by E. J. Craine
CHAPTER XVII
WHEN THE SUBMARINE STRUCK
It was long past midnight.
In fact, the aviators could expect to see dawn break before a greatwhile. When that event came about they knew what an appalling spectaclemust greet their wondering eyes. Above, the boundless expanse of bluesky, with fleecy little white clouds passing here and there, looking likeislands in a sea of azure; below, an unending sea of tossing waves, withperhaps not even a fishing vessel in sight.
Jack fell asleep, being utterly tired out. Tom too caught what he calledlittle "cat-naps" from time to time. Beverly stuck faithfully to hispost, for not a wink of sleep could come to one in whose hands thedestinies of the whole expedition lay.
So the minutes passed, bringing them ever nearer the breaking of anotherday. The immensity of their undertaking no longer appalled them. It wastoo late for consideration anyway, since they were now fully launchedupon the flight, and turning back was not to be thought of.
Jack, waking out of a nap, looked down, and immediately uttered a loudcry.
"Why, it's getting daylight, and you can glimpse the ocean! How queer itlooks, fellows, to be sure! Is everything going well, Colin?"
"Couldn't be improved on," he was assured by the faithful pilot.
"First I must use the glasses to see how it looks at closer range," Jackcontinued. "Then I think we ought to have breakfast. This cold air makesa fellow as hungry as a wolf. I think I must have lost myself for a bit."
Tom did not say anything, only smiled, but he knew that the other hadenjoyed at least a full hour of sleep.
"How far are we from land, Tom, would you say?" next asked the observer,while he was adjusting the glasses to his eyes.
"Possibly a hundred and fifty miles, perhaps nearer two hundred," Tomassured him, in a matter-of-fact tone, as though that was only what mightbe expected.
"Hello! I can see a vessel already, and heading into the west!" declaredJack. "Of course I can't make out what she's like, though I bet you herhull and funnels are camouflaged to beat the band, so as to fool thoseHun submarine pirates with the stripes of black and white. You don'tthink it's possible that could be the _La Bretagne_, Tom?"
"Well, hardly," came the quick reply, "unless something happened todetain the French steamer after she left Havre days ago. She ought to bea whole lot further along than this boat is. She must be some small linerfrom Liverpool or Southampton, making for Halifax or New York."
Jack presently tired of staring at the little speck far down below.
"I wonder if they can see us with a glass," he next observed, as Tombegan to hand out bread and butter, with hard-boiled eggs or ham between,and some warm coffee kept in Thermos bottles so as to take the chill ofthe high altitudes out of their bodies.
"Not a chance in a hundred," Beverly assured him. "Besides, those aboardthe steamer are devoting all their efforts to watching for enemies in thewater, and not among the clouds."
They munched their breakfast and enjoyed it immensely. Indeed it seemedas though they devoured twice as much as upon ordinary occasions.
"Lucky we laid in plenty of grub!" Jack declared, when finally all ofthem announced that they were satisfied. "This Atlantic air makes onekeep hungry all the time. Now I can see that steamer plainly, for we'vedropped a little lower. Oh! What can that mean?"
His voice had a ring of sudden alarm about it that instantly arousedTom's curiosity. Even Lieutenant Beverly looked over his shoulder asthough he, too, felt a desire to learn more.
"They seem to be firing guns!" continued Jack presently. "Of course we'refar too high to hear the sound, but I can see the smoke as sure as I'msitting here. Can it be they're being attacked by a Hun undersea boat, doyou think, boys?"
"Such things keep on happening right along in these shark-infestedwaters," replied Tom. "Go on and tell us all you see, Jack!"
They were all of them thrilled by the consciousness that possibly a grimtragedy of the sea was being enacted directly beneath, without anylikelihood of their being able to render succor to those who might soonbe in distress.
"They keep on firing," Jack continued. "I can see each puff of smokebelch out. There, something has happened! I believe it was a torpedo thatexploded against the hull of the steamer, for I saw a great blotch riseup, and men are running about the decks like mad!"
Beverly had almost automatically decreased their speed, as thoughinclined to hover above the ill-fated vessel as long as possible, atleast to learn what followed.
"They seem to be making signals!" Jack presently cried out.
"Look around and see if you can glimpse anything coming on!" demandedTom, as though suspecting the cause of this fresh announcement.
Hardly had the one who gripped the binoculars started to do as he wasrequested than he gave a cry of mingled relief and satisfaction.
"Two boats racing straight for the spot, boys! Destroyers, too! Like asnot Americans, for they keep lying out here, you know, to protect ourtransports going over with the boys. How they do cut through the waterwith their sharp bows and make the waves fly! But that steamer looks asif she might be sinking right now!"
The excitement grew intense. Beverly even started to circle around,content to lose a few miles and some minutes if only he could satisfytheir minds that all was well with the unfortunate steamer that had beenso ruthlessly torpedoed without warning by the undersea pirates.
"They're coming up like fun!" cried Jack presently. "I can't see as wellas I'd like, though, on account of the sea fog that keeps drifting alongin patches like clouds. I really believe they'll get up before shefounders. Now the crew have started putting off boats to make sure ofsaving the passengers if the worst comes!"
"Which shows they have a capable captain aboard," commented Tom.
"But the sea must be pretty rough," continued Jack, "because the smallboats toss and pitch sharply as they start away from the steamer. Hangthat fog, it's going to shut the whole picture out soon. But there,one of the destroyers has arrived, and the boats are heading straighton to it."
A minute later Jack gave them another little batch of news.
"The other destroyer is circling around, and must be looking for signs ofthe sub. Wow! that was a terrible waterspout, though. And there goes asecond one!"
"They're dropping depth bombs, intending to get the slinker!" announcedBeverly jubilantly.
"Here's hoping they do then!" cried Jack, and immediately afterwardsadded: "But it's all over for us, boys, because the fog's shut it offcompletely. Might as well get along on our way; but I'm happy to knowthose Yankee boats came up in time to save everybody aboard the steamer.What a bully view we had of the performance!"
"It's such things that are apt to break the monotony and routine of along flight like the one we've undertaken," remarked Tom. "In time, ofcourse, the dash across the Atlantic will become quite common; and thosewho make it are apt to see wonderful sights."
"Two hundred miles out," Jack was saying to himself as he sat there stillholding the glasses in his hand, though not attempting to make use ofthem, and his eyes ranged longingly toward the western horizon where theblue of the sky touched the dark green of the boundless sea, all histhoughts centered on the goal that lay far distant across that vast wasteof tumbling waters.
So as the sun started to climb in the eastern heavens the flight of thebig bombing plane carrying the trio of adventurous ones was continued,every mile left behind bringing them that much nearer their destination,with the future still an unsolved problem.