CHAPTER XXVII.
THE PIRATES REAPPEAR.
"You got him, Frank!" cried Lord Hastings excitedly, hopping up and downlike a boy. "Keep it on him!"
"You bet I've got him," Frank shouted back. "Slip inside, sir, and gethim from behind when I turn the water off."
Lord Hastings did as Frank suggested, and keeping to one side of thestream of hot water, entered the room and drew his revolver.
"All right," he called. "Turn it off. I've got him covered."
Frank shut off the hose and also sprang into the room.
But there was no need for force. Davis had had all the fight taken outof him, for the time being, at least. He lay upon the floor and waswrithing about apparently in great pain and moaning feebly. It was plainthat the hot water had done its work well.
"I give up," he muttered as Lord Hastings and Frank approached him.
The two leaned down and picked the man up. Lord Hastings looked him overcarefully.
"Why, you're not hurt," he said contemptuously. He turned to Frank."That water can't have been very hot," he said.
"Just hot enough, I should say," the lad returned. "I didn't want it toohot, sir. It would have spoiled his looks, and I want him looking fitwhen he faces a court martial."
"Very thoughtful of you," said Lord Hastings dryly. "I don't believe heis hurt a bit. But I guess we had better tie him up before he does anymore mischief."
"Right you are, sir," replied Jack. "Got any rope?"
"Yes; you'll find a good strong piece in the drawer of my desk there.Get it."
Frank opened the drawer and produced a long, strong rope; and as hewould have turned to Lord Hastings he was startled by a suddencommotion, followed by the sound of a fall.
Davis had sprung suddenly to his feet, upsetting Lord Hastings as he didso, and dashed out the door. Frank, dashing forward to intercept him,collided with Lord Hastings, who arose at that moment, and the latterwent to the floor again, with Frank on top of him.
By the time they had untangled themselves Davis had disappeared aft.
"After him!" shouted Frank, and dashed down the passage. Lord Hastingsfollowed closely.
Davis made straight for the engine room, why, he could not have told.The man was greatly excited and hardly knew what he was doing. As hecrossed the threshold, he collided with Simpson, the engineer, and bothrolled to the floor.
"I say! What's the matter here?" demanded Simpson angrily. "What are youjumping on me for?"
"I didn't mean to do it," replied Davis, sitting up; and then getting tohis feet.
"And what are you doing in here, anyhow?" demanded the engineer. "No oneis allowed in this room."
"I didn't know where I was going," responded Davis.
He leaped suddenly forward, and seizing a heavy iron poker, brought itdown heavily on Simpson's head. The man crumpled up on the floor.Quickly Davis whirled about and locked the door, even as Lord Hastingsand Jack threw their weight against it. Then Davis laughed aloud.
"Stand back there!" he cried. "Stand back, or I'll smash this machineryso none of us will ever reach the surface."
Frank was for smashing in the door regardless of this threat, but LordHastings seized his arm.
"Hold on!" he exclaimed. "The man is crazy enough to do it. We shallhave to seek some other method of overcoming him."
"And how are we to get him, unless we go after him, I'd like to know?"the lad demanded angrily.
"There must be some way," was the reply. "We'll wait."
He took Frank by the arm and led him away.
Lord Hastings immediately made his way to Jack's side.
"Shape your course east now, Mr. Templeton," he instructed, "and givethe command to rise to the surface."
Jack asked no questions and did as instructed.
"We'll have to take a chance on being clear of the enemy when we go up,"Lord Hastings explained. "But we've got to get Davis out of that engineroom the first thing we do."
"And how do you figure to do that, sir?" asked Frank.
"By giving him a clear path to the bridge," replied Lord Hastings. "Ihave no doubt that when he finds we are upon the surface he will leavehis retreat and go on deck; then, if there is land in sight, he probablywill leap overboard and swim for it."
"But you will not permit him to get away, sir?"
"Not if I can help it. However, I would rather have him escape than lethim send us to the bottom; and I have no doubt he will reason along thatline. Now, when we reach the surface, we will go to my cabin and remainthere until we hear him pass my door."
A few moments later the U-6 emerged from the depths and the threeimmediately went to Lord Hastings' cabin and closed the door behindthem. Lord Hastings gave an exclamation of dismay as he gazed about.
"You certainly did a good job with that hose," he said to Frank. "Thereis not a nook nor cranny of this cabin you didn't touch. Look at it, itwon't dry out in a month."
"Hardly that long, sir," said Jack with a grin. "But tell me what allthis is about, anyhow."
Frank explained. Then all grew silent, awaiting the sound of footstepsthat they felt sure would herald Davis' flight. And a few moments laterthey came, creeping along silently.
Frank took a step forward, but Lord Hastings stayed him with a gesture.
"Let him alone," he commanded. "We don't want him to find another hole.We have had trouble enough with him."
A few moments later footsteps sounded on deck.
"Well, he's up there," said Frank. "Now what?"
"Guess we can go up after him now," replied Lord Hastings.
He led the way.
"Careful, sir, when you go up," warned Jack. "He's likely to be waitingfor one of us to show a head."
Lord Hastings paid no heed to this command, but sprang quickly up. Hegazed around rapidly. There was not another soul on deck.
"Come on," he cried to Frank and Jack.
The latter also sprang up and looked about.
"Where is he, sir?" asked Frank.
"Gone," replied Lord Hastings. "Must have jumped overboard."
He swept the sea with his eyes, as did the others.
"What's that over there, sir?" asked Jack suddenly.
Lord Hastings and Frank gazed in the direction indicated. There a littleobject could be seen in the water. It had the appearance of a smallstick and beside it there appeared a black piece of cloth whipping inthe breeze.
"Looks like the periscope of a submarine," commented Frank.
"And it is," declared Lord Hastings. "Below quick!"
Jack sprang down the companionway, closely followed by Frank and LordHastings. The conning tower closed behind them.
"Submerge to the tip of the periscope," ordered Lord Hastings, and puthis eye to the instrument as Jack repeated the command.
At that moment the other craft bobbed to the surface and Lord Hastingsmade out that the black cloth that fluttered in the breeze was nothingmore nor less than a black flag.
"Pirates!" he muttered. "What! at this age of the world?" and then asudden thought flashed through his mind.
"I'll wager a farm it's Davis' own crew," he muttered.
"What's that, sir?" asked Jack, who had caught his commander's lastwords.
"Nothing much; only that Davis has found his own gang," replied LordHastings quietly. "Here, have a look."
He stepped aside and Jack took his place at the periscope. The laduttered an exclamation of surprise.
"By Jove! he has, sir," he ejaculated. "I can see him swimming towardthe submarine; and there is a man on the bridge waiting for him. Can'twe launch a torpedo at her, sir?"
"I guess we can," replied Lord Hastings. "What do you make the range?"
"Hundred yards, sir," replied Jack. "Number three torpedo, sir!"
Lord Hastings touched a button and the signal board glowed. But even asJack would have given the command to fire, a new object suddenly rose tothe surface of the water and he stayed his hand.
It was a third subm
arine, and Jack, instead of giving the command tofire, for which the men were eagerly waiting, cried:
"Another submarine, sir! Looks like a German. She's moving toward thepirate, sir!"
Lord Hastings stepped to the periscope, pushing Jack firmly aside.
"We'll move off and let them fight it out," he said. "Full speed ahead,Mr. Templeton!"
Boy Allies Under the Sea; Or, The Vanishing Submarines Page 27