Boy Allies under Two Flags

by Clair W. Hayes

  CHAPTER XXVI

  CRUISING AGAIN

  It seemed long hours to Frank and Jack before they once more madeout the form of the Sylph, still cruising slowly to and fro closeto where they had left her nearly two days before. The submarinedrew up to her rapidly, and soon Captain Nicholson ordered asmall boat launched.

  Into this climbed first a seaman, then Captain Nicholson andFrank and, Jack. Lord Hastings greeted the boys warmly as theydropped over the rail of the Sylph.

  "I was beginning to fear something bad gone wrong," he said. "Icertainly am glad to see you back safe and sound. Was the raid asuccess?"

  "It was indeed," replied Frank.

  "Three Turkish cruisers sent to the bottom," said Jack briefly.

  "Good!" cried Lord Hastings enthusiastically. "And the submarinewasn't damaged, eh?"

  "Oh, yes, it was," broke in Captain Nicholson, and proceeded torelate the details of the encounter.

  "And how did the two lads behave themselves?" questioned LordHastings.

  "Admirably," was Captain Nicholson's reply. "We were in a prettyticklish situation for a moment, but they never lost theirnerve."

  The lads blushed at this praise.

  "Well," said Captain Nicholson, after some further talk, "I guessI shall have to say good-bye."

  He shook hands all around, and was soon on his way back to hisown vessel. Immediately the Sylph was got under way, andproceeded on her course westward. But she had gone hardly a milewhen the wireless operator rushed up to Lord Hastings, and handedhim a message.

  "Relayed by the Gloucester and Terror, Sir," he said.

  Lord Hastings read the message:

  "Strong German squadron somewhere off coast of South America.British fleet on watch. Get in touch."

  The message was signed by Winston Spencer Churchill, first Lordof the Admiralty.

  Lord Hastings pursed his lips and whistled expressively.

  "Another long cruise," he said briefly.

  Soon the Sylph's head was turned toward the South, and forseveral days thereafter she pursued her uneventful way down thecoast of South Africa. Rounding the Cape of Good Hope, shesteamed straight for the distant coast of South America.

  Lord Hastings stopped to coal once or twice, and so it was somedays before the lookout picked up, land ahead.

  "Should be the Argentine coast, if we have not drifted off ourcourse," Lord Hastings informed the two lads.

  He was right, and the following day the Sylph put in at one ofthe small South American ports for coal.

  "We'll have the ship looked over a bit," said Lord Hastings. "Weare permitted to stay in this, port 24 hours, and at theexpiration of that time we must leave or be interned."

  It was in this place that Lord Hastings and the members of theSylph's crew learned of the disaster that had overtaken severalBritish cruisers in those parts. Here, for the first time, theyheard of the defeat of a small British squadron by the Germans,and of the death of Admiral Sir Christopher Craddock, who hadgone down fighting to the last.

  "Never fear," said Lord Hastings, "Sir Christopher's loss shallbe avenged, and that shortly, or I am badly mistaken."

  The following day the Sylph put to sea again, and headed down theArgentine coast.

  It was late the next afternoon, when the wireless operator aboardthe Sylph picked up a message.

  "German squadron some place near, sir," he said laconically, ashe handed a message to Lord Hastings.

  The commander of the Sylph glanced at the message. In regularmaritime code, it read:

  "Close in."

  "I haven't been able to pick up the position of the ship thatsent that, sir," the operator volunteered.

  "If you can do so," said Lord Hastings, "let me knowimmediately."

  "Do you know what German ships are supposed to be in thesewaters?" Jack asked of Lord Hastings.

  "Why, yes," was the latter's reply. "The armored cruisersScharnhorst and Gneisenau, the former the flagship of AdmiralCount von Spee, and the protected cruisers Leipzig, Dresden andNurnberg. Why?"

  "Well," Jack explained, "judging by the message just picked up,they must be separated. Couldn't we, by representing ourselvesas one of these vessels, possibly pick up a little usefulinformation?"

  "By Jove!" said Lord Hastings. "We could."

  "But how are we to know which ship sent that message?" askedFrank. "We wouldn't want to make a mistake, and we might try topass ourselves off as the very cruiser that flashed thatmessage."

  "The message was undoubtedly sent from the flagship," said LordHastings, "so we are safe enough there. Come with me."

