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diff --git a/39489.txt b/39489.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 62f0261..0000000 --- a/39489.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7024 +0,0 @@ - WITH BEATTY OFF JUTLAND - - - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Title: With Beatty off Jutland - A Romance of the Great Sea Fight - -Author: Percy F. Westerman - -Release Date: April 19, 2012 [EBook #39489] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: US-ASCII - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WITH BEATTY OFF JUTLAND *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines. - - - - -[Illustration: Cover art] - - - -[Illustration: "'CAN YOU SPARE US ANY TORPEDOES?' SHOUTED SEFTON"] - - - - With Beatty off Jutland - - - A Romance of the Great Sea Fight - - - by - - PERCY F. WESTERMAN - - - Author of "The Submarine Hunters" - "A Sub and a Submarine" - "The Dispatch Riders" - &c. &c. - - - _Illustrated by Frank Gillett, R.I._ - - - BLACKIE & SON LIMITED - LONDON AND GLASGOW - 1920 - - - -By Percy F. Westerman - - -Rivals of the Reef. -A Shanghai Adventure. -Pat Stobart in the "Golden Dawn". -The Junior Cadet. -Captain Starlight. -The Sea-Girt Fortress. -On the Wings of the Wind. -Captured at Tripoli. -Captain Blundell's Treasure. -The Third Officer. -Unconquered Wings. -The Buccaneers of Boya. -The Riddle of the Air. -Chums of the "Golden Vanity". -The Luck of the "Golden Dawn". -Clipped Wings. -The Salving of the "Fusi Yama". -Winning his Wings. -A Lively Bit of the Front. -A Cadet of the Mercantile Marine. -The Good Ship "Golden Effort". -East in the "Golden Gain". -The Quest of the "Golden Hope". -Sea Scouts Abroad. -Sea Scouts Up-Channel. -The Wireless Officer. -A Lad of Grit. -The Submarine Hunters. -Sea Scouts All. -The Thick of the Fray, -A Sub and a Submarine. -Under the White Ensign. -The Fight for Constantinople. -With Beatty off Jutland. - - - _Printed in Great Britain by Blackie & Son, Ltd., Glasgow_ - - ---- - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I--The Ward-room of H.M.S. "Calder" - CHAPTER II--The Recovered Cable - CHAPTER III--The Stranded Submarine - CHAPTER IV--Not Under Control - CHAPTER V--Sefton to the Rescue - CHAPTER VI--Action at the Double - CHAPTER VII--In the Thick of the Fight - CHAPTER VIII--The "Calder's" Second Scoop - CHAPTER IX--The "Warrior's" Gallant Stand - CHAPTER X--Battered but Unconquered - CHAPTER XI--The Wrecked Sea-plane - CHAPTER XII--The Night Attack - CHAPTER XIII--Sefton in Command - CHAPTER XIV--Out of the Fight - CHAPTER XV--A Day of Suspense - CHAPTER XVI--The Struggle in the Mountain Pass - CHAPTER XVII--Safe in Port - CHAPTER XVIII--Too Late! - CHAPTER XIX--The Smack "Fidelity" - CHAPTER XX--Captured - CHAPTER XXI--U99 - CHAPTER XXII--The British Submarines at Work - CHAPTER XXIII--And Last - - ---- - - Illustrations - - -"'Can you spare us any torpedoes?' shouted Sefton" . . . _Frontispiece_ -"'We surrender make.... We haf a leak sprung'" -"Without hesitation Sefton made a flying leap over the guard rails" -"Poising himself for an instant, Sefton leapt on the 'Calder's' deck" -"She sent a huge shell at point-blank range crashing into the -light-built hull" -"The 'Calder' had played her part, and it seemed base ingratitude to -leave her to founder" - - - - WITH BEATTY OFF JUTLAND - - - - -CHAPTER I--The Ward-room of H.M.S. "Calder" - - -A cold grey morning in April somewhere in the North Sea; to be more -exact, 18 miles N. 75 deg. W. of the Haisborough Lightship. - -Viewed from the fore-bridge of H.M. torpedo-boat destroyer _Calder_, -there was little in the outlook to suggest that a state of war had -existed for twenty months. The same short steep seas, the same lowering -sky, the almost unbroken horizon towards which many anxious glances were -hourly directed in the hope that "they" had at last come out. - -Two cables' distance from the _Calder_, a typical trawler, with dense -columns of smoke issuing from her funnel, was forging slowly ahead. -Another vessel of a similar type was steaming in almost the opposite -direction, and on a course that would bring her close under the stern of -the almost motionless destroyer. From the galley funnel of each trawler -a trail of bluish smoke was issuing, the reek as it drifted across the -_Calder's_ deck indicating pretty plainly the nature of the "hands'" -breakfast. Of the crew of either craft no one was visible, the helmsman -in each case sheltering in the ugly squat wheel-house on the bridge. - -Acting Sub-lieutenant Sefton brought his binoculars to bear upon the -nearmost trawler. The action was merely a perfunctory one. He knew -both trawlers almost about as much as their own crews did, and certainly -more than their respective owners in pre-war times. For close on fifty -hours, watch in and watch out, the _Calder_ had been dancing attendance -on these two almost insignificant specimens of the North Sea -fishing-fleet--the _Carse o' Gowrie_ and the _Dimpled Lassie_, both -registered at the port of Aberdeen. - -Carrying bare steerage-way, the destroyer glided slowly past the -_Dimpled Lassie's_ port quarter. From the trawler's stern a flexible -wire hawser led beneath the foaming wake of the propeller, dipping with -a sag that did not gladden the heart of the young officer of the watch. - -"Any luck yet?" shouted Sefton through an enormous megaphone. - -At the hail two men's heads appeared above the bulwarks aft, while a -greatcoated figure came in view from behind the storm-dodgers of the -trawler's bridge. - -"Not the least, sir," replied the master of the _Dimpled Lassie_, Peter -M'Kie, skipper R.N.R. "Are we right, sir?" - -The acting-sub had a few minutes previously taken an observation. The -destroyer was playing the part of nursemaid to the two trawlers, for -although both skippers could find their way, even in thick weather, -almost anywhere in the North Sea, solely by the aid of lead-line and -compass, neither had the faintest experience in the use of the sextant. - -"Ought to be right over it," replied Sefton. "Carry on, and trust to -luck." - -The trawlers were "creeping" with grapnels. Not for mines, although -there was always a possibility of hooking one of those fiendish -contrivances. That was a risk that the tough fisherman faced with an -equanimity bordering on fatalism. Mine-sweeping they had engaged upon -almost continuously since the notable month of August, 1914. Now they -were on particular service--a service of such importance and where so -much secrecy was imperative that these two Scottish trawlers had been -sent expressly from a northern base to scour the bed of the North Sea in -the neighbourhood of Great Yarmouth, where there were Government craft -for disposal in abundance. - -Sefton replaced his binoculars, and, turning, found that his superior -officer had just come on deck and was standing at his elbow. - -Lieutenant Richard Crosthwaite, D.S.O., the "owner" of the destroyer, -was one of those young officers who had made good use of the chances -that the war had thrown in his way. Specially promoted for good work in -the Dardanelles, he found himself at a comparatively early age in -command of a destroyer that had already made a name for herself in the -gallant but ill-starred operations against the Turks. - -"Well, Mr. Sefton?" he asked. - -"Nothing much to report, sir," replied the acting-sub. "But we'll get it -yet," he added confidently. - -Evidently "it"--hardly ever referred to by any other designation--was -more elusive than Crosthwaite had imagined. A shade of disappointment -flitted across his tanned features. The task upon which the trawlers -were engaged was a matter of extreme urgency. At Whitehall anxious -admirals awaited the news that "it" had been fished up; but "it", -reposing serenely on the bed of the North Sea, had resolutely declined -to receive the embraces of a couple of heavy grapnels. - -Crosthwaite, after giving a searching glance to windward, stepped to the -head of the ladder. An alert bos'n's mate, awaiting the signal, piped -the starboard watch. Saluting, Sefton gained the deck and went aft, his -mind dwelling on the prospects of breakfast and a much-needed sleep. - -The ward-room, a scantily-furnished apartment extending the whole width -of the ship, was showing signs of activity. From one of the adjoining -dog-boxes, termed by courtesy a cabin, a short, full-faced, -jovial-featured man had just emerged, clad in regulation trousers and a -sweater. His curly light-brown hair was still wet, as the result of his -ablutions, a slight gash upon the point of his chin betokened the fact -that he had tempted fate by shaving in a stiff seaway, and by the aid of -an ordinary razor dulled by the penetrating salt air. - -"Oh, it's quiet down here----" he began singing in a ringing baritone. - -"No need to rub that in, Pills," exclaimed a drawling voice. "The fact -is patent to all. Can't you give us 'They don't run Corridor Cars on -our Branch Line' by way of a change?" - -Thereon hung a tale: something that took place when Jimmy Stirling first -joined the mess at the Portsmouth Naval Barracks as a Probationary -Surgeon, R.N.V.R. - -"I called attention to the fact that it was quiet down here with -deliberate intent, my festive Box-spanner," retorted the surgeon. "At -last, after weeks of expostulation, your minions have succeeded in -quelling that demon of unrest, the steam steering-gear. For the first -time for a fortnight I have slept serenely, and, thanks to that blessed -balm, I feel like a giant refreshed. Now, how about it?" - -He made a dive into the adjoining cabin, where the engineer-lieutenant -was in the act of struggling with a refractory collar. The next instant -the two men lurched into the ward-room engaged in what looked to be a -mortal struggle. - -Cannoning off the stove, sweeping a sheaf of books from the wall, -glissading from the cushioned lockers, the high-spirited officers -tackled each other with mock-serious desperation until, with a violent -heave, the athletic doctor deposited his engineering confrere fairly -upon the table. With a series of crashes, cups, saucers, tureens, -teapot, coffee-pot, eggs and bacon sidled in an indescribable state of -chaos upon the floor. - -"Time!" exclaimed Sefton authoritatively. "Look here, you fellows. I -haven't had my breakfast, and I suppose you haven't had yours? Not that -it matters to me. And, Pills, has your supply of bromide run out?" - -The combatants separated and began taking stock of the damage. - -"You logged a gale of wind last night, I hope, Sefton?" asked the -engineer-lieutenant in tones of mock anxiety. "Must account for this -smash-up, you know---- Any luck? Have they got it?" - -The acting-sub, now that conversation had reverted to the inevitable -"it", was bound to admit that the preceding night's labours had been -fruitless. The possibilities of the recovery of the much-desired "it" -monopolized the attention of the occupants of the ward-room until the -steward, outwardly stolidly indifferent to the unsympathetic treatment -of his labours, provided another repast. - -They were boyish and high-spirited officers on H.M.T.B.D. _Calder_. -Their pranks were but an antidote to the ceaseless strain of days and -nights of watch and ward. - -"To get back to things mundane," persisted the engineer-lieutenant as -the trio sat down to their belated meal, "will they find it?" - -"It is my firm belief that they will," replied Sefton decisively. "Even -if we have to mark time about here for another month." - -"Heaven forbid!" ejaculated the surgeon piously, "I pine for fresh -water. Your vile condenser-brewed fluid is simply appalling, my festive -Box-spanner. And I yearn for newspapers less than a week old." - -The engineer-lieutenant glared defiance at his medical confrere. He -knew perfectly well that the water on board was brackish and insipid, -but it was condensed under his personal supervision. Any disparaging -remarks upon his _metier_--even if uttered in jest--touched him to the -quick. - -A resumption of the "scrap" seemed imminent, when a bluejacket, tapping -at the ward-room door, announced: "Captain's compliments, sir; they've -just hooked it." - - - - -CHAPTER II--The Recovered Cable - - -Instantly there was a wild scramble on the part of the three officers to -gain the deck, all other topics of interest vanishing before the -all-important information. - -A cable's length on the port beam the _Carse o' Gowrie_ was backing -gently astern in order to close with her consort. The _Dimpled Lassie_ -was pitching sluggishly. Way had been taken off her, while over her -squat counter the wire hawser attached to the Lucas grapnel was -"straight up and down" under the steady strain of some heavy and still -submerged object. - -From the destroyer's bridge a signalman was semaphoring rapidly by means -of hand-flags. The _Dimpled Lassie_ replied. The man had just finished -delivering the message to Lieutenant-Commander Crosthwaite when Sefton -and the other officers gained the bridge. - -"There's no doubt about it now," declared Crosthwaite breezily. -"They've just reported that the thing is two fathoms off the bottom. -The _Carse o' Gowrie_ is going to help take the strain." - -"Hope it won't carry away, sir," remarked Sefton. - -"Never fear! Where the patent grapnel grips, it holds. What water have -we?" - -A cast with the lead gave 19 fathoms, the tide having risen 7 feet. The -tidal current was setting south-east a half east, with a velocity of -1-1/2 knots. - -"Tide'll be slacking in half an hour," said the skipper. "The less -strain we get the better. Signalman!" - -"Sir?" - -"Ask the _Dimpled Lassie_ to report the state of the dynometer." - -Promptly came the reply that already the strain on the grapnel hawser -was 2-1/2 tons. - -"And the breaking strain is four, sir," Sefton reminded his chief. - -"We'll get it all right," reiterated Crosthwaite. "Never fear." - -His optimism was justified when forty-five minutes later the grapnel -sullenly bobbed above the surface, holding in its tightly-closed jaws -the bight of a large submarine electric cable. - -"Let's hope we've hooked the right one," muttered the -engineer-lieutenant. - -"You atom of despondency!" exclaimed Stirling. - -"I state a possibility, not a probability, Pills," rejoined Boxspanner. -"It's a three-to-one chance, you know." - -Already a number of artificers, who had been temporarily detailed for -duty on board each of the trawlers, were hard at work in connection with -the retrieved cable. What they were doing in connection must remain a -matter of conjecture, but the fact was patent that the success or -otherwise of unremitting toil depended upon the next few minutes. - -Impatiently the young lieutenant-commander of the _Calder_ awaited a -further signal announcing the result of the investigations. When it -came it was highly satisfactory. - -"Thanks be for small mercies!" ejaculated Crosthwaite fervently. -"Signal M'Kie and tell him to take due precautions in case a ground -swell sets in from the east'ard." - -The cable was one of three that in pre-war time connected the little -Norfolk fishing-village of Bacton with the German island of Borkum. Two -more ran from Borkum to Lowestoft, the whole system being partly British -and partly German controlled. - -Immediately upon the declaration of war the telegraph cables had been -severed, both in the neighbourhood of the British coast and in the -vicinity of the German island fortress. To all intents and purposes it -seemed as if the cables were nothing more than useless cores of copper -encased in gutta-percha, rotting in the ooze on the bed of the North -Sea. - -Yet in spite of the most stringent precautions on the part of the -British Government to prevent a leakage of news, the disconcerting fact -remained that, thanks to an efficient and extensive espionage system, -information, especially relating to the movements of the Grand Fleet, -did reach Germany. - -Various illicit means of communication were suspected by the -authorities, and drastic, though none the less highly necessary, -regulations were put into force that had the effect of reducing the -leakage to a minimum. - -Simultaneously a campaign was opened against the use of wireless -installations. Undoubtedly wireless played its part in the spies' work, -but its efficacy was doubtful. It could be "tapped"; its source of -agency could be located. However beneficial in times of peace, it was a -two-edged weapon in war. - -For a long time the British Government failed to unravel the secret, -until it was suggested that the submarine cables had been repaired. And -this was precisely what had been done. The Huns had promptly repaired -their end of one of the Bacton-Borkum lines, while a German trawler, -disguised as a Dutch fishing-boat, had grappled the severed end just -beyond the British three-mile limit. - -To the recovered end was fixed a light india-rubber-covered cable. This -would be sufficiently strong to outlast the duration of the war, the -scarcity of gutta-percha and the enormous weight of the finished cable -being prohibitive. It was paid out from the trawler with considerable -rapidity, the end being buoyed and dropped overboard some miles from the -spot where the original cable used to land. In the inky blackness of a -dark winter's night a boat manned by German agents disguised as British -fishermen succeeded in recovering the light cable and taking it ashore. -Here it was a brief and simple matter to carry the line to a cottage on -the edge of the low cliff, burying the land portion in the sand. - -For nearly eighteen months the secret wireless station had been in -active operation. News culled from all the naval bases by trustworthy -German agents was surreptitiously communicated to the operators in the -little unsuspected Norfolk cottage and thence telegraphed to Borkum. - -For the task of recovering the cable the utmost skill, caution, and -discretion were necessary. The vessels detailed for the work were sent -from a far-off Scottish port with orders to make no communication with -the shore; while to protect them from possible interference the _Calder_ -had been detached from the rest of the flotilla to stand by and direct -operations. - -The _Dimpled Lassie_ was indeed fortunate in finding the cable in a -comparatively short space of time, and, what was more to the point, in -locating the right one of the three known to be in close proximity. -Contrast this performance with that of the cruiser _Huascar_ in the -Chilean-Peruvian War. That vessel tried for two days in shallow water to -sever the cable at Valparaiso. The officer in charge had himself -assisted to lay that particular cable, but picked up the one -communicating with Iquique and severed that by mistake. - -The only "fly in the ointment", as far as Lieutenant-Commander -Crosthwaite was concerned, was the anticipated fact that the _Calder_ -would have to dance attendance upon the trawlers for an indefinite -period. Once the mild excitement of grappling for the cable was over, -the _Calder_ was in the position of those who "serve who only stand and -wait". It was a necessary task to "stand by", but with vague rumours in -the air of naval activity on the part of the Huns, the officers and crew -of the destroyer would infinitely have preferred to be in the thick of -it, rather than detained within a few miles of the Norfolk and Suffolk -coast. - -When at length interest in the proceeding had somewhat abated, -Sub-lieutenant Sefton went below to make up long arrears of sleep. - -He had not turned in many minutes when Doctor Stirling gave him a -resounding whack on the back. - -"Wake up, you lazy bounder!" exclaimed the surgeon. "Didn't you hear -'Action Stations'? We've got the whole German fleet coming for us." - - - - -CHAPTER III--The Stranded Submarine - - -"No such luck," protested Sefton, until, reading the serious look in the -medical officer's eyes, and now conscious of a commotion on deck as the -ship's company went to action stations, he started up, leapt from his -bunk, and hurriedly scrambled into his clothes. - -Upon gaining the deck Sefton found that Stirling had exaggerated the -facts--he generally did, as a matter of fact. Just looming through the -light haze were half a dozen large grey forms emitting tell-tale columns -of smoke; for, combined with the lack of Welsh steam coal and inferior -stoking, the Huns generally managed to betray their whereabouts by -volumes of black vapour from their funnels. - -The ships were now steaming in double column, line ahead, and, having -left Smith's Knoll well on the starboard hand, were running on a -southerly course to clear Winterton Ridge. - -"Off to Yarmouth, I'll swear," declared Crosthwaite. "The bounders have -got wind of the fact that our battle-cruisers are well up north." - -The _Calder_ was now approaching the two trawlers. Grasping a -megaphone, the lieutenant-commander hailed the skipper of the _Carse o' -Gowrie_. - -"German battle-cruisers in sight," he shouted. "You had better slip and -clear out." - -The tough old Scot shaded his eyes with a hairy, tanned hand and looked -in the direction of the hostile craft. - -"I'll bide here, if ye have nae objection, sir," he replied. "After all -this fuss, fetchin' the cable an' all, I'm nae keen on dropping it agen. -Maybe they'll tak no notice of us, thinking we're fisherfolk." - -"The probability is that they'll sink you," said Crosthwaite, secretly -gratified at the old man's bravery, and yet unwilling to have to leave -the trawlers to their fate. - -"If they do, they do," replied the skipper unmoved. "It wouldna be the -first by many a one. But sin' we hae the cable, here we bide." - -Old Peter M'Kie was of a similar opinion. Sink or swim, he meant to -stand by. The _Carse o' Gowrie_ and the _Dimpled Lassie_ were to remain -with the fished cable, since it was just possible that the Germans might -take them for ordinary trawlers, as the boats showed no guns. - -The lieutenant-commander of the destroyer saw that it was of no use to -attempt to shake the resolution of the two skippers. After all, they -stood a chance. By remaining quietly, and riding to the raised cable, -they certainly had the appearance of fishing boats using their trawl, -while any attempts at flight might result in unpleasant attentions from -the number of torpedo-boats accompanying the German battle-cruisers. - -Accordingly the _Calder_ slipped quietly away, keeping under the lee of -the Haisborough Sands to avoid being spotted by the enemy vessels. It -was a genuine case of discretion being the better part of valour. -Although not a man of her crew would have blenched had orders been given -to steam full speed ahead towards the huge German battle-cruisers, -Crosthwaite realized that such a step would be utterly useless. Long -before the destroyer could get within torpedo-range of the foe, she -would be swept clean and sent to the bottom under the concentrated fire -of fifty or more quick-firers. Had it been night or thick weather the -_Calder_ would no doubt have attempted to get home with her 21-inch -torpedoes. The risk would be worth running. But, as matters now stood, -it would be sheer suicidal madness on her part, without the faintest -chance of accomplishing anything to justify the attempt. - -Meanwhile the destroyer was sending out wireless messages reporting the -presence of the raiders. Busy in exchanging wireless signals with their -far-flung line of covering torpedo-boats, and with a couple of Zeppelins -that flew high overhead, the German vessels made no attempt to "jam" the -_Calder's_ aerial warning. - -Constantly ready for action at very brief notice, the British -battle-squadrons were under weigh within a few minutes of the receipt of -the _Calder's_ message, and Beatty's Cat Squadron was heading south-east -with all possible speed before the first hostile gun thundered against -Great Yarmouth. - -"They've opened the one-sided ball," remarked Sefton as a dull boom from -the now invisible German ships--a single report that was quickly taken -up by other heavy weapons--was borne to the ears of the _Calder's_ crew. -"And, by Jove, Whit-Monday too." - -"Yes," assented the doctor. "And ten to one the beach is crowded with -holiday-makers. Before we left port, didn't we see some idiotic report -in the papers stating that the East Coast would be ready for holiday -visitors 'as usual'?" - -"Let's hope the Huns will get cut off again," said the sub. "Another -_Bluecher_ or two will make them sit up." - -"They're too wary," replied the somewhat pessimistic medico. "They've -been warned that the coast is clear. Before the submarines from Harwich -can come up they'll be off. And with twelve hours of daylight in front -of them they'll be back long before our sixth destroyer flotilla can -make a night attack." - -For nearly twenty minutes the officers and men listened in silence to -the furious bombardment. Several of the latter had homes in the town -that now lay exposed to the enemy guns. Realizing their helplessness, -they could only hope that the damage done was no greater than that of -the previous naval attack on the same place, and that this time the Cat -Squadron would intercept the raiders and exact a just and terrible -retribution. - -At length the firing ceased almost as suddenly as it had begun. In vain -the destroyer's crew waited long and anxiously for the renewal of the -cannonade in the offing that would announce the gratifying news that -Beatty had once more intercepted the returning Huns. - -At 20 knots the _Calder_ returned towards the position in which she had -left the two trawlers. With feelings of relief it was seen that both -craft were still afloat and apparently all well. - -Suddenly one of the look-outs raised the shout of: "Submarine on the -starboard bow, sir!" - -Without a moment's hesitation Crosthwaite telegraphed for full speed, at -the same time ordering the quartermaster to port helm. - -A mile and a half away could be discerned the elongated conning-tower -and partly housed twin periscopes of a large submarine, although why in -broad daylight the unterseeboot--for such she undoubtedly was--exposed -her conning-tower above the surface was at first sight perplexing. - -With the for'ard 4-inch quick-firer loaded and trained upon the meagre -target the _Calder_ leapt forward at a good 24 knots, ready at the first -sign of the submerging of the submarine to send a projectile crashing -into and pulverizing the thin steel plating of her conning-tower. - -So intent was the lieutenant-commander upon his intended prey that he -had failed to notice the proximity of a black-and-white can buoy now -almost on the starboard bow. It was not until Sefton reminded him of -the fact that he realized that the destroyer was doing her level best to -pile herself upon the Haisborough Sands--a feat that the German -submarine had already accomplished to the rage and mortification of her -officers and crew. - -Listing violently outwards, the destroyer swung round clear of the -treacherous shoal, and for the first time Crosthwaite was aware of the -ignominious predicament of the unterseeboot. - -"The beggar may have a broadside torpedo-tube," he remarked to his -subordinate as he ordered the _Calder_ to be swung round, bows on to the -stranded craft, speed having been reduced to give the destroyer more -steerage-way. "Give her a round with the for'ard gun. Plank a shell a -hundred yards astern." - -The shot had the desired effect. The conning-tower hatch was thrown -open, and the head and shoulders of a petty officer appeared. For a few -moments he hesitated, looking thoroughly scared, then his hands were -extended above his head. - -In this position of surrender he remained, until, finding that the -destroyer made no further attempt to shell the submarine, he emerged -from the conning-tower. Two officers followed, and then the rest of the -crew--twenty-two all told. The officers stood upon the steel grating -surrounding the conning-tower, for the tide had now fallen sufficiently -to allow the platform to show above water. The rest of the crew, wading -knee-deep, formed up in a sorry line upon the after part of the still -submerged hull, and, with uplifted hands, awaited the pleasure of their -captors. - -"Fetch 'em off, Mr. Sefton," ordered the lieutenant-commander. "Half of -'em at a time." - -The sub hastened to order away the boat. As he did so Dr. Stirling -nudged him and whispered in his ear: - -"Shall I lend you a saw, old man?" - -"A saw!" repeated Sefton in astonishment. "What on earth for?" - -"Skipper said you were to bring half of them at a time," explained the -irresponsible medico with a grin. "Better try the top half of each man -first trip." - -"That'll do, Pills," retorted the sub. "If it's surgery you're after, -you had better do your own dirty work." - -"Give way, lads," ordered the sub as the boat drew clear of the steel -wall-side of the destroyer. - -"We surrender make," declared the kapitan of the submarine as the boat -ranged up alongside. "We haf a leak sprung." - -[Illustration: "WE SURRENDER MAKE.... WE HAF A LEAK SPRUNG"]] - -"Sorry to hear it," rejoined Sefton. - -"Is dat so?" enquired the perplexed German, mystified at his foe's -solicitude. - -"Yes," soliloquized the sub. "We would much rather have collared the -strafed submarine intact. We didn't bargain for her keel plates being -stove in. - -"Now then!" he exclaimed. "I'll take eleven of you men first trip." - -The coxwain and bowman of the boat deftly engaged their boat-hooks in -convenient projections of the submarine's conning-tower, while the -specified number of dejected and apprehensive Huns was received on -board. - -Having delivered the first batch of prisoners on the destroyer, Sefton -returned, but, instead of immediately running alongside the prize, he -ordered his men to lie on their oars. With the boat drifting at a -distance of twenty yards from the unterseeboot, the sub coolly awaited -developments. - -The Huns--officers and men alike--were far from cool. Gesticulating -wildly, they implored the sub to take them off. Never before had Sefton -seen a greater anxiety on the part of the Germans to abandon their ship, -and in the course of eleven months' service in the North Sea his -knowledge of the ways of the wily Hun was fairly extensive. - -At length two of the submarine's crew, unable to restrain their panic, -leapt overboard and struck out for the boat. - -"Stand by with a stretcher, there, Jenkins," ordered Sefton. "Show them -what we mean to do. Knock them over the knuckles if they attempt to -grasp the gunwale." - -"We surrender do, kamerad!" shouted the Huns in dolorous chorus, seeing -their companions repelled from the waiting boat. - -"Yes, I know," replied Sefton. "You've told me that already. A few -minutes' wait won't hurt you. There's plenty of time." - -"Back oars!" ordered the sub, as the Germans, terrified beyond measure, -slid from the submarine's deck into the water, officers and men striking -out frantically. - -Thirty seconds later came the dull muffled sound of an explosion. A -thin wreath of vapour issued from the open conning-tower. - -"Not much of a bust-up that," exclaimed Sefton contemptuously. "It -would not have flicked a fly from her deck. Well, I suppose I must take -the beggars into the boat." - -The lightness of the explosion had also astonished the German officers. -Adopting their usual procedure they had fixed three detonators in the -hull of the stranded vessel, and upon the approach of the _Calder's_ -boat the second time they had lighted the four-minute time-fuses. - -Sefton, guessing rightly what had been done, had resolved to give the -Huns, not a bad quarter of an hour, but a worse three minutes. He, too, -expected to see the submarine's hull disintegrated by a terrific -explosion. - -On the boat's return to the destroyer with the rest of the prisoners, -Sefton made his report to the lieutenant-commander. - -"Can't blame them," declared Crosthwaite. "In similar circumstances we -would have done the same, but with better results, I hope. Send that -petty officer aft; I want to speak to him." - -The man indicated was, as luck would have it, the fellow responsible for -lighting the fuses. Putting on his fiercest expression, -Lieutenant-Commander Crosthwaite sternly taxed him with attempting to -destroy the submarine after she had surrendered. - -Taken aback, the man admitted that it was so. - -"How many detonators?" asked Crosthwaite. - -"Three, Herr Kapitan." - -"And what time-fuses?" - -"Four-minutes," was the reply. - -"Then jolly rotten stuff," commented the lieutenant-commander as he -motioned for the prisoner to be removed below. "We'll give them another -quarter of an hour before we board her." - -The stated time passed without any signs of further internal explosions. -The _Calder_ made good use of the interval, Harwich being communicated -with by wireless, announcing the capture of the prize, and requesting -tugs and lighters to be dispatched to assist the disabled U boat into -port. - -"Now I think it's all O.K.," remarked Crosthwaite. "Sure you're keen on -the job?" - -Sefton flushed under his tanned skin. His skipper was quick to notice -that he had blundered. - -"Sorry!" he said apologetically. "Ought to have jolly well known you -better. Off you go, and good luck. By the by, take a volunteer crew." - -Of the seventy men of the _Calder_ every one would have unhesitatingly -followed the sub. Asking for volunteers for a hazardous service was -merely a matter of form. There was quite a mild contest to take part in -the operations of boarding the submarine. - -By this time the falling tide had left nearly the whole extent of the -deck dry. There were four hatchways in addition to the conning-tower, -each of which was securely fastened. Through the open aperture in the -conning-tower Sefton made his way. Below all was in darkness, for with -the explosion the electric lamps had been extinguished. A heavy reek of -petrol fumes and sulphurous smoke scented the confined space. - -The sub switched on the electric torch which he had taken the precaution -to bring with him. The rays barely penetrated the smoke beyond a few -feet. - -"Phew!" he muttered. "Too jolly thick. It is a case for a -smoke-helmet." - -Back went the boat, returning in a short space of time with the required -article. Donning the safety-helmet, one of the bluejackets descended, -groped his way to the nearest hatchway and opened it. - -An uninterrupted current of fresh air ensued, and in ten minutes the -midship portion of the prize was practically free from noxious fumes. - -"Blow me, Nobby," exclaimed one of the carpenter's crew, "did you ever -see such a lash up? Strikes me they slung this old hooker together in a -bit of a hurry." - -The shipwright's contemptuous reference to the Teuton constructor's art -was justified. The submarine had every appearance of being roughly -built in sections and bolted together. Everything pointed to hurried -and makeshift work. - -Under the engine beds Sefton discovered two unexploded detonators. The -one that had gone off was "something of a dud", for the explosive force -was very feeble--insufficient even to start any of the hull plating. -But it had performed a useful service to the British prize crew: the -blast had detached the time-fuses from the remaining gun-cotton charges, -and had thus preserved the submarine from total destruction. - -Nevertheless Sefton heaved a sigh of relief as the two detonators were -dropped overboard. Guncotton, especially German-made stuff, was apt to -play peculiar tricks. - -The fore and after compartments or sub-divisions of the hull were closed -by means of watertight doors in the bulkheads. The foremost was found -to have four feet of water--the same depth as that of the sea over the -bank on which the vessel had stranded. It was here that the plates had -been started when the U boat made her unlucky acquaintance with the -Haisborough Shoal. - -Flashing his torch upon the oily surface of the water, Sefton made a -brief examination. On either side of the bulging framework were tiers -of bunks. This compartment, then, was the sleeping-quarters of the -submarine's crew. Of torpedo-tubes there were no signs; nor were these -to be found anywhere else on board. Aft was a "gantry" communicating -with an ingeniously contrived air-lock. The submarine was not designed -for torpedo work but for an even more sinister task: that of -mine-laying. Not a single globe of latent destruction remained on -board. Already the U boat had sown her crop of death; would there be -time to destroy the harvest? - - - - -CHAPTER IV--Not Under Control - - -Quickly the news of the captured submarine's former activities was -flash-signalled to the _Calder_, and with the least possible delay the -information was transmitted by wireless to Great Yarmouth and Harwich. - -Until the minefield was located and destroyed it was unsafe for any -shipping to proceed to or from Yarmouth Roads. - -Questions put to the U boat's crew elicited that the vessel was one of -seven operating in conjunction with the raiding cruisers. While the -German fleet was bombarding Yarmouth, the submarines--having on account -of their slower speed set out on the previous day--proceeded to lay a -chain of mines from the Would through Haisborough Gat, and thence to a -point a few cables east of the Gorton lightship, thus completely -enclosing Yarmouth Roads from the sea. The UC6--that being the -designation of the prize--had just completed her task when she sighted -the _Calder_ approaching. Miscalculating her position, she had run her -nose hard upon the shoal, with the result that her low compartment -quickly flooded, thus rendering her incapable of keeping afloat. - -It was not long before four mine-sweepers came lumbering northwards from -Yarmouth, while others proceeded in different directions to "clear up -the mess", as their crews tersely described the dangerous operations of -destroying the mines. - -The _Calder_, still standing by, had missed the northern limit of the -German minefield by a few yards. Had she held on her former course the -probability was that she would have bumped upon a couple of the infernal -contrivances--for the mines were dropped in twos, each pair connected by -a span of cable to make more certain of a vessel's bows being caught in -its bight--and been blown up with the loss of all her crew. - -The destroyer had been sent on particular service. Other side issues had -demanded her attention, and, with the pluck and resourcefulness of -British seamen, her crew had risen to the occasion. To them it was all -in the day's work, with one ulterior motive--to push on with the war. - -Deftly, the result of months of experience, the mine-sweepers set to -work. With little delay the first of the mines was located, dragged to -the surface, and sunk by means of rifle-fire. Others were destroyed in -quick succession, two exploding as the bullets, made for the purpose of -penetrating the buoyancy chambers, contrived to hit the projecting horns -of the detonating mechanism. - -In two hours, the trawlers having swept the whole extent of the Would, -the minefield was reported to be destroyed. - -"What damage ashore?" enquired Crosthwaite, as the nearest trawler -sidled under the destroyer's stern. - -"Precious little, sir, considering," replied the master of the -mine-sweeper. "A few buildings knocked about and a score or so of -people killed or injured. Might ha' been worse," and he shook his fist -in the direction in which the raiders had fled. - -Sedately, as if conscious of having modestly performed a gallant -service, the mine-sweepers bore up for home, and once again the _Calder_ -was left to stand by her prize. - -She was not long left alone. A number of motor patrol-boats came -buzzing round like flies round a honey-pot. The work of transferring -the German prisoners was quickly taken in hand. They were put on board -the patrol-boats in batches