Fighting Byng: A Novel of Mystery, Intrigue and Adventure
Page 27
CHAPTER XXVII
We did not have long to wait to learn where Scotty was. The murderous,devil ship had just disappeared into the night when in the silentmidnight waters of the Gulf an ear-splitting report of a cannon camelike a shout from heaven. I was sure now Scotty would follow all nightto get them, sink them or get sunk. Howard and I turned our attentionto actual damages. The lanterns by which we worked had all slid intothe sea. By the wonderful phosphorescent effect of agitated Gulfwaters we could see that the submarine still rolled violently and wastaking water in the after-hold out of which we had been pumping forsix hours. Of course, with hawsers parted, it began to drift away fromus in the tide, accelerated by the tail wake of the big ship.
We heard two more shots from the five-pounder and my confidence inScotty and the marine aboard the _Sprite_ increased. I knew the littleScot was working to do his bit.
Both Howard and I turned together to the little _Titian_ tied withliberal swinging room to the stern of the _Anti-Kaiser_. We pulled heralongside and Howard jumped in. "She is half full of water!" heshouted. "She had keeled over on her beam as the colliding ship shovedher out of the way!"
The loosened submarine had drifted out of sight. Howard finally founda lantern and lit it. We went to the lifeboat of the _Anti-Kaiser_, sosecurely lashed it would take minutes to free it, and the minutes nowwere more than hours at another time, and Howard knew it.
As though pre-arranged he plunged into the sea in the direction of thedrifting prize, his life, his hope, his patriotic endeavor, his dutyto little Jim, all in the balance.
I felt safer now as I knew he would get to her quicker that way evenif she went to the bottom. Fifteen years of sponging had made wateralmost a natural element to him.
The _Anti-Kaiser's_ three anchors were let out during the storm andhad evidently held. After a rapid examination no damage was evidenced;she did not leak.
With the lantern I rushed into the hold. I must have kicked the olddarkey Don pretty hard; he had disgustingly slept through it all. Ithen relit the red and green signal light the collision had put out. Istopped to listen, but the only sound was the faint lapping of thewater against the sides of the _Anti-Kaiser_.
Straining my eyes to get some sign of the prize, I was haunted by thethought that Howard might not find it and perish. Don came up; Iordered him to help the marine man the lifeboat, and rushed to theboat's charts to make sure which way the tidal currents ran there andestimate in what direction the submarine would drift.
As a naked steel thrust, came the knowledge that it flowed about threemiles per hour through a channel between coral islands less thanthree miles away, not navigable because of coral formation close tothe surface, the tide that had been ebbing three hours making it stillmore dangerous.
I stood on the stern of the _Anti-Kaiser_ and halloed, again andagain, loud enough, it seemed, to reach the infernal regions. But noresponse came forth from the silent Gulf waters. Howard was lost orhad drifted out of my voice's range.
I ordered the marine and Don to bail out the little _Titian_ and seeif he could start its motor. I then jumped into the lowered lifeboat,determined to find Howard. Scotty, I was sure, would take care ofhimself and the hell-bound ship that would run us down with murderous,destructive intent.
I would row, then get up and shout for Howard to answer, more rowingand yelling again at the top of my voice, without receiving a sound inresponse.
I came back to the _Anti-Kaiser_ hoping Don and the marine had the_Titian_ bailed out and the motor started; with that I could make morespeed.
They had the water out, but, being flooded so long, the motor wouldnot start. Again I went out to row, this time in a larger circle,shouting at regular intervals. I recalled that I had done the samething for Howard twenty years ago on Alligator Island in Georgia.Obsessed by the anxiety and strain the past day's hellish influencesuggested and haunted me with the thought that this time he was lost,the prize lost, and little Jim fatherless! I tell you it was tortureany man would escape if he could. I recalled waiting for the break ofday as I did on Alligator Island, and prayed that things would turnout the way they did that time. In this instance it was different,however. The prize submarine may have been injured and sunk so faraway that Howard was unable to swim back.
Before dawn, after long and hard work, I cleared the _Titian's_ motorof water and had her running. I knew then I could swiftly search indaylight, and when the first rays were showing in the horizon Don madecoffee.
As I ate and drank I walked about scanning the water as far as theslowly advancing light would allow, with no results. At first a lightfog obscured the coral islands, the direction in which I knew he mustdrift. The marine and I cursed it. But I stopped suddenly as I heardold Don in the cabin praying earnestly for the safety of his master.The sincere supplication moved and comforted.
He was right. It was no time to curse. He put plenty of food and waterin the _Titian_ before I started and looked to see if the rifle in theholster before me was all right, little Jim's rifle that always wentwith the _Titian_; then said as I was leaving that he would continueto pray for little Jim's father and me until we both returned, and,say what you will, it gave me a quiet strength.
"I know you gwine to find him," he called to me as the littlepropeller began to lash the water viciously as if it, too, knew whatwas at stake and gathered express speed like a greyhound with itsquarry in sight.
