CHAPTER XIV
HELPED BY AN ENEMY
"What's that?" inquired Ned, startled at the unexpected sound.
"Loose board, I guess," replied Jimmie, rather disgruntled at the turnaffairs had taken. "The wind's ripping everything loose!"
Again the tapping was repeated in an insistent manner.
"I'm going to see what's going on here!" declared Ned, rising from hisposition. "Some one is trying to communicate with us!"
"Some bloomin' Dutchman's tryin' to ask us whether we want sausage withour pancakes for breakfast!" growled Jimmie. "Let 'em alone!"
Disregarding this statement the older lad proceeded toward the window,where fitful gusts of sleet beat. Outside the darkness coveredeverything. Only an occasional point of light indicated a sentry hut.
"Who's there?" demanded Ned in a low tone.
"Sh-h-h!" came a hiss from the darkness. "Open the window!"
Ned fumbled a moment at the fastening. Presently he found the catchsliding the sash back in its channel. An exclamation escaped him as hedid so. The face of the visitor was none other than that of their missingacquaintance, Mackinder. Ned was astounded.
"Thought you were dead!" he cried in amazement.
"Hush!" cautioned the other. "Not so loud. Now, if you lads want to getout of here this is your time. Everybody's busy or asleep!"
"How do you know we want to get out of here?" demanded Jimmie in a lowtone as he approached the opening.
"Don't you suppose I have eyes? I saw what you were up to!"
"Oh, you did, eh? Then what do you want us to do?"
"If you want to get away from this place according to your plan, now isthe time to take action," replied Mackinder in a whisper. "If you preferto wait until tomorrow and stand trial for an offense of which you areinnocent I cannot offer any objection of course."
"Ned, I think we'd better make our getaway while the going's good!"
"Second the motion!" declared Harry, who had softly approached thewindow. "Let's make a noise like a drum!"
"I'm with you!" stated Frank, raising a foot to the window sill.
"Easy there!" cautioned Jimmie. "Mind your step!"
Frank was through the window in an instant. He landed on the earth withMackinder's assistance without noise. Quickly the others followed. Nedtook the precaution to slide the window shut.
Cautiously the little group of six made their way in the direction of thewharf where the submarines were moored. Mackinder took the lead as iffamiliar with the ground. Once he paused, extending a warning hand toJimmie, who was directly behind him. The lad performed a similar servicefor those in the rear. A sentry was approaching.
Mackinder sank upon the ground. Although the night was too dark for thelads to see this action they were close enough to be aware of themovement. Instantly all followed suit.
In a moment they breathed more freely. The sentry had passed within a fewpaces of their position. Evidently his feeling of security in theisolation of the island had made him somewhat negligent of his duties. Heproceeded against the storm with head bent low.
Again Mackinder rose to his feet. Cautiously he crept forward.
On tiptoe the party gained the shelter of the warehouse.
"Gee!" declared Jimmie as the edge of the wharf was gained, "I cleanforgot my kit! What shall we do?"
"Hush!" warned Ned. "Don't even dare think of your kit!"
"I should say not!" put in Harry. "Think of your head instead!"
"And the mines at the harbor entrance," added Frank.
"All right!" submissively agreed Jimmie. "I'll keep quiet!"
The wind had risen to such an extent that walking on the narrow plankingwas not only uncertain but extremely dangerous. Mackinder solved theproblem by dropping to all fours. The boys followed suit.
Directly they gained the submarine, the hatch was placed quietly inposition for prompt closing and the lines which held the boat were letgo.
Owing to the movement of the boats caused by the roughened surface of theharbor creakings and groanings of the fenders had served to drown anynoise the party had made in crossing the narrow bridge of planks.
Jimmie held the wheel as Ned gave the signal for casting off the lines. Atouch of Harry's hand on the lever started the engines. The submarinebegan to move. Suddenly a loud splash alongside attracted the attentionof all. Frank came scuttling down the ladder.
"Now I've done it!" he gasped. "I forgot to shove the plank back onto thenext boat and it fell into the water as we started!"
"Wonder if the guard has heard it!" speculated Ned. "Let me up!"
Under protests from his companions the lad mounted the iron ladder andthrust his head through the hatch.
"I hear someone running along the dock!" he announced presently. "I'llbet they have heard that noise! I see a light!" he added.
"What are they doing?" inquired Jimmie, holding the boat directly in thecenter of the channel as he peered anxiously ahead.
"A fellow with a lantern is running out along the planks," replied Ned."They've got to the outside boat now. Now they're turning back."
"Better get that hatch closed so we can dive," admonished Jimmie. "Thisis our time for getting out of sight in a hurry!"
"There goes their searchlight!" shouted Frank, who had crowded up theladder close beside Ned. "They're going to spot us in a hurry!"
"Ah," cried Ned as a sullen roar came to their ears. "They're taking achance shot at us from that cannon on the hill. Let's dive!"
Quickly the two boys adjusted the hatch. As they signaled to theircompanions that this task was completed Harry and Jack turned thedeflecting rudders. The half-manned submarine slowly began to descend.
"Get some water into the tanks quick, Harry!" called Jimmie.
"Pump's going right now!" declared the other. "We're going down!"
"Take a look through the periscope, Ned," requested the pilot, "and letme know what you can make out. Can you see any buoys ahead?"