of half a dozen. It saved the destroyer the -trouble of putting into port when she was supposed to hold no -communication with the shore. - -The last of the motor-boats had brought up alongside the _Calder_ when -Sefton recognized the R.N.R. sub-lieutenant in charge as an old friend -of pre-war days. - -Algernon Stickleton was a man whose acquaintance with the sea was -strictly limited to week-ends spent on board the Motor Yacht Club's -headquarters--the ex-Admiralty yacht _Enchantress_--in Southampton -Water. Given a craft with engines, he could steer her with a certain -amount of confidence. Of navigation and the art of a mariner he knew -little or nothing. Tides were a mystery to him, the mariner's compass -an unknown quantity. In short, he was a marine motorist--the counterpart -of the motor road-hog ashore. - -Upon the outbreak of war, commissions in the R.N.R. motor-boat service -were flung broadcast by the Admiralty at the members of the Motor Yacht -Club, and amongst those who donned the pilot-coat with the gold wavy -band and curl was Algernon Stickleton. At first he was given a "soft -job", doing a sort of postman's work in Cowes Roads, until the -experience, combined with his success in extricating himself, more by -good luck than good management, from a few tight corners, justified the -experiment of granting a commission to a comparatively callow marine -motorist. - -Then he was put through a rapid course of signalling and elementary -navigation, and, having "stuck at it", the budding sub-lieutenant R.N.R. -was sent to the East Coast on a motor-yacht with the prospect of being -given a fast patrol-boat when deemed proficient. - -Gone were those halcyon August and September days in Cowes Roads. He -had to take his craft out by day and night, blow high or low. Boarding -suspicious vessels in the open roadstead hardened his nerves and gave an -unwonted zest to his work. At last he was doing something -definite--taking an active part in the navy's work. - -"My first trip in this hooker, old man," he announced to Sefton, -indicating with a sweep of his hand the compact, grey-painted motor -craft that lay alongside the destroyer's black hull. "A clinker for -speed. She'd knock your craft into a cocked hat. It beats Brooklands -hollow. Wants a bit of handlin', don't you know, but I think I brought -her alongside very nicely, what?" - -The last of the German prisoners having been received on board and -passed below to the forepeak, Sub-lieutenant Stickleton prepared to cast -off. Touching the tarnished peak of his cap, for months of exposure to -all weathers had dimmed the pristine lustre of the once resplendent -headgear, he gave the word for the motors to be started. - -Then, with one hand on the steering-wheel, he let in the clutch. - -Like an arrow from a bow the powerful box of machinery leapt forward. -The result was disastrous as far as Stickleton was concerned. -Unprepared to counteract the sudden momentum, he was literally "left", -for, subsiding upon the short after-deck, he rolled backwards over the -transom and fell into the boiling wake of the rapidly-moving motor-boat. - -Fortunately he could swim well, and was quickly hauled over the -destroyer's side, a dripping but still cheerful object. - -Several of the _Calder's_ crew laughed outright. Even Crosthwaite and -Sefton had to smile. The sopping R.N.R. officer was quick to enter into -the joke against himself. - -"Hope I won't get reprimanded for leaving my ship without permission," -he remarked facetiously. - -"You haven't asked permission to board mine," Crosthwaite reminded him. -"It's the custom of the service, you know." - -Meanwhile attention was being transferred from the dripping officer to -the craft of which he ought to be in command. Evidently her crew were -unaware of what had occurred. The bowman was coiling down a rope, two -of the deck hands were engaged in securing the fore-peak hatchway, while -the rest were down below. The patrol-boat was tearing along at 38 -knots, and, owing to the "torque" of the propellers, was describing a -vast circle to port. - -It was the cabin-boy who first made the discovery that the little craft -was without a guiding hand at the wheel. He was down below tidying up -the sub's cabin, when he found an automatic cigarette-lighter that -Stickleton had mislaid. Anxious to get into his superior officer's good -books, for the youngster was the bane of Stickleton's existence on -board, the boy ascended the short ladder leading to the cockpit. To his -surprise he found no helmsman. - -Guessing that something was amiss, he hailed the bowman. The latter, -scrambling aft, steadied the vessel on her helm, at the same time -ordering the motors to be eased down. He was convinced that Stickleton -had been jerked overboard and was swimming for dear life a couple of -miles astern. - -By this time the _Calder_ bore almost due west, at a distance of six sea -miles, for the patrol-boat had described a complete semicircle. For -some time the boat searched in vain for her missing skipper, until the -coxswain suggested returning to Yarmouth to report the casualty. - -"Better get back to the destroyer, George," counselled another of the -crew. "Maybe they've got our skipper. Anyway, there'll be no harm -done." - -Somewhat diffidently, George up-helmed and ordered full speed ahead. -He, like the rest of the crew, was, before the war, a paid hand in a -racing yacht; keen, alert, and a thorough seaman, but unused to a -powerfully-engined boat. Ask him to bring a sailing-boat alongside in -half a gale of wind, he would have complied with the utmost skill, -luffing at the exact moment and allowing the craft to lose way with her -canvas slatting in the breeze without the loss of a square inch of -paint. Bringing a "match-box crammed chock-a-block with machinery" -alongside was a totally different matter; but, as it had to be done, -George clenched his teeth and gripped the spokes of the wheel, -determined to die like a true Briton. - -The patrol-boat had covered but half of the distance back to the -_Calder_ when she almost leapt clear of the water. The two deck-hands -for'ard were thrown flat, and, sliding over the slippery planks, brought -up against the low stanchion rails. A slight shock, barely perceptible -above the pulsations of the motors, and the little packet dipped her -nose under to the water, shook herself clear, and resumed her mad pelt. - -"What's up, George?" sang out the mate. - -"Dunno," replied the coxswain. "Guess we've bumped agen' summat." - -Then, the dread possibility that he had run dawn his own skipper -entering his mind, he decided to return and investigate. - -Having had but little experience in the use of the reversing-gear, -George slammed the lever hard-to. With a sickening jerk, as if the -little craft were parting amidships, the patrol-boat stopped and -gathered sternway. A minute later she backed over a large and -ever-increasing pool of iridescent oil, through which air-bubbles were -forcing their way. - -"By Jupiter!" exclaimed one of the crew; "blest if we haven't rammed a -strafed U boat." - -The man had spoken truly. A German submarine, acting independently of -the raiding-squadron, had sighted the _Calder_, hove-to, at a distance -of three miles. Unaware of the presence of the patrol-boat--and the -sight of a patrol-boat or a trawler usually gives the German -unterseebooten a bad attack of the blues--her kapitan had taken a -preliminary bearing prior to submerging in order to get within effective -torpedo range. Having judged himself to have gained the required -position, the Hun ordered the boat to be again brought to the surface. - -At the critical moment he heard the thud of the propellers of the -swiftly-moving patrol-boat. He attempted to dive, but too late. The -sharp steel stem of the little craft, moving through the water at the -rate of a railway train, nicked the top of the U boat's conning-tower -sufficiently to penetrate the plating. Before steps could be taken to -stop the inrush of water the U boat was doomed. Sinking slowly to the -bottom, she filled, the heavy oil from her motors finding its way to the -surface in an aureole of iridescent colours to mark her last -resting-place. - -George, seaman first, and fighting-man next, gave little thought to his -involuntary act. The safety of his temporary command came foremost. - -"Nip down below and see if she's started a seam," he ordered. - -The men, who had been ejected from their quarters by the concussion, -hurried to the fore-peak. As they opened the cuddy-hatch the half-dozen -terrified German prisoners made a wild scramble to gain the deck. - -"Who told you blighters to come out?" shouted George, and, abandoning -the wheel, he rushed forward, seized the foremost Hun by the scruff of -the neck and hurled him violently against the next man. The floor of -the fore-peak was covered with a squirming heap of now thoroughly cowed -Huns, to whom the apparition of the stalwart, angry Englishman was more -to be dreaded than being shaken like peas in a pod in the dark recesses -of their temporary prison quarter. - -"Is she making anything?" enquired George anxiously, as he returned to -take charge of the helm. - -"Hardly a trickle," was the reassuring reply. "Whack her up, mate." - -The coxwain proceeded to order full speed ahead, and the little craft -tore back to the _Calder_ in order that the news of her skipper's -disappearance might be reported. - -To the surprise of the patrol-boat's crew they discovered their sub, -arrayed in borrowed garments, standing aft and motioning to the boat to -come alongside. - -It was easier said than done. The coxwain's faith in his capabilities -was weak, notwithstanding his resolution. At the first shot he carried -too much way, reversing engines when the little craft was fifty yards -ahead of the destroyer. The second attempt found him a like distance -short, with no way on the boat. At the third he dexterously caught a -coil of rope hurled from the _Calder_, and succeeded in hauling -alongside. - -"We've just rammed a submarine, sir," reported the coxwain, saluting, -delivering the information in a matter-of-fact manner, as if destroying -enemy craft in this fashion were an everyday occurrence. - -Sub-lieutenant Stickleton having regained his command, the motor-boat -piloted the _Calder_ to the scene of her exploit. A diver descended in -nine fathoms, and quickly telephoned the confirmatory information that a -U boat was lying with a list to starboard on the sand, with a rent in -her conning-tower--the indirect result of the involuntary bathe of -Sub-lieutenant Stickleton, R.N.R. - - - - -CHAPTER V--Sefton to the Rescue - - -"A tug and a couple of lighters bearing down, sir," reported the -_Calder's_ look-out before the diver had reappeared from his errand of -investigation. - -Approaching at the modest rate of 7 knots was a paddle-wheel steamer -towing two unwieldy craft resembling overgrown canal barges. - -The tide was now well on the flood. It wanted about a couple of hours -to high water, and, since the falling glass and clear visibility of -distant objects betokened the approach of bad weather, urgent steps -would have to be taken speedily to extricate the captured submarine from -the embraces of the sand-bank. - -The examination of the prize by her captors was now practically -complete. The U boat was one of a new type, and had left Wilhelmshaven -on her maiden trip forty-eight hours previously. She had either lost -her bearings or had purposely approached shoal water. Anyhow she had -been neatly strafed before she had had time to do much mischief. - -Already the _Calder's_ crew had taken steps to assist the salvage people -in the task of floating the prize. The hatchways, with the exception of -that of the conning-tower, had been hermetically closed, and the -watertight doors in the for'ard bulkhead shut and shored up to withstand -the pressure of water in the holed fore-peak. - -By the time the lighters were made fast, one on either side of the -submarine, the level of the water was up to within fifteen inches of the -conning-tower hatchway. Quickly hoses, connected to Downton pumps, were -led from the lighters to the water-ballast tanks of the submarine, since -it had been found impossible to "start" the ballast by means of hand -pumps. - -It was a race against time and tide. The mechanical appliances won, and -soon the _Calder's_ officers and crew had the satisfaction of seeing the -submarine's deck appear close to the surface. - -She still had a pronounced "dip", the flooded for'ard compartment -tending to depress her bow; but, supported by the two lighters, she was -prevented from sinking. Then, taken in tow by the tug, the prize, with -her cumbersome attendants, waddled slowly for Harwich. - -Her part in this supplementary business ended, the _Calder_ slipped off -at full speed to the position where the _Dimpled Lassie_ and the _Carse -o' Gowrie_ still held a resolute grip on the recovered cable. - -As Skipper M'Kie had surmised, neither of the trawlers had been molested -by the German battle-cruisers or destroyers. Carried away by their -frantic desire to make a display of frightfulness upon an unprotected -English watering-place they had totally ignored the seemingly innocuous -cable-grappling craft. - -"It will blow like billy-oh before morning," remarked Lieutenant -Crosthwaite to his subordinate. "I'm going to tell them to buoy and slip -the cable. We've done very well, I think. You might make an -observation; I'll take another, and we'll check our calculations. I'll -guarantee we won't have much trouble in fishing up the cable next time." - -Crosthwaite's orders to the skippers of the trawlers were smartly -carried out, and the cable, left with its position marked by a green -wreck-buoy, a sufficient guarantee against detrimental examination by -curious fishermen. Before sunset the _Calder_ and her two charges were -snug in Lowestoft harbour, the crews being cautioned against the risk of -letting fall any hint concerning their recent work--an injunction that -they loyally carried out. - -It was three days before the gale blew itself out. During that period -events had been moving rapidly. And here one of the few advantages of -being on particular service became apparent. Had not the _Calder_ been -detailed for escort duties to the cable-grappling trawlers the chances -were that she would be plugging against heavy green seas, while those of -her crew not on duty on deck would be existing under battened hatches. -Instead, the destroyer was lying snugly berthed in a harbour, and her -crew were able to enjoy brief spells of liberty ashore. - -The next step was to locate the shore end of the cable. This work -required particular skill and discretion, since the German operator -would certainly be on the alert for the first suspicious movement. - -Scotland Yard detectives, disguised as fishermen and longshoremen, -eventually succeeded in tracing the source of the leakage of -information. The temporary cable had been brought ashore nearly four -miles from the original landing-place of the severed line, and led to a -wooden hut on the edge of the sandy cliffs. - -For the present, all that was required to be done in that direction was -performed. The Admiralty had decided to let the cable turn the tables -upon the Huns, and, until the time was ripe, the spy could telegraph -without interruption, but unwittingly he was digging a pit for himself -from which no escape was possible. - -It was well into the third week in May when the _Calder_ received orders -to proceed to Rosyth, replenish stores and oil-fuel, and rejoin her -flotilla. The news was hailed with delight, since it was possible that -many of the officers and crew would be able to proceed on leave. - -Another week passed. Information had reached the Commander-in-Chief of -a certain amount of German activity in the North Sea. Something had to -be done to attract the attention of the German populace from the series -of rebuffs experienced by the Huns before Verdun. Exaggerated reports -concerning the prowess of the German High Seas Fleet, coupled with news -of spasmodic raids upon the British coast, helped to foster the -ill-founded belief of the Huns in the invincibility of their navy, -while, to keep up the deceit, Admiral von Scheer took his ships out for -various discreet cruises off the Danish coast, where there was ever a -possibility of making a quick run back under the guns and behind the -minefields of Heligoland. - -On the 29th May orders were issued for the First and Second Battle -Squadrons and the Second Battle-Cruiser Squadron to proceed to a certain -rendezvous in order to carry out target practice. The instructions were -issued through the usual channels, with the almost certain knowledge -that the information would leak out. The Commander-in-Chief's -anticipation proved to be correct, for within three hours of the issuing -of the order the news was transmitted to Germany by means of the tapped -cable. - -It was not the Admiral's intention to carry out target practice. -Instead, the whole of the Grand Fleet put to sea from its various bases, -ostensibly for the neighbourhood of the Orkneys, but in reality for a -far more important objective. - -At 1 a.m. on the 31st the authorities raided the isolated hut on the -Norfolk coast, captured the German telegraph operator in the act of -communicating with Borkum, and hurried him away under close arrest. He -had played his part as far as the British interests were concerned, -since he had informed the German Admiralty of the supposed rendezvous of -Jellicoe's fleet. - -"Do you think there's something in the wind, sir?" asked Sefton, as the -_Calder_, in station with the rest of her flotilla, was slipping along -at 18 knots. - -Crosthwaite smiled enigmatically. He knew as much as captains of ships -were supposed to know, which wasn't very much, but more than their -subordinates were told. - -"Patience!" he replied. "Can't say more at present. You might see how -repairs to that 4-inch gun are progressing." - -Sefton descended the bridge ladder and made his way aft. Slight defects -in the mounting of the stern-chaser quick-firer had appeared almost as -soon as the destroyer left the Firth of Forth, and the armourer's crew -were hard at work rectifying the damage. - -Gripping the stanchion rail surrounding the gun platform, for the -_Calder_ was rolling considerably in the "wash" of her preceding -consorts, and exposed to a stiff beam wind, the sub watched the -operation. He had no need to ask any questions; there was little about -the mechanism of a 4-inch and its mountings that he did not know. He -could see that the repairs were almost completed, only a few finishing -touches requiring to be done. - -"Man overboard!" - -The sub rushed to the side just in time to see the outstretched arms of -a bluejacket emerging from the following wave of the swiftly moving -craft. It was indeed fortunate that the man was still alive, not only -had he escaped having his back broken on striking the water, but he had -missed the rapidly revolving starboard propeller. Clad in a "duffel" -suit and wearing sea-boots, his position was precarious in the extreme. - -Without hesitation Sefton made a flying leap over the guard-rails. Once -clear of the side he drew up his legs and hunched his shoulders, -striking the water with tremendous force. Well it was that he had taken -this precaution instead of making a dive in the ordinary sense of the -word, for, carried onward at the rate of a mile every three minutes, he -ran a serious risk of dislocated limbs or a broken back had he not -rolled himself into the nearest resemblance to a ball. - -[Illustration: "WITHOUT HESITATION SEFTON MADE A FLYING LEAP OVER THE -GUARD RAILS"] - -He sank deeply, and was swept irresistibly by the back-wash; it seemed -as if he were fathoms down. Before he emerged he could distinctly hear -the whirr of the triple propellers. Rising to the surface he refilled -his lungs with the salt-laden air, for the concussion had wellnigh -deprived him of breath. Then he gave a hurried glance around him. - -The _Calder_ was already a couple of cables' lengths away, while the -destroyer next astern was almost on top of him. As she swept by, a -lifebuoy was hurled towards the sub, luckily missing him by a bare yard. - -The second and last destroyer astern saw the swimmer, and by porting -helm avoided him easily, and saved him from the great discomfort of -being flung about in her wake like a pea in a saucepan of boiling water. -Without making any attempt to slow down and send a boat, the destroyer -flotilla held on. - -Sefton soon realized the necessity for this apparently inexplicable act. -It was impossible without grave risk to the flotilla to break up the -formation, while the danger was still further increased by the fact that -the First Cruiser Squadron was pelting along somewhere three or four -miles astern, and these vessels, being of a considerable tonnage, -carried a tremendous amount of way. Above all, it was war-time, and -individuals do not count when greater issues are at stake. - -Presently the sub descried the head and shoulders of the missing man as -he rose on the crest of the broken waves. He, too, had succeeded in -reaching a lifebuoy thrown by the nearmost destroyer. Short as had been -the time between the man's tumble overboard and Sefton's deliberate -leap, owing to the speed of the flotilla nearly a quarter of a mile -separated the would-be rescuer from the object of his gallant attempt. - -"No use hanging on here," thought Sefton, as he clung to the buoy. -"Must get to the man somehow." - -Then it was that he realized that he had gone overboard in a thick pilot -coat and india-rubber sea-boots. These he sacrificed regretfully, since -there was no chance of replenishing his kit until the _Calder_ returned -to port--that is, if he had the good fortune to survive his adventure -"in the ditch". The operation of discarding the boots gave him a -tussle, during which he swallowed more salt water than desirable; then, -relaxing his grip on the lifebuoy, Sefton struck out towards the man. - -The sub was a good swimmer. At Dartmouth he had been "runner-up" for -the 440 yards championship, but now he realized the vast difference -between swimming that length in regulation costume and an equal distance -almost fully clothed in the choppy North Sea. - -By the time the sub came within hailing distance of the seaman his limbs -felt as heavy as lead, while, do what he would, he was unable to raise -his voice above a whisper, much less "assure the drowning man in a loud, -firm voice that he is safe", according to the official regulations. -Sefton was by no means certain that he himself was in anything but a -most precarious position. - -Sefton found that the man he had risked his life to save was not half so -exhausted as he was. The seaman had come off lightly in his fall, and -he had had no occasion to tire himself with a long swim to the lifebuoy, -since the crew of the passing destroyer had all but brained him with the -cork "Kisbie". - -The A.B. regarded his rescuer with a look that betokened pained -disapproval. He was one of those men who are ever "up against -discipline". To him the gold band and curl on a uniform meant something -more than authority: it roused a spirit of sullen aggression. - -And yet Thomas Brown had joined the Royal Navy with the best intentions. -Fate, in the shape of a short-tempered recruiting-officer, had marred -his career from the very start; for, on joining the training-school at -Shotley, one of the questions asked of him was the name of his -birthplace. - -"Ashby-de-la-Zouch, sir," replied young Brown, giving the name with the -accepted Leicestershire accent. - -"Where did you say?" enquired the lieutenant. - -The recruit repeated the words. - -"Zoo, did you say?" snapped the officer. - -"Yes, sir," rejoined Thomas Brown without a moment's hesitation. "The -next cage to yours." - -The repartee came absolutely on the spur of the moment. A second's -reflection might have made all the difference. It was a bad start, and -the newly-entered boy suffered for it. That was some years ago, but in -the Royal Navy the old adage of giving a dog a bad name holds good -longer than anywhere else. - -Sefton recognized the man as one who figured frequently in the -"Captain's Report". Young as he was, the sub had a keen insight into -human nature, and although he knew nothing of the first slip that had -marred the A.B.'s career he was certain that there were good points in -the man, and that underneath his rugged, surly exterior there was -something of true worth. - -"No need for you to tumble into the ditch after me, sir," said the man. -"I can shift for myself." - -He spoke gruffly, but underlying the remonstrance was an unmistakable -tone of gratitude. In the circumstances he was glad of company. He -would have welcomed his "raggie", or chum, in preference to an officer, -but at such times the difference of rank gives place to the equality of -human peril. - -"They'll pick us both up," declared Sefton, although in his mind he had -grave doubts as to the matter. - -"Not they," rejoined A.B. Brown, indicating the direction of the now -invisible flotilla with a jerk of his closely-cropped head. "The -cruisers might. But take hold of this, sir," he added, pushing the buoy -to within reach of the sub. "You looks as if you want it a long sight -more'n me." - -Both men relapsed into silence. Further conversation meant a waste of -precious breath. At intervals, as the buoy rose on the billows, Sefton -"hiked" his head and shoulders well clear of the water in the hope of -sighting the armoured-cruiser squadron. - -"They're a precious long time in coming up," he soliloquized. "Seven -minutes ought to have done the trick." - -As a matter of fact, the First Cruiser Squadron had received a wireless -message from the _Calder_ within ninety seconds of Sefton's leap -overboard, requesting the vessels to keep a sharp look-out for the two -men. - -On receipt of the intelligence the armoured cruisers' speed was reduced -to 10 knots, and this accounted for the seemingly endless time that -elapsed before the vessels came within sight of the two well-nigh -exhausted men as they clung to the lifebuoy. - -At length, through the light haze that prevailed throughout the morning, -could be discerned the grey outlines of the First Cruiser Squadron. - -The ships were steaming in double column, line ahead, the _Defence_, -flying the Rear-Admiral's flag, leading the starboard and the _Warrior_ -the port line. With faultless precision they came on, three cables' -distance separating the units of each division, and twice that interval -betwixt the columns. - -"They've spotted us, sir," exclaimed Able Seaman Brown, as the -alteration of position of the red flag and green cone displayed from the -cruiser's mainmast yard-arm told the two men that the _Warrior's_ helm -was being ported. Simultaneously the "steaming cones" were reversed, -showing that the ship's engines were going astern--a manoeuvre followed -by the rest of the squadron. - -Almost before way was taken off the ship the _Warrior's_ sea-boat was -rapidly lowered from the davits. Sefton could hear the dull thud of the -lower blocks as the releasing-gear came into action and the falls surged -against the ship's side, and the treble-voiced midshipman urging his -boat's crew to "give way there, my lads, for all you're worth." - -Although only a minute and a half elapsed between the time the sea-boat -got away from the ship and her arrival at the scene of the rescue, the -interval seemed interminable to Sub-lieutenant Sefton. - -With feelings of indescribable relief he realized that he was being -gripped by two pairs of horny powerful hands and lifted over the dipping -gunwale into the stern-sheets, while others performed a like office for -the saturated A.B. - -Smartly the sea-boat was brought alongside the cruiser. Deftly the -hoisting-gear was engaged, and with a hundred-and-twenty men tailing on -the falls the boat and her occupants were whisked up to a level with the -vessel's quarter-deck. - -And thus Acting Sub-lieutenant John Sefton found himself on board H.M.S. -_Warrior_, in blissful ignorance of the gallant part the armoured -cruiser was about to bear in the glorious battle off the Jutland Bank. - - - - -CHAPTER VI--Action at the Double - - -The ship upon which Sefton found himself as an unauthorized -supernumerary was an armoured cruiser of 13,550 tons, built and -completed at Pembroke nine years previously. She was one of a class of -four that marked a new departure in naval architecture--each of her guns -being mounted singly and in a separate turret. At the time when she was -laid down she was considered one of the heaviest armed cruisers of her -day, mounting six 9.2-inch and four 7.5-inch guns. Of these, three -9.2's could be made to fire ahead, and a similar number astern, while on -either broadside she could deliver a formidable salvo from four of the -guns of heavier calibre and two of the 7.5's. With the exception of the -following year's programme of the _Minotaur_ class, the _Warrior_ and -her sister ships were the last armoured cruisers laid down by the -British Admiralty, the all-big-gun battle-cruisers simply outclassing at -one swoop the armoured cruisers of the world's navies. - -Nevertheless the _Warrior_ was still a powerful unit, and calculated to -be more than a match for any German vessel of her size. Her designed -speed of a fraction over 22 knots--a rate that when necessity arose -could be exceeded--enabled her with the rest of her class to form a -valuable, hard-hitting auxiliary to the vessels of the battle-cruiser -squadrons. - -While Sefton was being kitted out by an obliging brother sub-lieutenant, -a wireless message had been sent to the _Calder_ announcing the safety -of her sub-lieutenant and A.B. Brown. - -Crosthwaite received the gratifying intelligence with undisguised -delight. His feelings were shared by the whole of the ship's company, -for, almost without exception, the destroyer's officers were voted a -"sound lot", and the possibility of Sefton's death in a gallant attempt -at the rescue of a lower-deck man had thrown a gloom over the ship. - -As for the lieutenant-commander, his relief and gratitude to Providence -knew no bounds. Between Sefton's leap overboard and the receipt of the -_Warrior's_ message he had passed through a distressing time. Apart -from his personal regard for the sub, with whom he had shared adventures -and perils in the Near East, the fact that he had been compelled to -abandon Sefton to the vagaries of fate hit him hard. He was even -doubtful whether, with the possibilities of hostile submarines cruising -around, the armoured cruisers would risk slowing down to rescue two men -and at the same time present a splendid target for German torpedoes. -However, the deed of rescue was accomplished, and the next step to -consider was how to get Sefton and the A.B. back on the destroyer. The -former's presence was desirable, in fact essential. - -In answer to the _Calder's_ lieutenant-commander's request, whether it -would be possible for Sefton to be sent back to the destroyer, the -rescuing ship replied that, should opportunity occur, the _Calder_ could -close, but that, in view of present conditions, such a step was most -unlikely. - -"So you'll jolly well have to make yourself at home here, old bird," -remarked one of the _Warrior's_ sub-lieutenants, who as a youngster had -passed out of Dartmouth at the same time as Sefton. "Suppose the trip -will do you good. Sort of marine excursion out and home, don't you -know. Nothin' doin', and never a sign of a Hun, unless it be a -'tin-fish' or two." - -The _Warrior's_ sub voiced the opinion of the rest of the gun-room. He -was president of the mess and a mild autocrat over the "small fry", and -generally voted a rattling good sort by the handful of midshipmen, many -of whom, alas! were to yield up their lives in undying fame before many -hours were past. - -Yet, although the whole of the personnel of the Grand Fleet were as keen -as mustard to meet the Huns, frequent and almost unvarying -disappointment had been their lot. Over and over again Beatty's -squadron had swept the North Sea without coming in contact with the -enemy, until it was the general conclusion that, until the High Seas -Fleet was actually sighted, it was of no use speculating upon the -chances of the "big scrap". - -And now, on the memorable morning of Wednesday, the 31st May, the First -and Second Battle-cruiser Squadron, three light-cruiser squadrons, with -attendant destroyers, were ploughing eastward across the North Sea, with -the knowledge that the hard-hitting Battle Fleet, together with a -formidable array of cruisers and destroyers, was some distance to the -nor'ard, ready, at the first wireless call, to complete the toils thrown -around the German fleet should the latter, lured into a sense of false -security, dare to leave the mine-fields of Heligoland. - -Shortly after noon the wind dropped and the water became almost calm, -save for the undulations caused by the swiftly-moving squadron. Overhead -the sun shone faintly through a thick haze, which for hours hung about -with irritating persistence. - -Sefton had just commenced a game of draughts with some of the officers -who were off duty, when a messenger entered the gun-room and handed a -"chit" to the senior sub. Not until the man had gone did the young -officer break the momentous news to the others, apologizing as if the -information might unduly raise their hopes. - -"I don't want to be too cock-sure, you fellows," he announced. "Looks -as if they're out this time, but----" - -"I vote we go on deck," suggested a midshipman. - -"And see the whole of the German fleet," added a junior watchkeeper -facetiously. - -"Anyhow, there's 'General Quarters'," retorted the middy daringly as a -bugle rang out, the call being quickly repeated in various parts of the -ship, "Look alive, you fellows." - -"Stick to me, Sefton," said the senior sub, snatching his telescope from -a rack and making a bolt for the door. "If there's anything to be seen -of the scrap you'll have a good chance with me. I'm fire-control, don't -you know." - -Jack Sefton nodded his head in acquiescence. He was sorry that he was -not on board the _Calder_, since there was a greater possibility of the -destroyer flotillas dashing in to complete the work of the -battle-cruisers than of the armoured cruisers getting within range. - -Gaining the quarter-deck, the _Calder's_ sub heard the unmistakable -baritone hum of an aerial propeller. Overhead, at a low altitude of -less than a thousand feet, a sea-plane was flying in a northeasterly -direction. By the markings on her planes and fuselage--concentric red, -white, and blue circles--Sefton recognized her as a British one. It -afterwards transpired that Sir David Beatty had ordered the _Engadine_ -to send up a sea-plane for reconnaissance work, and that wireless -reports were received from the daring airmen that they had sighted four -hostile light cruisers. The latter opened a hot fire with every -quick-firer they could get to bear upon the indomitable sea-plane, the -range being less than 3000 yards, but in spite of the hail of shrapnel -the airmen gained their desired information and returned to their parent -ship. - -On board the _Warrior_, as was the case with the rest of her consorts, -hands were hard at work clearing ship for action. Already the masts and -shrouds had been "frapped", or protected, by means of wire cables -wrapped round the spars and interlaced between the standing-rigging. -"A" and "B" water-tight doors were closed, armoured hatchways battened -down, and hoses led along the decks in order to quell the fire that -would inevitably break out should a hostile shell burst inside the -armoured belt. Stanchions, cowls, and all gear likely to interfere with -the training of the guns were unshipped and stowed, tons of His -Majesty's property were jettisoned, the danger of their remaining on -board being more than sufficient reason for their sacrifice. - -Inside the turrets, tubs of water were provided to slake the burning -thirst of the guns' crews, for experience had proved that the acute -mental and physical strain, coupled with the acrid fumes that drift into -the confined steel spaces, produces an intense dryness of the mouth and -throat. Behind the armoured protection, stretcher-bearers and -fire-parties were preparing for their stern work. - -Down below, far beneath the water-line, the fleet surgeon and his staff -were getting ready for their grim yet humane tasks. Operations have to -be performed under great disadvantages, the complexity of wounds caused -by modern shells adding to the difficulties under which the medical -staff labours. Contrast an operation in a well-ordered hospital on -shore--where perfect quietude reigns and everything is conducive to -success--with the conditions on board a war-ship in action. The -indifferent light, for the electric lamps are quivering under the -vibration of the guns; the deafening concussion overhead as the ship -gives and receives punishment; the jerky motion of the vessel as she -twists and turns to the rapid movements of the helm and quivers under -the titanic blows of hostile shells; and the probability of the ship's -bottom being shattered like an egg-shell by a powerful torpedo--all -these form but a part of the disadvantages under which the naval medical -staff labour during the progress of an action. - -Literally imprisoned below the armoured deck, the grimy stokers were -preparing for the coming ordeal. Hidden from the rest of the ship's -company, they toiled like Trojans in order to raise such a terrific head -of steam as would make the cruiser "foot it" at a speed far in excess of -her nominal 22.33 knots. In action the lot of the "black squad" is -perhaps the worst on board. Knowing nothing of what is going on, they -have to work in a confined, heated steel box, shovelling coals with a -dexterity that is the outcome of months of strenuous training. Besides -the risk of torpedoes and shells there is ever the danger of the boilers -giving way under the pressure of steam, with the inevitable result--a -horrible death in a pitch-black stokehold filled with scalding steam. -And yet, for easygoing joviality and good comradeship the naval stoker -is hard to beat. He will face discomforts with a smiling face and a -cheerful heart. He will be ready to risk his life for his chum--or on -the altar of duty. - -These thoughts flashed through Sefton's mind as he watched the rapid and -methodical preparation of clearing ship for action. For once the sub -realized that he was a mere spectator--a sort of pariah, dumped from a -comparatively insignificant destroyer upon a cruiser mustering a -complement of over 700 officers and men. He was aware of the fact that -he was a "deadhead"--an individual having no right to take part in the -forthcoming contest. The inaction seemed the worst part of the business -as far as he was concerned. - -Presently Sefton's thoughts were interrupted by the shrill, -long-drawn-out trills of the bos'n's mates' pipes summoning the ship's -company to muster on the quarter-deck. At the double the men romped -aft--every seaman, marine, stoker, and "idler" not actually prevented by -pressure of duty elsewhere. - -Since the captain could not quit the fore-bridge the assembled ship's -company was addressed by the commander. In crisp sentences of simple -brevity he explained to the men the position of affairs. At length a -big action was in progress, he announced, for a wireless message had -just come in to the effect that the battle-cruisers were already -engaging the enemy at 18,000 yards--a distance of nearly 11 land miles. -More than that, the German Battle Squadron was coming from the nor'ard, -and there was a grave possibility of the British battle-cruisers being -engaged between the enemy battleships and their battle-cruisers. In -which case, the commander hastened to explain, losses would doubtless be -severe; but it was part of the Commander-in-Chief's plan to risk certain -of his battle-cruisers in order to cut off and detain the German fleet -until the British Main Battle Squadrons got between the enemy and their -bases. - -"I do not expect that we shall go into action just at present," -concluded the commander, "but should events shape themselves all right -we'll be in the thick of it before long. And I have not the faintest -hesitation in expressing my firm belief that every man jack of us will -do his duty to King and country, and uphold the traditions of H.M.S. -_Warrior_." - -With that the men were dismissed, and, all preparations having been -made, they were at liberty until the "Action Stations" sounded. That -interval was perhaps the most trying of all. Many of the ship's company -were going into action for the first time. The majority were laughing -and cutting jokes; some could be seen with grey, anxious faces as they -thought of their dear ones at home; but amongst the whole complement -there was not the faintest trace of faint-heartedness. From the captain -down to the youngest "first-class" boy the same sentiment held sway: -that the _Warrior_ would be able to acquit herself with glory and with -honour. - -Through the sultry air could be faintly heard the distant and constant -rumble of heavy gun-firing. The naval action was developing, although -the engaged portions of the rival fleets were fifty or sixty miles away. -The subdued noise made a fitting accompaniment to the stirring words of -the commander. - -Sefton, still remaining on the quarter-deck, could not help admiring the -steadiness with which the cruisers kept station. From time to time -hoists of bunting fluttered to the yard-arm of the flagship _Defence_, -the orders they expressed being carried out with the utmost celerity and -precision. - -A lieutenant descending from the after-bridge passed along the -quarter-deck towards the companion on the half-deck. - -"You're out of it, Sefton, I'm afraid," he remarked. "We've just had -another wireless. Our destroyers are giving the Huns socks. The old -_Calder_ is in the thick of it." - -"Any losses?" asked Sefton, feeling ready to kick himself for being out -of the scrap. - -"Don't know yet," was the reply. "I only----" - -The lieutenant's words were interrupted by the blare of a bugle. -Turning on his heels he rushed forward at top speed, for at last the -rousing order "Action at the Double" was given. - -In an instant all was a scene of "orderly confusion", each man running -with a set purpose. For the most part the crew were stripped to the -waist--a crowd of muscular-armed, deep-chested, clean-shaven men in the -very pink of condition. Still exchanging banter, they disappeared to -their battle-stations, eager and alert to let loose a hail of shell upon -the first hostile vessel that came within range. - -"Come along, old man," exclaimed the young sub who had previously -"cottoned on" to Jack Sefton. "Now's your chance if you want to see the -fun." - -The two junior officers made their way for'ard, past the starboard guns -in their isolated and closely-sealed steel turrets, until they reached -the foremast. - -"Up with you," said Sefton's companion laconically. - -Sefton agilely ascended to the dizzy perch known as the fire-control -platform. The other sub followed quickly at his heels, squeezed through -the narrow aperture in the floor of the enclosed space, and slammed to -the metal hinged cover. - -"At last!" he exclaimed gleefully. - -Sefton only nodded in complete accord. A clock on the after side of the -steel wall indicated 5.45. A glance to the deck a hundred feet below -showed no sign of life. There was nothing to show that confined within -that double-wedge-shaped hull were close upon seven hundred human -beings, all with one set purpose, as the thirteen thousand tons of -dead-weight forged ahead at full speed towards a distant blurr just -visible through the ever-varying haze. - -Suddenly the _Defence_ opened fire with her for'ard pair of 9.2's, -quickly following with her 7.5's. The ball had opened. - -"Fifteen eight hundred, sir," reported one of the range-finding officers -within Sefton's hearing. - -Rapidly yet smoothly the _Warrior's_ bow guns rose until Sefton could -see their muzzles showing like oval-shaped cavities against the -dull-grey painted chases. For a second or two only the weapons hung -seemingly irresolute. - -Then with a concussion that shook the ship the guns sent their missiles -hurtling through the air, while clouds of acrid-smelling smoke, black, -white, and brown in hue, drifted rapidly across the deck. - -At last the _Warrior_ had her chance--and she was taking it with a -vengeance. - - - - -CHAPTER VII--In the Thick of the Fight - - -Leaving Sub-lieutenant Jack Sefton on his elevated perch in the -fire-control station, it will be necessary to follow the fortunes of the -vessel from which he had in theory deserted--the destroyer _Calder_. - -Like the rest of the flotillas, the _Calder_ had cleared for action -shortly after noon. Hers was a far different part from that of the -_Warrior_. There was practically no protection for her guns' crew and -for the men serving the torpedo-tubes. Her conning-tower afforded -shelter only from slivers of steel and the bursting shrapnel; it was -vulnerable to large projectiles. Relying solely on her speed and -quickness of helm, the destroyer's mission was to dart in towards the -enemy lines and get in as many hits with her torpedoes as possible. -Then, if fortunate enough to escape a direct hit from the German guns, -she would have to scurry back to the shelter of the battle-cruisers, and -await another opportunity to make a further torpedo attack upon the -enemy. - -At 3.30 p.m. Beatty's command increased speed to 25 knots, the Second -Battle-cruiser Squadron forming astern of the First, while a far-flung -line of destroyers took up station ahead. The course was now E.S.E., -slightly converging upon the enemy, whose ships, looming with varying -degrees of visibility through the haze, were now at a distance of a -little more than ten sea miles. - -Half that distance away the Fifth Battle Squadron, including the -gigantic _Warspite_, was bearing N.N.W., with the object of supporting -the battle-cruisers when occasion arose. - -It was a proud moment for the gallant Beatty when he realized that now -he was between the enemy battle-cruisers and their North Sea bases; -while there was an ever-increasing possibility that Jellicoe's main -fleet would speedily be in a position to cut off the German battleships -from their retreat through the Skager-Rack to Kiel. Yet at the same -time the odds against Beatty were bordering upon the enormous. His duty -was to engage, entice, and hold the enemy in a northerly direction -without being overwhelmed by superior force. Even at the risk of losing -some of his best ships he had to engage the attention of the enemy, lure -them into the belief that at last the British battle-cruisers had run -into a trap, and hammer away until the Commander-in-Chief arrived upon -the scene with a vastly superior fleet. - -At a quarter to five the opposing forces opened fire simultaneously at a -range of 20,000 yards. The _Calder_ was keeping station broad on the -beam of the _Queen Mary_, and warding off threatened submarine attacks, -for the time was not yet ripe for the destroyers to hurl themselves -against the battered hostile ships. - -"By Jove, this is going to be 'some' scrap," muttered Crosthwaite, as a -regular tornado of heavy shells "straddled" the leading battle-cruisers. - -At first the German gunnery was excellent, several direct hits being -received by the British battle-cruisers, but in a few moments the -steady, rapid, methodical salvoes from the British 13.5's began to make -themselves felt. Between the patches of haze, rent by the lurid flashes -of the guns, could be descried the greenish-grey outlines of the hostile -vessels fast being reduced to scrap-iron. For the time being all seemed -well with the British battle-cruisers, whose volume of fire was still -being delivered with that terrible regularity which the Huns have good -cause to dread. - -Suddenly the huge _Indefatigible_ was destroyed; a gallant -battle-cruiser of nearly 19,000 tons had paid the price of Admiralty. - -In previous naval battles such an appalling catastrophe as the blowing -up of a mighty ship has caused the two fleets spontaneously to cease -fire for a period of some minutes; but in the Jutland fight, regardless -of the fate of the battle-cruiser, the rest of the squadron redoubled -their efforts. Not for one second did the hellish din cease, as the -death-dealing salvoes hurtled into the opposing ships. To quote the -words of one on board the _Tiger_, it was "a glorified Donnybrook -Fair--whenever you see a head, crack it!" - -Twenty minutes later Crosthwaite saw the _Queen Mary_ sunk. So quickly -did she disappear that the _Tiger_, following astern, passed through the -smoke that marked the grave of the devoted ship. - -Beyond, the _Invincible_, already badly hit, sank, taking with her 750 -gallant officers and men. - -By this time the Fifth Battle Squadron, which had been attached to -Beatty's command, came into action, opening fire at 20,000 yards, and -although the pressure of the enemy's predominance in numbers was -considerably relaxed, the danger was by no means over. For, in the now -thicker haze, the German battle fleet had arrived upon the scene, and -Beatty was literally betwixt two fires. Yet he handled his vessels with -admirable strategical and tactical skill, being convinced, as was every -man under him, that in spite of losses he was succeeding in holding the -Huns. - -Majestically the four great battleships, _Warspite_, _Valiant_, -_Barham_, and _Malaya_, bore into the melee, each of their 15-inch guns -firing with terrible effect. The head of the German column seemed to be -literally crumpled and crushed. A large three-funnelled battleship, -possibly the _Thuringien_, received terrific punishment. Masts, -funnels, turrets, were blown away piecemeal, until, a mass of smoke and -flames, she hauled off line and was quickly screened by the smoke from -some of the German destroyers. Whether she sank--and it seemed as if -she could not do otherwise--Crosthwaite was unable to determine. Other -German vessels, badly damaged, were swung out of position, some of them -on fire and showing a tremendous list. - -At a quarter to five both fleets altered course several points, the -rival lines turning outwards and completely reversing their previous -direction. It was at this juncture that the British destroyers were -ordered to take advantage of the confusion in which the Huns had been -thrown and to launch a torpedo attack upon the battered enemy ships. - -"Now for it," thought Crosthwaite, the glint of battle in his eyes. It -was his chance--a dash in broad daylight against the quick-firers of the -German vessels. Never before in the history of naval warfare had -destroyers been ordered to attack battleships save at night. Everything -depended upon skill in handling, speed, and the turmoil into which the -enemy had been thrown by the terrific gun-fire of the battleships of the -_Queen Elizabeth_ class. - -In four columns line ahead the destroyer flotillas raced off at top -speed. Drawing clear of the cruisers, they turned 8 points to -starboard, a course that would bring them in contact with the enemy -line. Thick clouds of fire-tinged smoke belched from their funnels--not -due to bad stoking but to the deliberate manipulation of the -oil-fuel-fed furnaces, since smoke alone offered any concealment during -the daylight attack. - -With a couple of quartermasters, a signalman, and a messenger to attend -to the voice-tubes, Crosthwaite took up his station within the -conning-tower. All his mental powers were at work, and yet he remained -perfectly cool and collected. Hardly a detail that came under his notice -of that onward rush escaped his recollection. - -For the first few miles the destroyers kept perfect station. Had they -been on peace manoeuvres their relative distances could not have been -better maintained. Through the eddying, ash-laden smoke, Crosthwaite -strained his bloodshot eyes upon the destroyer next ahead, ready at the -first sign to reduce speed or swerve should the little craft be hit or -fall out of line. The possibility of the _Calder_ being "done in" never -occurred to him, once the order had been given to attack. It was always -one of her consorts that might meet with ill-luck, but Crosthwaite's -command--no, never. - -Shells were beginning to ricochet from the water all around the devoted -destroyers; yet, seemingly bearing a charmed life, they held grimly on -their way. - -More than once the sharp crash of a projectile exploding astern caused -the lieutenant-commander to turn his head. Already rents were visible -in the _Calder's_ funnels, through which the smoke poured in long -trailing wisps. By the two tubes the torpedo-men stood rigidly at -attention. Their two deadly weapons had been "launched home" and the -tubes trained ten degrees for'ard of the beam. With his hand upon the -firing-trigger the torpedo coxswain of each end waited, as impassive as -if carved in marble, ready to speed the missile on its way, and -apparently indifferent to the fact that a sliver of steel striking the -deadly warhead would involve the destroyer and her entire crew in -absolute and instantaneous destruction. - -Suddenly the leading destroyer ported helm, turning so swiftly and -listing so excessively that, for the moment, Crosthwaite thought that -she had received a mortal blow. Her alert commander had noticed a -suspicious movement amongst the irregular line of battered German -war-ships, now almost within effective torpedo range. - -Out from behind the screen of battleships tore a German light cruiser -and nearly a score of their ocean-going torpedo-boats. Whether it was -with the intention of intercepting the British destroyers, or whether -about to launch a torpedo attack upon Beatty's battle-cruisers, -Crosthwaite knew not. All he did know was that the rival flotillas were -closing at an aggregate rate of more than a mile a minute, and that the -next few seconds would find the torpedo-craft mixed up in a most unholy -scrap. - -All attempts at formation were now cast to the winds. Interlining, -dodging across each other's bows, the engaging vessels raced madly to -and fro, their quick-firers barking as rapidly as the gunners could -thrust home the cartridges and clang the breech-blocks. So intricate -was the manoeuvring that Crosthwaite saw two German torpedo-boats -collide, and, while in that position, they were raked by a dozen shells -from the _Turbulent_. - -Almost the next instant he was aware that a similar peril threatened the -_Calder_, for a British destroyer, hit in her engine-room, circled -erratically to starboard across her bows. - -Gripping the engine-room telegraph-indicator levers, Crosthwaite rammed -them to full speed astern. It was his only chance, for he could not -pass either across the bows or astern of the crippled destroyer without -certain risk of colliding with others of the flotilla. Then he -waited--perhaps five seconds--in breathless suspense. Thank God, the -_Calder_ began to lose way! It now remained to be seen whether she -would gather sternway before her sharp stem crashed into the other -destroyer amidships. - -Even as he gripped the levers Crosthwaite saw the crew of the crippled -craft's after 4-inch gun slew the weapon round to have a smack at the -German vessel that had hit her so badly. The gun-layer, pressing his -shoulder to the recoil-pad, bent over the sights. The next instant a -hostile shell landed fairly upon the 4-inch quick-firer, bursting with -an ear-splitting detonation. - -When the smoke had drifted away, the gun was no longer visible, only a -few twisted pieces of metal marking the spot where the mounting had -stood. Of the men serving the quick-firer only one remained--the -gun-layer. By the vagaries of explosion he was practically unhurt, -except for being partially stunned by the terrible detonation. For some -minutes he stood stock-still, as if unable to realize that the gun and -his comrades had disappeared; then, making a sudden bound, he leapt into -the sea. Evidently under the impression that the vessel was on the -point of foundering, he had decided to swim for it. - -Well it was for him that the _Calder_ was now almost motionless, -although her propellers were going hard astern. Caught by the backwash -of the revolving screws, he was swept past the side like a cork in a -mountain torrent, until one of the men on the _Calder's_ fore-bridge -threw him a rope. - -As coolly as if mustering for divisions, the rescued gun-layer made his -way aft, and, saluting the gunner, requested to be allowed to assist in -serving the _Calder's_ after 4-inch. - -Out from behind a dense cloud of smoke leapt a German torpedo-boat. Her -commander had spotted the _Calder_ practically without steerage-way, and -had made up his mind to ram, since his own craft was badly hit and could -not keep afloat much longer. - -Quickly Crosthwaite shouted an order. A torpedo leapt from the -_Calder's_ deck and disappeared with a splash beneath the surface. -Anxiously the lieutenant-commander watched the ever-diverging lines that -marked the track of the locomotive weapon. The target was a difficult -one, although the range was but 200 yards. - -The German skipper saw the approaching danger and attempted to port -helm. Crippled in the steam steering-gear, the Hun torpedo-boat was -slow in answering. A column of water leapt 200 feet in the air; by the -time it subsided the hostile craft was no longer in existence, save as a -shattered and torn hull plunging through nineteen fathoms of water to -her ocean bed. - -By this time the German torpedo-craft had had about enough of it. At -least two of them had been sunk by German gun-fire, while another pair, -their upper works reduced to a mass of tangled scrap-iron, had mistaken -each other for foes, with the result that a German destroyer had been -sent to the bottom by a torpedo from her consort. - -Turning back, the battered remnants of the Hun flotilla fled for the -shelter of their battle-cruisers. The path was now clear for the -furtherance of the British destroyers' attack upon the larger vessels of -the hostile fleet; but the difficulties had increased tenfold owing to -the injury of some of the boats, which were compelled to slacken speed -and drop astern. - -Yet undaunted, the black-hulled hornets reformed into some semblance of -order, and, under a galling fire, hurled themselves upon the formidable -array of German battle-cruisers. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII--The "Calder's" Second Scoop - - -Of the mad, desperate, and, above all, glorious race into the gates of a -maritime hell Crosthwaite saw but little beyond his immediate front. -Since the British destroyers were under the fire of projectiles ranging -from 11-inch downwards, it was evident that the _Calder's_ -light-armoured conning-tower would afford little protection, and if it -were hit by a heavy shell the fate of all within would be sealed. So, -standing on the starboard extremity of the bridge, the -lieutenant-commander took his craft into the second phase of the -destroyer attack. - -Up to the present not a single British destroyer had been sunk, although -some had been compelled to retire owing to damage received during their -scrap with the hostile torpedo flotilla; but the good start in this -direction was no longer maintained. - -A large destroyer, subsequently identified as the _Nomad_, was struck by -a huge projectile almost amidships. A rush of scalding steam, followed -by clouds of smoke, announced that the engine-room was wrecked, and that -the vessel was no longer under control. - -Porting helm, the _Calder_ ran past the lee of the crippled destroyer, -the smoke from which undoubtedly saved Crosthwaite's command from severe -punishment. - -For nearly half a mile the _Nomad_ carried way, until she came to a stop -between the lines. The last Crosthwaite saw of her was the destroyer, -still afloat, maintaining a desultory fire, although a stationary target -for an overwhelming number of hostile guns. - -Suddenly Crosthwaite staggered, hurled sideways by an invisible force. -The guard-rail, which he was still gripping, was no longer supported by -the stanchions. Falling heavily upon the bridge, he was within an ace -of dropping overboard when a signalman gripped him by the ankles. - -The lieutenant-commander regained his feet in an instant, barely -conscious of his narrow escape, for a 4-inch shell had passed so close -to him that the windage had capsized him. Crashing aft, the projectile -demolished the short mast supporting the wireless, hurling the fragments -upon the deck. The White Ensign, which had fluttered from this masthead -during the action, had blown against the mounting of the after 4-inch -gun. Although little more than a riddled piece of bunting, it was -secured by one of the men and lashed to the stump of the mast. - -Hardly had the dauntless man completed his self-imposed task when -another shell struck the _Calder_ obliquely on the port bow. -Penetrating the fo'c'sle, it burst with a muffled report, but, instead -of shattering the for'ard part of the destroyer, it emitted dense clouds -of greenish-yellow smoke that eddied through the shattered plating on -the fore-deck and drifted sullenly aft. - -In a second Crosthwaite realized the danger. The shell had been filled -with poisonous gas, and just at the time when the ship was getting -within torpedo-range, and the men had to direct all their energies upon -loosing the 21-inch weapons, the asphyxiating fumes threatened to put -them, at least temporarily, out of action. - -With his hands clasped to his mouth and nostrils Crosthwaite awaited the -noxious vapour, hoping that the head wind caused by the rush of the -destroyer through the water would quickly disperse the poison; but with -horrible persistence the deadly smoke hovered betwixt the various -projections on deck. - -He was conscious of the quartermaster and the others on the bridge -staggering, with their fingers frantically gripping their throats. The -signalman who had previously saved his commanding officer from falling -overboard was writhing in agony, clawing at whatever came to hand, until -in a frenzy he took a flying leap over the side and sank like a stone. - -Left to herself, the _Calder_ began a broad sweep to starboard. As she -did so, the fumes drifted to leeward, yet not before the men standing by -the pair of torpedo-tubes were temporarily overcome by the diabolical -product of German _Kultur_. - -In vain Crosthwaite attempted to rally the men. It was either now or -never, for, unless the torpedoes were fired, the opportunity would be -gone. He tried to shout, but no sound came from his tortured throat. -Between the eddying clouds of steam and smoke he could discern the -torpedo-men moving like stupefied bees. - -With an effort the lieutenant-commander regained his voice. He turned -to the quartermaster, who, although still gasping for breath, had come -through the terrible ordeal with comparatively slight ill-effects. - -"Keep her steady on her helm," exclaimed Crosthwaite, and, literally -tumbling down the bridge ladder, he made his way aft to the -torpedo-tubes. - -Pushing aside two victims of the poison-gas, one of them the L.T.O., who -lay athwart the racer, the lieutenant-commander gripped the -training-wheel and slewed the pair of tubes until they were nearly broad -on the beam. At 2000 yards distance three large battle-cruisers -over-lapped, presenting a target nearly 1800 feet in length. To miss -such an objective seemed almost impossible. - -With a wrench Crosthwaite dropped the firing-lever of the right-hand -tube. Through the thin haze that emerged from the metal cylinder, he -caught a glimpse of the gleaming, steel, cigar-shaped missile as it -leapt clear and disappeared with a mighty splash beneath the water. -Then, changing over to the left-hand tube, he sent the second weapon on -its errand of destruction. - -A sudden and a totally unexpected swerve of the ship prevented -Crosthwaite from observing the result of his single-handed efforts. -Instinctively he realized that his presence was again required on the -bridge. As he hastened for'ard he almost collided with Surgeon -Stirling, who, in his shirt-sleeves, had come up from below to aid the -sufferers. - -Seeing Crosthwaite stagger along with his features contorted and his -complexion showing a sickly yellow in spite of the tan, the doctor -hurried after him. - -"Not this time, Doc," protested the lieutenant-commander with a wan -smile, as he lurched forward. His brain was whirling under the strain of -the awful ordeal, yet he was dimly conscious that something was amiss, -and that at all costs he must return to his post. - -He was barely in time. The quartermaster was huddled in a heap at the -base of the steam steering-gear column with a ghastly wound in his -thigh. The destroyer, left to her own devices, once more was bearing -down upon one of her helpless consorts. - -Thrusting the wheel hard over, Crosthwaite found that the vessel was -still under control. Almost by a hairbreadth she scraped the port -quarter of the crippled destroyer, whose decks were literally swept by -the enemy's fire, and resembled a charnel-house. Nothing could be done -to save her, for she was already on the point of foundering. Of her crew -not one visible remained alive. She had fought to the death--a typical -example of British pluck and endurance against overwhelming odds. - -Her last torpedoes fired, the _Calder_ was free to make good her -escape--if she could. Receiving a couple of glancing hits as she sped -towards the shelter, she slid past the foremost of the British -battle-cruisers, receiving three hearty cheers from the crew. - -The second phase of the destroyer operations was over. Although not so -successful as had been expected, owing to the formation having been -disturbed by the encounter with the German torpedo flotillas, the dash -was not without definite material gains. _Nomad_ and _Nestor_ had not -returned, and were presumed to be sunk, a surmise that subsequently -proved to be correct, since a portion of their crews were rescued by the -German torpedo-craft. - -Having brought the _Calder_ safely out of the inferno, Crosthwaite's -next step was to take stock of damages and report to the commander of -his flotilla. - -The wireless was by this time again made serviceable, several of the -crew having worked while under fire on setting up the aerials which had -been carried away with the demolition of the after-mast. - -Others were busily engaged in putting patches on the gaping rents in the -funnel casings and stopping the shell-holes in the thin plating. -Fortunately the engine-room had escaped serious damage, only two -casualties occurring owing to an auxiliary steam-pipe being severed by a -sliver of shell. - -On the whole the _Calder_ had come off lightly. The worst damage to -personnel had been caused by the gas-shell, for, before the fumes had -dispersed, six men had lost their lives and ten others had been -incapacitated by the poisonous fumes. - -"She's as fit as ever she was in my department," reported -Engineer-Lieutenant Boxspanner. "Hope to goodness we shan't be ordered -to haul out of it." - -"I trust not," replied Crosthwaite. "Must turn a blind eye to some of -the defects, I suppose. What did it feel like down below?" - -Boxspanner shrugged his broad shoulders. It was the first time he had -been in action, his appointment to the _Calder_ being of recent date. - -"It was all right after the first half-minute or so," replied the -engineer-lieutenant. "The racket at first was enough to stun a fellow. -I suppose in this job one can get used to anything. Where's Stirling, -by the by?" - -"Busy," replied Crosthwaite gravely. "Come and see him at work--if you -can stick it." - -Well it was that the Admiralty, with their customary promptitude to -promote the welfare of the fighting fleet, had lost no time in -appointing scores of probationary assistant surgeons to the destroyers -immediately after the outbreak of hostilities. Previously no medical -staff had been carried on these small craft. A casualty occurring on -board, and accidents in the engine-rooms, were not of unfrequent -occurrence; the patients had to rely upon the well-meant attentions of -their comrades until they were transferred either to a parent ship or to -one of the shore hospitals. - -Dr. "Jimmy" Stirling was a man who took life seriously. At times he was -almost pessimistic, although there were occasions when a sudden spirit -of youthful exuberance would take complete possession of him. - -In his shirt-sleeves, and with a blood-stained apron that an hour -previously had been spotlessly white tied closely under his armpits, the -surgeon was working with deliberate haste, performing a serious -operation at a speed that would have turned a hospital probationer pale -with apprehension. - -The confined space which had been turned into a sick-bay reeked with -chloroform and iodoform. Wounded men were vying with each other in their -efforts to make light of their injuries, whilst those who were able to -smoke aroused the envy of their less fortunate comrades. It was -considered "good form" for a patient to utter a rough-and-ready jest at -his own case, while grim, but none the less sympathetic, words were -bestowed upon their nearest fellow-sufferers. It was a curious -physiological fact that a man who would have raved at a careless comrade -for having accidentally dropped some gear, narrowly missing his head, -greeted the information that he would lose his right arm with the -nonchalant remark: "Anyhow, when I get home on leaf my missus can't make -me dig the bloomin' allotment." - -"Let's get out of this, sir," whispered the engineer-lieutenant. -"Thought it would take a lot to capsize me, but, by Jove----!" - -He backed abruptly, followed by the lieutenant-commander. Stirling, deep -in his task, had not noticed their presence. - -A barefooted signalman, his blackened face and scorched and torn singlet -bearing testimony to his part in the "scrap", pattered along the -shell-pitted deck, and, saluting, tendered a signal-pad to his -commanding officer. - -Crosthwaite took the paper and read the message scrawled thereon in -violet pencil. - -"H'm!" he muttered. "S'pose they want us out of it." - -It was an order to the effect that the _Calder_ was to steam to a -certain rendezvous, fall in with one of the parent ships, transfer -wounded, and await further orders. There seemed very little possibility -of the destroyer participating in the night attack upon the German -fleet--an operation in which the swiftly-moving British vessels might -achieve greater results, even if they failed to surpass the glory they -had already acquired by their wild, tempestuous dash in broad daylight. - -"Almost wish I'd let the damaged wireless go for a bit," mused -Crosthwaite as he made his way to the badly-shattered bridge. - - - - -CHAPTER IX--The "Warrior's" Gallant Stand - - -"What do you think we are up against?" asked Sefton, taking advantage of -a lull in the firing to put the question to his companion in the -fire-control station. - -"Something big," replied the other, wiping a thin layer of coal dust and -particles of burnt cordite from the lenses of his binoculars. "With -this rotten mist hanging around, one has to be jolly careful not to -pitch a salvo into one of our own craft. Wish to goodness I'd -remembered to bring my camera along. By Jove! Wouldn't the old -_Defence_ make a fine picture when she opened fire?" - -"I'll fetch it for you," volunteered Sefton. - -His companion looked at him in astonishment. - -"I mean it," continued the sub. "We won't be in action again for quite -ten minutes, unless those Huns take it into their heads to alter -course--which I don't fancy will be at all likely." - -He pointed to five faint objects scurrying farther away through the -patches of haze. They were German light cruisers, which, having had a -taste of the salvoes of the leading ships of the First Cruiser Squadron, -had thought it prudent to sheer off. - -"Then look slippy, old bird," said the other. "I'm rather keen on -getting the thing; I'd go myself if I were not here on duty with a -capital D. I'll pass the word for the covers to be left open for your -return." - -Gaining the shrouds, Sefton descended cautiously, for already fragments -of exploding shells had cut through several of the wire strands, and had -played havoc with the ratlines. - -Gaining the fore-bridge, he descended the ladder to the superstructure, -and, passing in the wake of the trained-abeam turrets, reached the only -hatchway leading to the main deck that had not been closed with an -armoured lid. - -'Tween decks the air was hot and oppressive. The confined space reeked -with cordite fumes. Through the brown haze a streak of yellow light -played upon the deck--a beam of sunlight entering through a jagged -shell-hole in the ship's side. - -Farther along, a party of sick-bay men were lowering a stretcher through -a hatchway. On the stretcher was strapped a wounded petty officer, one -of whose legs had been shattered below the knee. - -The man was struggling violently, and expostulating in no mild terms. -Ignorant of his terrible injuries, he was insisting on being allowed to -return to his station and "have another smack at the Huns". - -"Can't go no farther this way, sir," announced a marine, recognizing the -sub, and knowing that he was new to the ship. "Bulkhead doors are shut. -There's a way round past the issue-room, sir, down this 'ere ladder." - -The "issue-room" was open. An electric lamp illuminated the -irregular-shaped space, which on one side was bounded by the convex base -of the after turret, a 6-inch wall of hard steel. - -Sefton could hear voices raised in loud and vehement argument: two -assistant ship's stewards were discussing the respective merits of -music-hall favourites. - -A third voice joined in the discussion--that of one of the ship's boys. - -"'Taint neither the one or t'other," he began. "I was a-saying----" - -"Then don't say it, but get on with your job," interrupted the first -speaker. "Those casks look a regular disgrace. You haven't polished -the brasswork for more'n three days, and it's captain's rounds -to-morrow." - -The next instant came a regular avalanche of flour-sacks, casks, copper -measures, and other paraphernalia pertaining to the ship's steward's -department. Across the raised coaming of the doorway tripped the three -occupants of the issue-room, landing in a struggling, confused heap at -Sefton's feet. - -From a distance of nearly nine miles an 11-inch shell had hit the -_Warrior_ abreast of the after turret. It was some little time before it -was realized that the damage was slight. - -The first to pick himself up was the ship's steward's boy. - -"Guess you don't want me to carry on with that there polishing job," he -remarked nonchalantly, as he heaved the winded petty officer to his feet -and indicated the debris of the brass-bound casks. - -Sefton lost no time in fetching the camera from the gun-room. Slinging -it round his neck, he gained the upper deck, and began his ascent to the -fire-control platform. - -"Thanks," said his companion, as the sub handed the precious apparatus -to him. "You're only just in time. Those light cruisers have altered -helm 16 points. Looks fishy, by Jove! They've something behind them to -back them up." - -It was now nearly six o'clock. Already the _Defence_ was hurling shells -at the leading German light cruiser at 14,000 yards, the range -momentarily decreasing as the two squadrons closed. - -The Huns were certainly not devoid of pluck, although, as Sefton's chum -had remarked, they evidently had some card up their sleeves. - -For the next fifteen minutes the _Warrior_ and her consorts were at it -"hammer and tongs", directing a furious fire into the head of the -approaching column. One of the hostile cruisers, hit by a double salvo -from the _Warrior_ and the _Defence_, capsized and sank. Another, -burning fiercely in three different places, hauled out of line. - -"Great sport, isn't it?" exclaimed Sefton's companion, setting down his -range-finder, for the distance had now decreased to 5000 yards, so that -the gun-layers were able to trace their weapons independently of orders -from the fire-control. - -Suddenly and unexpectedly a salvo of heavy shells hurtled through the -haze, and, with deadly precision, riddled the flagship _Defence_ through -and through. Her masts and funnels went by the board, flames burst from -her for'ard, 'midships, and aft, while with her engines disabled she -dropped slowly astern. - -It was now the _Warrior's_ turn to lead the line. As she forged ahead, -other enormous shells straddled her, coming in different direction from -the tempest of shot that had crippled the _Defence_. - -"By Jove!" ejaculated Sefton. "We're in for it now." - -Between the drifting clouds of smoke could be discerned the huge shapes -of a dozen large battleships and battle-cruisers, not those of -Jellicoe's command, but flying the Black Cross ensign of Germany. On -the port side, at less than 4000 yards, were four hostile -battle-cruisers. At a similar distance to starboard were at least five -battleships of the _Koenig_ class. - -The _Warrior_ and _Defence_, hemmed in by vastly superior numbers, and -menaced by guns of far greater calibre, were seemingly doomed to -annihilation. All that remained, as far as human judgment went, was to -fight to the last and worthily uphold the glorious traditions of the -Senior Service. - -The _Warrior_ held grimly on her way, battered fore and aft on all sides -from the gradually contracting circle of big German ships. In spite of -the terrific hail of projectiles rained upon her, the _Warrior_ still -maintained a rapid and determined fire. It was against overwhelming -odds, and the Huns knew it. - -Presently a violent thud caused the already trembling fire-control -platform to shake to such an extent that Sefton quite thought the whole -concern was about to tumble over the side. A shell had shattered the -fore-topmast, the debris falling athwart the steel canopy protecting the -range-finding officers. With the topmast came a raffle of gear, -including the wireless aerials. - -By this time the cruiser was hulled over and over again. Several of her -7-inch-gun turrets had been bodily swept away with their crews; two -funnels had gone by the board; the remaining pair, perforated like -sieves, were held in position merely by the wire guys. A fierce fire -was raging aft, an incendiary shell having landed in the wardroom, while -a heavy dose of poison-gas prevented any of the crew from attempting to -quench the flames. - -Twelve minutes of terrible battering the _Warrior_ stood, until an -11-inch shell, ripping through her 6-inch armoured belt, burst inside -the port engine-room, shattering the main steam-pipe. - -The scene in the confined space was terrible beyond description. The -concussion had shattered every electric lamp, the oil ones were -extinguished by the noxious fumes. The floor of the engine-room was -flooded to a depth of four inches with scalding water that surged to and -fro with each roll of the sorely-pressed vessel, and added to the -torments of the men already wounded by the shell explosion. - -Yet even in that inferno there were men whose courage did not desert -them, and dozens of heroic and never-to-be-recorded deeds were performed -in the darkness of the scalding engine-room. - -Then the starboard engine-room was swept by