CHAPTER VII
OFF ON A LONG CRUISE
At the very instant the lad disappeared beneath the water therewas a flash of fire above the submarine, followed by a violentexplosion-fearful, terrific.
The upper work of X-9 was blown high into the air and came downin splinters, scattered to the four winds of heaven. The deckwas rent and open up with a great, yawning scam, through whichthe ocean rushed, driving the craft below the waves as though ithad been drawn down by some mighty whirlpool. A minute later,where had been one of Germany's most terrible fighters, there wasonly a seething flood of water covered with floating wreckage.
The force of the explosion sent the water spouting high in theair like giant gushers. The sea boiled and lashed out angrily atwhat was left of the German craft. Not a living figure was to beseen upon the wreckage.
The deadly melinite had done its work.
Beneath the waters of the North Sea, where Frank and Jack hadsought what shelter they could, the water tossed them about atwill, in spite of their frantic efforts to hold themselves steadyand remain below the surface.
Frank, not having time to take such a long breath as Jack,because of the suddenness with which he had dived, was the firstto come to the surface. He was tossed high on the still angrywaves, but by a Herculean effort, the lad managed to keep hishead above water.
His first thought was of the small boat he had so recently left.Glancing around, he saw it floating, bottom up, about a hundredyards away. He swam rapidly toward it; and as he hurried along,a head suddenly bobbed up directly in front of him.
It was Jack, struggling and gasping. Frank swam rapidly to him,and lent what assistance he could. Soon Jack was swimming easilywith his friend toward the little upturned boat.
They laid hold of the little craft, and after a struggle,succeeded in righting it and clambering aboard, where they satdown, wet and weak, Then, for the first time, Jack turned hiseyes toward the spot where so short a time ago had been theGerman submarine. He saw the mass of floating wreckage.
"Gone," he said simply, "and the poor fellows with it." Heturned to Frank. "You certainly did a good job. I never knewthat you were so handy with a gun."
"I am a pretty fair shot," Frank admitted modestly.
"But if you had missed the first time--?" began Jack.
"I couldn't miss," replied Frank quietly. "I knew that before Ipulled the trigger. Some way, I felt certain the bullet would gotrue. Why, I hardly even aimed."
"Well," said Jack, "I'm sure I don't ever want you blazing awayat me."
"I guess we might as well get away from this spot," said Frank."I wonder where we are?"
Jack stood up in the boat and looked long across the sea. Dawnwas just breaking, and in the faint morning light he could see aconsiderable distance.
"No land in sight," he said finally, and sat down again. "At aguess, though, I should say we must still be off the coast ofHolland."
"Yes; but how are we going to tell which way the coast of Hollandis?"
"I'm sure I don't know. We'll just have to take a chance at ittill the sun comes up, and then we can get our bearings. We'llhave to be very careful though, for there are likely to be minesfloating about. If we had some oars we could row a bit it wouldwarm us up."
But no oars were in sight, either near the boat or among thefloating wreckage.
"They must be at the bottom of the sea," said Frank, in somedespair. "I should have thought to have made them fast."
"Never mind that," said Jack. "The question now is, what are wegoing to do?"
"Well, you know as much about it as I do," replied Frank. "Whatare we going to do?"'
"It looks to me as though we should have to drift and take achance of being, picked up," returned Jack.
"Or be blown up by a floating mine," said Frank.
"That's a chance we shall have to take," said Jack calmly. "Youshould have thought of that before you bored a hole through thatmine on the submarine."
Frank did not reply. At length he rose to his feet and took offhis coat. Then he turned to Jack.
"Give me yours," he said briefly.
Jack obeyed without question.
Tying the two coats securely together, Frank loosened one of thethwarts in the little boat. He pulled some strong string fromhis pocket and soon had improvised a little sail. Then tying onesleeve to a cleat on one side and another sleeve to a cleat onthe other he soon had his sail bellying before the stiff breeze.
"It's pretty low," he said, leaning back and surveying his work,"but it may move us along a little."
"How do we know we are going in the right direction?" asked Jack.
"We don't; but we might as well be moving as to stay here. We'lllet her have her head and keep her steady as she goes."
Slowly the little craft, before the freshening wind began to makeheadway.
"This does beat lying still," said Jack. "I don't believe Iwould have thought of rigging up such a sail as that."
"I guess you would if I hadn't," replied Frank. "Now you try andtake a little snooze, while I keep a lookout for a vessel of somekind."
