Chapter 8

image: chapter_25.jpg[Illustration: CHAPTER XXV]

IN the course of a few hours the officers and crew of theOlive Branchwere in possession of the state of affairs so far as it was possible for their English agent to impart information. Great things were taking place, events of momentous importance, yet with few exceptions the country was kept in ignorance of the initial disasters of the war.

A secret treaty had been contracted between three great European Powers, and so well were the terms of the understanding guarded that the British Foreign Office was absolutely unaware of the existence of any agreement between the countries concerned. Simultaneous "autumn manoeuvres" had been the means of the foregathering of a powerful combined fleetin the Atlantic, where, though away from the recognised trade routes, it was within twelve hours' steaming distance of the south coast of England.

At the same time most of the British warships under the supreme command of Sir Protheroe Hobbes, Admiral of the Fleet, were cruising off the west coasts of Scotland and Ireland, while through unforeseen defects, an unprecedented number were under refit at the home ports. Several events, to which no one at the time attached the real importance, took place during the week preceding the outbreak of war.

A large British-owned vessel entering Portsmouth Harbour with a cargo of Norwegian granite for use on some of the dockyard works, ran aground opposite the Round Tower—the narrowest part of the mouth of the harbour. As she swung round broadside on to the strong flood tide there was an explosion amidships and the vessel sank in ten minutes, completely blocking up the fairway, and consequently "bottling up" six useful units of the British Navy.

On the same day a mysterious outrage took place in Scotland, the centre spans of the Forth Bridge being destroyed by some powerful explosive. This act was wrongly attributed to Anarchists, who had been extremely active of late. Though fortunately there was no loss of life entailed, the consequences were disastrous, since, until the debris was removed, the naval base of Rosyth was completely isolated.

The following afternoon the ambassador of the Triple Alliance left London, and hostilities, without a formal declaration of war, immediately broke out.

Under cover of darkness simultaneous attempts were made by airships upon the principal naval ordnance magazines of Great Britain. The attack upon Priddy's Hard Magazine failed, mainly through the initiative taken by a young lieutenant in charge of B Y aeroplane at Fort Blockhouse; but the enemy succeeded in destroying the magazines of Bedenham, Chattenden, and Bull Point, though in the last instance the airship dealing the blow was so crippled by the effect of the explosion that she was compelled to come to earth at Saltash, where her crew were immediately taken prisoners.

A small coasting steamer entering Plymouth Sound struck a submarine mine a few cables from the Mewstone, and sank with all hands. It was subsequently discovered that the channel on either side of the breakwater had been strewn with mines, so that ere a battleship or cruiser dare leave the Hamoaze the Sound had to be "swept" as far seaward as a line joining Rame Head and Wembury Point.

Meanwhile the fleet of the Triple Alliance—outnumbering Admiral Hobbes's command by no less than seven Dreadnoughts and super-Dreadnoughts, eleven armoured cruisers, and more than twenty ocean-going destroyers—sought to cut off the British fleet and compel it to give battle. Once the British fleet were destroyed the position of the Empire would be hopeless. Without landing a single hostile regiment her downfall would be only a matter of a few weeks; with her seaborne commerce captured or destroyed England would be starved into submission; the partition of the Empire would follow in due course.

The minute Admiral Hobbes heard by wireless of the outbreak of war, he issued orders for the fleet to steam at its greatest speed straight for the English Channel. A man of undoubted courage and skill, he never hesitated to count the cost; disregarding the disparity of force, he resolved to take the initiative and do his best to win a decisive action.

At daybreak on the day following the departure of the British fleet from Bantry Bay, two of the swift coastal destroyers signalled that the enemy's ships were standing northwest in quarter line.

Unfortunately this information, though correct, was not complete, as a strong division, in line ahead, was steaming parallel to that of the main fleet, though some fifteen miles to the south-west. Thus, should the British admiral of the fleet attempt to break the enemy's line—as he decided to do—he would have to run the risk of being raked by the guns of the powerful division lying hull down on his starboard side.

Admiral Bloch, in supreme command of the combined hostile fleets, had laid his plans carefully, but he had not reckoned with Captain Brookes, of theOlive Branch. Bloch it was who had planned the annihilation of the dreaded cruiser by means of a surprise night attack by one of the latest type of airships.

