The Boy Allies in the Baltic; Or, Through Fields of Ice to Aid the Czar

by Clair W. Hayes

  CHAPTER VII.

  THE ATTACK.

  An instant later every man aboard the D-17 was on the alert. LordHastings stood at the periscope, which, immediately the submarine hadreached the desired place, would make visible to him the great Germanbattleships upon the surface of the water.

  Frank and Jack stood to their posts, ready and eager for the word thatwould send one of the steel engines of destruction speeding into thehull of the enemy.

  There was not a man aboard who did not realize that they were indeed ina ticklish situation; for, besides the danger that always attended suchan undertaking, there was the additional danger now of encountering oneor more of the German under-water boats.

  Nor was there a chance of a surprise attack. Lord Hastings was wellaware that the presence of a hostile submarine had been flashed to everyGerman battleship in the harbor.

  Above, the sea was being swept with powerful searchlights, while belowthe under-sea craft of the Germans were dashing hither and thither in avain endeavor to find some trace of the enemy who had so brazenly daredto enter what the Germans believed an impenetrable base.

  Lord Hastings now turned to Jack with a command:

  "You may come to the surface, Mr. Templeton."

  Jack repeated the command with alacrity; and when the D-17 had risen sothat her periscope barely protruded above the top of the water, she waskept stationary.

  "What do you see, sir?" asked Frank of Lord Hastings, who now peeredintently into the periscope.

  "German battleship half a mile to port and another half a mile astern,"was the reply. "The others are too far away for us, although they mightreach us with a shell if their lights should happen to pick us up. We'llmake for the fellow to port and trust to luck that we get near enoughwithout being spotted."

  He gave the necessary directions to Frank, who had taken the wheel.

  Fortune was with the D-17 this night, for the submarine approachedwithin less than a hundred and fifty yards of the German battleshipwithout being perceived. There, at a command from Lord Hastings, shebecame stationary.

  "No. 1 torpedo!" commanded Lord Hastings suddenly, and gave the range.

  Jack touched a little button, and the signal board flashed red.

  "Attention!" was the next command that glowed in letters of fire.

  The British sailor at No. 1 torpedo stood ready to release hisinstrument of destruction.

  There was a slight pause. Then:

  "Fire!"

  Followed a slight metallic click as the engine of death sped on its wayover the water.

  Contrary to the expectations of the others, Lord Hastings did notimmediately give the command to submerge. Instead, he stood perfectlymotionless, peering into the periscope. There was silence aboard theD-17, broken finally by Frank, who could stand the suspense no longer:

  "Did we hit her, sir?"

  For answer, Lord Hastings stepped aside and motioned the lad to hisplace at the periscope. Frank, turning the wheel over to a sailor,sprang forward quickly. And here is what he saw:

  A short distance to port, a huge German battleship was slowly sinking bythe head. Fully half a hundred great searchlights--the eyes of the manyother German ships of war--played upon the sinking vessel now, lightingher up like day. Movements aboard the sinking vessel were plainlyvisible to Frank.

  Men rushed hither and thither in the greatest confusion, and while Frankcould hear no sounds there below the water, there was every indicationof shouts and cries of panic and of fright.

  An officer rushed aft and sought to maintain some semblance of orderamong the members of the crew who were seeking to get a small boat overthe side at that end of the ship. A German sailor struck him down with ablow of his fist and returned to his place at the boat.

  Men struggled frantically. The German officer picked himself up and drewa revolver; then advanced again upon the sailors. One sprang forward,but fell sprawling upon the deck. No sound came to Frank, but he knewthat the German officer had fired.

  One, two, three others of the struggling sailors now fell before therevolver of the infuriated German officer; the others gave back. Franksaw the man gesticulating angrily; and the sailors fell to getting theboat over in a more orderly manner, apparently more afraid of theofficer who confronted them with leveled revolver than they were of theimminent danger of the ship going to the bottom.

  Forward, aboard the German battleship also were signs of confusion.There, too, officers had their hands full in attempting to maintaindiscipline. Several times one of their number fired into the faces ofthe crowd of sailors.

  Suddenly the great German ship staggered visibly and a dull roar carriedto the ears of those aboard the D-17.

  "Explosion," Frank explained to those behind him.

  "Fire aboard must have reached her magazine," said Lord Hastings.

