CHAPTER XXI
ON THE TRAIL
A reply to this message was not long coming. It read:
"Lord Hastings: Sorry you are aboard, but I must sink you."
To this Lord Hastings replied:
"It can't be done."
Now the Emden put about and headed for the Sylph. Quickly alsothe Sylph came about and headed westward.
"If he'll only follow long enough, we'll lure him into the pathof some British vessel," said Lord Hastings.
"Well," said Jack, "I don't believe he will. As soon as he findshe cannot overtake us, he'll continue on his way."
"And he'll try to lose us in the night," said Frank.
"That is my idea," said Lord Hastings. "To prevent that we mustbe on the alert continually. We'll follow him for months, ifnecessary. At nights we shall have to close up a bit, and take achance that they cannot hit us."
It was nearing dusk when the Emden finally gave up the chase ofthe Sylph as futile, and once more put about. Immediately alsothe Sylph's head came about, and she once more set out, to trailthe German. Occasional messages were exchanged between Captainvon Mueller and Lord Hastings.
Night fell, and now the Sylph began to draw closer to her quarry.She closed up the distance gradually, until Lord Hastings decidedthat they were near enough; and this position the Sylphmaintained, her searchlight playing upon the Emden and making heras light as day.
All night and all the following day the Sylph followed the Emden.Several times the Emden put about, and made as if to give chase,but on each occasion the Sylph also changed her course. Therelative positions of the two vessels remained the same, exceptthat in the light of day the Sylph put more distance between herand her quarry.
Night drew on once more, and again the Sylph approached closer.It was plain that this remorseless pursuit was worrying thecommander of the Emden and that he did not know which way to turnto avoid his pursuer.
Lord Hastings sniffed the air.
"Feels like there would be a fog tonight," he said. "I hope itis not so dense as to dim the glow of the searchlight."
But in this he was doomed to disappointment. The fog descended,but still those on the Sylph could dimly make out the outline ofthe Emden. But with the approach of morning, while Jack had thebridge, the fog suddenly thickened, and blotted out the pursuedvessel entirely.
Quickly Jack summoned Lord Hastings.
Immediately Lord Hastings ordered the searchlight extinguishedand all lights on board put out.
"We don't want to let him know where we are," he said. "I feelabsolutely certain that Captain von Mueller will double back andtry to come up upon us in the fog. We must avoid that at allhazards, and at the same time must so maneuver as to be nearenough to pick him up when the fog lifts."
Lord Hastings altered the course of the Sylph slightly, butcontinued to go forward. Six o'clock came and no sign of theEmden, and then seven. And then the fog lifted as suddenly as ithad descended, and at that moment there was the sound of a biggun and a shell whistled over the stern of the Sylph.
A mile in the offing, having put about, was the Emden. She hadmaneuvered even as Lord Hastings had figured, and had run clearby the Sylph in the darkness.
"Full speed ahead!" commanded Lord Hastings.
The Sylph leaped quickly forward, as the bell tinkled the signalto the engine-room, running rapidly to get out of range of theEmden's guns and torpedoes.
Several times, without reducing the speed of his ship, LordHastings swerved in his course, and thus spoiled the aim of theGerman gunners. And then the Emden's shells began to fall short.The Sylph was out of range.
For an hour the Emden continued her pursuit, and then once moreput about and herself became the pursued, the Sylph followingrelentlessly on her heels.
It was near noon when the wireless operator aboard the Sylphapproached Lord Hastings.
"Have just picked up the Australian cruiser Sydney, sir. I gavehim our identity and Captain Glossop pays his respects to you,sir."
Lord Hastings jumped to action in a moment.
"Where is he now?"
The operator gave the position of the Sydney.
"A hundred miles away," mused Lord Hastings.
He led the way to the wireless room.
"Send this in code," he told the operator, handing him a slip ofpaper on which he had written a few words, "and instruct him toreply in code."
The operator did as he was commanded.
The reply was plain to Lord Hastings, himself an operator uponoccasion.
"Good!" he said to himself.