It wasn't yet broad daylight and patches of fog hung in places, whichI recall annoyed me to irritation, as the _Titian_ shot out in thedirection I thought the prize would drift. I had gone perhaps threemiles before I saw a dark spot that I first thought was a denser fog,but as I drew near it I could discern the high stern of a merchantvessel. Yes, it was a vessel, and the _Titian_ seemed to know andtightened its grip on the water until I came close enough to read onits stern, _Monserat_ of Vera Cruz. I could recall an oldEnglish-built vessel by that name that sailed under the Mexican flagbetween Mexico and California ports, and bore a doubtful reputationwith the custom-house officials on the Pacific Coast. As this flashedthrough my mind I changed my course to avoid coming too close. I sawshe was at anchor, the same dirty black sides that seemed to rush byin their evident intent to run us down. She needed paint and was soold that she had been built of iron, before steel began to be used inship construction.
Scotty wanted to explain why he didn't see her coming and head her offbefore she struck, and how he forced her to anchor by two shots intoher upper works. As soon as he stopped I came alongside with himgiving a broadside view of the _Monserat_.
"Have you seen anything of the submarine? This fellow cut us apart andit has been drifting."
"No--been sailing close around this fellow all night, so that hedidn't play any more tricks until you go aboard," he replied, lookingvery haggard and hungry from his all-night patrol, eating the food Igave him ravenously.
"You did right, Scotty. Hold him at anchor until I return. I've got tolocate the submarine first for she may be still floating into somedangerous position."
"I think this fellow has a gun aft, and may try something after itgets full daylight," said Scotty, viewing her with his glasses, andthen, like any good sailor, swept the sea on each side and beyond.
"Circle him at a safe distance and if he tries any tricks give him theiron--sink the ship rather than allow him to get away," I ordered,quickly preparing to resume my search in an improved light, muchhastened by Scotty's work.
Scotty did not reply, but continued with his binoculars to the left ofthe _Monserat_.
"What is it, Scotty?"
"The light is still bad, but unless the fog fools me I can make outsomething to the left of the Mexican. No--no; it's nothing----" hesaid, disappointedly and slow. "Yes, it is--surely it is something;look yourself!" he said excitedly, handing me the glasses.
Eagerly I raised them but at first could see nothing until I changedthe adjustment on the lens, but it was so dim and nebulous I wasafraid Scotty's imagination was working. Howev
er, I decided to wait afew minutes for the light to improve and then take in thesurroundings. The _Monserat_ had been halted and was at anchor about ahalf a mile from one of the barren coral groups of the Tortugas. Ifwhat Scotty saw was the prize it had not drifted in the directionindicated by the charts. But if it was by chance the submarine and ifthe Mexican's intent on us last night was deliberate he might attemptsome more tricks as soon as he saw it. I scanned the Mexican_Monserat_. Yes, there was surely a gun of some size in the stern,covered with a dirty sail cloth.
When I looked again in the direction Scotty thought he saw something Iwas convinced it was not imagination, and decided to go to it at once.
"Scotty, I believe I can make out something over there, too; but itmay be only a coral reef sticking out; you know these waters are fullof them. Take a position well off the _Monserat's_ bow and keep movingpretty fast back and forth so that he cannot reach you with his sterngun without weighing anchor. Give him the five-pound steel anywhere ifhe attempts to move, but keep out of his way, for that gun has yououtclassed, and if he makes a hit you'll have breakfast with DavyJones."
Scotty set his teeth hard and began to obey my instructions. "He'swelcome to all he gets from me. All I wanted was an order from you."
"Be careful though, Scotty. So far we have no charge against her. Allthat happened last night could have been accidental, and that's thedevil of it," I called to him as I gave the _Titian_ her wings andstarted for the dim object three or four miles beyond.
Yes, it was Howard; he had managed, after tremendous effort, to letout the anchor of the prize and stood waiting for me, his long hairand beard reminding me of a sea-lion as he stood in the tower in waterup to his knees. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked all the strainof his night's effort and days of sleepless endurance.
"I knew you would come at daylight," he said quietly as I camealongside.
"I tried to find you during the night, but was not successful."
"I thought so. It took me so long to swim to her that after gettingaboard I guess I was unconscious for a time, but upon waking I finallygot her hook out. I don't believe they have used the anchor since itwas built," he said, after a long pull at the water I gave him.
As he ate almost savagely of the food, I told him what happened afterhe left, and if he was safe I must go and examine the Mexican and lethim go if nothing irregular were found, as we had no right to hold himlonger.
"Wood, that was not an accident."
"No, but knowing and proving is different. The flag is neutral on thesurface and this farce must be suffered for a time."
"Well, you know best, but that fellow had murder in his heart, whoeverhe is. My anchor holds fine and plenty of water, perfectly safe unlessit storms. We can pump her out here as well as anywhere," he added,somewhat softened, but yet terribly determined. What manner of manwas this who could stand such punishment and exposure?
I could not hold the Mexican, though I was sure she carried Ramund andparty. I never told Howard this until long after. They had picked herup at Vera Cruz for the deliberate purpose of running down anddestroying us. The principal thing I wanted then was for her toproceed to the Nicaraguan port for which she was cleared and hadScotty trail her far past Key West to see that no one was set ashorehere.
We pumped out the prize successfully. The _Anti-Kaiser_ was able totow her and I succeeded in getting a sub chaser to convoy it to aNorthern port. I did not see Howard again until the case was about tobe called for trial some months later.