CHAPTER XIV
THE U-87
As the Essex sped forward the radio operator from time to time picked upother messages from the Ventura.
"She's headed directly toward us," Jack explained to Frank. "We shouldsight her within the hour."
The Ventura was sighted in less, but under peculiar conditions.
"Ship on the starboard bow, sir," sang the lookout forward.
A moment later the officers on the bridge sighted the vessel through theirglasses.
"By George! She seems to be standing still," said Frank.
"So she does," Lieutenant Hetherton agreed, "Wonder what's the matter?"
"We'll find out fast enough," returned Jack quietly.
"Take the bridge, Mr. Chadwick," said Jack. "I'm going below to the radioroom."
"See if you can raise the Ventura," he instructed the radio operator, afew moments later.
"Ventura! Ventura!" went the call through the air.
There was no response.
"Try it again," said Jack.
The operator obeyed. Still there was no reply from the Ventura.
"Something wrong," Jack muttered under his breath, "and still I saw nosign of a submarine. Try 'em again, Wilkins."
Again the radio operator sent the call flashing through the air:
"Ventura! Ventura! Ventura!"
The instrument at Wilkins' side began to click.
"Ventura replying, sir," Wilkins reported.
"I hear him," said Jack briefly. "Let me get at that key, Wilkins."
The operator sprang up and Jack took his place and strapped the receiverover his head.
"What's the trouble, Ventura?" he clicked.
"Held up by submarine," was the reply. "U-Boat due east of us. You can'tsee her. We sighted you just after we were boarded."
"Then how does it come you are at the key?" Jack clicked.
"Broke away from captors on deck. They are pounding at the door now."
"Have they sighted us?"
"They hadn't. There goes the door, Good-bye."
The flashes from the Ventura ceased. Jack sprang up and turned thereceiver over to the operator.
"Keep calling," he said. "If you pick the Ventura up again, let me know.I'll send a man so you can report to me through him."
Jack hurried on deck.
In the distance the Ventura was plainly visible now. Jack changed thecourse of the ship slightly, and after the vessel had gone half a mile hemade out the form of a submarine lying close astern of the Ventura.
"By George! They must see us," he muttered. "If the lookout on the U-Boathasn't espied us, surely some of the Germans on the deck of the Venturamust have done so. Wonder why the submarine captain doesn't sink thesteamer and submerge. Surely he is not going to risk an encounter withme."
Nevertheless, it seemed that such must be the submarine commander'sintention, for the submarine showed no sign of submerging as the Essexbore down on her.
Through his binoculars Frank was now able to ascertain the fact that astruggle was in progress on the deck of the Ventura. A dozen or morefigures, closely interlocked, were scuffling to and fro across the bridge.Frank gave an exclamation.
"I know what's wrong," he ejaculated.
"Well, what?" demanded Jack, turning to him.
"Why, the crew, or some of the crew, has jumped the commander of thesubmarine and his escort. That's why the officer left on the U-Boatdoesn't dare sink the vessel. And the crew of the steamer is keeping theGerman and his friends so busy aboard that they haven't had a chance tojump overboard."
"By George! I guess you're right," declared Jack. "Now if they can holdthem fifteen minutes longer we'll get in the game ourselves."
Again Jack altered the course of the Essex and approached the submarine atan angle from the Ventura.
"Forward turret guns there!" he roared.
It was the signal the men had been eagerly awaiting. Quickly the signal"ready" was flashed in the forward turret. The men were already at theirposts.
"Range finders!" ordered Jack.
"Aye, aye, sir," came the reply of the officer in charge of this work, andhe calculated the range swiftly and passed the word to the captain of thegun crew in the forward turret.
"Fire!"
A heavy shell flew screaming across the water.
But the range had not been correct and the shell flew past the submarine.Again the range was calculated, taking into consideration the first error.Again the command to fire was given.
This time the range had been gauged perfectly and the shell must have gonehome had it not been for one thing.
