THE BOY ALLIES UNDER THE SEA
Or, The Vanishing Submarines
by
ENSIGN ROBERT L. DRAKE
Author of _The Boy Allies in the Baltic_, _The Boy Allies on the NorthSea Patrol_, _The Boy Allies Under Two Flags_, _The Boy Allies with theFlying Squadron_, _The Boy Allies with the Terror of the Seas_
A.L. Burt Company New York
1916
CHAPTER I.
A MYSTERY.
"What I would like to know," said Frank Chadwick, "is just how longEngland intends to put up with the activities of the German submarinesin the waters surrounding the British Isles."
"How long?" echoed Jack Templeton. "Surely you know that England isalready conducting a vigorous campaign against them."
"I don't seem to have heard anything of such a campaign," returned Frankdryly; "but another big liner was torpedoed and sunk off the coast ofIreland yesterday. What are we going to do about it? That's what I wantto know."
"I'll tell you a little something you don't seem to know," said Jack."In the last thirty days, in the neighborhood of a hundred Germansubmarines have disappeared--sunk or captured--no one seems to knowwhich. Nevertheless, it is a fact. Through diplomatic channels word hasbeen received in London that a large number have failed to return totheir bases. The German government is much disturbed."
"Where have they gone?" asked Frank, with some surprise.
"I don't know. Nobody knows--unless, perhaps, a few high governmentofficials. They have just naturally disappeared--vanished."
"How do you know all this?"
"I happened to hear Lord Hastings discussing it with Mr. Churchill whileyou were out the other day."
"But, of course, Mr. Churchill knows what has happened to thesubmarines."
"Of course; but he's not telling everything he knows."
"But doesn't Lord Hastings know?"
"I suppose so; but he is keeping his information to himself."
"Well, I didn't know any of them had disappeared."
"They have, though, and I heard Mr. Churchill say that the governmenthoped within another month to have rid British waters entirely of theGerman submersibles."
"I hope his hope comes true," said Frank with a smile.
"And I; but I would like to know something more of the mystery of thesevanishing submarines."
Both lads were to learn something more, even sooner than they couldpossibly have hoped.
The door opened and a man strode into the room. Attired in the fulluniform of a British naval commander, he made a striking appearance inhis gold and lace. He greeted the two lads with a smile.
"Well, boys?" he said.
The newcomer was Lord Hastings, erstwhile distinguished secret serviceagent and new commander in his British majesty's royal navy. Also,though the fact was known to few, he was a distant cousin of the kinghimself and one of the most highly trusted officers of the empire.
"Well, boys?" he repeated.
"Well, sir," said Frank, "we were just discussing the mystery of thevanishing submarines."
Lord Hastings gazed at the lad in surprise.
"Vanishing submarines!" he repeated. "And tell me, how did you knowthere were such things as vanishing submarines?"
"Why, Jack told me, sir," replied Frank.
"And how did you know it?" demanded Lord Hastings of Jack.
"I heard you and Mr. Churchill discussing it, sir," replied Jack.
Lord Hastings drew a long breath, evidently of relief.
"I didn't know we had been so indiscreet," he said, half to himself."However, there is no harm done, for I know you boys are to be trustednot to repeat what you overhear. I'll tell you this, you two are amongthe very few who know that any of the German submarines have beenaccounted for."
"Then it is true?" asked Frank.
"Oh, it's true enough," replied Lord Hastings. "Perhaps a hundred ofthem have disappeared."
"And where are they, sir?" asked Frank. "At the bottom?"
"That," said Lord Hastings with a slow smile, "is the mystery the Germangovernment would like to solve."
"But surely you know, sir."
"If I did, I would not repeat it within these four walls," declared LordHastings. "Walls have ears, you know, as is proven by the fact that Jackoverheard my conversation with Mr. Churchill."
"I didn't mean to listen, sir," interrupted Jack.
"Oh, I know that," replied Lord Hastings. "But now take my advice, andkeep what you know locked close within you."
"We shall, sir," replied both lads.
"Good! Now I have a piece of news for you."
The two lads stepped forward eagerly.
"Are we to go on active service again, sir?" asked Frank anxiously.
"It's about time we did," mumbled Jack, half to himself.
Lord Hastings smiled as he saw the eager looks upon the faces of both.
"Well, we have a little work cut out for us," he replied quietly.
"Hooray!" cried Frank.
A pleased expression fluttered across Jack's face, but he gave voice tono exclamation; he was never as effusive as his chum.
"I'm glad you're pleased," returned Lord Hastings. "Yes, we shall seeactive service, at once."
"When do we start, sir?" asked Frank, his face shining.
"In the morning."
Frank's face fell.
"I was in hopes it was to-night," he replied.
"Scouting, submarine or what?" demanded Jack.
"You will have to wait for an answer to that question," said LordHastings. "In the meantime, it would be well this afternoon to getwhatever equipment you may need. Your other things, together with mine,are at the bottom of the sea with the old D-16."
"And perhaps," said Frank slyly, glancing at Lord Hastings, "before ourpresent work is over we may know something of the mystery"--he loweredhis voice--"of the vanishing submarines."
Lord Hastings eyed him somewhat coldly.
"Perhaps," he said, and, turning on his heel, left the room.
"You shouldn't have said that, Frank," declared Jack, when they wereleft alone. "You remember what he said about the walls having ears."
"I know it," said Frank, with sincere regret. "It just slipped out."
"If you'll take my advice, you'll see that it doesn't slip out again,"advised Jack.
"I'll be mum from now on," said his chum with a slight smile. "But now Iguess we may as well get what things we may need."
"All right," said Jack.