The crew of the airship had cabled news of the failure of the enterprise, but unfortunately for the enemy, owing to an error on the part of a Greek telegraph operator, the code word for "destroyed" was substituted for that signifying "escaped."

Consequently Admiral Bloch, imagining that all danger from that source was at an end, did not hesitate to meet the British fleet, well knowing that the latter, though powerful, was vastly inferior in numbers to his own.

Meanwhile theOlive Branchwas tearingacross the Bay. Two hundred miles from Finisterre she overhauled a British transport homeward bound. This vessel she promptly warned of the danger ahead, and as the transport turned and made towards Gibraltar her sides were crowded with troops who cheered the formidable cruiser to the echo.

The defects to theOlive Branch'selectrical gear had been made good ere she passed Gibraltar; the 6in. shells were charged with their powerful explosive; magazines were opened and water-tight doors closed.

image: 29_events.jpg

[Illustration: "In view of possible events I must ask you to take up your quarters beneath the armoured deck," said Captain Brookes.]

As far as was humanly possible the vessel under Captain Brookes's command was fit and ready for action.

At six bells the dull rumble of a terrific cannonade was heard away to the nor'-west. The van of Admiral Hobbes's fleet was in touch with the enemy.

It was a prolonged yet terrible encounter. The British fleet, advancing in line ahead in double columns, suffered severely as they received the concentrated fire of the hostile ships. It was a running fight at this stage, for Admiral Bloch's main division, relying on its superior numbers, was slowly retiring so as to subject its pursuers to a heavy cannonade at long range ere the second division, fresh for action, converged upon the flank of the British fleet.

In twenty minutes theBritish OrionandThundererwere sunk, while thePrincess Royal,Vanguard,Inflexible, andFoudroyanthad fallen out of line. In spite of their complicated system of water-tight doors they were leaking badly, their powerful centrifugal pumps being barely sufficient to cope with the inrush of water. TheFoudroyantin particular was in a deplorable condition, being battered entirely out of recognition.

The "lame ducks" must go. Admiral Hobbes could not hazard the rest of his fleet by standing by. The cripples were ordered to make their way as best they might for Haulbowline, trusting to luck to avoid the detached armoured cruisers of the hostile fleet.

In this running fight the enemy possessed a decided advantage in the fact that bothtorpedoes and mines could be employed, whereas the pursuing vessels were unable to use either.

Nor had they suffered lightly. The huge 20,000-ton battleship Kronprinz Gustave, her armoured sides shattered by the 13in. projectiles of the King George V., was slowly settling down by the head. TheAskoldinandTrodet—both regarded as formidable vessels—had already disappeared, while theStyx,Vonderflack, andGelionhad dropped astern hopelessly crippled. These three vessels, finding themselves overhauled by the British fleet, surrendered at discretion. But Admiral Hobbes was not in a position to take possession of the disabled ships; all he could hope was that his own "lame ducks" would be able to complete the surrender.

Then with a terrific roar a small cruiser steaming about two cables' length on the quarter of theDonetz—Bloch's flagship—burst into a thousand fragments. Admiral Hobbes hailed this success with as much delight as if it had been the sinking of one of the enemy's super-Dreadnoughts, for the vessel had been recognised as theHekla, a mine-layer of the most aggressive type.

Thus the losses on the side of the Triple Alliance outnumbered those of the British by one. This, Admiral Hobbes knew, was good, but not good enough. Should the action be continued with the same proportion of losses the allies would come out with a balance of eleven ships to the good—and that without taking into consideration the as yet invisible division of Vice-Admiral Neboff.

By noon the rival fleets, covering a front of eleven miles, were in the vicinity of the Lizard. The British commander hoped that some of the units left at Devonport might make a flank attack on the enemy. His wireless gear had been swept away, and consequently he was cut off from communication with the shore.

Then instead of the expected reinforcement one of the scouts came within signalling distance with the grave news that another hostile division was closing in on the British starboard quarter.

Half an hour later Admiral Neboff's division opened fire.

Admiral Hobbes realised that his position was hazardous in the extreme. Cornered between two powerful fleets he had either to beat an undignified retreat or to fight to the death. Quickly he made up his mind; he would hammer and be hammered as long as a single ship remained afloat.