the explosion of a shell, -increasing to a terrible extent the casualties amongst the courageous -"black squad". For nearly two miles the _Warrior_ carried away, until, -deprived of the means of propulsion, she lay, a battered hulk, -surrounded by her enemies. - -It was the story of the _Revenge_ over again, but with a different -sequel. - -Sefton realized that he and his companions were virtually prisoners in -the fire-control platform. Even had they dared to risk descending -through that tornado of shrapnel and flying slivers of molten steel, -their means of escape was limited to one solitary shroud. The rest, -"whipped" into a confused tangle, were trailing over the ship's sides. - -Passive spectators, for their work aloft was done, they awaited the end, -their eyes fixed upon the German battle-cruisers as at intervals they -became visible through the drifting cloud of smoke and steam. - -Only two guns of the _Warrior_ were now replying to the hostile fire, -barking slowly, yet resolutely, as they sent their projectiles hurtling -through the air at the nearmost of the assailants, now but 3500 yards -distant. - -"By Jove, look!" exclaimed Sefton's chum, pointing with a bandaged hand -at a large object looming through the smoke close under the _Warrior's_ -stern. - -It was the gigantic battleship _Warspite_. - -Tearing along at well over her contract speed, the 27,500-ton leviathan -meant business. Receiving a salvo of heavy shells that were intended to -administer a _coup de grace_ to the crippled _Warrior_, and which for -the most part rebounded harmlessly from her armour, the _Warspite_ let -rip with her splendid 15-inch guns. At the second salvo a German -battle-cruiser simply crumpled up and vanished in a cloud of smoke. - -Pitted for the first time in this particular engagement against guns of -more than their own calibre, the Germans began to fire most erratically. -Many of the projectiles fell into the sea. Their shooting, hitherto -fairly accurate, became wild and spasmodic. They were learning the -truth about modern British gunnery, with British hearts of oak behind -the powerful weapons. - -But, in spite of her size and superiority of armament, the _Warspite_ -did not come off unscathed. At a critical moment her steam steering-gear -jammed, and round she circled, straight for the enemy's line. Before -the damage could be rectified she was hit several times, losing, amongst -other gear, her wireless aerials. While she was still under fire a -hostile submarine let off a couple of torpedoes, both of which -fortunately missed their mark. - -The action had already passed away from the battered _Warrior_. She had -played her part. It remained to save herself from foundering, if she -could--a truly herculean task. - - - - -CHAPTER X--Battered but Unconquered - - -Almost as in a dream Sefton realized that he was still alive. His -hearing was practically done for, owing to the terrific detonation of -the guns. His eyes were red and smarting from the effects of numerous -particles of soot and dust that had drifted in through the sighting -apertures of the fire-control station. He could scarcely speak, his -throat was parched and gripped by a terrible thirst. His borrowed -uniform was rent in several places, while the right leg of his trousers -was warm and moist. Unknown to him, a splinter of metal had cut a clean -gash just above the knee. In the excitement of the action he had not -felt the wound. Now it was beginning to throb painfully. - -"The stick will go by the board before long," remarked an officer, as -the crippled foremast gave a sickening jerk with the roll of the ship to -starboard. "The sooner we get out of this the better, I fancy." - -It was easier said than done. Even if the attention of the men on -deck--and they were busily engaged with hoses in quelling the numerous -small outbreaks of fire amidships--could be attracted, it was wellnigh -impossible to form a means of communication with the elevated masthead -platform. - -"Worth risking it?" queried Sefton's chum, indicating the solitary -shroud on either side of the mast. - -The sub shook his head. - -"A tall order," he replied. "I don't seem to have the strength of a -steerage rat for a swarm-down from this height. No thanks, I'm not -taking any." - -"If we had only a coil of signal halyard," remarked the range-finding -officer tentatively, "we might---- But there isn't a couple of fathoms -of line left aloft." - -He thrust his head and shoulders through a hole in the steel plating, -and surveyed the scene 100 feet below. Viewed from that dizzy height, -the prospect of descending by means of a wire stay was not inviting. - -"Hallo!" he exclaimed. "There's a bluejacket swarming aloft." - -"Bluejacket" was hardly a strictly correct description, for climbing -hand over hand was a man clad only in a pair of canvas trousers. From -his waist upwards he was stripped. His feet, too, were bare. His -bronzed face, neck, and hands stood out in vivid contrast to the -whiteness of the rest of the skin. His muscles, like whipcord, rippled -as he ascended with a steady, even movement towards the isolated -foretop. From his belt trailed a line the coils of which were being -carefully "paid out" by a seaman standing on the extremity of the -badly-damaged fore-bridge. - -Half-way up the shroud the climber paused to regain his breath. As he -threw back his head to gauge the remaining distance, his face was -revealed to the group on the swaying platform. - -"By George!" ejaculated Sefton's chum. "It's the man you went into the -ditch after." - -It was Able Seaman Brown. Having lost touch with his officer during the -engagement, his first thoughts after the _Warrior_ had ceased fire were -for the sub who had risked his life on his behalf. Enquiries elicited -the information that Sefton had been last seen while ascending to the -fire-control platform. - -"Blow me if they ain't properly cut off," muttered the man, as he eyed -the precarious perch. "Here goes." - -Obtaining the consent of one of the officers to attempt his perilous -ascent, A.B. Brown was now well on his way to establish communication -with the deck. - -Perspiring from every pore, his muscles creaking under the strain, the -horny palms of his hands lacerated by the frayed strands of the wire, -the seaman at length gained one of the angle-girders upon which the -platform was bolted. Here he remained for fully five minutes before -essaying the last part of his journey. - -Hanging from the metal structure was a block, from which the -running-gear had long since "rendered through". The man examined it -critically. To all outward appearance it seemed to be sound. - -Jockeying himself along the sharp-edged angle-plate, Brown rove the end -of the rope through the block, and "paid out" until the line touched the -deck. Fortunately there was enough to spare. Three or four of the -_Warrior's_ crew were standing by to give assistance, and quickly bent a -"bos'n's chair" to one end of the rope. - -"Come along, sir," exclaimed the A.B. encouragingly. "We'll have the lot -of you down in a jiffy." - -He held out his hand to steady Sefton on his dizzy journey along the -metal "bracket", until a sudden thought flashed across his mind. What -if the rope carried away or the pulley-block was defective? - -"Hold on, sir," he said. "I'll show you the way down." - -He signalled for the bos'n's chair to be sent aloft, reflecting that if -the appliance were strong enough to bear his weight--he could give -Sefton nearly a couple of stones--the sub would run very little risk. -If, on the other hand, the gear carried away, he reflected grimly, his -"number would be up". - -Sliding into the wooden seat, the A.B. motioned to his comrades to -lower. Handsomely the men paid out the comparatively frail rope until -Brown's bare feet came in contact with the bridge planking. - -Five minutes later, the three seamen who had been attending to the -voice-tubes in the fire-control station were lowered into safety, in -spite of the fact that one was in a semi-conscious condition owing to a -shrapnel wound in his head. - -Sefton was the next to descend, after a spirited argument with his -brother sub on the etiquette of seniority, until the lieutenant settled -his subordinate's dispute by declaring that Sefton was a guest, and that -the question of precedence did not hold good in present circumstances. - -At length all the occupants of the fire-control platform were lowered in -safety. Barely had the lieutenant gained the deck when Sefton's -companion gave vent to an exclamation of annoyance. - -"Dash it all!" he exclaimed. "I clean forgot all about that camera. -Here goes." - -Slipping into the bos'n's chair he made the men haul away for all they -were worth, and, spinning round at the end of the rope, the _Warrior's_ -sub again ascended to the dizzy, insecure perch. - -Sefton watched him disappear into the recesses of the enclosed space, -presently to reappear with the precious camera dangling round his neck. - -"Wouldn't have lost it for anything," remarked the young officer as he -regained the fore-bridge. "I've knocked about with it ever since I was -at Osborne, you know." - -"Take anything during the action?" enquired Sefton. - -"By Jove, no, I didn't! Clean forgot all about it." - -"And I fancy, old bird, you won't again," interposed an assistant -paymaster, vainly attempting to "open out" the folding camera. "It's -done for." - -Which was only too true. A fragment of shell had penetrated the case, -reducing the delicate mechanism to a complete wreck. - -"Look out! Stand clear!" shouted a dozen voices. - -With a rending crash the crippled mast buckled up and disappeared over -the side. - -Sefton glanced at his chum. The imperturbable sub shrugged his -shoulders. - -"Better to be born lucky than rich, old man," he remarked. "But, by -heavens, what a jamboree!" - -He could find no other words to describe the scene of destruction. Now -that the ship was out of action, and the excitement of the titanic -struggle was over, the grim realization of what a naval engagement means -was beginning to reveal itself to the survivors of the gallant crew. - -All the fires had been extinguished, with the exception of the big -outbreak aft. Gangs of men toiled desperately at the hand-pumps with a -double purpose. The _Warrior_ was making water freely. Already her -stokeholds and engine-rooms were flooded. Deprived of the aid of her -powerful steam bilge-pumps it seemed doubtful if the hand appliances -would be able to cope with the steady inrush. Moreover, a considerable -volume of water had to be directed upon the fire. - -Officers with blackened faces and scorched uniforms encouraged the men -by word and deed. At whatever cost the _Warrior_ had to be saved from -foundering if human efforts were capable of such a herculean task. -Undaunted, the crew toiled manfully, fighting fire and water at one and -the same time. - -Already the dead had been identified and given a hasty, yet impressive, -burial, while--an ominous sign--the wounded had been brought up from -below and laid in rows upon the upper deck. It was a necessary -precaution, and clearly indicated the grave possibility of the old -_Warrior_ being unable to battle much longer against the ever-increasing -leaks. - -There was now plenty of work for Sefton to do. Placed in charge of one -of the fire-parties he was soon strenuously engaged in fighting the -conflagration. With the flooding of the after magazine all danger of an -explosion was now at an end, but, unless the flames were speedily -quelled, the possibility of foundering would be materially increased, -since several shell-holes betwixt wind and water had occurred in that -part of the ship still dominated by the outbreak. - -Although no doubt existed in the minds of the _Warrior's_ crew as to the -outcome of the general engagement, they were in suspense owing to a -total lack of news. Without wireless they were debarred from -communication with the rest of the squadron. As helpless as a log, the -battered vessel was floating in the vast expanse of the North Sea -without a single vessel in sight. The roar of the battle had rolled on -far to the nor'ard, and although the incessant rumble of the terrific -cannonade was distinctly audible, the _Warrior_ was as ignorant of the -course of events as if she had been a hundred miles away. - -The almost flat calm had given place to sullen undulations rippled by a -steady breeze that threatened before long to develop into a hard blow. -There was every indication of an angry sea before nightfall. - -An hour had elapsed since the _Warrior_ had ceased firing--sixty minutes -of strenuous exertion on the part of all hands--when a vessel was -sighted apparently steaming in the crippled cruiser's direction. - -For some moments suspense ran high, for whether the strange craft were -friend or foe no one on board could give a definite decision. - -"What do you make of her?" enquired Sefton's chum as the two young -officers stood under the lee of a partly demolished gun-turret. - -"Precious little," replied Sefton. "Can't say that I am able to -recognize her. But in these times, with a new vessel being added to the -navy every day, one can hardly be expected to tell every ship by the cut -of her jib." - -"She might be a Hun," said the _Warrior's_ sub. "One that has got out of -her bearings and is just sniffing round to see what damage she can do. -Hallo! There's 'Action Stations'." - -The _Warrior_ was taking no unnecessary risks. She was still in a -position to bite, although at a terrible disadvantage if opposed to an -active and mobile foe. Gamely her war-worn men doubled off to the light -quick-firers, three rousing cheers announcing the fact that, although -badly battered, the gallant British seamen knew not the meaning of the -word surrender. - -Nearer and nearer came the mysterious vessel. She was by no means moving -at the rate of a light-cruiser, her speed being about 15 knots. She -flew three ensigns on various parts of her rigging, but, being end on -and against the wind, the colours could not be distinguished. - -Presently she ported helm slightly. Another roar of cheering burst from -the throats of the _Warrior's_ men, for now the colours were -discernible. They were not the Black Cross of Germany--a counterfeit -presentment of the White Ensign--but the genuine article--the British -naval ensign. - -Simultaneously a hoist of bunting ascended to the signal yard-arm. A -hundred men could read the letters, but the jumble conveyed nothing to -them. Not until the code-book was consulted could the vessel's identity -be made known. - -"_Engadine_, sir," replied the chief yeoman of signals. "Sea-plane -carrier, that's what she is," he confided in an undertone to another -petty officer standing by his side. - -A lengthy exchange of semaphore by means of hand-flags ensued, for other -methods of communication on the part of the _Warrior_ were impossible, -owing to the clean sweep of everything on deck. - -And now, in the rapidly rising sea, preparations were made for taking -the crippled _Warrior_ in tow. Already the cruiser's stern was well -down, and, badly waterlogged, she would prove a handful for a -powerfully-engined craft to tow, let alone the lightly-built _Engadine_. - -But Lieutenant-Commander C. A. Robinson of the sea-plane ship _Engadine_ -knew his business, and handled his vessel with superb skill. Thrice he -manoeuvred sufficiently close to establish communication between his -ship and the drifting _Warrior_, Twice the flexible wire hawser parted -like pack-thread. At the third attempt the hawsers held, and the -_Warrior_ slowly gathered way, wallowing astern of the _Engadine_ at a -rate of 4 knots--but every minute was taking the unvanquished cruiser -nearer Britain's shores. - -By this time all on board knew that their sacrifice had not been in -vain. Jellicoe was known to have effected a junction with Beatty's -hard-pressed squadrons, the German High Seas Fleet was in flight, and -betwixt them and their North Sea bases was the invincible Grand Fleet. -"The Day" had proved to be a day of reckoning for the boastful Huns in -their efforts to wrest the trident from Britannia's grasp. - - - - -CHAPTER XI--The Wrecked Sea-plane - - -With her stock of torpedoes replenished and certain defects made good, -H.M.T.B.D. _Calder_ sheered off from her parent ship, and, increasing -speed to 21 knots, shaped a course to rejoin the rest of the flotilla. - -Lieutenant-Commander Richard Crosthwaite was in high spirits. He -thought that he had succeeded in bluffing the commodore to give his -permission to rejoin the rest of the fleet instead of being ordered back -to the Firth of Forth. As a matter of fact, his senior officer, -realizing that a "stout heart goes a long way", had purposely refrained -from asking a lot of awkward questions concerning the _Calder's_ -injuries. In the forthcoming and projected night attack every destroyer -available would be needed to put the fear of the British navy into the -minds of the Huns and 21-inch torpedoes into the vitals of their -battleships. - -The spirit of the _Calder's_ skipper was shared by every member of the -crew. Even the wounded showed reluctance to be transferred to the -parent ship; those whose injuries did not prevent them from getting -about sturdily asserting that they might be of use. Those obliged to -take to their hammocks were emphatic in impressing upon their more -fortunate comrades the request "to get their own back". - -The sun was low in the north-western sky when the _Calder's_ look-out -men sighted two vessels slowly making their way in the direction of -home. One, evidently badly damaged, was in tow of the other. - -It was part of the destroyer's duty to investigate, since it might be -possible that the vessels were hostile craft endeavouring by making a -wide detour to reach their base. - -A wireless message, in code, was sent from the _Calder_, requesting the -two vessels to disclose their identity. The reply left Crosthwaite no -longer in doubt. The towing ship was the _Engadine_, while the crippled -craft wallowing in her wake was the heroic _Warrior_. - -It was Crosthwaite's opportunity to regain the services of his -sub-lieutenant if the latter had been lucky enough to escape from the -terrible gruelling to which the British cruiser had been subjected. - -Closing to within a cable's length of the _Warrior_ he signalled: - -"Request permission to take off my sub-lieutenant." - -To which the _Warrior_ replied: - -"Permission granted, provided no needless risk to His Majesty's ships." - -Crosthwaite smiled grimly. The idea of further damage being done to the -_Warrior_ seemed out of the question, while he considered he was quite -capable of bringing the _Calder_ alongside without denting a single -plate. - -Ordering "easy ahead", Crosthwaite brought the _Calder_ close alongside -the _Warrior's_ port quarter. Although the sea was now running high, -and the waves were breaking over the latter's almost submerged -quarter-deck, it was comparatively calm under her lee. - -"There's your glorified Thames penny steamer alongside, old man," -remarked Sefton's chum as the _Calder_ was made fast fore and aft, her -deck being little more than a couple of feet below that of the -cruiser--so low had the latter settled aft. "No, don't trouble to -return my coat. It's positively not respectable for the quarter-deck. -Well, so long! I'll run across you again before this business is over, I -guess." - -Scrambling over the debris, from which smoke was still issuing in faint -bluish wisps, Sefton gained the armoured cruiser's side. Poising -himself for an instant he leapt on the _Calder's_ deck, followed by Able -Seaman Brown. - -[Illustration: "POISING HIMSELF FOR AN INSTANT, SEFTON LEAPT ON THE -'CALDER'S' DECK"] - -"Can I be of any assistance, sir?" enquired Crosthwaite from the bridge -of the destroyer. - -The commanding officer of the _Warrior_ returned the salute and shook -his head. He was loath to detain even one destroyer from the fighting -that yet remained to be done. - -Amid the cheers of both crews the _Calder_ sheered off, and, porting -helm, resumed her course, while the _Warrior_, in tow of the _Engadine_, -was confronted with the approach of night and a steadily-increasing -rough sea. - -The badly-damaged _Warrior_ never reached port. After being towed for -twelve hours, her position became so serious that the sea-plane carrier -hove alongside and removed her crew. - -Giving three cheers for the old ship, as the _Engadine_, abandoning her -tow, increased the distance between her and the _Warrior_, the gallant -crew watched the battered hulk rolling sullenly in the angry sea until -she was lost sight of in the distance. - -Having formally reported himself, Sefton went below to make up arrears -of sleep. Boxspanner and the doctor were in the ward-room, both engaged -in animated conversation, not upon the subject of the action, but on the -merits and demerits of paraffin as a substitute for petrol for a -motor-bicycle. - -With disjointed fragments of conversation ringing in his ears, and -"carburation", "sooty deposit in the sparking plug", and "engine-knock" -figuring largely, Sefton fell into a fitful slumber, dreaming vividly of -the stirring incidents of the past few hours, until he was aroused by -the reversal of the destroyer's engines, the lightly-built hull -quivering under the strain. - -Instinctively he glanced at the clock. He had been asleep only ten -minutes--it seemed more like ten hours by the length of his excited -mental visions. - -Leaping from his bunk, Sefton scrambled into his clothes and hurried on -deck. It was still twilight. The wind was moaning through the aerials; -splashes of spray slapped the destroyer's black sides as she lost way -and fell off broadside on to the waves. - -Fifty yards to leeward was a large British sea-plane. She was listing -at a dangerous angle, her starboard-float being waterlogged, and showing -only above the surface as the fabric heeled in the trough of the sea. -Her planes were ripped in twenty places, while the fuselage showed signs -of having been hit several times. The tip of one blade of the propeller -had been cut off as cleanly as if by a knife. All around her the water -was iridescent with oil that had leaked from her lubricating-tanks. -Waist-deep in water, and sitting athwart the undamaged float, was the -pilot--a young sub-lieutenant, whose face was blanched with the cold. -He had voluntarily adopted his position in order to impart increased -stability to the damaged sea-plane. - -Lying on the floor of the fuselage, with his head just visible above the -coamings, was the observer. He had discarded his flying-helmet, while -round his head was bound a blood-stained scarf. Evidently his wound was -of a serious nature, for he evinced no interest in the approach of the -_Calder_. - -As the destroyer drifted down upon the crippled sea-plane a dozen ready -hands gripped the top of one of the wings, and a couple of seamen -swarmed along the frail fabric to the chassis. - -The rescue of the pilot was a comparatively easy matter, but it took all -the skill of the bluejackets to extricate the wounded observer. It was -not until others of the crew came to the aid of their comrades, the men -in their zeal almost completing the submergence of the still floating -wreckage, that the unconscious officer was brought on board. - -There was no time to waste in salvage operations. At an order from the -lieutenant-commander a seaman, armed with an axe, made his way to the -undamaged float. A few vigorous blows completed the work of -destruction. Held by the tip of one of the wings until the man regained -the destroyer, the sea-plane was allowed to sink. - -"Rough luck to chuck away an engine like that," remarked a voice -regretfully. - -Sefton turned his head and saw that the speaker was Engineer-Lieutenant -Boxspanner, and for once at least Dr. Stirling agreed with him. - -The rescue of the sea-plane's crew threw additional work upon the -already harassed surgeon, for the observer was showing signs of -collapse, while upon examination it was found that the pilot had been -hit in the forehead by a shrapnel bullet. - -Pulling himself together, the observer managed to impart important -information before he fainted through sheer exhaustion. The sea-plane -had sighted the main German fleet fifty miles to the nor'-nor'-east. - -The intelligence was highly desirable. It settled without doubt the -all-important question as to the enemy's whereabouts, and definitely -proved that Jellicoe's ships were between the Huns and their North Sea -bases. If steps could be taken to intercept the German vessels' retreat -through the Cattegat, it seemed as if they were doomed to annihilation -at the hands of the British. - -Quickly the news was wirelessed from the _Calder_ to the _Iron Duke_. -Unless anything unforeseen occurred, it seemed pretty certain that -Admiral Jellicoe would be able to turn the initial advantage into an -overwhelming defeat for the enemy. - -The two airmen had rendered good service against considerable odds. -They had ascended three hours previously, and, flying low in order to be -able to see through the haze, had eventually sighted the badly-damaged -German squadron under Rear-Admiral von Scheer, which had contrived to -slip away while Admiral Hipper was endeavouring to delay the advance of -Jellicoe's main fleet. - -Owing to the low degree of visibility, the seaplane came within range of -the hostile quick-firers almost before her pilot was aware of the -unpleasant fact. Greeted by a hot fire, almost the first shell of which -carried away the wireless, the sea-plane ascended, trusting to be hidden -in the clouds until she could volplane from another direction and renew -her reconnaissance of the hostile fleet. - -Unfortunately, it was a case of "out of the saucepan into the fire", for -on emerging above the low-lying bank of clouds the sea-plane found -herself almost underneath a Zeppelin, several of which accompanied the -German fleet, although their sphere of usefulness was considerably -curtailed by reason of the climatic conditions. Although the haze -prevented the British from inflicting greater damage upon their -opponents, it is fairly safe to assert that had the sky been clear the -Zeppelins would have given the German fleet timely warning, and an -action would never have ensued. - -Nothing daunted, the British sea-plane opened fire upon her gigantic -antagonist; but the odds were against her. The Zeppelins, floating -motionless in the air and in perfect silence, had long before heard the -noisy approach of the mechanical hornet, and her appearance was greeted -with a concentrated fire of half a dozen machine guns, accompanied by a -few choice titbits in the shape of bombs. - -The latter, without exception, missed their objective, but the hail of -bullets ripped the sea-plane through and through and dangerously wounded -her observer. In spite of the riddled state of the planes the pilot -kept his craft well under control, but was forced to descend, not before -the Zeppelin was showing signs of having been much damaged by the -sea-plane's automatic gun. The last the airmen saw of her was that she -was making off at full speed in an easterly direction, her stern portion -dipping ominously in spite of the quantity of ballast hurled overboard -by her crew. - -The British air-craft's long volplane terminated on the surface of the -sea miles from the place where she had "spotted" the hostile ships. -Before long the pilot made the disconcerting discovery that one of the -floats was leaking. Having bandaged his unfortunate comrade's wound, he -slipped over the side of the fuselage on to the damaged float. Failing -to locate and stop the leak, he took up his position on the sound float, -in the hope that his weight would preserve the sea-plane's stability. -In this position he remained for two hours, until, numbed by the cold, -he was on the point of abandoning hope when the _Calder_ hove in sight. - -The sun had set when the _Calder_ rejoined the flotilla. The enemy was -entirely out of sight, but there was every possibility of the German -torpedo-boats making a night attack upon the long line of battleships. - -Every precaution was taken against such a step. The battleships and -battle-cruisers were encircled by a line of light cruisers, while beyond -them, and mostly between the British fleet and the reported position of -the German ships, was a numerous gathering of destroyers for the dual -part of protecting the larger ships and also, when opportunity occurred, -of making a dash against the Huns. - -"Mark my words, Sefton," said Lieutenant-Commander Crosthwaite when the -_Calder_, having transferred the two airmen, had taken up her allotted -station, "to-night's the night. We'll have the time of our lives." - - - - -CHAPTER XII--The Night Attack - - -Just before midnight two columns of destroyers in line ahead slipped -away in the darkness, the course being N. 42 deg. E. Without showing so -much as a glimmer of light, with their funnels screened with "spark -arresters" to prevent the exit of glowing embers from the furnaces, the -long, lean craft headed in the supposed direction of the enemy fleet. - -From the elevated fore-bridge Sefton could scarce distinguish betwixt -the _Calder's_ bows and the dark, heavy waves. The only guide to enable -the destroyer to keep station was the phosphorescent swirl at the stern -of the vessel next ahead, as her triple propellers churned the water. - -On deck the men were at the battle-stations, standing motionless and -silent. Their faces had been blackened with burnt cork to render them -as inconspicuous as possible should the beam of a hostile search-light -swing itself athwart their vessel. - -Although the high-raised fo'c'sle of the _Calder_ was comparatively dry, -showers of spray cast aside by the flaring bows were caught by the -strong wind and dashed over the bridge until it was impossible to make -use of night-glasses owing to the beads of moisture on the lenses. - -Beyond a curt, clearly-enunciated order to the quartermaster, neither of -the two officers spoke a word, Crosthwaite gripping the guard-rail and -peering ahead, while Sefton kept his attention upon the tell-tale -greyish smudge that marked the position of the destroyer ahead. - -The result of years of training at night manoeuvres was bearing fruit. -Iron-nerved men were at the helm of each boat--men who had long since -got beyond the "jumpy" stage, when strange freaks of imagination conjure -up visions of objects that do not exist. A false alarm and a rapid fire -from the 4-inch guns would be fatal to the enterprise, the success of -which depended entirely upon getting well within torpedo-range without -being spotted by the alert foe. - -A feeble light, screened in all directions save that towards the vessels -astern, blinked rapidly from the leading destroyer. It was the signal -for the flotilla to form in line abeam. - -"Starboard ten!" ordered Crosthwaite. - -"Starboard ten, sir!" was the helmsman's reply, while the -lieutenant-commander telegraphed for speed to be increased to 22 knots -in order to bring the _Calder_ even with the leader. - -Had it been daylight the manoeuvre would have been executed with the -precision of a machine; being night it was impossible to follow the -movements of the whole flotilla, but carried out the orders were, each -destroyer keeping station with the one nearest on her starboard beam. - -Suddenly the darkness was penetrated by the dazzling beam of a -search-light from a ship at a distance of two miles on the _Calder's_ -port bow. For a moment it hung irresolute, and then swung round in the -direction of the on-coming destroyers. - -A huge black mass intercepted the rays, its outlines silhouetted against -the silvery glare. The mass was a German light cruiser, evidently -detached for scouting purposes and returning with screened lights -towards the main fleet. - -Instantly a furious cannonade was opened upon the luckless light cruiser -from half a dozen of her consorts. For a couple of minutes the firing -continued, until, with a tremendous flash and a deafening roar, her -magazine exploded. - -"The Huns will never admit their mistake," thought Sefton. "They'll -claim to have destroyed another of our ships." - -Then the sub's whole attention was chained to the work now on hand. -Barely had the last of the flying debris from the German light cruiser -struck the water when at full speed the British destroyer flotilla -hurled itself upon the foe. - -Played upon by fifty search-lights, the target for a hundred guns, large -and small, the destroyers held on with one set purpose, their -torpedo-men discharging the 21-inch missiles with rapidity and cool -determination. - -Above the crash of the ordnance could be heard the deeper boom of the -torpedoes as they exploded against the ships' bottoms at a depth of -fifteen or twenty feet below the surface. - -Slick in between two large battleships the _Calder_ rushed, letting -loose a pair of torpedoes at each of the hostile ships. One torpedo was -observed to explode close to the stern of the battleship to starboard, -the stricken vessel leaving the line with a decided list and enveloped -in smoke. - -"Light cruisers, by Jove!" muttered Sefton, as the _Calder_, on nearing -the end of the enemy line, was confronted by three vessels of the -"Wiesbaden" class. - -A heavy fire greeted the approaching destroyer, but almost without -exception the shells went wide of their mark. Then, gathering speed, -one of the German light cruisers ported helm and attempted to ram her -lightly-built opponent. - -Making no effort to avoid the danger, the _Calder_ held on, until -Sefton, turning to see what his commanding officer was doing, found -Crosthwaite sitting on the bridge with his back against the pedestal of -the semaphore, and his hands clasping his right leg just above the knee, -and blood oozing from a gash in his forehead. - -The sub was the only officer on the bridge capable of taking command. - -"Hard-a-starboard!" he shouted, in order to make himself heard above the -din. - -Ever quick on her helm, the destroyer spun round almost on her heel. -The German's stem missed her by a couple of feet, while, hurled bodily -sideways by the mass of water from the former's bow wave, the _Calder_ -slid past with her side-plating almost touching that of her enemy. - -Simultaneously the Hun let fly a broadside. The destroyer reeled under -the shock, but once again she was in luck, for none of the hostile guns -could be sufficiently depressed to score a vital hit. The next instant -the cruiser was lost to sight in the darkness, saluted by a number of -rounds from the destroyer's after 4-inch gun. - -Temporarily stunned by the detonations of the German cruiser's guns--for -he was within twenty feet of the muzzles of several of the -weapons--Sefton leaned against the conning-tower. The metal was -unpleasantly hot, for a light shell had burst against it hardly a minute -before. Beyond denting the steel armour and blowing the signal-locker -over the side, the missile had done no further damage. - -Coughing the acrid fumes from his lungs and clearing his eyes of -involuntary tears, for the air was thick with irritating dust, Sefton -began to take a renewed interest in his surroundings. - -The _Calder_ had penetrated the hostile line without sustaining serious -damage. She had now to return. - -The sub grasped one of the voice-tubes. The flexible pipe came away in -his hand, the whole system having been cut through with a fragment of -shell. - -"We've had it pretty hot!" he soliloquized. "Wonder we're still afloat. -Well, now for it once more." - -He leant over the after side of the bridge. A dark figure was moving -for'ard ten feet beneath him. - -"Pass the word to the L.T.O.," ordered the sub, "to report the number of -torpedoes remaining." - -"Aye, aye, sir," replied the man, and, retracing his steps, he hurried -aft to where the leading torpedo-man was standing at the tubes. - -Back came the messenger, lurching as he loomed through the darkness. - -"The man hasn't found his sea-legs yet," thought Sefton; then aloud he -asked: "Well?" - -"None left, sir," replied the seaman, and, having delivered his message, -he pitched upon his face. - -Sefton had to let him lie there. The sub could not leave the bridge. -Even Crosthwaite had to be left alone until the destroyer was out of -action. - -It would have been a futile task to attempt to take the _Calder_ back -between the enemy lines. With no other offensive weapons than her -comparatively light 4-inch quick-firers, she would be unable to do any -serious damage to the huge armoured ships, while at the same time she -would be exposed to an overwhelming fire as she passed abeam of the -German battleships and light cruisers. - -So into the darkness, beyond the glare of the search-lights, Sefton took -the destroyer, with the intention of making a wide sweep and rejoining -the British fleet. Of how the _Calder's_ consorts were faring he knew -nothing, except that the action was being briskly maintained. -Occasionally the foggy night would be rent by a vivid red glare that -outclassed the almost continuous flashes of the guns, which illuminated -the low-lying clouds like incessant summer lightning. The roar of the -ordnance was simply indescribable. It seemed impossible that a man -could go through it without having his ear-drums burst by the terrific -air-beats of the appalling detonations. - -A dark shape loomed through the darkness almost athwart the _Calder's_ -track. Only a quick movement of the helm avoided collision with the -floating object, which, as the _Calder_ swept by, revealed itself as a -large destroyer. - -On deck she was little better than a wreck. Bridge, conning-tower, -funnels, masts, and boats had vanished utterly. Her guns, wrenched from -their mountings, pointed upwards at grotesque angles through their -shattered shields. Where the torpedo-tubes had been was a jagged hole -still spanned by one arc of the gun-metal racer. This much was visible -in the reflected glare of the distant search-lights as the _Calder_ -swept by with her guns trained abeam should the vessel still be capable -of offence. - -A score of men, mostly engine-room ratings, were gathered amidships on -the shattered deck of the crippled vessel. They had desisted from the -work on which they were engaged, and were gazing mutely at the destroyer -that might be instrumental in giving them the _coup de grace_. - -"What ship is that?" roared Sefton through a megaphone, the intervening -distance being less than twenty yards. - -"His Majesty's destroyer _Yealm_," was the reply, flung proudly through -the darkness. - -Thrusting both levers of the engine-room telegraph to "Full Speed -Astern" and afterwards to "Stop", the sub brought the _Calder_ to a -standstill within easy hailing distance of her disabled consort. Here -was a case in which assistance could be rendered without detriment to -the interests of the Service. The _Calder_, until she could replenish -her store of torpedoes, was practically useless as a fighting unit. -With her engines undamaged she could tow the _Yealm_ into comparative -safety, provided she was not intercepted by a straggling hostile ship. - -"Stand by to receive a hawser!" continued Sefton. "We'll give you a -pluck out of this." - -"No; thanks all the same, sir," shouted a deep voice. "We're sound -below the water-line, and we can get under way again in a few minutes. -We'll take our chances of getting out of it. We gave the swine an -almighty punching before they swept our decks. Carry on, sir, and give -them another half a dozen for us." - -It was the _Yealm's_ torpedo gunner who spoke, the only surviving -executive officer of the gallant destroyer. - -"Can you spare us any torpedoes?" shouted Sefton, an inspiration -flashing across his mind. - -"Aye, aye, sir," was the reply. "Four." - -"Very good; we'll come alongside," rejoined the sub, who thereupon -ordered two wire "springs" to be made ready, so as to establish -communication between the two destroyers. - -"Well done, Sefton!" exclaimed his lieutenant-commander. - -The sub turned and found that Crosthwaite had regained his feet, and was -standing beside him upon the partly demolished bridge. - -"You're----", began Sefton, but the lieutenant-commander shut him up. - -"Nothing," he replied laconically. "You might fix me up. Not a word to -Stirling, mind. If I keep out of his way, he's not to know. But, by -Jove, you've been knocked about a bit." - -The information, although correct, came as a surprise to Sefton. For -the first time he noticed that the coat-sleeve of his left arm was cut -away, the remnant hanging by a few threads, while his left wrist was -encumbered by a bandage. He must have tied the handkerchief himself, -but the action had been purely automatic. Hitherto he had had no -knowledge that he had been hit by a splinter, and was quite unaware that -he had acted as his own bandager. - -"Carry on," continued Crosthwaite. "I'll stand easy for a while. I'll -feel all right in a few minutes." - -He vanished behind the wreckage of the conning tower, leaving Sefton to -survey the scene. It was now light enough to discern the nature of the -damage caused by the ordeal through which the _Calder_ had passed, for -the flashes of the distant guns, added to the reflected rays of the -search-lights, made it possible to see with fair distinctness. - -Of the _Calder's_ funnels only one remained standing. The others, -either swept clean away or lying athwart the deck, left jagged cavities, -through which the smoke was pouring from the oil-fed furnaces. - -The starboard side of the bridge had vanished, with it the domed top of -the conning-tower, while the armoured sheets upon the latter, ripped -like cardboard, had been torn open, revealing the interior--a jumble of -twisted voice-tubes and shattered indicators. The same shell that had -wrought havoc with the conning-tower had swept the for'ard 4-inch -completely from its mountings, taking its crew with it. - -Meanwhile a dozen men had boarded the _Yealm_. Her scanty survivors were -too done up to tackle the task of heaving out the torpedoes, for, -included in the work of destruction, her derricks had shared the fate of -the rest of the top-hamper. Others of the _Calder's_ crew were -attending to the injuries of their comrades, for, in addition to eight -men killed outright, six were mortally wounded, and a dozen more had -sustained injuries that would incapacitate them for further service. - -The plucky messenger who had brought Sefton's reply from the L.T.O. had -been carried below. In the heat of the fight he had received a splinter -of shell in his chest, the impact fracturing one of the breast-bones. -Yet, undaunted, he continued to serve his gun until the destroyer had -emerged from the hostile fire. Even then he refused to present himself -before the doctor, and was making his way to the fo'c'sle like a wounded -animal, when Sefton, unaware of his injuries, had ordered him to take a -message aft. This he did, in spite of the increasing pain and -faintness, and having delivered the reply he had been forced to -collapse. - -At length the four gleaming cylinders were transferred from the _Yealm_ -to the _Calder's_ decks. Once more the destroyer, although battered -sufficiently to justify her retiring from the fight, was made capable of -dealing deadly blows at her gigantic antagonists. - -The "springs" were cast off, and, with the engines running at full speed -ahead, the _Calder_ again hurled herself into the fray. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII--Sefton in Command - - -By this time the firing had ceased, while, the search-lights of the -German war-ships having been screened, intense darkness brooded over the -scene. The sea was rising rapidly, as if Nature was about to assert her -power over the opposing fleets. - -Exposed to the full force of the wind and waves, Sefton stood upon the -remaining portion of the bridge, with his lieutenant-commander reclining -within easy distance. Crosthwaite had given his subordinate strict -orders to inform him of the moment when the Huns were again sighted. -His wounds mattered little. Provided his head were cool and his brain -alert the _Calder's_ skipper meant to miss no part of the next phase of -the scrap. - -The destroyer was now steaming in almost the opposite direction to that -by which she had penetrated the enemy line. She was five or six miles -to leeward of the German ships and possibly three times that distance -from the British main fleet. - -Far away to the west'ard came the dull rumble of a furious cannonade. - -"Our light cruisers are having a scrap with the Hun destroyers," -muttered Sefton. "By Jove, this is a night!" - -The sub was correct in his surmise. Although the British heavy ships -were not attacked during the night, thanks to the screen provided by the -Second Light-cruiser Squadron and several of the destroyer flotillas, -the enemy torpedo-craft were several times in touch with the "fringes of -the fleet". - -Darkness played many strange pranks with the combatants, mistakes that -more than once told against the Huns occurring with remarkable -persistency. - -On one occasion a battleship of the "Kaiser" class was observed by the -_Fearless_. The Hun was entirely isolated, and was steaming at full -speed. The British destroyer was unable to engage her gigantic -antagonist--the two vessels passing in opposite directions at an -aggregate rate of 50 miles an hour. To launch a torpedo would almost -certainly result in a miss, while it was extremely hazardous for the -_Fearless_ to turn and follow, without colliding with other British -destroyers following much farther astern. Nor did the German battleship -make any attempt to engage; possibly the _Fearless_ was not visible from -the war-ship's deck. - -Holding on her course, the _Fearless_ warned her consorts by wireless, -and a heavy explosion long after told its own tale. - -An even more remarkable incident occurred during the night. Several -British light cruisers were steaming in line ahead when a severely -mauled German ocean-going torpedo-boat was observed approaching. -Mistaken for one of our destroyers, the two leading cruisers let her -slip past within the distance of a cable's length. The third, taking no -risks, suddenly unmasked her search-lights and played them full upon the -stranger. Caught in the blinding glare, her crew could be seen hard at -work endeavouring to turn a pair of torpedo-tubes abeam--a task of -considerable difficulty owing to the "racer" being damaged. - -The British light cruiser saved them the job in a most effectual manner. -Depressing her for'ard 9.2-inch gun, she sent a huge shell at -point-blank range crashing into the light-built hull. - -[Illustration: "SHE SENT A HUGE SHELL AT POINT-BLANK RANGE CRASHING INTO -THE LIGHT-BUILT HULL"] - -A blinding flash, a huge puff of smoke, and all was over. The -search-light played upon an expanse of agitated water where, five -seconds before, a German torpedo-craft had been churning on her way. - -Meanwhile the _Calder_ held resolutely on her course, ignorant of her -position relative to the enemy fleet, and liable at any moment to "knock -up against" one of the German light cruisers. - -Crosthwaite had now resumed command. His unconquerable determination -had soared above physical injuries. He was not out for personal kudos. -Actuated solely by a desire to uphold the prestige of the Grand Fleet, -and his own flotilla in particular, he was determined to hurl the -_Calder_ between the hostile lines. It mattered little that the -destroyer was unsupported--for long since she had lost touch with her -consorts. Even if none of her officers and crew returned to tell the -tale, he was confident that the craft under his command would play her -part in a manner worthy of the time-honoured traditions of the British -navy. - -Presently a high dark mass was observed almost ahead and slightly on the -destroyer's port bow. It was a hostile battleship. She was lying -athwart the _Calder's_ course, with a considerable list to starboard, -and proceeding at a rate of about four knots. Her foremast had been shot -away, and with it the for'ard funnel, which in ships of this class is -close to the mast. One of her two steel derricks had collapsed, the -curved end trailing over the side. Long gashes in her armoured plates -testified to the accuracy and power of the British gunnery. - -Already the torpedoes had been "launched home" into the _Calder's_ twin -tubes. In any case the battleship must not be allowed to crawl into -port, even if she should be incapable of repairs for months. - -Crosthwaite was about to con the destroyer in order to bring the -torpedo-tubes to bear, when the already stricken battleship gave a -violent lurch, from which she made no attempt at recovery. - -Farther and farther she heeled, the rush of water into her hull and the -hiss of escaping air being distinctly audible above the howling of the -wind. Her crew--or, rather, the survivors--could be heard as they leapt -from the steeply inclined decks. There was no need for a torpedo to -administer the _coup de grace_. - -Five minutes later only the battleship's keel-plates and the tips of the -four propellers remained above the surface, by which time the _Calder_ -had left her well astern and was approaching the double lines of hostile -light cruisers, whose indistinct shapes were just beginning to be -visible against the patch of starlight that penetrated a gap in the inky -mist. - -A sudden blinding glare enveloped the _Calder_, causing her -lieutenant-commander, quartermaster, and helmsman to blink helplessly. -Fairly caught by the rays of half a dozen search-lights, they were -temporarily blinded as effectually as if their eyes had been bandaged -with opaque scarves. - -Fortunately Sefton's back was turned from the direction in which the -destroyer was proceeding. The unmasking of the concentrated rays warned -him. Shielding his eyes, he turned and made a dash for the steam -steering-gear, the wheel of which the helmsman was still grasping -automatically. - -"Hard-a-port!" shouted the sub. - -The man made no attempt to carry out the order, but, slowly bending -forward, collapsed upon the bridge. A fragment of shell had pierced his -brain. - -Pushing the body aside, Sefton put the helm hard over, and the -destroyer, screened by an intervening vessel that fortunately did not -make use of her search-lights, entered a darkened patch between the -brilliantly lighted areas on either side. - -With her remaining guns spitting defiance at the hostile light cruisers, -and launching her torpedoes immediately a target presented itself, the -destroyer continued her devoted dash. Projectiles, large and small, -hurtled overhead, while, rapidly hit again and again, she was soon -reduced to a mere wreck. - -The German cruisers had a fair and easy mark. Had their gun-layers been -equal to the British, the _Calder_ would have been blown clean out of -the water; but the terrible night had told upon their nerves. A -wholesome dread of the British destroyers with their deadly torpedoes -was present in their minds. Not knowing whether the solitary destroyer -was supported by others of the flotilla, they were under the impression -that the _Calder_ was leading a line of swift vessels, and the surmise -was not comforting to the Huns. - -In the midst of the tornado of shell one of the _Calder's_ torpedoes -"got home", ripping open the bottom of a light cruiser and causing an -internal explosion that tore her to pieces. So close was the destroyer -that the terrific rush of displaced air was distinctly felt, while a -dense cloud of smoke from the sinking cruiser, driving to leeward across -the foam-flecked and shell-sprayed waves, completely enveloped the -little craft that had dealt the successful blow. - -"Take her out of action if you can," exclaimed a voice which Sefton -recognized as that of his commanding officer. "I'm done in, I'm -afraid." - -The cloud of smoke saved the _Calder_ from destruction, for, turning -while still in the midst of the impenetrable pall of vapour, the -destroyer slipped away from the rays of search-lights, and, doubling, -literally staggered in an opposite direction to the one she had been -keeping a minute before. - -In vain the German search-lights swept the sea in the supposed position -of the daring destroyer, until, convinced that she had shared the fate -of their lost light cruiser, they screened lights and re-formed line. - -Once more, in the pitch-black darkness of the night, Sefton began to -realize the responsibility of his position. Crosthwaite was now lying -motionless--either he had fainted from loss of blood or else he was -already dead. In spite of his anxiety on his skipper's behalf, Sefton -was unable to lift a finger to help him. The sub was the only one left -standing on the bridge, and whether the bridge was part of a sinking -vessel he knew not. A strange silence brooded over the _Calder_, broken -occasionally by the moans and groans of wounded men who littered her -deck. - -Yet Sefton's instructions were clear up to a certain point. He had to -take the destroyer out of action. To all intents this part of his duty -had been carried out. The _Calder_, in a damaged, perhaps foundering, -condition, was alone on the wild North Sea. - -The dark form of a bluejacket clambered up the twisted bridge-ladder, -and, crossing to where Sefton stood, touched his shoulder. - -"Where's the sub-lootenant, mate?" he asked. - -"I'm here, Brown," replied the young officer. - -"Beg pardon, sir," replied the A.B. "Couldn't recognize you in the -darkness. Thought I'd see if you was all right." - -"Thanks," replied Sefton, touched by the man's devotion. "How goes it -on deck?" - -"A clean sweep, sir," replied Brown. "A regular wipe-out. Copped us -proper, the swine. Both tubes knocked out, after 4-inch blown clean -over the side." - -"Do you know if we're making much water?" asked the sub anxiously, for -the sluggish way in which the destroyer laboured through the water gave -rise to considerable apprehension in that respect. - -"Can't say, sir." - -"Then pass the word for the senior petty officer to report to me." - -The A.B. hurried off, muttering curiously expressed words of -thanksgiving at his young officer's escape. Gratitude had been a -hitherto undeveloped trait in Brown's nature, until that memorable -occasion when Sefton risked his life, if not exactly to save, to be with -him when he found himself in the "ditch". - -Groping for the voice-tube from the bridge to the engine-room, for the -telegraph had disappeared, Sefton attempted to call up the -engineer-lieutenant, but in vain. This means of communication with the -engine-room was completely interrupted. - -It seemed an interminable time before the desired petty officer reported -himself to the bridge. He was a short, lightly-built man, holding the -rank of gunner's mate, and was a capable and fairly well-educated -specimen of the lower deck. Yet, had it been daylight, and he had been -dumped down just as he was in the streets of a naval town, he would have -been promptly run in by the police as a vagrant. His features were -literally hidden in soot mingled with blood, for a shell had hurled him -face downwards upon a jagged steel grating, which had harrowed his face -in a disfiguring though not dangerous fashion. His scanty uniform was -in ribbons, and smelt strongly of smouldering embers, while a black -scarf tied tightly round his left leg below the knee failed to stop a -steady trickle from a shrapnel wound. - -Briefly and to the point the petty officer made his report. The -_Calder_ had been hulled in more than twenty places, but only three -holes were betwixt wind and water. These had already admitted a -considerable quantity of water, but temporary repairs were already in -hand. The steam-pumps had been damaged, but were capable of being set -right, while the use of the hand-pumps enabled the sorry remnant of the -destroyer's crew to keep the leaks well under control. - -Nevertheless the _Calder_ no longer rose buoyantly to the waves. A -sullen, listless movement told its own tale. Not without a grim, -determined struggle would her crew be able successfully to combat the -joint effects of war and rough weather. - -On deck most of the fittings had been swept clear. Of the funnel only -seven feet of jagged stump remained. The rest had vanished. Both masts -had been shot away close to the deck. Of the conning-tower only the -base was left; the rest had been blown away almost with the last shell -fired at point-blank range. The _Calder's_ raised fo'c'sle no longer -existed. From two feet close to the water-line at the stem, and rising -obliquely to the foot of the bridge, there was nothing left but an -inclined plane of bent and perforated steel plates. - -"Our own mother wouldn't know us, sir," concluded the petty officer. - -"Let us hope she'll have the chance," rejoined Sefton, wondering whether -it was humanly possible once more to bring the crippled vessel alongside -her parent ship, or whether the _Calder_ would again berth alongside the -jetty at far-off Rosyth. - -The arrival of half a dozen men enabled Sefton to have the commanding -officer removed below. Anxiously the sub awaited Stirling's verdict. -The report was long in coming, but the doctor's hands were full to -overflowing. During that terrible night many a man owed his life, under -Providence, to the administrations of the young medico. Indifferent to -his own peril, although the crippled destroyer was straining badly in -the heavy seas, Pills toiled like a galley-slave in the semi-darkness, -for the electric light had failed, and the temporary operating-room, -crowded with ghastly cases, was illuminated only by the glimmer of three -oil-lamps. - -"That you, Pills?" enquired Sefton anxiously, as an officer, -distinguishable only by his uniform cap stuck at a comical angle on the -top of his head, clambered upon the bridge. - -"No--Boxspanner," replied that worthy. "At least what's left of him. -Where's the skipper?" - -"Knocked out." - -"Done in?" - -Sefton shook his head. - -"Don't know," he replied. "Pills has him in hand. In any case he's got -it pretty badly. Well, how goes it?" - -"Can't get more'n five knots out of the engines," replied the -engineer-lieutenant. "Port engine-room reduced to scrap. There was -three feet of water in the stokeholds, but it's subsiding, thank -goodness! Deuce of a mess when the lights went out. Stumbled over a -man and banged my head. It feels like a blister on the tyre of a -car--liable to burst at any moment, don't you know. The fellow strafed -me for treading on him. Asked him what the deuce he was lying there -for, since he had wind enough to kick up a row. What do you think he -was up to?" - -"Can't say," replied Sefton. - -"Plugging a shot-hole with his bare back. Had his shoulder wedged -against the gash. He'd been like that for twenty minutes--and he'd lost -three fingers of the right hand." - -"You'll have to make a special report," remarked the sub. - -"A special report of every man of my department you mean!" exclaimed -Boxspanner enthusiastically. "By Jove! If you could have seen them----" - -The arrival of the doctor cut short the engineer-lieutenant's eulogies. - -"Just up for a breather," gasped Stirling. "Thought I'd let you know how -things are going in my line. A bit stiff our butcher's bill. The -skipper's pretty rough. Took a wicked-looking chunk of high-explosive -shell out of his forehead. I've had the deuce of a job to stop the flow -of arterial blood from a gash in his leg. He'll pull through. He's as -hard as nails." - -"That's good," said Sefton and Boxspanner in one breath. - -"Talking of nails," continued Stirling, "I've just had a rum -case--Thompson, the leading signalman. Took fifty pieces of metal from -his hide. The poor wretch couldn't sit down, although the wounds were -light. Those strafed Huns had crammed one of their shrapnel-shells with -gramophone needles. Fact! I'm not joking! I suppose they haven't the -heart for any more music, so they made us a present of the needles. How -much longer to daybreak?" - -"About a quarter to three, Greenwich time," replied Sefton. "I haven't -a watch." - -He did not think it necessary to explain that his wristlet watch had -been ripped from its strap by a flying fragment of shell. He was -becoming painfully aware of the circumstance, for every movement of his -wrist gave him a sharp pain. - -Boxspanner crossed over to the temporary binnacle--one removed from the -wreckage of one of the boats--for the destroyer's standard compass had -gone the way of the majority of the deck-fittings, while the -gyro-compass, placed in the safest part of the vessel, had been -dismounted by the bursting of a shell. - -"It's only a quarter past eleven," he announced dolorously, as he -consulted his watch by the feeble light of the binnacle. - -"Rot!" ejaculated the doctor. "It was midnight when we went into -action." - -The engineer-lieutenant made a second examination. The glass of the -watch had been completely broken; not even a fragment remained. The -hands had gone, while across the dial were two cracks in such positions -that they had misled Boxspanner into the belief that they were the -hands. Yet, on holding the timepiece to his ear and listening -intently--for like the rest of the _Calder's_ complement he was -temporarily deafened from the result of the violent gun-fire--he found -that the watch was still going. - -"It's getting light already," observed Stirling, pointing to a -pale-reddish hue in the north-eastern sky. "Well, I must away. More -patching and mending demand my modest attention." - -Slowly the dawn broke, a crimson glow betwixt the dark, scudding masses -of clouds betokening a continuance of the hard blow, and plenty of it. -With the rising sea the task of the _Calder's_ crew increased tenfold. -Anxiously the horizon was swept in the hope of a friendly vessel being -sighted, but the sky-line was unbroken. The tide of battle, if the -action were still being maintained, had rolled away beyond sight and -hearing of the little band of heroes who so worthily maintained the -prestige of the White Ensign. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV--Out of the Fight - - -With the pumps ejecting copious streams of water the damaged _Calder_ -held gamely on her way, daylight adding to the horrors of the aftermath -of battle. The hull echoed to the clanging of the artificers' hammers -and the dull thud of the caulkers' mallets as the undaunted and tireless -men proceeded with the work of stopping leaks. On deck steps were being -taken to clear away the debris, and to set up a pair of temporary -funnels of sufficient height to carry the smoke clear of the side. The -sole remaining gun was overhauled and again made fit for action in case -of necessity. Although not anxious to fall in with a U boat or a stray -Zeppelin, the _Calder's_ crew were determined to take every precaution -to keep the tattered ensign still flying from the temporary staff set up -aft. - -For another hour the destroyer crawled on her long journey towards the -cliff-bound shores of Britain. Then Sefton issued an order which was -repeated aft and down below. The engines were stopped, the remnants of -the crew mustered aft, and the battle-scarred pieces of bunting lowered -to half-mast. - -The _Calder's_ crew were about to pay their last homage to those of -their comrades who had gallantly laid down their lives for king and -country. - -Fifteen hammock-enshrouded forms lay motionless at the after end of the -deck. Bare-headed their messmates stood in silence as Sefton, with a -peculiar catch in his usually firm voice, read the prayer appointed for -the burial of those at sea. Then into the foam-flecked waves, the -bodies of those conquerors even in death were consigned, to find an -undisturbed resting-place fathoms deep on the bed of the North Sea. - -It was no time for melancholy. At the word "Dismiss" the men trooped -for'ard, for there was plenty of work to do, and, in the navy -especially, hard but necessary work is rightly considered one of the -best antidotes for grief. - -Snatching at the opportunity to visit his chief, Sefton hurried below to -the shattered ward-room, where Crosthwaite lay on a mattress that smelt -abominably of cordite and the lingering odours of poison-gas. The -lieutenant-commander had by this time recovered consciousness, and -greeted Sefton with a bad attempt at a smile. - -"We've kept our end up," he said feebly. "Think you'll get the old ship -back to port?" - -"I trust so," said the sub guardedly. "I'll do my level best." - -"I know," assented Crosthwaite. "Still, you've a stiff job. I'll be on -the bridge in another half an hour and give you a spell." - -Sefton said nothing. He realized that many hours--nay, days--would pass -before his chief would again assume command. Crosthwaite was quick to -notice his subordinate's silence. - -"Suppose I've had it pretty badly," he admitted reluctantly. "It was a -rotten business getting knocked out at the critical time." - -"Nothing much happened after that," explained Sefton. "We were out of -it within twenty seconds from the time you were hit." - -"Man alive!" protested Crosthwaite. "You're altogether wrong. For -nearly ten minutes I was lying there quite conscious and watching you. -You're a plucky fellow, old man." - -Before Sefton could reply he was called away. A Zeppelin had been -sighted, flying in the direction of the badly mauled _Calder_. - -Quickly the remaining gun was manned. Although not intended for aerial -work, modification to the original mounting permitted it to be trained -within ten degrees of the perpendicular, supplementary sights having -been fitted to enable it to be laid while at extreme elevation. - -The air-ship was still four miles off, and flying at an altitude of -about 2000 feet. Apparently undamaged, it was proceeding at a rapid -pace against the wind. - -Deprived of the advantage of speed and manoeuvring powers, the destroyer -would fall an easy prey to the Zeppelin's bombs unless the _Calder_ -could make good use of her solitary 4-inch quick-firer. The weapon was -loaded and trained abeam, the gun's crew being ordered to take cover, -and thus give the destroyer the appearance of being incapable of -defence. - -Sefton made no attempt to alter helm. He had made up his mind to wait -until the huge target came within easy range. He knew that the _Calder_ -was under observation, and that the Germans were trying to ascertain the -nature of the destroyer's injuries. Should they come to the conclusion -that the slowly-moving British craft was powerless of doing damage they -would not be likely to waste ballast in ascending to a safe altitude and -a corresponding loss of hydrogen in descending after the attack. - -Nearer and nearer came the huge air-ship, her bows steadily pointing in -the direction of the destroyer. Range-finder in hand, Sefton curbed his -impatience. Not until the Zeppelin bore at a distance of 2500 yards did -he order the gun's crew to their stations. - -With a vicious spurt of flame and a sharp, resounding detonation the -4-inch sent a shell hurtling through the air. Admirably timed, it burst -apparently close to the silvery-grey envelope. Almost instantly a huge -cloud of black and yellow smoke shot from the Zeppelin. - -A rousing cheer burst from the throats of the British seamen. The cheer -was taken up by the wounded heroes down below, who, having heard in some -mysterious manner of the air-ship's approach, were waiting the issue of -events with mingled confidence and regret that they themselves were -unable to assist in "strafing the sausage". - -The cheers literally froze on the lips of the men on deck, for when the -smoke cleared away the Zeppelin was a mere speck, 10,000 feet in the -air. Under cover of a discharge of smoke she had dropped a large -quantity of ballast and had shot vertically upwards to a safe altitude. - -The Hun in command had received orders not to attack unless he could do -so without risk, the Zeppelin being specially detailed for observation -work. With a range of visibility of fifty or sixty miles she was of far -more service to the discomfited German High Seas Fleet in warning them -of the position of their victors than in strafing a solitary destroyer. - -With solid water sweeping her fore and aft, the _Calder_ still struggled -on her course, steered by the hand-operated gear in conjunction with the -inefficient boat's compass. Hitherto the leaks had been kept under, but -now the water was making its way in through the shattered fore-deck. - -Reluctantly Sefton came to the conclusion that he would have to give the -order "abandon ship" before many minutes had passed. Already the -knowledge that the old _Calder_ was slowly foundering had become -general, yet there was no panic. - -Calmly some of the men began to collect all the buoyant materials they -could lay their hands upon for the purpose of constructing rafts, since -there were no boats left. Others stuck gamely to the task of manning -the pumps, while the wounded were carried on deck in order to give them -a chance of getting clear of the sinking ship. - -At seven in the morning a vessel was sighted to the west'ard proceeding -in a nor'-easterly direction. After a few minutes of anxious doubt as to -her nationality, she proved to be a Danish trawler--unless the national -colours painted on her sides and the distinguishing numbers on her sails -were disguises. - -Altering her course, the trawler bore down upon the _Calder_ and slowed -down within hailing distance to leeward. - -"Come you all aboard," shouted the Danish skipper, a tall, -broad-shouldered descendant of a Viking forbear. "We save you. Plenty -room for all." - -"We don't want to abandon ship yet," replied Sefton. "We may weather it -yet." - -"An' I think that you answer so," rejoined the skipper. "You British -seamans brave mans. Englishmans goot; Danes goot; Germans no goot. Me -stand by an' 'elp." - -"Seen anything of the battle?" enquired the sub. - -The Danish skipper nodded his head emphatically. - -"Germans run for port as if Satan after them," he declared; then, -realizing that he had paid the Huns a compliment, he hastened to add: -"No, no; Germans too fond of wickedness to run from Satan--it is from -the English that they run. Ships sunk everywhere, dead men float by -thousands: we no fish for months in these waters." - -This was the first intimation that the _Calder's_ crew received of -Jellicoe's failure to combine annihilation with victory. Victory it -undoubtedly was; but, although the Grand Fleet had succeeded in getting -between the enemy and his North Sea bases, the Huns, favoured by -darkness and fog, had contrived to elude the toils, and were skeltering -for safety with a haste bordering upon panic. Jellicoe and Beatty had -done everything that courage and science could devise. They had -inflicted far greater losses on the Huns than the latter did upon us. -And, what is more, the British fleet "held the lists", while the -boastful Germans, crowding into Wilhelmshaven and other ports, spent -their time in spreading lying reports of their colossal victory over the -hated English. - -"You no look surprise at the news," continued the master of the Danish -trawler. "Me think you cheer like mad." - -"Of course, we're glad," replied Sefton, "but it is not quite what we -expected, you know. We're sorry that the enemy got away." - -"Me, too," agreed the Dane. "Germany treat little Denmark badly. She -bully; we cannot do anything. Shall we run alongside an' take you and -your crew off?" - -Sefton gave a glance to windward. It seemed as if the seas were -moderating. His reluctance to abandon ship increased. The _Calder_ had -played her part, and it seemed base ingratitude to leave her to founder. - -[Illustration: "THE 'CALDER' HAD PLAYED HER PART, AND IT SEEMED BASE -INGRATITUDE TO LEAVE HER TO FOUNDER"] - -"I don't think she's settling down any further, sir," replied one of the -carpenter's crew in answer to the sub's question. "Bulkheads are -holding well." - -"Then we'll carry on," declared the sub, and, warmly thanking the Dane -for his humanity, he courteously declined the offer of assistance. - -"Goot luck, then!" replied the skipper of the trawler as he thrust the -wheel hard over and ordered easy ahead. Yet not for another hour did he -part company. Keeping at a discreet distance from the labouring -destroyer, he remained until, the sea having moderated, and the _Calder_ -showing no further signs of distress, he came to the conclusion that the -battered British craft stood a fair chance of making port. - -For the next couple of hours the _Calder_ was continually passing -wreckage, scorched and shattered woodwork testifying to the devastating -effect of modern explosives. The destroyer was passing over the scene -of one of the many isolated engagements that composed the memorable -battle and certain British victory of Jutland. - -"A boat or a raft of sorts, sir," reported a seaman, pointing to a -floating object a couple of miles away, and slightly on the _Calder's_ -starboard bow. - -Sefton brought his binoculars to bear upon the objects indicated by the -look-out. At regular intervals, as it rose on the crests of the waves, -a large raft known, after its inventor, as the "Carley" was visible. An -exaggerated lifebuoy, with a "sparred" platform so arranged that in the -event of the appliance being completely overset the "deck" would still -be available, the "Carley" has undoubtedly proved its value in the -present war. Practically indestructible, not easily set on fire by -shells, and with an almost inexhaustible reserve of buoyancy, the raft -is capable of supporting twenty men with ease. - -Slowly the _Calder_ approached the life-buoy. She was doing a bare 3 -knots; while, able to use only one propeller, she was hard on her helm. - -"Wot are they--strafed 'Uns or some of our blokes?" enquired an ordinary -seaman of his "raggie"; for, although the men on the raft were now -clearly visible, their almost total absence of clothing made it -impossible to determine their nationality. - -"Dunno, mate," replied his chum. "'Uns, perhaps; they don't seem in no -'urry to see us." - -"'Uns or no 'Uns," rejoined the first speaker, "skipper's goin' to pull -'em out of the ditch, if it's only to show 'em that we ain't like them U -boat pirates." - -"Strikes me they're pretty well done in," chimed in another. "There's -not one of 'em as has the strength of a steerage rat." - -Huddled on the raft were fifteen almost naked human beings. Some were -roughly bandaged. All were blackened by smoke and scorched by exposure -to the sun and salt air. Another half-dozen were in the water, -supporting themselves by one hand grasping the life-lines of the raft. - -By this time they had observed the _Calder's_ approach; but, content -that they had been seen, the exhausted men engaged in no demonstration -of welcome. They sat listlessly, with their salt-rimmed eyes fixed upon -their rescuers. - -At a great risk of crushing the men in the water, the destroyer closed. -The "Carley" was secured and brought alongside, and the work of -transferring the survivors commenced. Without assistance the majority -would never have been able to gain the _Calder's_ deck, so pitiful was -their condition owing to a night's exposure to the cold. - -They were British seamen, but Sefton forbore to question them until they -had received attention from the hard-worked Dr. Stirling, and been -supplied with food and drink from the already sadly-depleted stores. - -When the men had recovered sufficiently to relate their adventures, they -told a typical story of British pluck and heroism. They were part of -the crew of the destroyer _Velocity_, and had taken part in a night -attack upon von Hipper's squadron. - -In the midst of the melee a hostile light cruiser, tearing at 27 knots, -rammed the _Velocity_, cutting her completely in twain just abaft the -after engine-room bulkhead. Swallowed up in the darkness, the stern -portion of the destroyer floated for nearly ten minutes before it -foundered. Of what happened to the remaining and larger part of the -vessel the survivors had no definite knowledge, although some were under -the impression that it was towed away under fire by another destroyer. - -Left with sufficient time to cut away a "Carley", the remnant of the -_Velocity's_ crew found themselves adrift, with the still engaging -vessels steaming farther and farther away. - -Without food and almost destitute of clothing, for in anticipation of a -swim the men had taken off the remainder of their already scanty -"fighting-kit", their position was a precarious one. The rising seas -threatened to sweep them from the over-crowded raft, while the bitterly -cold night air numbed their limbs. Yet, with the characteristic -light-heartedness of the British tar, the men passed the time in singing -rousing choruses, even the wounded joining in. - -At daybreak they were pretty well exhausted. No vessel was in sight. -They were without food and water, and unable to take any steps to propel -their unwieldy, heavily-laden raft in any direction. - -Presently a large German battle-cruiser loomed through the mist. The -Huns must have had a bad attack of nerves, for, contrary to all the -dictates of humanity, they let fly a dozen quick-firers at the raft. -Possibly they mistook the low-lying object for a submarine. Fortunately -the shells flew wide. - -Then, to the surprise of the remnant of the )Velocity's* crew, the -German ship suddenly heaved her bows clear of the water and disappeared -in a great smother of foam and a cloud of smoke. - -A rousing cheer--it is wonderful how much sound men can give vent to -even when almost dead through exhaustion--hailed this unexpected -deliverance from one of many perils, and the seamen settled themselves -to resume their prolonged discomforts, buoyed up by the unshaken hope -that a British vessel would bear down to their assistance. - -It was indeed remarkable how quickly most of the _Velocity's_ men -regained their spirits after being received on board the _Calder_. - -One, in particular, was displaying acute anxiety as to the condition of -a bundle of one-pound notes, which, sodden with sea-water, he had -carefully removed from the pouch of his solitary garment--a body-belt. -Amidst a fire of good-natured chaff, the man spread his precious -belongings out to dry--an almost impossible task owing to the showers of -spray--until, taken compassion upon by a sympathetic stoker, he went -below to the stokehold and successfully completed the delicate -operation. - -Another survivor stuck gamely to a wooden tobacco-box. His messmates -knew the secret, but, when questioned by the _Calder's_ men, he -cautiously opened the lid, displaying a couple of white rats. Before -going into action, the man, having doubts as to the safety of his pets -in the fo'c'sle, had stealthily removed them aft, placing the box in the -officers' pantry. When the _Velocity_ was rammed he did not forget his -dumb friends. At the risk of his life, he went below and secured the -box. Throughout the long night he kept the animals dry, only -surrendering them to his chums when his turn came to leap overboard and -lighten the already overcrowded life-buoy. - -The rest of the day passed almost without incident. Food was running -short, for, in spite of the sadly depleted number of the _Calder's_ -crew, there was barely another day's provisions left on board that had -not been spoiled by fire and water. In addition, the augmentation of -the ship's company by the rescued crew made the shortage still more -acute. - -Just as night was coming on a petty officer approached Sefton and -saluted. - -"For'ard bulkhead's giving, sir," he reported, as coolly as if he were -announcing a most trivial occurrence. "There's four feet of water in -the for'ard stokehold." - -The safety of the _Calder_ and her crew depended upon that transverse -wall of steel. Once this bulkhead yielded to the terrific pressure of -water, no human ingenuity and resource could save the battered destroyer -from plunging to the bed of the North Sea. - - - - -CHAPTER XV--A Day of Suspense - - -"Confound the wretched thing, Sefton!" exclaimed Major-General -Crosthwaite explosively. - -"I hereby confound it!" said his companion with grim solemnity. "I'll -do anything you like, provided you don't ask me to evacuate this -luxurious cushion and push." - -"Now if I had my chauffeur here----" began the General, then, realizing -that his duty to his country had necessitated the release of the man for -military service, he held his peace on that point, only to break out in -another direction. - -"It's that horrible concoction that is sold as petrol," he remarked with -an air of profound wisdom. "Sixty per cent paraffin and ten per cent -water. Nine o'clock in the evening, miles from anywhere, and the -idiotic car as obstinate as a mule." - -Dick's father, enjoying a hard-earned fortnight's leave after a -strenuous time at the front, had performed what he would have considered -a desperate task in pre-war days. He had actually driven his own -motor--a twenty-horse-power touring-car--from Shropshire to Southampton. -Luck, in the shape of complete immunity from tyre troubles and the two -thousand odd things that might go wrong with a car, had hitherto -favoured him. Whereat he became conceited with his powers as a -motorist; but it was pride before a fall, and Major-General Crosthwaite -found himself stranded with his three companions somewhere in the -vicinity of the little Wiltshire town of Malmesbury. - -The eldest of the three passengers was Admiral Trefusis Sefton, K.C.B. -(retired), whose son Jack was at that very moment engaged upon his -desperate venture of bringing the crippled _Calder_ across the North -Sea. Residing near Southampton, he had accepted Crosthwaite Senior's -invitation to spend a long week-end at the latter's house near -Bridgnorth, and the Major-General thought it was a good opportunity for -having a motor-tour by fetching his guest from the south of England. - -"I'll take young George with me," wrote the Major-General, "and there -will be room in the car for Leslie. They can't get into worse mischief -than if they were left at home, and one will be company for the other." - -So George Crosthwaite accompanied his father from Bridgnorth to -Southampton. Shrewdly the fifteen-year old lad suspected that the -primary object of his sire was to let his son see what an expert driver -Crosthwaite Senior had become. - -Leslie Sefton, also aged fifteen, jumped at the invitation, and, in -spite of various and oft-repeated warnings from his parent not to -skylark, his exuberant spirits formed a sympathetic counterpart to those -of young George Crosthwaite. - -Declining his son's offer of expert advice and assistance, the general -divested himself of his coat, rolled up his shirt sleeves, inserted his -monocle in his eye, and spent four precious minutes in deep -contemplation of the stationary car. Then he applied rudimentary tests -to half a dozen different parts without locating the trouble, while the -admiral placidly smoked a choice cigar and meditated upon the pleasing -fact that he had never succumbed to the motor craze. - -George and Leslie, seated on a bank by the roadside, were discussing the -merits and demerits of various types of aeroplanes when the former's -parent interrupted the pleasant discussion. - -"George." - -"Sir?" - -"I want you to go into Malmesbury and get them to send a car to tow us -in." - -Young Crosthwaite, unlike either of the two sons in the parable, -prepared to obey. "Obey orders at the double" had been dinned into his -head from time immemorial. On one occasion when the colonel--as he was -then--was entertaining a high War Office official, George, in his -alacrity to carry out his parent's behests, collided with the portly -butler bearing a heavily-laden tray. But the culprit's plea that he was -fulfilling the oft-reiterated order calmed the colonel's inward wrath -(he dared not "let himself go" just then) and earned a substantial tip -from the highly-amused guest. - -"Coming?" asked George laconically, addressing his chum. - -"Rather," was the reply. - -George threw his greatcoat into the car. As he did so, his sharp eyes -caught sight of a tap that was turned off when it should have been -turned on. - -Deftly he depressed the little lever, and, somewhat to his parent's -surprise, "tickled" the carburetter. - -"It's no use doing that," said the discomfited motorist. "Hurry up and -be off. We'll be stranded here all night if you don't bestir yourself." - -Crosthwaite Senior's astonishment increased when the dutiful George -climbed into the car and released the self-starter. The motor fired -without a hitch. - -"By Jove!" ejaculated George's parent, too delighted to think of -thanking his son. "However did you manage it?" - -"Only turned the petrol on," replied George calmly. - -"Have you been playing any tricks----?" began the general, then resolved -to repeat the question at a more favourable private opportunity. "Jump -in, Sefton; we've wasted an hour already. Might have been in Gloucester -by this time. 