They picked up their caps and made their way from the house.
And while they are engaged in the task of out-fitting themselves for thecoming expedition, a few words concerning the two chums may well bewritten.
Jack Templeton was an English boy some eighteen years of age. Born inthe British Isles, he had nevertheless spent most of his life in Africa,his father having conducted a small trading station upon the coast ofthat continent. Jack's father was a scholar and from him the boy hadacquired a good education.
Jack's father died, leaving the boy as a legacy nothing but the littleAfrican trading store; and Jack set about to make his own living thereand to put by enough so that within a few years he would be able toreturn to the land of his birth.
And then fate took a hand in shaping his career.
A party from a passing schooner stopped for supplies at Jack's store,and, in the lad's absence, departed without paying for the provisions.Jack set forth to collect. He climbed aboard the schooner before it hoveanchor, and, payment being refused by the schooner's crew, a fightensued.
Jack was forced to take refuge in the hold, while the ship
got underway. He succeeded in making his way to the next compartment, where hewas surprised to find two other prisoners. These he released, and theyproved to be a British secret service agent and Frank Chadwick.
Frank was an American boy. He had been separated from his father, andwhile seeking him in Naples had been shanghaied aboard the schooner, andthere he was, following a mutiny among the crew, as Jack found him. Bysome resourcefulness and not a little fighting, the lads overcame thecrew and made their way back to Jack's home, taking the other prisonerwith them.
Here they joined an expedition in which the secret service agent wasimplicated, and in this manner met Lord Hastings. The latter took aninterest in them at once, and, after they had proved their mettle, theBritish nobleman took them aboard his own vessel as midshipmen.
Then followed a series of exciting adventures, which had led them tomany parts of the world. They had been instrumental in the first bigvictory of the British fleet off Heligoland; they had taken part in thepursuit of the German cruiser _Emden_, "the terror of the seas," and hadbeen in at the death; they had been with the British fleet that had sunkthe last German squadron upon the oceans--off the Falkland Islands; theyhad taken part in many and dangerous other exploits, having more thanonce been in the heart of the enemy's territory; and always they hadreturned safely.
But there was once when it seemed that all--Lord Hastings, Frank andJack--had come to their end. It came about in this wise: After a longcruise, which resulted in great successes, their submarine, D-16, hadcome to grief in the Dardanelles. They were caught below and it seemedthat all must perish.
Then Jack had decided that it was futile for all to die; there wassafety for all but one. A deck of cards decided who was to stay, andJack had drawn the fatal card--the ace of spades.
Officers and crew were launched to safety by means of a torpedo tube;and Jack sat down to await the end. But, in some unaccountable manner,the submarine had suddenly risen to the surface, and Jack, takingadvantage of the single instant the vessel was above water before ittook its final death plunge, flung himself clear. And thus all weresaved.
But, because of their desperate experiences, they were unfit toimmediately resume new duties; so all had returned to England until suchtime as they would be physically in shape again.
Now Jack Templeton, although young in years, was wise in the ways of theworld. Also he was of huge stature and as strong as an ox, as he hadproved more than once when put to the test. Frank, although by no meansas large as his chum, was sturdy and strong, and able to give a goodaccount of himself when occasion required.
The one noticeable difference between the two was that Frank washigh-tempered and quick, whereas Jack was always cool and collected. Andthis very fact had more than once showed that Jack, while not exactlymore dependable, could always be relied upon to keep his head.
While both were skillful in the use of weapons, here was a place whereFrank excelled. He was a dead shot with rifle or revolver and was astrong swordsman. Jack was a good shot himself and a skillful fencer,but he was not in Frank's class when it came to the use of sword orfirearms.
Upon their last expedition Jack and Frank had acted as first and secondofficers respectively of the submarine, and both now held the rank offirst lieutenant. Their promotions had come deservedly. They had theimplicit confidence of Lord Hastings and more than once had offeredvaluable advice, which Lord Hastings had acted upon.
Now a few words about the progress of the war. The seven seas had forsome time, save for the presence of the German submarines, been sweptclear of German, Austrian and Turkish fighting ships. Not a one remainedat large to prey upon the shipping of the Allies. The real fightingstrength of the navies of the three central powers still remained intheir own fortified bases, well guarded by mines.
The Allies had established such an effective blockade that none dared toventure forth. So the naval situation was practically at a standstill,where indications pointed to its remaining until the main German fleet,bottled up in Heligoland, and the main Austrian fleet in the Adriaticshould summon sufficient courage to sally forth and give battle; andthere had been nothing to indicate any sudden action on the part ofeither.
On several occasions British submarines had penetrated the mine fieldsand created considerable havoc, and aircraft had dropped bombs from theair. But along these lines the German submarines had been moresuccessful and now were the one real menace confronting the navalsupremacy of the Entente powers.
Hundreds of ships, large and small, had fallen easy prey to theseunder-sea terrors. Big ocean liners, crowded with passengers,non-combatants, had been sent to the bottom with terrible loss ofinnocent lives. Chief among these tragedies laid to the door of theGerman submarines was the sinking of the Cunard liner _Lusitania_, inwhich more than a thousand men, women and children had been drowned.
And, so far as the British public knew, England had taken no steps tocombat this under-sea peril. However, as Lord Hastings had told the boysat the opening of this story, Great Britain had taken such steps, andthat they were effective was evident from his additional statement thatin the neighborhood of a hundred submarines had "vanished."
But this warfare was not to end until the submarine evil had beeneradicated. The German under-sea craft must be disposed of soeffectively as to preclude further danger to British shipping. And itwas in this work that Jack and Frank were soon to play a prominent part.