At this juncture a grey cruiser, cutting through the water at an inconceivable speed, was seen approaching from the south-east. Eagerly, though hardly daring to hope, Admiral Hobbes watched her approach through his glass. As she passed within a mile of the partially disabledHertzogthe foreigner imprudently let fly an 11in. shell. The mysterious cruiser returned shot for shot, but one only was sufficient. Like a cardboard box theHertzogappeared to crumple up, and amid a thick cloud of steam and smoke she disappeared beneath the waters.

"Thank Heaven!" exclaimed the British admiral, fervently. "'Tis theOlive Branch."

image: chapter_26.jpg[Illustration: CHAPTER XXVI]

FOR three nights preceding the arrival of theOlive Branchon the scene of action Captain Brookes rarely left the deck. Content with two hours' rest a day he seemed to be independent of a desire to sleep. Yet the enormous physical and mental strain was beginning to tell.

"I shall have rest in plenty after this business is done; my lifelong task will soon be accomplished," he replied in answer to Gerald's remonstrances. "But now I must see the prisoners personally. Will you please accompany me?"

Outside the cabin in which the officers of the airship were confined stood two armed seamen. On the captain's approach they unlocked the door, and followed their superior into the apartment; but with a gesture they were dismissed, and Captain Brookes and Gerald were alone with the three prisoners.

"Good morning, Herr Hans von Rippach," exclaimed Captain Brookes. "I regret to have to inform you that owing to possible events I must ask you to take up your quarters in a cabin on the main deck."

"Beneath the armoured deck, I presume?" replied the individual who concealed his identity under the Continental equivalent of Mr. Nobody of Nowhere. The man spoke in fluent English, with hardly a trace of a foreign pronunciation. "That means you are going into action?"

The captain assented.

"Might I take this opportunity of expressing my regret for the rude manner in which I spoke to you on my arrival on board?" continued the officer.

"I accept your apologies, sir."

"And to answer your original questions I beg to announce myself as——"

"Prince E. von Bulow von Ratalewis, second son of——"

"Thank you, Lord Stanningborough," rejoined the prince with an air of a practised duellist who has effected a successful counter. "Need I recall our most pleasurable meeting in Vienna in '09?"

"You heard what the prince said?" said the captain, abruptly, as he and Gerald left the cabin after the expiration of ten minutes' conversation. "Please keep this matter to yourself, as I particularly wish to preserve my incognito."

Gerald bowed; he was on the point of replying "Yes, my lord," but, checking himself, he merely answered "Yes, sir." The revelation had momentarily staggered him, for he clearly remembered the case of the mysterious disappearance of Lord Stanningborough early in the second decade of the present century. For the first time he was able to recognise the peer's features in spite of the addition of the torpedo-beard.

Lord Stanningborough had been a prominent member of a committee of Imperial Defence, and had been submitted to a severe criticism for his outspoken utterances at the time of the three-power standard controversy. Even his personal friends treated him as a harmless fanatic, while the Government of the day ignored his well-meant warnings. At last, in utter disgust, Lord Stanningborough announced his intention of undertaking a big-game expedition to Uganda, and within a month of landing in Africa all traces of him had vanished. But Gerald Tregarthen understood; Captain Brookes was to remain Captain Brookes till his life's work was completed.

A bugle sounded "General quarters." From his position in the conning-tower Gerald could see the ungainly lattice-work masts of Admiral Neboff's division showing just above the horizon.

"Independent firing, foremost turret," ordered Captain Brookes, as an 11in. shell from a partially disabled ship ricochetted harmlessly a hundred yards across theOlive Branch'sbows.

"That's done it," he exclaimed, as the hostile vessel disappeared from view. "Now for the enemy's flanking ships."

Neboff had witnessed the arrival of the redoubtable cruiser. He had been duped; theOlive Branchhad not been annihilated but had arrived at a critical moment.

A signal fluttered from the flagship of the vice-admiral's division. Every available 11in. and 14in. gun was to be trained and fired simultaneously at theOlive Branchin the hope of sending her to the bottom.

