CHAPTER XI.
AT CLOSE QUARTERS.
Below, Jack and Frank were still struggling with the German officer, butLord Hastings had no time to lend them a hand. He raised his voice in ashout, and the crew came running at his command.
"Submerge instantly!" he cried.
But already sharp eyes aboard the German cruisers had caught sight ofthe submarine, and even as she sank suddenly from sight a single gunroared. The aim of this particular gunner was excellent; for theperiscope of the D-16 was carried away as clean as a whistle.
Lord Hastings, who had been peering through it from below, was instantlyaware of what had happened, and he immediately rushed to the compartmentwhere the searchlight was placed and turned it on. This was now the onlyeye the submarine had with which to look for danger ahead.
Lord Hastings again raised his voice and a sailor came running to him.The commander of the vessel turned the lookout over to him and rushed towhere he had left Frank and Jack.
When Frank had gone to his friend's assistance, he had thought thattogether they would have little trouble overcoming the German officer.But the latter, in spite of Jack's strength and all that Frank could do,was giving a good account of himself.
Blow after blow he landed upon each of the lads, but none had the powerbehind it to put them down. Time after time the two lads had closed inon him, only to be shaken off for the German was as slippery as an eel.
But finally Jack succeeded in gaining a strangle hold on the German, andputting forth his greatest strength, bore him to the floor, where bothlads piled on top of him, pinioning his arms and legs. It was at thismoment that Lord Hastings appeared upon the scene and rushed forward tolend a helping hand.
In falling the German's head had come in violent contact with the floor,and he now lay still.
"Tie him up quickly," commanded Lord Hastings. "We haven't any time towaste on him."
Jack and Frank hastened to obey, and soon the captive was securelybound.
The two lads noticed the signs of anxiety on their commander's face andFrank asked:
"What's the matter, sir?"
"Matter is that we are in a veritable nest of the enemy," replied LordHastings. "Also our periscope has been shot away."
"But we can rig up the other in no time," said Jack.
"So we can," said his commander, "but in the meantime they are likely tosend a flotilla of submarines below to look for us."
"Then we shall have to hustle," said Frank.
"Hustle is the proper word," agreed Lord Hastings. "Come with me."
He led the way to the foot of the broken periscope, and quickly summonedseveral members of the crew. With all possible haste the secondperiscope, carried for just such an emergency, was brought out and runup.
"The only way we can tell whether it is adjusted properly," said LordHastings, "is to rise, and that is exceedingly dangerous."
"Well, we shall have to take a chance," said Frank.
"So we shall," was the reply. "You may give the order, Mr. Templeton."
Jack did as commanded, and slowly the submarine began to rise. LordHastings stood at the foot of the second periscope, peering intentlyinto it. At last he raised his hand in a sudden signal, and immediatelythe vessel began to sink again.
"It's all right," said the commander, turning to the lads. "I caught aglimpse of the surface."
"Then we are all fixed again," said Frank thankfully.
"Yes."
"Then," said Jack, "I should say the thing to do is to put as greatdistance as possible between us and the enemy."
"The only draw back to that," said Lord Hastings, "is that I do not knowjust where we are and to move in any direction is decidedly dangerous."
"Weren't you able to recognize the surroundings?" asked Frank.
"No; the canal is fortified all along, and all the fortifications lookalike to me."
"Well," said Jack, "how about the prisoner? Don't you think he can bemade to pilot us out of danger?"
"No," was the reply, "I don't. I am absolutely positive he would refuse,no matter what the result. I am convinced that the only reason he agreedbefore was because he figured he could put us in the power of hisfriends. I don't believe he scared worth a cent."
"Nor I," agreed Frank.
"Well, then what is to be done?" asked Jack.
"We shall just have to feel our way along carefully," replied LordHastings. "But we must get away from this spot immediately. There is notelling what they may dump over on us. Straight ahead, Mr. Templeton, atseven knots."
"Very good, sir," replied the lad, and repeated the command to theengine room.
Lord Hastings himself took the helm, and Frank again stood watch in theforward compartment. For an hour they proceeded without incident, andthen Lord Hastings decided to rise and take a look about.