  He led the way to the wireless room, where the operator wasmaking unsuccessful efforts to pick up more messages from theair.

  Now, at Lord Hastings' direction, he tapped his key.

  "Scharnhorst! Scharnhorst!" the instrument called through theair.

  There was no reply, and the call was repeated.

  "Scharnhorst! Scharnhorst!"

  A moment later and there was a faint clicking of the Sylph'sapparatus. The call was being answered. The operator wrote itoff.

  "What ship is that? Admiral von Spee orders all to close in,"and the exact position of the German flagship was given.

  "'Dresden!" flashed back Lord Hastings. "Signed, Koehler."

  "I happen to know Captain Koehler commands the Dresden," LordHastings confided to the boys.

  He sent another message to the German admiral:

  "Where are you headed?"

  "Falkland Islands," came back the answer.

  "To attack the British?" was the message Lord Hastings sentthrough the air.

  "Will sink one British ship in harbor and destroy Wirelessplant," was the answer to this query.

  "Good!" said Lord Hastings to the lads. "We now know hisobjective point, and if we could pick up the English fleet wewould be prepared to receive them."

  "Is there a British fleet in these waters?" asked Jack, in somesurprise.

  "Yes," replied the commander of the Sylph. "Vice Admiral SirFrederick Sturdee, chief of the war staff, is hereabouts with apowerful fleet. The fact has been generally kept a secret, but Iam in possession of that much information."

  "Do you make the Germans' position closer to the Falkland Islandsthan ours?" asked Frank.

  "No," replied Lord Hastings. "Judging by the action of thewireless, I should say we are fifty miles closer."

  "Then," said Frank, "why cannot we make a dash for the Islands?We can put in there and give warning. Besides, it may be thatsome of the British fleet is near there."

  "A good idea," replied Lord Hastings. "It shall be acted upon atonce."

  Under full speed the Sylph dashed forward toward the Islands.

  "I don't expect we shall pick up the Falklands before morning,"said Lord Hastings, "and we shall have to keep a sharp lookouttonight, for we are likely to bump into a German cruiser prowlingabout here some place."

  "Scharnhorst trying to raise the Dresden again," said thewireless operator to Lord Hastings, with a grin.

  "Let her try," replied Lord Hastings. "Guess Admiral von Speewill think it funny he gets no reply, but he'll think it funnierstill when he finally does raise the Dresden and learns that itwas not she who answered his other call."

  And it was not long until the real Dresden did reply. TheSylph's operator picked up the messages that were exchanged.

  "Dresden, Koehler!" came the response to one of the flagship'scalls.

  "What is the matter?" came the query. "Why did you ceasecommunicating?"

  "Don't understand," was the reply. "Have not communicated withyou before."

  "Didn't you acknowledge my call fifteen minutes ago?"

  "No!"

  Even the ticking of the wireless instrument now grew nervous, andit was plain that the sender was laboring under stress.

  "Received message signed 'Dresden, Koehler, fifteen minutes ago,"came from the flagship. "Did you send it?"

  "No," was the r
eply flashed back. "Picked you up now for thefirst time."

  "Enemy must have picked up call and answered then," flashed theflagship. "Heed only code messages in future, and answer inkind."

  Thereafter, although the operator picked up the messages passingbetween the two ships, they were only a jumble. In spite of allattempts of Lord Hastings and the two lads to decipher the code,they remained in ignorance of further communication between theenemy's ships.

  "Well," said Lord Hastings. "We have scared them up a littlebit, anyhow."

  "I should say we have," replied Jack. "They don't know whetherwe are one or a dozen."

  "But," said Frank, "they probably will make for the Falklands nowfaster than ever."

  "Right," replied Lord Hastings, "and it's up to us to get therewell ahead of them."

  "Other cruisers coming within zone, sir," reported the wirelessoperator.

  "Can you make out their conversation?" inquired Lord Hastings.

  "No, sir," was the reply. "They have reported to the flagship,and after being warned, have continued in code."

  "Did you pick up their identities?"

  "Yes, sir. Besides the Dresden, the Gneisenau, Leipzig andNurnberg have reported."

  "That's all of 'em," said Lord Hastings dryly, "and they make apretty powerful squadron. Here's where we have to begin tohustle."

  The Sylph seemed to go forward even faster than before.