'Fraid we'd better put up in Malmesbury to-night." - -On the lowest gear, the car crawled slowly up the stiff gradient leading -to the little town, and pulled up outside an ivy-clad inn within a -stone's throw of the imposing ruins of the abbey. - -"Any news to-night, I wonder?" enquired the general as the four sat down -to a substantial supper. "Suppose there's no chance of a late paper in -this out-of-the-way spot?" - -"'Fraid not," replied the admiral. "You see, it is on a branch line. -Decent weather, eh?" - -"Not so bad for our men in the North Sea," remarked Crosthwaite -complacently. "They've had a long, rotten winter, although Dick never -complains on that score. Must be quite yachty weather, I should -imagine," he added, with the memories of a certain pleasure cruise to -the Baltic in June flashing across his mind. - -He picked up a morning paper from a settee and glanced at it. He had -read the selfsame news fourteen hours previously. Yet a paragraph had -hitherto escaped his notice. - -"By Jove!" he exclaimed. - -"What's that?" enquired the admiral. - -"Suppose, after all, it's nothing much," observed General Crosthwaite. -"Masters of neutral steamers arriving at Danish ports state that they -sighted numerous wrecks and hundreds of floating corpses. Another Reuter -yarn, I take it." - -"More U-boat frightfulness perhaps," hazarded Admiral Sefton. - -And yet the report was a mild form of paving the way towards the -announcement of the Jutland battle. This was on Friday. Already -Germany had claimed a glorious and colossal naval victory, and the -tardiness of the British Government in giving the lie direct to the -boastful Hunnish claims gave, at least temporarily, a severe shock to -neutrals' belief in the invincibility of Britain's sea power. Already -American pro-German papers had appeared with highly coloured accounts of -Great Britain's crushing naval disaster; cartoons depicting John Bull's -consternation at the return of the battered British lion with a badly -twisted tail spoke volumes for the incontestable superiority of the -German navy. - -Happily ignorant of the disquieting rumours, and, indeed, of any -knowledge of the naval action, the motorists slept soundly until eight -on the following morning. - -"Another fine day," declared Crosthwaite Senior at breakfast. "We ought -to be home by three in the afternoon. Any papers yet?" he enquired of -the waiter. - -"No, sir, not until eleven," was the reply. - -"Must wait until we get to Gloucester, I suppose," grunted the general. -"One of the penalties for stopping at a place on a branch line." - -"A fine little place, Pater," remarked George. "Absolutely top-hole. -Wish we were staying here. There's an awfully decent stream down -there--looks just the place for fishing." - -"Can't beat the Severn for that, my boy," declared his father, loyal to -his native town and the river that flows past its site. "Buck up, my -boy, and finish the packing. I want to see that that petrol-tank is -properly filled--no unsealed cans, remember." - -George Crosthwaite was really a useful assistant to his parent. -Crosthwaite Senior frankly recognized the fact, but forbore from giving -his son, personally, due credit, avowing that it was bad for discipline -to be lavish with praise. - -"Smart youngster, Sefton, my boy," he declared in proud confidence to -the admiral. "He has his head screwed on the right way, although I -suppose I ought not to brag about it. Have to be careful, though, that -he doesn't kick over the traces just yet." - -It was nearly nine before the car was ready to resume its journey. In -high spirits, for the bracing air and bright sunshine made a perfect -day, the party set off. - -Major-General Crosthwaite started at a strictly moderate pace. He -invariably did; but it was always noticeable that, before he had covered -many miles, he accelerated the speed until it reached a reckless pace -bordering on fifty miles an hour. Towards the end of his day's journey, -he would develop a speed that caused his sedate passengers to quake with -apprehension, and his youthful ones to revel in the terrific rush -through the air. - -Twenty minutes after leaving Malmesbury the car, now running splendidly, -bounded up the steep ascent into old-world Tetbury. Here, taking a -wrong turning, the motorists had to retrace their way, Crosthwaite -Senior slowing down in order to avoid a similar mistake. - -Presently Leslie caught sight of a placard displayed outside a -news-agent's shop. In flaring red letters were the words: "Big Naval -Action in the North Sea". - -Leaning over the seat he gripped his father's arm. By this time the car -was well beyond the shop. - -"What's wrong?" bawled the admiral, for the wind-screen had been lowered -and the breeze was whistling past his ears. - -"Big scrap in the North Sea--it's on the placards," replied his son, - -"Heave-to, Crosthwaite!" exclaimed Admiral Sefton. "Stop here!" - -The driver, imagining that something was amiss, and that he had -unknowingly run over something, applied his emergency brakes, bringing -up his car all standing and at a grave risk to the tyres. Leslie, taken -unawares, shot forward, "ramming" his parent in the small of the back -with his head and forcing the admiral against the dash-board. - -"What the----!" began the astonished Crosthwaite Senior. - -Almost unconscious of the rough treatment by his son, Admiral Sefton -descended from the car. Already George had executed a flying leap, and -was running towards the news-agent's shop. - -Returning with a handful of papers he met the admiral half-way. - -"It's 'The Day', sir!" he exclaimed, confident in the belief that the -long-expected struggle for naval supremacy had been settled once and for -all in Britain's favour. - -Admiral Sefton grabbed the proffered paper with super-energy, almost -tearing the flimsy fabric with his powerful fingers as he fumbled with -the recalcitrant leaves. - -Then the look of eager expectancy faded from his face, giving place to a -dull, strained expression of incredulity. - -"Come along, Sefton!" sang out Crosthwaite Senior. "Don't be greedy -with the good news. Why, man----" - -"We've got it properly in the neck, Pater," announced his son. -"Fourteen of ours, including the _Queen Mary_, sunk." - -"But the enemy--the German losses are heavier than ours?" enquired the -general, snatching at the paper George was holding. - -The two officers scanned the official report. "Owing to low -visibility"--was ever an Admiralty dispatch issued with such halting -excuses? A straightforward admission of our losses, it is true, but -nothing to suggest that the Germans had incurred similar or heavier -casualties, or even that the British navy had gained the day. And then -there was the perplexing statement that the Germans had rescued a number -of British seamen, and no corresponding report to the effect that we had -saved any of theirs. Everything pointed to a running fight in which the -Huns were the pursuers. - -Admiral Sefton was dumbfounded. Had there been a convenient wall, he -might have turned his face towards it and groaned in spirit. Instead he -set his jaw tightly and thought hard. - -"What do you make of it?" enquired the general. "Looks bad on the face -of it, eh?" - -"We must wait for further details," was his companion's guarded reply. -The journey was resumed, but all the joy had vanished from the minds of -the party. No longer, the beautiful scenery appealed to them; the -crisp, bracing air and brilliant sunshine called in vain. - -Down the steep "hairpin" road through Nailsworth, and along one of the -prettiest valleys of the Cotswolds, the car literally crawled. General -Crosthwaite, contrary to his usual practice, was driving slowly and -listlessly. His keen zest had disappeared. As he gripped the -steering-wheel he thought deeply, remembering that his son was somewhere -out there in the trackless, mine-strewn North Sea. - -The admiral, too, was meditating. He would dearly have liked to have -paced to and fro, with his hands clasped behind his back in true -quarter-deck style; but since the limits of the car made such a -proceeding impossible, and it was equally difficult to alight unless the -car stopped, he "sat tight" and made a mental review of the battle, -constructing his theories upon the slender foundations conveyed in the -official report. - -Gradually his perplexities vanished. The firm belief in the well-being -of the navy that had gripped his mind ever since those long-past -_Britannia_ days was not to be shattered by a disquieting and obviously -incomplete report, even though it bore Admiralty endorsement. - -"Hang it all!" he exclaimed, startling his friend by bawling into -Crosthwaite Senior's ear. "Hanged if I'll go by that report. Just you -wait, my dear fellow, until supplementary information is forthcoming. -It's my belief the Admiralty have something up their sleeve, and that -we've won hands down." - -"You think so?" asked the general eagerly. - -"Think so! I know it," was the now decided reply. "Carry on, -Crosthwaite, full-speed ahead, and we'll see what news there is when we -get to Gloucester." - -"Hope you're right," thought the army officer. Visions of a previous -naval disaster--that of the gallant Craddock's defeat off Coronel, the -first news of which came from German sources--urged that such a thing as -a naval defeat might be possible, especially in view of the great part -played by chance. A misunderstood order might result in disaster. A -chance shot or an accidental internal explosion might imperil the -superiority of the British fleet. - -But there was always the dominating factor--men, not ships, win battles. -The British seaman, with the glorious traditions of centuries behind -him, is in every way superior to the brute who mans the fleet of the -Black Cross Ensign. - -Then the general found himself mentally kicking himself for not sharing -in the admiral's optimism. - -"Sefton's right," he concluded. "When we get more news we'll find that -all's well." - -At Gloucester the admiral sent off a telegram, bought four different -papers, scanned the bulletins in the windows of the publishing offices, -and found himself little wiser than before; but at Worcester, where the -motorists stopped for lunch, they found the outlook much brighter. - -Steps had already been taken to counteract the depressing effects of the -preliminary official announcement of the Battle of Jutland. The loss of -the _Warspite_ and _Marlborough_, both ships having been claimed as sunk -by the Germans, was categorically denied, and a statement of the British -vessels, known to be sunk, given. Enemy ships, aggregating in tonnage -more than that of our losses, were claimed only when definite reports of -their fate were received, from which it was now evident that, far from -being a German victory, the honours rested with the fleet under -Jellicoe's command. - -At the post office Admiral Sefton obtained a wire, sent in reply to his -telegram from Gloucester. It was from an old shipmate, now holding an -appointment at Whitehall, and was as follows:-- - -"Vessel in question has not returned to base." - -Without a word the admiral handed the buff paper to his friend. Hardly -a muscle of Crosthwaite Senior's weather-beaten face moved as he read -the momentous but indefinite news, although the "vessel in question" was -the T.B.D. _Calder_, and both men had similar personal interests in the -matter. - -For the moment private considerations held supreme sway. The two men -mutually extended their right hands and exchanged sympathetic grips. - -"If they are knocked out, it was in the thick of the scrap," declared -General Crosthwaite. "I'll stake my all upon that." - -"_Dulce et_----" began the admiral, then, coming to the conclusion that -he was a trifle premature, he exclaimed: "Dash it all, Crosthwaite, -strange things happen at sea! They may turn up after all." - -"It's the suspense," added Crosthwaite. "Look here, I'll take the car -right slap on to Edinburgh, and go on to Rosyth. Are you game?" - -"Carry on," said Admiral Sefton. "I'm with you." - - - - -CHAPTER XVI--The Struggle in the Mountain Pass - - -Near the summit of Blackstone Edge, an unfrequented road running at a -height of between 1200 and 1300 feet over the serrated Pennine Hills, -five men were lying upon the short, dark-green grass in a slight hollow -within ten yards of the highway. There was little about their appearance -that demanded attention. A casual observer might in pardonable error -have taken them for a party of Lancashire mill operatives out for a -day's enjoyment. - -At intervals one of the party would roll over on his side, produce a -pair of prismatic glasses from his pocket, and peer with considerable -caution over the ridge of the hollow, focusing the binoculars upon the -winding ribbon-like "slag" road that ascended steeply from the town of -Rochdale, the factory chimneys of which were just discernible through -the murky Lancashire atmosphere. Then, with a guttural grunt that -betokened disappointment, he would replace the glasses and relapse into -a stolid contemplation of his silent comrades. The hot sun pouring -pitilessly upon the heavily-clad men did not tend to improve their -physical comfort. Several times they cursed the tormenting flies, -expressing their murmured epithets in the German tongue. - -At last one of the men spoke. - -"Are you sure that he is coming this way, Hans?" he asked, addressing -the man with the binoculars. "Perhaps he has taken it into his head to -take the other road--the Stanedge Pass, it is called." - -"These Englishmen are so pig-headed that they rarely change their -minds," replied Hans. "It is often as well that they do not. I have it -on excellent authority that he leaves Liverpool at nine, addresses a -conference at Bolton at eleven, and receives a deputation at Rochdale at -two. Now, is it conceivable that he would go a roundabout way to -Halifax when this is the shortest and easiest route?" - -"He may take the railway train," suggested another of the band, as he -shifted an automatic pistol from his hip pocket, where it seriously -interfered with his ease, to his breast coat pocket. - -"Knowing our man as I do," declared Hans, "I do not think it likely, -unless his motor breaks down over these atrocious cobbled roads. No, I -think we are soon to meet our expected visitor. Now, are you all -thoroughly acquainted with your duties? There must be no failure. Even -partial success is not sufficient. Complete obliteration of the man, a -final disappearance, is what is required, and what must be -accomplished." - -A resolute chorus of assent rose from the four subordinates. Their -leader, levelling his binoculars, studied the road for the twentieth -time. - -The five were members of a German Secret Service agency. Provided with -registration cards, obtained with the greatest ease, since no attempt -had been made to verify the particulars demanded by law; speaking -English with a flawless Lancashire accent, members of a trade union, and -fully conversant with the peculiarities of industrial life, the men were -able to carry on their nefarious scheme with little risk of detection. - -After a run of minor activities, an opportunity was about to occur -whereby they might render an important service to the Fatherland. A -high official was engaged upon an industrial tour of Lancashire and -Yorkshire, with the intention of increasing the already huge output of -munitions from the factories temporarily given over to the production of -war-like stores. The magnetic personality of the man made the task an -easy one to him, although others less gifted would have encountered -nothing but opposition had they proposed the same conditions to the -independent operatives of Lancashire and Yorkshire. He was one of the -very few Government officials who understood the northern temperament. -When others would have "rubbed them up the wrong way", this level-headed -statesman was able to enlist the whole-hearted sympathies of blunt and -outspoken audiences. His persuasive powers were worth an army corps to -the Commander-in-Chief of the British troops in France. - -The five Germans had laid their plans well. Their proposed operations -had met with full approval from head-quarters at Berlin, and the result -of their efforts was anxiously awaited by the German Government. Since -abduction left a loophole in the complete furtherance of the plot, -Teutonic thoroughness and frightfulness had devised a more drastic plan. - -At the summit of the Blackstone Edge is a large lake or reservoir, its -unfenced sides shelving steeply to a depth, in a certain place, of fifty -feet. It would be a comparatively simple matter to wreck the car, -murder its occupants if they still survived the fall from the overturned -vehicle, and topple the wreckage into the dark waters of the mountain -lake. - -A cloud passed athwart the sun. The sweltering heat gave place to a -piercing cold. The Huns shivered in the cold wind and grumbled at the -keenness of the English June. Overhead three gaunt crows flew, cawing -dismally. With Teutonic superstition one of the men called his -companions' attention to the ill omen. - -"Nonsense, Otto!" protested the man known as Hans. "The ill luck is -directed against the man for whom we are waiting so patiently. Ha! -Here comes the car." - -With their heads just showing above the ridge, the five kept the -approaching motor under close observation. It was climbing rapidly, -leaving in its wake a cloud of dust that drifted slowly across the deep -valley on the left-hand side of the curve. Presently an unmistakable -rasping sound announced the fact that the driver, finding the gradient -too severe, had let in the lowest gear. - -"Are you certain it is he?" asked one of the Huns. "There are four in -the car?" - -"Did you suppose he would travel alone?" retorted his leader. "That is -he right enough--the man in civilian clothes. The other is a military -staff officer. The red in his cap proves that. The younger men are -doubtless his secretaries--valets perhaps. Yes, it is our man. Now, -make ready." - -Giving a glance in the opposite direction in order to make certain that -no one was approaching from the Yorkshire side of the Pass, Hans -cautiously placed a small battery within easy reach of his fat, podgy -fingers. From the battery ran a couple of fine wires through the -stretch of grass, terminating at an inconspicuous greyish object lying -in the centre of the road in the midst of a scatter of loose stones. - -At the critical moment a touch upon the firing-key of the battery -and---- - - ---- - -"Why are you so keen upon the East Coast route, Crosthwaite?" asked the -admiral. "It's a jolly sight longer." - -"That I admit," replied the general. "But I know it, which makes a vast -difference. The Carlisle road is jolly rough, especially over Shap -Summit." - -"By the by, George, here is a little problem for you," said Admiral -Sefton. "Which is the farthest west, Liverpool or Edinburgh?" - -George looked at Leslie for assistance. That worthy, having heard the -question put many times before, took an astonishing interest in a -policeman at the street corner. - -"Well, sir," replied George, "Liverpool is on the west coast; Edinburgh -on the east----" - -"Within a few miles," corrected the admiral. "Therefore I should imagine -that Liverpool is more to the west." - -"Then look it up on the map," exclaimed Admiral Sefton triumphantly. -"You'll find you're wrong. That's why I couldn't understand your -father's intention of keeping to the East Coast route until he explained -his preference." - -"We'll do it quicker, too," rejoined Crosthwaite, Senior. "Once we're -clear of the outskirts of Manchester we'll reel off the miles like -winking. Here you are: Rochdale, Halifax, Bradford, and Harrogate, -striking the Great North Road at Boroughbridge." - -The journey was resumed, the admiral, as before, sitting with -Crosthwaite Senior, while George and Leslie, comfortably ensconced in -the rear seats, were surreptitiously examining a formidable-looking -air-pistol that Leslie Sefton had smuggled into his portmanteau. - -It was modelled after a Service weapon, having the same weight and -balance. The barrel was rifled, and was capable of sending a lead slug -with considerable force and low trajectory from a distance of fifty -yards. - -"We'll take pot shots at rabbits on the way," declared Leslie. "The -governor won't hear the sound. It makes very little noise, and the -engine will drown that. There'll be hundreds of bunnies up there," and -he pointed to the still-distant outlines of the frowning Pennines. - -Up and up, out of the dreary manufacturing district, the car climbed, -until the moist smoky atmosphere of the cotton-mills gave place to the -keen bracing air of the hills. - -Both lads, alive to the possibilities of using the air-pistol, hung on -to the side of the car, their eyes roving the grass-land in the hope of -spotting a likely target. - -The car had been climbing on low gear, but now the gradient became less. -The travellers were nearing the summit of Blackstone Edge. - -Suddenly Leslie levelled the weapon, aiming at what he took to be the -body of a rabbit showing above the top of a hillock. He was on the -point of pressing the trigger when a loud crash, followed by a cloud of -smoke and dust immediately behind the car, almost caused the pistol to -drop from his grasp. - -"What's that?" exclaimed Admiral Sefton. - -"Tyre burst, I'm afraid," replied Crosthwaite Senior, momentarily -expecting the car to swerve. Applying the brakes he brought the car to a -standstill, with the engine still running, and prepared to investigate -the extent of the damage. - -The Huns' carefully-laid plans had gone awry through Leslie Sefton's -instrumentality. The lad had mistaken one of the miscreants' caps for a -rabbit. Hans, under the impression that the attempt had been discovered, -and that one of the occupants of the car was levelling a pistol at him, -suddenly lost his nerve. He depressed the firing-key of the battery a -second or so too late. Instead of the detonation occurring immediately -underneath the motor, it expended its force harmlessly in the air. - -"By Jove, Crosthwaite!" exclaimed the admiral as a rapid fusillade was -opened upon the stationary car. "Modern highwaymen!" - -"Keep down, lads," ordered the general sharply, for the nickel bullets -were singing overhead like a swarm of angry bees. "Under the seat, -Sefton. Be sharp!" - -"Never!" expostulated the admiral sturdily. - -"Not you, I mean," almost roared his companion by way of apology. -"You'll find a Webley under the seat. Look alive, man! It's loaded -only in one chamber." - -Leslie Sefton's first impulse was to duck, until remembering that he -still held a loaded weapon, although it was but an air-pistol, in his -hand, he rested the barrel upon the padded back of the seat and aimed at -the nearest of the assailants. - -It was an excellent shot. The little bullet struck Hans just above the -right eye. With an oath the German clapped both hands to his injury, -dropping his pistol as he did so, and began to dance round and round in -agony. - -"Four to four now," exclaimed the lad, taking into no account the fact -that the supposed highwaymen were all well armed. He jerked back the -barrel of the air-pistol and inserted another pellet, the zest of the -fight gripping him with the utmost intensity. - -Meanwhile Crosthwaite Senior had let in the clutch, and had succeeded in -turning the car in the direction of the attackers. Altogether -unprepared for this manoeuvre, the four separated, two making to the -right, and the others, keeping close together, edging away to the left, -still maintaining a hot and erratic fire. - -Bending low behind the wind-screen, the plate-glass of which was already -"starred" in several places by the impact of the bullets, the general -urged the car straight in the direction of the men on his left. Even as -he did so, the admiral, who had discovered the loaded revolver, blazed -away on his left, with the result that Otto lost all present and future -interest in the welfare of the Fatherland. - -"Lucky shot," exclaimed Admiral Sefton modestly. "Very lucky shot. In -the centre of his fat forehead, by Jove!" - -Only on rare occasions, since those far-off days when he was a young -lieutenant, had the retired naval officer handled a revolver, but his -skill and deadly precision remained. Leisure hours, spent with his -favourite dog and gun amidst his preserves, had done much to keep the -hardy admiral's eye as bright and his hand as steady as of yore, when -his revolver practice was the envy of his messmates on the old -gunnery-ship Excellent. - -Ejecting the empty cartridge case, the admiral loaded all six chambers. -Then, ready to resume the encounter, he again levelled the weapon, at -the same time protesting audibly that the first shot was a mere fluke. - -Giving scant heed to his friend's remarks, Crosthwaite Senior kept the -car full in the direction of his particular quarry. Over the low bank -bordering the road the heavy vehicle mounted, lurching dangerously as it -did so. Only by sheer chance did it escape being capsized, as the -offside wheels rose three feet clear of the soft, grass-grown soil. - -"Dash it all, Crosthwaite!" protested the admiral. "Fairly spoiled my -shot that time. Easy ahead, man, or you'll have us all overboard." - -Loud yells from another of the Huns showed that the admiral's second -shot, if not so deadly as the first, had "scored an outer". Leaving his -companions to continue the treacherous attack, the wounded man ran as -fast as he could, still bellowing with pain, and holding his coat tails -with both hands. - -Only two Huns remained. Wildly firing, they stood their ground until -the car was within a few feet of them. - -In his keenness Major-General Crosthwaite had not taken sufficient -notice of the nature of the ground. Mounting a steep hillock, the car -swerved and toppled completely over, pinning the admiral beneath the -chassis and throwing the other occupants headlong upon the turf. - -In a flash the two Germans seized their opportunity. One, levelling his -automatic pistol, fired point-blank at the prostrate general, the bullet -passing completely through his uplifted arm and flattening itself -against his silver cigar-case. Before the miscreant could load -again--it was the last cartridge in the magazine--George flung himself -upon him. - -The remaining Hun, finding that his automatic weapon was likewise empty, -and mindful of Leslie's brandished air-pistol, was chary of closing with -the lad. Incautiously, young Sefton levelled the pistol and fired, the -pellet merely penetrating the German's coat and waistcoat, and -inflicting a slight scratch on his chest. - -In a trice, the Hun guessed the comparatively feeble nature of the -British lad's weapon. He knew that seconds would have to elapse before -the air-pistol could be reloaded. Mentally comparing his size with that -of the fifteen-year-old youth, he came to the conclusion that it was -safe to close. - -Leslie, far from declining the unspoken challenge, threw himself at his -opponent, and two pairs of desperately earnest antagonists were locked -in deadly combat. It was long odds, for, with Crosthwaite Senior -helpless with a bullet through his arm, and the admiral imprisoned -beneath the overturned car, no help seemed likely to be forthcoming from -that direction. To make matters worse, Hans, the leader of the gang, -having quieted down after the first acute pain, had seen how things -stood, and, recovering his pistol, had cautiously approached, seeking a -favourable opportunity to turn the already-wavering scale. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII--Safe in Port - - -Throughout the long-drawn night the survivors of the _Calder's_ crew -battled manfully against increasing difficulties in their efforts to -save the destroyer from foundering. The faulty bulkhead, shored and -barricaded with tightly-packed hammocks and other canvas gear, required -constant watching. The pumps were working continuously, relays of men -undertaking the arduous task in the high-spirited manner that pervades -the navy, especially when confronted with danger and peril. - -Not once during the hours of darkness did Sefton quit the remnants of -the bridge. Without the aid of navigating instruments, save the -inadequate compass, the destroyer's course could not be maintained with -the customary precision. Variation and deviation--factors carefully -guarded against in ordinary circumstances--were affecting the boat's -liquid compass, but to what extent Sefton knew not. With a vague idea -that he would "fetch" the Firth of Forth, the sub held on, the grinding -revolutions of the remaining propeller dinning into his ears the -knowledge that the old _Calder_ was momentarily, but slowly, approaching -the shores of Britain. - -A cup of unfragrant tea, sweetened with condensed milk, and a biscuit -which was strongly scented with a peculiarly acrid smell, were -gratefully accepted by the wellnigh exhausted sub. The man who brought -the refreshments to the bridge had not thought it necessary to explain -that he had scraped the sodden tea from the floor of the shell-wrecked -officers'-pantry, or that he had been compelled to wash the salt water -from the biscuits and toast them in the stokehold. - -Once more the waves had subsided, and an almost flat calm prevailed. -Overhead a few stars shone dimly through the haze. Not a light was -visible; all around, sea and sky blended in a dark, ill-defined murk. - -At four bells the helmsman was relieved. He was the seventh consecutive -man whom Sefton had seen taking his trick at the wheel, but still the -sub stuck gamely at his post. He would have given almost anything to -throw himself at full length upon the dewy deck and sleep like a log, -even for a couple of hours, but such a privilege was denied him. His -wounds, too, although slight, were beginning to feel painfully stiff. -The sea-water, penetrating his ragged uniform, irritated the abrasions -almost beyond endurance. He yearned in vain for a hot bath and a change -of clothing. - -"How goes it now?" enquired a tired voice, hardly recognizable as that -of Dr. Stirling. "Where are we?" - -"Somewhere in the North Sea, old bird," replied Sefton, with a forced -laugh. "Do you happen to have a prescription for an eyelid prop, Pills? -My optics seem on the point of becoming bunged up." - -"Tell it not in Gath," quoted the surgeon. "I've just made a -discovery--worth at the present moment more than untold gold. Egyptian, -man, real Egyptian, and the only ones to be found on board." - -He proffered his silver case. Sefton seized one of the cigarettes with -avidity. For hours he had longed in vain for a smoke. His own supply -had vanished. Several hundred, having fallen through a jagged rent in -the ward-room floor, were lying, a sodden pulp, in the water that surged -in the ship's bilges. - -"Thanks awfully!" he exclaimed gratefully. - -"Bit of luck," continued Stirling. "Found the case in the wreckage of -the beer barrel. I don't think the stuff's affected them. Case seems -pretty tight. Thought I'd come on deck and have half a dozen whiffs -with you." - -Crouching under the lee of the canvas screen that had been rigged up to -replace the demolished storm-dodgers, Sefton carefully struck a match. -Almost before the cigarette was alight, a jarring shock made the -_Calder_ tremble from her shattered bows to her jagged taffrail. -Immediately afterwards the remaining engine began to race with frightful -rapidity. - -Dropping the cigarette like a hot cinder, Sefton sprang to his feet, -fully convinced that the long-expected catastrophe had occurred, and -that the bulkhead had given way. Stirling, his first thoughts for his -patients, scurried down the bridge-ladder and ran aft to where the -double line of wounded men lay, each covered by a hammock to protect him -from the night dews and drifting spray. - -A minute passed. There was no impetuous inrush of water. The bulkhead -was still holding. The engine-room ratings had shut off steam, and the -horrible, nerve-racking clank of the racing machinery ceased. - -"Propeller fouled some wreckage, sir," reported a petty officer. -"Blades stripped clean off the boss I'll allow." - -The man was right in his surmise. The last of the four propellers had -struck some partly submerged object, with the result that the destroyer -was no longer capable of moving through the water under her own power. -All she could do was to drift helplessly with wind and tide. - -With a deafening hiss, a heavy cloud of steam released from the now -useless boilers escaped skywards. The overworked engine-room and -stokehold staffs were at last at liberty to "stand easy". - -Suddenly a beam of dazzling white light flashed through the darkness. -Impinging upon the cloud of steam, its reflected glare illumined the -scene on deck as clearly as if it had been broad daylight. Then, with a -quick, decisive movement, the giant ray was depressed, until it played -fairly upon the battered hull, throwing every object into strong relief, -and literally blinding the men with its dazzling glare. - -"What ship is that?" shouted a deep voice through a megaphone, the sound -travelling distinctly across the intervening water. - -A couple of cables' lengths from the stationary _Calder_ was a large -destroyer, with her search-light directed upon the object of her -enquiry. - -Sefton's reply was inaudible. The direction of the wind and the lack of -a megaphone prevented his words from being understood. Again the -challenge was repeated. - -Standing erect in the full glare of the searchlight, and apart from his -companions, a petty officer semaphored the desired information. - -"Stand by to receive a hawser," commanded the lieutenant-commander of -the unknown destroyer. "We'll take you in tow." - -The vessel was T.B.D. _Basher_, one of the inner patrol of destroyers -operating between St. Abb's Head and Spurn Point. Pelting along at 20 -knots in the darkness, her first intimation of the proximity of the -crippled _Calder_ was the hiss of steam from her boilers. Prepared to -open fire at an instant's notice, she trained her quick-firers abeam and -switched on her search-lights, only to discover that she had fortunately -fallen in with a "lame duck" from the Jutland battle--a craft whose -absence was beginning to give rise to considerable apprehension on the -part of the British Admiralty. - -"You'll tow better stern-foremost, I fancy," shouted the _Basher's_ -skipper, as he noted the extent to which the _Calder_ was down by the -head. - -"Yes, sir," agreed Sefton. "There will be less pressure upon the -bulkhead for'ard. It has been giving us some anxiety." - -"Is Crosthwaite on board?" enquired the lieutenant-commander of the -rescuing craft. - -"Badly wounded," was the sub's reply. "We had it fairly hot for a time. -Can you give us any details of the result of the action, sir?" - -"Yes; we gave them a terrific licking," said the skipper of the -_Basher_. "The rotten part was that the Huns got away during the night. -Still, they won't come out again in a hurry. They've been very busy -ever since sending out fantastic claims to a decisive victory over the -British fleet. On paper they certainly beat us hollow, but the funny -part about it is that Jellicoe made a demonstration in force off the -Bight of Heligoland yesterday, and the beggars funked the invitation. -By the by, the sea's fairly calm. We'll run alongside and tranship your -wounded. It will save a lot of bother if you have to abandon ship." - -Adroitly manoeuvred in the darkness, for the search-lights were now -screened lest a prowling U boat might take advantage of the motionless -British destroyers, the _Basher_ was made fast to her disabled consort. -Carefully the wounded men were transferred, Dr. Stirling, at the sub's -request, going with them, since the _Basher_ was one of a class of -destroyers without the services of a medical man. - -There was one exception. Crosthwaite resolutely declined to leave his -ship. - -"She's brought us through thus far," he declared, "and I'll stick to her -until we fetch home. Where are we now?" - -Sefton was unable to reply until he had enquired of the _Basher's_ -navigating officer the position of the ship. The answer was somewhat -astonishing; the _Calder_, when picked up, was forty-five miles from the -mouth of the Tyne. - -"A precious fine piece of navigation," remarked the sub ruefully. "I -was trying to make the Firth of Forth, and instead I find myself barging -into the Northumberland coast." - -"Might have done a jolly sight worse, old man," said Crosthwaite -cheerfully. "You're a brick, Sefton!" - -The sub flushed like a schoolgirl, and, bolting from the shell-wrecked -ward-room, made for the bridge. - -"All clear aft?" shouted the _Basher's_ lieutenant-commander. - -"Aye, aye, sir," was the reply from a petty officer stationed at the -after capstan, round which the towing-hawser had been made fast. - -"Cast off fore and after springs," continued the officer, telegraphing -for "Half ahead, port engine". - -Very cautiously the towing-craft forged ahead, turning sixteen points in -almost her own length. In the darkness the manoeuvre was fraught with -anxiety, for, had the slack of the hawser fouled the _Basher's_ -propellers, the destroyer would have been as helpless as the craft she -was endeavouring to save. - -At length the wire hawser began to groan as, under the increased strain, -it rasped through the fair-lead. Ever so slowly, yet surely, the -_Calder_ gathered stern way in the wake of her consort, and presently -she was nearing the Tyne at a rate of 7-1/2 knots. - -With her helm lashed amidships, and without means of steering, the -partly waterlogged craft yawed horribly, sheering alternately four -points to port and starboard of the towing-vessel. Yet it was the only -practical means of getting the destroyer into port. Had she been towed -bows first, the already-weakened for'ard bulkhead would assuredly have -collapsed under the additional pressure of water. - -"We may fetch Tynemouth," thought Sefton, as he watched the _Calder's_ -erratic movements, "but she'll never be able to ascend the river. -She'll be barging into the banks and playing the deuce with everything." - -He could think of nothing to check the damaged destroyer's behaviour. A -scope of the cable trailing from the hawse-pipe might have served, had -not anchors, struck by several projectiles, been immovably jammed in the -hawse-pipes. - -The same problem also confronted the skipper of the _Basher_, but he -quickly settled it by wirelessing for a tug. - -Dawn was just breaking when the _Calder_ arrived off Tynemouth. A -powerful paddle-tug was lashed alongside, and the voyage up the river -began. - -In the busy shipyards on either side of the Tyne, the night shifts were -still hard at work turning out new vessels for the British navy at the -rate of one and a half a week, in addition to effecting urgent repairs -to ships damaged in action or by floating mines. - -"Lads," shouted a burly iron-caulker in stentorian tones, "here be a -German prize bein' towed up t' river." - -"Garn!" retorted his mate. "German prize, my aunt! You don't see no -German flag a-flyin; under that British ensign. She's one of our plucky -'uns. Give her three times three, mates!" - -The cheering, caught up with redoubled energy, greeted the battered -_Calder_ throughout the whole length of her progress up the river. Her -wounded lieutenant-commander, lying helpless in his bunk, heard the -inspiring sound. He knew what it meant. A load had been lifted off his -mind. His command was safe in port. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII--Too Late! - - -"Eight days' leave--both watches." - -The welcome order was given to the survivors of the _Calder's_ crew with -a promptitude that betokened official regard and appreciation of the -plucky destroyer's ship's company. - -The _Calder_, safe in dock, was handed over to the care of the shipyard -authorities. At high pressure, the task of getting her ready for sea -once more would occupy the best part of two months, so badly had she -been knocked about. - -When in dry dock, a discovery was made that showed how narrow her escape -had been from instant destruction. A large-sized German torpedo was -found in her flooded forepeak, its head flattened against the inside of -the bow-plates. Fired at a distance of a few yards, it had passed -completely through the thin metal hull, and, failing to penetrate the -other side, had remained trapped in the waterlogged compartment. -Examination showed that the safety-fan in the head of the weapon had not -had sufficient time to revolve and liberate the firing-pin. A -difference of a few yards would have been enough to transform the -innocuous missile into a deadly weapon, capable of shattering the -_Calder_ like an egg-shell. - -Having written up his report to the Commander-in-Chief, seen Crosthwaite -safely into a shore hospital, and dispatched a telegram to his home -announcing his safe return, Sefton bathed and turned in. - -Six hours later he was up, feeling considerably refreshed. All that had -to be done in an official sense had been carried out, and he was free to -proceed on well-earned leave. - -A steam pinnace landed him and his scanty belongings on the Gateshead -side of the river. Clad in mufti, since his uniform was little more than -a collection of scorched rags, the sub made his way towards the station. - -Perhaps, now that the arduous period of responsibility had passed, -Sefton was feeling the reaction. At any rate his usual alertness had -temporarily deserted him, for, on crossing a crowded thoroughfare, he -narrowly escaped being knocked down by a passing motor-car. - -"Why don't you look----?" began the owner of the car; then: "Bless my -soul, Sefton! Whoever expected to see you here! Thought you had been -done in, 'pon my soul I did. Where's the _Calder_? And how's old -Crosthwaite?" - -The speaker was Sub-lieutenant Farnworth, Sefton's old shipmate on board -the _Hammerer_, where both had served as midshipmen during the earlier -stages of the war. - -"They slung me out of the submarine service," said Farnworth, after -Sefton had briefly replied to his friend's enquiries. "Why? Oh, merely -a bit of bad luck! Crocked my leg, don't you know." - -Farnworth was too modest to give details. He had vivid recollections of -a dirty day in the North Sea, with submarine E-- lying awash, and a -hostile mine foul of her bows. The plucky young officer, assisted by a -couple of equally resolute seamen, succeeded in freeing the submarine -from the unwelcome attentions of the metal globe, but in so doing the -mooring-chain had surged, fracturing Farnworth's thigh as the heavy mine -dropped clear. - -It took three months at Haslar Hospital, followed by six weeks at -Osborne, to set matters right, but the sub's leg was permanently -shortened. To his great relief, Farnworth was not invalided out of the -Service, although unfit for sea. He was given a good billet in the -Intelligence Department, his district covering the Tyne ports, Hull, and -Liverpool. - -With a powerful car at his disposal, Farnworth was in clover. His sole -regret was his inability to tread the planks of a British war-ship. The -call of the sea was strong. He would willingly have relinquished his -"cushy job" to be in command of the slowest little torpedo-boat flying -the White Ensign. - -"I'm keeping you," said Sefton at length. - -"Not at all," said Farnworth, with a grin. "It's Government petrol I'm -using, you know, and I'm not due at Liverpool until eight to-night. Do -it on my head, so to speak. And you?" - -"Just off to the station, old man," replied Sefton. "Want to get home -to-night." - -"Southampton? I doubt it, old bird. You've missed the express to -King's Cross. No, I'm not to blame. It had gone long before you tried -to commit hara-kiri under my car. Look here; hop in and I'll drop you -at Manchester in plenty of time to pick up the through train." - -Sefton accepted the invitation with alacrity. Being whisked through the -air in a comfortable car was infinitely to be preferred to being cooped -up in a railway-carriage after a tedious wait in a draughty station. - -The ninety odd miles to Halifax was covered in two hours and a half, -for, on the open road, Farnworth let the car all out, only slowing down -while passing through the big industrial towns that lay on his route. - -"Now for a ripping stretch of country," exclaimed Farnworth -enthusiastically. "Something to blow the cobwebs away, don't you know. -I always take this road in preference to the Hebden Bridge way. It's -steeper, but the car can do it hands down." - -Up and up, with very little reduction of speed, the high-powered car -climbed. Sefton, drowsy for lack of sufficient sleep and from the -effects of the strong air, failed to share his companion's enthusiasm. -Lulled by the rhythmic purr of the motor-car, he was fast becoming -oblivious to his surroundings when Farnworth gave him a violent shake -with his disengaged hand. - -"What's wrong?" enquired Sefton. - -"Scrap," replied his chum laconically. "Something more than a -dog-fight. What?" he muttered under his breath as he pulled up. - -Twenty yards from the road was an overturned car. Close to it lay a -khaki-clad figure, while engaged in a desperate struggle were two pairs -of interlocked combatants. Approaching them with stealthy steps was a -short, thickset, bullet-headed man holding an automatic pistol. - -This much Sefton took in with a glance as he leapt from the car. -Fatigue and sleepiness had vanished in an instant. All he realized was -that a party of motorists was being molested by a gang of armed roughs, -and that was enough. - -With Farnworth limping close at his heels, Sefton ran to the rescue. An -encouraging shout from his companion caused the armed ruffian to turn. - -Brandishing his pistol, he shouted a warning to the two new-comers to -"clear out and mind their own business". - -Undeterred by the sight of the weapon, the two subs bounded forward. A -couple of bullets whizzed past Sefton's head, one of the pieces of -nickel chopping a slice out of the lobe of Farnworth's left ear. - -Before Hans could fire again, the deep report of a heavy revolver rang -out, followed by a bluish puff of smoke from underneath the overturned -car. - -Clapping his hands to his side, the German spun round three times and -collapsed to the ground. - -As he passed, Sefton kicked the fellow's pistol, sending it flying a -dozen yards. If the Hun were playing 'possum, the sub meant to take no -unnecessary risks. - -In ten seconds the struggle was over. A powerful blow from Farnworth's -clenched fist made George's assailant relax his grip on the lad's throat -and fall like a log. - -Leslie's antagonist, who was fast choking the plucky lad into a state of -insensibility, broke away, and, with a yell of terror, fled for his -life, hotly pursued by Jack Sefton. Realizing that he was being -outstripped, the miscreant made straight for the lake and plunged in. - -Vainly the sub waited for him to rise to the surface. Either the man's -head had struck against some hard substance at the bottom or else he had -become entangled in the weeds. - -Greatly to Jack's surprise, he found that it was his young brother who -had put up such a game struggle with his burly antagonist, and that Dick -Crosthwaite's father and brother were of the party. Still greater was -the sub's astonishment when he heard a well-known voice exclaim, - -"Bear a hand, Jack. It's not at all comfortable here." - -With assistance the admiral was extricated from the wreckage, little the -worse for his adventure. - -"Hang it all, my boy," exclaimed Admiral Sefton, "we were coming to look -for you. We heard the _Calder_ was overdue." - -"Didn't you get my wire, sir?" asked Jack. "I telegraphed directly we -got ashore." - -"Considering I've been three days on the road," replied his father, "my -postal address isn't of much use. Hulloa, Crosthwaite, what have you -got?" - -"Nothing much," declared the general. "A clean bullet-wound. Thought -I'd been plugged through the chest. The shock knocked me out. By Jove! -That was a narrow squeak." - -He held his cigar case up for inspection. The bullet had penetrated the -lid, and had flattened itself against the back, a bulge proving by how -little the missile had missed making a complete perforation. - -"The rascal has spoilt two of my choice cigars," announced Crosthwaite -Senior wrathfully. "What was the object, I wonder? By George, Sefton, -I see ourselves let in for a coroner's inquest." - -While Jack and the admiral were attending to George and Leslie, neither -of whom showed any signs of serious injury, Farnworth examined the -bodies of the three men. Two were stone dead--silent testimonies to the -accuracy of the admiral's aim. The third was unconscious, the blow from -Farnworth's powerful fist having stunned him. Of the others, one had -been drowned, while the remaining member of the gang--the one wounded by -the admiral--was at that moment limping painfully over the hills, and -putting a safe distance between him and the scene of his rash and foiled -exploit. - -"By Jove, old man," exclaimed Farnworth, in the midst of his task of -examining the contents of the dead man's pockets. "See what you make of -this?" - -He held up a sheet of soiled and creased paper, covered with -closely-written flourishing writing, for Jack Sefton's inspection. -"German, by the powers!" he added. - -"Partly in cipher and partly in ordinary writing," declared Sefton. -"These fellows are Huns, right enough, but what is their object?" - -Farnworth did not reply. He was intently studying the minute -penmanship. Suddenly he started to his feet. - -"The swine!" he ejaculated furiously. "Look here--these three -words--all as plain as a pike-staff." - -"Well, what does it mean?" asked the admiral, his attention drawn to the -discovery by Farnworth's exclamation. - -"A diplomatic mission is leaving a certain port. By this time the vessel -detailed to convoy the party may have sailed. The spies knew this: this -paper proves that. Either they or their accomplices have designs to -interfere with the plan." - -"A bold surmise on your part," remarked Admiral Sefton. - -"I hope I'm mistaken, sir," replied Farnworth. "We'll have to be on the -move at once." - -"What's your plan, old man?" enquired Jack as the party set to work to -convey the wounded general to the waiting car. - -"Make for the nearest telegraph office," was the prompt reply. - -"And these?" enquired the admiral, indicating with a comprehensive sweep -of his hand the overturned motor and the three motionless forms of their -former assailants. - -"Can wait, sir," replied Farnworth. "We'll send the police and a -break-down gang to clear up the business. All ready, Jack?" - -Away glided the car, descending the curved road at terrific speed. -Approaching the bottom of the pass, another car was encountered going in -the opposite direction. It contained the high personage who probably -owed his life to the blunder the Germans had made in mistaking -Crosthwaite's party for his. In complete ignorance, the occupants of -the two cars passed. The Government official was never to learn how -close he had been to a foul death by assassination on the desolate -Blackstone Edge. - -Over the rough setts of Rochdale, Farnworth's car tore, until the young -naval officer slowed up to pass through a dense crowd gathered round the -windows of a firm of newspaper proprietors, and extending more than -half-way across the street. - -Instinctively the occupants of the car looked at the bold letters -scrawled upon a large sheet of paper. - -"Good heavens!" ejaculated the admiral, hardly able to believe his eyes; -"we are too late!" - - - - -CHAPTER XIX--The Smack "Fidelity" - - -"Be a sport, Jack!" exclaimed Leslie Sefton coaxingly. - -"And take a sort of busman's holiday, eh?" rejoined the sub, regarding -his young brother with a tolerant smile. "Well--I'll see." - -"Thanks awfully," was Leslie's comment. Experience had taught him that -Jack's "I'll see" invariably ended in acquiescence. - -Two months had elapsed since the eventful encounter on Blackstone Edge. -August was well advanced, bringing with it a spell of gloriously fine -weather; and, since the young people must needs have holidays, even in -war-time, and the Admiral felt in need of a rest after the strenuous -shooting-match on the bleak Pennine Hills, the Sefton family had taken a -furnished house overlooking Poole Harbour. - -Sub-lieutenant Sefton had been temporarily appointed to the Portsmouth -Naval Barracks, pending another term of service afloat. His fairly -frequent periods of week-end leave, he invariably spent with his -parents, since Poole was within easy railway distance of the senior -naval port. - -Young Leslie was in his element. Before he had been at Poole more than -three hours he had already chummed up with the owners of several -pleasure craft. But a few days of sailing in a landlocked harbour soon -whetted his appetite for a trip beyond the bar, and for the present his -wishes in that direction were thwarted. Owing to the war-time -conditions, no pleasure-boat or yacht was permitted to leave the -spacious inland cruising-ground. - -Time after time, Leslie watched with yearning eyes the brown-sailed -fishing-fleet steal past the patrol-boats guarding the entrance, and -glide seaward to the fishing-ground off the Dolphin Bank. For the most -part, the boats were manned by grey-bearded stalwarts and young boys, -worthy descendants of Harry Page, Thompson, and other Poole fishermen -whose prowess against the French is still remembered by the inhabitants -of the Dorset seaport. Already the British navy had claimed almost -every able-bodied fisherman of fighting age, and nobly the men had -responded to the call, leaving grandfathers and grandsons to work the -boats in the open waters of the English Channel. - -At last Leslie found an opportunity. Getting on the right side of old -"Garge" Cottenham, owner and master of the five-ton smack _Fidelity_, he -prevailed upon that worthy to allow him to make an all-night trip to the -fishing-grounds. - -Unfortunately the admiral did not see eye to eye with his energetic son. -Even Leslie's declaration that he would be assisting in a work of -national importance by helping to provide the nation's food left him -unmoved. As a last resource the lad appealed to Jack, who had just -arrived upon the scene for the week-end. - -"Isn't the harbour good enough for him?" asked Admiral Sefton. - -"You don't get the lift of the open sea, you know, Pater," replied the -sub. "Leslie's got the old instinct, you see." - -"S'pose so," admitted his parent. "A couple of centuries of sea life is -bound to tell, eh? All the same, I don't like the idea of the boy -knocking about in a smack. He'll get into a dozen scrapes, and end up -by tumbling overboard and getting mixed up in the trawl. Now if I were -there to look after him----" - -The admiral paused. Had old Garge Cottenham extended the invitation to -him, the bluff old sea-dog could not have resisted the call of the -sea--e'en were it through the medium of a five-ton smack. Between the -man who in the splendour of a gold-laced uniform had directed the -movements of a fleet and the other who grasped the tiller of a grubby -fishing-boat existed a common tie--that mysterious and overpowering -freemasonry of the sea. - -On second thoughts, Admiral Sefton remembered his comfortable bed and -well-ordered repast, comparing them with the discomforts of a night -afloat and relatively hard fare. - -Here Jack stepped nobly into the breach. - -"Perhaps the kid wouldn't object if I went with him," he suggested. -"Not keen on it, you know, but----" - -And so it came to pass that when Leslie coaxed his big brother the -latter capitulated. - -"But what if your fisherman pal declined to ship me with him?" he added. - -"No fear," replied Leslie. "I'll make that all right; only don't tell -him you're an officer." - -"Oh, for why?" enquired the sub. - -"I don't know exactly," was his brother's reply. "Somehow I fancy Old -Garge doesn't like naval officers." - -Wherein Leslie was correct. Years ago Skipper Cottenham had fallen foul -of the lieutenant-in-charge of a revenue cutter, and the memory of the -meeting still rankled. - -After lunch Leslie made his way to the quay, returning in an hour's time -with the information that Old Garge didn't object (he was not over -anxious to avail himself of a supposed amateur's offer of assistance), -and that the _Fidelity_ would cast off at seven o'clock that evening. - -Clad in an old pair of serge trousers and a brown sweater, and carrying -an oilskin coat that, despite the maker's guarantee, stuck tenaciously -wherever it was folded, the sub accompanied his wildly-excited brother -to the steps, where a boat was in readiness to convey them to the smack. - -In the boat was a freckled, chubby-faced, flaxen-haired youngster of -about thirteen, whom Leslie introduced to his brother as Tim, -great-grandson of the owner and master of the registered fishing-boat -_Fidelity_. - -"Where's the _Fidelity_ lying?" enquired the sub, after the youngster -had sculled the heavy boat for nearly two hundred yards. - -"Down Stakes," was the mysterious reply. "Us'll see her in a minute or -so, when us gets round t'bend." - -Working the long single oar vigorously, and aided by the strong ebb -tide, Tim quickly urged the heavy boat along. - -"There he be," he announced. "Third in the row from here." - -Sefton looked in the direction indicated. The fishing-fleet was already -making preparations for a start. Most of the boats had their mainsails -set. Two or three had already slipped moorings, and were gliding down -the main channel under the lee of the wooded Brownsea Island. - -With the practised eye of a true seaman, the sub realized that, in spite -of her sombre garb of grey paint, mottled with tar marks, the _Fidelity_ -was "all a boat". - -With a sharp entry and fine run aft, noticeable despite the squat stern -and heavy transom, the smack showed every promise of speed combined with -stiffness. Built with a view of encountering the short steep seas of -Poole Bar, she was typical of the weatherly boats that have justly -earned a splendid reputation for seaworthiness. - -"Evenin'!" was Old Garge's greeting. "Come aboard. Look alive, Tim, -an' make fast the boat's painter. Then do 'ee cast off. There's Bill -Moggridge an' Peter Wilson under way already. Us mustn't let 'em get -across t' Bar ahead of the _Fidelity_." - -Quickly, as the result of much practice, young Tim cast off the heavy -mooring-chain from the bitts, and trimmed the head-sails. Heeling -slightly to the light south-westerly breeze the smack gathered way, -leaving hardly a ripple in her wake as she glided almost noiselessly -through the calm water. - -The sub revelled in the movement. Vividly it recalled long-past days in -the _Britannia's_ cutters, racing in the landlocked estuary of the Dart. -Since then opportunities for fore-and-aft sailing had been few and far -between. Contrasted with the terrific vibration of a swiftly moving -destroyer, the gentle movement was peaceful and soothing. - -A short spell of close-hauled work, as the smack tacked towards the -entrance, was followed by a run, full and by, down the buoyed channel to -the bar buoy. From the heights above Studland a stiff breeze swept -down, causing the water to foam at the _Fidelity's_ sharp stem. - -"That be good!" ejaculated Old Garge. "Us be overtakin' them," and he -nodded in the direction of the two boats that were still leading by less -than a cable's length. "Wind'll drop afore long, I's afraid." - -"It will go down with the sun," said Sefton. "But we'll get the first of -the east-going tide outside." - -The skipper of the _Fidelity_ stared at his guest. Already he had come -to the conclusion that the tall bronzed young fellow was no mere -landlubber. The sub's deliberate pronunciation of the word "tackle" -during a previous conversation had told him that. - -"Patrol," announced the skipper laconically, indicating a steam trawler -as she rounded the detached chalk pinnacle known as "Old Harry". "She's -there to keep Garmin submarines away, you know. Ever seen a Garmin -submarine, mister?" - -"Have you?" enquired Sefton, countering the old fellow's curiosity. - -"Only one, and 'er was no good to nobody," replied Old Garge. "They -sunk 'er away down Christchurch Bay. Seed the navy chaps a-getting her -up, only the patrol boat ordered me away. That was away back last -summer. Since then they submarines 'ave given this part a wide berth." - -"I'd like to see one getting properly strafed," declared Leslie. "What -would you do, Jack, if one showed its nose up just now?" - -"Chuck it," ejaculated the sub good-humouredly. "We're supposed to be on -the way to the fishing-ground, not chasing U boats. Hallo! There's The -Needles Light." - -By this time the sun had set in a haze of vivid crimson. Against the -dark grey of the eastern sky, the coastwise lights of The Needles and -St. Catherine's were beginning to assert their presence in the rapidly -waning twilight. Contrary to expectation the breeze still held, -although under the shadow of Hengistbury Head, bearing three miles to -the nor'ard, a number of fishing-craft lay completely becalmed. - -"Evenin', Peter!" shouted Old Garge cordially, as the _Fidelity_ drew -ahead of the hitherto leading boat. Peter waved his arm in reply. His -response was not so cordial, seeing that his boat had been outstripped, -greatly to the glee of Leslie and young Tim. - -For the next quarter of an hour all hands were busily engaged in paying -out the nets. Then, under triced-up mainsail, the smack floundered -slowly through the water, towing the length of fishing-gear astern. - -The first haul produced very indifferent results. Leslie began to think -that it was poor sport, since the catch consisted of less than a dozen -medium-sized whiting and a couple of small bass. Nor did the second -cast fare much better. - -"'Tes this east'ly wind we've a-been havin' that's done the mischief," -explained the skipper of the _Fidelity_. "I thought when it veered we'd -be in luck. Howsomever, we'll have another shot." - -Again the nets were paid out, and the smack, hampered with her tow, -stood off in the direction of the distant St. Catherine's Light. - -"Mighty slow, isn't it?" confided Leslie to his brother. "Wish Old -Garge would up nets and make for home. Sailing's all right, but this -almost bores me stiff." - -"Patience!" rejoined Sefton. "This is your choice. How would you care -to go fishing for months, blow high, blow low? No matter whether it be -summer or winter, you've got to go on fishing--fishing for a brute that -will bite you pretty hard at the first favourable opportunity." - -"You mean submarines?" asked the lad. "I should like to see one. It -must be fine sport." - -"Not on board this hooker, though," added the sub. "Give me something -that can hit back." - -Force of habit made the young officer glance to windward. He would not -have been altogether surprised had a pair of twin periscopes appeared -above the surface of the moonlit water. After all, he reflected, there -wasn't much chance of that. The fishing-ground was well out of the -recognized steamer tracks. A U boat, especially in the English Channel, -where she ran an almost momentary risk of destruction, would not waste -time over the shallow Dolphin Bank to look for insignificant -fishing-smacks. Still, Hun submarines did erratic things sometimes. - -Then the sub laughed at his fancies. The possibility was so remote that -he ridiculed the suggestion. - -Meanwhile Old Garge had disappeared under the half-deck. A wreath of -smoke from the dilapidated iron chimney, and the banging of several iron -utensils, announced the fact that he was preparing some sort of repast. -Tim, mechanically sawing the tiller to and fro, kept the smack on her -course. - -The _Fidelity_ was now well to the east'ard of the rest of the fleet. A -couple of miles separated her from the nearmost of the brown-sailed -boats, whose dark canvas showed up distinctly in the slanting rays of -the moon. - -"We're giving them the slip, aren't we?" enquired Leslie, indicating the -still busily engaged smacks. - -Tim glanced over his shoulder. - -"Granfer," he called out; "we'm a long way down t' east'ard. Shall us -up nets?" - -"No; you just carry on," replied Old Garge, his voice muffled in the -confined space. "I'll be with you in a minute. I'm fair busy just -now." - -Another half-hour passed, but the skipper still remained out of sight. -The wind had now dropped, and the smack, with her main-sheet slacked -right off, floundered heavily, dipping her boom-end at every roll. -Already the day was breaking beyond the chalk cliffs of the Isle of -Wight. Momentarily, the search-lights from The Needles Channel -batteries were growing fainter in the grey dawn. - -"Isn't it grand!" exclaimed Leslie, inspired by the sight of daybreak at -sea. - -The sub merely shrugged his shoulders. Untold spells of duty as officer -of the watch had made him regard the spectacle with complete -indifference. - -But the next instant Jack Sefton's lassitude fell from him like a -discarded mask, for, at less than a hundred yards on the _Fidelity's_ -port quarter, appeared the pole-like periscopes of a submarine. - - - - -CHAPTER XX--Captured - - -For a few seconds the optics of the submerged craft remained trained -upon the isolated smack. Although the submarine was forging slowly -ahead, the periscopes rose no higher out of the water. Evidently those -in charge of the vessel were not anxious to rise to the surface until -they had satisfied themselves that it was fairly safe to do so. - -His attention attracted by his brother's fixed gaze, Leslie sprang to -his feet and grasped the weather shrouds. - -"What's that, Jack?" he asked. - -"What you wanted to see--a submarine." - -"One of ours?" - -"Hope so," replied the sub laconically; but he had great misgivings on -that score. Had it been a British submarine making for Portsmouth, she -would almost certainly be running on the surface, in order to make her -number before approaching the heavily-defended Needles channel. - -Wildly excited, Tim forgot that he was steering and, putting the helm -down, allowed the smack to gybe "all standing". The thud of the heavy -boom as it swung across and brought up with a violent jerk, had the -effect of making Old Garge emerge from the cuddy in a state of nautical -profanity. - -"What be you up to, you young lubber?" he shouted. - -"Submarine, granfer," replied his youthful relative. - -"No excuse for gybing," continued the skipper. "Do you mind what you are -up to. Where be she?" - -He shaded his eyes, expecting to see one of the British "C" or "E" class -running awash. Instead, he saw only the tips of the periscopes. - -"Drat it!" he ejaculated. "'Tain't for no good. Anyways, we're too -small for her to trouble about we." - -Apparently his conjectures were correct, for, with a feather of white -foam, and a sullen swirl well in the wake of the periscope, the -submarine disappeared wholly from sight. - -"'Er's afeard of fouling our nets," declared Old Garge. "Now, if we -gives the patrol-boat notice, an' that submarine is done for, there's -fifty pun' at least for me. A matter of a couple o' months back my -friend Peter----" - -But what happened to Peter was a story that Jack Sefton was not -permitted to hear, for with a quick, unhesitating motion the submarine -reappeared at less than three cables' lengths ahead of the smack. -Shaking herself clear of the water, she displayed the unmistakable -outlines of a German _unterseeboot_, although no number was visible on -her grey conning-tower. - -With remarkable celerity an officer and half a dozen seamen appeared -from below, while at the same time a quick-firer was raised from its -"housing", for'ard of the conning-tower, and trained upon the luckless -_Fidelity_. - -Steadily the U boat approached within hailing distance, then, making a -half-circle, slowed down on a parallel course to that of the smack. - -"Fishing-boat ahoy!" shouted the German officer. "Cut adrift your nets -and run alongside, or I'll have to sink you." - -Old Garge gave a gasp of astonishment and looked enquiringly at Jack -Sefton. - -"Them nets cost a sight o' money," he exclaimed ruefully. "Now if I had -a gun----" - -"Hurry, there!" came the stern mandate from the U boat. - -"You'll have to obey, I fancy," said the sub. "There's no escape. -Perhaps they'll let you off, as the smack is only a very small one. If -you give them any lip they'll cut up rough." - -Deliberately Old Garge cut the trailing line of nets, bent the outward -part to a life-buoy and cast it overboard. As he had remarked, nets -were expensive affairs, and he was not going to cut them adrift without -a means of recovering the gear should the Huns let him off lightly. - -"Back your head-sails, Tim!" ordered the skipper, at the same time -putting the helm hard down and allowing the _Fidelity_ to come up -motionless into the wind, within a couple of yards of the bulging side -of the U boat. - -"Throw us a line!" was the peremptory greeting. - -Agilely a fair-haired unter-leutnant boarded the smack, followed by -three of his men. Giving a cursory glance at the fish-well, he said -something in German to one of the seamen. In less than a minute the -night's haul had been transferred to the captor. - -"Low-down robbers!" muttered Old Garge under his breath, but the -unter-leutnant caught the imprecation. - -"Have a care," he said sternly, "or we sink your boat. What these men? -You carry a large crew for a little ship, Captain." - -"They are my men," declared Old Garge loyally. - -"Perhaps," drawled the German, then, suddenly turning, he strode up to -Sefton and his brother. - -"Hold your hand out!" he ordered. - -Leslie sniggered. In his opinion the uniformed Hun ought to have added -the words "Naughty boy". The lad was enjoying the novel experience. His -one regret was that George Crosthwaite was not present to share in the -adventure. - -Critically the unter-leutnant examined Jack's extended hand. In spite -of the fact that it was discoloured with tar, and reeked of fish, the -sub's hand showed that it belonged to a person not of the ordinary -working class. The long, tapering fingers, manicured nails, and absence -of horny protuberances on the palm "gave him away". - -"What is your name?" demanded the German. - -"Smith," replied Sefton promptly. - -Again the irritating, dubious, and speculative "Per-haps". The sub -realized that he was in a tight corner. - -"What this wound--how caused?" enquired the unter-leutnant, indicating -the white scar on the young officer's wrist--the legacy of the affair -off Jutland. "Ach! Shell wound, hein? You are of military age. Stand -aside." - -In spite of the brown jersey and the soiled serge trousers, the -keen-witted Hun had come to the correct conclusion, that the tall, -bronzed man was not a genuine smack hand. Not satisfied with the -self-styled Smith's replies, he decided to interrogate his companion. - -"Your name?" he demanded of Leslie, with a fierceness that effectually -quenched all further inclination on the part of the youth to snigger. - -"Smith, too," replied Leslie. "He's my brother." - -Again a display of palmistry. Leslie's hands, though grubby, were also -unmistakably unused to rough work. - -"How old?" - -"Fifteen?" - -"You lie." - -"On my word of honour," declared Leslie. - -"No matter," rejoined the unter-leutnant. "You old enough to fight. -Suppose----" - -A hail came from the U boat. Herr Kapitan had mounted the platform in -the wake of the conning-tower and was calling attention to the mist that -was bearing down in detached patches. Already the rest of the -fishing-boats were lost to sight. - -"You go on board there," continued the German unter-leutnant, indicating -the submarine. Then, turning to Old Garge, he added: - -"We let you go. Too much trouble to sink your little fischer-boat, and -you have no skiff. Stop here one hour. If you move or make signal, then -we return and blow you to pieces. You onderstan'?" - -Without condescending to notice Tim, who was watching the course of -events with wide-open eyes, the unter-leutnant signalled to the two -Seftons to board the submarine. Then, followed by his men, the Hun -regained his own craft. - -A minute later, with Jack and Leslie prisoners of war, the U boat slid -quietly beneath the surface. - -Old Garge obeyed instructions until the tips of the periscopes vanished. -Then he began to gather in the mainsheet. - -"Trim your heads'ls, Tim," he ordered. "Us'll be off as hard as we -can." - -"How about the nets, grandfer?" asked Tim. - -"Can bide," declared the old man as the _Fidelity_, gathering way, sped -to give the alarm that another U boat had been active in the Channel. - -Three-quarters of an hour later, the smack ran alongside one of the -patrol-boats operating in Christchurch Bay, and reported the incident. -Quickly the news was wirelessed, and a regular fleet of swift -motor-boats was soon upon the scene, while overhead a couple of -sea-planes hovered, in the hope of detecting the shadow of the U boat -against the white sandy bottom. - -But in vain. The unter-leutnant's threat that he purposed remaining in -the vicinity for an hour was a mere piece of bluff. Without loss of -time, the submarine was running at her maximum submerged speed in a -south-westerly direction, intent upon putting as great a distance as -possible between her and the hornets whose activities had already taken -a heavy toll from these modern pirates of the Black Cross Ensign. - -U99 was one of the most recent type of _unterseebooten_. Possessing a -great radius of action, she combined the roles of mine-layer and -submerged torpedo-craft. She was one of nine detailed for operations in -the English Channel, and, since the passage through the Straits of Dover -had long been regarded as "unhealthy" by the German Admiralty, the -flotilla had been ordered to proceed and return via the Faroe Isles and -the west coast of Ireland. - -Although the U99 had disposed of her cargo of mines without -mishap--several of the German submarines having been "hoist with their -own petards"--her efforts had not met with marked success. Beyond -torpedoing a tramp, and sinking another by gun-fire, she had failed to -carry out the work of frightfulness that had been expected of her. -Having exhausted her stock of torpedoes, and making only one effective -hit, she was on her way home. - -After three hours of terrible suspense, when she found herself enmeshed -in a net somewhere off the back of the Wight--a predicament from which -she freed herself by means of the specially-devised wire-cutters on her -bows--U99 was forced to come up for a breather early in the morning. -Provisions were running short, and the sight of the solitary -fishing-smack tempted her commander to investigate, with the result that -Sub-lieutenant Sefton and his brother found themselves in the unenviable -position of prisoners in the hands of the enemy. More, they were cooped -up in a wretched U boat, faced with the possibility of being hunted by -their fellow-countrymen and consigned to Davy Jones in the undesirable -company of a crew of piratical Huns. - -No wonder that Jack felt like kicking himself for having embarked upon -the ill-starred voyage in the smack _Fidelity_. - -"Yes, by Jove!" he muttered. "Here's a pretty kettle of fish--and the -lid on with a vengeance." - - - - -CHAPTER XXI--U99 - - -During the first hour of their captivity Jack Sefton and his brother -were left alone, locked in a narrow, ill-lighted compartment in the -after part of the submarine. Overhead they could hear the ceaseless -clank of the steering-gear, while the crowded space within the hull -echoed to the noisy clatter of the propelling machinery. - -Outwardly calm, the sub was raging furiously. Yielding to his sense of -discretion, and realizing the importance of reassuring his young -brother, he made a brave show at keeping up his spirits. On several -occasions he had found himself in a tight corner, but now there was the -humiliation of being captured in a most ignominious fashion, without -being able to raise a hand in self-defence. - -"Upon my word!" he remarked. "Really, Leslie, you will have something -to remember. Experiences like this don't fall to the lot of many -youngsters, you know." - -"More exciting than that scrap on Blackstone," rejoined Leslie. "Even -George would have to admit that. Makes a fellow feel quite bucked. But -what do they intend doing with us, I wonder?" - -"Events will prove that," replied the sub gravely. "Recollect that we -have to conceal our identity as much as possible. These chaps must not -be allowed to find out that I am a naval officer. Hark!" - -A rasping sound, as the bolt securing the door was shot back, -interrupted the conversation before Sefton had time to mature his -immediate plans. The metal panel slid open and a petty officer appeared -and spoke rapidly in German. - -Drowned by the noise of the machinery, the words were inaudible, but by -the man's gestures the prisoners clearly understood that they had to -follow him. Along a narrow, steel-enclosed passage, then through a maze -of intricate machinery, the sub and his brother were conducted, until -they found themselves in a small cabin almost immediately underneath the -grating that formed the floor of the raised conning-tower. - -"You will at once take off your clothes," ordered the petty officer. - -At this unexpected command the brothers looked at each other in -surprise. The order could not be ignored, despite its apparent -inconsequence. However unwilling to submit to the indignity, the -prisoners obeyed promptly. - -Under the stern glare of the German petty officer, Jack Sefton stripped -off his brown jersey, shirt, and singlet. - -"Rough luck!" he muttered. "Now these brutes will tumble to it; my name -is marked on each of these garments." - -Which was exactly what the Huns were intent upon finding out, for, -giving a keen glance at the tell-tale lettering, the petty officer -without waiting for the rest of the disrobing process made his way aft. - -Sefton was not long left in doubt, for presently an officer in uniform -corresponding to that of a lieutenant-commander entered the cabin. - -"So!" he exclaimed triumphantly, as he thumbed the pages of a British -Navy List. "We fine bag have made. 