He turned to the boys.
"I gave the Sydney our position and told him we were trailing theEmden. He replied that he would head for us immediately; for usto keep up the chase and keep him constantly informed of ourposition."
"But don't you suppose the Emden has picked up the message, sir."
"Undoubtedly; that is why I sent it in code. Von Mueller maysurmise what we are up to, but he cannot be sure."
That the commander of the Emden had picked up the message becameapparent a few moments later.
"Emden has signaled the Sydney her presence not needed, sir,"said the operator, "and signed the message Hastings."
Lord Hastings scribbled rapidly.
"Send this," he ordered.
The message read:
"Disregard all communications not in code. Emden trying to throwyou off the track."
The Sydney acknowledged the receipt of this message, and LordHastings and the two lads returned to the bridge.
"What do you suppose Captain von Mueller will do now?" askedJack.
"Run as long as he can," replied Lord Hastings.
"However, the Sydney is considerably faster, so it is only aquestion of time till we get him."
The Emden now headed east, on a course that eventually would landher, if she maintained it, somewhere along the Malay archipelago.The Sylph gave chase.
Continual messages were flashed between Lord Hastings and thecommander of the Australian cruiser, and it became apparent thatthe latter gradually overhauling them.
Came a message to Lord Hastings from the commander of the Emden:
"Sorry you were afraid to fight it out."
Lord Hastings wired back:
"I wasn't afraid, but I will take no chance of losing you."
All day and all another night the chase continued; and it wasnear noon of the following day that the lookout gave the welcomecry:
"Ship off the stern, sir!"
Quickly all eyes were turned in the direction indicated. Asmudge of smoke could be seen off the horizon. Came a messagefrom the Sydney:
"Have sighted you."
But the Sydney was still far in the rear when land came in sight.
"What do you make it, sir?" asked Frank of Lord Hastings.
"I should say it is one of the Cocos Islands group," was thereply.
The Emden headed straight for it. Two hours later she landed,and the Sylph stood off.
"Do you suppose Captain von Mueller will desert the ship or sinkher?" asked Jack.
"Not without a fight," replied Lord Hastings positively.
It was three hours later before the Emden lifted anchor and putto sea again. Those on board did not know it then, but a landingparty from the Emden had destroyed the wireless station on theisland while there.
Slowly but surely the Sydney overhauled the Sylph, and at lengthdrew up on even terms with her. Then she forged slowly ahead,drawing closer and closer to her prey.
Now, realizing that escape was impossible, the Emden turned.Brought to bay, Captain von Mueller had decided to give battle.
"Will we go into action, sir?" asked Jack of Lord Hastingseagerly.
"Not unless it is absolutely necessary," replied the commander ofthe Sylph. "The Sydney can handle the Emden alone."
Both lads were disappointed, for they had felt certain, that whenthe Emden was brought to bay they would have a hand in putting anend
to her.
"Well," said Jack, "we can at least see the battle."
"Right," said Frank, and fortifying themselves with glasses, theytook posts of vantage.
Now the Emden steamed forward to meet the Sydney, and the Sylphhove to. The crew, relieved from duty, scattered about thedecks, seeking advantageous places to witness the encounter.
Slowly the two cruisers approached each other.
The Emden already has been described, and a few words hereconcerning the Sydney will not be amiss.
The Australian cruiser Sydney carried a main battery of eight6-inch guns, thus giving her an advantage over the German ship.She had a complement Of 400 men. She was 400 feet long and wasmuch greater in the beam than her antagonist. She carriedseveral smaller guns and a number of rapid-firers. As did theEmden, the Sydney carried two submerged torpedoes.
Across the water came the call of a bugle, as the crew of theSydney made ready for action. She was almost within range now.There was no question but that she outranged the Emden slightly,but the German cruiser was steaming rapidly forward to overcomethis disadvantage as quickly as possible.
Now there was a puff of smoke from the bow of the Sydney."Boom!" came the sound of a big gun.
The Sydney, within range at last, had opened the battle.
Boy Allies under Two Flags Page 21