A moment before the command to fire was given, a torpedo was launched bythe submarine. Jack saw the torpedo come dashing through the water, and hewas forced to order the helm over promptly to escape the deadly messenger.This maneuver was made at the precise moment that the Essex fired for thesecond time, and consequently the shell again went wide.
Almost at the same instant Frank, who had kept his eyes glued to the deckof the Ventura where the struggle on the bridge had continued fiercely,uttered an exclamation of alarm.
"They've broken away," he cried.
It was true, The submarine commander and his followers had succeeded ineluding the crew of the Ventura and dashed to the rail. There they poisedthemselves a brief moment, and then flung themselves headlong into thesea. Directly, dripping, they appeared on the deck of the submarine anddashed for the conning tower.
"Quick!" roared Jack. "Forward turret guns again there!"
Once more the range was calculated and an explosion shook the Essex. Butas before the range had not been true. The shell barely skimmed the top ofthe U-Boat and went screaming half a mile past, where it struck the waterwith a hiss.
Slowly the submarine began to submerge.
"Again!" cried Jack.
But the next shot had no better success.
The submarine disappeared from sight.
Jack stamped his foot.
"What's the matter with those fellows forward?" he demanded. "Can't theyshoot? Didn't they ever see a gun before?"
There was no reply from the other officers and gradually Jack cooled down.
"Pretty tough," said Frank then. "We should have had that fellow."
Jack nodded gloomily.
"So we should," he cried, "but we didn't get him. Well, better luck nexttime. All the same, I'm inclined to believe that Ensign Carruthers needs atalking to. He didn't take the time to calculate the range correctly."
"I'll speak to him," said Frank.
"Do," said Jack. "In the meantime we'll run close to the Ventura and I'llgo aboard for a word with her captain."
The Ventura's wireless was working again now, and Jack himself took thekey.
"Lay to," he ordered. "I'm coming aboard you."
"Very well," was the reply.
The two vessels drew close together. Jack had the destroyer's launchlowered, climbed in and crossed to the Ventura, where a ladder was loweredfor him. On deck he was greeted by a grizzled old sailor, who introducedhimself as Captain Griswold.
"Come to my cabin, sir," he said to Jack. "We can talk there without beinginterrupted."
Jack followed the captain of the Ventura below, and took a seat the lattermotioned him to. The captain set out liquor and cigars, but Jack wavedthem away.
"I neither smoke nor drink, thanks," he said.
Captain Griswold shrugged his shoulders and put a match to a cigar.
"Well, what can I do for you, Captain?" he asked.
"First," said Jack, "did you get the number of the submarine?"
"I did. The U-87, Commander Frederich, the captain styled himself; and ifthere ever was a murderer unhung, he's the man."
"Why?" asked Jack curiously.
"Because he proposed setting my passengers and crew adrift in small boats,without water or provisions, before sinking my ship. And when I told himthat I had him figured correctly--that he intended to shell thelifeboats--the cold
-blooded scoundrel admitted it! That's why we had thenerve to jump him on deck. I figured we might as well die on the Venturaas in the lifeboats--and we had a chance of taking him to Davy Jones'locker along with us."
"I see," said Jack. "Not a bad idea."
"It was offered by the wireless operator," continued Captain Griswold,"although he offered it unconsciously."
"Explain," Jack requested.
"Well, Harrington thought he heard his instrument clicking. He figured itwas you, whom we had just sighted. He broke through the Germans on deckand dashed below. He locked himself in his room and began talking to you.Three of the enemy went after him and broke in the door, but I guess hehad told you enough by that time."
"I'd like a word with this Harrington," said Jack. "He is a brave man.Where is he?"
"Dead," said Captain Griswold quietly.
Jack jumped to his feet
"Dead?" he repeated.
"Yes. After the Germans broke in the door, they overpowered him, tied himand then brought back on deck. Said the German commander: 'I'll show youhow we treat men who defy us.' He stepped back several paces, drew hisrevolver and fired. Then three of the enemy threw the body into the sea.That's when we jumped them, for it was more than we could stand."
"Then who answered the wireless when I called a moment ago?"
"I did."
"I guess that is enough, Captain," said Jack. He returned to the Essex.