"All right; only, you wake me up in a couple of hours and I'llstand watch."
Frank agreed to this, and Jack rolled over in the bottom of theboat, where, in spite of his wet clothing and the chilling wind,he was soon fast asleep. He was completely exhausted, and anykind of a bed would have felt good to him right then.
Frank, holding the rudder of the boat, sat silent, with his eyesscanning the distant horizon for the sign of a ship. But hiswatch was vain. Not even the smoke of a patrolling vessel did hesee in the distance. His two hours of watch up, he shook Jackvigorously.
The latter was up in an instant, and soon Frank was occupying hisplace in the bottom of the boat.
For an hour Jack scanned the horizon without making out a ship;then, directly ahead, he saw a cloud of smoke.
"Must be a ship!" he muttered to himself, and turned to arouseFrank. Then he drew back, muttering: "No, there is no need towake him! He's tired out.
"Besides, the ship may not sight us, in which case he would bebitterly disappointed."
Slowly the cloud of smoke grew larger, until at length Jack wascertain that the vessel was bearing down on them. As it drewcloser, he saw that the approaching ship was a cruiser; and as itdrew still closer, that it was British.
Then he bent over and aroused Frank.
"Look!" he said, pointing across the water, "what do you think ofthat?"
Frank was wide awake in an instant
"A British cruiser," he ejaculated, "and coming right toward us.If she keeps on her course we are sure to be seen."
Frank sprang to the little sail and tore it down. Then each ladpicked up a coat, and standing at his full height, waved thegarment and yelled lustily.
For some moments this was unrewarded. Then the boys saw signs ofexcitement aboard the cruiser, and a big gun boomed--
"She's seen us!" cried Frank, and dropped into a seat, laughinghappily.
Both lads watched silently the oncoming cruiser.
"Can you make her out?" asked Frank at length.
Jack rose and looked sharply across the water.
"Yes," he said finally. "She is the Cumberland."
A small boat was lowered from the cruiser and put off towardthem. Soon it scraped alongside the boys' craft, and they weretaken aboard where they were received with expressions of greatsurprise, both by the officer in command and by members of theboat's crew.
"How did you get away out here?" asked the surprised boatswain.
Briefly Jack explained.
"By Jove!" exclaimed the officer when the lad had concluded hisstory. "You certainly have seen excitement. And so you blew upthe German submarine?"
"My friend here did," replied Jack, indicating Frank.
"Sure," said the boatswain, "Captain Marcus will be glad to hearthe yarn. It's a good one you can spin."
The little boat now dre
w up against the cruise and quickly allclambered aboard.
As Jack came over the rail, a man of great height--fully sixfeet five inches--greeted him. He was smooth-faced and ruddy,and the fane-anchor on his collar proclaimed him captain.
"Captain Marcus?" queried Jack, as he leaped to the deck.
"At your service," came the reply in a hearty sailor-like voice.
"I am Lieutenant Jack Templeton, scout cruiser Sylph, sir," saidJack, "and this," turning to Frank, "is Lieutenant Frank Chadwickof the same vessel."
"What are you doing in a dingy in the middle of the North Sea?"demanded the captain.
Briefly once more Jack explained.
"The Sylph sunk!" exclaimed Captain Marcus. "And what of my oldfriend Lord Hastings?"
"Gone down with his ship, sir," replied Jack, Patiently.
"Hastings dead!" cried the commander of the Cumberland. "It isimpossible!"
"No, sir," said Frank. "It is true."
For a moment the commander bowed his head in reverence. Then heraised his eyes and looked at the boys.
"He was my very good friend," he said simply, and motioned theboys to follow him below.
Inside the cabin of the commander of the Cumberland, the captainmotioned the lads to seats.
"Now we shall see what is to be done with you," he said. "Atpresent, because of the loss of the Sylph, you are, of course,unattached. How would you like to go with me?"
"Where to, sir?" asked Jack.
"I'll explain," replied the captain. "Until yesterday theCumberland was one of the blockading fleet off Heligoland. Youcan understand, therefore, that I have already heard of you lads.I have been ordered to patrol the west coast of Africa, and, if Imistake not, there will be fighting. I have recently lost two ofmy midshipmen through illness. You may have their places. Whatdo you say?"
Both lads had taken a great liking to Captain Marcus at firstsight, but it was Jack who made answer for both:
"Thank you, sir. We shall be glad to go with you."
Boy Allies under Two Flags Page 7