  And indeed such was the case. When the great ship staggered there was aterrible roar, louder than the loudest peal of thunder. Ensued a greaterpanic than before aboard the German vessel.

  No longer did men fight for the boats. No longer did they heed the criesof their officers to stick to the ship and die like true German sailors.Instead, they rushed for the rails and threw themselves into the sea inscores. Several times officers rushed in between them, but they werehurled aside. It was every man for himself now, and finally the officersgave up the attempt to check the panic.

  As the sailors continued to leap into the sea, the officers congregatedon the bridge, gathering about a tall figure, apparently the Germancommander.

  And at length, besides these officers, there was not a man to be seenaboard the battleship. Then the commander raised his hand in acommanding gesture. A dozen of the score of officers left him and threwthemselves into the sea after the sailors.

  Another command from the German captain and others left his side, thoughplainly more reluctantly. This continued until, besides the commander,there were but two men left.

  "His first officers, I suppose," Frank muttered to himself.

  Again the German commander gesticulated angrily. The others argued back.The commander stamped his foot. One of the officers laid a hand on hisarm. The commander shook it off.

  "They want him to go along," said Frank, who had already explained thesituation to Lord Hastings and the others within hearing.

  "They are wasting time," said Lord Hastings. "I know these German navalcommanders."

  Frank peered across the water again.

  Now both of the officers had hold of the commander and were seeking todrag him toward the side of the ship. Apparently they held him firmly,for Frank could see that he was trying hard to shake off their hands.But he was held too securely.

  Even from where he stood, Frank could see the commander shrug hisshoulders. Immediately the other officers released their hold. All movedtoward the side.

  "You're wrong this time, sir," said Frank to Lord Hastings. "Thecommander is going."

  "I don't believe it," was the reply.

  "Well, he is, sir. He----"

  Frank broke off suddenly, for there were new developments aboard thesinking battleship.

  At the very side of the ship the commander hung back. The other officersprotested. The captain was adamant. Again the others sought to seize himby the arms. But the commander had anticipated this action, and heleaped lightly backward, at the same time presenting a brace ofrevolvers. The others halted in their tracks.

  Now the commander motioned the others over the side, gesticulating withhis weapons. The others shook their heads. The commander raised bothrevolvers and pointed each at one of his officers. Still they shooktheir heads.

  "By Jove!" said Frank. "There are three of them going to stick now!"

  "He shouldn't allow that," said Lord Hastings. "He is still thecommander of the vessel. He has the privilege of staying if he chooses,but he should order the others off the ship."

  "He has, sir, but they refuse to go."

  "Then
he should insist."

  "He's even threatened them, sir. But they won't go."

  "Well, it's their funeral," said Lord Hastings briefly.

  The German commander had now given up his attempt to force the others toleave the ship; and the three men stood quietly upon the bridge,awaiting the end.

  And it came suddenly.

  The German battleship suddenly seemed to leap clear of the water--theresult of a second explosion, the sound of which was again barelyaudible to those aboard the D-17--and came down in twain. The afterpartof the vessel disappeared beneath the water almost immediately, but insome unaccountable manner, the portion forward still floated. It wasupon this that the three officers stood.

  Each man stood erect, his face tilted a trifle toward the sky. The hugeflashlights from the other vessels in the harbor lighted them upplainly, and Frank could see that each of the three was smiling.

  Slowly now what was left of the battleship sank, the center of a broadcircle of brilliancy. Down, down. Now the water had reached almost tothe bridge. Now the officers stood in water up to their knees. Then thewreck dived.

  Frank relinquished his place at the periscope to Lord Hastings,remarking:

  "Well, she's gone; and three brave men with her."

  There was no reply to this remark.

  Suddenly the water close to the D-17 splashed violently. Lord Hastingslooked about sharply. Again the water was kicked up, this time on thestarboard how.

  "They've spotted us," said the commander of the D-17. "Every ship in thefleet is bearing down on us. Submerge to five fathoms, Mr. Templeton."

  Jack repeated the command and the D-17 dived.

  "Now what, sir?" asked Frank.

  "It's too risky to tackle any more of them," was the reply. "We'll makefor the Kiel Canal."

  "The Kiel Canal?"

  "Yes; we are headed for the Baltic."

  "But----" began Frank.

  "You will do well to remember," said Lord Hastings, "that sometimes Ikeep my plans to myself."