CHAPTER XXVI.SCOUTING.
“We may as well go up now.”
It was Lord Hastings who spoke. For two hours, starting at nightfall, the D-16 had been creeping along under the waters in the Dardanelles. Submerging before she started, the submarine had not yet come to the surface once. But now, at Lord Hastings’ words, Jack gave the command.
“Seems to me we should not be far from the opposite end,” Lord Hastings continued.
Slowly the D-16 rose toward the surface, Frank, in the lookout room, meanwhile keeping a careful watch for obstacles ahead. There was little fear of encountering a hostile under-the-water craft, and for this reason the huge searchlight of the D-16 was allowed to play about the water, lighting it up for some distance on all sides.
The submarine reached the surface without trouble, and followed by Jack and Frank, Lord Hastings ascended to the bridge.
The water was very rough, and it was perfectly black outside.
“We could not have selected a better night,” said Lord Hastings.
“But without a moon or light of some kind,” asked Jack, “how are we going to make out the lay of the land?”
“We’ll run inshore and do a little scouting,” was the reply.
Accordingly the submarine was headed shoreward.
“The water here is deep enough to permit us to go almost to the bank,” said Lord Hastings. “After that we shall have to swim.”
When the D-16 had approached the bank as near as Lord Hastings deemed possible with safety, the commander turned the bridge over to Frank and announced that he and Jack would go ashore.
“But is there not fear of your being discovered?” asked Frank.
“We shall have to take that chance,” was Lord Hastings’ reply. “Now you stay right here with the submarine until daylight. If we have not returned, you will know that we have fallen into some difficulty, and you will return and report.”
“Very well, sir,” replied Frank.
Lord Hastings and Jack lowered themselves quietly into the cold water, and struck out boldly for the shore. They had to swim no more than a minute, when they felt the gradual rise of the land under their feet. Stepping softly, they continued their way, and soon stood upon dry land.
“Which way now, sir?” asked Jack.
“It doesn’t make much difference,” was the reply. “We’ll go to the left.”
They started out cautiously.
“Keep your eyes open,” Lord Hastings instructed, “and your hand upon your guns. I don’t fancy falling into the hands of the Turks.”
“Nor I,” replied Jack, as he followed his commander’s advice.
The two stepped forward cautiously. They walked for perhaps five minutes, and then they brought up suddenly before a huge gray wall.
“Fort,” said Lord Hastings briefly.
Jack said nothing, but followed his commander. Lord Hastings drew back a few yards and glanced up carefully.
“I’ll get this in my mind,” he whispered, “and draw my map later.”
Jack nodded.
Lord Hastings scrutinized the fort carefully, and then with a nod, passed on. Jack followed.
For perhaps an hour they continued along the shore, Lord Hastings stopping now and then to take in some detail of the ground.
“We have reached the point where theQueen Elizabeth’sshells have been dropping,” he finally said. “There is no use going farther. Let us go back.”
They turned and retraced their steps.
Arrived opposite the point where the submarine waited, they plunged into the water and swam back.
“We’ll try the other side now,” said Lord Hastings.
The submarine was guided close to the opposite bank, and once more the two plunged into the water and were soon ashore.
Again they proceeded for perhaps an hour, and again Lord Hastings discovered the effects of theQueen Elizabeth’sshells. As he deemed it unnecessary to go further, they turned and once more retraced their steps.
They had almost reached the point off which the submarine waited when several figures loomed suddenly up in the darkness ahead of them. They were so close at this moment that it was impossible to avoid a collision. Jack, realizing this, and also knowing that the figures ahead must be enemies, did not wait for the latter to strike the first blow.
As he bumped into the man nearest him, he struck out heavily with his right. There was a fierce muttered Oriental imprecation and the man went to the ground.
Lord Hastings performed a similar operation upon the man nearest him, and he also toppled over. The rest drew back, and sent up a cry of rage. Realizing that their opponents would receive reinforcements in a minute, Lord Hastings and Jack sprang into the midst of them.
Striking out right and left, Jack disposed of two more of the enemy, and Lord Hastings a third; but at that moment Lord Hastings felt a sharp pain in his side and fell to the ground.
Warding off the blows of the one remaining assailant, Jack stooped over his commander.
“Hurt badly, sir?” he asked anxiously.