Accordingly the pumps were set to work, and as the water was forced fromthe submersion tanks, the D-16 rose toward the surface. Lord Hastings,Frank and Jack ascended to the bridge.
"Well," said the former, "we seem to have given them the slip."
"It looks that way, sir," replied Frank, after a quick glance over thewater.
In the distance they could make out the forms of the battle cruisers,but evidently those aboard the German vessels did not perceive thesubmarine, lying low in the water.
Suddenly as the three stood talking, a figure bounded upon the bridgefrom below, and before any of the three could raise a hand to stop him,crossed the deck and hurled himself into the sea.
"Great Scott!" cried Frank. "It's the German!"
"Impossible!" exclaimed Jack. "He was too securely bound to freehimself."
"But I am positive that is who it was," said Frank.
All rushed to the side of the bridge, and peered intently into thewater, waiting for the figure of the man to reappear upon the surface.Perhaps a minute later, they made out his form, quite a distance fromthe vessel, and swimming toward the distant German vessels with powerfulstrokes.
"Now I wonder how he managed to get----" began Jack, and pausedsuddenly.
For Frank, throwing off his coat, had hurled himself into the water andset out in pursuit of the fugitive.
"Here! Come back here!" called Jack to his friend.
Lord Hastings added his voice to Jack's.
"Come back," he cried. "Let him go."
Frank waved one arm in the air and called back over his shoulder:
"I'll get him. You wait right here for me if I am gone a year!"
Jack turned to Lord Hastings.
"Shall I jump over and bring him back?" he asked.
Lord Hastings shook his head.
"No," he replied. "Let him go. If he can catch the German, all right;but I doubt it. However, when he finds that the chase is hopeless andthat he is likely to fall into the hands of the enemy, he will turnback."
"I'm not so sure about that," said Jack. "Frank is rather hot headed attimes, you know, and he is likely to chase him clear aboard a Germanwarship."
"I give him credit for more sense than that," said Lord Hastings.
"So do I," said Jack, "at times. At other times he loses his headaltogether."
"Well, the best thing we can do is to wait and see what happens," saidLord Hastings. "The only thing that worries me is that the German mayprove more than a match for him should he overtake him."
"I'll leave it to Frank to get himself out of any trouble like that,"said Jack. "The only thing that I am afraid of is his hot-headedness."
In the meantime, exert himself as he would, Frank realized that he wasnot lessening the distance between himself and the fugitive; but the ladwas not one to give up the chase so easily. He gritted his teeth andmuttered to himself:
"I'll get him if I have to chase him all around the world."
After a time Frank's hopes arose, for a quick look ahead showed him thathe had gained a trifle. This encouraging sign lent strength to his arms.He struck
out more vigorously than before, as he realized that it wasonly a question of time until he overtook his quarry.
But what the lad did not know was that at that very instant the lookouton the nearest German warship had caught sight of the two swimmers. Ashouted command aboard the German vessel, and a launch put off over theside and dashed rapidly toward the German officer in the water.
This Frank did not see, and so swam on in ignorance of the danger thatthreatened. Raising his eyes, a couple of minutes later he saw theGerman officer as he was picked up by the boat, and for the first timerealized that he was in a ticklish situation.
"Great Scott!" he muttered to himself. "Why didn't I keep my eyes open?I hope they are satisfied with saving him and let me alone."
He turned quickly, and made for the D-16 as fast as he could swim.
But his hopes were to prove fruitless, as a quick glance over hisshoulder told him. In the launch he perceived the German commandergesticulating violently and pointing in his direction.
"I guess it's up to me to hustle," he told himself.
Now the German launch started after him, gaining at every stroke the ladmade.
Lord Hastings and Jack perceived the turn of affairs, and Jack criedout:
"Get the launch over quick and man it. Unless we can lick these fellows,Frank is a goner."
The crew acted with promptness, and in a twinkling the launch of theD-16 also was racing toward the swimming lad.
The Boy Allies with the Terror of the Seas; Or, The Last Shot of Submarine D-16 Page 11