonished to observe the "U-13". He climbed slowlyinto the main shrouds. From that position he surveyed the craft morecompletely. Again he returned to the deck.
During this examination the lads had remained quietly at their posts, notcaring to make their presence known until they were sure of the identityof the other. They still remained with their faces at the portholes,where they observed, so far as possible, every move of the stranger.
Directly they observed the diver pick up the burden he had brought fromthe cabin. He hastened to the rail of the wreck. In a moment he hadclambered overboard, letting himself down by means of a line secured to abelaying pin at the mainmast.
"That's funny!" observed Ned, as the other disappeared from view. "Whatdo you suppose made him scuttle out of sight so hurriedly?"
"Maybe he, like the warship, saw our name--'U-13'--on the side of thevessel!" ventured Jimmie. "They all run away from that!"
"It surely doesn't make us many friends!" declared Ned.
"You're right!" answered the other. "It's the original killjoy!"
"Let's dive a little deeper," suggested Jack. "Perhaps we can find outwhere this new chap is going with those bundles."
"Perhaps we'll find out how he got here!" added Frank.
"And while you fellows are 'perhapsing'," put in Jimmie, "I'll say thatperhaps we'd better stick out! Perhaps he doesn't want us nosing aroundhis property, and perhaps he'll touch off a bomb!"
"What's the matter with you lately?" inquired Frank. "You're getting tobe a regular little 'fraid-cat'! You never used to be so timid aboutsticking your nose into other people's business!"
"I'm not afraid to go looking into things now, only I've got a hunch thatwe'd better not do it, that's all!" answered the lad. "Just because Ihappen to want to leave a fellow alone is no sign I'm a 'fraid-cat'. Ifyou lads want to go anywhere, you tell me the name of the place. I'm gameto stick with you until they turn out the lights!"
"Spoken like a man, Jimmie!" declared Frank. "That sounds like the oldJimmie we used to know. Now, let's go down a ways."
Harry sprang to the levers. A few shifts of the control brought thestorage batteries to work operating the pumps. With the additional wateradmitted by this process, the false "U-13" sank until far below the levelof the rail of the wreck. Still deeper and deeper it settled.
Presently the boys at the port holes could discover the bends of thesides, indicating that they were nearly to the ocean floor. In anothermoment a slight bump told them that the craft rested on bottom.
"I saw a flash of light just now!" stated Jimmie.
"Where did it come from?" asked Ned, stepping forward.
"Just ahead of us on this side of the ship. The shadow lies heavilythere, so I can't make out what's located in that place!"
The boys had not long to wait, however, to discover the cause of theflash which Jimmie had seen. Almost following the boy's words came adazzling beam of light, piercing the dark shadow like an arrow. For amoment the boys were blinded as the searchlight's flame played on theforward part of their vessel.
Presently the light shifted. It was turned against the side of the sunkenWanderer. Up and down the light traveled, revealing the rugged sides ofthe hull, with its covering of barnacles below what had been the waterline. Outward the beam went, showing nothing but ocean floor. Fishes wereilluminated and dazzled by the strong ray.
Finally the light returned to the false "U-13", where it settled for amoment. Directly the light was turned off.
Jimmie had been shading his eyes with a protecting hand. He was,therefore, not so much blinded by the glare as the others had been.
"There they go!" he cried, as the light was removed from the port holethrough which it had been shining. "They're rising!"
"Who can it be, I wonder?" questioned Ned.
"I'll never tell you!" declared Jimmie. "Oh, yes, I will, too!" heamended his statement. "If you want to know, it's the 'U-13'!"
"The 'U-13'?" questioned the lads in chorus.
"The 'U-13'!" positively stated Jimmie. "Here," he cried, turning aswitch leading to the searchlight. "Take a look!"
The powerful sto
rage batteries on the vessel occupied by the boysgenerated a ray of light that pierced the darkness of the undersea worldwith ease. Sharply outlined in the circle of flame the lads clearly sawthe form of a submarine vessel similar in many respects to their own.There was the same sharp prow, the same tapering stern with conningtower, keel, port lights, and every essential feature of the vessel uponwhich they were located.
Outlined upon the side, in letters fully the same size as those upontheir own vessel, the lads saw distinctly the mark "U-13."
"What do you know about that?" gasped Frank. "That's fierce!"
"Is it the same vessel you saw off Land's End, Frank?" asked Ned.
"I'm sure I can't say," returned the other. "I think it is! Of course,we're somewhat below it. Besides the difference in perspective from thisangle the water has a great deal to do with changing the appearance ofeverything. The general outlines appear similar, however."
"Then we're in a ticklish position!" declared Ned. "Suppose those fellowstake it into their head to torpedo us?"
"If they do," stated Frank decisively, "they'll play havoc!"
"They're going over the wreck!" stated Jimmie in a whisper.
"Let's rise a little and see which way they head for," proposed Frank."We can then go in the opposite direction for a while."
"I think we'd better slide right along to the southwest," stated Jimmie."I know I'm meeting a good deal of opposition, but I've a hunch thatwe'll be better off if we get right away from this spot!"
"Been reading that dream book again, little man?" asked Ned, with alaugh. "Sorry, Jimmie, but the majority seems to be against you!"
"All right, Boss!" returned Jimmie with a smile. "I'm game to stick withthe bunch! You'll find me right here smiling all the while!"
"Jimmie," gravely stated Ned, "I wish we could all get some of that sunnydisposition of yours. We need a lot of your optimism."
"Thanks!" was Jimmie's reply, delivered with an excess of politeness."Now, I'm at the wheel, Captain. Where to, sir?"
"Let's rise first and see what the other is doing!"
"Ding, ding!" cried Jimmie. "Touch up the mule, Harry!"
Harry's manipulations of the levers brought the false "U-13" rapidly to alevel with the Wanderer's deck. Through the port lights the boys couldsee the other submarine across the sunken ship. It seemed to be graduallydescending toward the bottom.
"Let's follow them and see where they go!" proposed Jack.
"At your service, sir!" cried Jimmie, saluting. "We'll proceed toproceed!" he added with a grin. "Here goes after the real 'U-13'!"
"Go ahead slowly, Harry," cautioned Ned. "We don't want to overtake themyet. We're in the shadow here, so they probably won't see us if we hangback a little. Just give the wheel a little kick."
Slowly the vessel carried the boys over the sunken Australian. They werepassing between the main and mizzen rigging at a level slightly lowerthan that of the main yard.
"What's that just ahead of us?" queried Jack, at the porthole.
"I don't see anything," replied Ned. "What and where is it?"
"Right here," declared Jack, pointing. "No, you're too late! I thought itlooked like a snake in the water at first, but I see it was only a pieceof rope hanging from the rigging. It's all right!"
"Possibly it has been hanging down all the time but the current caused bythe passage of the other vessel swung it outward," ventured Ned. "It willno doubt slip past in a moment!"
But this prediction was not fulfilled. With a sudden lurch, the stern ofthe false "U-13" rose, tilting the deck sharply forward.
With a groan the propellers stopped.