“Pretty badly, I fear,” was the reply. “Caught me in the shoulder. Wait, I’ll try to get up.”
He made a valiant effort, but fell back with a moan of pain.
At the same instant the sound of running footsteps could be heard approaching.
Jack stooped over his commander and threw an arm about him.
With his feeble strength, the latter threw him off.
“Hurry!” he cried. “Save yourself! You can’t get me away.”
“You do as I say now,” commanded Jack sternly.
He bent over.
“Put your arm around my neck.”
Lord Hastings protested, but in vain. Jack raised his body and slipped an arm beneath it.
“Put your arm around my neck,” he commanded again.
This time Lord Hastings obeyed. Jack lifted him up as though he had been a child, and turning, dashed for the spot off which he knew the submarine lay.
He had almost reached it, when he found himself suddenly confronted by two dark figures. Without a word he laid Lord Hastings gently upon the ground and hurled himself upon the men before him.
With two smashing blows—a left and a right—he laid two of them low before they could recover from their surprise, and as a third man, with a cry of rage, dashed upon him with upraised arm, Jack caught him by the wrist.
He gave a violent twist, there was a snap and a sharp cry of pain, and a knife fell to the ground. Jack planted his other fist squarely in the man’s face, and even as the latter tumbled to the ground, the lad stooped over Lord Hastings and in another moment was running along the bank with him.
“You can’t do it, Jack,” gasped Lord Hastings, as the lad ran on.
“Keep still,” ordered Jack. “I’ll get you back aboard or break a leg.”
Lord Hastings subsided.
Now Jack reached the point where the submarine lay only a few yards off shore.
“Drop into the water,” he commanded Lord Hastings.
“But I can’t swim with this arm,” the latter protested.
“You do as I say,” ordered Jack. “I’ll get you before you go down.”
Without further words, Lord Hastings obeyed, and as he disappeared from sight in the water Jack leaped lightly in after him. His hand touched his commander’s collar before the latter had struck bottom, and coming to the surface, he supported Lord Hastings with one arm while with the other he struck out for the submarine.
Frank, upon the bridge peering intently into the night, had heard the sounds of confusion, but strain his eyes as he would, he did not make out the two forms in the water until Jack’s voice, sounding almost in his ear, startled him.
“Lend a hand here, quick, Frank,” came his friend’s voice.
Quickly Frank leaped to obey.
Leaning over he held on to his commander while Jack scrambled aboard, and then both assisted their commander over the side, as gently as possible, so as to avoid straining his wound.
“Are you badly hurt, sir?” asked Frank, when Lord Hastings lay panting on the bridge.
“I don’t know,” came the faint reply. “But I have a nasty stab in the shoulder.”
“We’ll soon have that fixed up,” said Jack cheerfully. “Help me carry him down, Frank.”
With Lord Hastings stretched out in his bed, Jack ordered Frank to see about getting the submarine away from the dangerous location, while he tended to Lord Hastings’ wounds.
“You’ll have to hurry,” he exclaimed. “They know we are around here some place, and they’ll be after us like a pack of wolves.”
Frank hurried back upon the bridge, to gain his bearings. As he emerged, a hand clutched him by the throat. In vain did the lad attempt to cry out. He struck blindly at his unseen opponent, who had grabbed him from behind.
Frank threw himself to the deck, and the man who had swam aboard the submarine fell on top of him. Taken at a disadvantage for a moment by Frank’s ruse, his hold upon the lad’s throat loosened.
At the same moment the submarine was made as bright as day by the powerful rays of a searchlight which fell upon it; but this glare was a boon to Frank, for it gave him a chance to determine his opponent’s position, and he was not slow to take advantage of it.
With right and left he struck out swiftly time after time, and the Turk, badly battered, at last tumbled from the bridge and into the sea with a howl of pain.
At the same instant other figures began to clamber over the side of the submarine, where they had been attracted by the sounds of confusion.
Frank acted quickly. Jumping to his feet, he dashed below, closing the door to the bridge and conning tower after him.
“Submerge!” he cried as the doors came together with a clang.
In vain did the figures upon the top of the D-16 seek to retain a foothold. Their foundation slipped gradually away from them, until they were all left floundering in the sea.
Then the D-16 turned in the direction of the allied fleet.