CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE BATTLE AND THE ATTACK ON THE U-6.
Another few hundred yards from the two other submarines, Lord Hastingsordered the U-6 brought to a stop.
"We'll stop here a bit and watch the battle," he said.
The U-6 rose to the surface and the three officers ascended to thebridge. The pirate craft, _The Vulture_, was still upon the surface andthey were able to see that Davis at that moment had climbed over theside. Together with the man who was already on the bridge he hurriedbelow.
"Now they will submerge," said Lord Hastings.
He was right, for a moment later _The Vulture_ began to sink lower inthe water. At this moment the German craft fired her first torpedo. Itstruck a hundred yards to the right of _The Vulture_.
"Poor shooting," declared Jack.
The others nodded.
"She'll do better next time," said Frank.
The lad proved a good prophet for the second torpedo skimmed over thewater missing _The Vulture_ by inches. At the same time _The Vulture_launched a torpedo and the three aboard the U-6 gasped as it seemed thatthe missile would surely strike home.
But the German submersible swerved just a trifle and the torpedo missedby a narrow margin. At the same moment the German submarine began tosubmerge. She escaped the fire of the pirate until her periscope alsowas all that was visible.
Then the pirate rose; a moment later the German craft came from belowand both vessels launched torpedoes simultaneously.
Lord Hastings uttered an exclamation of astonishment.
"Of all the remarkable things I ever saw!" he ejaculated.
Frank and Jack were equally astonished; and the reason was this: bothtorpedoes had gone true and the periscope of each vessel fell away.
"There'll be no more diving," said Lord Hastings quietly.
Now the fighting submarines, both upon the surface, launched torpedoafter torpedo at each other. A shot from the pirate struck her adversarya glancing blow on the bow and the head of the little craft ducked atrifle. But she bobbed up serenely again a moment later and returned thefire.
This time her aim had been true and the torpedo grazed the top of theconning tower. _The Vulture_ also ducked, but came up again.
"It all depends upon who gets in the first square shot," said LordHastings, and at that moment the square shot struck.
_The Vulture_, swerving suddenly, barely escaped a torpedo from her foe,while the pirate's next torpedo struck the enemy squarely upon thebridge. There was an explosion and the German craft seemed to leap fromthe water. A moment later she came down in pieces, blown to atoms.
"It's all over," said Lord Hastings quietly. "Now it is time for us toput an end to that troublesome craft."
He led the way below and gave the order to submerge.
But it appeared that Davis, instead of fleeing as Lord Hastings and thetwo lads had expected him to do, had determined to square accounts withhis British enemies. _The Vulture_ headed toward the U-6.
Before Lord Hastings could give the command to launch the first torpedo,a missile from the enemy carried away the periscope of the U-6.
Lord Hastings gave an exclamation of dismay.
"We'll have to fight it out on the surface," he said quietly.
Now the U-6 launched her first torpedo and missed. A missile from _TheVulture_ struck close to port. Again the U-6 missed and swerved just intime to escape another torpedo from the enemy.
Then suddenly Lord Hastings gave the command to submerge.
The command was obeyed quickly and he explained to the lads.
"We'll try and run closer to him while we're below. They'll be expectingus to go the other way, and if we are not seen the moment we come upwe'll take them at a disadvantage. Of course, it's a long chance, but wemust do something."
Ten minutes later he gave the order to rise again. There was noresponse. Again Lord Hastings gave the signal and still the U-6 failedto rise.
"What's the matter?" demanded Lord Hastings quickly.
"Something wrong with the tanks, sir," replied Jack hurrying up at thatmoment. "I've just had Simpson out and he says he can fix the damagewithout going to the surface."
"All right," said Lord Hastings. "Then we shall remain stationary untilSimpson reports O.K."
Fifteen minutes later Simpson completed his work and again Lord Hastingsgave the signal to rise. Slowly the U-6 moved upward.
Suddenly there was a shock that threw all on board to the deck, and theU-6 staggered. For a moment her upward progress was stayed, but for amoment only; then she continued upward and suddenly flashed upon thesurface.
Quickly Lord Hastings jumped to his feet, and unmindful of any danger hemight encounter, dashed to the bridge. Jack and Frank followed closeupon his heels. And there a peculiar sight met their gaze.
To leeward, not half a dozen rods away, lay _The Vulture_ almost uponher side. Half a dozen men were floating in the water and one stillclung to the tilting vessel.
Frank uttered an exclamation of astonishment.
"So that's what was wrong," he ejaculated. "We came up directly beneathher, sir."