'Sefton, John B. G.' That not the -same as Smith, hein?" - -The sub vouchsafed no remark. He felt horribly humiliated by his -position and by the easy manner in which he had been bowled out. Also, -he realized that now the chances of the prisoners being set on board a -passing vessel had been entirely knocked on the head. - -"We take you back to Zhermany," continued the kapitan of the submarine. -"Day after to-morrow we land you at Wilhelmshaven at exactly nine -o'clock." - -The day after to-morrow--at nine o'clock. That would be Monday, and at -that hour Sefton was due for "divisions" at Portsmouth Naval Barracks. -The irony of his position ate into his soul. - -"If not, you will be a corpse at the bottom of the sea," rejoined the -German pointedly. "Now get your clothes on, and take good care to -yourselves behave." - -The kapitan quitted the cabin, leaving Sefton and his brother to resume -their garments. This they did in silence, for Leslie had noticed his -brother's despondency and chagrin. - -Except for the periods when they were ordered forward for meals, the -prisoners were left severely alone. Of the passing of time they had but -a remote idea, since the sub had wisely left his watch ashore before -proceeding on the ill-starred trip in the _Fidelity_. Certain it was -that, for nearly twelve hours, U99 remained submerged, running on her -electric power. - -Then she rose to the surface. The petrol engines were coupled up, and -at an increased speed the submarine proceeded, in what direction Sefton -had no idea. Without means of consulting a compass, and confined below, -he was in total ignorance of the vessel's course. - -At length, dead-tired, for neither of the twain had slept the previous -night, Jack and Leslie threw themselves down on the floor. There was no -need for bedding. The heat of the confined space was too oppressive for -that. For a long while the sub tossed uneasily on his hard couch, -finally dropping off into a fitful slumber. - -He was awakened by a seaman shaking him vigorously. For some moments he -was unable to realize his surroundings. Sleeping in the hot and almost -fetid air had benumbed his brain. He felt fuddled, his eyes seemed -strained and dim, his throat burned painfully. - -"On deck for exercise," ordered the man, speaking in German. - -Sefton staggered to his feet, feeling stiff and cramped in his limbs. -Leslie was still asleep, and when disturbed took even longer than his -brother to be fully aroused. - -"By Jove," thought the sub, "if the crew are all like this, early morn -is the time to catch them napping! Well, here goes." - -The two captives followed their jailer through an oval-shaped hatchway, -gaining the deck by means of a steel ladder. - -Lounging on the long, narrow platform were more than a dozen men, some -stretched upon their backs, others lying with their heads pillowed upon -their arms, but in every case one hand was outstretched to grasp the -stanchions. The precaution was necessary, for the boat was floundering -heavily in the long, sullen rollers. - -Instinctively Sefton gave a glance in the direction of the sun. It was -now broad daylight. The orb of day, high in the heavens, betokened the -fact that it was approaching the hour of noon. By the direction of the -shadows cast upon the deck, it was now apparent that the U boat's course -was a little east of north. Away on the starboard hand was a seemingly -interminable range of frowning cliffs, the nearmost being but two or -three miles distant. They were the rock-bound shores of Donegal. - -Holding Leslie tightly by the arm, for the lad was not accustomed to the -Atlantic swell, Sefton marched him up and down the deck between the -after end of the conning-tower and the stern. Although the limited -promenade was still further curtailed by the prone bodies of the crew, -the latter paid no attention to the two prisoners. - -On the platform surrounding the conning-tower was the unter-leutnant who -had ordered their arrest. Scanning the horizon with his binoculars, he, -too, seemed indifferent to the presence of the two Englishmen. With -him, and stationed at a small wheel in the wake of a binnacle, was a -quartermaster. The conning-tower hatchway was closed, owing possibly to -the spray that literally swept the fore part of the submarine, and was -flung high over the domed top of the "brain of the ship". - -"Where are we now?" asked Leslie. - -"Off the Irish coast," replied his brother. - -"Wish one of our destroyers would put in an appearance," remarked Leslie -wistfully. - -The sub made no audible reply. His views upon the matter, based upon -actual experience, told him pretty plainly that the captain of a British -war-ship would not be likely to ascertain whether there were compatriots -on board the craft he purposed to destroy. Also, there had been fully -authenticated cases of the Huns locking the prisoners down below before -they abandoned the sinking ship. Sefton did not mind running legitimate -risks in action, but he had a strong objection to being "done in" by -British guns. - -His reveries were interrupted by a shrill whistle from the -conning-tower. Instantly the somnolent men were roused into activity. -In less than thirty seconds Sefton and his brother were tumbled below, -the decks were cleared, and the hatches closed. - -By the inclination of the floor of the compartment that served as a cell -Sefton realized that the U boat was diving. Almost at the same time -there was a muffled detonation as a 12-pounder shell, fired from a -destroyer at a distance of 7500 yards, exploded immediately above the -spot where the submarine had disappeared. - -"Good heavens, she holed!" ejaculated the sub, as the U boat quivered -and dipped to an alarming angle. Momentarily he expected to hear, above -the rattle of the machinery, the irresistible inrush of water and the -shrieks of the doomed crew. - -But in this he was mistaken. The nearness of the explosion of the shell -had urged upon the submarine's kapitan the necessity for haste. -Thrusting the diving-planes hard down, he caused the U boat to dive with -unusual abruptness, never bringing the vessel upon an even keel until -she had descended to a depth of twelve fathoms. - -The rest of the day was passed in utter monotony as far as the prisoners -were concerned. Although it was two hours before the U boat dared to -expose the tips of her periscopes above the surface, the greater part of -the day was spent in running submerged. - -Towards evening U99 ascended, and, altering course, stood in pursuit of -a small tramp. After a short chase, for the former had the advantage of -15 knots in speed, the submarine approached sufficiently near to be able -to fire a shot close to her quarry. - -Almost immediately the tramp slowed down and hoisted American colours. -It did not take U99 long to range up alongside, and the unterleutnant -and half a dozen seamen proceeded on board. - -The prize was a Yankee, bound from Boston to Liverpool with a cargo of -warlike stores. According to arrangements, she should have been met and -escorted by a patrol vessel; but, although the latter was hourly -expected, something had occurred to delay her. - -"We'll have to sink you," declared the German officer. - -The "old man"--a typical New Englander--shrugged his shoulders. - -"Wal, I reckon yer can," he replied coolly. - -"You don't seem concerned by the fact." - -"Not I, stranger. This hyer ship an' cargo is jest insured up to the -hilt in 'The Narragut Marine Assurance Company'. An' since the bulk of -the shareholders are Huns--wal, I guess it's 'nuff said." - -"Ach! Then I suppose I must let you go," exclaimed the baffled German -officer. "If you fall in with any British war-vessels you might tell -them that we have two Englishmen on board." - -"Maybe you'd care to let us give 'em a passage?" hazarded the Boston -skipper. - -"If that had been our intention we should have done so without asking a -favour," rejoined the unter-leutnant. - -"Perhaps you would care to examine the ship's papers?" enquired the -master. His keen eyes had detected a small, swiftly moving object on -the horizon--the expected patrol boat. Cap'n Hiram Goslow, although a -tough Republican, was quite in sympathy with the Allies. On previous -voyages he had fallen foul of the Huns, and the treatment he had -received still rankled. "Maybe you aren't quite satisfied about the -'Narragut Marine Assurance Company' stunt?" - -For the next half-minute the fate of U99 with all on board trembled in -the balance. The unterleutnant, only too pleased to have the -opportunity of finding a flaw in Captain Goslow's statement, was about -to accept the invitation, when a warning shout from the kapitan of the U -boat brought the boarding-party scrambling on board with the utmost -alacrity. - -To the accompaniment of a chorus of jeers and laughter from the American -crew, the submarine submerged and was lost to sight. - -Although Jack Sefton and his brother were in ignorance of the precise -nature of the meeting with the tramp and the imperturbable Captain -Goslow, they knew by the unwonted noises and the shutting-down of the -motors that something had transpired. The sudden closing of the -hatchways, and the hasty dive taken, told the sub that once again the -ceaseless vigilance of the British navy had been responsible for a bad -quarter of an hour for the Germans. - -The kapitan's boast to the effect that his prisoners would be landed at -Wilhelmshaven at nine o'clock was an empty one. Wildly exciting -moments, when the U boat found herself foul of a maze of steel nets, -delayed her progress, until at length U99 arrived at a position -forty-five miles N.N.W. of Heligoland. - -Here a wireless message was received, the purport of which was not -hailed with any degree of enthusiasm by the weary and almost exhausted -crew. They were on the point of completing a fortnight's cruise of -strenuous discomfort, physical exertion, and mental strain. Now, -instead of proceeding to Wilhelmshaven for a period of recuperation, -they were ordered to make for a certain rendezvous and await the -submarine depot-ship _Kondor_. - -Officers and crew knew what this meant. Heavy losses amongst the German -_unterseebooten_ flotillas had necessitated the U99 being pressed into -an extension of present service. She was to replenish stores and -torpedoes, and to be attached to the submarine flotilla operating with -the High Seas Fleet. Evidently another big movement was contemplated in -the North Sea. - -Something had to be done to bolster up the rapidly crumbling tissue of -lies by which the German Admiralty had gulled the Teutonic world. Never -in the history of naval warfare had a victorious fleet been compelled to -remain inactive in its home ports beyond the period necessary for -revictualling, replenishing of warlike stores, and making defects good. -Nine weeks or more had elapsed since the glorious victory off Jutland, -and still the Hun fleet clung tenaciously to its moorings. Even the -fat-headed burghers who frequented the _bier-gartens_ of Berlin began to -realize that the crushing defeat of the British in the North Sea had not -resulted in any increase of provisions or in the abolition of the hated -food tickets. - -There was a fly in the ointment. Steps had to be taken to counteract -its baneful influence. - -Almost in desperation, several German Dreadnoughts, accompanied by light -cruisers and destroyers, emerged from the Heligoland Bight. Amongst them -were the _Westfalen_ and _Nassau_, sister ships, whose scars received in -the Jutland fight had been hurriedly patched up in the Wilhelmshaven -dockyards. Escorted by several Zeppelins, the Hun fleet steamed -westward--not to give battle, but to make an attempt to copy Beatty's -incomparable strategy. - -Night was falling when U99 made fast alongside the _Kondor_. She was -not alone. In the vicinity were a dozen or more _unterseebooten_ of a -similar type, awaiting wireless orders from the giant airship that was -scouting fifty miles or so in the direction of the shores of Great -Britain. - -"Up on deck!" ordered the petty officer in whose particular charge the -two Seftons had been placed. - -The sub and his brother obeyed promptly. Had they lingered, their -movements would have been accelerated by a kick from the Hun's heavy -sea-boot. - -The transformation from the artificially-lighted compartment to the -rapidly gathering night made it impossible for Sefton to take in his -surroundings until his eyes grew accustomed to the gloom. At first he -was under the impression that the submarine was berthed in harbour, -until he discerned the towering outlines of the sea-going depot-ship and -the absence of wharves and buildings. - -Far away to the eastward the horizon was streaked with the -rapidly-moving search-lights of a large fleet. The skyward-directed -rays were a direct challenge to Beatty's squadrons. In unlike -conditions to those of the Jutland battle, the Huns made no attempt to -steal off under cover of darkness. They had a set purpose in exposing -their position to the British fleet. - -"By Jove!" exclaimed Sefton. "The Huns are out again. What's the game -this time?" - -He glanced westward, half expecting to see the misty outlines of the -Grand Fleet silhouetted against the last faint streak of crimson on the -horizon, but the sky-line was unbroken. - -"Hurry, pigs of Englishmen!" ordered the German petty officer, -indicating a "Jacob's ladder" that hung from the side of the _Kondor_. -"We have had enough of you. Soon you will see----" He stopped -abruptly, fearing that his words might be overheard by the grim kapitan -of the submarine. - -Agilely Leslie ascended the swaying rope-ladder, the sub following close -behind in case the inexperienced lad should lose his hold. But young -Sefton acquitted himself wonderfully. The Huns had no chance of a laugh -at his expense. - -Contrary to their expectations, the two prisoners were not conducted -below. With an armed seaman standing behind them they were stationed on -the raised poop, from whence they could see as much of the operations as -the feeble light permitted. - -Promptly hoses were coupled up, pumping volumes of petrol into U99's -tanks. Fully charged accumulators were hoisted out and lowered down the -submarine's after hatchway, while the for'ard hatch was opened to -receive a dozen large torpedoes closely approaching the British 21-inch -weapons. - -At midnight a wireless operator handed the kapitan of the _Kondor_ a -message, the text of which caused the officer to issue a string of -orders. Quickly the hawsers securing the submarine to the depot-ship -were cast off, and U99, forging slowly ahead, picked up her station in -line with the rest of the flotilla. Then, at a given signal, the -submarines proceeded in a north-westerly direction, while the _Kondor_ -steamed toward the invisible German battleships. - -At this stage of the proceedings, Sefton and his brother were ordered -below, and placed in a cell on the orlop deck, twelve feet or more below -the waterline. In utter darkness, for even the luxury of a single light -was denied them, they sat, listening to the plash of the waves against -the side, until sleep came as a welcome relief to the strain of the day. - -Several times the sub awoke with a start. A nightmare gripped him. -Normally strong nerved, the cramped and dark cell, and the almost -certain fate that awaited him should the _Kondor_ be sunk, filled him -with vague terrors. In vain he tried to rally himself. The ordeal of -the shell-swept bridge of the _Calder_ seemed as naught compared with -the gruesome atmosphere of the below-water-line prison. - -The hours wore on, but the unexpected torpedo attack was not -forthcoming. No thunder of guns broke the almost uncanny silence. No -longer the waves dashed themselves against the side plating of the hull. -Only a sullen, rolling motion and the faint tremor of the twin propeller -shafting betokened the fact that the vessel was still under way. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII--The British Submarines at Work - - -A succession of long-drawn hoarse cheering aroused both Seftons from -their light sleep. Leslie's outstretched hands came in contact with his -brother's face, for, in the utter darkness, only the senses of touch and -speech made the twain aware of each other's presence. - -"What's that noise, Jack?" - -"Only the crew getting excited about something," replied the sub -inconsequently. At the same time, he felt pretty certain that something -in the nature of a successful naval engagement had been responsible for -the outburst of noisy enthusiasm on the part of the German crew. - -He was not left long in doubt, for the door of the cell was thrown open -and a seaman bearing a lantern ordered the prisoners to follow him. - -Arriving on the upper deck, the sub discovered that the _Kondor_ had -undergone a transformation. Everything that denoted her part as a fleet -auxiliary had disappeared. Aft she flew Swedish colours, and a -distinctive band encircled her wall sides, with the words: -"Gefle--Sverige" conspicuously displayed. Most of the crew had -discarded their German uniform, and were rigged out in the cosmopolitan -gear usually favoured by merchant seamen. - -The crew had ceased cheering, but by their bearing it was quite evident -that they were still labouring under the excitement of good news. - -Pointing to a notice pinned to a board on the main hatchway, around -which several men still lingered, the seaman, who had been told off to -guard the prisoners, indicated that his charges should acquaint -themselves with the information. - -"What's it all about, Jack?" asked Leslie. - -The message was the copy of a wireless report to the effect that German -submarines had been successful in torpedoing two British cruisers of the -"Chatham" class. - -"Do you think it's true?" asked young Sefton anxiously, when the sub had -translated the report. - -"It may be a case of exaggeration," was the reply. "Of course, it is -possible. At any rate, don't let these fellows see we are down-hearted. -Keep a stiff upper lip, old sport." - -Turning their backs upon the distasteful notice-board, the two prisoners -strolled to the side, their guard following but making no attempt to -prevent them. - -The _Kondor_ was not alone. About two miles on the starboard hand, and -steaming rapidly, were the two Dreadnoughts that Sefton had noticed on -the previous day. Behind were three light cruisers, while, still -farther astern, six sea-going torpedo-boats were tearing along in that -close formation beloved of German torpedo-flotilla officers. - -As the flagship passed, she threw out a signal to the disguised -_Kondor_, which was quickly acknowledged. At the relative rates of -speed, it was certain that the battleships were overhauling the pseudo -_Gefle_ hand over fist. - -Sub-lieutenant Sefton was witnessing part of the strategy of the German -High Seas Fleet. It had ventured out with the express intention of -luring Beatty's squadron in pursuit, knowing that the gallant Beatty -would not decline the challenge. But, with admirable discretion, the -British admiral made no effort to send the swift battle-cruisers in -pursuit, merely contenting himself by ordering the light cruisers and -destroyer flotillas to keep in touch with the retreating Huns. - -There were risks of mines and torpedoes, but these were unavoidable. By -keeping well out of the wake of the German ships, the danger of bumping -over a hastily dropped mine was obviated, while a quick use of the helm -would enable the swift cruisers to minimize the chances of successful -submarine attack. - -In the early hours, the British light-cruisers and destroyers -encountered the _unterseebooten_ purposely detailed by von Hipper to -intercept the pursuing vessels. Three, at least, of the German -submarines were sent to the bottom by gun-fire or by use of the ram; -but, unfortunately, the _Falmouth_ and _Nottingham_ fell victims to -torpedo attack. - -Even as Sefton was watching the retreating warships, a column of water -was thrown high in the air close to the port quarter of the German -Dreadnought _Westfalen_. Before the muffled roar of the explosion was -borne to his ears, the sub saw the huge battleship reel under the -terrific blow. - -Regardless of the consequences, he cheered lustily; but, thrown into a -state of consternation by the magnitude of the disaster to one of their -capital ships, the crew of the _Kondor_ made no attempt to hurl the rash -Englishman to the deck. - -Spellbound, they watched the throes of the stricken Dreadnought, to -whose assistance the six German destroyers were making at full speed. -As for the rest of the German battleships and cruisers, they steamed off -as hard as they could, lest a like fate should befall them. - -The _Kondor_ slowed down and stood by, making no effort to close to the -aid of the torpedoed ship, while two destroyers circled aimlessly in a -vain search for the daring British submarine. - -Then, very slowly, under her own steam, the _Westfalen_, with a heavy -list, crawled toward the distant German shore, the four destroyers in -her wake ready to rush alongside, and rescue the battleship's crew, -should the vessel founder. - -"Think they'll get her back to port?" Leslie asked excitedly. - -"'Fraid so," replied his brother. "She shows no signs of an increasing -list. A lot depends upon the condition of her bulkheads. When the -_Marlborough_----" - -Before the sub could complete the sentence, another cloud of smoke and -water shot up alongside the damaged battleship. Lurching heavily, this -time to starboard, the _Westfalen_ was hidden from sight by a dense -volume of steam and smoke from her engine-rooms. - -The attacking submarine had evidently meant to see the job done -properly. Mindful of the risk of being sent to the bottom by the -attendant German destroyers, the British craft had stealthily exposed -her periscope for a brief instant, yet sufficient for her to send a -deadly torpedo on its errand of destruction. - -By this time the crew of the _Kondor_ had come to the conclusion that -their prisoners had seen much more than was desirable. Peremptorily -Jack and Leslie were ordered below. The latter, unable to restrain his -delight, pointed mockingly at the boastful writing on the notice-board, -receiving a brutal kick on his shins for his temerity. - -"I don't mind, Jack," remarked Leslie, when, left alone by their -captors, the sub examined the angry abrasion on his brother's leg. "I'd -let them give me another hack without a murmur if I could see another -German battleship go the same way home." - -After a long interval, a meal consisting of very dry tinned meat and -hunks of black bread was provided for the famished prisoners, the -unpalatable food being washed down with a pannikin of warm and insipid -water. - -The unappetizing repast over, the two prisoners were again allowed on -deck. By this time there were no signs either of the stricken -battleship or her attendant destroyers. The _Kondor_, alone on the wide -North Sea, was steaming at about 12 knots on an easterly course. The -rest of the crew had by now discarded their German uniforms. There was -nothing to denote that the vessel had ever sailed under the Black Cross -Ensign of the Imperial German Navy. - -Suddenly, and right in the frothing wake of the _Kondor_, appeared two -pole-like objects--the periscopes of a submarine. Then, without the -hesitancy generally displayed by _unterseebooten_ when about to attack a -merchantman, a British submarine of the "E" class shook her -conning-tower and deck clear of the water. Her hatches were flung open, -and a number of duffel-clad seamen appeared. Quickly a light -signalling-mast was set up, from which two flags fluttered in the -breeze. - -There was no mistaking the meaning of that yellow square flag with the -black ball, hoisted above a triangular blue pennant with a white spot. -As plainly as if a shot had been fired across the _Kondor's_ bows, the -signal "ID" told her to "stop instantly or I will fire into you". -Besides, it saved ammunition, and the lieutenant-commander of the -submarine did not consider the prize worth powder and shot. - -But the German skipper was not a man to own that the game was up without -making an effort to save himself and his ship. A stumbling-block in his -way was Jack Sefton and his brother. - -At a sign four burly Huns threw themselves upon the prisoners. For a -full minute the sub resisted stoutly, while Leslie put up a tough -struggle against odds. Others of the crew came to their compatriots' -aid, and, still struggling, the two captives were taken below and locked -in the cell in the for'ard hold. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII--And Last - - -"There's a bit of a dust-up on board, sir," reported Sub-lieutenant -Devereux of Submarine E--, as the British craft steadily overhauled the -_Kondor_, whose engines had already been stopped in response to the -peremptory signal. "Fellows scrapping like billy-ho. I can just see -their heads at intervals above the taffrail." - -"They can scrap as much as they like while they have the chance," -remarked Lieutenant-Commander Huxtable grimly. "You know your -instructions, Mr. Devereux? Any rumpus, then signal us, and we'll give -them our last torpedo." - -A canvas collapsible boat had been brought up from below, and in this -the boarding-officer and five seamen, all armed, took their places. -Both the _Kondor_ and the submarine were almost without way, lying at -two cables'-lengths apart, E--'s two quick-firers covering the prize as -the boat made for the German vessel. - -Devereux was received with well-feigned affability by the soi-disant -Swedish skipper, a politeness that the sub thought fit to reciprocate, -at least for the present. - -But when Devereux had examined the supposed _Gefle's_ papers his manner -underwent a change. - -"Thanks for letting me see them, Herr Kapitan," he remarked, "but now I -must ask you to order your crew below and consider yourself a prisoner -of war. I warn you that at any attempt at resistance your ship will be -sent to the bottom." - -"But----," began the astonished Hun. "I--I do not understand. This -Swedish merchant-ship. You mistake make." - -"Perhaps," drawled the sub. "If I have, I'll take full responsibility. -If you can satisfactorily explain to the British naval authorities why -you were surrounded by Hun submarines yesterday, why you supplied them -with munitions of war, why you were then His Imperial Majesty's ship -_Kondor_, and why you are now the s.s. _Gefle_----." - -"Donnerwetter!" ejaculated the German skipper furiously, then, before -Devereux could interpose, he dashed out of the chart-house and shouted -to one of the officers stationed aft. - -Almost immediately a muffled explosion was heard, and the _Kondor_, -giving a violent shudder, began to settle by the stern. Rather than -surrender, their captain had given orders for a bomb to be exploded in -the after hold. - -"We have cheated you, Englishman!" he exclaimed in a shrill falsetto. - -There was a wild rush for the boats. Hastily those in davits were -lowered, with the result that one was capsized, while in the confusion a -German seaman leapt headlong into the submarine's collapsible boat and -overturned it. - -To do him credit, the kapitan made no attempt to quit the bridge. -Regarding the British officer with a leer of triumph, he waited while -the panic-stricken men got clear of the doomed ship. - -Meanwhile, having witnessed the swamping of her dinghy, E--had -approached with the intention of taking off her boarding-party. - -"What's that?" exclaimed Devereux, as, during a temporary lull in the -clamour, the sound of a voice appealing for help was borne to his ears. -The words were shouted in unmistakable English. - -"Someone cooped up down below, sir," declared one of the submarine's -crew. - -Devereux looked enquiringly at the German skipper of the _Kondor_. The -latter too had heard the shout. The self-assurance and air of -contemptuous indifference faded instantly. - -"You murderous swine!" ejaculated the sub. "What dirty game have you -been up to? Come along down below with me." - -The Hun, trembling violently, clung desperately to the bridge rail. The -risk of going below and being taken down by the sinking ship was nothing -compared with the fear of a just retribution. - -It was not a suitable occasion for arguing the point. Devereux, a huge, -loose-limbed fellow, was a giant beside the little, podgy Hun. - -Wrenching the kapitan's hand from the rail, Devereux dropped him to the -deck like a sack of flour, then, skipping down the bridge ladder, he -picked him up and carried him, screaming and struggling, down the -companion. - -Guided by the sounds, the sub bore his captive for'ard, two of the -submarine's crew following their youthful officer. - -Already the stern of the _Kondor_ was almost level with the water, while -her decks inclined at a steep angle. Above the noise of the inrushing -water and the hiss of escaping steam, could be heard the now frantic -appeal for help. - -At the door of the cell Devereux was confronted by a grave problem. The -place was locked, and the kapitan, asserting truthfully that he did not -possess a key, was clamouring incoherently that the mistake in -overlooking the fact that there were prisoners below was not his, but -that of some of his subordinates. - -"Stand aside there!" shouted Devereux to the inmates of the cell. - -Whipping out his revolver he sent a bullet crashing through the lock, -then, heedless of the cry of agony that came from the German skipper, he -charged the splintered door with his shoulder. - -In the half light he was dimly aware that two people were scrambling -between the debris. - -"Any more?" he asked. - -"No," was the reply, as the two rescued men, assisted by the sailors, -reeled along the sloping alley-way to the ladder. - -Having seen the would-be victims of German _Kultur_ safely on their way -to the upper deck, Devereux realized that it was quite time to make good -his own escape, for the water was beginning to surge for'ard along the -sombre orlop deck. As he turned to make his way aft he became aware -that the kapitan, moaning dismally, was staggering in the opposite -direction, whence there was no outlet. - -"Where are you off to, you blithering idiot?" shouted the young officer. - -In a couple of strides he overtook the Hun, gripped him round the waist, -and carried him on deck. Then, to his surprise, Devereux found that the -kapitan's face was streaming with blood. A sliver of lead from the -bullet that had demolished the lock of the cell had struck him in the -right eye, completely destroying the optic nerve. - -"Can't say I feel sorry for you," thought the sub-lieutenant, -recollections of the cold-blooded cruelty of the Hun vividly in his -mind. Nevertheless, still holding the injured skipper, he leapt -overboard, whither the rest of the boarding-party had preceded him. - -Strong as he was, Devereux had a hard tussle to swim to the submarine. -Caught by vicious eddies, swirled to and fro like a straw on the surface -of a mountain torrent, he was almost exhausted when hauled into safety. - -Giving a glance over his shoulder as he was assisted to the deck of his -own craft, Devereux saw that the _Kondor_ was making her last plunge. -Throwing her bluff bows high in the air, she disappeared in a smother of -foam and a pall of black smoke mingled with steam. - -Then, to his surprise, upon going aft to report to his commanding -officer, Devereux found Huxtable shaking, like a pump-handle, the hand -of one of the men he had rescued. - -"By Jove!" exclaimed the astonished Devereux. "Blest if we haven't----! -Why, it's Sefton!" - -"Guilty, m'lud!" replied that worthy. - -"And Crosthwaite--he wasn't on that hooker?" asked Devereux anxiously. - -"No, thank heaven," replied Sefton fervently. "He's still in hospital. -This is my young brother. I've got to blame him for this business, the -young rascal. It was a narrow squeak for the pair of us." - -"It was," assented Huxtable gravely. "We spotted the _Kondor_ yesterday -and kept her under observation." - -"Then you bagged that Hun battleship?" enquired Sefton. - -"No, worse luck," replied the lieutenant-commander of E--. "She altered -helm just as we were having a shot at her, and some other fellows did -the trick. Mustn't complain, though. We are all members of the same -co-operative society in the trade. The _Kondor's_ crew? A few hours in -the boats won't hurt them, and I'll wireless our destroyers. They are -too villainous a crew to slip out of our hands. Come below, old man, -and we'll rig the pair of you out in dry kit. With luck, you ought to -be in Pompey again within twenty-four hours." - - ---- - -Pacing the diminutive quarter-deck of H.M.T.B.D. _Boanerges_, as she -swung to the first of the flood-tide, were two naval officers. It was -too dark to distinguish their features, even in the red glow of their -cigarettes. - -Three months had elapsed since the desperate struggle on Blackstone -Edge. The _Boanerges_, a brand-new destroyer recently delivered from -the Clyde, had just commissioned at Portsmouth for service with the -Grand Fleet. - -"My dear Boxspanner," remarked the taller of the twain, "I've come to -the conclusion that life ashore isn't worth the candle. In common -parlance, I'm fed up. The last straw is the abominable petrol tax. -Just fancy, the blighters allow me two gallons a month----" - -"You weren't on leave for more than three weeks, Pills," interrupted the -engineer-lieutenant. - -"Just so; that's the rub. I could have done with a three months' -allowance, and used the lot in a week. By the way, talking of that new -carburetter----" - -"Boat ahoy!" came a hoarse hail from the fo'c'sle as the lynx-eyed -look-out detected a dark object approaching under oars towards the -destroyer. - -"Aye, aye!" was the orthodox reply, given in clear, decisive tones. - -The boat was brought smartly alongside the accommodation-ladder, and a -young officer came briskly over the side. Jack Sefton, "sub" no longer -but a full-fledged "luff", as the two gold rings, surmounted by a curl, -on each of his sleeves denoted. - -"Well?" enquired Boxspanner eagerly. "Have you seen Crosthwaite?" - -"Saw him this afternoon," was the reply. "Passed the medical board with -flying colours. He's reported fit for duty on the 8th." - -"Good business!" ejaculated Stirling fervently. - -"And," continued Sefton, "I'm in the know. Our owner's due for -promotion. He'll be given a light cruiser; and unless I'm very much -mistaken we'll have Crosthwaite as our skipper before long." - -"Quartermaster!" said Sefton, as he turned to descend the -companion-ladder. - -"Sir," replied that worthy, already known to our readers as Thomas -Brown, A.B., but now a promising petty officer. - -"See that I am turned out at 5.45." - -"Aye, aye, sir." - -The three officers disappeared below. The quartermaster smiled grimly -as the faint words of the chorus of "They don't run corridor cars on our -branch line" caught his ear, followed by an emphatic "Chuck it, old -bird." - -"Proper jonnick they are, every mother's son of 'em," muttered P.O. -Brown, as he walked for'ard. "Chaps as us fellows would go through 'ell -with, if we ain't done so already," his thought reverting to that -memorable action in the North Sea when the Huns fled before Jellicoe's -armed might. - -And thus we say "Adieu," or perhaps "Au revoir," to three gallant -gentlemen who had so worthily played their parts in upholding the honour -of the White Ensign with Beatty off Jutland. - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WITH BEATTY OFF JUTLAND *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39489 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. 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