For the space of twelve seconds over fifty heavy shells were hurtling through the air at a velocity of considerably more than a thousand yards a second. But the gun-layers had forgotten one important consideration; they had omitted to make due allowance for the cruiser's abnormal speed, and, with one exception, the projectiles fell harmlessly astern, thrashing the sunlit water into a cauldron of foam.

The shell that struck home—a 14in. missile—simply swept the whole of the afterpart of theOlive Branchout of existence. Everything above the armoured deck and abaft the rearmost gun-turret was blown away, the concussion shaking the cruiser from stem to stern.

"The bos'un to sound and report state of hull," ordered Captain Brookes; "then take necessary steps to keep the leak under."

"The range?" he continued, as he bent over the ZZ-rays indicator.

"Fourteen thousand yards, sir," replied Gerald.

The next instant the horizon in the direction of Admiral Neboff's division seemed to be one blaze of dull red fire, a thick pall of smoke rose in the air, and presently the dull revibration of a series of detonations was faintly borne to the ear of the young lieutenant in the conning-tower.

"Hurrah! That's settled their hash," he shouted, carried away by the excitement of the moment. "The——"

The sentence remained unfinished, for, happening to turn his head, he saw the figure of his commanding officer huddled over the indicator-board.

"Hit, sir?" he exclaimed, anxiously.

There was no reply. Gently Gerald lifted the body of the captain and laid him carefully down upon the floor of the conning-tower. Then, in answer to a hurried order, two seamen entered the citadel by means of the armoured spiral staircase, and Captain Brookeswas carried below to be placed in the hands of Dr. White.

There was no time to be lost in bewailing the latest catastrophe.

"Pass the word for Mr. Sinclair to take command," ordered Gerald, then, without waiting for the first lieutenant's appearance, he directed the quartermaster to head towards the left flank of the main division of the enemy's fleet.

A hurried glance at the ZZ-ray apparatus showed that this potent means of offence was no longer available.

image: 30_shattered.jpg

[Illustration: An admiral's pinnace was approaching the shatteredOlive Branch. Gerald hastened on deck to receive the distinguished officer.]

The pointers had been kept in position for such a length of time during the captain's collapse that every unit of electricity had escaped. Tregarthen realised that at their utmost capacity the dynamos would have to be working for six hours ere sufficient power was restored to bring the ZZ-rays up to their normal power.

It was to be by gunfire alone that theOlive Branchmust complete her work of retrieving the fortunes of the day.

"Independent action!" roared the lieutenant through the speaking-tube, for the electrical indicators communicating with the turrets had been disorganised by the concussion of the shell that had burst inboard.

In the space of a quarter of an hour the supreme conflict was decided. The enemy's feint had been changed into a disorderly retreat; many were sunk by gunfire, while the remainder, overhauled by the superior speed of the British fleet, hoisted the white flag.

The naval Armageddon had been fought and won.

"Where's Sinclair?" asked Tregarthen, as the wearied, yet triumphant, crew came on deck to witness the British warships taking possession of their surrendered foes.

"Down, sir; fatally wounded, I fear."

"And the captain?"

"Dead, sir," answered Dr. White, who was unable to conceal his emotion.

For some moments Gerald could say nothing, so grieved was he at the news. Then he asked, simply:—

"Where was he hit?"

"He is untouched by the enemy's shot; it is a case of heart failure caused by the strain of the last few days, culminating in the excitement of the action," replied the surgeon.

"Pass the word for the officers to come aft," said Lieutenant Tregarthen.

In a few broken words Gerald formally conveyed the news of their great loss, then, producing a document with which Captain Brookes had entrusted him, he read the instructions that were to be carried out in the event of the death or disablement of the captain of theOlive Branch.

This done, Tregarthen with his own hands lowered the green ensign and hoisted the blue ensign half-mast in its place, as the British naval regulations forbid the use of the white ensign. Then, gathering the struck colours under his arm, the lieutenant went below to where the body of the gallant captain lay.

All that was mortal of Captain Brookes had been placed on one of the junior officer's bunks, for the senior officers' cabins had been swept away by the 14in. shell. Reverently Gerald covered the body with the green ensign, the most fitting homage he could pay to the memory of his temporary chief.

"Admiral coming off, sir."