Lord Hastings nodded.
"And it seems to me we did a pretty good job," he declared. "Now----"
The appearance of one of the crew on deck cut short his sentence. Theman approached and saluted.
"Well, sir?" questioned Lord Hastings.
"Boat leaking, sir," was the reply. "Two feet of water in the hold now,sir. We can't stop it. We shall have to take to the boats, sir."
Lord Hastings looked at the man in dismay for the space of severalmoments. Then he said quietly:
"All right, Jackson. Get out the boats and order the men on deck."
Again the man took the time to salute and then disappeared below. A fewmoments later the full crew of the U-6 appeared on deck and the boatswere quickly gotten out.
"Rifles and revolvers for each man," ordered Lord Hastings.
The men already had armed themselves; so Lord Hastings gave the word totake to the boats. This was done, and pulling away from the rapidlysettling submarine, all turned their eyes again to _The Vulture_.
To their surprise _The Vulture_ was not settling as fast as was the U-6and several figures could still be seen struggling about on board.
"They are launching the boats, sir," said Frank.
"So they are," replied Lord Hastings. "And they are arming themselves. Iguess we shall have to fight this thing out yet. How's your arm, Jack?"he called to the lad, who was in another boat.
"Feels pretty good, sir," was the reply. "Why?"
"And your head, Frank?" demanded Lord Hastings, paying no heed to Jack'squestion.
"First rate, sir, doesn't hurt a bit."
"All right. Rifles ready, men. We'll swoop down on those fellows beforethey are prepared to hold us off."
But already they had delayed too long to surround the pirates without afight. _The Vulture's_ boats were afloat now and were manned by thecrew; and from the distance the British could see they were all armed.
Lord Hastings gave his commands quickly.
"Mr. Templeton, make a short detour to the right," he commanded. "Takethem from the flank." He motioned to Edwards, who was steering the boatnext to his own. Edwards approached. "Climb in there and take command,Frank," said Lord Hastings.
Frank did so quickly.
"Now make a detour to the left," Lord Hastings commanded. "I'll try andhold them off here until you reach a proper position. Then we can beardown on them from all sides."
The first shot of the battle came from the pirates and was fired byDavis himself. A man in the bow of Lord Hastings' boat muttered animprecation and wrung his hand. The bullet had struck his left littlefinger and carried the tip of it away.
"Hurt much, Price?" asked Lord Hastings.
"Not much, sir," was the quiet response. "May interfere with my shootinga little though, sir."
"Fire when ready," Lord Hastings commanded his men.
He
threw his rifle to his shoulder and it cracked viciously. A man inthe foremost pirate boat threw up his arms, sprang to his feet andpitched into the sea head first.
"One less," Lord Hastings muttered to himself.
In the meantime, while Lord Hastings engaged the enemy, Frank and Jackwere nearing their respective positions. Jack came into action first,sweeping down upon the enemy from the right.
The forces were about evenly divided, three boats to a side, but itappeared that in men the pirates slightly outnumbered the British.
A man dropped in Jack's boat now, fatally wounded. The others did noteven pause, but returned the fire steadily. Another man in Jack's boatdropped his rifle and fell back gasping. A pirate bullet found twovictims in Frank's boat and Lord Hastings now suffered the loss ofanother.
But the enemy was paying for these victims. In the center pirate boatthree men were no longer able to handle a rifle, while in the craft tothe right two had been wounded. The boat to the left also had suffered.
And all this time the boats had been nearing each other and the crack ofthe rifles mingled with the hoarse shouting of the German sailors. TheBritish, for the most part, fought coolly and silently, only the groansof the wounded breaking the stillness from their part of the water.
Frank, now that the boats were close enough together not to call forinstructions to his men, left them to do their own fighting and openedwith his revolver.
Now Frank was a crack shot, as he had proved on more than one occasion,and this time his aim was deadly. He found himself opposite the boat inwhich Davis stood erect and he picked off the men about the Britishtraitor with ease.
At last there remained but Davis. Frank trained his weapon on himcarefully, but at the moment he would have pulled the trigger a bulletstruck one of the British sailors in Frank's boat a mortal wound. Theman jumped and fell sidewise. The boat tipped over and Frank was flunginto the water.
Frank's mouth was open as he went under, and when he came up gaspingthere was no boat near him. Ahead he could see Davis still standingerect. The latter discovered the lad at the same time, levelled hisrevolver, took careful aim, and pulled the trigger.
But there was no report. The chamber of the weapon was empty.
Boy Allies Under the Sea; Or, The Vanishing Submarines Page 28