"Try to see if they've located us with their searchlight," suggestedMackinder. "Maybe they are getting our range with that gun!"
"Never mind about that searchlight," snapped Jimmie. "I want to find outwhat's ahead, not what's behind us. We'll run this boat!"
"I simply wanted to know," objected Mackinder somewhat ruffled at thelad's peremptory manner. "No objection, is there?"
"All the objection in the world!" declared Jimmie. "You're quite welcomeaboard as a passenger, but we'll navigate the vessel, please!"
Scarcely knowing whether to be amused or defiant at this attitudeMackinder chose the wiser course and refrained from further comment.
Although the boys could not be sure that the persons on the island weremaking efforts to hinder their escape they felt the better course was toremain beneath the surface until well out of the harbor.
Directly Jimmie called the attention of his comrades to an object in thewater at no great distance ahead. The rays of the searchlight with whichthe submarine was provided indistinctly revealed a huge bulk slightlyabove the level at which they were traveling.
"What is that, a ship?" asked Harry wonderingly.
"I'll bet a cookie that's a mine!" declared Jimmie positively. "I'm goingto give it a little more leeway, anyhow. It pays to be safe!"
Ned was working the periscope in an effort to locate the buoys asdirected by Jimmie. Occasionally he turned the glass toward the group ofbuildings they had just left.
"They're shooting at us, I guess!" he stated presently. "I can see theflash of that cannon. It seems to be pointed this way!"
"Let 'em shoot, they can't see anything but the periscope and they'd havean awful time hitting that!" boasted Jimmie.
Scarcely had the lad spoken before the vessel was shaken by the force ofa mighty concussion. A gigantic wave tossed the craft up and forward witha heave that threw the boys off their feet.
"What was that?" gasped Jimmie glancing at his companions with aterrified face. "Has one of the fuel tanks blown up?"
"Nothing doing!" replied Harry. "I think that cannon hit the mine we justpassed. I'm glad we were no closer!"
"We'll soon be out of their range!" stated Jimmie. "Shut up yourperiscope and we'll go deeper. Give us a little more speed, Harry!"
In an hour Jimmie declared that they should be out of sight of the islandaltogether. The engines had been working at full speed ahead. Harrynursed the machinery constantly, knowing that it was new and would,therefore, require considerable care. Their urgent need for speed inducedthe lads to crowd the machinery to the limit, and Harry was gratified tonote that every part responded properly to its task.
"Well, Mackinder," stated Ned as the tension on their nerves began torelax with the increasing distance traveled, "we're surely grateful toyou for suggesting that we get away as you did!"
"My motive was largely a selfish one, I must confess," returnedMackinder. "I wanted very badly to get away from that island."
"How did they ever get hold of you, anyhow?" questioned Jack.
"I left Amsterdam the same evening you did. After the Lena Knobloch wentpast us as she did I knew there was little use trying to delay you.Therefore, my aide and myself left at once on a train for Rotterdam.There we found a fishing boat which we thought would answer our purpose.We induced the captain to take us aboard, intending to cross to England.After traveling some distance the storm overtook us. We were blown farout of our course. The vessel was badly battered. The crew left in apanic, leaving me on board. Just in time the German destroyer came alongand took me off. That's it in a nutshell."
"Yes, and then when you discovered us in our little boat you went andtold the captain of the destroyer a lot of nonsense, didn't you?"questioned Jimmie in a somewhat aggressive manner. "Why did you do it?"
"I only told him that you had at one time a package that belonged to me.I wanted the package badly. I thought he would assist me."
"That wasn't a very nice way to go about it," declared Jimmie withemphasis. "After searching our baggage twice, and after we had told youhow the package was in our kits without our knowledge, also that it hadbeen stolen away from our possession, why didn't you believe us?"
"There is an old saying that all is fair in love and war!" repliedMackinder. "You know that my country and Germany are at war. As anofficer in the British army, it is my duty to do everything possible toassist my country. I believe that package contains information that mycountry could use. That is my justification for my acts, and I hope youboys are fair-minded enough to hold no resentment."
"I'm just fair-minded enough to be neutral," declared Jimmie, "if I haveto fight for the right to remain that way. I'm just a little sore at youfor supposing that four boys who are citizens of a neutral country wouldbe carrying information around for another country at war!"
"I'm sorry you feel that way," said Mackinder. "I assure you there wasnothing personal in my acts. I simply tried to do my best!"
"Well, you did a lot, at that!" returned the lad.
"All right, folks, let's drop the subject," spoke up Ned. "I feel thatthe air in here is getting bad. Suppose we go to the surface."
"Right you are," agreed Harry. "Let's rise and fill the tanks!"
Jimmie, in compliance with this wish, steered the craft upward.
At the surface the boys found the water much smoother than they hadexpected would be the case. Jimmie declared that he intended painting thebalance of the name "U-13" on the vessel while the other lads wereoccupied in airing out the vessel and refilling the compressed air tanks.
Slung in a boatswain's chair over the sloping deck the lad soon completedthis task. Feeling a considerable degree of elation at the success of hisundertaking Jimmie returned with his brush and paint.
"If you're ready now we'll dive again and proceed!"
"Wait a minute, Mackinder's still on deck!" stated Jack.
"He wasn't there when I came below!" protested Jimmie.
Boy Scouts in the North Sea; Or, The Mystery of a Sub Page 14