Tregarthen hastened on deck to find that a pinnace—one of the few that was still seaworthy, so fierce had been the enemy's fire—was approaching theOlive Branch, a Union Jack denoting the rank of admiral of the fleet flying from a jack-staff in her bows.

With the customary honours Admiral Hobbes came over the side, regarding the shattered quarter-deck of the mysterious cruiser with ill-concealed interest.

Gerald, in his uniform of lieutenant in His Majesty's fleet, stepped forward to receive the distinguished officer, and informed him of the death of Captain Brookes and of his written instructions to hand over theOlive Branchformally to the British Government.

"I am not ashamed to confess," remarked Admiral Hobbes to Gerald as they stood in the presence of the great captain, "that but for the assistance of theOlive Branchour position would have been hopeless. Now, thanks to Captain Brookes, all danger is at an end, and England still remains Mistress of the Seas. More than that, she will be incontestably supreme for all time. It's a sharp lesson, but an effectual one. All honour to the man who fulfilled his mission, and by one great action made further war impossible."

And standing rigidly at the salute, the veteran admiral paid his homage to the Sea Monarch.

The End.

Transcriber's Notes:"THE CAPTAIN, A MAGAZINE FOR BOYS & 'OLD BOYS.'" was a monthly magazine for young boys. It contained articles about how to make things yourself, about schools, photography, and short stories by different authors. The magazines were also published collectively as half-year volumes. In 1911 volume XXV appeared and it included this story by Percy F. Westerman.This story was published the next year (1912) by Adam & Charles Black, as a novel.The 1911 edition contains a number of misprints.The following misprints have been corrected:[from beneath, his feet.] >[from beneath his feet.][I wil hasten to] >[I will hasten to]["I am begining to] >["I am beginning to]Beneath an illustration the following text was found:[the tips of the twin propellors] >[the tips of the twin propellers][the companion Selkirk,] >[the companion, Selkirk,][in the Altantic] >[in the Atlantic]Several words occur with different notation. It could not be established which spelling is correct, so no corrections were made for:[charthouse]/[chart-house][bos'n]/[bos'un]/[bo's'un][siren]/[syren]A reversal was detected (but not corrected) in the following fragment: ["destroyed" was substituted for that signifying "escaped."] Following the story-line, the author probably meant to write: ["escaped" was substituted for that signifying "destroyed."]The plain text file uses underscores to indicate italic text and asterixes to indicate bold.A contents-list and an illustrations-list have been added for the convenience of the reader.

"THE CAPTAIN, A MAGAZINE FOR BOYS & 'OLD BOYS.'" was a monthly magazine for young boys. It contained articles about how to make things yourself, about schools, photography, and short stories by different authors. The magazines were also published collectively as half-year volumes. In 1911 volume XXV appeared and it included this story by Percy F. Westerman.This story was published the next year (1912) by Adam & Charles Black, as a novel.The 1911 edition contains a number of misprints.The following misprints have been corrected:[from beneath, his feet.] >[from beneath his feet.][I wil hasten to] >[I will hasten to]["I am begining to] >["I am beginning to]Beneath an illustration the following text was found:[the tips of the twin propellors] >[the tips of the twin propellers][the companion Selkirk,] >[the companion, Selkirk,][in the Altantic] >[in the Atlantic]Several words occur with different notation. It could not be established which spelling is correct, so no corrections were made for:[charthouse]/[chart-house][bos'n]/[bos'un]/[bo's'un][siren]/[syren]A reversal was detected (but not corrected) in the following fragment: ["destroyed" was substituted for that signifying "escaped."] Following the story-line, the author probably meant to write: ["escaped" was substituted for that signifying "destroyed."]The plain text file uses underscores to indicate italic text and asterixes to indicate bold.A contents-list and an illustrations-list have been added for the convenience of the reader.

This story was published the next year (1912) by Adam & Charles Black, as a novel.

Several words occur with different notation. It could not be established which spelling is correct, so no corrections were made for:

A reversal was detected (but not corrected) in the following fragment: ["destroyed" was substituted for that signifying "escaped."] Following the story-line, the author probably meant to write: ["escaped" was substituted for that signifying "destroyed."]

The plain text file uses underscores to indicate italic text and asterixes to indicate bold.

A contents-list and an illustrations-list have been added for the convenience of the reader.

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